Some of those refusing to pay are required to appear in federal court at 9:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday. They'll be at the Federal Courthouse at 3rd and Constitution Ave. NW, and a group of supporters will be there to hold a vigil at 8:30 a.m.. Supporters planning to be there include Congressman John Conyers.
Cindy has a second court date pending for a second identical charge dating from a die-in in front of the White House on the occasion of the 2,000th death of a U.S. soldier in Iraq. (I was arrested at that time, as were two dozen others, and have paid my fine.)
PHOTO ALBUM FROM TUESDAY NIGHT
Link.
GETTING OUT OF IRAQ AND COMMITTEE
Also happening in D.C. at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the Out of Iraq Caucus, led by Congresswoman Maxine Waters will be holding a press conference at 1539 Longworth House Office Building to announce a new strategy aimed at bringing a debate on the Iraq War to the floor of the House. The strategy involves a discharge petition, a petition which, if signed by a majority of House Members, forces a bill to the floor without having to win approval from any committee. (Numerous bills and resolutions on Iraq have been killed in various committees.)
The bill being used for this (H.J.Res. 55) is the weakest one out there and has the most Republican support, but the discharge petition will allow amendments once the bill reaches the floor. So, the Democrats will be able to propose anything as an amendment on the floor and have it debated.
Whether even this weak bill (which calls for beginning to get out of Iraq by Oct. 1, 2006) will garner the necessary 218 signatures to allow a debate to occur may depend on whether the Democratic leadership gets behind it and whether signing it is widely understood as supporting a debate, as opposed to supporting this particular bill.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/discharge
CUTTING OFF THE FUNDS
A strong proponent of the discharge petition is Congressman Jim McGovern, the sponsor of the strongest bill out there, one which would cut off funding for the war.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/end
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA
Tuesday evening was also an interesting time in our empire's capital. It began with a fundraiser for Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), which was attended by Congress Members McGovern, Conyers, Waters, and Raul Grijalva. The event was used to announce the establishment of PDA's advisory board, which a number of progressive Congress Members have joined.
http://pdamerica.org/about/board.php
Congressman Conyers spoke passionately about the Bush Administration's war lies and announced that he will be releasing a report, this week or next, on the topic of the Downing Street Memos and other evidence of lies.
"The misrepresentations of the sorriest administration in my lifetime," he said, were crumbling around them. "What did Bush and Cheney know about what their chiefs of staff, Rove and Libby, were doing all this time? Nothing? Please! We want these truths to come out."
Conyers said he was working to achieve a Democratic majority in Congress in next year's elections.
THE HIGH COST OF WAR. THE LOW PRICES Of WAL-MART.
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