MoveOn Leadership Decides Against Opposing US Occupation of Iraq

[chlamor]

Thursday, March 10, 2005 - Sadly, it has come to this. Two years after the invasion of Iraq, the online powerhouse MoveOn.org -- which built most of its member base with a strong antiwar message -- is not pushing for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

With a network of more than 3 million "online activists," the MoveOn leadership has decided against opposing the American occupation of Iraq. During the recent bloody months, none of MoveOn's action alerts have addressed what Americans can do to help get the U.S. military out of that country. Likewise, the MoveOn.org website has continued to bypass the issue -- even after Rep. Lynn Woolsey and two dozen cosponsors in the House of Representatives introduced a resolution in late January calling for swift removal of all U.S. troops from Iraq.

<snip>


Among the emerging organizations is Progressive Democrats of America (www.pdamerica.org), a fledgling national group with an activist focus on the Iraq war that is laudably straightforward. "We're organizing a new campaign in every Congressional District we can to call for the end of funding for war and occupation, and for the transfer of reconstruction assistance to Iraqis themselves," says Tim Carpenter of PDA. He contends that "public pressure can awaken Congress to an opposition role."

War in Iraq requires continual funding, of course, so President Bush's new supplemental boost of $80 billion in war appropriations has been moving through Congress in recent days. Tacitly accepting the war's continuation, MoveOn declined to take a stand against the essence of congressional backing for the war -- the money that keeps paying for it. Meanwhile, PDA launched an effort against the $80 billion; the organizing included a National Call-In Day aimed at members of Congress on March 10.

Read more at:
   www.commondreams.org/views05/0310-35.htm

[seemslikeadream]

1. Good that I wasted no time on them

lite ;)

[Pithy Cherub]

2. Whoa! What a way to make an organization, so oh last year!

Leadership disconnected from base - again! :eyes:

[Redstone]

3. Punks.

Failed the gut check, didn't they?

Redstone

[seemslikeadream]

5. I'm sure they don't have the guts to stop wearing diamonds!

[Tempest]

4. Article title is misleading

Moveon most certainly does oppose the occupation.

What most Moveon members, myself included, oppose is the removal of U.S. troops.

The consequences of a U.S. withdrawal would be catastrophic to not only the Iraqi people, but the entire region.

[shance]

6. There is NO reason to keep our troops there. Its an excuse in my opinion

Peace keeping mission, is a whole other issue.

[Tempest]

9. What peace?

How can you have a peace-keeping mission when there is no peace to keep?

[shance]

13. Perhaps a healing mission??

We are the ones CAUSING the WAR. As soon as we leave the fighting will subdue.

Actually its none of our business. It should be up to the Iraqis.\

Last time I checked on the law of the land, its still theirs. As is the oil. However other greedy ones would like us to think differently.

[chlamor]

8. Norman Solomon is Talking about

the leadership and he is correct whatever one says about the insignificance of the title.
The weasel words from the MoveOn spokesman/leader are there for all to read. Over 90% of Iraqi people want US troops out now! That is the Pentagons own poll numbers. They probably had to pay the odd 8% to say Stay. Don't you think they should have the say in their house? Time for the unwelcome guest to go.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Say what? Opposes both the occupation and removal of troops?

If that's the case, what part of the occupation do they oppose?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Looks like MoveOn moved to the dark side.

The apologists for the pro-war side must be delighted.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Form The Circular Firing Squad

Here we go again...why let the Repugnicans destroy any Democratic organization or unity when we have those within who will do it just fine.

I'm not happy with a lot of directions MoveOn has taken since the election and my contributions to them have all but stopped (as with a vast majority of sites and organizations I gave to last year) as so few of these organizations work with one another, and in many cases are trying to outdo or outshout another one.

There something that says there's something no kosher about this post and the attached article and I'm certain, if it's bogus that will be uncovered quickly...if it's true then this is something MoveOn members will need to think about in their own support of the organization.

Sad when Democrats continue to fall farther and father out of communications and fighting against one another.

[ultraist]

12. Eli claims it's due to a "breadth of opinion" of the moveon membership

excerpt from OP link:

When I asked Eli for clarification, he replied: "We've been talking with our members continuously on this issue. We've surveyed slices of our membership in January and in December, and surveyed our whole membership last spring. That's how we know there's a breadth of opinion out there."

But last spring was a year ago. And any surveying of "slices of our membership in January and in December" came before the Woolsey resolution offered an opportunity to find out how the MoveOn base views the measure. In any event, there will always be "a breadth of opinion" about this war -- a fact that does not trump the crucial need for clarity of purpose.

If MoveOn leaders were willing to submit the House get-out-of-Iraq resolution to MoveOn's rank-and-file in an up-or-down vote, the chances of a substantial majority would be excellent. Too bad the leadership of MoveOn.org is currently unwilling to find out.


####

COP OUT!

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. Welp, see ya round Moveon. It's been nice knowing you.

It's time to add them to my email blocker. This is a damn shame.

[applegrove]

15. Looks like we are being encouraged to move on. Bigger fish to fry.

nobody wants Iraq to fail as a country. Not even the UN. I you want people to not die... then you have to be for the peace winning - and not a low level war continuing.

We have no choice.

Only choice was at the poles. Never vote Repuke!

[msongs]

16. leave iraq now is a lost cause...let's pick things we can change Now....

immediate troop withdrawal from iraq is not gonna happen.

better to work for things to make the future better and prevent the repub revolution from killing the USA.

election voting fraud elimination, battle against ss destruction, medicaid, beating the repubs to death 9figuratively over their fascist anti working people agenda) and the like.

an organization can raise 100 million $ for the troops home now cause but it will not help.

so..........move on.

and work for troop withdrawal other was.

Msongs

read our paper ballot proposal for CA
www.msongs.com/vvpb.htm

[understandinglife]

17. I've 'moved on' from 'moveon.' pdamerica gets my $$, now. And,..

...who's to doubt that market competition isn't a healthy corrective to poor products and disloyal service.

Peace.

[Ms. Clio]

18. I hadn't heard of PDA before

Thanks for the link.