MoveOn To Back House Dem Leadership's Bill On Iraq

[babylonsister]

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/mar/19/moveon_to_back_house_dem_leaderships_bill_on_iraq

MoveOn To Back House Dem Leadership's Bill On Iraq
By Greg Sargent | bio

MoveOn is hopping aboard the Pelosi train out of Iraq.

MoveOn's Washington director, Tom Matzzie just confirmed to me that despite earlier concerns that the House Dem leadership's Iraq plan wasn't tough enough, the organization yesterday started polling its members and has decided to back the legislation, which would mandate a pullout from Iraq by Fall 2008 at the latest.

"We asked all 3.2 million of our members to weigh in, and 80 percent back the plan," Matzzie says, adding that he didn't have exact numbers on how many members had voted. "Our view is, this is a choice between Republicans who want endless war and Democrats who want a safe, responsible end to the war."

As first reported here last week, MoveOn's leaders were privately demanding that the House leadership make the enforceability of the bill tougher. Some liberal House members were worried that the current legislation didn't do enough to force an end to the war.

Asked why MoveOn decided to back the bill despite these earlier concerns, Matzzie said: "We're a membership organization, and our members support this...It's not everything we wanted but it's a good start in the right direction."

[Donnachaidh]

1. well gee, that's what happens when you LISTEN to the membership

Bravo FINALLY someone stopped shouting and started listening.

[BayCityProgressive]

2. Their poll was bogus

they didn't even give the option to support the Progressive Caucus plan. Your ONLY OPTION was the Pelosi plan...so of course people voted to support it. This was Bush style "Democracy" sad coming from MoveOn.Org. TureMajority asked and included the progressive Caucus plan and it won overwhelmingly. I assume the Dem leadership contacted MoveOn.Org afterwards and told them not to offer that plan.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. They are just aknowledging that reality that the Progressive Caucus' plan has no chance of passing

They are supporting the best legislation which can get through the House.

[demnan]

3. I should have included this in the discussion, sorry

From a mass email from Democrats.com:

Moveon Betrays Peace Movement

Even as hundreds of thousands were protesting the 4th anniversary of Bush's illegal and disastrous war in Iraq, Moveon was urging its 3.2 million members to support $93 billion more for Bush's War. Moveon conducted a dishonest member "poll" which deliberately left out the Barbara Lee Amendment that would limit new spending to a "fully funded withdrawal" of our troops by the end of the year.
http://www.democrats.com/move-over-moveon

Moveon used its dishonest poll to claim 85% of its members support the $93 billion Supplemental. Send a message to Moveon by voting in our poll:
http://www.democrats.com/iraq-supplemental-poll

And if you want to quit Moveon, tell them why:
http://pol.moveon.org/feedback/fb/form.html?tp=suggest

_______________

Progressive Democrats in Congress Can Stop the Supplemental

The Iraq Supplemental can be defeated if only 15 of the 68 progressive House Democrats vote against it. Under tremendous pressure from Speaker Pelosi, only 6 Democrats are definitely voting no: Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, Maxine Waters, Dennis Kucinich, Raul Grijalva, and Pete Stark. Another 7 are leaning no: Steve Cohen, Danny Davis, Lloyd Doggett, Keith Ellison, Sheila Jackson Lee, Juanita Millender-McDonald, and Diane Watson. Speaker Pelosi says the only alternative to her toothless bill is a blank check for Bush. But Rep. Pete Stark says simply: "We can write a better bill."

We need your help calling all 68 members of the Progressive Caucus and telling us what they say:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/19669

_______________

[madfloridian]

6. That email is assuming a lot. It is giving a push to PDA.

I will have little to do with that group as long as their board members try to undermine the party organization by writing misleading things about Dean, such as Is Dean Drunk. Misquoting and just posting things that are not true.

I did not vote in the MoveOn poll, just saw no choice.

But I don't think they are trying to undermine progressives.

I think this is pushing Progressive Democrats.

[Morgana LaFey]

5. And how many more of our troops will die for lies by Fall '98 ??

Disgraceful, all around.

The American people did NOT vote the Dems in so they could drag their feet like this. Americans did NOT vote the Dems in so that they could oversee a troop SURGE instead of a withdrawal.

I'm increasingly heartsick. The destruction has been so overwhelming -- and by that I mean not just Iraqi infrastructure, not just to our national debt, not just to our reputation around the world, not just to our moral standing in the world, not just the innocent civilian deaths, and not just to our own troops, but also to those who have been able to live through it.

But I just can't take any more deaths due to this war.

Our elected officials have got to do better than this, and so does MoveOn. I've been sick enough of MoveOn's relative conservatism that I haven't been a member for ages -- and won't. I'm shocked they have 3.2 million members, and Repugs want to call them ultra-liberal. Hah! Real damn middle center, if you ask me. At least the leadership/ownership is.