New Kerry Email: Sign on as a co-sponsor of Kerry withdrawal resolution!

[WildEyedLiberal]

Support Kerry's Resolution to Withdraw from Iraq!

Kerry's email:

Dear WildEyedLiberal,

Half the names on the Vietnam Memorial wall were added after America's leaders knew our strategy would not work. It was immoral then and it would be immoral now to engage in the same delusion. You and I have to do everything in our power to stop that from happening again.

Two weeks ago, President Bush said that the timing of complete withdrawal from Iraq "...will be decided by future presidents...."1 But this is our responsibility now, not the responsibility of future presidents or a future Congress.

I believe that American combat troops should come home from Iraq in 2006 - not the distant future as President Bush does. Furthermore, I believe we must set a May 15th deadline for the Iraqis to form an effective unity government. And, if the Iraqi politicians choose to ignore that deadline, then I believe things will only get worse and we will have no choice but to withdraw immediately.

It's not enough to express our convictions -- we need to back up our beliefs with concrete actions. Today I introduced a resolution into the Senate that will give members of both parties the chance to tell the president that our course in Iraq must change.

I am setting tough deadlines for action in Iraq, and you know as well as I do how fiercely the extreme right wing will attack us. So I'm asking you today to be a citizen co-sponsor of this important resolution. Show the White House and my Senate colleagues a groundswell of support.

Sign up today as a citizen co-sponsor of my Senate resolution

President Bush is willing to let American soldiers and their families wait endlessly, while risking life and limb, as some Iraqi politicians incite sectarianism to grow their personal power and private militias. But we are now in the third war in Iraq in as many years. The first was against Saddam Hussein and his alleged weapons of mass destruction. The second was against Jihadist terrorists who the Administration said it was better "to fight over there than here." Now we find our troops in the middle of an escalating civil war.

We will defeat Al Qaeda faster when we stop serving as their best recruitment tool. Unpinning our military from Iraq will allow us to prosecute the war against Al Qaeda more effectively -- both inside and outside Iraq. And regaining our global options will also strengthen our hand in addressing the Iranian nuclear threat.

For speaking the truth, the right wing and their surrogates will question our courage and commitment. They're going to question our patriotism.

Only one thing will overcome this onslaught and put our country on the right path: a truly massive and visible groundswell of support for this call to bring home the troops. America has prospered throughout its history because we have never allowed bad leaders to pursue bad ideas for very long. The Bush administration uses fear as a weapon against dissent. But you have the power to stand up to this new McCarthyism: show the depth and breadth of support for a timely withdrawal by co-sponsoring my Senate resolution now.

http://www.johnkerry.com/action/deadline/">Sign up today as a citizen co-sponsor of my Senate resolution

We want democracy in Iraq, but it's now the job of Iraqis to build it. Our troops have performed gallantly and heroically. The best way to keep faith with them is to set deadlines for bringing our troops home and getting Iraq on its own two feet. That's the only way to give their sacrifice its best chance of resulting in success.

Thank you,

John Kerry




SUPPORT A DEADLINE TO BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW. SIGN ON TO KERRY'S WITHDRAWAL RESOLUTION:
http://www.johnkerry.com/action/deadline/

Call, email, and fax your senators and representatives to support Kerry's withdrawal resolution!

Let's stand united and send a strong message to Bush that we are TIRED of his war.

[DanCa]

1. That's my president

I'll never know why people choose to vote for someone else other than him.

[Radical Activist]

6. Because he didn't take this stance during the election?

That's my guess.

[WildEyedLiberal]

10. I really don't think that's a big deal outside the blogosphere

The average voter knew that Kerry was the "anti-war" choice and Bush the "pro-war" choice - if they supported the invasion of Iraq they voted to re-elect Bush. I'm not saying I enjoyed Kerry's advisors and how they advised caution - look how awesome he's been since jettisoning Shrum et al - but I don't think being a firebrand "out now" candidate would have won him any more votes. In fact, I think it would have lost him some. Unfortunately, the general public is only now getting as fed up with Iraq as we have always been. In 2004 the public was more or less split on Iraq, and that was reflected in the actual turnout.

What killed us was the Bush/GOP GOTV effort with the crazy Fundies using anti-gay, anti-woman bait, and their fearmongering "OMG only Bush can protect you from terror and death" rhetoric, which, I think, would have been more reinforced if Kerry had called for immediate withdrawal. We'd likely have lost by a much less narrow margin. I'm certainly not saying I like that that's how it is, but that's how it is, until we can take back the media.

[MH1]

15. Agree except you missed a point on what killed us -

the media is much more controlled by the wrong-wing, and they are much better at using every bit of it that they have, imo.

Otherwise I totally agree with your post. But we have to recognize and deal with the media issue, or we could literally run Jesus Christ, and he would lose.

[WildEyedLiberal]

16. OMG, I know

That was sort of implicit in my post, but yeah, I should've said it. To me the media is the absolute #1 factor - Bush got hours and hours of free advertising, whereas Kerry's rallies and speeches were simply NOT covered. When people say "Kerry didn't say xyz," well, he likely DID, but it just wasn't covered and therefore not known by anyone not at the rally.

[Island Blue]

23. I agree with you both.

The movie "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism" does and excellent job of spelling out the media's role in today's political world (including the '04 general election). It's a "must see" movie IMO.

:kick:

[Radical Activist]

33. No way.

What people knew was that Bush was for the war in Iraq and that Kerry had some kind of hard-to-define, "I'm against it but I'm for it" wishy washy position. Kerry criticized the handling of the war but never attacked the basic premise and unjust nature of the war. It made Kerry look like a weak, indecisive leader and that isn't what people want in a President. If Kerry had taken a strong stand of any kind it would have won him votes. Didn't you ever hear people say "at least I know exactly where Bush stands on the issue." It mattered.

on edit: let me add that I strongly believe Kerry would have been elected President had he voted against the Iraq War. It would have allowed him to criticize the war without looking like an indecisive flip-flopper, which was the standard Republican response to any criticism about Iraq.

[WildEyedLiberal]

36. People didn't listen to what he had to say about Iraq - not his fault

The vote was absolutely not a vote for "war": it authorized Bush to go the the UN.

He was NEVER "for war" - here are some quotes:

"I believe they made it clear that if the United States operates through the U.N., and through the Security Council, they--all of them--will also bear responsibility for the aftermath of rebuilding Iraq and for the joint efforts to do what we need to do as a consequence of that enforcement…

If the President arbitrarily walks away from this course of action--without good cause or reason--the legitimacy of any subsequent action by the United States against Iraq will be challenged by the American people and the international community. And I would vigorously oppose the President doing so. If the administration's initiatives at the United Nations are real and sincere, other nations are more likely to invest, to stand behind our efforts to force Iraq to disarm, be it through a new, rigorous, no-nonsense program of inspection, or if necessary, through the use of force. That is the best way to proceed." - John Kerry, floor remarks 10/2002

If people "didn't know where Kerry stood," it was certainly not due to Kerry's own words. The "flip-flopper" meme was created by another candidate in the primaries (who ironically had the exact same position as Kerry did on Iraq) and then used by Karl Rove. If people didn't know where he stood, it was because the media, a puppet of the GOP, and certain other candidates kept repeating the "flip flopper" bullshit time and again. Repeat a lie enough times and it becomes true. It disappoints me every time to see the lie repeated here, especially since I know you don't have any love lost for the particular candidate from whom the "flip-flopper" lie originated.

[Radical Activist]

37. Everyone knew

the vote for the IWR allowed Bush to go to war. The claim that it wasn't a vote for war and the quote you give here is exactly the kind of equivocation that turned people off. People want a leader who knows what they stand for and sticks to it. Bush won a lot of votes for projecting that image, even if he is a two faced, flip-flopping moron. I can't count the number of times I heard Republicans, and even independents, take a dismissive attitude about Kerry's criticism of the war because he himself voted for it. Whether Kerry flip-flopped or not, his vote for the IWR made him an ineffective spokesman against the war. It lost him a lot of votes.

[WildEyedLiberal]

38. Republicans interested in furthering Rove spin?

I'm shocked! :sarcasm:

True or false: do you believe Bush was going to war regardless?

IWR had several provisions that had to be met before going to war, such as building a multilateral force and allowing the inspectors to finish their jobs. Bush did neither. He could be IMPEACHED for violating the IWR, you realize?

Knowing Bush was rushing to war and probably going to go in any circumstance, you do anything you can to place legal barriers in his way, such as requiring him to go to the UN and build a multilateral force. He broke them, of course, but it's hardly the fault of the lawmaker when the criminal breaks the law.

Explaining what the IWR really did is not "equivocating." Why is it equivocating to explain the actual text of the bill they voted on? Equivocation implies dishonesty. The truth is more complicated than a simple punchline like "it was a vote for war." Blame Americans for not understanding anything beyond simple punchlines if you must - I do.

[blm]

13. Hard stance to take at a time BEFORE Iraqis even had their first election.

It would have telegraphed that Kerry had NO FAITH AT ALL in the sense of the Iraqi people.

Now, they've had their window of opportunity to stand up - and Kerry is putting up a properly timed ultimatum for the Iraqi people to tell Bush they are ready for the US to leave.

[Radical Activist]

35. Not really.

The elections were a dog and pony show and Iraq will remain unstable as long as US troops are there because they are a chief source of agitation. A call to remove troops sooner rather than later would have said Kerry had no faith in Bush or the justness of this war. There will always be an endless supply of excuses to stay just a little bit longer.

[sandnsea]

30. People were shaken by the bin laden tape

People were scared that "cut and run" would send a message of weakness. People didn't know about all the lies. If he had run against the Iraq War in 2004, he'd have gotten 30%. Too much has changed since then.

[Radical Activist]

32. leaders inform

and change attitudes. Why didn't people know all the lies? The proof that Bush was lying was there all along.

[INdemo]

8. He's the one

He won.and let us not forget that

[rodeodance]

2. done and nominate

[rodeodance]

3. kick for the troops

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Thank you for posting this...

I usually get John Kerry's e-mails, but my spam blocker must have stopped this one. I have signed.

[WildEyedLiberal]

5. I think people get them in spurts

Sometimes I get mine hours after it's been posted on DU. Lucky me, I think I was at the top of the list this time, because no one else has posted about it yet.

[WildEyedLiberal]

7. Kick, come on DU!

You people have been demanding a withdrawal plan for YEARS and here's one that will get them home in six weeks and I get 3 replies? We can do better than that!

[Cooley Hurd]

9. K & R & signed!

:kick::thumbsup:

[jonas_stradlater]

11. Done.

Man, I hope every DUer gets behind this like everyone did during the Alito nomination. I'm calling and writing and faxing my ass off for Kerry. C'mon let's support our real president!

[WildEyedLiberal]

12. Me too - this is important for all Dems!

Support this resolution to get out of Iraq! If people here are sincere in their opposition to the war, they NEED to sign this! Let's show our grassroots support for Kerry's withdrawal petition!

[WildEyedLiberal]

14. Kick!

:kick:

[WildEyedLiberal]

17. Kick

[Change has come]

18. Signed, recommended and kicked.

:kick:

[Jersey Devil]

19. Done! - and a kick

Every DUer should sign up.

[fedupinBushcountry]

20. Signed and delivered

:kick:

[Blaukraut]

21. kicked and signed n/t

[KAZ]

22. Done.

"John, we need your help. Please keep fighting.".

[Island Blue]

24. Kicked and Recommended.

Thanks for posting WEL. :kick:

[babydollhead]

25. done!

[Just Me]

26. Thank you, Wild!!! K&R

Thank you!!! :hug:

[babylonsister]

27. Done, kicked and nom!

:patriot: :applause:

[Vektor]

28. Done, K&R

Thank you, patriot!
:patriot:

[ray of light]

29. K'and R'

Thank God that Kerry and Murtha and Gore and Feingold are speaking out. They are really creating an oppositional party. We have never needed this so badly.

Keep it up all of you. And sign the resolution!

[WildEyedLiberal]

31. Kick for the night crew

:kick:

[maddezmom]

34. done

Thanks for posting :hi: