[Sosfbay-discuss] McLarty: How to end the Iraq War -- Vote Green

[Drew Johnson]

Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 13:45:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Scott McLarty <scottmclarty at yahoo.com>
Subject: [usgp-dx] How to end the Iraq War: Vote Green
To: usgp-media at gp-us.org, natlcomaffairs at green.gpus.org,
	dcsgp at yahoogroups.com

Hey Greens

As Drew Johnson said in a message he sent a few
minutes ago, the collapse of the Democrats as an
opposition party and the frustration of the
public are "a huge opportunity for us" and we
should use it as much as possible, especially in
preparation for the 2008 election.

Drew noted that we should especially target
disillusioned & angry Democrats.  We won't get
their support by vilifying progressive & antiwar
Dems or by denouncing Kucinich for having the
right positions in the wrong party.  We'll win
them over by welcoming them -- by inviting them
to join the GP as it becomes more & more obvious
that Kucinich has no chance of winning the DP
nomination and will have no effect on the Dem
platform.

Below is a set of arguments, a list of talking
points on the importance of voting Green in 2008
in the context of the Iraq War.  It can be sent
out as an e-mail message, adapted for flyers &
other hardcopy media, used for campaign positions
& for talking points when speaking publicly or
writing letters & articles, etc.  It's a very
rough draft - edit as you see fit.  If used in
connection with Green campaigns, insert your
candidate's name wherever possible.

Now is not the time to sit on our hands!

Scott


*  *  *  *  *


HOW TO END THE IRAQ WAR:
VOTE GREEN

It's time to face the truth: voting for Democrats
is not going to end the war or change the
direction of the US.

+ Democratic Party leaders supported the invasion
of Iraq from the beginning.  In October 2002,
they voted with Republicans to surrender
Congress's constitutional war power over to the
Bush White House.

+ Democrats won't use their power in Congress to
stall on Bush's requests for more war funding,
which would result in a quick withdrawal of US
troops.

+ Democratic Party leaders will only support
vague and delayed "timetables" for bringing home
US troops.  Clinton and Obama won't promise that
all US combat troops will be out of Iraq by 2013.

+ Democrats have rejected impeachment and won't
hold Bush & Cheney responsible for criminal
abuses of power: deceiving the American people
about why we invaded Iraq, torture, surveillance
of US citizens without warrant, detention without
trial, violation of international laws, inaction
and racist response to environmental emergencies
(Hurricanes Katrina & Rita), tampering with
scientific research on global warming.

+ Top Democrats limit their criticism to Bush's
strategic military mistakes in Iraq.  They won't
talk about how the war itself is a crime -- an
invasion of country that posed no threat to the
US, based on manipulated intelligence and lies to
the American people.

+ Democrats want to plunder Iraqi oil:
Democratic leaders have endorsed the Iraqi
hydrocarbon law "benchmark" that would place 2/3
of Iraq's oil resources under the control of
major US and UK energy companies.  This would
require continued US military presence in Iraq to
protect corporate investments.  The same oil
companies that contribute to Republicans also
give campaign checks to Democratic candidates.

+ Top Democrats also take money and orders from
the pro-Israeli-government lobby (AIPAC), which
demanded the invasion of Iraq and now demands an
attack on Iran.

+ Clinton, Obama, and Edwards have signed on to
Bush's threat of a US attack on Iran -- which
could touch off World War III.

*  *  *

Whether we elect a Democrat or Republican to the
White House in 2008, the war will continue.  Our
only hope for bringing home US troops safe and
sound is to elect Green Party candidates to
Congress!

+ Greens are committed to an immediate withdrawal
of all US troops and to impeachment of Bush &
Cheney for their crimes.

+ If Greens win seats in Congress, it'll shock
Democrats (and some Republicans) into stronger
action to end the Iraq War. Democrats and
Republicans will no longer be each others' sole
competition for votes.

+ The few genuine anti-war Democrats and
Republicans in Congress aren't getting help from
their own parties.  They need Greens in Congress
to create the political bloc necessary to end the
war.

+ Thanks to the two-party monopoly on elections,
America has moved toward more war, greater
corporate power, and less democracy.  This
direction will continue... until new political
voices get elected.

+ Green candidates take no money from powerful
corporations.  Democrats and Republicans take big
campaign checks from oil companies, arms makers,
credit card companies, media conglomerates, HMOs,
insurance firms, pharmaceutical manufacturers,
Wall Street, K Street, and other corporate
lobbies.

+ If you oppose the Iraq War and you vote for a
pro-war candidate, you're throwing away your
vote.  Vote for the real Peace Party -- the Green
Party!

Do we really want a future that's limited to
Democrats & Republicans and the narrow points of
view that they represent?  We The People deserve
a party and candidates to speak for our own
ideals, interests, and needs.  Help us build
America's party of the 21st century -- the Green
Party!

*  *  *

Bring US Troops Home Now
Cancel War Funding
Impeach Bush & Cheney
Save Our Democracy
Save America's Future

Support America's PEACE PARTY
Support the GREEN PARTY
Vote for Green candidates in 2008
Register Green
Donate to the Green Party
http://www.gp.org
http://www.gp.org/impeachbush/
http://www.gp.org/welcome.shtml