Lighting Fires, all over the place

Antiwar Leader Tries To Light Fire Under Dems Over Iraq

By Greg Sargent bio


A leading figure of the antiwar movement is warning that Congressional Dems are at risk of badly botching the public relations battle over Iraq and is urging Congressional Dems to move more aggressively to confront the Republicans in the political showdown over ending the war.

The antiwar leader, Tom Andrews, the head of Win Without War, made the comments in an interview with Election Central. His comments reflected what he said is a growing anxiety among antiwar leaders that Congressional Dems are so consumed with uniting their caucus that they're neglecting to articulate a forceful enough antiwar message and thus risk fumbling the current PR war.

"Democrats have to fight," Andrews tells us. "Where are the voices in Congress reflecting the majority view of the American people?"

Andrew says that Dems are being far too timid in the face of a fierce GOP propaganda assault that has for days targeted Jack Murtha in an effort to define his plan for attaching conditions to war funds as micromanaging the war and defunding the troops. Win Without War, like Move On and some other antiwar groups, are generally supportive of the approach that as yet has been outlined by Murtha and other Congressional leaders.

Right now Dem leaders in the House and Senate are trying to gague sentiment in their respective houses of Congress and debating internally the specifics of how to confront the White House on the war. But Andrews says that such debate, while necessary, shouldn't prevent Dems from simultaneously mounting a tough PR counter-offensive -- something Andrews says Dems are failing to do.

"The Republicans should be on their heels," Andrews says. "They have put the troops in these conditions -- and they're the ones on the offensive!"

"There should be a relentless attack" from Dems, Andrews continues. "Dems in Congress should be talking relentlessly about the lack of equipment, the lack of training, the multiple deployments, every day. There should be a relentless demand for accountability."

"Even if you don't have a specific plan yet, you can at least stand up and counterattack against this Republican assault. That hasn't happened," Andrews concludes. "Every day there's not a relentless counterpunch is a missed opportunity. I think a lot more can be done and a lot more should be done."

Tough words for Congressional Dems from a top antiwar leader. Thoughts?


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