In 2002 and early 2003, like hundreds of thousands of others, I protested against the then-imminent invasion of Iraq in New York and Washington, DC. It was clear to my family and friends that the war was impulsive and driven by ulterior motives; that it had not been thought-through; that its consequences would be devastating and far-reaching. We weighed the moral implications of preemptive war, which presupposes that an American life is worth more than any other; the possible threat of a nuclear-armed Saddam Hussein; the history of Western colonialism and occupation in the Middle East. We tried to consider every angle and debate each position. Millions of real lives were at stake. And time and again, we emerged from our deliberations convinced that war, in this case, was utter folly -- and convinced that our decision to speak out in protest would prove the truest reflection of our judgment, our patriotism, and our values.
Hillary Clinton and John Edwards -- along with Chris Dodd and Joe Biden -- failed us by voting in 2002 to authorize Bush to invade Iraq. They simply failed us -- and in the most pivotal foreign policy moment confronting Congress in post-Cold War era. Period. There was a time when my affection for Hillary and interest in Edwards tempered my outrage over the cold, cynical political calculations that ultimately led to their decisions. But then I discovered that Clinton, Edwards, and Biden voted against the Levin and Durbin Amendments, which required, respectively, UN Security Council buy-in and a finding that Iraq represented an "imminent threat" to our national security. These were measures meant to slow the rush to war and to push for more time, more planning, more circumspection. Hillary said no to these measures. Edwards said no. Biden said no.
And I say no to these Democratic candidates now.
I am not a one-issue voter. I am a 84,250 issue voter. A 4,180 issue voter. I take issue with every civilian and Coalition life lost in Iraq since the invasion.
Like Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama spoke out against this war. Bill Richardson did not. Obama's words resound now, as then:
I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda. I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars. So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president.
I am a progressive, and I am tired of settling. I am a progressive, and I hold my party's candidate to a standard -- one that many of us met on the streets of Washington, DC and New York in 2002 and 2003. We spoke out. We said no to Bush.
So did Obama.
Now I'm speaking up for him. From health care to the environment, from campaign finance reform to education, Barack Obama has been wise, realistic, inspirational, and forthright. He has mobilized the most impressive grassroots campaign in this race: the most money from individuals contributing under $200, the most canvassers hitting the pavements in the early primary states. Before he won elected office, he worked in the trenches in our inner cities to do the hard work to better our nation -- without the recognition or the glory. He was a citizen who cared for his fellow Americans -- without the big payday. Can Clinton or Edwards say that? Can they say that they passed up financial gain to work for $1,000 a month as a community organizer for years? Today, when faith in the capacity of politics to effect real change has dwindled among the young and old, Obama stands out as having lived the life of an passionate idealist who didn't put off making a difference until he made it to elected office. He fought for it from the get-go and sacrificed along the way.
For these reasons and so many more, I have never been undecided in this race. Barack Obama won my vote long ago. And I will fight for him -- by contributing, canvassing, and phone-banking -- to win the nomination and the presidency. The stakes are just too high to settle for anyone else.