Why I'm running
Our nation
is in a crisis. During the nearly 5 years since George Bush has
unleashed his war on terrorism, the policies of this administration has
assumed an increasingly and shockingly unconstitutional, illegal, and
even criminal dimension. The tragedy of 9/11 has been used as a pretext
for asserting global military domination and a cynical contempt for
humanity.
 This nation, founded by visionaries who suffered under the broad search
warrants of King George, is now under the control of a President who
asserts he is above the law and has imposed a program of wholesale and
illegal spying against American citizens and manifest contempt for
international law through his defense of the use of torture.
Although the majority of Americans oppose the occupation of Iraq and the
domestic policies of the Bush administration, the Democratic Party is
incapable of serious political opposition to the ultra-right Republican
administration and functions rather as a cowardly accomplice. The war in
Iraq must stop.
The critical issues that confront us now are the war in Iraq and the
preparations by the Bush administration for even more overseas military
actions and the further assault on our constitutional rights.
It is an undeniable fact that the invasion of Iraq was based upon lies.
There were no weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein was not
collaborating with Al Qaeda.
The war was not launched to fight terrorism but rather to secure the
strategic oil resources of Iraq. Those responsible for this illegal and
unprovoked war must be held accountable.
The families of those brave American soldiers and Marines who have lost
their lives and the men and women who have been wounded must be well
cared for and fairly compensated.
This war, supposedly designed to foster democracy and the rule of law
overseas, has been used instead to justify bypassing the rule of law in
America, building the framework for a very real police state. The Bush
administration is assuming military and police powers that no previous
administration has ever claimed, not even during World War II. They have
repudiated international law and asserted the right to attack and occupy
any country they choose; established a network worldwide of prisons
where people can be kidnapped and tortured; and they have begun illegal
domestic surveillance.
The Democratic Party offers no real opposition to Bush’s contempt for
the Constitution.
 For too long the Republicans have run roughshod over American values,
bringing us shame in the international community and embarrassment in
the criminal courts.
For too long the Democrats and our own Democrat Congressman have sat
impotently on the sidelines as the Bush administration laid waste to
Iraq and American laws simultaneously.
Certainly a very few Democrats have overcome their fear of vigorously
confronting the machinations of this President – but only a few, and
only too late, and not our Congressman. A few weak expressions of
“concern” by our representative simply highlight how completely the
incumbent has failed us.
Make no mistake; our Democrat congressman is a nice guy, and probably a
fine neighbor. But whether he is unwilling or unable to do what we need
him to do – to take the risk of losing his “safe” Democratic seat in
order to tell this president “no more” hardly matters. Congressman
Schiff has let us down.
I am running in order to give voters a choice, for a change; to give
voters a Congressman who will tell the President, his henchmen and
cronies, “No More!”
No More: Americans caught in the middle of an Iraqi civil war.
No More: Thousands of American military dead and crippled over lies
about WMD
No More: Torture, and pretending that America doesn’t torture by
twisting definitions.
No More: Spying on thousands of domestic calls and emails in violation
of the constitution.
No More: Bribery and corruption as the ordinary way to do business in
Congress
No More: Illegal leaks for political reasons, or cover ups.
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