Coalition Against War Spending – 2010-08-28 22:31:07

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/caws

97 Congressional Candidates Oppose War Spending
Coalition Against War Spending

(August 28, 2010) — Ninety-seven congressional candidates and 34 national organizations are opposing any more funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 97 candidates are from 29 states and Washington, D.C., and include 32 Greens, 24 Libertarians, 22 Democrats, 7 Independent Greens, 5 Independents, 4 Peace and Freedom, 1 Republican, 1 Socialist, and 1 West Virginia Green. Eighty-four are candidates for the US House of Representatives, and 13 for the Senate.

Members of the Coalition Against War Spending do not all agree with each other on many topics, including their reasons for opposing war spending. But they all back this short statement:

“The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost Americans over $1 trillion in direct costs, and over $3 trillion altogether. At a time when our national debt exceeds $13 trillion, we can no longer afford these wars. It’s time for Congress to reject any funding except to bring all our troops safely home.”

WATCH VIDEOS FROM SIGNERS.

Candidates for US House of Representatives
+Ken Adler, AR-01, Batesville, Green | Statement
+Nick Coons, AZ-05, Tempe/Scottsdale, Libertarian | Statement
+Rebecca Schneider, AZ-06, Phoenix, Democrat
+Richard Grayson, AZ-06, Apache Junction, Green | Statement
+Carol Wolman, CA-01, northwest corner, Green
+Clint Curtis CA-04, northeast corner, Democrat | Statement
+Ben Emery CA-04, Nevada City, Green
+Eugene E Ruyle, CA-06, Marin/Sonoma, Peace and Freedom | Statement
+Larry Allen, CA-09, Oakland, Peace and Freedom Party | Statement
+Dave Heller, CA 09, Berkeley, Green | Statement
+Jeremy Cloward, CA-10, Pleasant Hill, Green | Statement
+Mark Williams, CA-12, San Carlos, Libertarian
+Mary V. Larkin, CA-17, Monterey, Libertarian | Statement
+Les Marsden, CA-19, Yosemite/Mariposa, Democrat | Statement
+Randall Weissbuch, CA-26, Arcadia, Libertarian
+Richard R. Castaldo, CA-30, Peace and Freedom Party
+Marcy Winograd, CA-36, Los Angeles, Democrat | Video
+William Hedrick, CA-44, Riverside/San Clemente, Democrat | Video
+Ken Arnold, CA-46, Orange and L.A., Democrat | Statement
+Mike Paster, CA-49, Fallbrook, Libertarian
+Tracy Emblem, CA-50, San Diego, Democrat | Statement
+Michael Benoit, CA-52, San Diego, Libertarian
+Lisa Ann Green, CA-53, Venice, Green
+Gary Swing, CO-01, Denver, Green | Statement
+Jerell Klaver, CO-05, Manitou Springs, Libertarian | Statement
+G. Scott Deshefy, CT-02, New London, Green
+Doug Tudor, FL-12, Riverview et al, Democrat
+Marleine Bastien, FL-17, North Miami, Democrat
+Regina Thomas, GA-12, Savannah, Democrat
+Laurel Lambert Schmidt, IL-03, Riverside, Green
+Rob Burns, IL-04, Green
+Matt Reichel, IL-05, Chicago, Green
+Bill Scheurer, IL-08, Lindenhurst, Green / Independent
+Simon Ribeiro, IL-09, Evanston, Green | Statement
+Rodger Jennings, IL-12, Alton, Green
+Doug Marks, IL-14, Carpentersville, Libertarian | Statement
+David Gill, IL-15, Democrat
+Sheldon Schafer, IL-18, Peoria, Green
+John Duncan, IN-04, Libertarian | Statement
+John Wayne Cunningham, IN-08, Terre Haute, Libertarian | Statement
+James E. “Jim” Holbert, KY-05, London, Democrat | Statement
+Philip Dunkelbarger, MA-09, Westwood, Independent | Statement
+Peter White, MA-10, Cape Cod, Independent
+Charlie Shick, MI-03, Wyoming, Green
+Anna Janek, MI-09, West Bloomfield, Republican
+Diana Longrie, MN-04, Democrat | Statement
+Michael Cavlan, MN-05, Minneapolis, Independent Progressive | Statement
+Kevin Craig, MO-07, Springfield, Libertarian
+William OBrien, MO-09, Mexico, Libertarian | Statement
+Thomas Hill, NC-08, Fayetteville, Libertarian
+Lon Cecil, NC-12, High Point, Libertarian
+Steven Welzer, NJ-04, East Windsor, Green | Statement
+Anthony Gronowicz, NY-07, New York City, Green
+Jonathan Tasini, NY-15, New York City, Democrat | Statement | Video
+Emin Eddie Egriu, NY-28, Buffalo, Democrat
+Marc Johnston, OH-02, Blue Ash, Libertarian | Statement
+Chris Henry, OR-01, Portland, Green
+Michael Meo, OR-03, Portland, Green | Statement
+Chris Lugo, OR-05, Oregon City, Green | Statement
+Ebert G. Beeman, PA-03, Lake Erie, Libertarian | Statement
+Vernon Etzel, PA-05, Oil City, Libertarian
+Ed Bortz, PA-14, Pittsburgh, Green | Statement
+Jake Towne, PA-15, Nazareth, Independent | Statement
+David Segal, RI-01, Providence, Democrat
+Robert A. Dobbs, SC-01, Myrtle Beach, Green | Statement
+Eric Schechter, TN-05, Nashville, Democrat
+Christopher J. Claytor, TX-03, Plano, Libertarian | Statement
+James Arthur Strohm, TX-21, Austin/San Antonio/Kerrville, Libertarian | Statement
+Steve Susman, TX-22, Houston, Libertarian | Statement
+Martin Nitschke, TX-23, El Paso to San Antonio, Libertarian | Statement
+John Jay Myers, TX-32, Dallas, Libertarian | Statement
+Claudia Wright, UT-02, Salt Lake City, Democrat
+Gail Parker, VA-01, Independent Green
+John Kelly, VA-03, Independent Green
+Janet Murphy, VA-04, Independent Green
+Jeff Clark, VA-05, Independent Green
+Floyd Bayne, VA-07, Independent Green | Statement
+Ron Fisher, VA-08, Arlington, Independent Green
+Jeremiah Heaton, VA-09, Independent
+David Gillis, VA-11, Independent Green
+Larry Kalb, WA-02, northwest corner, Democrat
+Diana McGinness, WA-02, Bellingham, Democrat | Statement
+Roy Olson, WA-09, Olympia, Green | Statement
+Natale Straccuzzi, Washington D.C., Green

Candidates for US Senate
+Duane Roberts, CA, Green | Statement
+Gail K Lightfoot, CA, Libertarian | Statement
+Marsha Feinland, CA, Peace and Freedom Party | Statement
+John Finger, CO, Libertarian | Statement
+Bob Kinsey, CO, Green | Statement
+Richard A. Weir, NC, Green | Statement
+Cecile Lawrence, NY, Green
+Dan La Botz, OH, Socialist | Statement
+Rick Staggenborg, OR, Green
+Mel Packer, PA, Green | Statement
+Bob Burr, WA, Democrat | Statement
+Ben Masel, WI, Democrat (2012)
+Jesse Johnson, WV, WV Green Party aka Mountain Party

Organizations
American Homeless Society | Statement
Backbone Campaign
BuzzFlash
Campaign Corner: A Home for Progressive Populist Candidates | Statement
Campaign for Peace and Democracy
CODE PINK: Women for Peace
Consumers for Peace
The Democratic Activist
Democrats.com
Down With Tyranny
End US Wars
Environmentalists Against War | Statement
Global Exchange
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Green Change | Statement
Global Peace
Independent Green Party of Virginia | Statement
Jobs for Afghans | Statement
Justice Through Music
Liberty Tree
Maine Bring Our War $$ Home Campaign
Military Families Speak Out
National Education Association Peace and Justice Caucus
Peace Majority Report
Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Push
Proposition One Campaign
Rethink Afghanistan
Smirking Chimp
Velvet Revolution
Veterans For Peace
Voters For Peace
War Criminals Watch
WarIsACrime.org

READ ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS FROM SIGNERS.
Coalition Against War Spending

Tracy Emblem: “I support our troops. It’s time to bring our troops home. The Iraq and Afghanistan ‘wars’ with thousands of civilian casualties have created more terrorists. Our brave troops have been killed and maimed and they are suffering from post traumatic stress. The military chemicals used are creating havoc on the environment and making our troops sick. Our priorities must change. We can no longer afford to blindly accept that these ‘wars’ are ‘just’ or ‘necessary’ when so many people are suffering the effects of prolonged wars. My neighbor, a Vietnam veteran, who loves and fought for our country has tied a yellow ribbon on his fence to bring our troops home. And I’m joining him. We must start a movement to bring our troops home now.”

Clint Curtis: “I would use the $33 billion to create new jobs. This could be done by beginning to rebuild the roads and bridges that have fallen into disrepair after almost a decade of neglect. Education is in serious need of funding, as are many municipal services. Specifically to this district I would develop broad band throughout the district. Because the district is so vast (larger than Maryland) and mountainous, over 30% of the citizens can not access broadband. This has not only informational issues but also business development and medical issues.”

Les Marsden: “Iraq should have never happened and totally blew our chances of actually capturing the perpetrators of 9-11 as they fled to Pakistan and Afghanistan. And now: that region has swallowed them up into a safety net. We’ve lost far too much treasure in our American service personnel and must withdraw from both Iraq and Afghanistan now. To remain there now is folly and a waste of lives and American taxpayers’ money.”

Ed Bortz: “Not only are these wars unaffordable, they are morally indefensible.”
Nick Coons: “The funds being wasted overseas to ‘promote democracy’ should be given back to the taxpayers from which it was taken so they can use it as they see fit.”

Doug Marks: “For far too long we have been bent on the Wilsonian path of ‘making the world safe democracy’. This whole mentality is unconstitutional, financially devastating to our country, and destroys thousands of families annually. It is way past time to end these wars and bring our troops home. With this, we need to repeal the War Powers Act and force Congress to do the job they were elected to do: either formally declare war or bring all the troops home. After trillions of tax payer dollars and thousands of lives, who is any safer and how does this protect America?

“Let our troops defend the borders of this country; and to accomplish this we need to close our 700+ bases around the world and bring all those troops home. Who are we defending with our troops stationed in Greece, Germany, England, et al? Some have argued that we need to keep those troops there as a deterrent but I ask what are they deterring? These troops have been in place stationed outside of our country for over a half a century and still we have had terrorist attacks on our soil. There is no justification, aside from empire building, that explains having troops deployed outside of this country, so bring them home and let them handle an invasion that is happening on our continent in our country. There is a current upheaval in this country about border issues and the Central American drug cartels invading our land. Why aren’t our troops protecting our sovereign nation?

“Sword rattling and threatening stances only challenges groups to try and knock you down. When is that lesson going to be learned?”

Mary Larkin: “We need to end the wars, stop spending, and restore freedom. Politicians need to spend more time in their districts and less time in Washington, D.C.”

John Jay Myers: “There is nothing conservative about war.”

Martin Nitschke: “It is also time for Congress to repeal the PATRIOT Act and abolish the IRS!”

Gary Swing: “The United States has been engaged in an undeclared state of war for most of its history. The real objective of American foreign policy is to maintain world domination. The United States has the most powerful empire in history with American soldiers stationed in 156 countries. Since the end of World War Two, the U.S. has launched illegal military attacks against the people of more than 70 countries, killing millions of people. These undeclared wars of aggression are always sold to the public on a foundation of lies and doublespeak. In the name of freedom, the United States sponsors dictatorships and death squads throughout the world. We must end all foreign wars, abolish the CIA, remove all American soldiers from foreign countries, and limit the military to non-offensive defense of US territory. I call for the abolition of all weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological, chemical, and conventional weapons of mass destruction. I support a National Truth Commission to publicly expose the crimes of the U.S. government, prosecution of American war criminals, and a real criminal investigation into the US government’s role in the 9/11 attacks. It’s time to end the fake war on terror, the fraudulent war on drugs, and the perpetual war on truth. The American foreign policy of imperialism and genocide must be replaced by a nonviolent foreign policy based on respect for human rights.”

Roy Olson: “I see our flag lowered to half-staff all too frequently. An economy based on perpetual war is hazardous to our health. I am the anti-war candidate and look forward to seeing our flag flying at the top of the flagpole.”

Duane Roberts: “Withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan to pay for tuition-free public university education for every academically qualified student.”

Ebert Beeman: “The United Sates produces less and less everyday. Yet our consumption does not decrease. This cannot continue indefinitely. This is analogous to a family trying to live on credit cards indefinitely and never do anything productive to pay the credit card bills. Chinese and other Asians receive paper dollars from us that are worth less and less each day. In the past the value of every fiat currency has ultimately been zero. The day will soon be here when our dollar is worthess too. The day will soon be here when foreign nations will not accept our worthless paper for their real assets. The solution is to abolish the federal reserve (which is neither “federal” nor “reserve”) and return to sound money backed by gold and silver.”

Jobs for Afghans: “We recommend spending the $35 billion on this:
$5 billion for Afghan Peace and Reconstruction Jobs Fund, In Friendship from the American to the Afghan People;
$20 billion for American green jobs and infrastructure renewal program, with wage subsidies for companies that hire (2 million jobs at $30,000 per year for one year);
$10 billion for education, Pell Grant increased to $15,000 per year;
$5 billion R&D for Peak Oil and technologies and desertification water technologies, become world leader again (the next wars will be over water, not oil);
$5 billion deficit reduction.”

Mel Packer: “Our demand must be to bring them home NOW, not just an open-ended statement to… ‘bring all our troops home safely.’ These wars are an outrageous assault on our moral standing in the world and do nothing but diminish our national standing in the eyes of most of the world’s citizens. Besides murdering our own soldiers, they have murdered tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Pakistan while enriching private contractors who profit from continuation of wars and care nothing about the cost in human life. It is not just the cost we must regret, but the damage to our own morals, culture, and communities as we now see about 50% of our gross domestic product wasted on “defense” and wars while our own population suffers ever increasing permanent unemployment, hunger, record home repossessions, poor or absent health care, and massive cuts to our public education systems and social service safety net. This must stop. There is a class war going on in our society and it is being waged and won, not by us, but by the banksters and corporations that always put profit over people. We must stop this process. Ending the wars will begin to reverse this tragedy that victimizes us all.”

John Wayne Cunningham: “The United States Congress should cut all funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States Government should refrain from nation building and return to a pro-defensive non-intervention policy.”

John Finger: “Both of these wars are a waste of valuable life and resources. As a veteran, I’d be the first to stand up for a war which is worth fighting. But these wars are going nowhere: there’s no mission, there’s no measure of success, and we’re sending our overburdened troops to die or be injured in wars which do not affect our own national security. It’s time to bring our troops home now.”

Jonathan Tasini: “Everywhere I walk in the 15th Congressional District, I can see places where the people need, and deserve, an investment of money. Roads with gaping holes, schools where teachers will be laid off, homeless people who need housing, and people in virtually every neighborhood who need good paying jobs. And, yet, we have wasted close to 3 trillion dollars on two immoral wars. Let me repeat that number: three trillion dollars. I have been a consistent opponent of both wars and have worked, with thousands of activists around the country, to prevent those wars from starting and to end our tragic involvement in those wars. If elected to Congress, I have pledged not to vote for a single dime for any additional funding for the war in Afghanistan except to bring our troops home as rapidly as possible and for any reconstruction or diplomatic efforts to heal the wounds of the war.”

Ken Arnold: “It’s also time for Congress to reject any further funding for offensive military operations in Pakistan. We owe both Iraq and Afghanistan, and it is our national interest to see stable representative governments and functioning economies in both countries. Our military presence will not bring this about. Iraq has the resources to rebuild itself. Afghanistan is presently dependent upon foreign aid and opium for virtually all of its economy and has highly despised and undemocratic elements within its government. We should offer advice and assistance to transition them to a legitimate self supporting economy and representative government.”

Michael Cavlan: “In 2004 when I ran for the US Senate, I was the second candidate in the country to call for the Impeachment of George W Bush. John Conyers was the first. So I can now safely say that I was the first to say it and actually mean it.”

Bob Kinsey: “Preemptive war and unilateral action are not smart security. Instead, they paint a bull’s-eye on our nation. The Bush Administration promoted the Iraq war with lies and flawed analysis. But protection of human rights through international cooperation is what will bring about a safer world.”

Diana McGinness: “We have neither the troops to continue to send nor the money to pay for it. We have serious issues in our own country that must be addressed. The fight against terrorism requires police/intelligence work and diplomacy with other nations around the world to be successful. As a fraud investigator where I did investigations to identify members (who often did not use their own names) of fraud rings, I used many of the same tools law enforcement uses in their efforts to identify those who would harm us. Little attention was paid to identity theft in the 9/11 Commission report. Identity theft and terrorism (including insurance fraud and other white collar crimes) go hand in hand. (See Identifying the Links Between White Collar Crimes and Terrorism.) These are areas where we should spend our money to protect our national security. General James Jones stated in October 2009 there were less than 100 Al Qaeda remaining in Afghanistan and they no longer had the wherewithal to attack us or anyone else. Al-Qaeda’s organization is, however, positioned globally throughout the world. If our goal is to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat” them, we will not find them just in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq. It can only be done through international cooperation utilizing intelligence, police enforcement and targeted limited military involvement, when necessary, as we are currently doing in Yemen. It’s time to bring the troops home. They have valiantly performed their duty for our country. They have sacrificed enough. Now we need to care for them.”

Richard Grayson: “I will vote no on any war spending bills.”

Gail Lightfoot: “James Madison said, ‘If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.'”

Campaign Corner: “Campaign Corner provides a directory and a place for virtual interaction for all progressive populist candidates for offices through the U.S. A commitment to world and domestic peace is a common denominator of the progressivness of these candidates and the Corner is happy to join this coalition of groups devoted to stopping war spending.”

Michael Meo: “Not only I but the whole Green Party oppose the permanent state of war into which the two major parties, the Republicans and Democrats, have led us. The use of brutality and violence to accomplish our ends, so essential to the maintenance of the worldwide American Empire, poisons not only our relations with other nations and peoples, but also our domestic politics. Every decade of continued, permanent war has witnessed a continued erosion of the civil liberties that are theoretically guaranteed to us by the Constitution. The first right to go was the guarantee, that only Congress had the power to declare war. Then the state militia, the national guard, was placed under the command of the President. Next we were subjected to illegal wiretapping, which a compliant Congress made legal after the courts asserted the flagrant violation of law had occurred. Now, we tolerate continued torture, assassination, and acts of war against foreign nationals and American citizens alike, with no hearing in a court of law of any kind, and no protest against it by the US Congress. We live in the very definition of a tyranny, where the Executive can kill any of us with impunity.”

Dan La Botz: “The United States should at once withdraw its military forces from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The George W. Bush administration launched the war on Iraq in 2003 based on lies that it told to the people of the United States and to the nations of the world. Iraq had nothing to do with the 9-11 terrorist attack nor did it have the weapons of mass destruction that Bush claimed. The U.S. wars on Iraq violated international law, launching a war against another country without provocation and without justification. The U.S. war against Afghanistan, which began in 2001, was based on the argument that the Taliban government sheltered the Al Qaeda terrorists who attacked the United States. The United States and the United Nations then imposed on Afghanistan the puppet presidency of Hamid Karzai, head of an unpopular government rife with corruption. Since the Taliban then largely relocated to Pakistan, the United States began launching drone attacks on and carrying out clandestine operations in Pakistan. The U.S. war in Iraq has led to thousands of deaths of American servicemen and women, and to hundreds of thousands of deaths of men, women and children in that country. Hundreds of thousands more have fled for safety to other nations in the region, disrupting their lives and threatening their families’ plans for the future. The Afghanistan war too has cost thousands of lives and led to mass relocations of the population. The U.S. drones’ killing of civilians in Pakistan and Afghanistan has become an international disgrace. The wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, together with the U.S. sanctions against Iran, represent part of a corporate and governmental grand strategy to gain what the military calls ‘full spectrum dominance’ of the globe. While presented as wars to ‘defend the United States and its interests abroad,’ these are actually wars for U.S. oil companies and other U.S. corporations that want access to cheap oil.”

Richard A. Weir: “War is a waste of time and money. We could do so much better than this. We are spending billions of dollars to fight useless wars around the world. Meanwhile our on country suffers. Money could be spent on education, health care, and the environment as well as many other places. I say we end the fighting, bring our troops home, and take care of our own country.”

Jim Holbert: “It is long past time to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring our troops home. Peace and progress for America will only come through smarter trade, energy, and economic policies, not endless foreign wars. We cannot continue to bankrupt the United States by unnecessary military build-ups and maintaining numerous bases with large numbers of troops around the globe. Instead of continuing to spend on wasteful, counterproductive and over-reaching military activities, let’s redirect our funds and our activity toward rebuilding our Country.”

Christopher J. Claytor: “As a West Point graduate, and veteran of Operation Southern Watch (late 1992, Kuwait), I understand, through first-hand experience the extreme fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars by the federal government. This must stop! The Constitution states that the armed forces are for the defense of the United States, not to be global peace makers. Support our Troops! — Bring them home!”

Green Change: “Green Change is a national organization committed to growing the Green movement for peace, justice, democracy and the planet. We wholeheartedly support the Coalition Against War Spending’s call for Congress to reject all war funding except that needed to bring American personnel safely home.”

Jake Towne: “Iraq – Without a declaration of war, the Iraq War is an unconstitutional and illegal war as it conflicts with the Constitution, the supreme law of the land. In dereliction of their duty and oaths of office, the House voted down by unanimous vote a motion in committee to follow the Constitution and declare war in H.R.J. 114, the bill that authorized President Bush to invade in March 2003. Afghanistan – I will not approve spending to extend this unconstitutional war of aggression against Afghanistan and Pakistan. As Congressman, I will drive for a rapid immediate and orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan and redeployment to protect America’s sieve-like borders. I support increasing the reward for the capture of Osama Bin Laden forty times from $27 million to over $1 billion. I favor the use of constitutional Letters of Marque and Reprisal to address the threat of rogue enemies by granting special warrants and bounties for marked terrorists to be brought to justice. Terrorism – Addressing the threat of suicide terrorism by the use of occupational, conventional armies has only worsened the situation at the extreme cost of hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of lives. To defeat suicide terrorists one must capture the current generation and prevent the next generation from being created from collateral damage and blowback. Our armies in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating more future terrorists and aggression against our country. Letters of Marque and Reprisal would be extremely cost-effective – or we can choose to let the ‘War on Terror’ grind on for another 9 years as our economy crashes. The annual $1+ trillion military spending is not economically sustainable.”

Steve Susman: “Two illegal wars going on for a decade, while our is in an economic shambles. We cannot and should not continue fighting a ‘concept’. This has turned into a racket for defense contractors and their supporters in Congress. This is a worldwide tragedy in the human aspect, and a worldwide disgrace period.”

Philip Dunkelbarger: “Brockton, the second largest city in my District, recently announced it would need to layoff 420 of its 1200 teachers because of a $9.7 million shortfall in the School Dept. budget. The National Priorities Project estimates that the City of Brockton contributes $9.88 million towards the Afgan War alone. We have a strong movement in our District advocating for the transfer of 25% of the Pentagon’s budget to spending in support of our communities. We believe that a majority of 9th District constituents no longer support our endless wars for…for what? Yet the incumbent, always a cheerleader for both wars since 2001, just voted again in favor of the $33 million supplemental for Afghanistan. It is one very important reason, of many reasons, why we oppose him on the ballot. If he can’t vote to send our troops home, we will give 9th District voters the opportunity to send him home.”

Jerell Klaver: “As a veteran I believe that the defense our great nation must never cease as there are many evils in the world who want to harm us. At the same time we have a responsibility to our Citizens to ensue that when we place our armed forces in harms way, it is done according to our Constitution with objectives clearly defined and identified. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 brave service men and women, while costing Americans over $1 trillion. We can no longer afford these wars in both lives and debt or blindly accept that these wars are ‘necessary and just’. We have the duty and responsibility to end these wars, and bring our troops safely home now.”

William OBrien: “Defund these wars and bring our troops home!”

Jeremy Cloward: “It has been argued that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are but two fronts in the global ‘war on terror.’ The reality is something different. The United States, under the direction of the Bush administration and supported by both houses of Congress invaded Iraq and Afghanistan for the sole purpose of gaining access to each country’s energy reserves. Afghanistan was invaded under the pretext of retribution toward the Taliban government for “harboring” Osama bin Laden for his role in the attacks on the United States in September of 2001. What had not been said was that as recently as 1999 every member of the Taliban government had been on the payroll of the United States government. Having recently discovered large natural gas reserves in the Caspian Sea, the US supported the Taliban government in hopes of building a pipeline from the Caspian Sea through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea for transportation of those reserves to international markets. After the Taliban government proved incapable of stabilizing the country and the United States was attacked on September 11, the Bush administration had the justification it needed to remove the Taliban from power and install a former Unocal executive as president, Hamid Karzai. The result, the pipeline from the Caspian Sea to the Arabian Sea was completed.

“Iraq was invaded two years later with the intention of controlling that country’s oil reserves which rank second in volume to only those controlled by the Saudi Arabian government. In the case of Iraq, the United States under the urging of the Bush administration invaded a sovereign country that had not been responsible for the death of one US citizen prior to the start of the war in 2003. Yet, the war itself has been quite costly to the American people and the Iraqi people, alike. Indeed, more than 5,000 US soldiers have lost their lives during the war in Iraq. Of those soldiers that have returned to the United States, some one third have returned home with a loss of their sense of emotional and psychological well-being. The Iraqi people, on the other hand, have seen the destruction of many of their homes, businesses, and places of worship as a result of the war in their country. More troubling, according to the ORB Polling Survey, the war has led to the deaths of more than 1 million Iraqi citizens.

“Nevertheless, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue with no clear end in sight with a price tag now estimated at some $3 trillion dollars; a number that is equal to our entire federal budget for fiscal year 2008. One of the United States House of Representatives most important powers is the ‘power of the purse.’ In Vietnam, Congress ended the war by eliminating funding for the war. We propose to eliminate funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which will end the wars in each country.”

Robert A. Dobbs: “I have stated that upon my entry into office, I would sponsor and push for the immediately withdrawal of all forces from Afghanistan and Iraq. Futhermore, I would end all military aid and all military contracts for Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Diana Longrie: “I am honored to sign the Petition along with other congressional candidates and activist organizations who have the courage to stand up to those who profit from the war machine and the status quo. I’m challenging 10 year Incumbent Democrat Betty McCollum in a Primary election on August 10, 2010. She supports further funding of the war in Afghanistan* and has turned her back on a single payer health care model which provides affordable, accessible health care for all**. McCollum is out of touch with the values of the citizens of our MN CD4 and has become too comfortable with living a life inside the D.C. beltway amidst the parties, the lobbyists, the wheeling-n-dealing and the big-money special interests. A Vote for Diana Longrie (D) on Tuesday, August 10 is a vote for peace, a vote to elect a Citizens’ Representative and a vote to send a message to the status quo.”

*To fund the war in Afghanistan, incumbent McCollum is co-sponsor of HR 4130, entitled “Share the Sacrifice Act of 2010” which calls for an additional Federal income surtax on the middle class in 2011. i.e. those with an income of at least $30,000 per year .

**As evidenced by her recent vote to pass the health insurance legislation that puts tax payer money in the pockets of health insurance companies rather than providing necessary health care reform.

Ken Adler: “This country has been trapped in a cycle of war since its birth. It’s time to get off that wheel. Time to end our thinly disguised imperialism. If we have to bomb people, let’s bomb them with food, medicine, clothing, and kindess. It’s difficult to hate someone who does nothing but good.”

Marc Johnston: “Wasteful spending threatens the future health of this Republic more than fighting terrorists overseas.”

John Duncan: “I oppose spending on the undeclared wars too. It isn’t good economic sense to have an oversized military budget and we can save billions by bringing our troops home not only from Iraq and Afghanistan but some of the other 130 countries we currently have a Defense presence in.”

Bob Burr: “The wars are bleeding us both literally and figuratively. Future funding should be only for the rapid return of our troops to American soil. These are wars with no discernable or defensible reason.”

James Arthur Strohm: “The hundreds of billions of dollars we waste on unlawful, undeclared wars could be better spent on healthcare for the needy — or on the space program to explore Mars — or to research and develop cleaner energy — or even to pay down the massive Federal debt that threatens to demolish our economy.”

Eugene E Ruyle: “In 2008, Americans rejected the failed policies of the Bush administration and gave our first Black President a clear mandate for change, with Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. The change we hoped for has not happened. In almost every arena, the Obama administration and Democrats have followed the policies of Bush, from the war in the Middle East to the issues of health care, global warming, and state torture. The 2010 midterm elections offer Americans one chance to hold the Democrats accountable. It is important that there be a left alternative, so people don’t have to turn to the Republicans and the self-styled ‘Tea Party Patriots’ to express their concerns. I see my campaign as educational, designed to raise issues of peace, justice, and sustainability within the electoral process, issues which are unlikely to be raised otherwise. I am running on the Platform of the Peace and Freedom Party, but I also support the Ten Key Values of the Green Movement. I see myself as socialist, feminist, environmentalist, anti-racist, and anti-imperialist. I participated in the WTO protests in Seattle and want to bring the spirit of Seattle and the global peace and justice movement into the 2010 elections. I am not asking for any financial support, but I do urge people to contribute to the Peace & Freedom Party, which you can do though our web site, http://www.peaceandfreedom.org ”

American Homeless Society: “OUT NOW! We got out of Vietnam, and they are now much better off without us, as are we. Getting out of the Middle East would produce the same result for them and us all.”

Larry Allen: “Wars of occupation go on and on until for one reason or another the occupier decides to leave. The war in Afghanistan is already the longest standing war in U.S History. On December 1, 2009 I was disappointed to hear Barack Obama reiterate the Bush era justifications for our being in Afghanistan: That we did not ask for this fight, that we were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan, that the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden and that American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan. All of these Bush administration lies have been debunked. The one thing he said that resonated with me was that the status quo is not sustainable. Today, the for profit insurance industry which broke health care is embedded into the system by law, the large banks that destroyed the economy have been bailed out, the giant oil company that destroyed the Gulf is running the show, while presidential powers are being extended to include more secrecy, shutting down the internet and the direct assassination of terrorists by remote control. We voted for change and only got a change in the party and style of corporatism. We need a new direction, a policy to end these wars, fossil fuel use, and Wall Street derivatives markets. We need actual health care, not insurance options and mandates. I reject any further war spending. Put the money instead on public school teachers.”

Marsha Feinland: The U.S. Occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan are a colossal waste of lives and resources, both at home and abroad. If we want to end those operations we need to cut off appropriations for them. But that is not enough. We need to stop subsidizing the companies that develop the weapons and the contractors that create the war infrastructure. Altogether, the military, weapons production and contracting consume almost fifty percent of our Federal budget. We have far better uses for our tax money.

Dave Heller: “Our government has been completely co opted by transnational corporations. The war contractors, oil companies and Wall Street banker juntas won’t be satisfied until they’ve squeezed the last drop of blood, oil, and cash out of us. The Democratic Party has been failing us for far too long. It’s time to take a stand and cast a vote for an alternative.”

Floyd Bayne: [From the Culpepper Star Exponent] “Bayne said he did not support the war in Iraq nine years ago and does not support a continued U.S. presence in the Middle Eastern country. As for the recent shift to fighting Afghanistan, he said he does not understand how an American presence there is helping anything either. ‘We were going to find the Taliban and get them out of there — well, that hasn’t been successful. They are starting to make resurgence. Who knows if Afghanistan is a reliable ally,’ Bayne said. ‘They are happy with us as long as we keep sending financial aid.’ An advocate for ‘a non-interventionist foreign policy,’ he said America needs to stop occupying other countries. ‘We have troops stationed in over 100 countries around the world. How much do you suppose we could save in taxes if we didn’t spend all that money supporting our troops in all these nations?'”

Independent Green Party of Virginia: “The Indy Greens are ‘fiscally conservative’. It is fiscally conservative, socially responsible to save $300 billion tax dollars by:
Bringing 100,000 troops home from Iraq, 100,000 troops home from Afghanistan would save taxpayers $200 billion a year.
Bring 100,000 troops home from Germany, Japan, and Korea.
Of the $3.7 Trillion dollar federal budget $1.2 goes to Defense where there is no auditable accounting system. America needs to count the money at the Pentagon. Use taxpayer savings to balance the budget, pay off the federal debt, build rail infrastructure nationwide to grow jobs, and economy.

The fiscally conservative Independent Greens of Virginia are led by retired military flag officers and Veterans.
Indy Green leadership includes
Retired U.S. Air Force Officer Gail “for Rail” Parker – State Vice Chair – 1st District congressional candidate
U.S. Air Force veteran, Carey Campbell – State Chairman
Dr. D.C. Amarisinghe 2nd District Chairman
U.S. Air Force veteran, John Kelly, 3rd Congrsssional District Chairman
Janet Murphy, 4th Congressional District Chair – candidate
U.S. Army veteran Jeff Clark, 5th District Chairman – candidate
U.S. Army veteran Floyd Bayne, 7th District Chairman – candidate
Retired Navy Captain Ron “Rail” Fisher – 8th District Chairman – candidate
U.S. Army veteran Jeremiah Heaton – 9th District Independent candidate/Indy Green endorsee
David Gillis 11th Congressional District candidate
Julio Romano Iraq vetreran, Indy Green 2011 House of Delegates candidate.”

Chris Lugo: “It is time to end the failed wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that have cost the US taxpayers more than a trillion dollars and disgraced the United States in the eyes of the international community. Democrats have proven that they will not end war so it is up to a progressive third party to do what the Democrats have failed to do. A vote for the Green Party is a vote to bring the troops home now.”

Simon Ribeiro: “We must end these US-led Wars and we must settle the Arab-Israeli Conflict to establish a lasting peace.”

Environmentalists Against War: “War and militarism destroy lives, fortunes and natural resources, poisoning the air, land and water. We need to redirect the funding and talent used to create weapons into efforts that protect and preserve the Earth’s ecological security — the ‘natural infrastructure’ that provides all life with the means to survive.”

Steven Welzer: “The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost Americans over $1 trillion in direct costs, and over $3 trillion altogether. At a time when our national debt exceeds $13 trillion, we can no longer afford these wars. It’s time for Congress to reject any funding except to bring all our troops safely home.”

NB: The candidates and organizations listed here are not endorsing each other, and many strongly disagree with each other on many issues. But all fully support the statement at the top.