Iraq: Why Won’t MoveOn Move Forward?

[helderheid]

Iraq: Why Won’t MoveOn Move Forward?

March 19th, 2007

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on Sun, 03/18/2007 - 22:51.
Topics: activism | Iraq | politics

This week marks the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. To commemorate the occasion, the online advocacy group MoveOn.org is organizing more than 1,000 candlelight vigils throughout the United States. “We’ll solemnly honor the sacrifice made by more than 3,000 servicemen and women, and we’ll contemplate the path ahead of us,” states MoveOn’s website. “We cannot send tens of thousands of exhausted, under-equipped, and unprepared troops into the middle of an Iraqi civil war. … Honor the sacrifice. Stop the escalation. Bring the troops home.”

MoveOn’s 3.2 million members strongly oppose any continuation of the war, and the language above seems to suggest that MoveOn’s leadership agrees. But MoveOn’s organizing around Iraq has become notably ambiguous lately. Although it talks in general terms about bringing the troops home, specific timetables or meaningful steps in that direction are nowhere discussed. Most strikingly, MoveOn has adamantly refused to support the Iraq amendment from Congressional Progressive Caucus leaders Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey and Maxine Waters, which calls for “a fully funded, and systematic, withdrawal of U.S. soldiers and military contractors from Iraq” by the end of 2007.

Politically, the Lee amendment cannot pass; fewer than 100 members of Congress are expected to vote for it. However, the same thing is true of weaker legislation that MoveOn is currently supporting, in league with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha and David Obey. The Pelosi bill merely establishes “benchmarks” of progress in Iraq, so that all Bush has to do is certify that he is making progress on those goals to keep funding flowing for the war. Instead of withdrawing troops this year, the Pelosi bill talks about beginning to withdraw them in March 2008. Even so, it faces united Republican opposition and is not expected to pass the U.S. Senate, even if it is approved by the House of Representatives. And even if it does pass, Bush has already said he will veto it. So why was the Democratic Party leadership so determined to prevent the Lee amendment from even coming to the floor — and why has MoveOn.org avoided even mentioning the Lee proposal to its members?

On Sunday, MoveOn distributed a survey asking its members to vote on three options: support the Pelosi bill; oppose it; or “not sure.” MoveOn’s Eli Pariser described the survey in an email as an opportunity for members to participate in “a big decision coming up this week. … MoveOn is a member-directed organization — we believe that all of us, together, are smarter than any one of us.” In fact, however, MoveOn’s survey was designed to conceal from its members the option of supporting the stronger anti-war amendment put forth by the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

http://blog.pdamerica.org/

[helderheid]

1. Related ACTION: (please keep kicked and rec'd - we need to bring them home NOW)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=442232&mesg_id=442232

[Sonicmedusa]

2. Thanks for posting this

This question has baffled me for weeks, though I generally support most of MoveOns campaigns.

I'll be sure to respond to the survey today.

[helderheid]

3. Thanks Sonicmedusa and WELCOME to DU!

:hi:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. The "supplemental" is smoke and mirrors. It does NOTHING. K&R

As said, in the OP, all Bush has to do is "certify" that progress is being made. Which is just what he did this morning, and has been doing all along. It's a purely political move aimed at the 2008 elections when the Democrats can say "we tried to stop the war, but we didn't have the votes, so send us money to elect more Democrats".

In the meantime, the war gets funded and more people die for nothing.

The other bill, Waters, Lee, Woolsey, acknowledges the "war" is lost and proposes that the farce of "victory", "winning", "saving Iraq", "the pottery barn rule", and the other nonsense end and that the troops now being "sacrificed" come home.

More funding of the war to stop the war is downright Orwellian with a large measure of P.T. Barnum thrown in.

[helderheid]

5. THANK YOU. This is something DU should get behind - it's life and death - 3 mil plus member of

MoveOn are NOT getting the whole picture.

[helderheid]

6. It's not a Big 'Ol Honkin' Plane

But it's a big problem.

[helderheid]

7. Honk honk

[Patchuli]

9. My gosh! Lookit the size of that thang!! Whoa

Those are scary...but then, I have begun to hate flying since 9/11.

On the Moveon thing, I didn't know what to say so I didn't respond to the poll.

Moveon seems unfocused somehow. They only got word to us about the vigil at the last minute for that matter. We did go though. Wind blew our candles out but it was a good little turnout for this formerly pretty red town. Sucks being blue in a sea of red. I am just sorry that it's taken the pubs that are turning around long enough to see the truth to enable max damage from their Blunder Boy.

[helderheid]

10. I agree they've become unfocused. 3+ Million members though!

[helderheid]

8. Crap - it's too late to edit this post - I meant to type: MORE >>> before the link to the article

There's much more.


http://blog.pdamerica.org/