A Movement to Make Obama Bring an End to War

In 2007, 82 Democratic members of Congress signed a pledge. They would never again vote to fund the war in Iraq without plans for troop withdrawal.

Republican critics accused them of demagoguing the war. Of using our soldiers as a political pawns, of not meaning what they said.

Those who signed that pledge need to cast their vote against the Supplemental Appropriations Act on Tuesday and prove them wrong.

We may agree or disagree about what needs to be done in Iraq, but a promise is a promise. Anti-war activists have supported these members of Congress because of that 2007 pledge. They knocked on doors and distributed leaflets and donated to their campaigns. They and marched side by side with them as they sought to bring an end to the war that still lingers in Iraq and escalates in Afghanistan, as the new film Rethink Afghanistan documents.

When Barack Obama declared his presidential candidacy, he said "Start leaving we must. It's time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future." But Obama's 2008 victory was only half the battle for those who want to bring an end the war.

Obama was once asked about how he planned to solve the Israeli/Palistinian conflict. He responded by telling a story about Franklin Roosevelt who, when asked if he could address the plight of African Americans, said:

You know, Mr. Randolph, I've heard everything you've said tonight, and I couldn't agree with you more. I agree with everything that you've said, including my capacity to be able to right many of these wrongs and to use my power and the bully pulpit....But I would ask one thing of you, Mr. Randolph, and that is go out and make me do it.

It's the president's job to make the best decisions he can and keep the country governable at the same time. When it comes to highly divisive issues like the war, he's got to consider many factors -- including the pressures that the military and the CIA bring to bear on the situation. It's the public's job to create the political space for him to move in. For those who supported his candidacy because we wanted to bring an end to the war, it means we have to answer his call to go out and "make him do it."

We're working with state blogs from across the country to sound the call to action:

Square State (Colorado) Turn Maine Blue (Maine) Michigan Liberal (Michigan) Burnt Orange Report (Texas) Green Mountain Daily (Vermont)

Not Larry Sabato (Virginia) My Left Nutmeg (Connecticut) Blue Mass Group (Massachusetts) Calitics (California) The Albany Project (New York) Blog for Arizona (Arizona)

There is a movement growing now to create the climate for change to occur. If progressives will stand together, we can have a real voice in working with President Obama to shape our nation's future.

Comments

[noneIn2008]

The war is over and the troops are out. We now have a police action with advisers. Change is in the thesaurus.

[Steward Clinton]

PART TWO OF TWO
Why do you comment makers choose to ignore these facts in your thinking and posts. Are you right wing zealots, or so liberal as to be blind to the fact that Bush and company created this reality - especially when he ABANDONED the Afghans. HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS DONE NOTHING!! Read your own press for God sakes! "One hundred days 100 foreign policies" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ilan-goldenberg/100-days-100-foreign-poli_b_191832.html, He authored the progress we 'are' making on Education, Attention to Green issues, Monies set aside for the American Reinvestment, Employing the best minds in all areas, vetted and appointed more scores of responsible decision makers to office, opened a dialog with the middle east, and likely incited the uproar from the Iranian people after that bogus election as a result. The list is freaking amazing. But to have gotten this far amidst the vipers and shambles they've created has placed international hope and trust in his administration. So where do you get off with that condescending propaganda? You are subversive undermining traitors to all that is true.
Me thinks some of you are being paid to post this hogwash! The availability of the facts confirming the history I've just sited and the numerous lies and merit less contradictions you post to your own press is very suspicious.

[Steward Clinton]

PART ONE OF TWO
What about the Nuclear weapons at risk in Pakistan? Oh Never mind them or the FACT that Al-Quaida and extremist Taliban have killed and are killing them for control of those long range nuclear missiles. Never mind that extremists Killed their Democratically elected very progressive, popular, and outspoken Prime Minister (Mrs Buto), much of her cabinet, and many of their people. Taliban extremists now openly occupying their streets and are within 60 miles of those nukes. Let's just abandon them again and watch them give nuclear power to extremists. That's the ignorant and Naive impression that I am getting from comments here.

Pakistan's current President (ex-Prime Minister Buto's Husband/ no college education) is considered a coward and a criminal by their people. We created that mess when we abandoned them and the Afghans. And now you want us to do so again?!?! Who are you people!? We were obligated to them when they became a Democratic nation, but abandoned them after commiting them to help fight the "War on Terror" they were part of the "coalition of the willing" remember? The PBS documentary aired and the "Fahrenheit 911" documentary on that point was accurate. How soon our self centeredness makes us forget in these lopsided posts that cater to apathy and hopelessness, offer no solutions and give no credit to progress or complexity of issues that President Obama is facing within a den of corrupted vipers.

[gfdgary]

Yes we lost both wars. No matter how they polish it we lost as we did in Vietnam. Just like the miserable bailouts, it throwing more money into a bad; but this time we are sending American Soldiers to the bailout and watching them die. And does any politician give a crap that they are dead? Does the freakin media give a crap? I'm totally disillusioned by Obama and how he is taking on the Bush method of governing.

[WorldofTomorrow420]

You must be kidding. Now that he's elected, he's too busy going back on every pledge he made to us progressives to end the war, after all that was one of his pledges too. Health care, gay rights, rule of law, you name it. To think that Obama is going to be swayed by progressives now is to ignore the last 5 months. Obama was a bait-and-switch game and we fell for it.

[larry278]

While I voted for Jerry White for POTUS, (Disclosure Mr White was the nominee of the Socialist Equity Party, a Trotskyist movement & I favor Trotskism.), I feel that I've been cheated by Pres Obama violating most of his campaign promises. There has been little, if any, change initiated by Pres Obama. I didn't expect much from Pres Obama. My feelings that Obama wouldn't change much were correct.
Replacing Obama in 2012 as the Democratic party candidate for POTUS is a remedy for Obama's failures.

[Coinyer101]

Good move! end the wars! The President has already delayed withdrawal from Iraq for too long. It's time to take things into our own hands. Stick to your pledge progressives! We have yer backs!

[mergina]

It's not that easy. There are still BILLIONS TO BE MADE.

[getoffthecross]

The war in Iraq was irresponsible, but acting irresponsibly at this stage is offering a 2nd wrong. Withdrawl cannot happen overnight, and the troops there need our support now as much as ever so they can secure a lasting peace (if that's possible).

Obama was never going to be all things to all people, and some provided a vote in the sheer anticipation of seeing him fail. After all, we are nothing if not consistent and we often raise figure to the highest esteem merely to watch them fall. But if Obama falls, we're all going down with him (as would have been the case with anyone in that position at this time).

Bush was determined to be judged by history. Obama is being judged and secondguessed daily. About everything. I wonder how the blogs would have looked if we had the Internet in Lincoln's administration?

[Coinyer101]

funding for withdrawal would have no problem passing. Besides , The DOD has emergency funds to use.

[batbird]

Those of you who think that the supplemental war funding will be voted down because of anti-war zeal are living in a fool's paradise. The Rethugs, and Blue Dog Dems, are upset about the photos and the IMF funding, not the pace of withdrawal. If Pelosi can win back some of those Blue Dogs, which she is fervently pushing, then the far-left anti-war crowd will be stuck out there with Dennis K. once again, limp and irrelevant.

"Stop the war!" has lost its appeal to the center-left, the mildly progressives who used to get worked up but now are just plain tired of it all.

Winding the Iraq war down cautiously and slowly just makes too much sense.

And there is no way in hell that we will let the troops in Afghanistan run out of beans and bullets. There is also no way in hell that they are leaving Afghanistan any time soon.

[research]

The Blue Dogs, the DLC are for the war and the IMF,
Progressive Democrats, Kucinich are against it.
http://www.progress.org/cong.htm

1) The supplemental appropriation is NOT needed for the Asian bailout. The bailout of Asian borrowers has already taken place. The funds for the bailout came from existing IMF funds.

2) The IMF has ample funds RIGHT NOW at its disposal. ...he IMF has $45 billion in liquid resources. It also has a credit line of $25 billion through the General Arrangements to Borrow. Furthermore, it has about $37 billion in gold reserves. ..........

3) The IMF often makes matters worse. The IMF has a record of making matters worse even as it carries out a bailout.. According to the New York Times, "[The] I.M.F. now admits tactics in Indonesia deepened the crisis...........

4) The IMF imposes impoverishing conditions on foreign workers. In exchange for a bailout, the governments of developing countries must submit to a harsh regimen that impoverishes workers. In Haiti, for example, the IMF has pressured the Haitian government to abolish its minimum wage, which is only about $0.20 per hour.

5) The IMF imposes environmen­t-destroyi­ng prescriptions. In exchange for a bailout, the government of Guyana was forced to defund its environmental law enforcement, and accelerate deforestation. Why? ..........

6) The IMF only listens to a tough Congress. If you want to change the way the IMF does business, this supplemental appropriation would be a setback. .............

[Kache]

Who made these figure up??

"Furthermore, it has about $37 billion in gold reserves"

WHAT? The IMF is the 3rd largest official holder of gold. It has over 3,000 tonnes (more than half what the U.S. holds). Do the math, at $900/oz they hold far more than a piddling $37 billion. In June 2008 they announced plans to sell 403 tonnes but never did because it would have crashed the global financial system. Instead, the first of this month they used that gold as backing to raise the rate on IMF bonds. Russia has already bought $10 billion so far this month, China is buying $50 billion and Brazil is buying $10 billion. U.S. Treasuries had to compete and rates on 10year bonds went up. Look at mortgage rates this month, that increase that has brought housing sales down 40% from May is a direct result.

[masher]

That is hilarious. If Obama was actually doing anything progressive I would think this story was clever or smart. But Obama is basically doing everything the right wing wants him to do. He isn't standing up for the right of gay Americans, he isn't fixing the financial system regulations (the latest plan is laughable, putting the fed in charge is just silly) , he isn't even ending the worst of the Bush ere labor regulations like H-1B!

What I have noticed is that Obama is dividing the left very well. There are the diehard Obama supporters who don't really care what he does, end the war folks, there are pro-gay rights folks, pro-financial regulation folks, pro-getting the feds out of labor folks...Obama isn't doing anything for any of you.

And I don't think he will. The pattern with Obama is very clear at this point. He only talks with, in private, CEOs. And so far he is doing everything the want. AND THAT IS ALL HE IS DOING.

Why? I have no idea. With Bush it made sense because he was paid for by the CEOs. But Obama was supported by us, so in some ways Obama is worse than Bush because with Obama is seems like a sin of pride.

[getoffthecross]

You speak with the authority of someone who sees Obama's daily planner and listens into his phone conversations. I doubt you have much knowledge outside of speculation.

Keep flogging the idea that Obama is worse than Bush, though. I don't know how anyone with the mental acuity required to read or type can make such an assessment, but I'm curious to know how far that gets you.

[Crowned]

I agree with you. I was hoping Obama would listen to us given the fact that he did not take a lot of tainted money. I'm dumbfounded by his behavior of catering to oil and the military-industrial complex by continuing war, and catering to big corporations and banks by continuing bailouts, and by catering to the medical establishment by abandoning his own belief in single-payer.
I truly believed getting big money out of politics was the answer. Obama has crushed that belief. I have no idea how we get our government back now. My own simple solution is to never vote again for someone who abandons us so easily. I'm kicking myself for believing one of the mainstream parties could bring real change. I should have voted for Nader as I have in the past.

[Steward Clinton]

I am surprised that no one has buried your lies and subversive attempts at confusion. The president 'NEVER' abandoned single payer, he promoted single payer with a Public Health Care option. That point is documented repeatedly. Therefore you are either grossly ignorant of what is published, all of his speeches, and what is on the whitehouse.gov site, or you are deliberately trying to deceive these readers.

In leadership training (I'm retired military) we are taught to have "realistic expectations". Considering the 30 years it took to develope this mess we've gotten the world into, time, corruption impeding progress - Right wing/lobbyists $100mil smear campaign this week, & control much of the congress and senate through bribes - Its amazing that in "One hundred days 100 foreign policies" were occomplised - SEE http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ilan-goldenberg/100-days-100-foreign-poli_b_191832.html.

Further, contrary to your claims - President Obama authored foundations for the MAJOR progress we 'are' making on Education, Attention to action on catastrophic environmental issues, American Reinvestment in infrastructure, jobs, health care, Employing the best minds in all areas, vetted and appointed responsible decision makers to office, opened a dialog with the middle east, and all of which likely incited the uproar from the Iranian people after that bogus election. These foundations and speed they've been established is more than enough. I am "dumbfounded" that your lies make it into this forum and responsible fact based rebuttles like this one do not!

[GreatNews27]

Sorry but the math does not work. Here is the formula that Unitary Executives use:

War = Profit
Perpetual war = perpetual profit(and perpetual campaign contributi­ons(bribes­)).

Your sons and daughters will be sacrificed for corporate profits until you run out of sons and daughters.

[langej]

Absolutely!

We have totally stuffed the country, now let's run away.
(Well, it worked in 'Nam, didn't it?)

[grn1]

Well Mr. Roosevelt we have a media that ignores us, Irans riots and demonstrations get more airtime than the marginalized anti-war movement that has been usurped by warmongering stategists. All a PR stunt to commit genocide for a clean break strategy and resources necessary for a global economy. So Mr. President why ask us to make you do it , isn't consensus enough!

[MacQ]

Why aren't y'all asking him for a date certain for withdrawal from afghanistan (HIS favorite war)?

[joebaggadonuts]

Hold their feet to the fire. Promises need to be kept. Even when it's inconvenient.

[masher]

From what I have seen so far, they just keep asking for more money. But they haven't delivered any real change. I would totally be down for giving Obama more money if he did something that was real. He could start with something small like ending all H-1Bs.