(The Responsible Plan was announced last night at Take Back America. It is a smart proposal to responsibly end the war in Iraq, and Rick Noriega is the responsible choice to represent us in Washington D.C. - promoted by Matt Glazer)
The Plan is a two-pronged strategy. First and foremost, it is a comprehensive set of ideas and concrete policy proposals to get America out of Iraq quickly, safely, and responsibly. It draws heavily from the mostly ignored Iraq Study Group Report and it points to specific bills in Congress that can be passed today to end the war in the right way.
"The Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq" is not only good policy, it's good strategy too. With 10 candidates all signed on to one specific plan (and hopefully with more to come), you have the beginnings of a real anti-war voting block in Congress. If these members get elected while promoting this plan vocally and visibly, they will have an unimpeachable mandate when they get to Washington. Because this plan involves more than one candidate, there will be stronger pressure not to cave or compromise when the tough votes come up on the floor.
Rick is running for Senate to responsibly end the war and bring our troops safely home, with a phased military re-deployment that responsibly extracts our forces from Iraq’s civil wars, and brings home the funding spent on the war to invest in education and health care.
This is the Plan’s mission, too:
The U.S. does not have enough troops to remain in Iraq at the current levels indefinitely. The limitations on troop availability will demand some drawdown in the short term.29 While the current administration and its allies may seek to portray a return pre-surge troop levels as the beginning of a military withdrawal, it is not enough to reduce troop levels to pre-surge levels. We must end the presence in Iraq of U.S. troops.
This should be accomplished based on planning provided by our military leadership; the safety of our remaining troops during the drawdown period is of utmost importance. Moreover, the drawdown of troops must be coordinated with increased civil and economic assistance, and executed in such a way as to contain the threat of terrorism and prevent an abrupt destabilization of the region.
Noriega has endorsed, in his own words, many key points of the Plan. The Plan places a high premium on nation-building and diplomacy, especially dialouge with Iraq’s neighbors, to help end the war. Noriega believes in diplomacy too:
The past eight years of foreign policy has demonstrated that isolationist approaches are really not productive, even with international bad actors like Syria and Iran. We need to recommit ourselves to diplomacy. I support the bipartisan Iraq Study Group’s view that we need to engage our adversaries in aggressive diplomatic efforts to resolves conflicts and differences. Diminishing the United States as an international influence has not been productive in terms of the state of the world.
The Plan also includes numerous proposals to help prevent “future Iraqs” from ever happening again. These proposals include restoring habeas corpus and supporting our troops with adequate veterans programs, two things Noriega slammed his opponent John Cornyn on:
“Yesterday, [John Cornyn] voted against restoring the Constitution’s basic right of habeas corpus. Yesterday, he voted against the Webb-Hagel amendment, legislation that would have provided a safety net for our troops, requiring that they spend as much time at home with their families as they spend deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. And today? He’s wasting the Senate’s and the people’s time by introducing a resolution about MoveOn.org’s ad!
Here is Noriega again, championing veteran’s healthcare and responsible redeployment, two things at the heart of the Plan:
While I have sacrificed, Cornyn rejected responsible troop deployment limits, twice voted against increased funding for veteran health care, against funding for armored vehicles, and against protecting soldiers’ civilian salaries while they’re serving in Iraq.
On Christmas morning 2004, outside of Kabul, Afghanistan, my buddies and I drove to our base camp to use the computers. We wanted to be with our kids when they woke up that Christmas. To get there we drove through a near ambush-anytime we drove on the Jalalabad Road, it was risky, and we had an incident on our way.
That Christmas morning, I suspect the government listened to our conversations. They occurred between two countries; Afghanistan and the US. They probably didn't realize the difference in tone in my voice as I spoke to my wife and children that morning as my heart raced still from our encounter on the road. My wife did.
I fought to defend our country and our constitution in Afghanistan. I fought for the right to privacy for every Texan. Mr. Cornyn must now stand up for the privacy of every Texan and American too. We as a nation cannot grant anyone sweeping amnesty if they violated the law.
Americans understand the need for safety and the need for intelligence gathering. What they will not accept is an abuse of power, of crossing the line on American's privacy.
I would join Sen. Dodd in opposition to any retroactive provisions that allow a "get out of jail card" for violating the Constitution. If Mr. Cornyn had ever had the opportunity to have his Christmas conversation listened to by the government, on a day that he feared for his life in a convoy on Jalalabad Road, he would do the same."
Moreover, a national clean energy initiative would provide an immense new number of jobs and economic development that would rival the technology boom of the recent past.
This Plan is good policy, and the more candidates that sign on, the more powerful the mandate. Rick Noriega has already endorsed this plan in so many words. He should be the first Senate candidate to join this initiative.
If you agree, email his campaign. Tell him to formally endorse “The Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq.”
This week marks the fifth anniversary of shock and awe in Iraq.
Five years of blood - 3,990 U.S. soldiers killed, including two who perished in a midday bomb attack in downtown Baghdad just yesterday, and more than 29,000 seriously wounded.
Five years of treasure - $800 billion officially, including President Bush's pending request for additional tax dollars, and probably closer to a total of $3 trillion, according to Nobel economics laureate Joseph Stiglitz.
Five years of shocking failure and awesome incompetence.
It was a year ago that I returned from Iraq, where I had been serving as a civilian. I didn't support the original invasion, but I held out hope that we could help Iraq build the foundation of a democratic system to justify the heartbreaking personal investments of our military families and the financial sacrifice of our taxpayers.
I was wrong.
Neither administration - not the one in Baghdad, not the one back in Washington, D.C. - had the commitment or competence to get the job done.
This week, what we are left with is a holding pattern of continued violence against our soldiers and Iraqi civilians, against our standing in the world, and against our economic well-being, which is now being driven into a deepening recession caused to some significant degree by that can be laid at the feet of the more than $12 billion you and I are already squandering there each month.
Yesterday, George W. Bush issued hollow assurances that he and his administration are doing everything they can to avoid an outright plunge into economic disaster, touting a $30 billion bailout of a prestigious Wall Street bank engineered since last Friday by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and others.
"I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for working over the weekend," Bush smiled.
He made no mention of the families of the 15 U.S. soldiers who have been killed in Iraq since Sunday, who surely have lost their share of sleep, too.
Here are the top stories this week related to our soldiers here and abroad, taken from the Our Troops Newsladder.
Gen. David H. Petraeus spoke in his sternest terms to date that that "no one" in the U.S. and Iraqi governments "feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation," or in the provision of basic public services since the surge, despite a reduction in violence. (washingtonpost.com)
On the subject of the war in Afghanistan, President Bush said that he was envious of the troops serving there, trivially describing their mission as something "romantic". (www.outsidethebeltway.com)
A report on sexual assault in the military said that the number of reported assaults had dropped by 9% this year, after several years of increase. In 2006 there were 2,947 reported cases - in 2007 the number dropped to 2688. (www.armytimes.com)
Veterans of America is proud to sponsor the Our Troops Newsladder, a new tool to find the top news and articles in the progressive community by, about and for our troops.
What happens when you deploy troops who have seen high intensity combat time and time again with inadequate dwell time between tours? You see skyrocketing mental health issues.
After months of investigative work, talking to our troops and veterans, we released a report on the situation at Fort Drum in Watertown, New York. Since 9/11, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team has been deployed for more than forty months, more than any other brigade in the Army, and we are seeing what is nothing short of a cry for help from the men and women on the base; a cry we will answer not just at Fort Drum but here in Texas, which has seen thousands of troops deployed from Fort Bliss.
A cry for help that is also coming from the leadership on the base. In a New York Times article today about our report, Major General Michael Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, says: "We recognize that there is stress on our force and their families from this conflict, but until recently, we have not fully appreciated the extent of some of the mental stresses and injuries or how to best identify them." Please read the rest of the article here.
What is happening at Fort Drum -- with Soldiers still on active duty suffering from PTSD, with Soldiers and their families in need of counseling, with Soldiers literally dying while still on duty -- is going to happen all around America unless we begin to address some of the basic issues of this war. As our report explains, DoD itself has stated that the likelihood of troops having mental health problems increases by 60% with every tour of duty. So, in short, through ourdeployment policies, we are consciously compounding the wounds of war.
This is unacceptable to us. Veterans for America's Wounded Warrior Outreach Program will continue to address these problems from the bottom up.
We are going to go to as many bases as we can afford to go to, see what is happening on those bases and see how we can help. If you can help us, we would greatly appreciate it.
We are going to continue our Wounded Warrior Registry Outreach -- if you or someone you know needs help getting help with PTSD or TBI, please click here.
And above all, we are going to continue to serve and help those that serve and have served us with the same level of dedication and courage they have shown. Click here to learn more about what we are doing.
I saw an article in the paper "Gates: Secure Iraq within reach". Basically the article says Defense Secretary Robert Gates believes a secure and stable Iraq is within reach. If this is true, I wonder how democratic candidates in 2008 who base their platform on a strong anti-war stance will be perceived.
In 2004, George Bush used the war in Iraq to get re-elected. It was a distraction from the internal craziness created by his domestic policies. In 2006, the democrats were able to take advantage of public dissatisfaction with the war to get rid of many Republicans in congress. It sounds like the Bush Administration is trying to create a scenario where they can declare victory in Iraq before he leaves office. If the voters believe him, I don't think we want to play up the war.
However, the secondary effects of the war leave the republicans vulnerable regardless of what happens in Iraq.
Tax cuts followed by spending close to $600,000,000,000 on the war are fiscal irresponsibility.
The wire taps, increased police forces, and travel inconveniences are increased government interference in personal freedoms.
The "either you're with us or against us" rhetoric has led to increased suspicion of America abroad which decreases our security.
The increase in gas prices resulting from instability in the mid-east lead to a decreased quality of life at home.
The draining of funds from domestic programs to fund the war decreased monitoring of financial institutions which led to the sub prime lending crisis gripping parts of the country.
Last couple of days I cannot find the daily Iraq casualty count in the Austin American Statesman. Am I just not seeing it, or have they stopped publishing the numbers?
On October 24, the County Executive Committee of the Travis County Democratic Party approved a resolution urging the State Democratic Executive Committee to put a referendum on Iraq on the March 2008 primary ballot.
Anyone can sign the online petition for the Vote Us Out of Iraq referendum by going to: http://voteusoutofiraq.org
Here is a video of the presentation and vote on the resolution. I am the one standing. The other person at the front of the room sitting on the table is Chris Elliott, chair of the Travis County Democratic Party
The proposed ballot language reads,
"Shall President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress, in support of the men and women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and immediately begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of all United States forces."
Tonight, the County Executive Committee of the Travis County Democratic Party approved a resolution urging the State Democratic Executive Committee to put a referendum on Iraq on the March 2008 primary ballot.
Only one person voted against the proposal. Since we spread the word online and in email before the meeting that the resolution would be brought up for a vote, I think some people might have come to the meeting just to vote for the referendum, which is the same effect I think putting the referendum on the primary ballot will have. People will go to the polls to vote against the war.
The CEC is going to send a letter to State Chair Boyd Richie telling him of their endorsement of putting the referendum on the ballot.
I hope that I can get other county CECs in November and December to approve the resolution before I take it to the SDEC for their approval in January. The SDEC has the power to put the referendum on the ballot; so if you know anyone on the SDEC, urge them to vote to put the referendum on the ballot. In November, I will start calling all the SDEC members to find out if they will vote to put the referendum on the ballot. If anyone wants to help call, just let me know.
The proposed language reads, "Shall President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress, in support of the men and women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and immediately begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of all United States forces."
Meanwhile, the big national news today on the war concerned the cost of the war. Back in 2003, Bush said the war in Iraq would cost between 50 and 60 billion dollars. As it turns out, the war has cost about 40 times more than Bush said it would.
WASHINGTON-George W. Bush has asked the U.S. Congress to approve another $45.9 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the 2008 tab to almost $200 billion and making it the most expensive year of military combat in his so-called "war on terror.''
...
According to the independent Congressional Research Service, the $196.1 billion request by Bush for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 would bring the total cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and counterterrorism operations to more than $800 billion since terrorists struck the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
Even with an optimistic projection of half as many American troops in Iraq by 2017, the research service said spending on the wars would hit $1.45 trillion by then.
The Iraq war alone is costing U.S. taxpayers about $10 billion per month, or $330 million each day.
"The Iraq war is leaving us less secure, unprepared to fight an effective war on terror or respond to the unexpected. President Bush should not expect the Congress to rubber stamp this,'' said Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
I am going to present the Vote US Out of Iraq resolution at the Travis County Executive Committee on Wednesday, Oct 24 at 6pm. There needs to be a quorum present for the committee to approve it, so if you know anyone on the committee urge them to attend.
The resolution urges the State Democratic Executive Committee to put a referendum on Iraq on the primary ballot. It has already been passed by several Democratic clubs in Austin: South Austin Democrats, Central Austin Democrats, Lake Travis Democrats, Capital Area Progressive Democrats, West Austin Democrats and the North by Northwest Democrats.
The proposed ballot language is:
"Shall President George W. Bush, in support of the men and women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, end the United States occupation of Iraq and immediately begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of all United States forces?"
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Commissioners' Courtroom, Granger Building, 11th and Guadalupe
MEETING MOVED TO THIS DAY RATHER THAN THE LAST WEDNESDAY WHICH THIS MONTH IS OCTOBER 31ST AND CONFLICTS WITH HALLOWEEN.
The expected agenda will include presentations by those who have indicated they will be filing for office of County Chair.
TCDP Chair Chris Elliott invites all Democrats to the Party's County Executive Committee.
This is cross posted at The Huffington Post and posted here for your convenience in case you missed it yesterday.
Truly ending the war in Iraq will only come about when our troops are no longer targets. That is why Governor Bill Richardson believes that we should not leave behind any of our troops. --Joaquin H. Guerra, Bill Richardson for President.
It's Time to Make a Choice in Iraq
By Governor Bill Richardson
Yesterday,twelve former Army captains wrote that short of reinstating the draft, "our best option is to leave Iraq immediately." In an extraordinary editorial in the Washington Post, these captains--all of whom served in Iraq--made it clear that we need to end this war and we need to end it now. They wrote that a " scaled withdrawal will not prevent a civil war and it will spend more blood and treasure on a losing proposition."
I strongly urge every American to read this important report from those who served in the failed conflict in Iraq. Army captains are the staff officers who plan operations against insurgent strongholds. They are the company commanders who lead our soldiers through the streets of Baghdad. And they are the soldiers who will direct our withdrawal from Iraq.
These men and women know the score. They know that we must leave Iraq. As they put it, "It's time to make a choice." Americans are fed up with the President's stalling and Congressional failure to act. Frankly, it is well past time we make a choice. And the only responsible choice left to us is to get all of our troops out of Iraq, with no residual forces left behind--no combat forces, no non-combat forces. As President, I will do it. I will get all of our troops out within a year after I take office - sooner if we can get it done safely.
The other major candidates in this race have said--again and again--that they will not. Senators Edwards, Obama, and Clinton have all refused to commit to getting all of our troops out of Iraq by 2013. None of them are willing to be clear about removing all troops - combat and non-combat. It's unbelievable. Are they looking at the same war the rest of us are? Furthermore, they are all advocating precisely the sort of scaled withdrawal that these twelve captains are warning against. It doesn't make any sense. Real leadership is about making the tough choices, and knowing when it is time to make bold moves. Now is the time for action, not hesitation. Ending this war requires real change, not more incrementalism.
Ending this war is the most important issue of our time. And it is the fundamental difference between me and Senators Edwards, Obama, and Clinton. I will end the war; they will not. I will get all of our troops out; they will leave troops behind indefinitely. I will order a safe and rapid withdrawal and have our troops out within a year. They have proposed a long, protracted withdrawal that will only increase the danger to our fighting men and women and drag out the war.
2013 is six years from now - six years. In six years, will we have lost 6,000 men and women in Iraq? 10,000? More? In six years will this be a $2 trillion mistake? Or $3 trillion? The war has been going on for four and half years already. Six years from now, we will have been there for more than a decade. Are you okay with that? I'm not.
The choice in Iraq is clear. We need to get all our troops out quickly. We need to end this war for real. Go to getourtroopsout.com to join Americans across the country in calling for a quick, clear, responsible end to the war in Iraq.
