Breaking: Obama To Meet With IVAW?

[Hissyspit]

DUer Proud2bLib reports Obama will meet with Iraq Vets Against The War tonight, and that arrests are imminent outside Pepsi Center. Elad and I are not there right now, but may head down there in a little while to check things out. Please recommend.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6782820

[deutsey]

1. That's what was reported on Pacifica Radio earlier...n/t

[deutsey]

2. Protest Update from Pacifica

http://election411.org/article/id/3527110/protest-update-aura-bogado-reports

Free Speech Radio News reporter Aura Bogado describes the protest scene in an unpermitted march. She also files this text report:

"This just in from the front lines, directly outside the Democratic National Convention, where a tense stand off took place some minutes ago between Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and thousands of riot-clad police officers: says that Barack Obama’s campaign has agreed to meet with them and talk about what the Vets call their Three Points of Unity:

1) The immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq.

2) Full and adequate health care and benefits to all returning service members and veterans.

3) Reperations to the Iraqi people for the destruction caused by the U.S. war and occupation."

[guruoo]

3. Is the IVAW threatening to oppose Obama's candidacy if he refuses

to submit to their demands?

And whose money are they proposing that we use to pay for these "reparations"?

[deutsey]

4. Uh, I got four dollars I can chip in...

[Mr Rabble]

6. Please. You know that we have the money.

If we can manage $12 billion a month to occupy Iraq, how about giving them four months worth?

The very least we owe the Iraqi people is money. We destroyed the country. It will never recover.

[guruoo]

9. We?

[sunnystarr]

22. ummm Iraq has like an $85 Billion Surplus ...

last surplus we saw was with Clinton.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. $720 million a day is being spent in Iraq

I don't think money is a problem.

But thanks for playing.

[ConsAreLiars]

13. The just thing would be to sieze the assets of the war profiteers

and use that to pay reparations to both the Iraqi and American people. These monsters have murdered and maimed millions. THEY deserve the death penalty, but since they are not living beings, utter annihilation and the distribution of all they own back to their victims.

[Kitty Herder]

18. I think that's a great idea.

War profiteering is supposed to be illegal. There are grounds for seizing their assets.

[yellerpup]

26. There you go.

That works. :kick:

[Raksha]

27. Just what I was thinking...they can get it from Halliburton and Blackwater

and the rest of the bloodsucking criminals. The war was all for THEIR profit anyway, so seize all their assets and use them to pay their Iraqi and American victims like you said.

[countryjake]

5. K&R!

[mmonk]

7. Two thumbs up!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[cliffordu]

8. K&R

:patriot:

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Just got a very short message from Denver:

Obama sent people out to tell them yes, then everybody started crying.

[Hissyspit]

12. Obama campaign to meet with IVAW. Here's the story from the Denver Post:

http://www.denverpost.com/politicswestnews/ci_10319568

A standoff between Iraq war veterans and police ended after representatives of Barack Obama's campaign finally emerged from the Pepsi Center to hear the group's grievances.
The veterans were arrayed in formation and in uniform, marching slowly toward a line of police, who had warned them they could be pepper sprayed and arrested. They were being watched by a crowd estimated by police at more than 5,000, many of whom had marched with the veterans from the Denver Coliseum.

As the vets got within a few yards of the police, the cavalry arrived in the form of two white-shirted Obama staffers who asked a representative of the veterans to be escorted inside the security zone.

After a brief conversation, a veteran's representative said they had been promised a meeting with Obama's liason for veteran's affairs. A cheer went up, the veterans did an about face, and the Democrats appear to have avoided providing John McCain with some very unflattering video footage of veteran's being pepper-sprayed hogtied and handcuffed outside their convention.

The veterans first approached the southwest entrance of the Pepsi Center and tried to ask the Democrats to allow a representative to read an open letter to nominee Barack Obama from the podium. But no one from the party or the Obama campaign emerged from the arena to speak to the group.

Jeff Key, who served in Iraq as a Marine master sergeant, said he wants to go into the convention, play taps for the fallen on his bugle and read the letter from Iraq Veterans Against the War.

MORE AT LINK

[XOKCowboy]

15. Thanks for the report.

Also I'm sorry I didn't make the meet up. Was online but at work.

[Hippo_Tron]

14. Clearly Obama knows his history re Hoover and Roosevelt and the Bonus Army

[Hissyspit]

16. Interesting parallel. Although I have read much about the Bonus Army,

that had not occurred to me, tonight. He WOULD know that, too.

[Hippo_Tron]

17. IMO it's basically common sense

People protest because of outrage that nobody will listen to their concerns. But if sit down and have a serious meeting with protesters and listen to their demands, it becomes really hard for them to continue to be outraged that they aren't listening to you anymore.

McSame of course wouldn't have given a second thought to unleashing the tear gas. And when asked about it by reporters he would just say "I'm a POW, how dare you suggest that I don't care about veterans."

[nickgutierrez]

24. John McCain to Bonus Army: "You kids, get off my seven lawns."

Actually, that's pretty much what Hoover did, too. Sent Generals after them, as I recall.

[newtothegame]

19. Hell yeah!

gOBAMA! My brother and 2 college friends are both IW vets and members of IVAW; this shit ends now!

[ConsAreLiars]

20. Very very smart! Once long ago I joined an anti-war shout-at at Tip O'Niell's home

His wife invited us in for cookies. It was a modest house. If it had been a mansion with servants we might have trashed it, but we would never have been allowed inside the gates, of course. It was an instructive experience. Learning who is the enemy also means learning who is not.

[brettdale]

21. Well done

Well done for meeting with them.

[unhappycamper]

23. The military rags had stories about IVAW this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3870046

[Radical Activist]

25. If McCain won't do the same it means he doesn't support the troops.

What's good for the goose...