Citizens to pay visit to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/29655

Citizens to pay visit to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton
Submitted by davidswanson on Sun, 2007-12-30 23:51. Activism

Street Address of headquarters: 4420 Fairfax Drive N., Arlington, VA


WASHINGTON -- On January 2, 2008, one day before the Iowa caucus, citizens will go to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign headquarters, at 4 p.m., to follow up on a letter requesting the Senator's pledge to affirm the points put forth by Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

A small delegation of peace activists, representing the Washington Peace Center, Code Pink, Grassroots America and Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice will attempt to persuade Ms. Clinton to take measurable steps to end the Iraq War, which is entering its fifth year. Previously, Ms. Clinton has made remarks indicating her position to keep troops in Iraq through 2013, in spite of the fact that more than 70% of Americans favor a more immediate withdrawal of troops.

Voices for Creative Nonviolence www.vcnv.org, the initiator of the SODaPOP "Seasons of Discontent; a Presidential Occupation Project" has made visits to the offices of Ms. Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani in Iowa where important dialogue took place, but which ultimately ended with nonviolent resisters being arrested and being held overnight, after they refused to leave those offices. The January 2 peaceful protest will coincide with a second one in Des Moines at the same time.

Though Ms. Clinton will most probably be in Iowa that day, local activists hope to dialogue with staffers who in turn, will hopefully convey the message to Ms. Clinton. It is hopeful that this dialogue along with a presence outside the headquarters, that will highlight the ravages of war and the infamous quotes regarding the 2013 date, will pressure Ms. Clinton on a day most important for her to win the favor of the caucus attendees.

Below is the letter that was sent to Ms. Clinton's headquarters, and has not yet been acknowledged.

*****************

Dear Senator Clinton:

I am writing to announce a new initiative of Voices for Creative
Nonviolence and several peace and justice groups in the earliest races
of the presidential campaign, SODaPOP, or "Seasons of Discontent; a
Presidential Occupation Project." We at the Washington Peace Center
are joining VCNV in this campaign, and are inviting activists to come
to Iowa and New Hampshire from around the nation "to bring nonviolent
civil resistance and civil disobedience to the campaign offices and
headquarters of Presidential candidates, both Republican and Democrat,
who do not publicly declare that they will take the necessary concrete
steps to end the Iraq war, to rebuild Iraq, to forswear military
attacks on other countries such as Iran, and to fully fund the Common
Good in the U.S."

Please sign the enclosed promise and return it to our office by FAX
(VCNV) or mail (WPC) as soon as possible. In the event that the pledge
is not signed and returned, participants may deliver another copy your
offices in both Iowa and Arlington and wait for your positive
response. We assure you that any "occupations" will be nonviolent and
respectful of your staff. Despite our disappointment in your repeated
threats to continue and possibly to extend the current illegal war, we
have hopes that an occupation of your office will not be necessary. We
hope that this letter or if need be, our actions will help you to take
the action you will need to take if you will be part of the solution
for our country's crisis.

This matter is extremely urgent and we hope to hear a positive
response from you immediately. Please feel free to call the
Washington Peace Center at 202-234-2000 with questions or concerns.

Enclosed is a copy of the promise proposal, originally posted at
CounterPunch.org on August 30. We eagerly wait your signature on this
document.

[DURHAM D]

1. Oh yawn. n/t

[mtnsnake]

2. What about Obama. Did they send him a letter, too, for funding the War?

[babylonsister]

4. Maybe he gets a pass for not voting for the war. But for you, here's

a website you can check out; ask them:

www.vcnv.org

[madrchsod]

3. obama`s statement

"de-escalates the War with Phased Redeployment: Commences a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq not later than May 1, 2007, with the goal that all combat brigades redeploy from Iraq by March 31, 2008, a date consistent with the expectation of the Iraq Study Group. This redeployment will be both substantial and gradual, and will be planned and implemented by military commanders. Makes clear that Congress believes troops should be redeployed to the United States; to Afghanistan; and to other points in the region. A residual U.S. presence may remain in Iraq for force protection, training of Iraqi security forces, and pursuit of international terrorists."