PLEDGE AGAINST THE WAR

In "The War Party: The Next Step in the Antiwar Movement" (Buzzle.com, 9/30/04), I advocated the following pledge in the coming elections.

The War Party pledge:

The War Party platform comes down to one simple requirement: A pledge to bring our soldiers home within six months (or less), to dismantle our military installations, and to revoke all contractual claims of the occupying force.

We should not care whether a candidate is Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green or Independent. We should only require an unequivocal pledge to end the war.

Our goal must be to offer an antiwar alternative in every race in the land. We must divorce ourselves from the self-defeating notion that a pro-war Democrat is substantially better than a pro-war Republican. Where there is an antiwar alternative, there is a chance the mainstreamers will come around. Where there is no alternative, there is no chance.
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Recently, former Congressional candidate Paul Hackett circulated the following pledge in behalf of Democracy for America. As it is a start, I signed it.

Democracy for America Pledge:

I pledge to only support candidates who:
1. Acknowledge that the U.S. was misled into the war in Iraq.
2. Advocate for a responsible exit plan with a timeline.
3. Support our troops at home and abroad.

See: http://tools.democracyforamerica.com/local

Additionally, Joshua Frank, author of "Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush," writing in Dissident Voice, advocated the candidacy of Kevin Zeese for the open Senatorial seat in Maryland (see Dissident Voice, 10/18/05). Zeese is director of Democracy Rising, an avowed antiwar activist pledged to ending the occupation.

"There is not a single Senator standing up in Washington urging that we bring the troops home." Kevin Zeese.

As an independent running against a pro-war Democrat (Congressman Ben Cardin) and a yet to be announced Republican, he deserves our support.

I join Frank's appeal. The time is ripe. The candidates are emerging. If we act on our convictions now and back it up with contributions, the transformation of America begins next November. Take the pledge.

See: www.kevinzeese.com.