One more against war
Under peace movement pressure at home, Pelosi backs Murtha's call for withdrawal from Iraq
By Tim Redmond
Rep. Nancy Pelosi has finally taken a strong antiwar position, demonstrating that the powerful San Francisco Democrat is not immune to constituent pressure and is finally paying attention to political action from the city's vocal antiwar majority. Yet Pelosi refuses to use her position as the top Democrat in the US House of Representatives to push her party to demand an end to the US occupation of Iraq.

Pelosi announced Nov. 30 that she would support the call by Rep. John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania) for a rapid withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. That was a shift from her initial position: When Murtha, a decorated Marine veteran who is generally hawkish on military issues, held a press conference Nov. 18 saying that the "troops have done all they can" and that it was time for President George W. Bush to withdraw the armed forces from Iraq, Pelosi was unwilling to sign on. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank quoted her as saying only that "Mr. Murtha speaks for himself."

But there's been a tremendous outcry in her home district for Pelosi to quit waffling on the war. In September protesters held a "die-in" in front of Pelosi's San Francisco office to demand she oppose any further spending on the war. A month later, on Oct. 26, the local Democratic County Central Committee debated competing resolutions on the war, one directly calling on Pelosi to support troop withdrawal, and Pelosi's allies were forced to scramble to create a compromised plan that wouldn't appear to be a rebuke to the House minority leader.

And over the past few weeks, Green Party activists, including former supervisor Matt Gonzalez and Medea Benjamin, a longtime opponent of the war, have been talking seriously about challenging Pelosi in the midterm elections in November. Benjamin was coming close to announcing she'd run, and had gone as far as to draft (but not yet send) a letter to Pelosi warning that her refusal to back the Murtha plan would lead the Greens to field a candidate against her.

Of course, even a strong Green Party challenge would be a long shot at best, but it would send shock waves through the city's left and potentially embarrass a congressional leader who is used to having nothing more than a token Republican opponent on the ballot. Most years she barely bothers to come home and campaign for re-election.

There's evidence that she wasn't utterly dismissing the Green Party threat. Early Wednesday morning, Nov. 30 – well before Pelosi's statement of support for Murtha was posted on her Web site – a press release announcing her position arrived in Benjamin's e-mail box at Global Exchange, the nonprofit she runs.

"Her office knew we were talking about [a challenge]," Benjamin told the Bay Guardian.

And the change in position has had an impact. "The whole drive to challenge her was based on the antiwar platform," Benjamin said, adding that she's reevaluating her potential campaign. "I'll wait and see what happens," she said. "This is a major step for Pelosi, who has been such a terrible disappointment. I hope she now will provide some real leadership for the party."

So far, that's still one for the hope column. Pelosi told reporters Nov. 30 that she wouldn't try to line up the House Democratic Caucus behind Murtha's proposal, saying that "a vote for war is an individual vote."

Jennifer Crider, a press spokesperson for Pelosi, told us the caucus is still divided on the issue, and Pelosi doesn't see any reason to push it. "It's clear that this isn't a party position," she said.

As for whether Pelosi is worried about angry folks back home, Crider said, "She obviously listens to what her constituents say, but this is her own position."

what more could be expected from a linguini spined weenie?

Maybe we can do both? If we cover all the options we run a better chance of being right.

What do you guys think?

http://www.danielcohen.org/2alaska/image/image03/2000062003.jpg

i love a witty retort...touche'

What would you prefer she do? She apparently does not feel that supporting a fast pullout is a good idea eventhough most of her constituents do. So what is new, many politicians Democrat and Republican have found themselves ina situation where their position was at odds with the majority view of their constituents.
Maybe you would prefer living in a dictatorship where there will be no concern about what constituents think.

the guy who invented dessert?  Is he dead already?

Thanks for the pitcher.  Makes it much easier.

-- Modified on 12/11/2005 4:01:07 PM

How about this one?  Too old?  Ya have to learn for yourself, every damn time?  That's called STUPID, and it's not a good thing for a President to be.

http://www.encyclopedie-enligne.com/Images/e/evacuationsaigon.jpg

3 purple hearts, a silver star and something else in 4 lousy months?   Where are you writing from, Special Services in Norfolk?

signed up?

Don't be so hard on them.  They have a medical condition that keeps them from serving - it's called a YELLOW BELLY.

an excuse, CAUSE YOU ELECTED HIM, YOU DUM SUMBITCHES!!!

http://www.geocities.com/dont_quit_anonymous/light_brigade.htm

It'd be funny except that you're not the one under fire.  People who are so anxious for somebody else to get killed make me sick.

"We don't need no steenkin plans, because we're not in the theater, and hell will freeze over before we go there - we're just cheerleading for somebody else to get their foot blown off in some endless police action, and live the rest of their life gimping around..."

Sign up or shut up, OK?

in a land far away, I know for a fact that Uncle Sam's Misguided Children taught their officers that the worst thing you could do was waste the lives of your Marines.  Loyalty required leaders to use their heads like they expected PFCs to use their hearts.

It makes me fucking SICK to listen to people talk about what badasses we are because we can rush into a fight without thinking, without a plan, because that dumbshit bravado GUARAN-FUCKING-TEES that more kids will come home in bags, or live with prosthetic limbs for the rest of their lives, than had to.  Medals are a bullshit substitute for blood.   There is NOTHING adequate you can say to these people - like Lincoln said at Gettyburg, men's blood is important; our words are not.

Idiots who announce that 2 years after we've crossed the LOD, now we have a plan, that sumbitch should have been relieved on D-30.   Today, on D+960 and who's counting, crucifixion would be too good.

And it makes me FURIOUS when that talk is coming from mental midgets & assholes who engineered their own way out of service.  

SIGN UP, or SHUT UP.

are u related to Lone Hangglider, 5 D's Dick, Dumbya, Mr. Editor, etc. ??

You guys write as tho you've been Vulcan Mind Melded or something.

And the Commies used leftwing nimrods in domestically to undermine the US. Just like Bin Laden is using them now. Yeah, not much has changed....the only difference is then, there were millions in SEA killed after we left(remember the Boat People???""), this time it will millions killed by a nuke here....

yeah, that is stoooopid.

SHUT UP?

I like that, it's catchy, it's the entire issue in just 5 words:  Sign up or shut up.

Well?  Which is it?  You can validate the question with your DD214.

-- Modified on 12/12/2005 2:32:22 PM

we had a thing called the US Constituion. funny, it never mentioned "Sign up or shut up". That must be your own selfserving twist on the subject.

Nice notion though. Only taxpayers get to speak about tax matters. Only women get a vote on abortion...only parents....well, you get the stoooopid picture I'm painting. nice try though...

and you can let us know when you think you're tough enough for the brown water Navy - you might have the IQ for a deck ape.

your question is irrelevant.

8 more and I'll be living the good life on a reserve pension. BTDT and may have to go back. The "sign up or shut up" schtick is stupidity in it's finest form.

All this time I've been hearing how the bastards on the right are trying to shut down debate. But now it's the Multiple Alias Disorder knuckleheads on the left.

http://www.amherst.edu/~paudcharevorak/junior_pics/halloween/11.01.03-communists.JPG

and certainly not a constitutional matter.  We are sorry that you have not read the constitution.

We are of the opinion that the party of which you speak is saying something to the effect of "put your money where your mouth is", which of course goes to the credibility of any witness.

Perhaps you could make an offer of proof as to your sincerity, Sgt Rock or Block or Barn or whatever.

I am the instrument of God's wrath; I will kill them all, and let Him sort it out.

they'll THINK "degenerate American perverts" when there's maggots eating their faces!!

we got "peace with honor", and it only cost us, what, about 30,000 KIAs?  Cheap at twice the price, because there is no sacrifice too large to ensure Republican victory!!