Subject: Vote Today: Which '08 Candidate's Best on Iraq?

From: "Adam Ruben, MoveOn.org Political Action" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:43:22 -0700

Dear MoveOn member,

Last night's Virtual Town Hall on Iraq was really exciting. Seven
Democratic candidates for president spoke directly to tens of thousands of
progressives from coast to coast. Listening to the candidates compete for
who has the best plan to bring our troops home--well, it's a big change
from 2004. The visions they laid out could hardly be more different from
our current administration's approach.

Now it's time for the final step: we all vote on which candidate is best
able to lead the country out of the war in Iraq. We need to show that
progressives will reward candidates who stand strong on Iraq.

And if you couldn't make it to a party, you're in luck! We captured it all
on tape and in print. So, read or listen to the candidates' words first,
and then cast your vote. If you're ready to vote now, click here:

http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/support.html?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=3

It's not too late to join in the Town Hall and vote! Just click here to
listen to highlights and read transcripts:

http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/report_back.html?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=4

Last night was a great example of grassroots democracy. The candidates
answered (and occasionally ducked) questions submitted and chosen by real
people--not beltway pundits. Afterward, we had great conversations about
how we can use the primary process to end the war and build progressive
power. It was a reminder of how different politics can feel when driven by
citizens--not by money, consultants, or party power brokers.

Our partners at Air America Radio will be rebroadcasting the show over the
next few days, so check your local listings, and tell you friends to
listen.1

You can help make this experiment in people-powered politics a success by
voting right now for the candidate you think can lead us out of Iraq
(voting closes tonight at midnight PST). And once you vote, you'll have
the chance to support your candidate by contributing to their campaign and
joining their e-mail list.

Check out our highlights page:

http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/report_back.html?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=5

Then be sure and vote at:

http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/support.html?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=6

One important thing to note: Winning this vote isn't an official MoveOn
endorsement. Before we all make any endorsements together, we need to keep
pressing the candidates on Iraq--and on other issues. Watch your email for
info on two more Virtual Town Halls to come this spring and summer--one on
health care, and one on global warming.

Events like tonight are only possible because of you. Thanks for all you
do.

--Adam, Ilyse, Justin, Mari and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
  Wednesday, April 11th, 2007

P.S. Here are the excerpts from the opening statements the candidates made
last night in the order in which they spoke:

Senator Edwards: Last year you helped elect a new Congress, and thanks to
your relentless grassroots pressure you helped shift the national debate
about ending the war in Iraq from a question of if, to a question of how
soon. Thank you. As you probably know I voted for this war. I was wrong
and I take responsibility for that. Every day this war drags on is worse
for Iraq, worse for our troops, worse for our country. We don't need more
debate. We don't need symbolic resolution, we don't need abstract goals.
What we need are binding requirements, and we can't wait until this
President takes off in 2009. Here's what I think ought to happen...

Click here to finish reading Senator Edward's comments:
http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/transcripts.html#edwards?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=7

Click here to watch the video of Senator Edward's talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F1QF8BZ74Q

Senator Biden: Everyone agrees...that there's no military solution to
Iraq, including the President. Everyone acknowledges the need for a
political solution. And many of my colleagues have offered ideas... just
capping troops or cutting troops, or removing troops, but none of them
offered a political alternative. To be responsible, one has to be able to
answer a two-word question in my view after you've put forward what you
think should be done, and that is: Then what? After we pull our troops
out, then what? After we cap troops, then what? After we cut partial
funding, then what? Well, I put forward a political solution that's been
referred to as the Biden-Gelb plan. And it's totally consistent with the
Iraqi constitution.

Click here to finish reading Senator Biden's comments:
http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/transcripts.html#biden?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=8

Click here to watch the video of Senator Biden's talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-2M3LQ-U4k

Representative Kucinich:  The best and fastest way to end the war in Iraq
is to adopt my plan which is embodied in H.R. 1234. It's a plan to end the
war in Iraq and it begins with an understanding that the insurgency in is
being fueled by the United States occupation, and that once the United
States declares its intentions to withdraw United States troops and close
military bases, that's the point at which we can engage the world
community. We need to take a new direction in Iraq, and that direction is
out...

Click here to finish reading Representative Kucinich's comments:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2499&id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=9

Click here to watch the video of Representative Kucinich's talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YJPGjDGFno

Governor Richardson: Here's my position on Iraq and it's not on the one
hand on the other hand, benchmarks, etc... if I were President today, I
would withdraw American troops by the end of this calendar year. I would
have no residual force whatsoever. What I would do coupled with that
withdrawal, using the leverage of an American withdrawal of forces, would
be to convene two very strong diplomatic initiatives, two diplomatic
conferences. One, in a US-led effort to get the three entities, the three
religious groups, the three sects, the Sunni, the Shia, the Kurds... to
put them in a room and I would say, there's gonna be a coalition
government, you're gonna divide up oil revenues, you're gonna divide up
ministries, cabinet ministries, there's gonna be three entities in Iraq,
based on the Dayton Accords.  And what I would do is have an Iraqi central
government. Hopefully that would be Iraq's future political structure...

Click here to finish reading Governor Richardson's comments:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2501&id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=10

Click here to watch the video of Governor Richardson's talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RItZliPmZXI

Senator Clinton: There are really two different ways of thinking about
this: the first, is what we can do while President Bush is still in
office, and the second is what I will do when I'm President. First we've
got to face up to the reality that the situation in Iraq is deteriorating.
It is not improving and all the happy talking in the world will not fix
the grim reality on the ground. My plan to end the war confronts that
reality head-on. I introduced legislation called "Iraq Troop Protection
and Reduction Act." Under it, we would begin re-deployment of our troops
out of Iraq in 90 days. I have been pushing this plan for almost 2 years.
The bill would fight the President's escalation by capping the number of
troops in Iraq, it would also prohibit sending more troops to escalate a
failed strategy. Second, we would protect our troops by making sure that
if they were still there, or if we couldn't convince the President to do
what the American people want, they could not be sent unless they had all
of the equipment and training they need because it is a disgrace that they
are still going without body armor, armored vehicles, and so much more.

Click here to finish reading Senator Clinton's comments:
http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/transcripts.html#clinton?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=11

Click here to watch the video of Senator Clinton's talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw65_zr9exk

Senator Dodd: I'm the one that believes that, as others have stated it,
there's no military solution at all to Iraq. We need to move away from
this idea that there's a military solution. I've felt that for the last
several years. And so, I believe that we oughta start re-deploying this
evening, and over the next year, we can do that very safely, provide all
the support our troops would need. We need to have a finishing date. I'm a
supporter of Feingold-Reid. I believe that we ought to have an end-date of
March of '08 to provide a year-long opportunity for redeployment.

Click here to finish reading Senator Dodd's comments:
http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/transcripts.html#dodd?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=12

Click here to watch the video of Senator Dodd's talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3rj-Z5pQvE

Senator Obama: The hard truth is, there's no military solution to this
war. Our troops have done all that they have been asked and more, but no
amount of American soldiers are gonna solve the political differences that
lie in the heart of the sectarian conflict.  So, the news today that the
Pentagon is considering extending the surge by extending the tour of
15,000 troops, the National Guard is about the call up another 13,000
soldiers before they were scheduled to deploy. All of this is just going
to put more men and women in the crossfire of a civil war...

Click here to finish reading Senator Obama's comments:
http://pol.moveon.org/townhall/iraq/transcripts.html#obama?id=10183-86329-vHSk1C&t=13

Click here to watch the video of Senator Obama's talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQY9xxJEE08

1. Click here to check Air America local listings:
http://www.airamerica.com/stations

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