"Ex-FBI Whistleblower to Join 'Peace Mom'"

[GreenPartyVoter]

OAKDALE, Minn. (AP) - Former FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley, along with a state senator whose son died in Iraq, are headed to Texas this week to join a growing anti-war demonstration near President Bush's ranch.

Rowley, now a Democratic candidate for Congress, and Sen. Becky Lourey will join a protest initiated by Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey died in Iraq last year. Sheehan started the vigil Aug. 6, coinciding with Bush's summer vacation. She has said she won't leave until the president meets with her.

Rowley said Tuesday that she and Lourey would leave Thursday and stay at least through Sunday, sleeping in a tent at the site. They are paying their own way, she said.

Lourey's son, Matt Lourey, died May 26 when the Army helicopter he was piloting was shot down. A Democrat from northern Minnesota, Lourey was a consistent critic of the Iraq war - she authored a state Senate petition against it in 2003 - but was also supportive of her son's military career.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20050817/D8C1CHCO0.html

[NewJeffCT]

1. good for her!

Is the district Rowley is running in heavily Republican?

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I 'm not sure. Must be someone around here who would know, though :^)

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. How did she become a *former* whistleblower?

[katinmn]

4. I'm so glad they're both going. We need both current legislators

and candidates speaking out against the mismanaged war.

Yup, Rowley is running against ultra neocon Kline. He is in bed with Cheney, Rove and the gang.

We have another candidate running for Congress who is speaking out against the war, too, in a heavily Republican suburb -- and he posts on DU!

www.scottymortensen.com

We have nominated him for DFA support and will be setting up a profile on www.actblue.com for grassroots support.

We lefties have to stick together.

[peacebaby3]

6. Is it possible I'm getting e-mail from his campaign already?

I get e-mail from campaigns all over the country because I donated to several smaller campaigns last year in states outside of my own. I really believe we have to support local candidates regardless of where they live. I don't have much money, but I give as much as I can to a true Dem who speaks out against the war and believes in strong liberal social policies.

I am getting e-mails from either a Mortensen or Morrison for congress already. I don't mind and will probably send some money in the future.

He should contact Viggo MORTENSEN (one of us) and see if he can get him on the campaign! Mortensen for Mortensen! :-)

Yes, we lefties must stick together!

[katinmn]

7. LOL! Good idea.

I don't think Scott has been doing a lot of outreach yet, but it's possible.

[NewJeffCT]

8. how red/blue is the district?

What did Kline win by last time around? These days, any seats we can pick up are HUGE.

[katinmn]

9. Both seats are uphill battles although not near as bad as Hackett's race

in Ohio. They are uphill mainly because of money. Both Rove and Cheney have been to the districts to raise money among the wealthy for the Repubs.

The Repubs in these districts (one a senate district, the one Rowley is running for -- and one a congressional district -- the one Mortensen is running for) both voted for CAFTA whcih was CLEARLY against the interests of the sugar beet farmers there. They are very angry. If the election were held tomorrow they would lose.

However, we all know how easily people forget.

There is divided opinion among the DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) party here: shall we support a conservative Democrat thinking they might win easier in a district that voted Repub, or a progressive one that offers a clear alternative?

Progressives have moved up in the party leadership but we are still outnumbered by the machine.

People really have to come out of the woodwork and voice support for the progressives otherwise we will end up with a lot of DINOs. And they need to do this NOW, before the Democratic primaries.

[riverwalker]

5. Becky Lourey's son

http://www.hometownsource.com/capitol/2005/may/27mattlourey.html

Sen. Becky Lourey's son Matthew, Chief Warrant Officer, dies in helicopter crash in Iraq
by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

The son of Sen. Becky Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Lourey, was killed Thursday (May 26) in a helicopter crash in Iraq.

Matthew Lourey, 41, had been assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, stationed near Fallujah, when his Kiowa Warrior helicopter was shot down in Central Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar, needed to pause, his eyes filled with tears, while informing the media at the Capitol of the death of Matthew Lourey.

Becky Lourey once told him how as a small child Matthew loved to play with toy helicopters, and said he use to say one day he would fly them, Johnson explained. “Let’s just say he died what he was doing living out his childhood dreams,” said Johnson. “If we die doing what we love to do, that’s the about the best we can get,” he said.

Her son’s welfare was always on Senator Lourey’s mind, explained Johnson.

“Every time a helicopter crash occurred (in Iraq), Becky would come and see me. And we would talk, and pray, and be hopeful it was not her son,” said Johnson, a brigadier general and chaplain in the Minnesota National Guard.

[Imagevision]

10. A Senator? watch when cindy arrives in Washington, meeting with

Cindy will be the politcally right thing to do!

I recommend this post!

[FreedomAngel82]

11. Yay!

Glad they're getting to go.