St. Petersburg GOP Debate Protests

Coverage of the march from the rally at Pioneer Park to the Mahaffy theater


HOMELESS IN ST. PETE from Davis Fleetwood, videography- GLENN P. WARMUTH...


Outside, Before the St. Petersburg GOP Debate



cross-posted from TNJP...

Veterans Day Die-In In St. Augustine Florida

We had our Veterans Day die-in protest today at 11am (11-11-11). It was a powerful experience with 16 people "dying" 10 minutes at a time... 2 different locations on busy touristy St. George St. In St. Augustine, FL). We had some wonderful support and encouragement but way too much of an angry response. Still, people were yelling.."We got rid of Saddam"," We are fighting for freedom" and a cop overheard calling us "idiots".

However, I know we made an impact, we made people uncomfortable and reminded them that people actually do die in a war. Here are pictures on Webshot and also here is an article written for our Independent paper, The Collective Press.
Enjoy...
Marilyn/PPJ/St. Augustine (member of www.solidarityandpeace.org)

Why, Mommy?
By Mary Lawrence
Why indeed. I died on Veterans Day 11/11/07 at 11 a.m in St Augustine as one of 3860 US soldiers, 141 journalists and 1,100,000 Iraqis. Lying on the hard ground, seeing nothing and hearing footsteps and muffled conversations, throughout it all, one child's plaintive voice broke through: "Why, Mommy?"

"Because they're tired, honey."

Twenty people, dressed in black, solemnly and silently marched the entire length of St George Street to the dirge-like beat of a drum. Signs around their necks noted numbers of dead US soldiers, dead Iraqis, dead children and dead journalists. At predetermined places, the twenty laid down dead on the ground for ten minutes while peacekeepers passed out flyers, outlined bodies with chalk and protected them from any potential injury, intentional or otherwise. The police dutifully showed up to tell the group to move on after their second die-in attempt. They were "blocking the flow of foot traffic".

Tired, hell yes. While this small group protested the Iraq "war", others were celebrating sacrifices made there and in other wars. Care was taken to make sure the demonstration was respectful and peaceful but incredibly, there are still those who equate Iraq with the 9/11 attacks, still those who say "You people disgust me" and even worse, still those who will not meet your eyes, take your flyers or rouse themselves from their apathy and despair to take a stand.

Tired, hell yes. While this small group protested the war, draft dodger Dick Cheney was at Arlington Cemetery giving a ten minute speech honoring Iraq veterans while co-draft dodger George Bush was addressing troops at an Army depot in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. Clearly wars are fought by the little people, bravely and selflessly, while the power elite sit home safely, making speeches and suppressing dissenters. These two criminal draft dodgers have no business and no right to say anything about those who have sacrificed and died in war yet there is no outrage about this?

Tired, hell yes. While twenty people in the streets is a decent turnout in St Augustine, while countless people thanked us for what we were doing, while many others sadly honored their war dead, why aren't there more of us in the streets? Demonstrators today included members from Veterans for Peace, St Augustine People for Peace and Justice, Grandparents for Peace and Citizens in Action. Where is the general population? Are you dead too? Thank yous are great but actions speak louder than words.

We're all tired but the outrage is building. Many anti-war activists are becoming more radicalized. Orlando's protest on 10/27 was a first in unity with nationwide demonstrations that day. Activists from the sixties are showing young activists how it's done and young activists are adding their own creativity. Status quo government is worried and suppression of dissent and First Amendment rights is growing. Something's got to give.

St Augustine's first "Die In" ended at noon, auspiciously with the church bells pealing loud and long on a beautiful sunny day. Could it be the beginning of the revolution? Could it be the beginning of the truthful answer to the question "Why, Mommy?"


’Die-In’... St. Augustine

Mike Gravel at the Oct. 27th Orlando Protest

Mike Gravel at the Oct. 27th Orlando Protest - Some videos of his radio interview and a partial transcript of his comments at the protest rally...
On the Iraq War and Oil


On the National Initiative...

partial transcript of speech at the protest, big H/t to Eileen Fleming for Gravel's comments (and ADS for pointing the way)...

"You bet I am angry! If you have a heart you would be angry too!...It boggles the mind how one human being can kill and dismember another's body and Congress sits in their air conditioned office and says it's just Foreign Policy [when] its murder!

"Our education system is in the toilet, our tax system is corrupt and our infrastructure is tumbling and we consume more energy than anybody else! The U.S.A., the great free country has imprisoned six times per capita more than Hitler had in prison in 1938!

"I don't have any power now; I don't know if there was a conspiracy in 9/11, but if I am elected president I will use subpoena powers and have a Commission [to investigate] and will put their butts in jail for perjury! Bush, Cheney and all down the line- we should be impeaching them right now! We made a mistake when I was young by not putting Nixon in jail!

"Do you know that the Minutemen were insurgents? Insurgents are those that fight for their country! 80% of Iraqis want us to leave! I offered a proposal to Congress-a way to get out of Iraq; all we need is leadership! Hillary Clinton is Bush light and is bought lock stock and barrel by the Industrial Military Complex!"

Mike Gravel really is the Rocky of the 2008 race, t'aint he?

Thousands Expected In Orlando For Oct27th Protest

Thousands Expected As Orlando Joins 10 U.S. Cities Mobilizing to End the War in Iraq

WHEN: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm

WHERE: Rally at Lake Eola (NE corner). 3 mile march from Robinson to Parramore to Church St to Orange Ave to Central and returning to Eola Drive & Robinson.

On October 27, thousands of people from all walks of life will take to the streets in Orlando and 10 other cities as they host regional marches and rallies to end the War in Iraq and prevent new wars. The event in Orlando is expected to be the largest peace rally ever held in Florida. Local organizers from a variety of groups are working together to host the October 27 march, which is welcoming participants from throughout Florida and the greater Southeast.

Speakers Include:
Michael Albert - activist, author of "From SDS to Life After Capitalism" & founder of Z-Magazine
Lucas Benitez - Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Debra Booth - AFL-CIO & Central Florida Labor Council
Scott Camil - Veteran for Peace
Michael Canney - Green Party of Florida, Co-Chair
maTT De Vlieger - SDS @ UCF (M.C. of the day)
Denise Diaz - Central Florida Jobs with Justice
Sen. Mike Gravel - Anti-war Candidate for President '08
Clifton Hicks - Iraq veteran against the war (IVAW)
Jesse Kern - Veterans for Peace (Korean War Veteran)
?Congressman Dennis Kucinich - Presidential Candidate for Peace '08
Omar Masri - Speaker from UFPJ Steering Committee
Peg McIntire (97yo) - Grandparents for Peace, St. Augustine
David Rucker - Metropolitan Democratic Black Caucus & former President of the Orange County NAACP
Bruce Wright - St. Pete for Peace
Lydia Vickers - CodePink

What you need to know: Rally starts at 12:30 and the march will begin nearly an hour later. Our main speakers will address us before and after the march. There will be water distributed before and during the march. There are bathrooms at the rally site and businesses along the way. Please help distribute flyers until the day of the event. You can find them and all the other resources you'll need below. Please consider holding a streetside solidarity protest in your community before the OCT27 rally in Orlando, to stir up interest and invite people who may not otherwise know. Leafletting to pedestrians and drivers has been very successful for us in Orlando. We plan to hold our next streetside protest soon. You should begin organizing yours.

Important Resources for Oct 27:

For a copy of the press release, click here:

For a map of parking arrangements, click here:

For a map of the march route, click here:

For full page and ¼ page flyers, click here:

For ½ page flyers in Spanish, click here:

For a list of endorsers, click here:

To retrieve a letter to endorse officially, click here:

To add your group as an endorser on the website, click here:

To post an offer or request for housing, click here:

To post an offer or request for a ride, click here:

To volunteer. click here:

For information on Lake Eola Park, click here:

See you soon!!
--
Be Well,
maTT de vlieger
actlikematt@gmail.com
954.536.7461

Where will you march on Saturday?

Saturday, October 27th
Energy Building for National Day of Action
END THE WAR IN IRAQ, NOW!

Dear Friend of United for Peace and Justice,

With just three days before the 11 massive regional demonstrations and other actions around the country, the energy is growing and momentum is building. The people of this country know this war is wrong and it must stop. On Saturday, from many cities but in one voice, we will send a clear and unified message: end this war, bring the troops home, fund our communities!

You can get the most up-to-date information about the plans for the protest in the city nearest you by going to www2.oct27.org. There you can find details about the day's activities, leaflets to download and copy so you can help spread the word, information about transportation to the regional action near you and much more.

It is not too late to make your plans to get to one of these mobilizations. And it is not too late to help us make sure everyone knows what's happening on Saturday, and that they are encouraged to participate.

Here are some things you can to do to help build October 27th:

* Send a copy of this message to everyone you know, to every email address you have.

* Share the video generously produced by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Foundation in support of the mobilization with others, and encourage them to sign the October 27th pledge. http://www2.oct27.org/brave_new_video

* Ask any group or organization you are part of to help get the word out. They can organize a phone-banking evening and send out email messages.

* Print out a copy of the leaflet for the demonstration nearest you from www2.oct27.org and make copies to give out at work, in your neighborhood, at school or anywhere else you'll be seeing people.

* Call into a radio talk show and explain why you'll be marching on Saturday. Be sure to let people know how they can get more information. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/

* Post an October 27th web button on your website, blog or MySpace and/or Facebook profile. http://www2.oct27.org/web_buttons

* It's not too late to organize group transportation from your area to the closest regional mobilization. First, check the website to see what might be available, but if nothing is close by, then pull folks together for vans and car pools. You might even still be able to rent a bus.

Let's all do what we can to build the October 27th National Day of Action. Let's come together to send the strongest, loudest, clearest message we can: The people of this country oppose this war, and we want it to end now! We want all the troops and contractors to come home, now! We want our tax dollars to be used to meet our needs right here at home and to rebuild our communities, not on death and destruction! And we do not want a new war in Iran, or anywhere else!

Please help us with the largest financial contribution you can make: http://www2.oct27.org/donate.html?q=donate

Peace,


The staff of United for Peace and Justice:

Leslie Cagan
Sue Udry
Susan Chenelle
Nia Wiltshire
Judith LeBlanc
Dick Buchanan

Get involved!
Saturday, October 27th
National Mobilization Against the Iraq War!
11 Massive Demonstrations for Peace!
http://www.oct27.org

Neocons Surge Against Antiwar Movement

Forwarned is for-armed...

Neocons Surge Against Antiwar Movement by Tom Hayden October 22, 2007
As thousands of Americans take to the streets this week, they will face a rising right-wing offensive to discredit and derail the antiwar movement. The cry of "troops home now" will echo in 11 cities as an intense year-long battle begins to sharpen. Not since 2002 will the antiwar movement – and dovish Democrats – face as virulent and lavishly funded a backlash as this one.

Consider the gathering storm:

• A powerful and persistent faction of hawks, centered in Vice President Cheney's office, is pushing for a military strike against Iran in the coming year.


• The orchestrated campaign for continuing the "surge" in Iraq, led by Gen. Petraeus, succeeded in restoring the nerve of the Republican Party and defeating the Democratic strategy of seeking Republican defections.


• The well-coordinated attacks on MoveOn.org were designed to destroy the group's proven ability to raise millions of dollars for antiwar messages and, in general, Democratic candidates. Seventy-five senators, including the likes of Barbara Boxer, rushed to denounce MoveOn, thus helping the effort to de-legitimize the organization.


• Ari Fleischer, the former Bush spokesman who warned Americans to "watch what you say," now heads an organization that spent $15 million to promote the war as patriotic.


• Pro-Israel and Christian Right groups are attempting to raise $200 million for a campaign calling for war with Iran.


• Rudy Giuliani, currently the Republican front-runner, has selected neocon godfather Norman Podhoretz as his national security adviser.


• David Horowitz is spending millions of dollars to demonize pro-peace professors and organize on campuses against what the neocons call "Islamofascism."

The neocons and hawks of all stripes are fighting back. They already have succeeded in gaining political traction for the escalation in Baghdad, counter-punching the Democratic critics into a corner, planting major stories of "success" in the media, and gaining top positions in Giuliani's presidential campaign. Their campaign for war in Iran (Podhoretz says he "prays" for it everyday, an apparent message to the Christian Right) is on track.

Their top priority is to isolate the antiwar movement and its Democratic allies as "too extreme." In 2002, when most of the American people were frozen by the 9/11 experience, it was a matter of trying to prevent the development of antiwar sentiment. In 2007, however, the neocons face a more daunting challenge: how to undermine the American majority favoring rapid withdrawal from Iraq?

As Podhoretz, Horowitz, and writers like Dinesh D'Souza constantly emphasize, the real war is at home, with the leftists and liberals who they believe to be the modern equivalents of "fellow travelers" during the Cold War era.

Their major target is MoveOn, with its vast resources and credibility. But ever in search of potential demons, they lately have been smearing and attacking Code Pink. The Canadian neocon ally Premier Stephen Harper ordered Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright stopped at the border last week.

The tactical purpose is clear, to make certain antiwar groups radioactive, or too hot to handle, thus damaging their efforts to push the mainstream along, forcing them from offense to defense. If they succeed in their plans for Iran, they believe Republican presidential chances may be enhanced in 2008.

All this suggests that antiwar activists face the challenge of being equally strategic. Impressive turnouts will be needed Oct. 27. Coalition-building will be a priority (already, many busloads of black congregations will be joining the Chicago event, Katrina victims will be turning out by the thousands in New Orleans, and protesters in Tennessee will be converging on the nation's major depleted uranium facility – welcomed by the mayor). Unsettled, however, are to key questions needing broad consensus among the diverse multitudes of marchers:

• What is the most effective public message for the antiwar movement in the run-up to the bombing of Iran, and what should the movement be doing in the hours, days, and weeks after such an attack?


• What is the most effective approach to the 2008 election if the choice is between a Republican extremist and a moderate Democratic hawk?

The marchers on Oct. 27, in twos and threes and larger workshops, will be considering the future of a movement at a crossroads.

Florida For Peace Endorses Oct 27th - Orlando

We've agreed to lend our endorsement and participation in UFPJ's Oct 27th national action to end the Occupation of Iraq taking place in eleven cities around the country.

See you in Orlando!

www.oct27.org/orlando

Senator Nelson Votes to Denounce MoveOn Ad

Florida's Joe Leiberman, aka Senator Bill Nelson, joined with twenty-two other candy-assed Democrats to condemn MoveOn.org's ad. Check the roll call vote here....

Senate Approves Resolution Denouncing MoveOn.org Ad
By David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 — The Senate approved a resolution on Thursday denouncing the liberal antiwar group MoveOn.org over an advertisement that questioned the credibility of Gen. David H. Petraeus, the American commander in Iraq.

MoveOn.org, with 3.2 million members, has become a powerful force in Democratic politics and the advertisement it paid for, which appeared in The New York Times, has come under sharp attack from Congressional Republicans and others as unpatriotic and impugning the integrity of General Petraeus.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, both Democratic candidates for president, voted against the resolution, which passed 72 to 25.

But curiously absent from the vote was Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, also a Democratic candidate for president, who had canceled a campaign appearance in South Carolina so he could be in Washington for votes.

Mr. Obama issued a statement calling the resolution, put forward by Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, “a stunt.” Mr. Obama said, “By not casting a vote, I registered my protest against these empty politics.”

Mr. Obama had voted minutes earlier in favor of an extremely similar resolution proposed by Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California.

Ms. Boxer’s proposal, which failed, called for the Senate to “strongly condemn all attacks on the honor, integrity and patriotism” of anyone in the United States armed forces. It did not mention the MoveOn.org ad. Mr. Dodd and Mrs. Clinton also voted in favor of Ms. Boxer’s proposal.

Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, was in Iowa and did not vote.

At a White House news conference, President Bush called the advertisement disgusting and said it was an attack not only on General Petraeus but also on the entire American military.

“And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democrat Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad,” Mr. Bush said. “And that leads me to come to this conclusion: that most Democrats are afraid of irritating a left-wing group like MoveOn.org — or more afraid of irritating them than they are of irritating the United States military.”

Representative Thomas M. Davis III, Republican of Virginia, has urged the House to hold hearings on the MoveOn.org ad and to investigate whether The Times gave the group an improper discount. A New York Times Company spokeswoman has said that the group paid a standard “standby” rate.

MoveOn.org lashed out at Mr. Bush’s comments and pledged to double its spending on ads criticizing Republican lawmakers for blocking efforts by Democrats to change the war strategy. Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, said, “What’s disgusting is that the president has more interest in political attacks than developing an exit strategy to get our troops out of Iraq and end this awful war.”

Bill Nelson's Rreason for Voting to Invade Iraq

Dig this Nelson quote about his reason for voting to invade Iraq - "...Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told Kay last week that he voted for a resolution authorizing force against Iraq precisely because of the administration's UAV evidence.

"I was told not only that (Saddam had weapons of mass destruction) and that he had the means to deliver them through unmanned aerial vehicles, but that he had the capability of transporting those UAVs outside of Iraq and threatening the homeland here in America, specifically by putting them on ships off the eastern seaboard," Nelson said.

Kay responded that the UAV program was active, but the Iraqis did not have "the existing deployment capability at that point for any sort of systematic military attack..."

Snagged from a Google cache of an old February 01, 2004 WaPo/ Seattle Times piece.

Remember, these were the balsa wood and duck tape specials of the Iraqi AF.....

As the CIA ISG report generously put it -

"Iraq’s small UAV programs had demonstrated some success, including an autonomous 500-km flight, and given time most likely would have produced larger UAVs with greater payload capabilities. The evidence uncovered by ISG suggests that the UAV programs active at the onset of OIF were intended for reconnaissance or electronic warfare." - from the CIA Inspector General's Report "Iraq WMD 2004"

Florida For Peace Meets Senator Bill Nelson

Florida For Peace Meets Senator Bill Nelson
Boasts, Prevarications, and a Rattlesnake

On Tuesday August 7th ten members of Florida For Peace traveled to Kissimmee, FL to meet with Senator Bill Nelson at the public library. They represented over fifty groups from from all parts of Florida.

When the group arrived a staff member directed us to a conference room where the senator was waiting. A local news crew had a camera set up. After shaking hands and sitting down, Senator Nelson mentioned how he was having town meetings, three just yesterday in Jefferson, Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Lydia Vickers - CODEPINK Tallahassee, Co-Founder/Florida For Peace - began by stating she had traveled to all eight of his offices around the state and had meetings with his staff and thanking the Senator for meeting with us.

Senator Nelson began by thanking us for coming from all over the state to see him. He then talked about what he termed as townhall meetings, two of which he had the previous day in the Tampa Bay area. He said that 150 people had attended one meeting and 130 had attended the other one and that no one had brought up the issue of the Iraq War.

Lydia Vickers then had the group introduce ourselves and briefly say who we represented.

Lydia then talked to the senator about his voting record in the Senate and how this group, which represents maybe 7000 people on email lists, were disappointed with his vote on the FISA bill (S1927). She then brought up a speech he had made in 2002 on this subject in which he had said that it was important not to adopt the total information awareness program. She went on saying "although he had supported the no confidence vote on the Attorney General, he had then voted for the FISA bill."

Nelson responded saying "that's not what it says", that they (the Democrats) had changed the bill, an approval process has to be gone through, the Director of Intelligence and the Attorney General must sign off. Nelson went on by saying that he was ONE senator out of 100 who was on all THREE National Security committees and that no one was privy to more of the nation's classified information than he. He also mentioned his trust for the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell.

He continued, "that the White House wanted a permanent solution where this was only for 6 months and that it doesn't effect citizens domestically." Adding it was important that they (gov't spies) don't have to go to the FISA court as technology had changed. It used to be mainly by phone but now with the internet, some foreign communications is coming through the United States. With the old law intelligence agencies had to go to FISA for a court order, now when a foreign terrorist was targeted, some may be going through a person in the USA, he continued... At this point the local news camera crew packed up and left the room.

Senator Nelson said as the door shut, "I wouldn't trust the Attorney General", (looking over his shoulder, asking if the media was gone) "anymore than I would trust a rattlesnake."

He continued on about how they would set up a process for FISA and was interrupted by Cactus Pat, Tallahassee Network for Justice and Peace (TNJP) saying, "Senator Nelson, yesterday morning the big news on the blogs said Mr. Bush had signed the FISA bill, the Protect America Act, with a signing statement demanding immunity for '...those who are alleged to have assisted our Nation following the attacks of September 11, 2001', in other words demanding immunity for his own six years of criminality".

Nelson responded that signing statements from the President has huge problems, as well as the President misleading us and the FISA bill didn't cover what Bush wants i.e.: 6 years of illegal wire tapping protected. He then said he was elected to exercise his best judgment.

Lydia pointed out that Republicans didn't vote for him and that we as Democrats were the ones who voted for him and he should represent our interests, adding that former Senator Graham had voted no on the Authorization to go to war.

Nelson replied that "in his position he had to exercise his best judgment, that he represents sixteen million Floridians, and that he has to represent everyone, Republicans and everybody else".

Deidra Lynch - CODEPINK Orlando, Food Not Bombs, Orlando Progressive Alliance, Florida For Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Artists for Peace - then interjected, "Senator, we're here to say how we feel while we have you eye to eye with us."

Nelson replied "I want to straighten this out" then said that Graham had voted no because he thought AUMF did not go far enough.

Deidra then began by thanking the Senator for voting for monies for education and protecting the Everglades. She went on saying she hoped he would listen to our concerns about stopping the war, continuing with "I'm sure we can agree that this debt has got to stop".

Nelson added that childcare and healthcare was losing out with the cost for war.

Deirdre pointed out that cost estimates for the war had been in the hundreds of billions and the cost estimate as of now was $1.27 trillion, with the total cost to the state of Florida approaching $25,000,000,000, according to the National Priorities Project. She also spoke of the additional cost to our soldiers being trained in violence and sent home with no shut off valve, which affects military families with many women suffering rape and abuse. She then passed paperwork to Nelson to provide him the statistics.

Next Hillary Keyes - CODEPINK South Florida, Florida For Peace, Boca Peace Corner, Palm Beach County Peace & Justice Coalition - brought up the worsening conditions for the people of Iraq. Saying that that's it's gotten so bad that the US has stopped issuing Baghdad electricity reports because there is only one to two hrs. of electricity per day and 130 degrees and no water. She said we need to try to help the Iraqi people, bringing up how Post Traumatic Stress was affecting children in Iraq and that according to Center for Disease Control (from John Hopkins study) 650,000 Iraqis had been killed as of a year ago, and that 70% of Iraqi children suffer from symptoms of PTSD. She then talked about how CodePINK had brought 5 Iraqi women to the USA, showed him pictures and read part of a personal statement from the Faiza Alaraji. She then passed the Senator the women's pictures and bios.

Mary - CODEPINK Tallahassee, Tallahassee Network for Justice and Peace, Florida For Peace said as she had written her statements in a letter and as time was short, she would just pass him the letter.

Cactus Pat - Tallahassee Network for Justice and Peace, Florida For Peace - then talked about the fourteen permanent military bases in Iraq and how Congress has repeatedly passed legislation banning such bases and how it has been ignored. He said he believed Congress had the authority to enforce the legislation banning permanent bases in Iraq and demanded that Congress do so. He then talked about how US Foreign Policy needs to be shifted from one of military domination and use of the military for diplomacy to one of Peace and cooperation.

Carol Stachurski - CODEPINK Tallahassee, Veterans for Peace, Florida For Peace, Progressive Democrats of America - talked about how she felt his job was to represent us pointing out that polls in Florida were saying the majority wanted the war to end.

Nelson responded saying his position on the Iraq war was "evolving", and that she should look at his Senate speech on the Levin-Reed amendment, which he claimed was on his website. (NOT found, only this statement on Iraq on his website). That it was the most important speech he had ever given.

Scott Camil - Gainesville Veterans for Peace, GI Rights Hotline, Veterans for Peace - next talked about 32,000 calls the GI Rights Hotline had received from active duty FL soldiers and veterans with their concerns. He also had a written statement and documents which were passed to Senator Nelson.

Nelson said "I'm a veteran", he again brought up Levin-Reed Amendment and his speech.

Leslie - CODEPINK Orlando, Florida For Peace, Orlando Progressive Alliance, Seminole Democrats - talked about torture, saying how we know it's wrong and how it lowers morale. "We used to be the good guys and we know it's wrong."

Holly Rauen - CODEPINK South West Florida, Florida For Peace, Fort Myers Social Action Committee, EPEC/Board Member - talked about how war undermined our safety and the preservation of our civil rights and how our National Guard was not here to aid the public in times of disaster. She continued by talking about how our Bill of Rights had been negated by executive order. Adding her personal experience by telling the senator how she had been shot with rubber bullets by Miami police at the FTAA protest, how the police had surrounded a group of citizens and fired on them. She also spoke of how her ex-husband had been run over by a military train shipping arms to Vietnam and lost both his legs. She said what's going on now reminded her of Kent State and how the government was chipping away our rights and we were becoming like Hitler Germany.

Nelson responded saying we had a system of checks and balances.

Tom Guelcher - President, Environmental & Peace Education Center of SW Florida, Florida For Peace - talked about terrorism and how there is no military solution to it and how our actions in Iraq are causing more terrorism and how the only way to defeat it was by respecting other people and allowing them to make their own decisions about what is best for them.

Beverley Wiskow - State Coordinator/Military Families Speak Out, Peace NOW Citrus County, Florida For Peace - began by telling the senator how she had a son-in-law fighting in Iraq under terrible conditions, how Iraqis had no air conditioning or water and how we could learn by spending time in our Florida heat with no a/c or water. She went on about how this group before him had probably taken 50,000 hours of labor to bring him this information. Adding that we needed 67 senators. On a personal note she implored him to be "Our Hero" and spoke of meeting him last year in Ocala when she urged him to be a leader and if he would do the right thing the grassroots would rise up to support him. But if he continued to allow the war to continue, we would replace him. She then directly asked him if he would vote for the Levin-Reed amendment.

Nelson replied it would be the first issue in September and how the Democrats all supported the amendment with the exception of Lieberman (the irony of Florida's Lieberman saying this elicited subdued laughter and chuckles all around the table) and there were a few Republicans supporting as well. He said 53 senators had already voted for the amendment and they needed 7 more.

Deidra asked him as he got up to leave, "who we can work on?"

Nelson mentioned John Warner of VA, John Sununu of NH, Martinez of FL, Susan Collins of Maine, John Voinovich of OH, and Norm Coleman of MN.

Senator Nelson then rushed off to a meeting with 25 local Seminole County officials.

The Florida For Peace group then held a brief after-action meeting to discuss the events and concluded with a photo-op while the local TV media conducted interviews outside with various members.

Consensus was reached on finding out who contributes money to Nelson by checking www.opensecrets.org and www.fec.gov before exiting for more photos outside.

For more info see -
FFP Florida For Peace Yahoo Group and
TNJP coverage of the Focus on Nelson campaign

Florida For Peace Push Nelson For End To Iraq War

Florida Groups Push For End To War POSTED: 3:03 pm EDT August 7, 2007
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Florida For Peace pushed for a meeting with Sen. Bill Nelson at the Kissimmee library on Tuesday.

Members said they want Nelson to stand against President George W. Bush and end the war in Iraq.

Many groups congregated at the library to meet with Nelson, including Code Pink: Women For Peace.

Members said they feel Nelson has been supporting the war and want him to be one of 67 senators to override a presidential veto and bring troops home.

"I think he needs to realize he's hurting these troops more by not saying, 'Enough is enough' it's time to come home, and let's come up with a plan,' so the only way that's going to happen is to stop funding," Deidra Lynch of Florida For Peace said.

"We need to start phasing down, but keeping troops there to train the Iraqi army, to go after al Qaida and to provide protection for our troops there, but start removing our troops," Nelson said.

Nelson will meet with Osceola County leaders next, one of more than a dozen town hall meetings being held in Central Florida in the coming days.

To comment on this story, send an e-mail to Kendra Oestreich.

For more info see the
FFP Florida For Peace Yahoo Group and TNJP coverage of the Focus on Nelson campaign

Welcome to Florida For Peace

Welcome to Florida For Peace!

Our main goal is to pressure Senator Bill Nelson (D) of Florida to take effective steps in the Senate to bring an end to the military occupation of Iraq.

We are spearheading that initiative through our Florida For Peace Yahoo group

also see TNJP's coverage of our Focus on Nelson.

More to come....