[Marxism] Re: "Democrats at War" (WSJ Editorial)

[Dan DiMaggio <dannydamage@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,
In response to Walter's claim that Minneapolis Rep. Keith Ellison, the first 
Muslim elected to Congress in the U.S., was "whited-out" by the WSJ - Ellison 
just voted for the $124 billion more for war in the House. According to one 
article I read his trip to Iraq was a gift to get him to vote for the bill. 
Here's some info:

Letter to the Star Tribune:

Voting $124 billion for war: shame on you, Keith

A lot of people were confused by the "antiwar" $124 billion war appropriations 
bill Congress passed Friday, including, it seems, Keith Ellison. Actually this 
bill is consistent with the Democratic Party's long-standing approach to Iraq: 
rhetorically oppose the war while dumping hundreds of billions into the 
bloodbath. 

Far from a serious effort to end the war, as Ellison portrayed it in his 
Tuesday letter to the Star Tribune, the Democrat's $124 billion war spending 
bill, with its September 2008 deadline for withdrawal, is a naked political 
maneuver. The Democratic leadership has no genuine intention of ending the war 
before the 2008 elections. If they used their power of the purse to force Bush 
to withdraw troops before the elections, they would have to share 
responsibility for the mess left behind in Iraq, hurting their electoral 
prospects. It's a cynical calculation which will mean more dead soldiers, 
further horrors for Iraqis, and less money for schools, healthcare, and other 
social needs. 

Luckily the Democrats have figures like Keith Ellison, ready to use their 
progressive credentials to shore-up the Party's fraying "antiwar" credibility. 
This was the worst part of Ellison's letter. Addressing antiwar activists, 
Keith says: "Some of us disagreed on strategy this time…" But his letter offers 
not a hint of criticism of the political strategy of the Democratic leadership. 

The job of real antiwar leaders today is to expose and oppose the Democratic 
Party's maneuvers, not to cover up for its funding of the war. Shame on you, 
Keith.

Ty Moore, antiwar organizer, Minneapolis Socialist Alternative

--------

Representative Ellison:

We, along with many in the peace movement, were shocked and disappointed to see 
you vote for the Iraq War supplemental funding bill passed in the House on 
Friday, March 23. We have read your statement about this vote, and do not 
accept any of your excuses for breaking a promise to your constituents.

You were elected to office largely on the strength of your “Out of Iraq Now” 
position and many of your strongest supporters are members of the anti-war 
movement. Organizers of the Occupation Project did not sit in your office for 
the past seven Tuesdays because you promised to vote against all future funding 
for the war. The Iraq Peace Action Coalition invited you to speak at the March 
18 anti-war rally in Minneapolis because we believed you would use your 
position in Congress to call for an immediate end to the unjust and immoral 
occupation of Iraq. On Friday, you turned your back on all of this.

You say, “This is the first piece of legislation that actually puts timetables 
on ending this senseless involvement in Iraq. It is the best vehicle we have 
before us to end the war.” We disagree. A vote to continue the war for 18 
months with $123 billion in additional funding is not a vote to end the war. It 
perpetuates a disastrous war that is claiming innocent lives every day – over 
the weekend, following your vote, 173 Iraqi civilians and 5 US soldiers were 
reported killed. If this bill passes into law, it leaves President Bush free to 
wage the war in Iraq - tens of thousands more will die. The crisis in Iraq will 
deepen. And the cost at home will grow.

We are especially troubled by your explanation that “Voting against 
deadlines is a vote to support war without end,” suggesting that anyone 
opposing the bill would be supporting the Bush Administration’s position. We do 
not accept this “you’re either with us or you’re with the enemy” style of 
argument. You didn’t just walk away from Republicans when you voted for $123 
billion more for war in Iraq. You walked away from allies among your own 
constituents, as well as colleagues like Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, Dennis 
Kucinich. We have always said that timelines are not enough. It is not simply a 
pragmatic question, and the answer did not change on Friday, and your vote 
represents a dramatic reversal of your own position as you have stated it time 
and again here in Minnesota.

We understand that it takes courage to maintain such a position, but you cannot 
oppose the war while you vote to fund it. We call on you to fulfill your 
campaign promises to vote against funds for war. We call on you to stand with 
us not only as an invited speaker at our 
demonstrations against this war, but also as our representative in 
Congress. We urge you to never cast another vote that continues the war in Iraq 
for even one day.

The Anti-War Committee
1313 5th St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612.379.3899 
www.antiwarcommittee.org

----------

More: Did Ellison Sell Us Out? - from the Pulse of the Twin Cities
http://pulsetc.com/article.php?sid=3095

- Dan


 
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