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Follow-up on Resolution calling for Ending the Iraq War by Ann Arbor Democratic Party

Here’s a follow-up to Resolution calling for ending the Iraq War:

This is the text of the letter sent to Senators Levin and Stabenow and to Congressman Dingell on or about January 20 as provided to me by Susan Greenberg, Ann Arbor Democratic Party Chair [minor reformatting to fix word-wrapped lines from email–HH]:

Date: Saturday, January 20, 2007 4:04 PM -0500
From: [address removed for privacy reasons]
To: stabenow@senate.gov
Subject: Ann Arbor City Democratic Party urges end the war

Ann Arbor City Democratic Party, P.O. Box 4178, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106
734/480-4986, aadems@comcast.net

January 20, 2007

The Honorable Debbie Stabenow
133 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Stabenow:

It is now time for the Iraq War to end. Despite the election results in
November 2006, the Bush administration seems hell bent on implementing the
McCain Doctrine ? a serious escalation in the number of US troops deployed
in Iraq. The American people, the people of the state of Michigan and
the people of the 15th district in Michigan support an end to this conflict
forthwith.

The Ann Arbor City Democratic Party asked me as chair to send this
letter to ask you to strongly and publicly support an end to the Iraq war. No
good can come from the continued US presence in Iraq. No good can come
from the additional loss of life an escalation in the war is likely to
cause.

Due to the malfeasance of the Bush administration, the US has no viable
option other than to as swiftly as possible end US military involvement
in this most misguided engagement.

We strongly encourage you to use all tools at your disposal to compel
the US government to end our nation’s involvement in the Iraq war.

Sincerely,

Susan Greenberg, Chair
Ann Arbor City Democratic Party

I called Senator Levin and Senator Stabenow in Washington to see if they had received, read and responded to the resolution and letter from the Ann Arbor Democratic Party organization regarding the Iraq War. Neither senator’s staff seemed to know what I was talking about.

I got a big run-around from Stabenow’s people, had to call three times and was told the first two that they were too busy to look for the resolution or tell me if Senator Stabnenow had yet seen it or replied. I had to remind them that I worked as a campaign volunteer for the Michigan Coordinated Campaign for six months last year helping to re-elect the Senator and ask if they would prefer that I table a resolution censuring her or asking for her expulsion from the party at this month’s State Convention before they suddenly found the motivation to locate the letter from Chairperson Greenberg they had had for almost two weeks.

Still waiting to hear from Justin at Levin’s office.

Dingell I know got our message because his wife Debbie was there to represent him at the meeting on Jan. 13 and endured some somewhat rough handling on his behalf. She also read a long letter from him which I’ll see if they can/will provide for posting here.

I wrote down some of the things said during the debate (paraphrased and mostly unattributed unless someone can provide me the names):

We support our young men and women in the Army and Navy.

Our children are dying.

I am losing my students to this war.

We urge that this war be ended this year.

No public involved in war wins — both sides lose.

Armies cannot establish democracies or establish societies.

We need to replace US troops with an international force.

We [Democrats] don’t want to own this war.

We ask that you rescind the Iraq War Authorization Act, PL 107-243 [that was me–moving to strike and replace language calling for immediate halt to funding–motion failed]

We ask that the United States government utilize diplomatic means to resolve international issues.

Any mother mourns the loss of her son or a daughter in war equally; wherever she lives; in Iraq or America, be it a grand palace or a hut so rude. [That is my poor paraphrase from memory from a very moving speech from former Congressman Ray Clevenger, D-Mich].

I’d also say many of us had tears in the eyes during this debate and I do now again thinking of it.

We debated passionately for two hours until we were told our room reservation was up and the University of Michigan was kicking us out. Then we voted in the affirmative, with the no votes split about equally between those who thought the resolution too strong and those who thought it too weak. My motion for unanimous consent was shouted down.

I would like to give credit to Dana Barton, Tim Colenback, Kathy Linderman; and Carlos Acevedo; who submitted the two draft resolutions we used to forge the resolution which was passed. And thanks to Susan Greenberg for getting me the copy of her letter as sent.

see also: Resolution calling for ending the Iraq War

Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy

3 February, 2007 Posted by scanlyze | Ann Arbor, archives, Army, Congress, democratic, Dingell, funding, Iraq, letter, Levin, media, Michigan, military, Navy, news, peace, politics, protest, resolution, scanlyze, Senate, Stabenow, US Congress, US Senate, war | 1 Comment