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Military families urge congress censure president Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-17-2004/0002129977&EDATE=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-17-2004/0002129977&EDATE=
Military Families Urge Censure for Bush as Congress Marks Iraq Anniversary
Coalition Critical of White House Deceptions
Delivers 560,340 Petition Signatures to House Offices
As Members Debate Resolution on the War
Win Without War Announces New Phase of Censure Campaign
WASHINGTON, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Families of soldiers serving, as well
as of those who have been casualties, in the occupation of Iraq came to
Capitol Hill today with other volunteers, urging Congress to censure President
George W. Bush.
Meanwhile, volunteers carried petitions that filled 18 large boxes, signed
so far by 560,340 members of MoveOn.org from every congressional district, to
each office in the House of Representatives, reinforcing the demand for a
censure resolution. The groups also displayed print and TV ads that will
begin running this week.
"My son, Army Lt. Seth Dvorin, who died last month while serving in Iraq,
met his responsibility to the nation he loved," said Sue Niederer of
Pennington, NJ. "As his mother, I am joining hundreds of thousands of
Americans today in asking that the Congress of the United States meet its
responsibility, as well."
Tom Andrews, national director of Win Without War, said the combined
activities represent an escalation of efforts that will continue. "The truth
matters. By not holding the President accountable, the Congress is saying it
doesn't. This is unacceptable," said Andrews, a former congressman and member
of the Armed Services Committee.
"The resolution now before Congress is silent on the many ways Bush
betrayed our trust, misleading us to make the case for this war," said Peter
Schurman, executive director of MoveOn.org, an Internet issues organization
with more than two million members.
Also participating in the news conference were Joseph Cirincione, director
of non-proliferation studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace; Richard Torgerson, a principal with Progressive Asset Management in
Maryland and a leader of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, and several
military families.
The ongoing campaign for censure of the President is led by Win Without
War, a national coalition of 42 membership organizations, and MoveOn.org, True
Majority, Working Assets and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.
Richard Torgerson, a financial services executive in Maryland, represented
Business Leaders and unveiled their new print ad, which will run this week in
The New York Times.
Cirincione is an author of the Carnegie Endowment's critical study on the
Bush Administration's distortion of intelligence and other evidence leading up
to the war. Entitled "WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications," it found that
Iraq's chemical and nuclear weapons programs "did not pose an immediate threat
to the United States," or to regional or global security. It also said "there
was and is no solid evidence of a cooperative relationship between Saddam's
government and Al Qaeda."
"The President and the Administration systematically misrepresented the
threat from Iraq," Cirincione said. "President Bush didn't have the facts, so
he made them up."
"We are honored to be joined in our nationwide campaign for accountability
by a growing number of families whose sons and daughters have served or are
serving our nation in uniform," Andrews said. Mildred Mortillo, whose son is
serving in Iraq, accompanied Ms. Niederer.
Speaking for herself and other military families, Ms. Niederer said: "Our
message to Congress today is clear: spare us the platitudes, the pious
rhetoric, the empty slogans. Give us the truth. Do your job and hold those
accountable who have denied us the truth. Censure President Bush for the
deceptions and manipulations that led our nation to war. You owe the American
people, my son and all those patriots who have sacrificed for their nation no
less."
SOURCE MoveOn.org; Win Without War
Web Site: http://www.MoveOn.org
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