Vermont 1st State To Call For US Troop Withdrawal From Iraq: Legislature Passes Resolution: Bush Embarrassed? Is The Pope A Jew? - RI10

posted Friday, 16 February 2007

Vermont 1st State To Call For

US Troop Withdrawal From

Iraq: Legislature Passes

Resolution: Bush Embarrassed?

Is The Pope A Jew? - RI10

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Vermont Becomes First State to Call for US Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

Wednesday, February 14th, 2007
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/14/1646233

The Vermont State Legislature made headlines yesterday when lawmakers passed resolutions in both the House and Senate calling for the immediate and orderly withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. We speak with the original author of the House resolution, Representative Michael Fisher. [includes rush transcript]

The Vermont State Legislature made headlines yesterday when lawmakers passed resolutions in both the House and Senate calling for the immediate and orderly withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Vermont has lost more soldiers per capita than any other state in the nation, and is the first state to pass a resolution calling for troop withdrawal. The majority of Democrats supported the resolution. Most Republicans opposed it, contesting a passage that suggested the presence of US troops would not bring stability to Iraq, or security to the United States.

Representative Michael Fisher, a Democrat, was the original author of the House resolution. He joins us by phone from Montpelier, Vermont. Welcome to Democracy Now!

* Rep. Michael Fisher. Representative in Vermont State Legislature. He sponsored a House resolution yesterday for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.

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AMY GOODMAN: Representative Michael Fisher, a Democrat, was the original author of the House resolution. He joins us on the phone from Montpelier, Vermont, the state's capital. Welcome to Democracy Now! Hi, Michael Fisher.

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: Good morning.

AMY GOODMAN: It’s good to have you with us. Can you talk about this groundbreaking resolution, or both? One was passed in the Vermont Senate, one in the state legislature in the House.

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: Yes. Sometimes states have to step up and lead, when Congress is not doing enough. And this was a time when Vermonters were able to speak up and say clearly that it was time to take some real leadership and to end this war.

AMY GOODMAN: Explain exactly what the resolution says.

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: The resolution, the key resolve calls for the immediate and orderly -- well, it calls for Congress to commence immediately the orderly withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

AMY GOODMAN: And this was passed by both the Vermont Senate and the House?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: That's correct. The Senate vote was 24-to-5. And the House vote was 95-to-52.

AMY GOODMAN: Now, this was introduced last year, but it didn't make it. What was the difference this year?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: Well, it’s hard to say. The numbers have changed in our legislature. The issue has changed. While I’ve been advocating for the Vermont legislature to take an official stance against the war since before it started, I suppose, it now is a popular position, I suppose. And I think after the recent election, more politicians were willing to go on the record.

AMY GOODMAN: Vermont -- it may be a surprise to many people, but has the highest per capita, I guess you'd say, death rate of soldiers in Iraq of any state in the country. Why is that?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: Well, it’s hard to say. We may have a higher rate of people signing up than other states, as well. I guess I don't really know why it would be that we have the highest per capita. But in addition to the number, who have lost their lives and those, who have been injured in this war, it’s also important to remember that 2,300 Vermont families have sent a loved one to this war. And the cost to those families, to the workplace, is tremendous, the worry that those families have to live with day in and day out.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about the role of the Vermont National Guard in this debate and how it changed from last year to this year?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: The Vermont National Guard did testify in one committee about -- a member from the National Guard testified, and they really did not take a stance this year. They very much -- they recognized the positive -- the appreciations in the resolution for the Guard and for the Armed Forces, and they recognized that there were members who would be upset by the resolution and members who would be very happy about the resolution.

AMY GOODMAN: The politics of the National Guard last year and this year: last year, the head of the National Guard, Rainville, she ran against, well, who is now the congress member, Peter Welch, replacing Bernie Sanders, who became senator -- she was the head of the National Guard; but now you have a new head of the National Guard, General Dubie -- right? -- the brother of the Republican Lieutenant Governor.

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: That's correct.

AMY GOODMAN: Has there been a change in their attitudes towards this?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: Well, I think you’re right to remind us that last year we had an adjutant general who was planning a run for Congress. It’s hard for me to know how much that was the factor or how much it was the personalities in play that are a factor and how much there is really a change -- a possible change of heart on the part of our military about this war.

AMY GOODMAN: And the role of the governor, the Republican Jim Douglas, what has his position on this? Doesn't he have to sign off on the ultimate law?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: No, the governor does not have to sign off on this. This is a nonbinding resolution. It does call on him to take a leadership role in bringing governors from other states together to not only oppose the surge, but also to say enough is enough and it’s time to bring our troops home.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you explain that? It’s calling on the National Governors Association, on your governor to make this call at the National Governors Association?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: It urges our governor to enlist the support of other members from the National Governors Association to speak out against the war and the troop surge and to support a withdrawal from Iraq of American troops. Our governor, Jim Douglas, has spoken out against this troop surge. For me, that’s enough. The surge, to me, is more of the same. What we really need to call for at this point is a withdrawal of our troops.

AMY GOODMAN: Are other legislators calling you, Representative Michael Fisher, from around the country, looking at this as a model? I mean, you have the Iowa State Senate that has just passed a resolution against the escalation of troops, but yours is the first to call for troops to come home.

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: No, I have not yet experienced that. I understand there are twenty-two states that are contemplating resolutions against the escalation. As I’ve said, I didn't feel like that was enough. I was unwilling to sign onto a resolution that just did that. And it is my hope that other states recognize that not only is the Iraq war a Vermont issue, but, as you say, it’s an Iowa issue or a Kansas issue or a California issue. All of us are paying a great deal, both financially and in human terms, for this war.

AMY GOODMAN: And what practically does this mean? So the Vermont legislature passes this resolution. It doesn't have any kind of legal binding, does it?

REP. MICHAEL FISHER: No, it has no legal binding. And I really -- you know, it’s hard to know what impact our actions will have. This may be, you know, but another pebble of ripples about -- you know, of Vermonters -- of Americans speaking out against the war. It may also be a part of a larger movement of citizens really expressing through their own action and through their representatives’ actions to call for a change in foreign policy.

AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you very much for being with us, Representative Michael Fisher, representative in the Vermont state legislature. He sponsored the House resolution that passed yesterday for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. The Senate resolution passed, as well. Thanks for joining us. Representative Fisher joined us from Montpelier, Vermont.

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tags: knowledge is power takebackamerica business politics religion quasicon bush richvspoor vermont iraq troop withdrawal military warpeace stopfundingthewar disinformation savethechildren supportthetroops

comments (2)

1. Tabacco left...

Friday, 16 February 2007 9:46 am :: http://tabacco.blog-city.com/

Subject: BREAKING NEWS: Iowa Senate Sends Message to Presidential Candidates on Iraq Date: Thursday, February 15, 2007 3:18 PM From: David J. Sirota <lists@davidsirota.com> To: <Tabacco email>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 15, 2007 Contact: Joel Barkin at 202-441-5247

Iowa Senate Sends Message to Presidential Candidates on Iraq

State Senate Passes Resolution Against Escalation of Iraq War

A resolution condemning the President's proposed escalation in Iraq sailed through the Iowa State Senate this afternoon, sending a powerful message to Presidential candidates preparing for the critical early caucus.

Senate Resolution 13 praises the troops courage, while criticizing President's handling of the war. The resolution goes on to urge Congressional leaders, many who have already declared their candidacy for President, to intervene in the proposed escalation.

Recently, a number of candidates have made visits to Iowa in preparation for the state's bellwether caucus, including Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Ducan Hunter.

Similar resolutions have passed in the Vermont State House and California State Senate and more than 80 legislators in Maryland have signed a letter to the same effect, bringing the tally of states addressing the proposed "surge" to 23.

"Anyone planning on running for President can be considered put on notice that prolonging, let alone escalating, this war does not hold water with the Iowans," said Joel Barkin, Executive Director of the Progressive States Network, "From the east coast to the west coast and across America's heartland, the people and their legislators will not be told to dig themselves deeper into this quagmire."

The Iowa resolution is part of a larger nationwide campaign against the escalation organized by the Progressive States Network and coordinated with Women Legislators' Lobby, True Majority and Americans against Escalation in Iraq, a group comprised of US Action, Service Employers International Union (SEIU), Win Without War, Vote Vets, Center for American Progress, Campaign for America's Future, MoveOn, and United States Student Association.

For more information on the Progressive States campaign, President Bush's proposed escalation, or state resolution language, please visit www.progressivestates.org/iraq

The Progressive States Network was founded in 2005 to drive public policy debates and change the political landscape in the United States by focusing on attainable and progressive state level actions.

States with Resolutions

1.Arizona

2.California (passed Senate)

3.Colorado

4.Connecticut

5.Georgia

6.Iowa

7.Kansas

8.Maine

9.Maryland (letter sent)

10.Massachusetts

11.Minnesota

12.Missouri

13.Montana

14.New Jersey

15.New York

16.North Dakota

17.Oklahoma

18.Oregon

19.Rhode Island

20.Texas

21.Vermont (passed House)

22.Washington

23.West Virginia

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obido s/redirect?link_code=ur2&tag=sirotablog-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=htt p%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0307237346%2Fqid%3D1135296981%2Fs r%3D8-1%2Fref%3Dsr_8_xs_ap_bn1_xgl14%3Fn%3D507846%2526s%3Dbooks%2526v%3Dg&g t; David Sirota is the author of the book Hostile Takeover. To order the book, go to Amazon <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code =ur2&tag=sirotablog-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&path=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon .com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0307237346%2Fqid%3D1135296981%2Fsr%3D8-1%2Fref%3Dsr_8 _xs_ap_bn1_xgl14%3Fn%3D507846%2526s%3Dbooks%2526v%3Dg> , Barnes Noble & lt;http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=2181&sourceid=41568185&bfpid= 0307237346&bfmtype=book> or Powell's Bookstore <http://www.powells.com/partner/30567/biblio/0307237346> . To subscribe to Sirota's regular newsletter, go to www.davidsirota.com <http://www.davidsirota.com> and sign up on the left hand side.

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2. Tabacco left...

Friday, 16 February 2007 9:53 am :: http://tabacco.blog-city.com/

Subject: NY TIMES: Dems in State Capitols Push Antiwar Resolutions Date: Thursday, February 15, 2007 11:55 PM From: David J. Sirota <lists@davidsirota.com> To: <Tabacco email>

FYI - Big story in the New York Times Friday all about the Progressive States Network's anti-escalation campaign...The pressure is continuing to increase on Congress from the states. Go to http://www.progressivestates.org/stoptheescalation <http://www.progressivestates.org/stoptheescalation> to see how you can get involved. - D

********************************

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/16/us/16pressure.html <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/16/us/16pressure.html>

New York Times - February 16, 2007

Democrats in State Capitols Push Antiwar Resolutions

By Jennifer Steinhauer

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15 ˜ Frustrated by the inability of Democrats in Congress to pass a resolution opposing President Bush‚s policies in Iraq, state legislators across the country, led by Democrats and under pressure from liberal advocacy groups, are pushing forward with their own resolutions.

Resolutions have passed in chambers of three legislatures, in California, Iowa and Vermont. The Maryland General Assembly sent a letter to its Congressional delegation, signed by a majority of the State Senate and close to a majority of the House, urging opposition to the increase in troops in Iraq.

Letters or resolutions are being drafted in at least 19 other states. The goal is to embarrass Congress into passing its own resolution and to provide cover for Democrats and Republicans looking for concrete evidence back home that anti-Iraq resolutions enjoy popular support.

„The end of this war has to start sometime and somewhere,‰ the president of the Iowa Senate, John P. Kibbie, a Democrat, said Thursday. „And stopping the expansion of these troops needs to happen now.‰

The activity was spurred in a conference call last month that included state legislators; Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts; and advocacy groups like the Progressive States Network and MoveOn.org.

Mr. Kennedy said pressure by the states would push Washington to oppose the Iraq plans of the Bush administration. „Your voices, your calls, your e-mails and your resolutions have an impact on the debate,‰ Mr. Kennedy said.

Many Republicans in state legislatures have remained silent on the resolutions, seeing no advantage in signing or voting for them. Others have called the actions essentially votes of no confidence in the troops on the ground.

„These resolutions are a colossal waste of time,‰ said Kris Kobach, chairman of the Republican Party in Kansas, where a resolution was killed in committee. „Legislatures are spending valuable and limited time acting in an area where they have no authority. If all we are doing is sending messages, we should be concerned about the fact that soldiers are being told that their states are not behind them. I think that is particularly troubling.‰

Many resolutions use language from the Progressive States Network that apes language in a proposed resolution in Congress that says President Bush should obtain explicit Congressional approval before adding troops in Iraq.

Other resolutions go further, calling for a deadline for departure, immediate troop withdrawal or stopping the financing of the war. The votes have largely fallen along party lines ˜ Democrats for and Republicans against ˜ although there have been exceptions. In North Dakota, a Democrat and a Republican are sponsoring a resolution urging Congress and Mr. Bush to „disengage American combat forces in Iraq.‰

In a vote on Thursday in the Iowa Senate, Republicans insisted on a voice vote rather than a roll call on a resolution to condemn the increase in troops. The measure, which passed, is headed to the House, where its fate is uncertain.

The resolutions, much like the ones that Congress is considering, are nonbinding and have little effect beyond politics. But the states‚ debates function as an echo chamber for the debate over withdrawing troops from Iraq and help demonstrate growing concerns on the war.

„These resolutions have generated an incredible amount of local media,‰ said Joel Barkin, executive director of the Progressive States Network, a liberal group that works to influence bills. „So they raise awareness that this is a local issue. But it is aimed at pressuring the Congress.‰

In California, Democrats and Republicans in the State Senate spoke passionately about a resolution that passed on Tuesday.

„As a people, we are getting fed up and want to express it and not be haunted by the effects of silence,‰ said State Senator Carole Migden, Democrat of San Francisco, who sponsored the resolution. „We are trying to capture the mood of the people and offer some guidance as to how the largest state in the union is disposed in the matter.‰

State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, Republican of Temecula, an opponent of the measure, said: „This resolution talks about not only opposing the troop increase but cutting off their funding. It lays bare the Democrats‚ true intentions. So they can stop the platitudes about supporting the troops but not supporting the mission. They want us to lose this war.‰

In states where Republicans control the legislatures, passage of such antiwar resolutions seems unlikely. Kansas lawmakers held a perfunctory hearing, only to have the committee chairman, Senator Pete Brungardt, Republican of Salina, say he would not schedule a vote.

„A number of people felt that was a rather public vote without an upside,‰ Mr. Brungardt said. „There is not really a winning answer for them.‰ -- To unsubscribe from this list visit

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Vermont 1st State To Call For US Troop Withdrawal From Iraq: Legislature Passes Resolution: Bush Embarrassed? Is The Pope A Jew? - RI10

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