Memo to Dennis and Lynn: LEAVE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!

By Cindy Sheehan

“Congress must use the power of the purse to end combat operations. When the War Supplemental conference comes to the Floor for a vote I urge you to continue to vote no."
Dennis Kucinich, (D-Oh)

"Voting down the funds for war honors the mandate to end the war in Iraq that was given to this body by the American people in November 2006. Furthermore, defeat of the War Supplemental sends a clear message about U.S. priorities at home and abroad.”
Lynn Woolsey, (D-Ca)

I am not even remotely surprised that the new supplemental bill for war funding passed the House today. Hawks: Pelosi (Democratic Speaker of the House from SF), Hoyer (Democratic House Majority Leader), Obama (Democratic President) and Emmanuel (Democratic Chief of Staff) weren’t even about to allow the bill to come up for a vote until they were assured that it would pass. Besides, Pelosi, Hoyer, Obama (Senator) and Emmanuel (Congress Rep) gave George Bush every damn penny for war he demanded so why wouldn’t they also fill their own WAR chests?

I left the Democratic Party over two years ago upset over the passage of another war funding bill. That bill was the first to come up for a vote after the Democrats regained majorities in both Houses of Congress. Nancy Pelosi campaigned on a strong “No more blank checks for war” platform to earn the vote of the “anti-Republican war Democrats” who probably would have voted for Democrats in a logical knee-jerk voting reaction to the obscene Bush regime, anyhow. The only way to force Bush to withdraw troops would have been to withhold war funding but, as previously noted, after the Dems did regain the Congress, Nancy and Crew proceeded to hand George many blank war checks. In complete disgust, I resigned my membership in a party that was too craven to deserve my valuable support.

Are you tired of being used and betrayed by Democrats, yet? Like Matt Gonzalez (a good SF politico) who ran a principled anti-corporate campaign as Ralph Nader’s running mate in 2008, asked: “What can the Democrats do to lose your support?” There’s always the health care “reform” that is not universal and keeps the insurance companies and HMO’s in the mix in something that should guarantee health for all and not wealth for a few. Or how about that torture thing? Turns out that Democrats may not have ordered it, but they are sure good about covering it up and protecting those who did order it. I am pretty sure that the rank and file Democrat does support single-payer health care and does not support torture.

If you care about the fact that the illegal and immoral wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan are being fully prosecuted under a Democratic Legislative and Executive Branch tyranny, then there are just about 32 Democrats who are worthy of supporting and 203 that must be sent packing in 2010.

Although 30 out of an original 52 Democrats (joined by two more) stuck to their guns and voted twice against the war funding, and I honor their commitment to this, I would like to single out two for this memo: Dennis Kucinich (D-Oh) and Lynn Woolsey (D-Ca).
I think 32 Democrats should leave the party now and form a Peace Caucus, but why am I singling out Dennis and Lynn? Well, I have spent considerable time with both of them in their home districts and in the District. I have marched beside them in peace marches and shared stages with them at rallies and teach-ins. Dennis and Lynn seem to have been leading the gutsy charge against the bill and Lynn especially showed remarkable back bone in opposing her Congressional next door neighbor and by all accounts in San Francisco and DC, one of the most vindictive woman in the country: Nancy Pelosi.

My message to Dennis and Lynn is this: reject the Left Wing of the War-Bird. We have long known that the Right Wing of that evil Bird supported war/torture. Now it is becoming crystal clear to so many that the Democrats do the same. Not only do Democrats support war, but they also support bailing out the International Monetary Fund with our money that should be going towards providing jobs and housing assistance here to shore up our economy and not propping up foreign banks, so our tenuous dollar can remain artificially propped up.

One day about two years ago, when I was visiting Congress, I popped into Lynn’s office and with tears in her eyes, she told me how when she attends leadership meetings, if they talk about the wars at all, it is only to strategize about how the wars should be used to gain political advantage. Lynn said that there is never talk about the human cost and I can tell you that I have a very finely tuned B.S. meter and Lynn does not B.S. about human life, she cares.

Dennis has always been uncompromisingly for peace and he, (and Lynn), have paid with low power in the Halls, but I think they reap the benefits of support in their districts and support from all over the country. I know that they care about the Constitution, their constituents, the nation and the peoples of the world that are feeling the sting of the violence of the Democratic war machine.

Dennis and Lynn: Leave the party! It is not a party that reflects your values and is apparently resistant to your impassioned and compassionate rhetoric for peace flavored with a little common sense. The Democrats so profoundly resemble the Republicans, except for the skewed votes of today that I don’t want to see you being tarnished by the stain of guilt by association with that bloodthirsty brood of vipers.

No matter what Dennis and Lynn do, I will support them as the strongest voices of reason in an unreasonable body. They (and the other 30) will need our support because people who care more about feeding the War Bird than feeding the one million food insecure children who go to bed hungry in America every night have threatened them all with losing their seats in the House.

Is there no limit to the abuse that you will allow the Left Wing of the War Bird Party to commit?

I think we should all withdraw our support from this Robber Class War/Governmental system and just realize that it will always work against us and our best efforts and interests, but I do think you should look up the number for the Congressional switchboard and tell Dennis and Lynn "thank you" for at least trying.

I am going to send them muffin baskets myself.