October 27th the country will host ten regional marches likely to attract hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who want the U.S. out of Iraq. Consider going to Seattle or one of the other ten cities to make a difference.

Can’t go? There will be other ways to be involved… check out PDX Peace to keep you informed.

October 27th main site: http://www.oct27.org

October 27th Seattle http://www.oct27.org/seattle

October 27th Chicago: http://www.oct27chicago.org/

Representative Earl Blumenauer had a telephone “town hall” last night, with hundreds of people on the phone at the same time while he answered questions about Iraq, immigration, and impeachment, and asked us questions like, “Has the cost of invading Iraq been too high?”

Of the close to 500 people (including me) who voted on that question, over 80% said, “Yes, the cost has been too high.”

Some guy who got through with a rambling question asked “But shouldn’t we support the troops?” (in a much longer version) as if it’s supporting people to initiate a civil war and then leave them there until it ends. And then Blumenauer fielded an anti-immigrant question but nicely turned it around and made clear that as someone who is himself a descendant of immigrants (as I am) he believes that we need to have a fair path to citizenship for everyone.

I wasn’t expecting Earl’s call — some weird machine called my house and I almost hung up, but now I’m glad I didn’t. I just put the phone on speakerphone and listened while I cleaned my kitchen (stopping twice to vote by pressing the number 6 or 7 on my phone). Just goes to show that if our Senators and Representatives want our feedback, they can go about getting it. Then there’s no excuse for not supporting the troop withdrawal that a majority of Americans want.

Blumenauer’s office has my phone number on file, I’m sure, because I email Representative Blumenauer with some regularity.

Take a minute to tell Representative Blumenauer that you’re against the ongoing occupation of Iraq. Maybe he’ll call you to find out what else you think.

This article on Common Dreams points out that a simple majority in the Senate could help us get on track for withdrawal from Iraq: by attaching withdrawal language to a funding bill, which they have complete dominion over. Bush can veto it, but it means a veto for funding the occupation of Iraq.
And if they are willing to take this strategy to heart, he identifies at least one senator who might break from the Republicans and vote to reflect the will of his state: Oregon’s own Gordon Smith (R). I wish that this was because Senator Smith was starting to realize the horror and shame of Iraq, but it seems much more likely it’s because he’s up for re-election in 2008.

Senator Smith has belatedly realized that he has to vote in the Senate to represent the people of Oregon, not his party leadership, from time to time. Re-election can cause all sorts of changes: when I have called his office in the past to express my views, (on any number of issues, including peace) the staff used to be downright snide and disrespectful. They would clearly act as if I had no business calling him, so I would spell out, “I hope the Senator takes my views into account, since I live in Oregon.” Their silence or curt hang-ups made clear that constituents calling to express progressive views was an annoying bother.

But when I called Monday to ask him to oppose more funding for border fences and immigration lockups, the staffer was actually courteous and even said goodbye. So maybe now, as Senator Smith seeks re-election, we can have a senator who votes based on what Oregon clearly wants. Because yes, 51 senators can end our bloody occupation of Iraq, and both of Oregon’s senators should be on that list.