Congresswomen Maxine Waters: Out of Iraq Caucus

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

(Washington, D.C.) - Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) has informed Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) that she and Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. John Conyers, and Rep. John Lewis are leading a newly formed Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus, with 41 members as of today.



Rep. Waters said: "The Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus is a newly formed effort whose sole purpose is to be the main agitators in the movement to bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our efforts will include the coordination of activities and legislation designed to achieve our goal of returning our troops home. Through floor statements, press conferences, TV and radio appearances and other actions, we will provide leadership for the American Public who has been waiting too long for our collective voices against the war."



“This announcement illustrates the changing tide in Washington around the issue of the Iraq Occupation,” says National Director of PDA Tim Carpenter. “This caucus will allow a collective dialogue within Congress on this issue, in which the tens of thousands of grassroots activists within PDA will be working to support.”

In addition, Rep. Waters will speak at today's 5 pm rally in Lafayette Square Park in support of Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) hearings today on the Downing Street memo. Before the rally Rep. Waters will be attending the hearings. The hearings are being held from 2:30-4:30 pm in Room HC-9 of the U.S. Capitol, with overflow at the Wasserman Room at 430 S Capitol St. SE.


Current members of the caucus include:

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. Corrine Brown, Rep. Julia Carson, Rep. Donna Christensen, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. William Delahunt, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Rep. Sam Farr, Rep. Chaka Fattah, Rep. Raul Grijalva, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Rep. Rush Holt, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Shelia Jackson - Lee, Rep. John Lewis, Rep. James McGovern, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Rep. Jim Moran, Rep. Grace Napolitano, Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, Rep. John Olver, Rep. Major Owens, Rep. Donald Payne, Rep. Nick Rahall, Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Janice Schakowsky, Rep. Bobby Scott, Rep. Jose Serrano, Rep. John Tierney

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2005_06_12_atrios_archive.html#111895706384528282

[neuvocat]

1. kick

[tigereye]

2. I love that woman!

She kicks serious butt!

[olddad56]

8. I notice a lot of woman congress(persons) on the list...

I have long ago concluded that we need more women in both houses of congress. Not to mention in the Big White House. And ,no, I'm not a female. I just think intelligent women have a different energy and they are more compassionate. Just my opinion.

[tigereye]

27. I agree with you

wholeheartedly! :thumbsup:

[calimary]

28. Oh she's always been a pretty effective and relentless butt-kicker.

It thrills me to see Maxine Waters throw her considerable weight, influence, energy, and communication power behind this. She can make a lot of noise and a lot of stink about an issue if she gets on it. Delicious to see her coming out aggressively on this one!

You GO, Maxine! In fact, I called her congressional office and told her that.

I suggest it might be a great idea to reinforce all these folks who've taken a stand like this. You can bet they're being hammered by the flying monkey brigades. Let's show 'em a little support, and offer reinforcements? And to those who refuse to join? LET THEM KNOW, TOO. THEY NEED TO KNOW that if you're in their district and you share these strong feelings - that they represent YOU, too. And the point is, MORE AND MORE Americans, in AND out of their district, are starting to come around to sharing YOUR view. This is NOT stopping. Even CNN wrong-wing shill and American Enterprise Institute apologist/lackey Bill Schneider stated on the air yesterday that "it's heating up." And considering his personal bias, you can bet he'd be loathe to say that if it weren't smacking him upside the head. He spins for a living. And if he says that plainly and clearly without couching it or "adjusting" it or distorting it or massaging it or reinterpreting it or otherwise spinning it, you KNOW it's gaining LOTS of momentum.

I was watching Ron Reagan's show on MSNBC this morning and he had some blog guy on whose point was how the blogosphere forced this story onto the mainstream media. The many websites and people who saw the story after it came out in the UK on MAY FIRST, and how Knight-Ridder did it on MAY SIXTH, and how little else happened on it, until it was just pushed and pushed and pushed by people ON THE INTERNET, with several HUNDRED websites blossoming - just focused exclusively on THIS STORY and getting it into the mainstream - that it finally broke through. THAT'S why it's finally gained traction. Because it developed into a tsunami on the net, and just flooded over into the mainstream.

And I've got news for ya: That tsunami was US. People like US. Here on DU, visiting www.johnconyers.com, kos, www.downingstreetmemo.com, www.afterdowningstreet.com and many, many more. WE are part of what did that, and made it happen. US. WE helped ram that story straight out into the mainstream media, where it's now taking hold. And the wrong-wing media can't just scoff it off anymore. It's now something that HAS to be dealt with. And it's because of folks like us who never gave up and never stopped pushing and aggitating and nagging our reps and writing letters to the editor and complaining to other media outlets. THAT is what did it.

Be proud, guys. You helped turned the tide. Be proud. But don't get complacent. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DECLARE "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED." Indeed, it's only just getting started.

[rodeodance]

29. yes, she is great--heard her at the Conyers hearing--slaming Cheney

[David__77]

3. How sad that so many Democrats are not joining them.

How truly sad and pathetic...

[merwin]

5. At least someone is doing something. It's a good start.

[David__77]

6. You are correct.

But we need to pressure others to join them. This bullshit "we're there and we can't pull out" is nonsense. Iraq belongs to Iraqis alone.

[merwin]

7. Definately. Hopefully when they start getting in the news other people

will join them.

[leftchick]

17. You are right. We have to start somewhere!

And thank God it is started!

:)

[goodhue]

4. Lawmakers offer resolution to bring troops home

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-919235.php

June 16, 2005

Lawmakers offer resolution to bring troops home

By Rick Maze
Times staff writer


A bipartisan group of lawmakers said Thursday that U.S. troops have done everything they can in Iraq and it is time to bring them home.
They are sponsoring what they call the Homeward Bound resolution, which tries to start that process by demanding the Bush administration begin a pullout by Oct. 1, 2006, if not sooner.

Exact details of the pace and timing of the withdrawal would be left to the White House and Pentagon, but the resolution is aimed at getting the process under way.

The chief sponsors are Democrats Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii and Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Republicans Walter Jones of South Carolina and Ron Paul of Texas.

Kucinich, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination on a largely antiwar platform two years ago, said bipartisan support for the resolution “represents a shifting mood in Congress.”

* * *

http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-919235.php

[sundancekid]

9. let's see if our own states are represented - are these red, white, blue

or purple areas of the country???

Rep. Neil Abercrombie, HAWAII
Rep. Xavier Becerra, CALIFORNIA
Rep. Corrine Brown, FLORIDA
Rep. Julia Carson, INDIANA
Rep. Donna Christensen, US VIRGIN ISLANDS
Rep. John Conyers, MICHIGAN
Rep. William Delahunt, MASSACHUSETTS
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, TEXAS
Rep. Sam Farr, CALIFORNIA
Rep. Chaka Fattah, PENNSYLVANIA
Rep. Raul Grijalva, ARIZONA
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, ILLINOIS
Rep. Rush Holt, NEW JERSEY
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, OHIO
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, MICHIGAN
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, OHIO
Rep. Barbara Lee, CALIFORNIA
Rep. Shelia Jackson - Lee, TEXAS
Rep. John Lewis, GEORGIA
Rep. James McGovern, MASSACHUSETTS
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, NEW YORK
Rep. Jim Moran, VIRGINIA
Rep. Grace Napolitano, CALIFORNIA
Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D.C.
Rep. John Olver, MASSACHUSETTS
Rep. Major Owens, NEW YORK
Rep. Donald Payne, NEW JERSEY
Rep. Nick Rahall, WEST VIRGINIA
Rep. Charles Rangel, NEW YORK
Rep. Janice Schakowsky, ILLINOIS
Rep. Bobby Scott, VIRGINIA
Rep. Jose Serrano, NEW YORK
Rep. John Tierney, MASSACHUSETTS

makes you proud ... even though my own state is nowhere on the map ...
gotta get to more work ...

[Karenina]

10. KICK!

:kick:

[Iowa]

12. Here's a map, by county, with % of votes in shades of purple...

[SaveAmerica]

24. To me this map says - 'Don't live out in the boonies'

[Iowa]

26. Yep, although there are some exceptions...

I live in the Mississippi valley and there's quite a lot of blue/bluish purple along the Mississippi river. But there are huge areas, especially in the west, where I wouldn't want to live. The map is misleading, however, in the sense that the blue areas tend to have the highest population.

[Sivafae]

11. I just wrote Lantos urging him to join in the Caucus. N/T

[IndianaGreen]

14. Lantos was one of AIPAC's mouthpieces for the war in Iraq

and he is now agitating for a war against Syria and Iran.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

13. it just might work- but what will happen to the troops next? Iran? Syria?

The only way the troops will come home is if the fascists allow that to happen.
And if they allow that to happen then there must be a new target emerging where they'll need all the troops they can get.
could it be
Iran?
N.Korea?
Syria?

[LiberalEsto]

15. I saw her speak at the Lafayette Park rally - electrifying!

I wish there were 300 Democrats with her courage and eloquence in the House of Representatives.

[yorkiemommie1]

16. yay maxine! yay neil!

from both of my states. i remember Neil Abercrombie from college; he's always been a strong voice.

[Jokerman]

18. Kick for Julia Carson

This makes me proud to have voted for her!

[Ariana Celeste]

32. And another kick for Rep. Carson...

Sure am proud that she is one of our Rep.'s!

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Resolution to withdraw troops from Iraq introduced in House

June 16, 2005

WASHINGTON - Two years after the Iraq invasion, America seems to be losing its stomach for war.

With polls finding support for the Iraq war at a record low, members of Congress are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for an exit strategy. On Thursday, 41 House Democrats formed a new "Out of Iraq" caucus.

Separately, four lawmakers - two Democrats and two Republicans - introduced a resolution calling for withdrawal starting in October 2006. It doesn't specify an end point for complete withdrawal, but it bucks the Bush administration line all the same.

Its sponsors include Rep. Walter Jones (news, bio, voting record), R-N.C., a conservative whose district includes the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune. He's hardly a stereotypical dove; in the early days of the war, Jones' anger over French opposition prompted him to propose replacing French fries with "freedom fries" on the menu in Capitol dining rooms.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/krwashbureau/20050616/ts_krwashbureau/_bc_usiraq_pullout_wa

[xray s]

20. What is the Resolution number?

I want to write my congressman to tell him to support it

[rodeodance]

21. "but it bucks the Bush administration line all the same."--LOVE IT!!

[rodeodance]

22. it is the dawing of a new day--the begining of the Fall of the house of

Bush--I can feel it!!!

[frictionlessO]

23. This thread should be voted upa bit more, it is part of the concerted

attack the Dems put forth today and history will mark it as such.

Don't forget to write to these leaders and thank them.!!

[TOhioLiberal]

25. It thrills me...

...to see MY Rep. on that list! Ms. Marcy Kaptur, 9th district, Ohio...Go Marcy!

[David Zephyr]

30. Kick!

[Ariana Celeste]

31. My letter to Rep. Julia Carson..

I haven't written to any politicians in awhile now. Here goes:

Dear Rep. Julia Carson,

I'm not in your District; rather, I am in Steve Buyer's District. However, I wanted to write you to express my gratitude in regards to this newly formed Caucus that you are a member of. The Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus, that is.

I have disagreed with this war from the very beginning. I feel that even if Hussein posed a threat, that Iraq had nothing to do with the tragedy of 9/11. I feel that what we are doing out there is wrong in all ways. I support our men and women serving out there- my significant other's step-dad is out there right now, hauling fuel. Our men and women are doing their job; many of them even believe that they really are fighting terror. I love all of them for their commitment to our safety.

It breaks my heart to know that we have so many of our men and woman out there, risking their lives, getting wounded, many dying... and for what? I always suspected that the Bush Administration had ulterior motives. And with these memos surfacing, the DSM memos, I am filled with such anger, revulsion, and depression. To know that my significant other's step-dad is out there right now, risking his life, believing in a cause that was built on lies. He is a great man, so full of love, wisdom, and great caring for America, our people, our freedom. To know that thousands of our people are risking their lives for Bush's lies... it is so disheartening to think that an American President would do this to his people.

It means so much to me that all of you are looking into this. It means so much to so many of us. You, and the rest of the Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus are truly patriotic. Please know that you have my support, and the support of many others, in all 50 states, and even in other countries.

Sincerely,

(my name)

(my address)