Progressives get a huge win at today's Mass State Convention

[welshTerrier2]

The proposed platform at today's Massachusetts Democratic Convention tried to bury its head in the sand and ignore the Iraq issue completely ... thanks to the efforts of PDA, DFA and scores or volunteers, enough signatures were gathered yesterday and today to force the issue to a vote on the convention floor ... the following resolution was passed overwhelmingly:

A RESOLUTION TO END THE U.S. OCCUPATION OF IRAQ

Whereas the actions of the United States of America in Iraq show that the United States wishes to establish permanent military bases in Iraq, in violation of Iraqi sovereignty;

Whereas more than 1600 US soldiers have been killed, thousands of US soldiers wounded, and untold thousands of Iraqi citizens killed, wounded or made homeless in the continuing conflict in Iraq;

Whereas more than 150 billion dollars have been spent for the Iraq occupation and, over the next year, the continuing occupation will take at lest an additional 81 billion dollars away from priorities at home;

Whereas our occupation or Iraq fuels the insurgency, which prolongs the destruction of Iraqi communities and infrastructure;

Therefore be it resolved that the Democratic Party of Massachusetts

* Supports our troops,

* Opposes the continued military occupation of Iraq,

* Urges the U.S. government to announce a timetable for the rapid withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq,

and

* Calls for the U.S. government to reject plans for a long-term presence in Iraq, except for those associated with normal diplomatic relations and a commitment to reparation for war damage.

[Cyrano]

1. It's all meaningless until we get verifiable paper ballots in every state.

[welshTerrier2]

2. that's so silly ...

yes, i totally agree paper ballots are critically important ...

but what's the point of a post like you made ???? should we not fight for peace? should we not fight for equality and justice? should we not fight the corporate-controlled media or the horrors of US foreign policy ...

we need to be fighting on all fronts; not just on fair elections ... your post makes it sound like fighting against the "war" is irrelevant ... let me give you a hint: all issues are relevant and we can't afford to only fight on one front ...

[Cyrano]

5. Fight away. But until we control the congress or the presidency,

about all you're going to be able to do is pass resolutions about whatever.

You need to be in power to make change anything, and right now, we have none.

If you really want to do something useful, whold a convention where the main issue is getting rid of the Diebold and ES&S touch screen machines. Until then, you're just wasting your time.

[welshTerrier2]

7. tell you what ...

why don't you go hijack someone else's thread ...

i agree with you on the the critical importance of an auditable paper ballot ... i don't agree with changing the subject of this thread ...

[Cyrano]

9. You're right. I apologize.

[welshTerrier2]

11. no problem, my friend ...

i totally hear your message and think it's critically important ...

[PuraVidaDreamin]

3. damn straight

and it was apparent at the convention that is a subject that is persona non grata. Shhhh! It's a big secret, they won't talk about it as they are afraid they will be seen as whiners.

Everything is status quo.....

[ET Awful]

4. You left out the last sentence of your Kennedy quote in your sig

He ended that quote with "one is too many" :)

[welshTerrier2]

6. Kennedy spoke at the convention today ...

he was great ...

of course, i probably could have done without his 360 degree boogie woogie dance when he finished his speech ... it's an image one doesn't necessarily want to carry in one's head ...

[ET Awful]

8. I thought it was funny :)

I was volunteering there today, I had to leave right after Dean's speech however.

:)

I thought Deval Patrick was great as well. . . I was highly impressed :)

[welshTerrier2]

10. yeah ...

i liked it too ... i really like Ted Kennedy ...

the one thing that really disappointed me was that none of the speakers addressed bush's policy (i.e. current policy) in Iraq ... that really needs to change ...

[ET Awful]

12. Marty Meehan touched on it, as did (my brain is slipping, who did the

intro for Dean?)

[welshTerrier2]

13. i think it was Ed Markey ??

but my brain slipped way back in July of 1971 so, i hate to say this, but you're kinda on your own ...

my recollection, btw, was that Markey talked about it in the context of Dean's early opposition to the war ... to be painfully clear, and i wish it weren't so, the resolution as adopted is not Dean's position or Kerry's position or Reid's position or Pelosi's position or the position endorsed by the Democratic National Committee ...

and that's a very, very sad business ... it's a sad business that we need to change ...

[ET Awful]

15. It was Markey that did the intro and that was the context in which he

touched on it, but he voiced agreement with those early opinions of Dean multiple times when he was saying that "Dean said X, and he was right. He said Y, and he was right" and so on.

[bvar22]

14. Thanks!!!! Kudos to the activists in Mass.

I hope Mass serves as a model for similar resolutions throughout the USA. It WON'T happen at all unless someone and leads the way!
The Democratic Party has become moribund with inertia and FEAR of rocking the boat! It is up to US to wake the sleeping giant and demand that THEY represent us!!!

Good Work!!
I found your post inspiring!

[merbex]

16. I signed the resolution last night in Lowell; the volunteers did a

magnificent job blanketing all the parties last night

The rest of the resolutions/vote gatherers for other issues weren't in any way as well organized

Great job!

[Coexist]

17. Great job Mass.