Sexual Assault in the Military Bulletpoints

Notes from today's House Oversight and Government Reform hearing titled, Sexual Assault in the Military:

• Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY), "I don't ever want to any women to ever again have to salute the man that raped her."
• Congresswoman Harman (CA), "Women in today's military are more likely to be raped than killed on the battlefield."
• Congressman Shays (CT), "The DOD has no credibility, absolutely none."
• Witness Ingrid Torres of the U.S. Red Cross was told by DOD psychologist, "Stop acting like a baby!"
• Mother of Maria Lauterbach explaining how her impregnated daughter's perpetrator stalked and killed her, " No one even bothered to drive by his house."

Meeting LA - OBAMA'S Office

Elizabeth Olson LA at Obama's Senate office fit a few minutes in to
meet with the CODEPINK women. Gael shared our sentiments
regarding sanctions hurting the people instead of the government.
CODEPINK has many questions for the Obama campaign .............
OBAMA is the presumptive candidate due to the failure of the Iraq
war/occupation DON'T FORGET IRAQ is making US less secure
everyday Senator!!!

Obama Encounter & Scolding Dems (now with Lebanon!)

Dear Blogosphere,

It's been another fun day in DC, representing for Peace & Justice with Code Pink (yes, grammar-hawks, the word “representing” can now be employed in new, fresh & funky ways -- see Merriam-Webster online, if you don't believe me*).

I spent most of the morning reading newspaper articles, reviewing the (false/alarmist/bellicose) language of the bipartisan House and Senate resolutions calling for a blockade of Iran (an act of war... but a bipartisan one, so that's... well... sort of... progress??), and attending to my e-mail backlog (a relaxed morning, all in all).

I spent the early part of the afternoon writing... AND THEN THE PINK FUN BEGAN!!!

I was going over some U.S.-Iran history with the demure and charming Leslie when there suddenly erupted a great hue and cry from upstairs!

Squeal!!! Yelp!!! Yow!!! WooHOOO!!! Leslie and I halted the history session to investigate.

Upstairs we were given the scoop: “OBAMA is going to speak to the Democratic Caucus in the (Happy Donkey?) room in the Cannon Building!!!” Des informed us.

Supercool -- an opportunity to inflict some Code Pink messaging on an actual presidential candidate! Sweeeeet. (What? You grammar hawks don't like “messaging,” either? Again, I must refer you nerdlingers to m-w.org)*

(...and don't be bothering me about “nerdlingers!” If you have to look it up, you know what you are...)

In any case, a short while later, decked out in (wait for it...) PINK, we were off! First stop: The Rayburn building and the House Foreign Affairs committee. The subject: Lebanon!

A quick rundown of the hearing: Ackerman/Pence/Witness (ex-Ambassador Feldman) all lament current body politic in Lebanon... The largest Christian faction uniting with largest (Shi'ite) Muslim faction against minority Siniora government (Sunni) and foreign (U.S.) meddling (Christians + Shi'ites = “Unholy Alliance” per Pence); Pols decry throngs of thousands of Lebanese celebrating return to country of terrorist/freedom fighter/alleged child-murderer Samir Kuntar (freshly released from Israel's dungeons in prisoner exchange); Rep. Rayhall notes that Israel refused U.S./U.N. requests for info on where they dropped thousands of (child-killing) cluster munitions now littering Lebanon's southern border; Congressmen/witness lament popularity of Hezbollah and celebrate country's remaining divisions (Pence sees hope in “divided house”); Feldman sees hope in new President Suleiman's actions as Army Chief, protecting Siniora after '06 war and fighting Sunni extremists in Palestinian refugee camps last May (including al Qaeda offshoot, Fatah al-Islam, Sunnis funded by U.S. -- via the Saudis -- in order to cause trouble for Shi'ite Hezbollah -- per Sy Hersh's March '07 report describing “redirection:” U.S. employing “old lady who swallowed a fly/spider/rat/cat...” method of “fighting” terrorism); Pols/witness fret about coming (March '09) elections/Hezbollah's prospects and the recent Doha Agreement's prohibition against “strange gerrymandering” (which hadn't done enough, apparently, to prevent Hezbollah from doing well in Lebanon's '05 elections)... and so forth.

AND NOW for the BARACK OBAMA and Democrat-Scolding Intervention!!!

After leaving the hearing, I rejoined my Pink peers outside the Cannon Building (after a brief chat with m'good friend Jen and the legendary “Start Loving”).

Des, Liz, Tighe, Jen, Cynthia, myself... and several others (members of the Great Un-pink Masses) were amassed outside the west exit of the building... some of us in the full knowledge of what we were waiting for (the Obama- egress -- the quick, Senatorial dash to the black SUV waiting in the street with the engine running)... and others were just loitering about.

We chatted pleasantly with some members of the security detail, passersby, and Congressional pages. We caught a glimpse of Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill (my senator), and I took a moment to thank her for the strong role she played in the Senate hearing about “enhanced interrogation” a few weeks back, featuring witnesses Alberto Mora, Diane Beaver, and Admiral Jane Dalton.

And we continued to wait...

Des took a position sitting on the wall across the street with her peace banner. “Hurricane” Liz waited with the rest of us, bullhorn at the ready (Liz had earlier made the leap from Code Pink “Hero” to “Legend,” in my estimation, making it to the Cannon Building on a tandem bicycle -- sans partner -- bullhorn, backpack, and all! The only thing that could have made it more impressive, I thought, would be if she had also been transporting a CELLO... or live animal -- something large and unwieldy, anyway... Karl Rove, perhaps).

“Look,” someone shouted, “it's Anderson Cooper!”

Several yards away I saw the pin-stripe suit-jacketed back of a grey haired, svelte-ish man briskly walking toward Independence Avenue with a cell phone glued to his ear.

“That sonuva-bitch,” I thought, recalling Cooper's abysmally shoddy March report, “Shock and Awe: 5 Years Later,” a putrescent piece of pure propaganda that had excised virtually every significant fact about the Iraq war. (Anderson had apparently decided to let former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer do the editing... in addition to framing most of the issues in his “report.”)

I took off like a shot, running after Cooper to give him the very last piece of my mind (that's how much it meant to me). Doing the 100 yard dash in my Tevas was no problem. In moments I'd caught up to...

“Who the hell is THIS guy?” I wondered (not Anderson Cooper). So I did my own 360 and soon joined Des, sitting on the wall outside of Longworth, across from Cannon.

Des: “It wasn't Anderson Cooper, was it?”
Me: “Nope... It wasn't even Chris Wallace.”
Des: “Thems the breaks, kiddo.”

[Caution: Dialogue may be slightly fictionalized... kiddos.]

So we waited for a while longer...

THEN IT HAPPENED...

Suddenly, the police, secret service, and security folks were all talking into their wrists, lapels, and spy-shoes. They immediately corralled all of us, telling us we had to be “three trees back” from where we were standing (even the Congressional pages, tiny things though they were).

Soon, the candidate would appear, but FIRST:

“James, look at all of those (bleepity-blank) Congressmen coming out the front of the building!” (Des, swearing a blue streak, as usual)

“Fuck a (bleep)” -- Oops... (Scratch that)... “(Bleep) a duck,” I said, “that IS a whole gaggle of Congressmen!”

“Go get the 'Pin the War on the Democrats' banner, you (bleep bleep),” Des directed me... and off I was (again putting my Tevas to the test).

I dashed across the street (“Hurry!” shouted Des behind me) and snatched up the banner, heading to Independence Ave. to head them off at the... Ave.

And there I stood for the next, oh, half an hour at the most, at the corner of (Cannon) and Independence, engaging one Democratic representative after another, thanking some, scolding others, letting them all know that:

“It's not just George W. Bush's war, anymore!” and “You (bleepity-blanks) ignored your (blipping) mandate...”

(Ok, there really wasn't ANY profanity in these exchanges -- especially not on Des's part... and me, I don't even know most of those words...)

LONG blog short: Obama DID exit the building, striding confidently (sans bowling ball) to the black SUV on the street. My Pinky friends let him know JUST how they felt:

“Out of Iraq!”
“No war with Iran!”
“We want a Peace President!” (i.e., Dennis Kucinich)
“Impeach Bush!”
“Impeach Cheney!”
“Re-Impeach Clinton!”
“Nice suit!”
“What the (bleep) did you do to FISA!??”

...and then it was all over (sigh) -- all but the part where one of us gets hassled by the one overzealous, (green) cop on the Pink beat: “How long have you had that bullhorn? Do you have a license for that banner?” (and so forth...)

When I asked my sister Pinkies about Obama, I received mixed reports:

“Good eye contact...”
“Too much swagger...”
“That lapel pin really makes him look taller...”


And then we headed back to the Pink House for pizza, veggie-burgers, and leftover soup...

WHAT a day! (I can't WAIT for the Republican Caucus in the Cannon Elephantitis Room with Senator McCain!!!)

Love,
James

*(Made you look!)**
**(...unless I didn't... )***
***(...in which case: damn bee-atches, you're just too smart for me!)****
****(...or just plain lazy -- how hard is it to go to your browser and type “m-w.org”?!)

Hugs for Peace in DC

Jennifer our sweet Teacher for Peace from Fremont California spent summer vacation time walking the halls of Congress to work with CODEPINK Women for Peace
as a strong voice of peace,justice,education standards,human needs over the War economy
the constitution, basic civil rights,and a future filled with possiblities
for the children in her school!What a month it has been !~!
Nonstop creative activism.Street Theater,Boat Blockade of Cong.Ackerman's House boat on the Potomac,Douglas Feith Hearing,Ann Wrhight's Bday w/CODEPINK FANS,NEA ANNUAL conference(9,000 delegates)
Everyone misses our Teacher for Peace!
THANKS J- for
investing your free time as a volunteer
with the Peace Team in DC CODEPINK!

Obama Speaking on the Hill At Dem Caucus

We were ready for the Pelosi exit with this Banner.




Upon the presumtive presidential candidate's entry to the caucus
room Liz & Jennifer shouted out Peace Takes Courage OBAMA


The Peace Candidate supporters were outside Cannon building as the
Democrats Caucused with Obama this afternoon!We Chanted "We
want a peace President-OBAMA!

We missed the Impeachment Picnic ................

Sunday Report
CODEPINK Ann Dez James Jennifer Leslie Kim Liz were invited to a photo shoot and that is partially why we didn't make it to the IMPEACHMENT PICNIC as planned!!!Apologies from the PEACE FORCE....Gael you missed out!

We want IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS to be the next step for the Judiciary! No time to waste Congress!Let's tell CONGRESS -CONYERS -all judiciary members TO BE ON NOTICE----
Impeachment Hearings to investigate are an urgent step to start!

202.225.51269(Conyers)
Do your Job John!

Code Pink On Florida Progressive Radio

If you missed today's edition of Blast Off! Radio with Liz and NTodd talking to host Sinfonian about Code Pink, you can listen to the freshly posted archive.

ntodd

Tune In, Call In

My friend Sinfonian would like to announce:

Today on BO!R, we'll examine the Code Pink phenomenon. What is it that makes their protests so controversial? And are they making a difference -- or is there madness to their method? Joining us on the show today will be Code Pink advocate NTodd Pritsky of the blogs Dohiyi Mir and Pax Americana, as well as Code Pink organizer Liz (subject to change), and they'll take your questions and comments.

How can you get your questions and comments heard? It's easy:

Blast Off! Radio
4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

Liz and I will be chatting with Sinfonian about what Code Pink does, where it came from, and whatever else callers want to discuss. Please call in or e-mail the show to lend your support and/or ask questions.

Based on some reactions to pinking Nancy Pelosi from people attending Netroot Nations last week, it seems many even on the left side of the political spectrum don't understand what Code Pink is all about, which is what spurred this particular show. I also think most don't realize how empowered they are to do things like engage our elected employees, put psychological pressure on war enablers, etc. So don't be shy, call the number above and help us educate!

ntodd

Visiting Bolivia in turbulent times

Medea Benjamin

Saturday, July 26, 2008: I’m in Bolivia as an invited participant in the Gathering of World Intellectuals and Artists for the Unity and Sovereignty of Bolivia that will take place on July 28-30 in La Paz. It’s a weighty name for a gathering of hemispheric leaders to show solidarity for Evo Morales before the recall referendum on August 10 and in light of the efforts of the nation’s elite to divide the country.


I arrived early to get oriented to Bolivia, a country I have not been to for 30 years.The Conference organizers warned us about two things. One is the cold—it’s winter here and the temperature can drop to below freezing at night. The other is the altitude. Many people to La Paz (4000 meters high) get altitude sickness, called soroche, which includes dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath—and can be life-threatening. They recommend that you drink coca tea (yes, made from coca leaves) and that the first few days you “camina lento, come poco and duerme solo”—walk slowly, eat lightly, and sleep alone. The only one I had trouble with was the “walking slowly.”

Saturday, my first day, coincided with an amazing folklore festival organized every year by the university UMSA. It had over 9,000 dancers who are part of 71 different clubs. Each club represents a different department—science, philosophy, medicine, etc.—and they choose an ethnic dance/costume/tradition that they want to represent.

It’s inspiring to see how much the young people here are fascinated and proud of their history. From 8am until late at night, they parade through the street watched by throngs of spectators who cheer wildly for their favorite group.

Llamerada, tinku, diablada, pujllay, kullawada, caporales, chacarera—these are just a few of the brilliant mosaic of dances the students have revived from Bolivian folklore.
My favorite was the diablada, the “dance of the devils”, where the dancers wear scary devil masks with horns and weave in and out of plumes of colored smoke.

As a “special guest”, I was given a seat in the jury stand where groups are judged by their costumes, choreography and music. It was an amazing introduction into the contractions of modern Bolivia, where the indigenous customs are celebrated, where the first indigenous leader has been elected president, but where indigenous people continue to be discriminated against in everyday life.


The evening was another spectacular opportunity. How often does one get to meet the president the first night in the country??? It so happened that Saturday night was the opening of a new documentary on the life of President Evo Morales. Since the filmmaker was Cuban—Jorge Fuentes—the opening was hosted by the Cuban Ambassador to Bolivia, Rafael Dauså, who I had known when he was stationed at the Cuban Interest Section in Washington and when he visited us at Global Exchange in San Francisco. So I was invited to the opening and stood with the ambassador and his wife as they warmly greeted hundreds of other guests.

The guests ranged from the Chinese and Costa Rican ambassadors to indigenous groups in traditional costumes to social workers and Cuban doctors. Just standing in the lobby of the cinema watching the crowd was mesmerizing. Then the President, Evo Morales, and Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera drove up. The crowd on the street cheered when Evo emerged from the car, and with little fanfare and minimum security, he greeted the crowd and took his seat in the front row of the theatre. What a thrill it was when I was also escorted to the front row to sit with the dignitaries! A far cry from the U.S.—I thought—where I am so often treated like some kind of dangerous terrorist.

While Evo sat modestly through the entire evening, with no public speech, the vice president gave a moving presentation before the film about how Evo’s life represented 500 years of indigenous suffering and resistance—and ultimately hope and triumph. The speech and the film painted an amazing picture of Evo Morales. Born to a poor family in Orinoco, his father was a llama herder and farmer. The film showed his home—an abode shack with a straw roof in the middle of a stark altipano. The film included an interview with the president talking about his childhood. He mentioned that he would run after the buses that came through town, chasing and eating the discarded orange peels the passengers threw out the windows. “My dream,” said Evo, “was to be a passenger on the bus and have the luxury of throwing away orange peels.”

He became coca grower and the movie showed how central coca has been to the lives of Bolivians—giving them the strength they need to survive under such harsh conditions. While today coca is associated with cocaine and Bolivia is seen as a provider of illicit drugs that make their way to the U.S. and Europe, the coca leaf continues to be a staple in the lives of Bolivian Indians and Evo, as a leader of coca growers, became a powerful force in the country—so powerful that he was eventually elected president.

The documentary didn’t delve into the present political situation, where the opposition is trying to squeeze Evo to the breaking point by organizing autonomous movements to physically divide the country. It’s amazing how tranquil the president and vice president seemed, given the difficult political situation they are facing, including a recall vote just two weeks away.

The movie ended to resounding applause, and the president left the theatre as humbly as he came in—shaking hands and greeting well-wishers. A far cry from the way George Bush interacts with the public!

As I walked back to the hotel (slowly), I thought sadly about how my government has been working closely with the opposition to defeat Evo Morales, instead of embracing this leader who represents the dreams of a people who have been so oppressed for so long. I was also saddened by the thought of how few people in the U.S. know or care about Bolivia, how there is virtually no solidarity movement in the U.S. as there was with progressive Central American governments in the 1980s. Perhaps because Bolivia is harder to get to, perhaps because many U.S. activists are immersed in the Middle East struggles. But there needs to be a more organized effort to support this government that has taken on the daunting task of trying to undo 500 years of oppression…

Todd Pritsky Response to Salon.com Piece

July 17, 2008

I'd Give It A 42, But I Can't Dance To It

Cintra Wilson asks the hard questions in Salon:

Code Pink welcomes anybody "willing to be outrageous for peace." But despite its emphasis on "joy and humor," its ruckus-raising techniques often cause me and my liberal community, who tend to agree with its politics, to regard them with distaste and embarrassment. Why did these shrieking middle-aged women in pink novelty hats believe this manner of protest was going to be effective in Congress, let alone in an almost completely co-opted media climate that seems hellbent on ignoring them?

I don't know Cintra from Lilith, but I see she's a celebrity writer who writes for Salon frequently. Good thing she came to this story with no clear agenda. Why, she didn't say 'cackle' even once!

But allow me to pose a follow up question that she for some reason failed to ask: why do allegedly anti-war liberal community members, who write about doing rather than, you know...doing, think that their own distaste and embarrassment is at issue when people are working hard to end the war? And why do they never seem to suggest alternative tactics when clearly the whole sitting around hoping or just voting for Democrats every cycle hasn't achieved their stated objective?

I look around and see the war is in its sixth year. How's all that status quo stuff working out, liberals? How's all that writing snarky articles about shrieking women in pink hats instead of supporting the people on the streets accomplishing your aims? Tried anything else recently?

I love peace, but why would any adult human who ever owned a nice belt want to be seen with this eyesore? Why does the peace movement have to dress and act like an irritating children's birthday party? More to the point, how was this peace demonstration supposed to convert the hearts and minds of the executive powers across the street, when the main event -- the tent city, and Code Pink, its most vital supporters -- didn't even bother to show up?

More to the point, how was this article supposed to convert the hearts and minds of the executive powers? Did the author propose solutions? Did the author offer support to people who have put themselves on the line for five years? Did the author consider that if more people actually joined in the action it might actually be more effective?

Murphy cataloged the "legitimate" work the group does behind the scenes (which, I had to admit, I had failed to recognize in my blindness from the glare of their prom dresses).

I like the scare quotes. Because clearly Code Pink doesn't actually do anything so legitimate as writing sarcastic articles for Salon. I also like how Cintra admits her ignorance and then blames it on party dresses rather than her inability to use teh Google to look up the Code Pink site. In fact, she seems to revel in it whilst focusing on the fashion statements!

"There's a huge gap between being against the war and doing something about it as a citizen," Murphy added.

Gael: 1. Cintra: 0.

Although I didn't say it, it occurred to me that apartheid and Darfur were issues that were comfortable to Congress -- and to mainstream media -- because of their high-level celebrity endorsements: Darfur had Bono, apartheid had Springsteen, AIDS had Elizabeth Taylor. It was mainstream media stars -- and the mainstream media that built them -- that ultimately allowed these issues to get enough momentum for serious support.

Indeed, the crisis in Darfur was solved once Bono weighed in. Apartheid ended not because of various colleges and corporations divesting and the nonviolent resistance within the country, but thanks solely Springsteen's participation in recording Sun City. And AIDS has been cured because Liz got involved!

Whereas the war? There are no celebrities interested in it. Ask Danny Glover, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, John Cusack. They just shrug their shoulders and sip their lattes.

I confessed to both women that I never would have known about Code Pink if they didn't disrupt congressional proceedings in pink tiaras. "That's right," said Benjamin. "Without the tiaras, you wouldn't be here. You know: 'If it bleeds it leads.' Code Pink is a manifestation of crisis, of a lack of democratic vehicles through which we can express ourselves. We're a manifestation of a broken system. You might not like the way we manifest it, but we'd like people to reflect on how broken the system is."

What a stunning confession. And so nice that Cintra then realizes that guerrilla theater, disruption of default behavior patterns and getting--GASP!--media attention is kinda the way to get people to notice what's happening. It's almost like all that stuff she mocked in the opening graf had a point.

I was beginning to feel a bit like a big-mouth bass: Lured by a bright pink artificial fly, doing the hula on the surface. It struck me how necessary pink tiaras were in the informational black hole that enables the inscrutable machinations of Washington to move forward without public scrutiny. A successful movement depends on a media that will grant it public legitimacy. Without it, the peace movement is left to masochistic zealots like Benjamin and Murphy: They crash Congress every day and destroy their own dignity for just the tiniest effect -- a nearly inaudible yelp from the dust speck of peaceful Whoville.

Perhaps some day people in the media like Cintra might realize that while they write with feigned detachment and bemusement about important matters like dissenting against war, they could communicate the message Code Pink is trying to get out. Perhaps supposed liberals, rather than intellectualizing about the bestest, most guaranteedest method of effecting change, could try doing something for, uh...a change.

And how have Medea and Gael destroyed their own dignity by acting empowered? I submit that dignity comes from doing what you believe in, not from snarkilicious supposed progressives writing on spec.

I came away from the Code Pink house believing that guerrilla theater is more critical than ever. For activists, Benjamin and Murphy represent the thin pink line separating the American peace movement from muteness, invisibility and depression unto disbandment.

Oh, so she thinks Code Pink does have value? Gee, that only took two pages of dismissive cynicism to get to!

Code Pink may have lost a little heart, temporarily, but the ladies haven't lost their way, or their flair: I was touched that Benjamin went out of her way to compliment my fishnet stockings.

And once again, it's really all about fashion, not the activism. Thank Dog we have a celebrity writer covering the anti-war beat.

Look, sarcasm is great. I've been known to use it myself sometimes, even when discussing the war--no, really! But while Cintra et al decry actionists who go out and engage in tactics that make them uncomfortable, I would suggest they turn their rapier wit and wry skepticism toward the architects of the war, and think about how they can support the variety of anti-war organizations that are doing yeoman's work to achieve the goals they supposedly share.

When mentioning Code Pink works with other organizations like UFP, instead of asserting without substantiation that Pinkers try to steal credit from them, howsabout discussing they also work with Veterans for Peace and IVAW--members of which I've met at the regular Wednesday potlocks at the DC house--amongst other groups, both national and international? Why not learn more about how small organizations do outreach in various ways? Or educate yourself and your readers about nonviolent tactics, stragtegies, and successful implementations?

What has Cintra done to end the war she says she hates, if she hasn't engaged in guerilla theater? Vigils? Counter recruitment? Civil disobedience? War tax resistance? Haunted war enablers? Used her platform to engage in sedition? Advocated for a general strike?

As I've said in the past, I don't expect moral purity from anybody. However, when you're going to attack people actively doing something, I think it behooves you to reflect on your own actions and inaction first, and think of solutions instead of just mocking, deriding, dismissing, and otherwise pulling out the rug from under those who are at least trying to throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks. Maybe even do a little research to see what traditions these people are continuing.

It's interesting that Code Pink (not to mention Cindy Sheehan) are so readily identified as "the peace movement" when they're really just components of a diverse tapestry of individuals and organizations working together oft times as a loose coalition to end the war. Why is it that women and mothers, like Las Madres in Argentina, are the ones who have to always seem to be the ones getting the ball rolling? Why do so many concerned people wait for somebody else to take that first step? It would be grand if more people would engage in the streets instead of passively, snarkily and counterproductively remarking from the sidewalk on what's happening in front of them.

In the interest of edumacation, here are a few links:

• On Strategic Nonviolent Conflict: Thinking About the Fundamentals
• Nonviolence Traing Project Case Studies
• Philosophy of Nonviolence

And remember: Action is always going to be more controversial than inaction.

ntodd

07.26.08 on the road to impeachment

Peace Constituents followed the Chain Gang criminals all over Pennsylvania avenue this afternoon as we tried to make citizen arrests. It was a difficult task trying to put Condi Cheney and W Bush into custody as there was so much Police presence near the compound.
We engaged tourists with reasons for IMPEACHMENT of Cheney & Bush starting with War Crimes.Crimes against humanity.

Inside the Holy of Holies: CodePink attends the Impeachment Hearing

Some of you know me - for those who don't, I'm Eileen Coles, a Desert Storm USAF veteran who served at HQ USAFE (Ramstein Airbase) with Lori Purdue. Impeachment is very personally important to me. In 2002 I swore to never cut my hair while Bush remained President of the United States, a form of protest and spiritual statement of distress that I take from the example of Harald Fairhair in the lore of pre-Christian Scandinavia.



I feel strongly that the oathbreaking, lawbreaking, lying, theft and murder perpetrated by the Bush administration has made a mockery of my military service and that of three generations of my family who have been represented in all four branches of the US Military. Indeed, that this creature who couldn't even serve his skate stateside duty without going AWOL for a year and having his daddy's rich friends cover it up is now the Commander in Chief makes a sickening travesty of the service of anyone else who put on the uniform and served honorably. One might say I oppose the continued abuses of this administration on a molecular level. So when I heard that there was going to be a "sorta kinda impeachment hearing", I came down to DC straightaway from New York.

The CodePink house in DC serves as a natural locus for other groups to come and network. Gael and Desiree hosted a meeting on Thursday the 24th for the purposes of coordinating a unified response to the hearing, which was attended by many blogosphere luminaries and representatives of activist groups who are concerned with the issue of impeachment.


Here Sue Serpa and Ralph Lopez of Republicans for Impeachment (that's right, read it and weep, freeps!) talk to Gael about whether or not to engage in active protest in the hearing. The decision was made to respect movement in a positive direction by dressing formally, minimizing the pink and not planning any protests or disruptions.



Also present was David Swanson of AfterDowningStreet.org, one of the premier political blogs out there. As a matter of fact, in this picture David can be seen reading the list of official witnesses to the room, which he received while the meeting was still going on. David also let us know which radio stations and CSPAN channels were going to be broadcasting and streaming the hearing over the Internet.



To restore the rule of law, this administration must be held accountable for it's myriad crimes. Right now our country is being run by a gang of organized criminals, and if we are to look for our steely-spined Elliot Ness we will evidently not soon find him in John Conyers, who told Desiree last MONTH that they were going to arrest Karl Rove that same week. Somehow that just hasn't happened yet... However good news is that Dennis Kucinich and Robert Wexler have not abandoned Constitution or the American people.




Merely getting into the hearing was the usual "Simon Says" ordeal with the DC Capitol Police, resulting in one arrest. 110 people lined up in the hallway. Only 16 people were allowed in, although we were initially told there was room for 40. Here are Laurie Arbeiter of World Can't Wait and Jenny Heinz of CodePink, who both came down from NYC for the hearing.



As was agreed, CP did the minimal pink/Sunday best thing for Conyers.



Veterans for Peace have been a constant presence. Their ferocious, impassioned and well-informed lobbying of Conyers contributed directly to this hearing finally happening.



Cindy Sheehan was the first in line to get in - and who would dare say her nay!



While the only removals from the room were instigated by Steven King, who whined about statement shirts and pins and the roars of protest that met his pathetic, blatant lies; for the most part our behavior was restrained. At one point at King's insistence several veterans were forced to leave the room, one of them for wearing a pin. As the people protested, "These are our VETERANS! You'd have them killed for a lie but you're afraid of having to read something on a shirt or a pin!" King and the other Republitards writhed in shame - as well they should have! As he left the room the veteran scornfully snarled "Where's your integrity!" and threw the pin at King. There were definitely times when you could feel the people's silent rage crackling in the air like thunder. Given the unnecessary hardships this administration has brought upon the people of our nation and our world, I think the congresscritters are just going to have to deal with wilting under the icy glare of the people they pretend to serve.

The eyes of CodePink are upon you...!



Ex-Congresswoman Liz Holzman was a welcome addition to the witnesses.



The crux of the reason for the hearing revolved around this testimony by Dennis Kucinich. (I can be seen sitting behind him, for whatever that's worth, heh. Hi, mom.)



I am very grateful to CodePink for giving me the opportunity to attend this historic hearing, and the CodePink DC house just keeps getting better and better. So stop reading and get yourself here already! You're missing all the fun!

Long Lines few public seats in Conyers Hearing room

07.25.08
Witness list Bruce Fine Constitutional Lawyer
Liz Hotzman Former NY Senator
Bob Barr- Presidential Candidate
Rocky Anderson-Former Mayor Salt Lake City 2000-2008
and others
Concerned citizens stood on the streets outside the House office buildings starting at 6am this morning to eagerly participate in the Bush Presidency & Consitutional limitations Hearing in the Judiciary.This is a first step toward urgent impeachment hearings.We Thank the Chairman but let's get on track with implementing REAL IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS so we as a people can make certain NO ONE WILL EVER be as criminal as W BUSH!NO ONE
It was a miscarriage of our Justice & a discredit to the people, our democracy, our rights,and our efforts to participate in our government as the conscience of the US...........
that the Chariman didn't notice the loud & unhappy members of the public in the halls.
There were only 16 seats for public participation.We stood for hours on line while staffers came in and out frequently of the hearing room.
Oh Mister Conyers why were only 16 people allowed to attend a public hearing
that was so popular & well attended that it demanded extra seating or fewer staffers in the main room to allow more participation from the majority of the US?

Gandhi Peace Brigade/ Leslie Returns to DC

Dear Friends,

Leslie flew to Washington DC Wednesday, hoping to talk with Congressman Ackerman. He's calling for a naval blockade of Iran through his sponsorship of House Resolution 362 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hc110-362. She met him last year, along with the Iranian bicyclists Miles for Peace, and she wanted to talk with him about withdrawing his resolution, or at the least, to delay the House vote until after Congress returns from its upcoming break. This morning Leslie got some good news. Howard Berman, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, has decided not to "mark up" the resolution, which means it's possible it won't come up for a vote until next year. Berman has indicated he has "no intention of moving the bill through his committee unless the language is first altered to ensure that there is no possible way it could be construed as authorizing any type of military action against Iran."

Iran and the United States were recently involved in a much touted diplomatic effort and instead of negotiating, the United States once again told Iran to stop enrichment or face increased economic sanctions. Iran has been given two weeks to reply. This is one of the reasons why Leslie went to DC. If the House votes in favor of Resolution 362 during this two week period, Iran will most likely react negatively to this Congressional "act of war".

Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Sixteen U.S. intelligence agencies stated "with high confidence" that Iran ceased its efforts to develop nuclear weapons in 2003. There weren't any WMD's in Iraq and there isn't a weapons program in Iran. Israel, the country most vocal about Iran's nuclear program, hasn't even signed onto the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Leslie plans to attend Chairman Conyers' pre-impeachment Judiciary hearing tomorrow (Friday). She'll be wearing her special "Conyers' Bonnet". She has met with him on seven occasions and each time she has encouraged the Chairman to start impeachment hearings for Cheney. Leslie doesn't want this administration's criminal acts to set precedents for the next administration. Impeachment hearings for Cheney might also distract him from his burning desire to attack Iran.

On a more personal note, Leslie and I have just celebrated our second anniversary of being partners for peace. We met (Thank you Rae!) during CodePink's Troops Home Fast vigil at Dianne Feinstein's house in San Francisco on July 5, 2006. I was standing on a ladder putting up the Giant Gandhi Puppet when Leslie came over and asked if she could help. I said "YES!" and we've been together ever since ... except for short separations like this one.

As most of you know, Leslie and I went to Iran last year. This was a life-altering experience for us. When we came home, we quit our jobs, put everything into storage and drove from California to Washington DC to lobby for diplomacy with Iran. We have become full time Peace with Iran Activists.

I'm staying in San Francisco to lay the groundwork for our upcoming Peace with Iran tour. If you know a talk show host, a newspaper or magazine editor, or an organizational leader who wants to hear an American's impression of Iran, please get in touch. Our presentation also includes lots of photos: http://flickr.com/photos/codepinkalert/sets/72157600359998697/show/ and a video piece depicting our journey in Iran and Leslie's CodePink activism in Washington DC.

People have been asking how they can contribute to our Journey for Peace with Iran. Tax-deductible donations can be made on-line by going to our web site http://www.jfpf.org and clicking on the "donate" button. We'll send you one of our favorite photos from Iran as a thank you.

We appreciate having all of you with us on our Journey for Peace with Iran.

Peace and Freedom,

Jes & Leslie

Support the Kucinich Impeachment Hearing on Friday
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/23/103746/784

Anti-War Movement Successfully Pushes Back Against Military Confrontation With Iran
http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/92395/?ses=43da1a7d441cc25377984e10107d6aba

Read about the National Impeachment Network
www.nationalimpeachment.org

Dancing! Absolutely Wonderful!!
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/7/14/121426/119

Red Cross Finds Bush Administration Guilty of War Crimes
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Red_Cross_finds_Bush_admininstration_guilty_0712.html

Forty-three Nations to Seek Middle East Free of WMD's
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ifpj-l1Nlk1ukc2qITEeURieCNiQD91T583O0


Jes & Leslie ... A Journey for Peace and Freedom: http://www.jfpf.org/

If you would like to be added to The Gandhi Peace Brigade Group List,
please let me know: jes_richardson@yahoo.com Thank you. Jes

Why we are going to the Conventions

Here at CODEPINK we're getting ready to bring our Peace Platform to the Democrat and Republican National Conventions.

Click here to find out why we think it's important to make the trek to Denver and the Twin Cities.

Check out our plans at www.codepinkalert.org/conventions

Why I'm going to the conventions...
By Rae Abileah

Part I: DNC ~ Live it!
I will travel on the train to Denver from San Francisco with a group of CODEPINK activists because I am tired of waiting for politicians to change, and ready to amp up my modeling of the world I want to live. That modeling includes taking the "Peace Train" and talking with the passengers and singing all the way around the mountains, riding in a pink bicycle brigade through the streets in Denver, visiting a free healthcare clinic, and issuing CODEPINK security alerts to renew public trust and confidence. Out of emails and phone calls and webpages will arise a flock of women (many of whom I get to work with from afar), a force for peace, that will make history. The world's media will be landing in Denver to cover the "who will be the next president of the superpower" story, and we tell them the "who are the electorate" story about peace voters. I am committed to training and building capacity in (primarily female) organizers, building a skilled movement. I still believe that it is the people that must lead the US out of war, that must refuse to fight, that must call for campaign finance reform, that must engage in civic duty to create a democracy. And in these dark times, my civic duty includes out-of-the-box creative actions that shed a little light in the tunnel to guide us out.

Part II: BRC ~ Love it!
I will fly to Black Rock City, home of the Burning Man festival, in the weekend between the conventions because it is my annual ritual to return to my desert-dwelling community of eccentric artists, who this year chose "The American Dream" as the theme of the event. Last year at BRC activists in pink slips served up peach mint martinis and peach cobbler while chatting up im-peach-mint. This year some of us will be handing out copies of Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and weaving dreamcatchers, not only to drive out the nightmare of the bush regime, but also to call awareness to the ongoing US occupation of indigenous lands. I will go to BRC to release, at the temple there, these past eight years of ill-governance: I know the time is approaching to put the Bush years to death, and I want to be ready to rise from the ashes of this broken government. I go to BRC to reignite my spirit and passion for artivism, to keep living a succulent joyous life, to find the Phoenix inside me.

Part III: RNC ~ Reclaim it!
I got swept into the pink whirlwind of CODEPINK activism at the RNC in NYC 2004, which was the summer after my college graduation in Manhattan. I found a ride home from the protest to California on Craigslist with a CODEPINK activist, Zanne, and her moving truck. Who knew a rideshare would lead to my first job out of college and my future traveling, ruckus-raising lifestyle?! Zanne and I spent two weeks on the road in the South registering voters and talking with women about pinkslippin' Bush. We chose tiny towns with fun names like War, West Virginia and Truth or Consequences, Texas. We spoke out. Four years later, things are worse now then they were then. How could I not return to the scene of the crime, the gathering of the war hawks?

Someone once sang, "Bush stole the best years of my twenties," and I think that's true for most of my peers (certainly those of us hit hard by the economy, or in youth prisons, or overseas fighting to keep our buddies alive, or just trying to get by in poor schools or without college funding)... not to mention the innocent lives of over a million Iraqis, thousands of soldiers and contractors, and people all over the world who have been impacted by US foreign policy (I mean, imagine what we could do with all those billions, no, trillions, of dollars if we weren't spending it all on violence and weaponry ~ sustainable solutions for world hunger, poverty, debt relief, environmental degradation, clean energy, education, healthcare, bicycles for everyone, subsidies for organic produce... the list goes on and on.) The Republican party's politics of domination and consolidated executive power have become not only an embarrassment to the world, but a slow demise of our Constitution. While some of my leftist sisters may believe that this party is rotten to the core, I think there are republican values that are integral to our American culture, the values that my stepdad espoused when he became a Republican after fighting in the Vietnam war, like fiscal conservatism (hello 3 trillion dollar war--NOT in line with this value!), state and local rights (PA Attorney General Tom Corbet recently said to townspeople protesting toxic sludge killing kids in their own back yards, "There is no inalienable right to local self-government." Say what?!), and a focus on family, faith, and neighborhood organizing based on values. This time around, I am going to the RNC not only to protest and agitate, but also to reclaim these ideals. I'm going to the RNC with all the messages of the bills that have been passed over the past nightmare of a presidency, with a simple request--action, not doublespeak. I want: Clean Energy, Healthy Forests, No Child Left Behind, Women's Liberation, an end to Terrorism, and the announcement of a true CODEPINK Alert!

Part IV: The Race
I will continue traveling onward after the RNC because just like in 2004 there are a lot of conversations to be had with Americans about what issues are important to them and how each of us can do something to make our lives, our country, and our world a safer, healthier, more sparkling, heart-centered and joyous place. Being on the road with activists, singers, artists gives me hope that a world free of war is truly possible. While the nation turns to candidates, I will be turning to candid conversation and practical action. Getting out the vote means having something to vote for (and one day maybe not having to hold our noses while we check those boxes in the booth) and also creating community.

Part V: The Finish Line?
After the election when, like the silence that follows Christmas morning after all the presents have been sufficiently ravaged, the political fervor dies down and people forget about platforms and promises, when the election is "so last season" and the latest sitcom or new iPhone is consuming our attention, CODEPINK will still be taking creative action for peace because the war will still not be over. I'll be at the inauguration with my PINK sisters, mostly because that's what my mom taught me growing up, when she kept me home from school to watch the inauguration live broadcast on TV and said something like, "When you grow up you must do something to make the world a more beautiful place." Only now bearing witness means I have to act too, and engage in the stuff that is sometimes too scary to seem real, and be committed to changing it.

07.24.08 Evan Bayh's Office Re 580

CODEPINK Peace Lobbyists Gael, Des, Jenifer,Liz,Lisa,Devon,
Kim,Natalie,Marjon,Azita,Hashem,Pete,Fatemah,Florian and others secure an appointment with Todd Rosenblum Senator Bayh's Office to discuss our concerns regarding Sres 580.Thjis is the Iran Sanctions resolution sitting in the foreign relations committee .......
We were given ample time to make our points & resonate our fears using facts and our well researched refutations! Todd Rosenblum engaged our concerns on the matter of sanctions without Diplomacy is fruitless- for over an hour patiently.We felt it was the beginning of a necessary negotiation to expose the staffers to the deeper understanding that the usual target of sanctions are the most vulnerable in society children women the poor people.

07.23.08 I love Justice

The House Judiciary held an oversight hearing of the Justice Dept featuring Attorney General Michael Mukasey.Congressman Wexler seemed to be the only hard ball questioner in my humble opinion.It is so disappointing to listen to thank you for your service from each member while the hard questions seem off the table? Voter Caging,Election Fraud, Torture Policies,extraordinary rendition,overpolitization of the Department .............what is happening to our country! Does anyone have a backbone?Does the Judiciary or Congress have a conscience??
CODEPINK had an exercise in fight for your rights planned outside the hearing room.Kim made 4 tshirts I (heart)love Justice,I(heart)love Capitol Police,I (heart)Peace,and I Love Teresa Vest( Committee Lady) just to see where the line is on the pink profiling? We put our shirts on just before the room opened up for public seating.Ms. Vest gave a brief statement on the conditions, parameters, & regulations to enter the hearing room and how to participate under these rules! CODEPINKers had to turn Tshirts inside out or take the pieces of art off completely to enter! After obtaining my seat i turned my T shirt back to I LOVE TERESA VEST .........Miss Vest asked me to take it off because it stated a position I replied what statement did this shirt make in her mind she got a little flustered and after a few minutes of back & forth she let it go but only after i put pink duct tape over the Heart............Now is ok I covered the heart---- NO MORE HEART!
now it said I Teresa Vest and i just smiled and giggled .......looked around inquiring if anyone was studying law.....suddenly all the lookers turned away............

07.21.08 Peace Message for the Christians

07.21.08

Local Iranian activists joined CODEPINK & others to keep the message of Peace
and no more wars even for Israel in view of hundreds of religious followers outside the Convention Center where Rev Hagee was in the audience!CODEPINKERS sang sweet peace songs to cheer up the few angry WAR Mongers who feel justified in Killing for the sake of selfish desire and total control of resources.
Who would Jesus Bomb??Thou Shalt not Kill!
There were many opportunities to support our truth with the passersby.
War is not the answer and we are waiting for a more peaceful world!Israel will not be safer if there is another WAR!!Let's talk! Let's be diplomatic and attempt to find common ground

www.citiesforpeace.org

Celebrate our Shero Ann Wright

We Love Ann

07.19.08 NOW Conference

Retired Col.Ann Wright put together a panel for the annual Now Conference on Sexual Assault of Women in the Military.Des & Liz were there early to reach out and get as many NOW women into that room to listen to these important stories as possible!!!!!!!!!!It helps the victims and family members to tell the story is therapy!Sharing is part of the healing process.
The turnout was pretty good.Everyone stayed the entire panel discussion.
The public needs to hear these stories of military families to begin to right these wrongs!Sexual assault is common in the military.Men think of women as bitches hoes or dykes? (Disgusting)



www.swan.org

Baker's Story continued

Inbox (978)

Starred

	Invited
	♫ Preparing for the wedding on Sunday!
	Invite
	♫ Struggling for PeaCe
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invite
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫
	Invited
	♫

Options

Add Contact

Labels

Security through Peace

▼

Edit labels

Remove color

Edit name

More Actions

Refresh

1 - 50 of 5037 Older › Oldest »

Conversations

Select: All, None, Read, Unread, Starred, Unstarred

		allison yorra		[CP] Fwd: war never solved anything....‎ - starts small ...big finish! a Forwarded message From: DC CODEPINK …		7:56 pm
		allison yorra		[CP] Fwd: Code Pink‎ - hate mail.. Forwarded message From: DC CODEPINK		7:54 pm
		allison yorra		[CP] Fwd: What a disgrace!‎ - for the hate mail list. More to follow. i esp like the kitchen line. Oooh, I wonder how his lucky …		7:53 pm
		Desiree Fairooz		Fwd: xoxoxoxo for blog‎ - Forwarded message From: riverliffey4@aol.com Date: Jul 18 …		7:37 pm
		Jodie, Dr, allison (3)		[CP] FW: America is listening. What will you say?‎ - I am sad to just be learning about this. This is the future. This will inform Obama. We should …		7:35 pm
		zool .		"The Warrior" Opening, Parties & Pink Potluck in Washington D‎ - Friends-- Please come to the Capital Fringe Festival opening of "The Warrior" at the …		6:57 pm
		Jodie Evans		[CP] FW: My piece is up at WMC‎ - Forwarded Message From: Jen h Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:26:24 -0400 To: Jen …		6:31 pm
		Google Alerts		Google Alert - opinion poll iraq‎ - Google News Alert for: opinion poll iraq Obama Seeks to Bolster Foreign Policy Credentials With …		5:39 pm
		t r u t h o u t		Moyers and Winship | Mother's Milk of Politics Turns Sour‎ - Bill Moyers and Michael Winship write for Truthout on the financial services and real estate …		5:25 pm
		Dana Balicki		[CP] Partnership with Iraqi solidarity coalition‎ - Hi all, attached are 3 docs from Frances Anderson of 9/11 Families for a Peaceful Tomorrows …		5:04 pm
		Medea Benjamin		[CP] Re amsterdam‎ - Hey all, While my trip to Amsterdam was really a family vacation for my younger daughter’s 18th …		4:32 pm
		Dana Balicki		thought you'd "like" this‎ - Got this in my special McCain update- cuz I know you know how much McCain loves his students. Oh …		4:14 pm
		Dana Balicki		To-Dos from Conventions call last week/this week.‎ - Hi all, Here is a To-Do list from the various Conventions conference calls. This was attached in …		4:09 pm
		CodePink, Dana (2)		[CP] Wowza - Climbing to "Rock the Parties"‎ - Between the awesome alert Rae did, the Conventions Conference Call we did on Wednesday night and …		4:04 pm
		Venus Rising		Costa Rica - Peace, Love and Sex‎ - Costa Rica - Peace, Love and Sex Exploring Sacred Union in Sacred Space Peace, Love and Sex …		3:00 pm
		Dana Balicki		[CP] Our first SKYPE call Monday‎ - Hi all, We are going to try our first SKYPE conference call on Monday as long as we have enough …		2:44 pm
		bendonkee@juno.com		Opportunity to discuss concerns, re: Canada's decision to expell Robin Long to U.S.‎ - Dear Ms. Gill, I am writing to request a meeting with a representative of the Canadian government …		2:42 pm
		t r u t h o u t		Donations Truly Important‎ - Friday 18 July 2008 Keeping Truthout funded is most critical not only to our survival as an …		2:18 pm
		Gael Murphy		[CP] Fw: Action Alert: Write the Party Platforms‎ - Fyi, seems we're joining up with win w/out war on message. It's not clear what the joint …		2:07 pm
		Google Alerts		Google Alert - CODEPINK JUSTICE DEPT action‎ - Google News Alert for: CODEPINK JUSTICE DEPT action Peace Activists Pressure Congress to Block …		1:52 pm
		Jean Stevens		[CP] PLEASE READ by Monday - WEB SITE PRESS KIT!!‎ - Hello all, I haven't received any feedback on the downloadable media kit draft I sent out …		1:40 pm
		Dana, Desiree (2)		[CP] I'm getting married!‎ - Ok, not really. but I just read the notes from the locals conference call last night and there …		1:39 pm
		me, Nancy (9)		Affinity group descriptions for the conventionsReply‎ - Oops I lost track of time and phone appts, could we still check in today? From: elizabeth paz …		1:26 pm
		Desiree Fairooz		[codepinkhouse] How can you resist???!!!‎ - I'm excited!! READ ON: des PINKING the Candidates and the Conventions Conference Call …		1:17 pm
		Rebecca Tarbotton, Rainf.		Adopt a Coal Financier Near You‎ - Rainforest Action Network Dear elizabeth, Want to do something locally about global warming …		12:59 pm
		Desiree Fairooz		[CP] Majority Polled Pelosi "failure" Yeah!!! I add ABYSMAL‎ - http://news.aol.com/?feature=88629 -- "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then …		12:56 pm
		CODEPINK Action		What are we doing about Denver & Minneapolis?‎ - Donate | Calendar | Local Groups | Store July 18, 2008 Dear elizabeth, This year at the party …		11:56 am
		Rae Abileah		[CP] Conf Call Notes - Conventions - Wed 7/16‎ - PINKING the Candidates and the Conventions Conference Call Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Notes from …		11:24 am
		Jean Stevens		Press release for embassy action‎ - Hi ladies, I just wanted to make sure I had the details straight for the action for the next two …		11:07 am
		Planned Parenthood of Ne.		Summer, Sex & Spirits‎ - Dear elizabeth, Click Here to Buy Your Tickets Today! Visit the web address below to tell your …		11:02 am
		t r u t h o u t		Ann Wright | The Costs of War: The Parents' Agony‎ - Ann Wright on the real costs of war; Nelson Mandela turns 90 years old and calls on the rich to …		10:46 am
		Shield of Peace		[codepinkhouse] Announcement‎ - Eight days ago, I saw the video of the second meeting Veterans for Peace held with Congressman …		10:03 am
		CODEPINK		[CODEPINK] Digest Number 848‎ - CODEPINK Local Coordinators Messages In This Digest (17 Messages) 1a. Re: CODEPINK piece on Salon …		9:40 am
		Robert Greenwald		Send Karl Rove to Jail‎ - Watch the video 1. Watch the video 2. Sign the petition Dear Supporter, This sounds like a dream …		8:56 am
		Eileen Coles		[codepinkhouse] Watch: Send Karl Rove to Jail!‎ - Eileen Coles invited you to watch this video at bravenewfilms.org: Send Karl Rove to Jail …		8:51 am
		Google Alerts		Google Alert - Mccain‎ - Google News Alert for: Mccain Obama vs. McCain: Politics of overseas trips MSNBC - USA ‘I’m …		8:34 am
		IWT-The Real News		Is Obama post cold war?‎ - Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a web page instead. New Stories July 18, 2008 Obama …		7:58 am
		Impeach		[Impeach] Fax Your Rep: History Favors The Impeaching Party‎ - Impeachment News and Local/National Organizing …		7:03 am
		Jean, me, Jean (3)		[CP] CP Media --> Jean process‎ - Thanks so much Liz!! On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 4:15 PM, elizabeth paz paxis		6:52 am
		t r u t h o u t		In Burma, Opposition Eyes Escalation‎ - Burma's opposition looks to begin new phase of armed resistance; distracted US government …		6:33 am
		Nancy Kricorian		[CP] USING BOMBS TO STAVE OFF WAR (NYtimes op-ed on Iran by Benny Morris)‎ - This has to be the absolutely craziest op-ed I have ever seen in the Times. (Victory until death …		4:45 am
		Google Alerts		Google Alert - CODEPINK JUSTICE DEPT action‎ - Google News Alert for: CODEPINK JUSTICE DEPT action Obey says hands tied on war funding Superior …		1:45 am
		Google Alerts		Google Alert - iraq‎ - Google News Alert for: iraq Military will tell Obama Iraq pullout is possible but risks …		12:07 am
		Google Alerts		Google Alert - Mccain Schedule‎ - Google News Alert for: Mccain Schedule Obama raises more than $52 million in June Chicago Tribune …		Jul 17
		Google Alerts		Google Alert - political‎ - Google Blogs Alert for: political Search Tool for Political Advertisements By John Sides The …		Jul 17
		Rae Abileah		Fwd: [CODEPINK] Fwd: [pbpeace] Sea of pink - and green - in DC for education, health ca...‎ - So cool! Sea of pink and green! Were any pinks there? xx Rae Begin forwarded message: From …		Jul 17
		Facebook		"Paul Newman for Corporation Commission + Clean Energy, Clean Candidate" sent you a mes...‎ - Paul Newman sent a message to the members of Paul Newman for Corporation Commission + Clean …		Jul 17
		Gael Murphy		Fw: [codepinknewyork] FW: [ufpj-iran] Two Leading Jewish Dems PullSupport for Iran Sanc...‎ - Good job gaias! Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T From: Ann & Ahmad Shirazi		Jul 17
		Gael Murphy		Fw: Cool Off with CODEPINK NYC!‎ - This would be agreat action to bring some locals around. Anyone heard from Joan? G Sent via …		Jul 17
		Rachael		Cindy McCain's view on Arizona transportation‎ - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/14/cindy-mccain-in-arizona-t_n_112695.html		Jul 17

Conversations

Select: All, None, Read, Unread, Starred, Unstarred

More Actions

Refresh

1 - 50 of 5037 Older › Oldest »

all our love,

Heather & kids

(Continued from blog I wrote about "Bakers: Why we're Here and What It's Like"by one of the kids- I left off with describing the Feith hearing) The police had told us however, to wear our shirts inside out, take off our code pink hats, no interruptions during the hearing, plus no signs or banners. Freedom of speech! Hissss… 'Kay, that was off topic. Back on topic, the hearing, in the end, was pretty much not in favor of Feith. It was funny because after the hearing, when Feith came out of the courtroom, we code-pinkers chased after him with signs. Almost everyone, even the police, found it funny as Feith was chased after signs calling him a war criminal and that he should be arrested. Feith said nothing, while taxi drivers ignored him, of course with people and signs behind him calling him a war criminal. I think there were a few reasons
why the four empty taxis ignored him, but I think you can picture at least three reasons why. Anyway, it was very fun. We also spent most of our day going to congress men asking them not to sign the 362 resolution, the entire time we were there practically.
The next day, we went to a hearing in the morning about how detainees under United States custody were treated, based on/charged by terrorist activity. It basically revolved around Guantanamo Bay, on how it is totally illegal because of the tortures they do there, and constant interrogations. I researched a whole lot on the topic, and I found that according to the "L.A. Times," it stated that out of the 59 detainees (at that time, now they have around 130 or less) only 2 knew how to spell "Al Qaeda." Hem Hem… So, as I explained before, we asked more congressmen why they had signed the act. So far, we have only 1 congress men/women who has changed their mind and taken their name off the list. Some have not signed the 362 resolution at all, and are not thinking of signing it, but we still have a few others who need a change of heart on the matter.
In the end, I had so much fun, while getting to learn a whole lot about how our government works. I also got to meet Congressman Conyers, who was very nice, and we (my family) got to interview him about a few things that we learned in these past four days.=2
0For people who are thinking of going to go to code pink, GO NOW! The people there are really nice, and it's good for families with kids who are around middle school age, probably from possibly fourth grade to any age, but if you feel that your eight year old can survive an hour, maybe two, long of hearing, it's okay, because I didn't survive either. BUT they allow you to go out if your kid is having trouble sitting still, which happened to me, and I'm thirteen, but I cannot sit still listening to people debate. It's a bad flaw of mine.
Many people there have very interesting stories to tell about how they got to code pink. I had a great time, and I believe code pink is fighting for a good cause, PEACE DUDE!




--

OH Canada - Let War Resistors Stay

CODEPINK & Military Families Speak Out protested the recent decision by the government of Canada to deport War resister Robin Long back to the US to be court marshaled for objecting to SUPPORT George Bush's Illegal Unconstitutional Immoral War of Choice!We plan a weekly event to educate the public on the needs of War Resisters outside the Canadian Embassy!!
Support the WAR RESISTERS NOT ILLEGAL WARS for OIL

We need your support Mayor Fenty No War w Iran

Mayor Fenty promised Liz outside the Rayburn House Office Building he would sign on to the Mayors for Peace Resolution July 17.08!!!!!!!!!!!!


www.citiesforpeace.org

New Yorkers meet Josh at Clinton's Office

The Peace team started the day at the Senate Judiciary Hearing- another Detention Gitmo related hearing.We stood in the back of the room with signs.Free Omar is one message we will promote everyday.Omar Khadr is a 21 year young Canadian citizen being held for over 5 years.
I have been educating people about Omar's situation in hopes we can get him released.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Khadr
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-worthington/screwed-up-and-abused-oma_b_112924.html

There were a couple of times Liz clapped after a rational witness spoke out regarding the negative web of torture policies that do more to harm our moral high ground than protect US.
After lunch we broke up into groups for lobby efforts on both sides of the house.We continue to educate Congress on H Con Res 362 - the New Yorkers stopped by Senator Clinton's office to meet with Josh.

Jeepers, Creepers, What to Make of "FREEPERS"

The enemy of my friend is my... friend? (Well, potentially anyway...)

I spent maybe an hour and a half last Wednesday sharing some sidewalk outside of the Cannon Building with the pro-troops/pro-U.S. foreign policy group occasionally referred to as the “Freepers” (even, I'm told, by “Freepers” themselves).

In my travels across the U.S. -- growing up in suburban Mesa, AZ, attending university and working in southern California, and chocking up nearly eight years in the Midwest between graduate school and employment as a graphic designer/apartment manager/security guard -- I've had worse times and received worse receptions... from less reasonable, decent folk than most of the “Freepers” I met last week.

In fact, from the moment I took up a “Support the Troops” sign and stood proudly (in Peace Pink) beside my fellow patriotic Americans, every individual “Freeper” who really took the time to engage me in conversation afforded me the same measure of civility and respect that I extended to him or her, which is to say, a good deal. While there were differences of opinion, there was also courtesy and a genuine willingness to hear one another's views.

And why not? We share so many of the same concerns:

We ALL share a concern for the well-being of America's troops.

We ALL have a common desire to see America emerge victorious in the Global War on Terror (although we may differ on how best to achieve that victory).

We ALL recognize that the U.S. Congress, like so many other institutions in our country, has grown corrupt and is not functioning as it should.

We are ALL passionate in the belief that our activism is in the best tradition of American patriotism and vital to a healthy democracy... something toward which we ALL strive.

Nonetheless, there is real acrimony -- and some genuine substantive differences -- between our two groups... as well as a history of unfortunate incidents, it seems...

One of the “Freepers,” a courteous, earnest, obviously bright and idealistic young man (soon bound for Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps) showed me a red paint stain on his otherwise pristine white sneaker... courtesy of protesting peace advocates, he told me. By his account, a protest action at the Marine recruiting office in Berkeley, CA had involved the hurling of paint-filled balloons... apparently in his general direction.

While I made no excuses for the actions of my fellow peaceniks -- it was neither my place to do so, nor my inclination -- I did try to explain to him the principled position underlying that particular act.

The citizens that form the community of Berkeley have clearly articulated a strong moral objection to America's current foreign policy, especially the war in Iraq (which has placed such a burden on military recruitment in recent years). For the Marines to seek fresh recruits in Berkeley in support of a policy most Berkeley residents are on the record as opposing -- as immoral, illegal, and inimical to America's interests in the world -- well, it seemed like a slap in the face of the entire community... and an undemocratic slap at that.

Berkeley had spoken.

The Marines had turned a deaf ear to the community's objections.

Matters had escalated.

Leaving aside the question of the moral high ground for a moment, one could at least point to the predictability of such a development (which does nothing, of course, to help restore the luster of my young acquaintance's otherwise spiffy shoe).

But these things tend toward escalation.

Malignant, grievances spread. Ugliness begets ugliness. (Thus, centuries ago, Hammurabi warned his people: “NO MORE THAN an eye for an eye,” cautioning them against disproportionate and wanton revenge, leading to an endless cycle of bloodletting... Jesus, of course, may have done Hammurabi one better with his admonition that we should all learn to “turn the other cheek” and actually LOVE our enemies. So far ahead of his time, we still seem incapable of embracing such sagacity some 2000 years after his death.)

(Gandhi got it. Why can't we?)

Upon hearing my young friend's complaint, I had to sigh. In the back of my mind I recalled hearing of how my sister Pinkies and our friends at Veterans for Peace had been pelted by objects hurled at them by (you guessed it) the “Freepers” while visiting our wounded troops at Walter Reed.

The “Freepers” may have felt justified at the time, possibly carrying within them the commonly held bastardization of Hammurabi's wisdom: that the old “eye for an eye” axiom is really carte blanche to GO NUTS on your enemies... that “an eye for an eye” is supposedly what passes for justice... that revenge (NOT justice -- which doesn't involve “two wrongs”) is what the aggrieved are somehow entitled to...

(Somewhere, I'm sure, Hammurabi is spinning in his urn.)

But let's move on from the mutual wounding between human beings (what Dostoevsky referred to as “lacerations”) to THE COMMON GROUND WE SHARE... because, brother and sister, I promise you, IT DOES EXIST (I know it does, because I have been there)! And it is on this common ground that we can one day stand firm against America's foes, internal and external!

But only if we're smart. Only if we have faith. Only if we are willing to put aside our pain and comfortable willingness to judge -- and even hate -- one another (because when Americans are divided, the terrorists really do win.).

So let's do this thang! (Are we READY?) Hell, yes, let's do it!

LET'S TALK ABOUT AMERICA'S TROOPS! (Do we care enough about our patriotic young men and women in service to shelve our petty battles for a moment and seriously discuss their plight? Let's hope so, because their wounds go much deeper than ours.)

The reason I choose to devote my time, energy, and resources to Code Pink, rather than, say, the “Freepers,” is that I am convinced that Code Pink's stance -- opposing the current Policy (which, writ large, predates George W. Bush, by the way) -- puts the Pinkies on the right side of America's interests, America's values, AND America's troops... all of which are gravely threatened by the aforementioned Policy.

As I explained to my new acquaintances on the sidewalk last week, I have spent most of the last decade reading several hours a day, listening to C-Span hearings, and following news broadcasts, radio and television (left and right of center) -- and reading some excellent books along the way -- in order to gain as comprehensive an understanding as possible of American history and of our current foreign and domestic policies. I have endeavored most sincerely to identify and apprehend recent trends and assess our present situation... which in many ways is not an enviable one: Infrastructure crumbling, debt soaring, dollar plummeting... with a populace deeply divided, unhealthy, and barely educated.

(America can do better. In the past, we have done better. We can do so again.)

But keeping the focus on AMERICA'S MILITARY, paraphrasing General William Casey: The U.S. Army is badly stretched and under-resourced. Our National Guard and Reserves are very nearly broken thanks to long and multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan (one war a catastrophic failure, despite the recent calm -- in news coverage -- the other an ever-expanding failure that has seen huge upticks in violence, corruption, poppy production, and civilian casualties... and the comeback of the Taliban -- THROUGH NO FAULT OF THE TROOPS... but rather due to the rose-tinted, self-serving obscurantism of our blinkered political class, Republican and Democrat alike).

According to the military's own studies, military families are paying a high price for the mistakes of America's political leadership: high rates of divorce, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues (not just PTSD), and a soaring suicide rate.

There's a reason the Army and Marines face enormous recruiting challenges and a mass exodus in the officer corps: These policies are putting our military under enormous -- and unnecessary -- strain!

And when our soldiers and Marines try to get Uncle Sam to make good on his promises, they are routinely met with a sea of red tape -- after their initial medical treatment, which by most accounts is quite good, to give credit where credit is due. Nonetheless, our servicemen/women have recounted one experience after another about being stonewalled, lied to, and cheated of promised benefits. Only those who get a little news coverage, it seems, manage to get what they have coming to them. Many simply give up trying.

How did we arrive at this regrettable state of affairs?

One way we got here was by allowing the politicians, profiteers, chicken-hawks, ideologues, and demagogues to run roughshod over America's career foreign policy and intelligence professionals... and our experienced military voices.

Let's review the history:

Prior to 9/11, America's top counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke and Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet (running around with his “hair on fire,” it was later said) virtually begged top administration officials to make a greater priority of preparing against a foreseeable (and foreseen) attack by al Qaeda.

The 9/11 Commission revealed that their concerns were not shared by the Bush administration:

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice failed to hold a single Cabinet-level meeting on the subject.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was far more concerned with streamlining (privatizing and shrinking) America's military, closing bases and funneling money to (still) unproven boondoggles like national missile defense.

President Bush admitted that he “didn't feel that sense of urgency” regarding al Qaeda, despite the August 2001 Presidential Daily Brief entitled “Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in U.S.”

And Attorney General John Ashcroft? He slid anti-terrorism efforts to the bottom of the FBI's top-10 priorities and admonished Paul Pillar to NOT raise the subject with him again!

And after 9/11? When our politicians owed it to the nation to consult with -- even defer a little to -- America's military experts and career intelligence and foreign policy establishment... ideology and hubris triumphed again.

Regarding the “enhanced” interrogation techniques: Senior legal counsel at all four branches of THE MILITARY (Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines) -- as well as the FBI and the Pentagon's Criminal Investigation Task Force -- ALL balked.

Like his peers, the Navy's General Counsel Alberto Mora resisted the suggestions coming from the White House and from Rumsfeld flack William Haynes II, calling the proposed techniques immoral, impractical, and illegal, possibly “rising to the level of torture.” When the senior legal staff for the Marines warned that the proposed policy might “expose our Marines” to legal and physical jeopardy, his concerns, too, were brushed aside.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff and other experienced military minds were also left out of the ensuing discussion, and those who had objected were disdained and ignored by partisans and hacks who had never served a day in their life.

The result? Prisoner abuse and torture at Guantanamo Bay, where -- ACCORDING TO THE U.S. MILITARY -- nearly 50% of America's initial detainees were innocent of any crime and unaffiliated with any terrorist group (according to the CIA, upwards of 33%).

Many of those detainees were simply scooped up by the CIA's allies-of-convenience in the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom: the drug lords, warlords, and extremists who comprised the Northern Alliance, including many former allies of the Soviet Union, like General Rashid Dostum, and former acid-throwing jihadi, Gulbiddin Hekmatyar, who scarred many a Middle-Eastern girl for life (for not wearing the burka). These are the same characters Rumsfeld allowed to call U.S. airstrikes on their rivals (also our allies!) as they jockeyed for position in the new Afghanistan... and we trusted THEM to stock the cells at GTMO!

Why? Because callow cretins like Cofer Black and Rummy thought that paying mercenaries and thugs $1,000 bounties for “terrorists” would somehow yield meaningful results.

And has the Policy fared any better in Iraq?

No.

Not only has the Democratic and Republican politicians' torture policy not yielded much in the way of actionable intelligence, but it has played a key role in turning the population of Iraq against us.

Since Abu Ghraib, most Iraqis polled now say it is “OK to kill Americans.” Earlier military polls revealed an Iraqi populace more inclined to give us the benefit of the doubt... but that was before the prisoner abuse and neighborhood sweeps that overfilled America's prisons in Iraq (netting tens of thousands... of Sunnis, primarily -- more than 80% of whom were innocent, PER THE ANALYSIS OF THE U.S. MILITARY... which was almost entirely ignored by the politicians and phony-baloney press).

And who has paid the price for this inept, immoral, and ineffective policy?

THE TROOPS, THAT'S WHO...

Aside from the fact that such heavy-handed and unfocused attacks on Iraqi society have made our honorable and well-meaning troops reviled and viewed as “occupiers” in a land they had truly hoped to liberate, IT IS THE TROOPS WHO HAVE PAID THE PRICE.

Among other nightmares recounted by the U.S. troops serving in Iraq (moving among the obliterated and tortured bodies, encountering the foul smells of death and raw sewage, and dealing daily with the distrust of a hostile populace -- THESE are the stories our troops tell, the further one gets from the press conference), American GI's and Marines have described the bobbing, weaving walk they've had to adopt in order to avoid being shot by snipers when patrolling the Iraqi streets.

Frankly, they deserve better.

After the scandal of Abu Ghraib, General Janice Karpinski was demoted and the enlisted men and women involved in the abuses were tried and convicted as criminals -- despite the fact that they were following orders that emanated in Washington, D.C. and were carried out by politicized generals (Sanchez and Miller) and enforced by unregulated, unaccountable private contractors, Titan and CACI -- as detailed in the report of General Anthony Taguba... who saw his military career cut short as a result of his honest report.

The higher-ups told our enlisted men and women to “soften up” the prisoners, to use dogs, strip the prisoners and take their photographs in sexually humiliating situations... exploiting “Arab vulnerabilities.”

These were their ORDERS.

The contractors and non-military personnel reportedly gave Sgt. Graner several “atta-boys” for his treatment of America's prisoners. All the while, according to his fellow soldiers, his conscience plagued him; he didn't think what he was doing was right (how could he? American troops, untrained in interrogation, encouraged by their superiors, were torturing detainees, sodomizing them, and forcing them to masturbate one another, among other things...).

But WHO got hung out to dry by the politicians and the complacent, “few bad apples” peddling press?

Graner (convicted and sentenced). Englund (convicted and sentenced). Frederick (convicted and sentenced). Davis (convicted and sentenced)... and so on.

And the politicians, Democratic and Republican, played right along. When the scandal broke, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “The American public needs to understand we're talking about rape and murder here,” as if the President hadn't signed a memo saying the Geneva Conventions didn't apply to these prisoners... as if these methods of interrogation (forced stripping and sexual humiliation) weren't specifically authorized by Rumsfeld...

(They were.)

But it was THE TROOPS who paid the price, not the POLITICIANS (not with this press).

And the troops in Iraq weren't the only ones getting run over by the policymakers...

The Navy JAGs and Chief Prosecutors at GTMO complained from the start about un-American rules, no due process for detainees, and CONSTANT political interference from Washington. They have described a thoroughly politicized, micromanaged process and DC meddlers imposing absurd conditions to govern the tribunals -- conditions our military never sought (conditions they RESISTED, actually). We're on our FOURTH Chief Prosecutor now, as the politicians keep forcing them out (for insisting on a lawful process for conducting these tribunals... Check out Col. Morris Davis' account of the politicians who forced him to resign).

These people -- the JAGs and Chief Prosecutors -- aren't “soft on terrorism;” they're champions for America's values -- the values that actually provide us with our security. And they've been fighting a brave but losing battle with the politicians from Day 1... without our help, for the most part.

Where are the American people as the military keeps getting slapped around by the chicken-hawk politicians?

Most of us are in the dark, right where the pols and their jingoist media lackeys in the press want us.

Honestly, this media is so in the tank for the Policy that most Americans -- including most “Freepers,” I suspect -- simply aren't aware of the extent to which our troops have been hung out to dry by our corporate political class and press. For years they've been telling us how “Liberal” they are... and how much we should resent the stupid, Politically Correct Liberals (but why would a “Liberal” media tell us that...?).

Because of this media, most Americans never heard about the U.S. Army captain who tried to report the prisoner abuse he'd seen in Iraq -- prior to Abu Ghraib -- only to be labeled “crazy” (over the objections of a military psychiatrist), strapped to a gurney, and flown out of the country.

Because of this media, most Americans don't know that General Jay Garner, after spending years on the ground in Kurdistan leading Operation Provide Comfort, was unceremoniously dumped as America's top man in post-war Iraq... in order to make room for Kissinger-protege Jerry Bremer.

Just a few weeks on the job, just after Baghdad fell, Gen. Garner was handed his nuts (figuratively speaking) the moment he suggested conducting elections (which was NOT the policy). Bremer continued to resist calls for elections until well into the insurgency, relenting only when Iraqi Shi'ites put over 100,000 protesters on the streets and DEMANDED elections.

You see, Bremer followed the dictates of the “cabal” (Col. Lawrence Wilkerson's term for Cheney, Feith, Wolfowitz, Perle, etc.): the NeoCon clowns without a day of military experience among them, the anti-democrats who zealously advocated putting convicted criminal Ahmed Chalabi in charge of Iraq with his 700 thugs and his history of graft and fraud. Self-serving, carpetbagging crumb that he is, upon arriving in Iraq, Chalabi immediately occupied Saddam's elite Hunting Club in the wealthy Mansour neighborhood and began promoting himself as the leader of new Iraq... only to find that most Iraqis disliked and distrusted him. They'd never heard of him!

(And why should they have? He hadn't lived there since the 1950s and left when he was only 13 years old!)

But unlike Gen. Garner, Bremer was down with the Policy: Economic and Political Control imposed from the top-down... Contracts for cronies, NOT Iraqis (cronies like the 5-star hotel-dwelling Halliburton employees who DEFIED our military's request that they stay in tents with the regular folks).

Bremer's Iraq -- the NeoCon's Iraq -- was intended to be a playground for privateers and contractors (Naomi Klein's “Disaster Capitalists” -- READ IT).

And what about those CONTRACTORS? HOW HAVE THEY AFFECTED OUR TROOPS?

In addition to giving Americans a bad name with their reckless and criminally aggressive tactics, murdering (without cause) dozens of Iraqi civilians (PER OUR TROOPS' REPORTS), they've shot at and CS-gassed our troops (without an actual enemy in sight), poached from our officer class, and demoralized our enlisted men and women with their mercenary wages.

They've failed to complete the vast majority of the work they've contracted for, and what work they have done has been very late and outrageously short of ANY standard (walls that leak sewage and shoddy wiring, endangering our troops...) while collecting 90% or more of their contracts' value.

What's worse, in addition to the role that contractors played at Abu Ghraib (a disastrous chapter of the war that set the U.S. back immeasurably), it was a private contractor that in April of 2004 provided arguably the single worst turning point in the Iraq war: Blackwater USA knowingly sent Americans into a Falluja “Red Zone” (off-limits to our military at the time) without proper maps, without a rear gunner (without much that was stipulated in their contracts), only to see them brutally killed, their bodies burned, dragged through the streets and hung from a bridge over the Tigris, leading to a MAJOR escalation of the war... just because some senior company man, an ogre nicknamed “Shrek” apparently held a grudge against the decorated American veterans in his charge... and sent them to their deaths.

Do I care about our troops? I have made it my business to get the goods on the people that are dirty-dealing our troops every day... and now I'm trying to expose the creeps.

For instance, I KNOW that Halliburton provided our troops with EXTREMELY (fecal+) contaminated water with which to wash their faces and brush their teeth. They didn't even bother to build the reverse-osmosis unit they were paid to construct... or conduct regular tests of the water they were giving our troops. (Not only that, but Halliburton gagged the company scientist who discovered their many failures, preventing him from sharing his findings with the U.S. MILITARY.)

Here's another horror:

Did you know that at least a dozen GIs and Marines have been ELECTROCUTED on American bases in Iraq because of shoddy electrical wiring by Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR)? Or that KBR knew of the threat and IGNORED it because their contract didn't require them to fix their mistakes?

Make no mistake: Americans who support these policies do so at the expense of the troops -- not knowingly, I realize, but nonetheless our ignorance puts the troops at risk (as does our blithe willingness to trust the media reports that tell us what we want to hear: “We've turned the corner...”).

BUT IT IS THE TROOPS WHO PAY THE PRICE.

Just as the CIA, DIA, and other U.S. intelligence agencies were ignored, derided, and used in the buildup to war in Iraq, so have America's best and brightest military men and women been ignored, exploited, and shafted by the inexperienced, the self-serving, and the ideological -- in the Bush administration and in the U.S. Congress.

As much as any Republican Congressman, Nancy Pelosi has sold out our troops... just as Harry Reid has, and Jane Harmon, Silvestre Reyes, and the rest of those spineless donkeys in the Gang of Eight.

This Policy has been terrible for America's military. Step away from the canned press conference, skip the “Congressman's Tour” of GTMO/Iraq/Afghanistan, and JUST ASK THE FOLKS WHO HAVE SERVED...

ASK the Generals: Shinseki, Zinni, Garner, Eaton, Sanchez, Newbold, Batiste, Riggs, Swannack... Ask Mr. “Pottery Barn” himself, “Doctrine”-less Colin Powell (slapped down time and again by that old Saddam courtier Donald Rumsfeld)...

Ask Colonel Morris Davis (GTMO's latest Chief Prosecutor to resign in disgust) or Lt. Commander Charles Swift of the JAG corp...

Ask Staff Sgt. Yance Gray or Sgt. Omar Mora, Scott Helvenston, or Jerry Zovko... Oh wait, we can't ask THEM. They -- like thousands of other genuine American heroes -- are DEAD.

IN CONCLUSION... My “Freepy” friends (if you're still listening), some of you were surprised to learn last week that I am NOT a fan of Bill Clinton (these days, who is?)... or of Barack Obama, especially... or of the Democrats, in general.

(What can I say? I'm not.)

In the presidency of Bill Clinton, I see the SAME morally and intellectually bankrupt and utterly UN-AMERICAN agenda advanced by the current occupant of the White House... only Bill was less reckless about it (a more competent manager of America's downward spiral).

BOTH Clinton and Bush favor trade policies that threaten American jobs and sovereignty -- with little or no protections for the environment or workers' rights (unless sweatshop labor for 11-year olds is somehow a “right”). They have BOTH helped accelerate a global race to the most desperate and impoverished corners of the world... while decimating America's factories and mills.

(HERSHEY is moving to Mexico, people!).

BOTH Clinton and Bush believe in privatizing the American government: with over $200 billion dollars outsourced under Bill Clinton to unaccountable, venal, and inept businesses -- and over $240 billion outsourced under George Bush to unaccountable, venal, and inept businesses (roughly the same figure, largely the SAME businesses).

BOTH Clinton and Bush condone the “crony communist”-style subsidies for American agro-giants that have driven tens of thousands of American small farmers out of business and kept the Third World farmer poor, starving, and dependent. (Thanks to America's dumping of ridiculously subsidized crops on their doorsteps, many foreign farmers can't come close to making a living growing the food they desperately need.)

BOTH Clinton and Bush allow barely regulated financial institutions to prey on Americans and foreigners alike: flimflamming the poor at home and using the IMF and World Bank to pressure impoverished foreigners abroad into selling themselves into perpetual servitude to usurious lenders who collect their original loans MANY times over.

BOTH Clinton and Bush believe in American Empire, making Americans less safe by maintaining standing armies throughout the world (instead of here, at home) and forcing economic and political policies (THE Policy) on other nations, chiefly to benefit the private interests and elites that increasingly own our country, too. This is a side of 2008 America that the Founding Fathers would ABHOR, were they alive to see it.

Finally, NEITHER Clinton nor Bush have much regard for the Constitution, for sovereignty, or the rule of law.

Before George W. Bush did ANY of the following acts, Bill Clinton was:

...Taking America to war without a Congressional declaration;

...Illegally rendering prisoners across the world; and

...Trying to define Guantanamo Bay as a legal black hole, safe from America's courts (not to mention killing children in Iraq).

Also, in the name of the (failed) “War on Drugs,” Bill Clinton's NSA was already working along the lines of the infamous program that George Bush expanded in February of 2001, peering into the e-mails and phone calls of AMERICANS... communicating with OTHER AMERICANS in... AMERICA... (several months before 9/11)!

Really, the ONLY difference with George W. Bush is that it's been during his tenure that the Policy – The Policy that embodies the trend in our government that President EISENHOWER tried to warn us about -- has reached its culmination: The corruption of our government is enjoying its heyday (let's hope).

The Military Industrial (Pharmaceutical-Financial-Telecommunications-Private Security...) Congressional Complex now WRITES the laws! The Congressmen and women merely pontificate, posture, and preen over the fine print (or maybe just the font).

The lobbyists run the show.

There's a “fox” guarding every “hen house” (EPA, FDA, SEC, CPSC, Fannie Mae... DoD).

And nearly every child is being left behind.

(For those of us with eyes to see) neither the Emperor -- nor his “Democratic” court -- are wearing a single MF-n stitch of clothing... and we here at home -- JUST like America's troops abroad -- are getting royally SCREWED by these buck-naked, irresponsible lunatics and their corporate courtesans (in the press and elsewhere).

This is what we get for taking Democracy -- and the blood of previous generations -- for granted.

P.S. I forgot to mention the contractor that knowingly provided more than 2 MILLION defective helmets to our troops (and was rewarded with a brand new contract); or the sole-bearer of the contract to “up-armor” Humvees (falling further and further behind as our troops were getting killed by I.E.D.s -- with no penalty from Uncle Sam); or the contractor that supplies our troops with flawed body armor, even after it has FAILED one independent test after another (they're STILL selling that crappy design to Uncle Sucker -- that's us!)...

...I also neglected to mention the Pentagon's top procurement officer. She reported on brazen “no-bid,” “cost-plus” corruption in the Pentagon's contracting process... and LOST HER JOB.

Rah.

Rah.

Rah.

--

Please, my “Freeper” friends:

It's easy to pick up a flag and wave it (or pin it to one's lapel)...

It's easy to let blustering media blowhards tell us what to think (shaming us into supporting the Policy by appealing to our anger, cynicism, and patriotism)...

It's also easy -- very easy -- to get riled by equally passionate people on the other side of an issue -- people who out of their own sense of grievance and moral outrage may occasionally cross the line, disrespecting or offending the sensibilities of others (taking out the occasional shoe)... But we've got BIGGER FISH TO FRY.

It's HIGH TIME we demand more oversight over the privateers, profiteers, and the governmental and private interests that are raping this country and exploiting our troops (sending them from one hellish war zone to the next in the service of an agenda that serves NONE of US).

For the sake of our troops...

For the sake of our children...

Let's lobby! L et's move! Let's get Biz-ZAY, and take our democracy back!

(Common ground, here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Bakers in D.C.:Why We're Here and What It's Like

We arrived in D.C. two days ago, and it feels like twenty. We have done so much, learned a great deal, and continue to learn as we soak in the atmosphere of Washington and explore our nation's capitol from a pink perspective.

I wanted to bring my children here to continue a family tradition of protesting war that began with my father and mother more than 40 years ago. My father was a WWII vet who was stationed in Burma for some time repairing helicopter engines. He, like many of the vets stationed in Indochina who opposed the Vietnam War, knew something of the terrain and people, and protesting the war became the great passion of his life. He drew the family with him into a multitude of causes and interests. By my 11 year old daughter's age, I had read Julius Walker's collection"To Be a Slave", Malcolm X's Autobiography, heard Ralph Nader speak at a Holiday Inn in Ct, joined the Earth Action Group, an early environmental group in Ct, painted a sign for my father which he wore at the local A&P during the winter Cambodia was bombed, etc... My mother started a peace group in Carbondale, Colorado a few years ago, and has been a dynamic and vocal presence for peace and justice in her community. I have five sisters who are with me and my three daughters in spirit, and have all protested our involvement in Iraq. The group, women driven and initiated, is one that fits well with our tradition of advocating for peace, and offers us a chance to think about and translate the challenges to realizing a peaceful world in our time where we live.

First, there is the House. It is a twenty minute walk to the Capitol, and as you come up to it, there is a pink banner in the window, and a memorial outside to a soldier, Alex Arredondo, who died in Iraq, and whose father frequently visits the house.

There are pink paper parasols in the front room that say "War is Not Green" and "Czech No Bases" , an enormous poster that reads "Don't Buy Bush's War!" with the Capitol building and a shopping market with skulls and tanks on it, a large television with featured stations written in pink with station numbers CNN, CSPAN, MSNBC, CSPAN, COMEDY, FREE SPEECH next to each. Below the TV on a link sheet of paper is a list of "Stink Tanks" AEI (American Enterprise Institute), CSIS (Center for Strategic International Studies), Heritage and Cato. I am writing on a little desk a couple feet from the television and there are pink plastic clocks on the wall, and bulletin boards with signup charts for chores, and a schedule of the day ahead with the hearings and their locations targeted for CodePink's presence. It is busy and cheerful and grim all at once here. The house has been furnished on a shoestring so it is very reminiscent of the college shares I knew years ago at Wesleyan University, but the women here are for the most part middle-aged, like me. They are excited to meet the children and have been doing their best to explain their strategies and movements as we have followed them about.

The children and I share a room on the top floor which had a little welcome sign on the door. As I write the girls are in the basement where they are assisting in banner making. Down there is a wonderful collection of banners and costuming - which the group draws upon for its signature pink presence wherever it goes.

We put on our hats and shirts at the opening of the day and head for the halls of Congress, where we see the well groomed young staffers and suited seniors in the halls, along with many police. I feel sweaty by the time we finish our walk and a little out of place but comforted and protected by being a part of our pink band. One of my daughters was very impressed by the fact that we were followed by an uncdercover police person in a large grey SUV.

Yesterday I wore one of the only pink garments I have - a Hard Rock cafe shirt with a purple image of Jimi Hendrix on it. I went to visit my Congresswoman's office and felt a bit odd, being a League of Women Voters member far more used to donning staid garb when meeting with my local representatives.

We attended a hearing in which Douglas Feith, former Undersecretary of Defense was subpoenaed for his testimony on interrogation techniques used at Guantanamo. He appeared with two witnesses who were articulate critics of the policies he had promoted.

All for now.........

07.15.08 Douglas Feith Shamed by CODEPINK

Douglas Feith the former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under subpoena showed up to the Judiciary Sub Committee on Constitution Civil Liberties and Civil Rights this morning.This was the first appearance & CODEPINKers are highly interested in this issue! The topic Interrogation rules & Guantananmo Bay.
CLOSE GITMO! Denounce Torture! Stop putting our military in jeopardy with torture practices.
We believe torture is cruel, inhumane,decreases moral opinion, and wrong.
CODEPINK was ready to make a citizen arrest but the capitol police had a protective shield around dirty Douglas from the Rayburn to the taxi.
In my humble opinion Feith is one of the architect's of genocide in Iraq with the intel coming out of the Office of Special Plans on the run up to the invasion of Iraq.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/15/10362/

Lobby to Stop a War in Iran No H Con Res 362

Our new friends marched to the House of Reps after breakfast & a Democracy Now dose of reality to jump start the day.The plan was drop by the various congressional offices of all our new arrivals activists.It served to acquaint the novice activists with the Capitol Hill area and variety of tips of the town.
Des-Tx Liz-Az Dianne-Ca Winny-Ca Jaime -Utah Baker's NY Steve OH went to Cong.Ackerman's office for a sit-in to obtain an appointment for these constituents to discuss the HCon Res 362.We Oppose the language of HConRes 362 and dispute the facts with our own research!One goal is to educate the Co_Sponsors and staffers.
DIPLOMACY NOT ANOTHER STUPID WAR!

www.citiesforpeace.org-
Promote Peace through Policy
We Need Supporters to call
Cong Ackerman-202.224.3121 No Blockade of Iran Sanctions Kill Kids
Good Policy is Good Politics

07.13.08 Another Week with New Citizen Activists

The CODEPINK house is blessed with many new to grassroots politics people of all ages!
We have a team working on Impeachment round the clock!

Call Pelosi 202.225.4965
Impeachment Hearings are a matter of necessity!!
Save the Constitution!!!

My CODEPINK D.C. Trip

My name is Keisha Gemberling. I am from north east pa where I am a full time mother, attend a technical school and also work part time at my local Gap store. I arrived in DC to stay with the women of CODEPINK on Saturday July 5. That evening we spent much of the time meeting one another and sharing stories about what inspired us to take action. On Sunday we spent most of our time paiting banners for actions that would take place during the week. Sunday evening I had the opportunity to meet the people at the IVAW (Iraq Vets Against the War) house when we attended their weekly potluck. Then Monday came. Myself and the ladies of CODEPINK walked from that CODEPINK house to capitol hill. While there we visited the senate buildings to pass out letters encouraging senators to vote no on Senate Res. 580. It was really amazing to talk to people and learn about everyones different views. I met with my state Democrat Senator Bob Casey's legislative assistant named Ashley Stover, she was the meanest most hostile woman I have ever met in my life. She had no interest in even listening to what I had to say. Her being the voice of my representitive totally turned me away. Tuesday we returned to capitol hill only to visit house side and deliver them some letters and speak with representitives or their aids. We met with Congressman Ackerman's (NY) aids and they also were hostile and set in their ways, they had no intentions of chaning or even listening. Wednesday was my favorite day here. We set up a Peaceful Symbolic blockade of Ackerman's houseboat. We blocked him by land and by water. We then proceded to wake him up at 6 in the morning. He came out clapping and laughing 45 minutes later where he told us we were "the most creative protest he has ever seen." He agreed to meet with the Iranian people and I really felt as though I was helping to make a difference. Wednesday night CODEPINK held their weekly potluck and I was able to meet with people who shared similar views and hear about their lives and their actions. Thursday we did a sit in and teach in at Ackerman's office and then the Iranians had a meeting with him. I went to a meeting with my Congressman Chris Carney. I had this apt. for about 3 weeks. The scheduler told me I would have about 10 minutes to meet with him. I was extremely excited to talk with him. However, I was extremely angered when I got there. When Carney arrived we went into his office where he wore a fake smile and acted very charming. We took a picture and then I was practically shooed out of the office. I said "Okay, do you have about 5 minutes to talk?" He replied "I am actually late for some conference calls." I HELD AN APT FOR 3 WEEKS TO HAVE A PICTURE TAKEN?????????? I was angered and asked if I could schedule another apt. for when he would be at my hometown office. His reply was I do not know when that will be but you can email the scheduler and make an apt. I am taking action as soon as I arrive home tomorrow. I will be contacting all local media at home and explaining to them how I feel treated poorly. I believe this was unwise of Carney because he is up for reelection in November and I am very active in my area expecially with people my age (the youth) and I have an effect on the youth vote. Today is Friday and I catch my bus home at 2:20. I want to say that overall this has been an amazing experience. The women and men that I met this week have been inspring and amazing. I have learned so much here and am excited to take everything home! I thank CODEPINK for this outstanding oppurtunity and cannot wait to come back for another stay.

Congressman Ackerman Wakes Up to Pink Peace Flotilla

Sing-along to the tune of the Candy Man:

Ackerman can,

The Ackerman can,

The Ackerman can call for talks with Iran and make the world feel good!

Today’s action at Ackerman’s houseboat was a TERRIFIC action and a great example of CODEPINK magic. We put this together in two days and pulled it off beautifully. Here a link to the piece in Newsday (Ackerman’s home paper-- http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-liack0710,0,6993692.story). It will be on Fox News tonight, Press TV is doing a special feature for Iran (they have one hour of fabulous footage that they will give us when they are done). Also look out for a mention (and some footage) on Democracy Now tomorrow!!! We really wowed Ackerman with our creativity, and he spent over 1/2 hour talking very seriously to us. He is on the defensive now, and we might be able to push him enough to make the resolution less aggressive or better yet—scrap it! Even if we don’t get it changed, we are having an impact on the debate (as we saw in the hearing this morning, when Ackerman explicitly reiterated that he was NOT calling for a naval blockade or any act of aggression).

EVERYONE on the team here was terrific. Imagine a group of CODEPINKers getting up and OUT OF THE HOUSE before 6am!Key to the action was Tighe, worked NONSTOP and was so creative! He had a vision about this and made it happen. He rounded up canoes and kayaks all over DC, rigged up the structures for banners, got everything into place the night before, and coordinated his “flotilla” team flawlessly. We definitely could not have pulled this off without Tighe, and just hope he gets some sleep!!! Our new media maven Jean did a terrific job writing press releases, post-action releases and liaising with press. I heard her on the phone at 5am calling TV stations. And I think in one day she has put our press list in better shape than ever. Yeah Jean! Desiree was a great sleuth, scoping out Ackerman houseboat, car, restaurant where he was dining. She coordinated the land team, setting up a blockade outside the gate to the dock, turning the dock pink in about 5 minutes, and in what has now become the Desiree-way, RAN onto the private part of the gated pier as soon as someone exited, scrambling right up to Ackerman’s houseboat. Liz helped out with every task from getting canoes to making costumes and painting life vests pink to being our stellar videographer! VERY versatile, energetic, and a GREAT team player, Lizzie.Gael was a masterful kayaker and flotilla mistress—we found yet another skill she has and put it to good use! I should add that Gael also ran off right after the action to do a live FOXNEWS on the Bush July 4 action, then ran over to the congressional hearing, all the while taking care of a sick family member! Alicia and her team at the house did a beautiful job on the signs, and before the action ran all over congress giving out our letter against the resolution to the entire foreign affairs committee! Then we had the amazing non-staff folks-- our wonderful Iranian voice from Manijeh, who spoke beautifully to Ackerman about the consequences in Iran; James who actually camped out outside the marina to make sure we didn’t lose Ackerman this morning (and has written us fabulous talking points about Ackerman’s resolution); Jim Preston who jumped in to do everything from lending his RV and boat and buying the life vests so we’d be “legal” to being our photographer; Toby and Keisha and Natalie and Jen and Chelsie and Janine—who lent a smile and helping hand to every pink task.It was great to get the CODEPINK peace flotilla on the “high seas” of the Potomac!

Here's the YouTube video http://youtube.com/watch?v=FfT4WBZj6fM
Pics on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/codepinkalert/sets/72147606074465424/

XxMedea

Lobbying for Peace NO WAR IN IRAN

CODEPINKers hit the Senate office buildings in the morning with informational handouts
regarding SRes 580! We all share overwhelming concern for our local communities and the effects of wars on our individual terms.We have teachers that share the sad stories of no MONEY for Books! We have mothers that have incurred personal financial loss to join CODEPINK to make the VOICE OF Peace heard i the Halls of Congress.
In the afternoon other activists joined us on the house side to educate the staffers on the detriment of another war!It was a long day with some great moments and then there were some hostile staffers with a narrow view of comprehension...all & all it was a learning experience that will enable our citizen lobbyists to improve the needed skills to continue to the PEACE work!!

Gandhi Peace Brigade / Peace with Iran Tour

Dear Friends,

Leslie and I are back in California and we've started our speaking tour to promote peace with Iran. Our presentation includes a talk on why we went to Iran, what we experienced while we were there, our five months of activism at the DC CodePink House after our return, and more. Video pieces are included in the presentation.

We will also be talking about Congressman Ackerman's proposal for a naval blockade of Iran - House Resolution 362 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hc110-362. Ackerman told Leslie and Miles for Peace (Iranian bicyclists) last year that he'd love to go to Iran and get on a bicycle to promote peace. You can't help but wonder what this administration (or AIPAC) has promised him in exchange for his new position. He has switched from being a champion for peace and justice to being an advocate for war.

Call Congressman Ackerman (202-225-2601) and urge him to withdraw the resolution and promote diplomacy, not war.

Ask your Congressperson to Oppose H. Con. Res. 362 here or call her or him today (202-224-3121).

We'll also be focusing on Nancy Pelosi. Late last year Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, along with Reid, Rockefeller, Reyes and their Republican counterparts, authorized $400 million to finance covert operations in Iran to destabilize the country's religious leadership and gather intelligence about its suspected nuclear-weapons program http://www.truthout.org/article/preparing-battlefield. Earlier in the year Pelosi removed a section of a bill passed by Congress which would have barred the U.S. from going to war with Iran without a congressional vote, claiming she did so at the behest of the leadership of Israel and AIPAC. Nancy Pelosi is also responsible for keeping impeachment "off the table". Vice President Cheney is the driving force for a war with Iran and impeachment hearings could possibly deter him.

U. S. mayors are speaking out to try to stop a war with Iran http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/26/9895/. Thanks to a grassroots campaign initiated by CODEPINK, Global Exchange and Cities for Peace http://www.citiesforprogress.org/, 32 mayors have signed onto a National Mayors Resolution for Diplomacy with Iran. The resolution urges the Bush Administration to pursue diplomatic engagement with Iran and calls on Congress to prohibit the use of funds to carry out any military action against Iran without Congressional authorization. Please ask your mayor to join the campaign. To see the full resolution, a sample letter to your mayor and your mayor's contact information, go here.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, July 8) come join us from 3 - 5 pm to protest Res. 362, Congress' proposed naval blockade of Iran, at the Federal Building in San Francisco http://www.stopaipac.org/iranresolution.htm.

Sunday, July 13, join CODEPINK for the monthly Golden Gate Bridge Walk at noon. This month's theme: Peace with Iran! Bring your banners!!

Leslie and I will be available during the month of July and August to give our Journey for Peace with Iran presentation. Please reply to this email or call 415-608-9240 to make arrangements for a visit. We would appreciate the opportunity to give our presentation to your organization, your place of worship, your school, or your friends at a House Party. Our availability is limited, so please get in touch as soon as you can.

Peace and Freedom,

Jes & Leslie

New War Brewing: US, Israel Take Dangerous Steps
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/06/10160/

Report Shows Lawmakers Heavily Invested in War
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/lawmakers_invest_war_62708.html

Stop War on Iran
http://stopwaroniran.org/

Barak Obama Iran Petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ObamaIran/?e

Medea Benjamin | July 4th and the 'Mischiefs of Foreign Intrigue'
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/04/10098/

Desiree, The Angel of Peace, at Monticello
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/4/161948/5353

Vancouver Teen Speaks at U.N. Conference.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF9k0zJ_j8M

Visit Iran as part of Global Exchange's Peace Delegation
http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/883.html

MoveOn survey on IMPEACHMENT
http://www.moveon.org/tellus/interest.html?id=13115-5739315-cO3Xd0x&t=1


Jes & Leslie ... A Journey for Peace and Freedom: http://www.jfpf.org/

If you would like to be added to The Gandhi Peace Brigade Group List,
please let me know: jes_richardson@yahoo.com Thank you. Jes

Peace People Media in Action

Make your own Media happen as the Warmongers continue to talk up the surge in Iraq and another war coming to a country near you! CODEPINKers Toby Tighe Des and Liz stakeout the studio for quality time with Senator Joseph Lieberman,Senator Jack Reid, and Nightline Host Ted Koppel.Misnomer -----W e are far less safe because of the US occuaption of Iraq!
Get one fact - straight People
Aqi or Al- Queada never existed in IRAQ before we invaded in 2003!
www.citiesforpeace.org

On the Brink of ANOTHER War?

With a heavy heart I hear the numbers: over 4,100 American soldiers killed in Iraq. Over 1.2 million Iraqis killed. A cost so far of over $3 trillion for our current wars. How many familes have we wrecked? How many women have been raped? How many people have been tortured? How can we see this as right? How can we keep fighting this war? But scariest of all: how can we even consider ANOTHER war? Senate Resolution 580 and House Resolution 362 call "imposing stringent inspection requirements for all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program." I try to imagine what the American reaction would be if Iran even SAID they were going to board our planes and ships and not allow our officials to travel. We would be violently opposed to such action. We would attack. In fact, by international law, the proposed blockade and sanctions are an act of war. I cannot believe it but know that we are sitting on the brink of yet ANOTHER war. According to the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate put out by our 16 intelligence agencies) Iran does not have nuclear weapons and is not attempting to create them. Deja vu: NIE told Bush Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction. We went to war. NIE tells Bush Iran does not have nuclear weapons or intent of any. Will we go to war? I have such a sense of urgency and panic! I cannot afford books for my students next year in public school but we can afford another war?

New to the DC experience

I arrived at the Code Pink house on Tuesday July 1st excited and ready to whip congress into shape. I hit the ground running and have been amazed at how up close and personal politics are here in D.C.! Wednesday we were sitting in the living room watching the news when CNN stated that Bush had a press conference at the White House on the G8 summit at 10:30. It was 10:15. Me and Liz said, "Let's go!" and grabbed a banner, a bullhorn and a cab and got to the White House. We blasted Bush on the bullhorn and interacted with the public. The press were jumping the bushes with their cameras to film US, not Bush! I gave an interview to The Wall Street Journal, Politico and New York Times. Thursday we delivered letters to congress members opposing the resolutions for sanctions against Iran. Friday a group went to Monitcello where Bush was speaking and successfully interrupted him 8 times!!! Here's the link to the photo from the New York Times of one of our members, Tigher:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/05/washington/05bush.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=bush+monticello&st=nyt&oref=slogin

(Even if I wasn't there my hat was!!!!) I went to the parade with a group dressed as pink statures of liberty and had a great time handing out candy with facts on Iran, Iraq and FISA. I got in the parade with the hari krishnas for a bit until a cop literally shoved me out =(. Today, Saturday, I went to the NEA (National Education Association) conference with James and Liz and met many fellow teachers and passed out flyers on the Iran resolutions. Had great talks with people from all over the country. Cindy Sheehan was speaking at the Peace and Justice Causus there so gave her a hand and interacted with LOTS of great people. All told we gave out 400 flyers and people were already calling their congress members. Cindy came over for dinner tonight to the Pink House and we all enjoyed a great discussion.

Overall my stay here so far has been amazing - I finally feel a part of politics and am thriving on discussions with fellow house members all day that are inspiring, educational and uplifting. I now realize just how much I don't know about politics! It's refreshing to be able to have in depth discussions on tough issues with people I trust and who can hear where I'm coming from! This house rocks!

CODEPINK Teachers Lobby at the NEA 2008

Jennifer Networking the crowd of teachers!


CODEPINK has been promoting funding of schools not more wars through a campaign
www.citiesforpeace.org which has been recruiting Mayors to sign onto a resolution to stop the next war NOW!The National Education Association has a 5 day business event taking place at the convention center so we went there to lobby teachers on the cost of war and the possibility of PEACE. Jennifer & James put together a flier that exposed the costs of occupation of Iraq with the examples of actions to take to work on bringing our troops home.
The Mayors resolution seems to be building momentum with teachers! We had several teachers that took action with phones calls to the capitol switchboard.This was an effective venue to push the local cost of war facts.
Cindy Sheehan spoke during the NEA Peace & Justice Panel and we passed out the remainder of CODEPINK fact sheets.
MAKE EDUCATION the PRIORITY NOT MORE FAILED POLICY!

IMPEACH FOR PEACE uphold the Constitution

CODEPINK National Peace team Des, Lori, Gael,Tiger and Liz took a several hour drive to be support for the locals in Charlottesville Virginia on July 4th for the naturalization ceremony at the home of Thomas Jefferson in Monticello.George W Bush was the keynote speaker and the plan was to disrupt the moment Bush mentioned the Constitution.IMPEACHMENT is PAtriotic Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism.....War Criminal!!It was amazing to get inside and speak out 8 times as these events as the security tightly screens for pro war Bush followers.
We all secured entry inside one after another we disrupted with various messages IMPEACHMENT being the most audible!
There were over 200 hundred local peace activists on the side of the road for 6-7 hours in the sun just singing chanting and diligent to get the point of failed leadership is hurting US!

www.codepinkalert.org
Call Nancy Pelosi we want impeachment hearings 202.225.3121

CODEPINK Lobbying during July recess

CODEPINKERS Jennifer Desiree Liz went to lobby with letters in hand putting CONGRESS on NOTICE that another war(IRAN) is unacceptable!It was Jennifer's first day on the Hill with the CODEPINK sisterhood in action so we took a reality tour on our way to the house office buidings.The Supreme Court was a point of interest. The annual 3 day Stop the Death Penalty Vigil was ongoing into the last day!Next the 3 Library of Congress Buildings for a photo opp and onward the the house of CORRUPTION CANNON LONGWORTH RAYBURN House Office Buildings.





www.citiesforpeace.org
WORK for Justice if you PEACE

CODEPINKat the Rose Garden Press Conference

Jennifer is a teacher that just arrived into town to lobby with CODEPINK for more funding of our schools.There is a problem when we have no money for teachers to provide books for the children in the classrooms!We went to the WhiteHouse this a.m. to speak our piece to the media as the press conference covered Bush double speak.
We registered our dissent with poor leadership, wars of choice,torture policies,illegal eavesdropping,infringment of civil liberties,and a clear lack of governance during the this rogue regimes last 8 years of occupation of our value system.

• Afghanistan
• Africa
• Budget Management
• Defense
• Economy
• Education
• Energy
• Environment
• Global Diplomacy
• Gulf Coast
• Health Care
• Homeland Security
• Immigration
• International Trade
• Iraq
• Judicial Nominations
• Middle East
• National Security
• Veterans

more issues

News

Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page

For Immediate Release

10:31 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Next week I'm going to travel to Japan for the eighth and final G8 summit of my presidency.

At recent summits, G8 countries have made pledges to help developing nations address challenges, from health care to education, to corruption. Now we need to show the world that the G8 can be accountable for its promises and deliver results. As I said the other day, we need people who not only make promises, but write checks, for the sake of human rights and human dignity, and for the sake of peace.

Accountability is really important when it comes to our work on the continent of Africa. In 2005, G8 leaders promised to double development assistance to Africa by 2010. America is on track to meet our commitments. And in Japan, I'll urge other leaders to fulfill their commitments, as well.

We must also fulfill our commitments in the battle against HIV/AIDS and malaria. I've asked Congress to reauthorize and expand the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, doubling our funding for this vital effort. It's very important that Congress reauthorize this plan, but in the meantime, we're fulfilling our promises that we made, not only to -- at the G8, but more importantly, to the people of -- on the continent of Africa.

It's important that over the next five years that we support antiretroviral treatment for approximately 2.5 million people, that we prevent 12 million new AIDS infections, and that we care for 12 million people also affected by HIV/AIDS -- including 5 million orphans and vulnerable children. Last year, the G8 agreed to meet those commitments; they agreed to match. They also agreed to help us reduce malaria in affected countries by half. And I just -- I hope that these countries understand the great promise and hope that comes when we help alleviate this suffering. And so one of my really important agenda items is going to -- is going to rally our partners to make commitments and meet commitments.

We'll also discuss additional steps to confront some other challenges, such as the need to train health care workers in G8 partner countries in Africa. It's one thing to say we're going to help people with their -- deal with disease, but a lot of these countries need workers that are capable of helping, of reaching out to people in need. We should set a goal to treat at least 75 percent of the people with neglected tropical diseases in the most affected countries. We've got to work to confront higher food prices. I'm confident we'll be talking about energy and food.

On the food issue, I've announced that the United States would make available nearly $1 billion in new resources to bolster global food security. Once again I'll be going to the G8 and talking about the great compassion and concern of the American people in addressing problems.

At Toyako I'll also ask leaders of the G8 to make other important strategic moves to alleviate hunger, such as increasing the shipments of food, fertilizers and seeds to countries in need. It's one thing to talk about the problem; this is a practical way to help countries deal with the lack of food.

We need to help severely affected nations grow more of their own food. It's one thing to provide food; it seems like -- it make sense to me to say, we're going to help you become more agriculturally self-sustaining. This has been a issue in the United States Congress, by the way. Unfortunately, we tried to get this in the farm bill. Our members of Congress decided against this plan, this way forward. But it makes sense for the United States if we're going to be providing food aid to encourage people to grow their own food so we don't have to deal with this problem on a regular basis.

I'm also going to make sure that the world understands the importance of advanced agricultural technologies, including biotechnology, to help nations grow food so they don't have to come to the world for help. We'll also be talking about export restrictions and tariffs and subsidies. We will work to tear down barriers to trade and investment around the world. It's an opportunity for those of us in the G8 and the other nations coming to talk about a successful round of Doha. The United States is firmly committed to Doha. We're working hard to get this done by the end of the year, and it will be a good opportunity in Japan to discuss what we need to do together to open up market access and to reduce agricultural subsidies.

We'll be talking about energy security and, of course, at the same time, the climate change issue. I'll be reminding people that we can have better energy security and we can be better stewards of the environment without sacrificing economic growth.

And the principle is pretty simple. It's going to be hard to have the amount of money necessary to invest in new technologies if we don't have the money to spend, and therefore we need to make sure our economies are vibrant.

We're now implementing new mandatory programs that will reduce billions of tons of emissions. I'll remind people at the G8 and other nations that we're taking effective steps. We're going to make available more than $40 billion in loan-guarantee authority to support private sector incentives and innovative clean energy technologies.

The 2009 budget requests more than $4 billion to support technologies that have the potential to avoid, reduce and sequester greenhouse gases. In other words, we've got a strong agenda when it comes to providing money to encourage the advent of new technologies. And as well, we'll be meeting with leaders of the major economies to discuss shared strategies and practical actions for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. This is called the Major Economies Process that we proposed and G8 leaders endorsed.

All this is aiming, by the way, to develop a strategy in which major economies are a part of the strategy. Look, we can't have an effective agreement unless China and India are a part of it. It's as simple as that. I'm going to remind our partners that's the case. And we want the United Nations Framework Convention to be effective. And so we've got to reach common ground on how to proceed.

And we're making some progress there, including the knowledge that we've got to have a long-term emissions reduction goal, midterm goals with national plans to achieve them, and cooperation in key industrial sectors.

And also we're going to talk about the struggle against violent extremists. The temptation is to kind of say, well, maybe this isn't really a war, maybe this is just a bunch of disgruntled folks that occasionally come and hurt us. You know, that's not the way I feel about it. This is an ongoing, constant struggle to defend our own security, and at the same time, help people realize the blessings of liberty. I'll, of course, talk about Afghanistan and Iraq, and ask the G8 to continue to help.

So this is an historic opportunity to meet, to exchange ideas, and to address some of the problems we all face. And I'm looking forward to going. And now I'll be glad to answer a couple of questions.

Deb.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. June was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in -- since we began the war in Afghanistan. Has Afghanistan replaced Iraq as the central front of the war on terror? And is al Qaeda and the Taliban taking the upper hand? And also, is it possible that we could send additional U.S. troops there sooner than the 2009 date that you've been talking about?

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, anytime a troop loses their life, whether it be in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere, our hearts go out to their families. And I am so appreciative that, in a time of danger, Americans are willing to step up and volunteer and sacrifice.

Secondly, it has been a tough month in Afghanistan, but it's also been a tough month for the Taliban. You know, one reason why there have been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy, an enemy who doesn't like our presence there because they don't like the idea of America denying safe haven. America is pressing an ideology that's opposite of theirs, and so, of course, there's going to be resistance.

I am confident that the strategy is going to work, which is to confront the Taliban, confront elements of al Qaeda, and at the same time, encourage the growth of a free society by good economic policy, good education policy, and good health policy.

We're constantly reviewing troop needs, troop levels. We're halfway through 2008; as I said, we're going to increase troops by 2009. One thing, however, that you got to understand is that we have doubled Afghan troops -- coalition troops have doubled from two years ago. So there is an active presence and there are more troops there than there were. But we're constantly reassessing and seeing whether or not we can change tactics in order to achieve our objective.

Toby.

Q What do you realistically expect to accomplish at the G8 to deal with soaring oil prices and the weak dollar, which are having effects on the U.S. economy? Even the Chinese now are saying that the United States needs to stabilize the dollar.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Well, we're strong-dollar people in this administration and have always been for a strong dollar, and believe that the relative strengths of our economy will reflect that. One thing we need to make clear when I'm with our partners is that we're not going to become protectionists; that we believe in free trade and open markets. One of the fears around the world is the United States becomes a protectionist nation.

Secondly, I'll remind people it took us a while to get into the energy situation we're in and it's going to take us a while to get out of it. But one thing is for certain here in the United States, that we can help alleviate shortages by drilling for oil and gas in our own country -- something I've been advocating ever since I've been the President. I've been reminding our people that we can do so in environmentally friendly ways. And yet, the Congress, the Democratically controlled Congress now has refused to budge. It makes no sense for -- to watch these gasoline prices rise when we know we can help affect the supply of crude oil, which should affect the supply of gasoline prices.

And so, yes, we'll be talking about energy. Ultimately, of course, we're going to transition away from hydrocarbon. But we're now just in a transitional period and we need more oil to be able to do so. And I'm also going to remind people that our habits are changing. You notice in these newspapers that automobile sales have slowed down dramatically as automobile manufacturers shift from cars that are using more gasoline to cars that are more efficient, more fuel efficient.

And I'll also tell them it's a tough period for American consumers. I mean, nobody likes high gasoline prices, and I fully understand why Americans are concerned about gasoline prices. But I want them to understand fully that we have got the opportunity to find more crude oil here at home, in environmentally friendly ways, and they ought to be writing their Congress people about it; and they ought to say, you ought to be opening up ANWR and Outer Continental Shelf, and increasing oil shale exploration, for the sake of our consumers, as well as become less dependent on oil.

McKinnon.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. Can you tell me what is the outlook for getting an agreement with the emerging economies that will limit emissions in a meaningful way in the midterm? What's the outlook for that, and how --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, well, the first thing, John, is to make sure we get a understanding that all of us need to agree on a long-term goal. And part of the reluctance has been -- on some nations that are major economies -- to participate at all, because initially, I'm confident, they thought they were going to get a free pass from any international agreement. I mean, after all, the Kyoto international agreement excluded major economies. And therefore, they probably think, well, maybe history will repeat itself.

The idea is to say, look, we want to be effective. Effectiveness comes when major economies come to the table. The first step is to agree to a long-term goal. And I've talked to our sherpa about that, and he feels pretty good that people are now coming to the clear understanding that we're going to have to come to a long-term goal. Hopefully we can do it at this meeting. If not, we'll continue to press forward to get it done.

Secondly, one of the -- a lot of the developing world says, well, it's unfair; the developed world gets to develop and we don't. Well, our attitude about that is, why don't we set up a technology fund; make it easier for people to be able to afford the new technologies that nations like ours and others will bring to the marketplace.

Thirdly, if you really do want to make sure technologies move around the world, we got to reduce these trade barriers and tariffs that prohibit technologies from moving like they should.

And so we'll see, John. I mean, this is a tough issue. It's tough to get consensus. People -- there's a consensus that it's a problem, but it's tough to get a consensus that all of us have a responsibility to do something about it -- not just some, but all of us, so that whatever we do is effective.

Bret Baier.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. There have been a spate of recent stories about possible military action against Iran before the end of the year, if not by the U.S. than by Israel. And that prompted Iranian officials to say, if they're attacked they'll essentially shut down the Strait of Hormuz. One, how confident are you that Israel will not act independently as the diplomatic process moves forward? And two, what do you make of the mixed messages out of Iran -- one of defiance and one of willingness to negotiate?

THE PRESIDENT: I have always said that all options are on the table, but the first option for the United States is to solve this problem diplomatically. I've also make it clear -- made it clear that you can't solve a problem diplomatically unless there are other people at the table with you. And that is why we have been pursuing multilateral diplomacy when it comes to convincing the Iranians that the free world is sincere about, you know, insisting that they not have the technologies necessary to develop a nuclear weapon.

And we're making progress along those lines. There's been the numerous Security Council resolutions, and in my recent trip to Europe I was very encouraged to see these leaders stand up and speak out about the need to keep our coalition active and keep the pressure on.

I will talk to Martha Raddatz.

Q Let me follow up on that. Would you strongly discourage Israel from going after Iran militarily? And do you believe when you leave office Iran will be pursuing a nuclear weapon?

THE PRESIDENT: I have made it very clear to all parties that the first option ought to be to solve this problem diplomatically. And the best way to solve it diplomatically is for the United States to work with other nations to send a focused message, and that is, that you will be isolated and you will have economic hardship if you continue trying to enrich.

As you might remember, I worked closely with Vladimir Putin on this issue, when I said that -- when asked at one of these innumerable press conferences, did you -- do you think they ought to have a civilian nuclear program, I said, of course, they should, but they can't be trusted to enrich.

And therefore, I agree with Russia that Russia -- when Russia said she will provide enriched uranium for a civilian nuclear power program and will collect the enriched uranium, thereby negating the need for the Iranian regime to enrich at all.

And so we will continue working diplomatically.

Listen, thank you very much. I've enjoyed being with you. I hope you've enjoyed being with me. You have? Thank you.

END 10:48 A.M. EDT