Please Sign Senator Kennedy's Petition!

Dear DUers,

If you care about changing direction in Iraq, now is the moment to act.

George Bush will speak to the nation tomorrow, and every indication is that he will announce an escalation of the war in Iraq. Such a military escalation would not strengthen our national security -- instead it would further weaken it by enabling the Iraqis to avoid taking responsibility for their own future.

Thankfully, escalation is not President Bush's decision to make. He must have the people's consent.

For too long Congress refused to hold the White House accountable for its failed policies in Iraq. It endangered the lives of our brave young men and women in uniform for a civil war that has no military solution.

No more. Democrats swept the November elections because Americans wanted George Bush's policies challenged by the branch of government constitutionally charged with representing the people.

I'm headed to the National Press Club right now, where I will announce legislation that will prevent any further escalation in Iraq until two important things happen: the president presents a plan for success and Congress approves it.

One misguided politician cannot simply decide to drop tens of thousands more troops into the middle of a civil war. As Speaker Pelosi said on Sunday, "If the president wants to add to this mission, he is going to have to justify it."

Tell the president that we will not allow an escalation in Iraq without the people's consent -- support this legislation now:

I hope this helps....

I would appreciate your help in keeping this thread visible.

Thanks,
H2O Man

at 202 224-4543 to express support. Number is WAY busy now! Go Ted!

a thread or two, a time or two....

http://www.tedkennedy.com/page/s/ourdecision

but will k&r.:kick:

Thank you H2O!!!

:headbang:

thanks for bringing it to my attention.

nm

Americans Say NO! | Thursday, Jan 11: A Surge in Peace, not Troops: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3074144

as soon as we can....

:kick:

Kenney's Resolution, and speech--wonderful speech! I'll post parts of it in a moment.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002307.php

Another discussion thread on this
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3048061

More discussion (down in the thread):
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3074295

(the relevant portion)

"Prohibition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds may be obligated or expended by the United States government to increase the number of United States forces in Iraq above the number for such forces which existed as of January 9, 2007, without a specific authorization from Congress by law for such an increase."


----------------------

Conclusion of Kennedy's speech:


"Many of us felt the authorization to go to war was a grave mistake at the time. I’ve said that my vote against the war in Iraq is the best vote I’ve cast in my 44 years in the United States Senate.

"But no matter what any of us thought then, the Iraq War resolution is obviously obsolete today. It authorized a war to destroy weapons of mass destruction. But there were no WMDs to destroy. It authorized a war with Saddam Hussein. But today, Saddam is no more. It authorized a war because Saddam was allied with al Qaeda. But there was no alliance.

"The mission of our armed forces today in Iraq bears no resemblance whatever to the mission authorized by Congress. President Bush should not be permitted to escalate the war further, and send an even larger number of our troops into harm’s way, without a clear and specific new authorization from Congress.

"Our history makes clear that a new escalation in our forces will not advance our national security. It will not move Iraq toward self-government, and it will needlessly endanger our troops by injecting more of them into the middle of a civil war.

"... Comparisons from history resonate painfully in today’s debate on Iraq. In Vietnam, the White House grew increasingly obsessed with victory, and increasingly divorced from the will of the people and any rational policy. The Department of Defense kept assuring us that each new escalation in Vietnam would be the last. Instead, each one led only to the next.

"There was no military solution to that war. But we kept trying to find one anyway. In the end, 58,000 Americans died in the search for it.

"Echoes of that disaster are all around us today. Iraq is George Bush’s Vietnam.

"As with Vietnam, the only rational solution to the crisis is political, not military. Injecting more troops into a civil war is not the answer. Our men and women in uniform cannot force the Iraqi people to reconcile their differences.

"The President may deny the plain truth. But the truth speaks loudly and tragically. Congress must no longer follow him deeper into the quagmire in Iraq."

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002307.php

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He is introducing his resolution later today, to deny Bush authorization and funding for an escalation. This is it. The Constitutional crisis that we have all been expecting is here. This week. I didn't expect it to occur so fast. I expected it to take months to develop, and to be over subpoenas. Well, it might end up being over subpoenas--subpoenas of secret spending records re escalation. The fact that it is occurring so fast is evidence that the Democrats feel pretty sure of themselves. This is a shot across Bush/Cheney's bow, for sure. And the all important matter of the "balance of powers" upon us. The issue is joined (--as Howard Baker used to say).

K&R

:kick:

I know I am slow this morning

DU this!

Here's the link again:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/page/s/ourdecision

K&R

:patriot:

K & R

:thumbsup:

eom

Tis done

:kick:

"People have the power" says Ted.

glc

Kennedy was magnificent today. Go Teddy - this family is with you on this.

:kick:ed.

Thank you.

Thanks Man!

n/t

nt

K&R

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http://web.archive.org/web/20030602211200/
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October 17, 2006,Will be remembered as the Enabling day of the 21st Century!
"The government will make use of these powers only insofar as they are essential for carrying out vitally necessary measures..."
~Adolf Hitler, March 23, 1933, before the German Parliament (Reichstag) as he urged them to pass his "Enabling Act"




Fascism Accomplished!

K&R

:kick:

:dem:

we must work harder for peace than we have ever worked before

:thumbsup:

...I'm just a bit afraid that by signing on to halt escalation, I will be seen as supporting the war in Iraq in any way. Congressional oversight is key to ending the war, however, so I am on board with just the tiniest bit of reluctance.

Would a pollster count my response as supporting the war as is, just with no new escalation?

for those of you just tuning in:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/page/s/ourdecision

:hi:

:dem:

to keep the momentum going.

does that make me an enemy of the state? Bring it to a vote!

K&R