Do you know one of the best ways you can help end the war in Iraq and start an honorable withdrawal?
Help me convince voters in a red district that the President is wrong on Iraq and to vote for me in a special election next month to override the President's veto of troop funding and an honorable withdrawal.
I'm James Marlow and I'm a Democratic candidate running for Congress in Georgia to fill the seat vacated by Charles Norwood.
Our military has done its job - it won the war against Saddam Hussein’s armed forces four years ago, it removed his government from power, and it brought him to justice. The Bush Administration, however, failed to plan for the day after the war was won, and our brave men and women in uniform are still putting themselves at risk every day because of it.
Americans voted to end the war in November. The President didn't listen. For most of the country, voters don't get another say for another 18 months. Fortunately, we have another accountability moment coming up with national implications. On June 19, Georgia voters will decide whether to end the war by voting for me or to stay stuck in somebody else's civil war for years to come by voting for one of my Republican opponents who blindly support the President's position.
How do we convince Republican Congressmen to break with the President, and signal to Democrats that the nation wants action now? How do we get them to support an honorable end to our involvement in Iraq as quickly as possible? Organizing helps. But nothing will change the calculus in Washington more than a strong showing of support for my campaign – because if voters in my red district embrace a common-sense Democratic candidate like me who is explicitly calling for an honorable withdrawal, then all Republican incumbents who support the President's position on the war are in trouble. Electing me will send the message that the Republicans in Congress need to break with the President and side with the American people. It will signal to other Congressional Democrats that the American people want them to act to bring this war to an honorable end as soon as possible.
Having worked in the high-tech industry for years, I understand how powerful a force technology can be in making positive change. With that in mind, I've launched ConnectingWithGeorgia.com, a blog that my campaign is using to communicate with voters and the netroots community. Let me know what you think. I'll be responding to comments and on this diary between campaign stops, including a visit to the local netroots at a meeting of the Atlanta-area Kossacks later this afternoon.
Help me reach more voters with a common-sense message of an honorable withdrawal. I believe the majority of Americans are on our side, and the special election on June 19 is an opportunity to prove it.
Last Sunday, I saw a young man in uniform get off a plane at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to meet his mother and father. He had clearly just finished a tour of duty and the parents were crying, both with pride and relief. I could sense how happy they were that their son had survived and come back with ten fingers, ten toes and a clean bill of health. It was like a great weight had been lifted off their shoulders. All of our military parents and families are under that strain right now, and too many of them are getting the worst possible news. This has to stop, and I'm running for Congress to bring all of our young men and women home in an honorable withdrawal so all of our military families can feel the same joy and relief at the airport.
This is a special election, and under Georgia law, it's a non-partisan race. The top-two candidates will advance to a runoff election later this summer if no candidate earns a majority of the vote. I'm grateful for the support of almost every elected Democrat in the district, and we need to make sure that I make it to the runoff.
Join with me as we change the calculus on Iraq this month and show that the President is out-of-touch on Iraq. Our campaign needs to raise $3,000 this week, and I'm counting on the netroots to step up for our shared campaign. Please donate if you can, and if you live anywhere near Northeast Georgia, please come by the campaign office in Athens (map here). We need your energy, your enthusiasm, your dollars and your hours to show that this common-sense message will resonate in a red district.
(Once again, our ActBlue page can be found right here.)
Elections have consequences and the next election between now and September that can change the calculus for Republican incumbents everywhere is in Northeast Georgia on June 19. Help me end this war by participating in our $3,000 one-week challenge today.
Thanks for reading and all that you do.
Yours,
James Marlow