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Cindy Sheehan Endorses Howie Hawkins
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Howie Hawkins for US Senate
www.hawkinsforsenate.org
Media Release
For immediate release: October 24, 2006
For more information: Howie Hawkins, (315) 425-1019
Sally Kim, (518) 364-2968
Cindy Sheehan has endorsed Howie Hawkins, the Green Party’s anti-war challenger to incumbent Democrat, Hillary Clinton, in the New York race for US Senate.
Sheehan became the most prominent face of the anti Iraq war movement in the summer of 2005, when she announced that she would camp near President Bush's ranch until he talked to her about the US war in Iraq. Sheehan’s son, US Army Specialist Casey Sheehan had been killed in action in Iraq on April 4, 2004. Bush’s refusal to meet with this mother of a fallen soldier became compelling a national news story that ran on for weeks. Sheehan went on to co-found Gold Star Families for Peace and continues to campaign for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
“Cindy Sheehan’s endorsement will be a big help in getting the word out that I am the anti-war alternative on the ballot to the pro-war incumbent, Hillary Clinton,” said Howie Hawkins.
“Cindy Sheehan sparked a resurgence of the anti-war movement at a time when it had become demoralized after Bush was elected to a second term. When she speaks out against the war, she has the moral authority of someone who has been personally affected by it. Her voice reaches not only the peace activists, but the majority of Americans who now oppose the war, a majority she played a significant role in building,” Hawkins added.
A 64 to 34 percent majority now “oppose the U.S. war in Iraq,” according to a poll conducted for CNN by Opinion Research Corporation, October 13-15.
Sheehan met with Hillary Clinton on September 22, 2005 seeking to persuade here to come out against the war in Iraq. In an open letter she wrote about the meeting a few weeks later, Sheehan wrote, “I thought the meeting with Sen. Clinton went well….I thought Mrs. Clinton listened, but apparently she didn't because immediately afterwards she said the following to Sarah Ferguson of the Village Voice: ‘My bottom line is that I don't want their sons to die in vain... I don't believe it's smart to set a date for withdrawal... I don't think it's the right time to withdraw.’…What Sen. Clinton said after our meeting sounds exactly like the Republican Party talking points I heard from Senators Dole and McCain.”
Sheehan added later in the letter, “I think she [Clinton] is a political animal who believes she has to be a war hawk to keep up with the big boys.”
Before endorsing Hawkins for the general election against Clinton, Sheehan endorsed Clinton’s anti-war challenger in the Democratic primary, Jonathan Tasini. Tasini received 125,000 votes to Clinton’s 641,000 votes. While the many media commentators have described that result as a landslide for Clinton, others have noted that the one out of six Democratic votes for Tasini’s low-budget campaign was a strong showing, which indicates Clinton’s pro-war and pro-corporate policies are alienating the liberal wing of the Democratic Party.
Sheehan’s open letter to Clinton of October 2005 included an appeal to Clinton that left the door open for future support if Clinton changed her position on Iraq:
“I would love to support Hillary for President if she would come out against the travesty in Iraq. But I don't think she can speak out against the occupation, because she supports it.
“I will not make the mistake of supporting another pro-war Democrat for president again: As I won't support a pro-war Republican. This country wants this occupation to end. The world wants the occupation to end. People in Iraq want this occupation to end. Senator Clinton: taking the peace road would not prove you are weak. Instead, it would prove that you are the strongest and wisest candidate. As a mom, as an American, as a patriot: I implore you to have the strength and courage to lead the fight for peace. I want to support you, I want to work for you, but like many American moms, I will resist your candidacy with every bit of my power and strength unless you show us the wisdom it takes to be a truly great leader."
"Prove that you are "passionate" and reflect our nations' values and refusal to support imperialism, greed and torture. Senator Clinton: come out against this occupation of Iraq. Not because it is the politically expedient thing to do but because it is the humane thing to do. If you want to make Casey's sacrifice count, bring the rest of his buddies home alive.”
A year later, Sheehan, a life-long Democrat, is coming to the conclusion that peace and justice are not going to come from the Democrats.
In an interview published October 23, 2006 on the CounterPunch website(“An Interview with Cindy Sheehan: The Antiwar Movement and Independent Politics”) by Joshua Frank, Sheehan said, “Even if the Democrats take back the lower House, the potential Speaker, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has already said that impeachment would not be ‘in the cards.’ Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) has also backed off of impeachment rhetoric. Since Bush has said over and over again that the troops aren't coming home while he is president, it is up to us to make sure that his presidency is cut short.”
Sheehan added, “I think that to save our democracy our country needs a viable and credible third party. This nation was founded on rule by a few rich white males, and for all intents and purposes, we are still ruled by a corporate elite. We need a third party that will represent all the people, not just the wealthy.”
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 *Website by David Doonan, Labor Donated to Hawkins for Senate Campaign* |
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