[Peace-discuss] democrats 04 literature version 2

[Al Kagan]

Just a quick comment on Dean and Palestine/Israel. Many of you 
probably read or heard his recent statement in the big debate that 
the US should be "even-handed."  He was heavily criticized by 
Lieberman and others for this.  He then issued a clarification that 
what he meant was that the US should be even-handed in the peace 
negotiations.  So my respect went up for him temporarily and then 
down again.  Perhaps this should be updated.

Peter, many thanks for your work.



At 11:04 AM -0500 9/12/03, Peter Rohloff wrote:
>Ok. I have taken everyone's comments and come up with this second 
>revision. I continue to welcome comments and corrections, especially 
>where I have made errors. With one exception:  I have already spent 
>far too much time on this flyer, and I am unlikely to take up 
>suggestions to add additional topics unless you do the research for 
>me.
>
>Text following:
>
>Is there a credible progressive presidential candidate to oppose 
>George Bush in the 2004 election?
>
>AWARE examines some key foreign and domestic positions for leading 
>2004 Democratic candidates....
>
>WAR IN IRAQ
>
>Lieberman, Kucinich, Gephardt, and Kerry were all serving 
>Congressional terms when the Bush administration proposed launching 
>a war against Iraq. Of the three, Kucinich was the only one to vote 
>'No' in the Congressional resolution authorizing the commencement of 
>hostilities.
>
>In a recent interview, Joseph Lieberman stated: "I supported the 
>war. I thought it was the right thing to do. I feel the world is 
>saferŠwith Saddam Hussein gone"  (Radio Free Europe 08/03). 
>Lieberman has been one of Bush's staunchest Democratic supporters. 
>In 1991, he was one of the cosponsors of the Congressional 
>resolution leading to the first Gulf War.
>
>In contrast, Dennis Kucinich stated in February as the hostilities 
>were just commencing: "The facts are these, Iraq was not responsible 
>for 9/11 or al Qaeda's role in 9/11 or the anthrax attacks on our 
>country. . . . Inspections should continue. They worked before, they 
>can work again. . . . This war is wrong." (Washington Post 2/03). He 
>continues to remain critical of the United State's post-war 
>occupation of Iraq, and he is a strong advocate for the rule of 
>international law. 
>
>Howard Dean, the former Democratic governor of Vermont, also 
>initially opposed the war: "I opposed President Bush's war in Iraq 
>from the beginning. While Saddam Hussein's regime was clearly 
>evilŠit did not present an immediate threat to U.S. security that 
>would justify going to war, particularly going to war alone" 
>(www.deanforamerica.com). However, once the war began, he moderated: 
>""now that we've started we can't stop ... we certainly can't pull 
>the troops out." Currently, Dean advocates for greater United 
>Nations involvement in post-war Iraq.
>
>The civil rights activist Al Sharpton has been an outspoken and 
>consistent critic of Bush policies. "[I]mperialistic go-it-alone 
>military-oriented foreign policy is shortsighted, unworkable & will 
>be too costly -- in money, lives, good will, & sound international 
>relations. A U.N.-ignored, but U.S.-led, pre-emptive policy of 
>invasion in Iraq has weakened the United Nations, the structures of 
>collective security & international law" (thestate.com 5/03). Carol 
>Moseley Braun has been critical of the Bush administration's 
>squandering of post-9-11 world-wide goodwill: "Rather than fritter 
>that goodwill away in a rush to preemptory, unilateral military 
>action and in the process isolate us in a country on perpetual 
>alert, we would do well to foster cooperation to freeze the very 
>ground in which extremism and terrorism festersŠ.duct tape is no 
>substitute for diplomacy and I believe the people can and must 
>demand an end to the saber rattling that has made us hostages to 
>fear" (www.selectsmart.com).
>
>John Kerry voted 'Yes' on the Congressional resolution authorizing 
>the Iraq war but, in the aftermath of the occupation, has become 
>increasingly critical of the admnistration's militarism and 
>shortsightedness.  One activist in Kerry's constituency remarks: 
>"Saying one thing and doing another is par for the course for John 
>Kerry. He tries to have it both ways.ŠHe saves all his passion for 
>his speeches, but he's got no conviction when it's time to vote. 
>Kerry's vote and position are based on nothing more than a political 
>calculation. He's looking at those red states where George Bush beat 
>Al Gore and is going as far to the right as he has to to get elected 
>president" (www.weeklydig.com). Like Kerry, Gephardt voted ZYesZ to 
>war with Iraq and, also like Kerry, he has apparently changed 
>courses since he announced his bid for the presidency; now he 
>accuses Bush of "chest-beating unilateralism' and calls for renewed 
>diplomacy and a greater role for the United Nations 
>(www.gephardtgrassroots.com).
>
>PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
>
>While occasionally styling himself as a peacemaker for the Middle 
>East, Lieberman is in fact  a strong supporter for most of the 
>policies of the Israeli occupation. In January, Lieberman met with 
>Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and reaffirmed his belief in 
>Israel's right to 'self-defense' and conceded that, with respect to 
>two years of violence and bloodshed, "the blame goes on the 
>[Palestinian] terrorists"  (Palestine Chronicle 01/03). He was also 
>a cosponsor of Senate Resolution 247, which expressed solidarity 
>with Israel in its 'war on terrorism.'
>
>John Kerry takes a similar position: "Israel is our ally, the only 
>true democracy in a troubled regionŠAmerica has always been 
>committed to Israel's independence and survival we will never 
>waiver" (www.johnkerry.com). Gephardt easily glosses over any moral 
>culpability on the part of the Israeli occupying forces: "We must be 
>steadfast in our support of Israel. There is no moral equivalence 
>between suicide bombings and defending against them" (Associated 
>Press 06/02).
>
>Howard Dean favors a 'two-state solution' and admits that one 
>criterion for true peace will be the removal of Jewish settlements 
>from Palestinian territory. However, although he routinely calls for 
>the ending of Palestinian violence against Israel, he does not call 
>for the ending of Israeli violence against Palestine. He has 
>expressed unwavering support for Ariel Sharon, and feels that the 
>United States should 'continue its historic special relationship 
>with the state of Israel' (Palestine Chronicle 08/03).
>
>Dennis Kucinich has been strongly critical of the United States' 
>preferential treatment of Israel: "The same humanity that requires 
>us to acknowledge with profound concerns the pain and suffering of 
>the people of Israel requires a similar expression for the pain and 
>suffering of the PalestiniansŠIf we seek to require the 
>Palestinians, who do not have their own state, to adhere to a higher 
>standard of conduct, should we not also ask Israel, with over a half 
>century experience with statehood, to adhere to the basic standard 
>of conduct, including meeting the requirements of international 
>law?" (www.kucinich.us).
>
>Although Moseley Braun has not focused much on this issue in her 
>career, during her career as a senator she consistently voted in 
>favor of pro-Israel legislation. Furthermore, in 1998 she was one of 
>81 signatories on a letter to President Clinton which criticized the 
>administration for considering putting public pressure on Israel and 
>blamed the Palestinians for derailing the peace process 
>(aaiusa.org). Sharpton has made trips to the Middle East and 
>advocates for more balanced United States policy and talks about the 
>"right of Palestinians to a state" (aaiusa.org).
>
>RACISM AND CIVIL RIGHTS
>
>During the affirmative action case against the University of 
>Michigan heard by the Supreme Court this year, Dennis Kucinich and 
>Rep. Barbara Lee issued a joint statement: "Affirmative action is 
>necessary, affirmative action is right, and affirmative action must 
>be preservedŠ.Affirmative action is still essential because a truly 
>level playing field is still an elusive goal, not a reality. Today, 
>we stand united in our support of affirmative action and the 
>University of Michigan. Our nation is at a critical junction; the 
>Supreme Court must not send our nation back into some of the darkest 
>moments in our history, but instead lead our nation to a fair and 
>just future." (www.kucinich.us). Similarly, Howard Dean called the 
>Supreme Court's upholding of affirmative action "a victory for the 
>civil rights of all Americans" (www.deanforamerican.com).
>
>As governor of Vermont, Dean signed historic civil union legislation 
>giving equal rights to same-sex partners. Dean advocates for 
>universal health care legislation for  those under 19 years of age. 
>Kucinich and Moseley Braun offer the most sweeping prospects for 
>health care reform, since both favor an universal single-payer 
>system similar to Canada's. In a similar vein, Sharpton
>advocates for adding an universal health care ammendment to the 
>constitution (www.al2004.org). Lieberman, Kerry, and Gephardt do not 
>favor universal health care, and they continue to tie coverage to 
>the workplace.
>
>Al Sharpton has spent his entire career in the civil rights movement 
>and, as his record demonstrates, has probably the clearest 
>commitment to anti-racism work of any Democratic candidate. Carol 
>Moseley Brown is endorsed by the National Organization of Women and 
>the National Women's Political Caucus.
>
>Kerry, Gephardt, and Lieberman also have an ambiguous relationship 
>to other civil rights issues such as affirmative action. Although 
>they both now officially endorse affirmative action programs, they 
>have been embarrassed in the past by making inconsistent statements. 
>In 1995, for instance, Lieberman called affirmative action programs 
>"inconsistent with the law and basic American values of equal 
>treatment and opportunity."


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu
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