[Peace-discuss] War funding vote by Thursday?

[C. G. Estabrook]

[In Illinois' 15th Congressional District, Representative Timothy Johnson is
pledged to vote against this funding.  Unfortunately, his Democratic opponent
in the fall election, David Gill, has refused to say that he will vote against 
this sort of bill.  You could call Tim and thank him for showing up the 
Democrats on the matter of killing Afghans - 202-225-2371.  (And maybe call 
David and tell him to stop imitating Obama's obfuscations - 217-954-1536.)] 	
	
	Pelosi and Hoyer Trying to Pass War Escalation Funding By Thursday

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who will openly tell you he does whatever 
President Obama and Speaker Pelosi instruct, can bring the war escalation 
funding to the House floor despite the opposition of Appropriations Chairman 
David Obey.  This is because the House passed the bill without the war 
escalation funding and sent it to the Senate, which has now sent it back to the 
House.

The current plan is to pass a single bill that includes both the war money and 
some lipstick (disaster relief, etc.).  This will require keeping the lipstick 
thin enough to win some Republican votes and slathering it on thick enough to 
win a lot of Democratic votes (which can also be won through campaign funding, 
earmarks, committee positions, PR stunts, etc.).

One trick that will apparently be used to win Democrats' support is the 
inclusion of extra, meaningless votes, just for show, on the two components of 
the bill.  They'll vote on the war escalation funding, and lots of Democrats 
will vote No.  And they'll vote on the disaster relief, etc., and lots of 
Republicans will vote No.  Both elements will pass, but nothing will have been 
done.  Then they'll hold a meaningful vote on the whole bill, and lots of the 
Democrats who just moments before pretended to oppose war escalation will vote 
for the bill that funds it.

This can only work if Nancy Pelosi is correct in her belief that we're all a 
bunch of morons.

You'll be told that they've scaled back the war funding.  What they've just done 
is remove the few crumbs that were intended for potentially useful civilian aid 
in Afghanistan.  Meanwhile they've increased the military funding, which is all 
for escalating the war and therefore cannot plausible be squeezed into the same 
sentence with "scaled back."

You'll be told that separate votes were held and that your representative 
opposed the war funding.  This is nonsense.  The only way to oppose war funding 
is to try to stop it, which means voting against it no matter what else is 
included...

If we can stop this thing through Thursday, we'll have a break over which to 
continue building opposition, a break during which more news (always bad) will 
keep coming in from Afghanistan, a July 4th break during which we will celebrate 
opposition to another foreign occupation.


If We Don't Stop War Funding, They'll Slash Social Security and Medicare

That's the plan which was pushed by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer last week 
and by unsuccessful corporate pseudo rallies this weekend.

It's time to choose.


Don't Let a Bigger War Begin

When you call Congress also let them know that you will hold them accountable 
for any war they allow our country or Israel to launch against Iran.

Will they commit to ceasing to provide weapons to Israel?

Will they inform the Secretary of Defense that illegal war is grounds for 
impeachment?

Get the latest news at
http://dontattackiran.org


Participate

Peace of the Action
Washington, D.C., July 4-17

Brown Bag Lunch Vigils
Everywhere, third Wednesday of every month

National Conference to Bring the Troops Home Now
Albany, July 23-25

PDA Grassroots Leadership Conference
Cleveland, July 23-25

Veterans for Peace National Convention
Portland, Maine, August 25-29


http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/53561

###

-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.