It’s Democracy Time! Antiwar Protest at Welch’s Office
October 22, 2007
Mmm, I love the smell of democracy in the morning. It’s the aroma of hope. The elixir of possibilities. The highway to change. Oh, and did I mention it’s also a responsibility? Yeah, that too.
And so, off we go. To Congressman Peter Welch’s office, to be precise. To practice the increasingly lost art of democracy in an effort to let our lone elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives know that we’re not happy with his recent votes involving the Iraq war. [Note to those wanting to join us: We’ll be meeting shortly before 3:00 today in front of Welch’s office building at 30 Main Street in downtown Burlington. Come and join the democracy celebration! Watch people – including nuns & kids! – express themselves peacefully on an issue they feel passionately about. Imagine that.]
The last time we visited Rep. Welch’s office – last April – the good congressman had us arrested because we refused to leave until he promised to vote against the war funding bill before Congress at the time. The late Grace Paley joined us that day — ailing, for sure, but still willing to make the trek and speak her mind. Priceless.
As we all know, Welch ignored us, the vast majority of Vermonters and – oddly enough – his own rhetoric by voting in favor of the Iraq war funding bill that eventually handed President Bush over $120 billion more for the disastrous war. Welch and the slim majority of Congress who voted for more war funding took pride in the fact that the bill also included “deadlines and benchmarks” that would “force” Bush to be held accountable. And how’s that working out, Mr. Welch? The President, of course, is ignoring all those so-called deadlines and benchmarks – just like we told you he would.
At the time, Welch made this statement in an apparent effort to mollify the antiwar majority: “I will firmly oppose any future Iraq legislation that does not include a date certain to end the war.”
Well, just a few short weeks ago – on September 27th, to be exact – Congressman Welch voted in favor of H.R. Resolution 52, a budget resolution that provided continued general funding for the government, including tens of billions of dollars more for the Iraq war. And, no, there was no “date certain to end the war” included in this resolution. So much for Welch’s promise to Vermonters.
More than a dozen other congress members refused to support H.R. Res. 52 due to the “blank check” nature of the money it provided to Bush and his Iraq war. And in the U.S. Senate, Russ Feingold stood tall and proud while voting against this funding and issuing this statement:
I am disappointed that we are about to begin the 2008 fiscal year without having enacted any of the appropriations bills for that year. I am even more disappointed that we passed a continuing resolution that provides tens of billions of dollars to continue the misguided war in Iraq but does not include any language to bring that war to a close. We need to keep the federal government operating and make sure our brave troops get all the equipment and supplies they need, but we should not be giving the President a blank check to continue a war that is hurting our national security.
I guess Peter Welch is going to have to stop saying that “no one opposes the war” more than he does, huh? Or perhaps he could let his actions match his rhetoric? We’ll certainly be asking him to do that when we visit his office today.
Congressman Peter Welch also recently voted to condemn the now infamous antiwar advertisement by the advocacy group MoveOn. That’s right, Welch Joined a Republican-led majority to take government time and resources to condemn the free-speech rights of a very mainstream antiwar group. And his reason: The Republicans made him do it. No, Peter, the Republicans only introduced the resolution – you had the right to vote “no,” just like many others in your party (including Senators Sanders and Feingold) did.
So, because of your votes for more funding for the Iraq war and your condemnation of antiwar activism, we’re going to be paying you another visit today. We’ll be asking to speak with you directly. We’ll be asking for an explanation for these votes. We’ll be asking you how it is that Republicans can get you to vote their way. And we’ll be demanding that you walk your talk and begin VOTING boldly to stop the Iraq war now. Yes, now, just like the majority of Vermonters want.
We look forward to talking with you.
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