Karl Rove might be a nasty guy, but he's no dummy. In a press interview as he left office, he gave the Democrats some free advice. He described his politics as building on the energy of the base of the Republican Party and expanding it outward. He mentioned that the Democrats could build on the energy of their base, like the "Pink Ladies", he said, referring to the Code Pink women who dogged him until the day he left office.
Instead of courting the "Pink Ladies" and the energetic peace movement that helped put the Democrats in power and turned Pelosi from Minority leader into Madam Speaker, Pelosi has alienated CODEPINK and most of the peace movement. It started the day she became Speaker, when she said that defunding the war and impeachment were off the table. It worsened when she compromised with the conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats on an Iraq funding bill instead of supporting the Progressive Caucus. And it totally fell apart in May 2007 when she allowed Congress to give Bush another $95 billion for war with no timetable for withdrawal. While Pelosi herself voted against the bill, many anti-war activists held her responsible since she failed to put pressure on the conservative Democrats to form a united front against another blank check for war. They also pointed out that in the case of both the unrestricted war funding and the expanded FISA wiretapping, she had the power to just keep the bills off the floor.
With a Bush Administration request for even more war money looming in September, CODEPINK and a coalition of 1,300 anti-war groups called United for Peace and Justice have been pushing for a meeting with the Speaker to see what her strategy will be this time around. If she really wants to end the war, as she insists she does, what lessons did she learn from the Spring defeat that will ensure a different outcome this Fall? How can the peace movement work together with the Speaker to make sure her new strategy works?
Despite countless requests, Pelosi has refused to have either a private meeting with the peace community or a public Town Hall meeting in her district. The last time she held a Town Hall meeting was in January 2006-almost two years ago!
During the August recess, while Congresspeople all over the country held meetings on the issue most pressing to their constituents-the war-Pelosi rejected a request from over 30 San Francisco peace and justice groups, ranging from Jewish Voice for Peace to Muslim American Voice, from the Labor Council to MoveOn.
So on August 12, CODEPINK took the request to her home, organizing an encampment and hunger strike outside her Pacific Heights mansion. It is a tactic that was successful with Senator Dianne Feinstein. After six days of having campers outside her home, Feinsten came out to have a cordial half-hour discussion with the fasters and promised a longer meeting. Not Pelosi. During the two-week campout and hunger strike, Pelosi's only interaction with the activists was her hostility toward them. Arriving home late one evening, hunger striker Toby Blome asked "Why won't you meet with us?" "I'll never meet with you," the Speaker screamed. "Get away from my house." When Blome asked her about the homes of all the Iraqis whose privacy we invade, Pelosi snapped and called her "a nut."
Hoping the Speaker would change her mind, the activists kept up the vigil, sleeping on the hard cement, drinking only liquids, and trekking to her downtown office every day singing (to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat) "Nancy, Nancy you're our rep, It's time to end the war, Meet, meet, meet with us, That's all we're asking for."
On Day 5 of the hunger strike, Pelosi's San Francisco Director Dan Bernal coldly told the fasters and their supporters that the Speaker would not have the time to meet with peace groups in her district anytime during the August recess, period. That very night, CODEPINK in Arizona emailed us an article from the Ahwatukee, Arizona paper saying the Speaker had made a surprise appearance at a "Democrats and Donuts" coffee klatch in their little town before going on to a fundraiser. "I was amazed she took so much time to speak with us," gushed local organizer Pamela Jamar Wald in the Ahwatukee paper. The next day, CODEPINK Los Angeles passed on the news that Pelosi was meeting with high-dollar donors at the estate of Beverly Hills political fundraiser Daphna Ziman. While Pelosi had no time for her constituents, she spent the month of August jetting around to fundraisers in seven states.
Meanwhile, it's not just passionate peace activists who are disillusioned. An August Field Poll of California voters found Pelosi's approval rating plummeted from a high of 48 percent in March to 39 percent by August- a tie with Vice President Dick Cheney. The drop came primarily from Democrats and independents disappointed that Congress has been unable to change policy in Iraq. California voters' view of the entire Congress was a disastrous 20 percent approval, 66 percent disapproval-the lowest rating since the Field Poll started asking the question in 1996. It's even worse nationally. An August national Gallup poll found 18 percent approval, 76 percent disapproval--the worst since the group started asking the question in 1974.
Nancy Pelosi is not only blowing it with the peace movement-turning those who should be her base into her adversaries and paving the way for "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan to make a spirited run for her Congressional seat-she's also blowing it with the majority of Americans.
Our advice? Stand up to Bush. Don't allow Congress to give another blank check for war. Force the conservative Dems to follow your lead. Don't only vote the right way, but use your power as Speaker to only allow bills to the floor that include a fixed timeline for withdrawal or stipulate that funds only be used for the safe and speedy withdrawal of our troops.
And one more thing. Take a clue from Karl Rove. Build on the energy and passion of the anti-war movement. Make them your allies. If you can meet with Syrian strongman Bashar al-Asad, you can surely meet with the peace-loving Pink Ladies, the Quakers, Veterans for Peace and others who have been the heart and soul of our nation's efforts to end this shameful war.
Www.globalexchange.org
Medea Benjamin is the cofounder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace
Speaker Pelosi, in her succession position as vice - Vice-President, said she discarded IMPEACHMENT 'off the table,' and the US Constitution it rode in on.
by
meremark (1 articles, 3 quicklinks, 23 diaries, 473 comments)
on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 1:40:29 PM
First I would thank, from the bottom of my heart, both Ms. Benjamin and all of Code Pink for their diligence and determination. This fight cannot be lost as long as true Americans like you folks work so hard to save it.
I do believe that attempting to sway the crippled and sightless leadership of the Democratic Party is pretty much a waste of time. Neither Harry Reid nor Nancy Pelosi is much different from the GOP leadership that has brought us to this sorry state. Neither Democrat nor Republican can see anything but the road to power and that means the accumulation of large sums of money. They care not one fig for the wishes of the electorate, only for the wishes of those who write the large checks.
If we are to alter the course of American policies, both foreign and domestic, then we must reject the status quo, we must think outside the box, we must turn from the Duopoly that runs this nation, we must understand that Donkey or Elephant, they are both the same animal. I believe that the road to the restoration of the United States to its more principled course lies with a third party and with the education of the American people. The politicians now in power can kiss my ...well you know.
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2388 comments)
on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 6:31:52 PM
The democrat party just like the republicans have become DISGRACE to yhe United States. Billions of dollars and corruption run our government. for over 60 years our politicans have been influencedby SPECIAL INTEREST AND CORPORATE AMERICA.There has been a need for a third party. it is way over due. this coming election in 2008 it should be up to all americans to vote against all politicans that are seaking re-nomation. IN OTHER WORDS ITS TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE. AND I MEAN COMPLETELY.its better to have all new blood then corrupt politicans. that serve term after term after term and are permanent fixture's in washington. some stay so long as congressman or senators that they loose there mind and can no longer function. we americans have to take back this government. we can no longer sit and wait. time is running out.
by
vincent passiatore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 156 comments)
on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 12:01:43 AM
Speaker Pelosi can't Impeach Bush or end the occupation and claim a larger share of the Iraqui Oil War Spoils at the same time. He was just mocking Pelosi.
Keep up the good work.
by
Samuel Bryan (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 111 comments)
on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 12:50:49 AM
