All The pundits say the War in Iraq is the most important issue as we go to the polls. Do we have 4 more years of incompetence, bogged down further in a quagmire? Do we make important changes and make sure there is opposition in Congress so we don't stay the course for 4 more years.
We have a chance in the 28th District to send a message to President Bush the Democratic and Republican Party that business as usual is no more. We don't and won't support a Congressman for the Joe Lieberman wing of the Democratic Party. We can make an important change by sending Byron DeLear to Washington the real candidate with Democratic Values who will oppose the War. Once elected Byron has pledged to caucus with the DEMS to turn the HOUSE BLUE just as Senator Jim Jeffords did when elected as an Independent in 2000.
Below the fold is Howard Berman's voting record. If you vote for Berman you're casting your vote for the failed policies of President Bush.
http://www.delearforcongress.org/...
Rep. Howard Berman's War Record
10/10/02 Vote 455: H J RES 114: To Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq BERMAN VOTED YES
10/31/03 Vote 600: H R 3289: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Defense and for the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan for Fy 2004 BERMAN VOTED YES
6/16/06 Vote 288: H RES 861: This vote pledged support for the War in Iraq and rejected a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. BERMAN VOTED YES
12/16/05 Vote 648: H RES 612: Expressing the Commitment of the House of Representatives to Achieving Victory in Iraq BERMAN VOTED YES
11/18/05 Vote 608: H RES 571: Deployment of United States Forces in Iraq Be Terminated Immediately BERMAN DID NOT SHOW UP
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Two Democrats Lose Spines - BERMAN ABSENT FOR CRUCIAL WAR VOTE
On Wednesday, November 9th, H. Res 505 was up for a vote in the House International Relations Committee. Had it passed, H. Res. 505 - introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich and cosponsored by 109 House members - would have required the Bush administration to turn over all documents relating to the White House Iraq Group. It did not pass. Why? Because two Democratic committee members decided not to show up to work that day. The kicker? It failed by a two vote margin: 23-25. And that was with two Republican committee members voting for it.
Who are the representatives who seem to have misplaced their spines? Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa and, I'm sorry to say, Howard Berman of California 's 28th district - my own representative. ( So Cal Grassroots Blog Archive )
Although Berman claims to be a progressive, "I'm not only a deeply committed Democrat, I'm a progressive Democrat..." ( SHERMAN OAKS SUN AUGUST 18-24, 2006)
Progressive Caucus of the House : BERMAN IS NOT A MEMBER
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HR4232 - McGovern (D-MA): cuts off funding for the war
18 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HR551- Honda (D-CA): Student Privacy Act
75 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HRes82 - Lee (D-C): against doctrine of preventive war
15 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HJR73 - Murtha (D-PA): troops out, but leaves some in region
105 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HCR35 - Woolsey (D-CA): Calls for plan for withdrawal
34 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HRes635 - Conyers (D-MI): Committee to investigate grounds for impeachment of Bush:
37 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
H.Res.543 - Petition to bring HJR55 to debate/vote
124 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HJR55 - Abercrombie/Jones: troop withdrawal to begin 10/1/06
69 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HRes636 - Conyers: Censure Bush for misleading US into war etc.
18 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HCR348 - Thompson (D-CA): Troops out by 9/30/06
40 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HJR70 - Price/Miller (D-NC): calls for plan for withdrawal
18 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HCR197 - Lee (D-CA): No permanent bases in Iraq
86 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HRes637 - Conyers: Censure Cheney
19 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
HR5875 - Woolsey (D-CA): Repeals authorization for the war.
26 Members of Congress co-sponsored - BERMAN DID NOT
BERMAN VOTES FOR ALL FUNDING BILLS FOR IRAQ WAR:
· FY2003 Supplemental: Operation Iraqi Freedom), made in March 2003, was for $74.8 billion. Passed within a month of the request, thefinal allocation amounted to $78.5 billion, at least $54.4 billion of which wasfor the WAR IN IRAQ.
· FY2004 Supplemental: Iraq and Afghanistan OngoingOperations/Reconstruction, for $87 billion, was submitted in September2003 and passed Congress in November 2003. The final allocation amounted to$87.5 billion, of which $70.6 billion was for IRAQ.
· Budget Amendment: $25 Emergency Reserve Fund (Department ofDefense - Iraq Freedom Fund) was made in May 2004 and was passed by Congressas part of the Department of Defense appropriations bill in July 2004. Based on Iraq War spending, of the $25 billion appropriated, about $21.5 billion was for the WAR IN IRAQ.
· Estimate #1 - Emergency Supplemental (various agencies):Ongoing Military Operations in the War on Terror; Reconstruction Activities inAfghanistan; Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction; and Other Purposes -2/14/05 was made in February 2005 and passed by Congress in April 2005. The final allocation amounted to $82 billion, of which about $58 billion was for the IRAQ WAR.
· Department of Defense appropriations for fiscal year 2006 (i.e. war funding not initiated by a supplemental request) included $50 billion in a 'bridge fund' for war funding. Based on past Iraq War spending, approximately $40 billion of that can be counted for the IRAQ WAR.
· Estimate #3--FY 2006 Emergency Supplemental (various agencies):Ongoing Military, Diplomatic, and Intelligence Operations in the Global War onTerror; Stabilization and Counter-Insurgency Activities in Iraq and Afghanistan;and Other Humanitarian Assistance--2/16/06 was for $72.4 billion, of which about $60 billion war for the WAR IN IRAQ.
· Department of Defense appropriations for fiscal year 2007: War funding was initiated by a "placeholder" of $50 billion in the administration's budget released in February. Congress passed $70 billion in a 'bridge fund' for both Afghanistan and IRAQ. We have included $59.5 billion of that for the IRAQ WAR.
(National Priorities Project: http://costofwar.com/... )
H.R. 4232 - 'To prohibit the use of funds to deploy United States Armed Forces to Iraq. NO
H.R. 2863 - 'Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes.' NO
H.R. 2420 - To preserve the cooperative, peaceful uses of space for the benefit of all humankind by prohibiting the basing of weapons in space and the use of weapons to destroy or damage objects in space that are in orbit, and for other purposes. NO
H.R. 1815 - 'To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2006, and for other purposes.' NO
H.R. 1815 - 'To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year.' NO
H.RES. 637 - Censuring Vice President Richard B. Cheney for failing to respond to requests for information concerning allegations that he and others in the Administration misled Congress and the American people regarding the decision to go to war in Iraq, misstated and manipulated intelligence information regarding the justification for the war, countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of persons in Iraq, and permitted inappropriate retaliation against critics of the Administration NO
H.RES. 636 - Censuring President George W. Bush for failing to respond to requests for information concerning allegations that he and others in his Administration misled Congress and the American people regarding the decision to go to war in Iraq, misstated and manipulated intelligence information regarding the justification for the war, countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of persons in Iraq, and permitted inappropriate retaliation against critics of his Administration, for fai NO
H.RES. 635 - Creating a select committee to investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence, encouraging and countenancing torture, retaliating against critics, and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment. NO
H.RES. 505 - House of Representatives Inquiry on White House Iraq Group NO
H.RES. 375 - Resolution of Inquiry in Regards to Downing Street Minutes. NO
H.RES. 375 - Requesting the President and directing the Secretary of State to transmit to the House of Representatives not later than 14 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution all information in the possession of the President and the Secretary of State relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom between January 1, 2002, and October 16, 2002, relating to the policy of the United States with respect to Iraq. NO
H.RES. 82 - 'Disavowing the doctrine of preemption.' NO
H.J.RES. 73 - 'To redeploy U. S. Forces from Iraq. NO
H.J.RES. 70 - Bring the Troops Home! NO
H.J.RES. 55 - "Homeward Bound" - Bipartisan demand to bring the troops home by 2006 NO
H. CON. RES. 450 - Israel / Lebanon Ceasefire Resolution NO
H. CON. RES. 197 - 'Declaring that it is the policy of the United States not to enter into any base agreement with the Government of Iraq that would lead to a permanent United States military presence in Iraq.' NO
H. CON. RES. 35 - 'Expressing the sense of Congress that the President should develop and implement a plan to begin the immediate withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq.' NO
Please consider DeLear he is the only candidate in the CA-28 district who is anti-war and not bought by big money. Also please vote yes on 89.http://www.delearforcongress.org/...