A Year Later, Even MoveOn.org Now Wants the Dems to Filibuster the Occupation Funding!

Dear MoveOn member,

According to the New York Times, Democrats in Congress are poised to cave in and give President Bush another blank check for the war in Iraq.1

Just a few weeks ago Democratic leaders like Majority Leader Reid vowed not to allow any more funding for the war in Iraq without timelines that would start bringing our troops home. Now, they're considering backing down completely.

As a Senator and a Presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton has a lot of influence with other Democrats in Congress. If she steps out and vows to block this deal, other Democrats will follow her.

We've heard Sen. Clinton talk a lot about why she's the strongest leader when it comes to ending the war in Iraq. Now's an opportunity for her to show us through action—and right now, action is what matters most. Can you call Sen. Clinton and tell her that you're expecting her to speak out against this move and lead the Senate to block it?

Here's where to call:
Clinton's Presidential Campaign: (703) 469-2008

Then, please help us track our progress by clicking the link below.

http://pol.moveon.org/call?cp_id=657&tg=391&id=11772-7644234-31lWbj&t=2

Senators Clinton, Dodd and Obama have already pledged to vote against any funding bill without a firm timetable for withdrawal.2 But it's not enough to just vote "no," knowing that, at the end of the day, the president will still get billions more for war. Sen. Clinton needs to step up and lead a filibuster to make sure the only funding that passes the Senate includes a binding exit plan for our troops.

This is an uphill battle, to be sure. But difficult moments call for courageous leadership.

Already, more than 15,000 veterans and military family members have signed on to a petition urging the Presidential candidates in the Senate to block additional funding for the war if it doesn't include a timeline for exit. Nancy in Vermont has a son who served in Iraq, and she can't afford to wait until the next administration to see real leadership on the war. This is what she said:

"I want you to ENSURE that my son, an active duty Army National Guard Iraq Veteran will NOT have to do a second tour in this war based on lies. Promise to BLOCK any funding that does not bring ALL our troops home in a safe and timely manner"

Voters across the country are counting on Democrats to stand up to President Bush on Iraq. More than 2/3 of Americans don't want to give Bush all the funding he asks for.3 And 60 percent want a timetable to bring our troops home—the highest support for withdrawal since the war began.4 The presidential candidates have the national spotlight—so they're in a perfect position to lead the opposition to this terrible deal.

We can't afford to wait until 2009 to start winding down the war in Iraq. We need leadership now. Can you call Senator Hillary Clinton and ask her to block any funding without a timetable to start bringing our troops home?

Thanks for all you do,

–Nita, Wes, Marika, Daniel, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Monday, December 10th, 2007

Sources:

1. "Budget Makers Plan Tradeoff for War Funds," New York Times, December 7, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3256&id=11772-7644234-31lWbj&t=3

2. "Clinton: I won't fund Iraq war without withdrawal plan," CNN.COM, September 23, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3159&id=&t=7&id=&t=7&id=11772-7644234-31lWbj&t...

"In Iowa, Democrats Eat Steak and Look for Votes," New York Times, September 16, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/17/us/politics/17steak.html

Statement of Senator Dodd in Opposition to the Reported Levin-Reed Legislation, Senate Website of Chris Dodd, September 6, 2007
http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/4028

3. "Most in Poll Want War Funding Cut," Washington Post, October 2, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3158&id=&t=6&id=&t=6&id=11772-7644234-31lWbj&t...

4. ABC News/Washington Post Poll: Iraq, November 6, 2007
http://abcnews.go.com/images/PollingUnit/1050a2IraqWar.pdf

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