[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Reward the Heroes

[Jay Mittenthal]

>Date: 14 Oct 2002 21:31:02 -0000
>From: "Eli Pariser, MoveOn PAC" <moveon-help at list.moveon.org>
>To: "Jay Mittenthal" <mitten at life.uiuc.edu>
>Subject: Reward the Heroes
>X-MailScanner: Found to be clean
>
>Dear MoveOn Member,
>
>In the wake of last Thursday's vote on Iraq, the Bush Administration
>and the Republican far right are going on the offensive.  The
>President would like nothing more than to demonstrate that when
>Democrats speak out against the President's endless war, they
>lose.
>
>Senator Paul Wellstone's predicament is typical.  Wellstone is in the
>political fight of his life -- slightly behind in the polls to a
>far-right candidate flush with cash and hand-picked by Karl Rove to
>remove him from office.  Wellstone knew that if he voted against the
>resolution, his opponent would seize on the issue, unleashing a
>barrage of attack ads and accusations.  But despite the enormous
>pressure to capitulate, Wellstone spoke his conscience and voted
>against the war: "A pre-emptive go-it-alone strategy towards Iraq is
>wrong. I oppose it."
>
>For taking a stand under the most difficult of circumstances, Senator
>Wellstone is nothing less than a hero.  In the House, three heroic
>Representatives in tight races also did the right thing.  They deserve
>our strong support.  You can make a contribution directly to their
>campaigns at:
>
>http://www.moveonpac.org/moveonpac/viewcandidates.phtml
>
>After Thursday's unexpectedly divided House vote, the President must
>be fuming.  His political allies will do everything they can to take
>revenge on the dissenters.  If he can demonstrate that Representatives
>and Senators who ask the hard questions don't get re-elected, Congress
>will be even more equivocal when faced with hard choices in the
>future.
>
>But the electoral sword cuts both ways.  Paul Wellstone, Jay Inslee,
>Rick Larsen and Rush Holt are in extremely tight races.  A little more
>money could easily put them over the top.  And Wellstone's race is
>being watched very closely -- it's a key to the Republican plans to
>take over the Senate.  If Wellstone wins because of an outpouring of
>support for his stand on Iraq, it will signal to the right that their
>electoral ploy on an Iraq war backfired.  And it'll demonstrate to
>Democrats that when you take a stand of conscience, your constituents
>will reward you.
>
>We've worked long and hard to stop a tragic war on Iraq.  After a
>difficult vote, rewarding the heroes who listened to our voices is
>the right thing to do.  It may also be the most important next step in
>our campaign.  We need to show the President that if he pursues Iraq,
>he and his party are going to lose.
>
>Give whatever you can.  In these tight races, every dollar makes a
>difference.  You can support Paul Wellstone and the other
>Congresspeople who took a stand right now at:
>
>http://www.moveonpac.org/moveonpac/viewcandidates.phtml
>
>As strategists look back at this election over the years to come,
>either they'll say, "President Bush manufactured a war and won at the
>polls" or they'll say, "President Bush manufactured a war and lost at
>the polls."  Your gift today can make the difference.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>--Wes Boyd and Eli Pariser
>   MoveOn PAC
>   October 24, 2002
>
>
>                   PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG PAC
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