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Michael Moore: "I’ll Be Voting For Clark"
by Heckraiser
Monday, Jan. 19, 2004 at 1:38 PM
"Wesley Clark will end this war. He will make the rich pay their fair share of taxes. He will stand up for the rights of women, African Americans, and the working people of this country."
From: http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php
I’ll Be Voting For Wesley Clark / Good-Bye Mr. Bush — by Michael Moore
Many of you have written to me in the past months asking, "Who are you going to vote for this year?"
I have decided to cast my vote in the primary for Wesley Clark. That's right, a peacenik is voting for a general. What a country!
I believe that Wesley Clark will end this war. He will make the rich pay their fair share of taxes. He will stand up for the rights of women, African Americans, and the working people of this country.
And he will cream George W. Bush.
I have met Clark and spoken to him on a number of occasions, feeling him out on the issues but, more importantly, getting a sense of him as a human being. And I have to tell you I have found him to be the real deal, someone whom I'm convinced all of you would like, both as a person and as the individual leading this country. He is an honest, decent, honorable man who would be a breath of fresh air in the White House. He is clearly not a professional politician. He is clearly not from Park Avenue. And he is clearly the absolute best hope we have of defeating George W. Bush.
This is not to say the other candidates won't be able to beat Bush, and I will work enthusiastically for any of the non-Lieberman 8 who might get the nomination. But I must tell you, after completing my recent 43-city tour of this country, I came to the conclusion that Clark has the best chance of beating Bush. He is going to inspire the independents and the undecided to come our way. The hard core (like us) already have their minds made up. It's the fence sitters who will decide this election.
The decision in November is going to come down to 15 states and just a few percentage points. So, I had to ask myself -- and I want you to honestly ask yourselves -- who has the BEST chance of winning Florida, West Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, Missouri, Ohio? Because THAT is the only thing that is going to matter in the end. You know the answer -- and it ain't you or me or our good internet doctor.
This is not about voting for who is more anti-war or who was anti-war first or who the media has already anointed. It is about backing a candidate that shares our values AND can communicate them to Middle America. I am convinced that the surest slam dunk to remove Bush is with a four-star-general-top-of-his-class-at-West-Point-Rhodes-Scholar-Medal-of-Freedom-winning-gun-owner-from-the-South -- who also, by chance, happens to be pro-choice, pro environment, and anti-war. You don't get handed a gift like this very often. I hope the liberal/left is wise enough to accept it. It's hard, when you're so used to losing, to think that this time you can actually win. It is Clark who stands the best chance -- maybe the only chance -- to win those Southern and Midwestern states that we MUST win in order to accomplish Bush Removal. And if what I have just said is true, then we have no choice but to get behind the one who can make this happen.
There are times to vote to make a statement, there are times to vote for the underdog and there are times to vote to save the country from catastrophe. This time we can and must do all three. I still believe that each one of us must vote his or her heart and conscience. If we fail to do that, we will continue to be stuck with spineless politicians who stand for nothing and no one (except those who write them the biggest checks).
My vote for Clark is one of conscience. I feel so strongly about this that I'm going to devote the next few weeks of my life to do everything I can to help Wesley Clark win. I would love it if you would join me on this mission.
Here are just a few of the reasons why I feel this way about Wes Clark:
1. Clark has committed to ensuring that every family of four who makes under $50,000 a year pays NO federal income tax. None. Zip. This is the most incredible helping hand offered by a major party presidential candidate to the working class and the working poor in my lifetime. He will make up the difference by socking it to the rich with a 5% tax increase on anything they make over a million bucks. He will make sure corporations pay ALL of the taxes they should be paying. Clark has fired a broadside at greed. When the New York Times last week wrote that Wes Clark has been “positioning himself slightly to Dean’s left," this is what they meant, and it sure sounded good to me.
2. He is 100% opposed to the draft. If you are 18-25 years old and reading this right now, I have news for you -- if Bush wins, he's going to bring back the draft. He will be forced to. Because, thanks to his crazy war, recruitment is going to be at an all-time low. And many of the troops stuck over there are NOT going to re-enlist. The only way Bush is going to be able to staff the military is to draft you and your friends. Parents, make no mistake about it -- Bush's second term will see your sons taken from you and sent to fight wars for the oily rich. Only an ex-general who knows first-hand that a draft is a sure-fire way to wreck an army will be able to avert the inevitable.
3. He is anti-war. Have you heard his latest attacks on Bush over the Iraq War? They are stunning and brilliant. I want to see him on that stage in a debate with Bush -- the General vs. the Deserter! General Clark told me that it's people like him who are truly anti-war because it's people like him who have to die if there is a war. "War must be the absolute last resort," he told me. "Once you've seen young people die, you never want to see that again, and you want to avoid it whenever and wherever possible." I believe him. And my ex-Army relatives believe him, too. It's their votes we need.
4. He walks the walk. On issues like racism, he just doesn't mouth liberal platitudes -- he does something about it. On his own volition, he joined in and filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the University of Michigan's case in favor of affirmative action. He spoke about his own insistence on affirmative action in the Army and how giving a hand to those who have traditionally been shut out has made our society a better place. He didn't have to get involved in that struggle. He's a middle-aged white guy -- affirmative action personally does him no good. But that is not the way he thinks. He grew up in Little Rock, one of the birthplaces of the civil rights movement, and he knows that African Americans still occupy the lowest rungs of the ladder in a country where everyone is supposed to have "a chance." That is why he has been endorsed by one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Charlie Rangel, and former Atlanta Mayor and aide to Martin Luther King, Jr., Andrew Young.
5. On the issue of gun control, this hunter and gun owner will close the gun show loophole (which would have helped prevent the massacre at Columbine) and he will sign into law a bill to create a federal ballistics fingerprinting database for every gun in America (the DC sniper, who bought his rifle in his own name, would have been identified after the FIRST day of his killing spree). He is not afraid, as many Democrats are, of the NRA. His message to them: "You like to fire assault weapons? I have a place for you. It's not in the homes and streets of America. It's called the Army, and you can join any time!"
6. He will gut and overhaul the Patriot Act and restore our constitutional rights to privacy and free speech. He will demand stronger environmental laws. He will insist that trade agreements do not cost Americans their jobs and do not exploit the workers or environment of third world countries. He will expand the Family Leave Act. He will guarantee universal pre-school throughout America. He opposes all discrimination against gays and lesbians (and he opposes the constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage). All of this is why Time magazine this week referred to Clark as "Dean 2.0" -- an improvement over the original (1.0, Dean himself), a better version of a good thing: stronger, faster, and easier for the mainstream to understand and use.
7. He will cut the Pentagon budget, use the money thus saved for education and health care, and he will STILL make us safer than we are now. Only the former commander of NATO could get away with such a statement. Dean says he will not cut a dime out of the Pentagon. Clark knows where the waste and the boondoggles are and he knows that nutty ideas like Star Wars must be put to pasture. His health plan will cover at least 30 million people who now have no coverage at all, including 13 million children. He's a general who will tell those swing voters, "We can take this Pentagon waste and put it to good use to fix that school in your neighborhood." My friends, those words, coming from the mouth of General Clark, are going to turn this country around.
Now, before those of you who are Dean or Kucinich supporters start cloggin' my box with emails tearing Clark down with some of the stuff I've seen floating around the web ("Mike! He voted for Reagan! He bombed Kosovo!"), let me respond by pointing out that Dennis Kucinich refused to vote against the war resolution in Congress on March 21 (two days after the war started) which stated "unequivocal support" for Bush and the war (only 11 Democrats voted against this--Dennis abstained). Or, need I quote Dr. Dean who, the month after Bush "won" the election, said he wasn't too worried about Bush because Bush "in his soul, is a moderate"? What's the point of this ridiculous tit-for-tat sniping? I applaud Dennis for all his other stands against the war, and I am certain Howard no longer believes we have nothing to fear about Bush. They are good people.
Why expend energy on the past when we have such grave danger facing us in the present and in the near future? I don't feel bad nor do I care that Clark -- or anyone -- voted for Reagan over 20 years ago. Let's face it, the vast majority of Americans voted for Reagan -- and I want every single one of them to be WELCOMED into our tent this year. The message to these voters -- and many of them are from the working class -- should not be, "You voted for Reagan? Well, to hell with you!" Every time you attack Clark for that, that is the message you are sending to all the people who at one time liked Reagan. If they have now changed their minds (just as Kucinich has done by going from anti-choice to pro-choice, and Dean has done by wanting to cut Medicare to now not wanting to cut it) – and if Clark has become a liberal Democrat, is that not something to cheer?
In fact, having made that political journey and metamorphosis, is he not the best candidate to bring millions of other former Reagan supporters to our side -- blue collar people who have now learned the hard way just how bad Reagan and the Republicans were (and are) for them?
We need to take that big DO NOT ENTER sign off our tent and reach out to the vast majority who have been snookered by these right-wingers. And we have a better chance of winning in November with one of their own leading them to the promised land.
There is much more to discuss and, in the days and weeks ahead, I will continue to send you my thoughts. In the coming months, I will also be initiating a number of efforts on my website to make sure we get out the vote for the Democratic nominee in November.
In addition to voting for Wesley Clark, I will also be spending part of my Bush tax cut to help him out. You can join me, if you like, by going to his website to learn more about him, to volunteer, or to donate. To find out about when your state’s presidential primaries are, visit Vote Smart.
I strongly urge you to vote for Wes Clark. Let's join together to ensure that we are putting forth our BEST chance to defeat Bush on the November ballot. It is, at this point, for the sake of the world, a moral imperative.
Yours,
Michael Moore
http://www.michaelmoore.com
mmflint (at) aol.com
P.S. To register to vote visit http://www.yourvotematters.org.
See also:
http://www.clark04.com
http://www.clarkmyths.com
Kerry/Ashcroft/Santorum Anti ACLU/Anti Freedom...
by Kerry Pro IRAQ INVASION
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2004 at 5:39 AM
I know he sure wont be voting for Ashcroft's buddy Kerry with his Anti ACLU/Freedom voting record...
Senate Vote on Welfare Reform
H.R. 3734
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welfare reform - With bipartisan support and the endorsement of President Clinton, the
House and Senate approved legislation that preyed on the limited rights of vulnerable
groups including children, immigrants, the poor and the elderly in the name of welfare
reform. The bill also eroded free speech for not-for-profit organizations, violated
the separation of church and state, and damaged privacy rights by establishing a de
facto national identification system. The legislation passed the House on a vote of
256 to 170; the Senate approved the measure with a vote of 74 to 25.
The ACLU Urged a Vote Against the Legislation
Sen John Kerry voted for this and so did LIEberman, Santorum & Ashcroft...
Senate Vote on Government Funding of Religious Institutions
S. 1956
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government Funding of Religious Institutions - Included in the welfare overhaul was
a provision that could force state governments, under threat of lawsuits, to
contract with religious institutions, including houses of worship, to provide
taxpayer-funded social services, even if they are delivered in a proselytizing
environment. This, too, was a recurring theme in the 104th Congress where opponents
of religious liberty repeatedly sought to pass provisions to lower the wall of
separation between church and state. In the Senate, the provisions were
inserted into the welfare bill by a vote of 67 to 32. There was no separate vote
on the provisions in the House.
The ACLU Urged a Vote For the Separation of Church and State
Kerry voted against ACLU and so did LIEberman, Santorum & Ashcroft...
How the Senate voted on Internet Censorship
S.652
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Censorship - As part of a major overhaul of the nation's telecommunications
industries, both the House and Senate approved major new censorship schemes for the
Internet. The Senate adopted its version, the so-called Communications Decency Act,
by a vote of 84 to 16. A similar censorship scheme was adopted in the House on a vote
of 256 to 149 as part of its version of telecommunications reform. The final bill
incorporated much of both provisions and passed overwhelmingly with only five
senators and 16 representatives registering opposition. Minutes after President
Clinton signed the legislation, the ACLU challenged its constitutionality in
Reno v. ACLU.
The ACLU Urged a Vote Against Censorship
Kerry voted for this Even LIEberman voting only 28% w/ ACLU voted against this...
Senate Vote on Campaign Finance Reform
S. 1219
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Campaign Finance Reform - In a sign of widespread disillusion with the political
process, both the House and Senate considered versions of campaign finance reform
that the ACLU believed to be unconstitutional infringements of free speech
provisions of the First Amendment. In the Senate, a motion to end a filibuster
against the bill failed by a vote of 54 to 36, six votes short of the 60 needed to
end debate. In the House, campaign finance was rejected by a vote of 259 to 162.
The ACLU Urged a Vote For the First Amendment
Kerry and LIEberman voted against the First amendment... Even Ashcroft and Santorum voted for the 1st...
Senate Vote on Medical Privacy
H.R 3103
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Medical privacy - Hidden within the massive health care reform bill approved by
Congress in the stampede for an August recess was a deceptively labeled provision
that further eroded the privacy rights of all Americans. The provision, known as
"administrative simplification," gives government and businesses access to
confidential medical information about individuals without their consent and
establishes a unique health identification number for every patient, health
provider, health plan and employer. The medical privacy provisions of the bill
never came up for a separate vote, but the Senate approved the health care
measure on a vote of 98 to 0. Earlier, the House had rejected by a vote of
198 to 226 an alternative version of the bill that would have deleted the
anti-privacy provisions.
The ACLU Urged a Vote For Medical Privacy
Kerry, LIEberman, Ashcroft, Santorum and many others voted against Medical Privacy...
Senate Vote on Immigration Legislation
H.R. 2202
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immigration - Seeking to capitalize on a wave of anti-immigration initiatives,
both the House and Senate passed bills that represented the most draconian and
divisive immigration proposals in decades. Included were provisions that would
strip the courts of jurisdiction over illegal and abusive INS actions and erect
enormous and virtually insurmountable barriers for most people seeking political
asylum. The House even approved a bill that would have effectively denied public
education to American citizen children of undocumented immigrants. The Senate
voted 97 to 3 to accept one version of the legislation; the House approved a
harsher version by a vote of 333 to 87. The President signed the immigration
legislation in September.
The ACLU Urged a Vote Against the Legislation
Kerry, LIEberman, Ashcroft, Santorum and many others voted for this...
Senate Vote on National ID Cards
S. 1664
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National ID Card - One of the most pervasive themes of the 104th Congress has
been proposals to establish a national identification system as a means of tracking
undocumented workers, so-called deadbeat dads and to monitor health insurance
information. Various database schemes have been included in bills as diverse as
immigration, welfare reform and health insurance. Since these proposals have been
buried in much larger legislation, it was often difficult to determine the position
of members of Congress. In the House, however, an attempt to eliminate a national
ID system from the immigration bill failed by a vote of 159 to 260. A similar
attempt in the Senate failed by a vote of 46 to 54.
The ACLU Urged a Vote Against National ID Cards
Kerry voted FOR this... Even LIEberman, Ashcroft, Lott and Santorum were against this...
Senate Vote on Wiretapping
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wiretapping - Although the interception of innocent conversations in federal law
enforcement wiretaps is already at record levels, Congress has been repeatedly asked
to give the FBI even greater authority to wiretap. Proposals have ranged from
providing $500 million to the nation's phone companies to finance a retrofit of their
systems to make it easier for the FBI to wiretap to permitting law enforcement
agencies to use more "roving" wiretaps (without specifying which phone is to be
tapped), and more "emergency" wiretaps (without obtaining a prior court order).
The ACLU Urged a Vote Against Wiretapping
Kerry voted FOR Wiretapping with LIEberman and his other buddy Santorum...
How the Senate Voted on Counter-Terrorism
S. 735
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Counter-terrorism - The bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building lifted from
obscurity a Clinton Administration proposal to increase the powers of law
enforcement in the name of fighting terrorism. The measure gave the government the
power to use secret evidence to deport immigrants it accuses of being "terrorists"
and to exclude aliens merely because they are members of a disfavored foreign group.
The bill won approval in the Senate by a vote of 91 to 8 and a vote of 293 to 133 in
the House.
The ACLU Urged a Vote Against the Legislation
Kerry voted FOR this with LIEberman, Ashcroft and Santorum...
Most of all Sen John Kerry voted for the INVASION of IRAQ... Kerry's voting record
on these issues is almost as bad as Santorum... Least Santorum voted against national ID cards w/ the likes of Lott and even Ashcroft...
Kerry PRO War/Anti Peace/Pro Censorship/Pro Corporation/Bought & Sold/Skull & Bones Bush Blood Brother...
http://archive.aclu.org/vote-guide/Kerry_J.html
Meet REPUBLICAN Wesley Clark
by more militarism is not the solution
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2004 at 10:26 AM
Meet REPUBLICAN war criminal, supporter of torture school, spy software, and PATRIOT Act -- Wesley Clark. See comments at:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/09/271764.shtml
portland.indymedia.org/en/2003/09/271764.shtml
duh
by zippy
Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004 at 10:56 AM
supreme nato commander mr. clark was the general in charge of the military attack in waco. where they burned women and children. daddy bush was still prez when the attack started. now clark is a clinton stooge huh.
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