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"Come Home America" Message Was Clear Winner at Iowa Straw Poll (end the wars)

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annm4peace Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-11 08:44 AM
Original message
"Come Home America" Message Was Clear Winner at Iowa Straw Poll (end the wars)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/coleen-rowley/come-home-america-message_b_926692.html

some thing the news did not want you to see (even when the banners were in between two news trucks)
(the banners are bed sheets that are painted then attacked to 2X 14x. Duck tape your letters when painting the sheets, then after that dries then paint the letters)


"Positioned as we were at the entrance to the event, we were surprised at how many of the thousands of straw poll attendees (even those clad in Pawlenty and Santorum t-shirts) responded positively to the "Come Home America" message. Banners warning that "Endless War = Endless Debt" and "War IS Taxing" resonated with people of all political (conservative, libertarian, and socially progressive) backgrounds who stopped to talk, with some even giving up an hour or two of their time to help us hold the banners. "



Attendees seemed genuinely interested when we encouraged them to sign our recent "Dear Obama" letter and told them we were part of a non-partisan effort focused on the most important ISSUES of the day, instead of the promises, slogans, cute winks and other crazy antics of any particular political candidate.

The truth is that progressives who support social safety nets, funding of public education, and who are opposed to the widening disparity between the wealthiest and the poor cannot possibly see their goals realized without the US government changing course away from the last decade of destructive and costly wars. Libertarians will not see restoration of civil liberties, adherence to the Constitution and away from national security policing and "War Presidency" empowerment. "Greens" will not see more funding and research diverted to sustainable and environmentally clean energy technologies. And fiscal conservatives cannot possibly get the small, decentralized government they long for while the United States seeks costly world empire and military superpower status.




All of these worthwhile goals are connected by money and are antithetical to the US' spending on runaway militarism. If the American government continues to be controlled by the military-industrial-congressional-media complex, in defiance of this popular consensus, throwing away trillions of hard-earned and increasingly scarce taxpayer dollars on bombs, drone technology, armoring tanks, and outright corporate contractor fraud, none of these other objectives are possible.

So while hundreds of national media in Iowa covered the actual, close straw poll finish (near tie) of Michele Bachmann (only beating Ron Paul by 152 votes) and did not seem to care or cover the enormous outpouring we witnessed from people of different political backgrounds and loyalties, the consensus for ending the wars and runaway militarism is building. Numerous polls confirm we're approaching a unique moment where a variety of rationales for ending the wars are coming together that transcend prior political differences.

In any event, look for our Come Home America initiative and banners to represent this remarkable convergence outside some of Obama's upcoming speeches as well as other major political events throughout the nation. By strengthening the emerging consensus, it may be possible to end the insanity of these wars. While politicos and horse race bettors constantly talk of making their selections using the "lesser of two evils" formula, one thing is clear. It is the issues that matter more than the political personalities and unjust, unnecessary WAR is not the lesser of two evils! It is THE EVIL that corrupts and contaminates everything else.

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Coleen Rowley Donating Member (59 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-11 05:20 PM
Response to Original message
1. Tomorrow is another "Come Home America" bannering
We'll be outside the Michele Bachmann-Boehner-Republican Congressmen Fundraiser at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, MN, doing the same thing and giving the same message.
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Bjorn Against Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-11 05:25 PM
Response to Original message
2. Participating in this was a great experience
If we had done this a few years ago we very likely would have been shot, now even Republicans seem to be embracing anti-war sentiment. We have come a long ways even if we still have much further to go.
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Kalidurga Donating Member (627 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Aug-17-11 06:33 AM
Response to Reply #2
7. There are two kinds of Republicans that are now against the wars...
the ones that say at the time they seemed like a good idea and they had reasons to support the war against terror, but now realize it was a mistake. And then there are the ones I can't stand, the ones that scream these are Obama's wars...
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Motown_Johnny Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-11 05:27 PM
Response to Original message
3. Nextistan? I missed that one in geography class
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slipslidingaway Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-16-11 11:48 PM
Response to Original message
4. Thanks knr nt
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upi402 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Aug-17-11 12:14 AM
Response to Original message
5. The signs were all over the evening news
:sarcasm:
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LetTimmySmoke Donating Member (970 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Aug-17-11 12:30 AM
Response to Original message
6. But in the bubble of Washington, the "centrist" position is to stay another10, 20, or even 50 years.
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