California Progressives May Swing the Vote This Weekend in Electing Democratic National Committee Members

Hello All,

Christine Pelosi here.

Thanks for the acknowledgment of our strong CA Democratic platform - I am proud of the work we all did together to forge a consensus where 3000 delegates UNANIMOUSLY agreeed to amend the language. Let's be sure all get the credit they are due.

To be clear - "de-fund" is not accurate - we have worked hard with our vets to separate the war from the warriors. The California Democratic Party Platform specifically says:

WORLD PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

"The new Administration must bring our troops home from Iraq starting now. To this end, we support the repeal of the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force in Iraq; oppose further appropriations except those necessary for a safe and orderly withdrawal of our troops from Iraq to begin without delay; and call for an international conference to implement a cease-fire in Iraq. This war of choice has squandered America's standing in the world and our alliances against al Qaeda, especially considering the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, the basing of decisions on cherry-picked intelligence, and the lack of proper planning and equipment for our troops.

America must be a light to the world, a beacon of freedom and democracy, which respects and promotes international cooperation and sovereignty, and promotes human rights in our deeds as well as our words. We honor our troops best by returning them home to their loved ones to protect against the real threats to America. We honor the valor of those who have sacrificed their lives, by bringing home their colleagues safely to their families, and we honor the men and women of our military when we only place them in harm's way against the real and immediate threats against our beloved country they so nobly serve. We must also properly provide for this new generation of veterans upon their return.

We must turn Iraq over to the Iraqis: starting immediately, end the wrongful occupation of Iraq and re-establish a commitment to the rule of international law and human rights; provide for the financial security of the Iraqi people during Iraq's transition toward self-governance; return the national territory of Iraq to the sovereign control of the people of Iraq with no permanent U.S. bases in that country; support international diplomatic efforts to assist in peaceful reconciliation amongst the Iraqi people; and, contribute financial resources to rebuild Iraq's physical and economic infrastructure. We must restore the trust of the world and even our closest allies. America will once again be a leader rather than a unilateralist loner."

http://www.cadem.org/site/c.jrLZK2PyHmF/b.1194161/k.D3E/World_Peace_and_International_Relations.htm

On the challenge, I an not sure where the drama is - I know of no Democrat running for DNC who opposes our Platform and does not want to see it be the law of the land. In my June 3 statement endorsing Barack Obama I mentioned his commitment to end the war and take care of our veterans. I surely intend to elect President Barack Obama to make sure that happens and would be happy to recommend our CA language in the national Platform he presents to the Democratic Convention in August. I should hope everybody would do the same.

Regards, Christine

Christine Pelosi
Chair, CA Democratic Party Platform Committee

We are counting on you, Christine, to be sure that Obama doesn not, as his plans now indicate, leave 60,000 "troops" in Iraq. In my opinion the word "troop" dehumanizes the soldiers and Marines who are serving. What is a troop? Is it human? But I digress. The only way we will leave Iraq is to stop appropriating money for this occupation. That can only happen if no more appropriations bills are brought to the floor. There is plenty of money available to bring our men and women home. And that includes the mercenaries. We should also bring back the poor Iraqis who fell for our line and whose lives and those of their families are at risk. We have seen the horrific deaths our Iraqi friends have suffered at the hands of patriotic Iraqis who rightly consider these people collaborators. Do the right thing on Iraq, Christine. We can talk about impeachment later.
Dorothy Reik
President
Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains

Thank you, Christine, for moving forward with a commitment to end the war in Iraq and return our troops home safe and SOON. As you know, Democrats who have wanted an end to this war have been terribly disappointed by the performance of our elected representatives - in particular the Democratic Leadership in Congress. While Democrats have been calling, writing, faxing, marching and visiting our elected officials ongoing for the past 4 years, our elected officials have turned a deaf ear to our demands.

It's important to note that those elected Representatives who have challenged the policies of their Leadership are HEROES to progressives. Dennis Kucinich and Robert Wexler, who stood up to the Democratic House Leadership to end the war and impeach the president and vice president, are held in the highest regard - whereas those who have enabled the Bush administration to continue its policies of torture, war, wiretapping, etc., without Constitutionally ordained retribution, are believed to have blatantly disregarded the desire of the voters and the Oath to uphold the Constitution.

The mandate to end the war and bring our troops home was the principal factor by which Democrats won the majorities in both the House and the Senate in 2006. Obviously we've expected more accountability to adhere to that mandate from the Democratic Leadership in Congress. It is critical and comforting to note your personal vow to hold the next President accountable to stop funding the Iraq occupation and bring our troops back home. I hope that same commitment to accountability applies equally to ALL Democrats elected to the Legislative Branch as it does to ALL Democrats elected to the Executive.

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