Posted on 06/08/2004 7:03:08 AM PDT by prairiebreeze
WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- They've protested. They've rallied. They've banged drums. Now those who cry loudest for an end to the military operation in Iraq are preparing to let their voices be heard at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions this summer in Boston and New York City respectively.
The nation's ardent anti-war activists are planning efforts aimed during both political parties' conventions this summer to add an anti-war leg to the party platforms.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), the self-described "Peace Candidate," knows that he cannot win his party's nomination for the White House but has remained in the race in order to advance his anti-war message. Kucinich has organized a petition drive that he hopes will pull the Democratic Party firmly into the anti-war camp.
"On July 29th, the 4400 or so delegates to the Democratic National Convention will cheer and applaud John Kerry, after formally nominating him to seek the presidency on behalf of the Democratic Party," Charles Lenchner, National Movements Coordinator for the Kucinich Campaign told supporters. "Anti-war Democrats (a majority of Congressional Democrats) and other voter groups can address the Platform Committee in the hope of securing important gains on the issues, despite losing the fight for the nomination. The best time to do this is now, before the Party formally comes together around the presumptive nominee -- as all candidates have pledged."
Lenchner admits that it is a difficult process to make changes to the national platform.
"The process that exists was not developed for ease of use; but we can insert ourselves in it anyway," he wrote in his letter.
Lenchner said that he has attended meetings where the platform was debated and found that Democrats discuss politics not policy.
"In nearly every instance, they were answering the question 'how has Bush screwed up?'" Lenchner said. "Only one witness answered the question 'how do our Democratic values translate into policy?' The difference in emphasis is a reflection of our political system; instead of a debate over worldviews, with the Democratic base engaged in vigorous thinking about the future, we have a technocratic approach that appears to view the Bush administration more as inept than fundamentally wrong. This begs the question: do we want a Kerry administration to do the war in Iraq better, or to not do it at all?"
He urged "Progressive Democrats" to lobby for an anti-war plank in the platform despite Sen. John Kerry's some-time support of the efforts in Iraq by sending e-mails to platform@dnc.org or by signing one of six policy-related petitions Kucinich staffers have posted at www.kucinich.us/petitions/.
While Kucinich supporters are pushing for change inside the Democratic convention, some peace activists will be outside condemning the military efforts in Iraq.
International A.N.S.W.E.R., complete with its ties to communism, has issued a call for protests outside both national gatherings.
"The twin parties of the war machine are gathering this summer in Boston and New York City to anoint their candidates for the upcoming presidential election. It is urgent that the progressive movement be in the streets in Boston and New York City," the organization has posted on its web site.
"This is a critical time for all progressives and targeted communities to take a clear stand against the political framework that is championed by the Republican and Democratic parties alike," the organization added.
The group went on to condemn both President Bush and Senator Kerry.
"The war on Iraq did not just begin a year ago, nor is it Bush's alone," the group said. "The Democratic Party leadership and the solid majority of Democrats in Congress voted in October 2002 to fully support the threatened aggression against Iraq even though their offices were being overwhelmed with calls demanding that they vote no to the war. In July 2003, the Senate voted unanimously in support of continuing the occupation of Iraq -- there was not one opposition vote."
The rant continued, "Bush insists that U.S. troops continue to occupy Iraq for the foreseeable future. John Kerry, who voted to authorize the war, is not supporting the removal of U.S. troops. In fact, he is calling for adding 40,000 troops to the Army on a temporary basis to ease the personnel shortage created by the Iraq deployment. The Bush administration and Kerry joined together in condemning the new Spanish government when it announced the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Iraq."
The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition will be coordinating activities of various anti-war groups at the two conventions with the following goals:
-- U.S. out of Iraq/All Foreign Troops Out of Iraq
-- End occupation: From Palestine to Haiti, Afghanistan, Korea, the Philippines & everywhere (the U.S. military has over 750 military bases and installations located in 130 countries)
-- Money for jobs, education, housing, healthcare -- not for the Pentagon war machine
-- Defend civil rights and civil liberties
Prairie
Hopefully, they'll frighten people away from the 'Rats this year the way Buchanan frightened 'em away from us, back in the day. :)
I love it. Kerry's trying to run to the center and this bungie cord of liberal morons keeps snapping him back to the left.
Well at least they will be demonstrating at the Democratic Convention too. Democreeps won't get a free pass from them either.
The democrats are doomed. This reminds me of the 1864 election (where one party became the anti-war party)...
Gotta love the stupidity of the mindless, lemming-like lib-retards. I have not been calling them DIMS since the early 80's for nothing. Once again, we can see that the proverb of, "you reap what you sow" is still 100% true. The DIMS got hijacked by the far-Left and are a runaway train heading for the end of the trcks...glad I have a ringside seat!
Even a mini Chicago '68 brewing?
This is so illustrative of the differences between the democrats of Kennedy/Kerry, et al. and the Republicans of Reagan and Bush. For the dems, its America the Bad, and for us it is America the Good.
OH please let them do this.
If they attempted to marginalize the Houston convention in 1992 as being a "captive of the far right", we can do the same to them in 2004.
In a time in which we celebrate the passing of a man who understood the threat we faced from Communism and didn't back down, we cannot afford having someone elected president from a party that calls for us to withdraw from the current challenges that we face.
I would love to see a Democratic platform fight on Iraq during the convention. It would tell the public - correctly - that the Dems cannot be trusted on matters of national security; they are always looking over their shoulder for approval from the very enemies who seek to destroy us.
Very poorly, actually. As the Washington Post would say, women, minorities and children hardest hit.
THANKS DEMS!...for the ringside seat. :))
My local chapter FReeped an A.N.S.W.E.R. rally in February 2003 and we couldn't stop laughing at the parade of idiots who marched past us. The Great Unwashed just kept spilling past us, shooting glares at our big "We Support Our Troops" banner and all of our flags.
If you get a chance to FReep 'em, do it. I can't describe how much fun it is to rain on their little love-fest simply by showing up.
Enough is enough...
This has nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with overthrowing our government.
The Dems, the Kerrys, the Soros Squad all having a party - ping.
You communists want one to not do it at all. The American people, on the other hand, want it to be done and to succeed. Ergo, there will be no Kerry administration if the American people know the truth about the left. So Kerry lies. Upsetting the commies, who simply do not understand that they aren't the American people.
Such courage! The writer makes protesting and banging on drums seem so heroic. They are standing up to the party! Or would that be the Party?
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