Oh the sacrifices I make. This is Powderhorn Lake. Its 60 degrees out. Absolutely georgeous day.

However, I was heading inside ... once again ... for more politics. Keith Ellison was going to hold a clear the air meeting with constituents to discuss the Iraq War, his vote for the Iraq Supplemental Funding bill, accusations that he's abandoned the peace movement and how we all move forward as a progressive movement.

About 100 out of the 150 people greeted Keith. Keith has angered the Peace First folks. Their anger stems from Keith's vote for the Iraq Supplemental Funding bill which continues to fund the Iraq Occupation. They are not assuaged by the timelines which are admittedly weak or happy in the slightest bit that this was the best the Democratic coalition that came together to get this bill passed achieved. While nobody was rude, it was obvious they were angry. Their position can best be encapsulated in fellow mnblue blogger Charlie Underwood's post.

Most of you know that I was a strong supporter of Keith Ellison in his CD5 campaign for the U.S. House. Like many in the Minnesota peace community, I spent countless hours doing phone calls and door-knocking to elect Keith, believing that he would do what Martin Sabo would not: use his office to vote against future funding of the tragic war in Iraq.
...
I maintain a large reservoir of love and respect for Keith Ellison. I do not believe that he was corrupted or that he somehow sold out. My guess is that he has been duped into thinking that the Pelosi bill was actually the most direct possible path to peace in Iraq, whereas I personally believe that it is a shameful tactic of the beltway Democratic leadership to continue the war until the 2008 elections, in order for Bush to drag his party down in electoral defeat. Sadly, many more will suffer and die due to these craven manipulations, and the world next year will certainly become a more dangerous place.
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We were not wrong to support Keith Ellison for Congress. Like each of us, he is only a human being, flawed and sometimes weak and certainly quite capable of error. We must each continue to seek the tasks that seem right and honorable. And if we supported a candidate who disappoints us, let us simply admit the failure and seek another way.

Keith began by addressing the crowd which had swelled to over 200 by the time he was done speaking. Mainly he reiterated his press release on why he voted for the supplemental bill.

What is the way forward, what comes next? He was there to listen to all sides whether you agree with his vote or not. He emphasized that "we cannot fall out over this."

"This vote, plain and simple, comes down to ending the war – or not. I believe this bill is a vote to end this war. It is not the bill I would have written. From the beginning of my campaign, my position was out of Iraq – now. But let us not confuse our goals with our methods. This is the first piece of legislation that actually puts timetables on ending this senseless involvement in Iraq. It is the best vehicle we have before us to end the war.
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The alternative to this proposal is more of the same – with no leverage whatsoever on the President’s disastrous war. To me, that is the larger issue: allowing this President’s policies to go unchecked one single day more...

I also see this bill as a beginning – one I intend to firmly hold the Democratic Leadership and the President to. For many of my colleagues, the Democratic timetable for troop withdrawal is the first positive sign in four years since the Iraq War began. They are right. For me, and the Minnesotans I represent, troop withdrawal is not some position paper; it is linked to time – and time is measured in lives. My conscience tells me the time is now – and this legislation is the best vehicle we have before us to end this debacle.”"
(ellison.house.gov)

He emphasized that "it was going to take a lot of effort, a lot of time" to stop the war. He then gave a brief history of the civil rights movement from the late 50s into the 70s to illustrate that change doesn't happen immediately.

"Is the pace of our effort to end the war fast enough for me?" he asked rhetorically. "Absolutely not. But the rest of the country is not like Minneapolis, Madison, San Francisco. There is a lot of South Illinois and South Indiana that needs to get on board with this. Keep up the pressure." He then talked about how he had no problem with people sitting in his office and told folks to "keep up the pressure." He then added a very telling comment about what all Democrats across the country are facing: "I'm used to being in the opposition, I'm not used to being in charge, being in the majority."

At this point someone in the audience yelled:

Impeach!

"Right, right," answered Keith. "I agree. Bush has committed impeachable offenses, but its not that simple. We need to persuade a lot of folks, talk to them, reach out to them, respect them regardless of whether or not we agree with their position on impeachment before we get do it."

Question and Answer

My man Charlie Underwood was the first to speak. While Charlie is insightful and eloquent, he is not brief and did not let me down today. Aside from the points he made in his post, he asked the audience if anyone thought the war could be won militarily. One person raised his hand. He then speculated about how many more tens of thousands of Iraqis would die before August 2008 when the troops might be out under the bill. He guessed that we might pass 5,000 US troops dead by then. He then asked his main question:

Will you admit you broke your promise to the Peace movement?

Its obvious that Keith doesn't think that he has abandoned the peace movement. I'm being facetious when I say that he hasn't become a hawk with this vote. Keith answered by reiterating his earlier point that "we cannot fall out over this, we all want a better world." He also answered that he couldn't in good conscience vote with the Republicans and with the President who want to continue this war.

Carol Inglehart (sp?) spoke next. She's a nurse, Mom and mother of two kids of draft age plus very concerned about the war. She had an education question along the lines of please update us on what can be done. Keith suggested that No Child Left Behind needed to be repealed, that a lot could be done about student loans and that the Dems were now "in the driver's seat to demand change."

David Gilbert-Pederson of the Hip Hop Caucus spoke next. He said that Keith really only had two bad choices. Vote with the Republicans and the President or vote for a weak bill. DGP thinks Keith did the right thing.

A guy who'd worked on the Nader 2004 campaign spoke. I didn't catch his name. He spoke about it all being about wheeling and dealing, machinations behind the scenes and that problem was the rotten Dem leadership. Basically, they guy wasn't happy with the Democratic Party, its leaders and etc. That was the essential problem with the Supplemental Funding bill according to the speaker.

"If you think all Democrats are rotten, well, we respectfully disagree," replied Keith. "Of course there's wheeling and dealing. This is politics." He then talked about how the leaders of the progressive caucus released its members to vote as their consciences saw fit. He then introduced this concern:

If this bill didn't pass, the Democrats would have been in disarray and President Bush would have won this fight.

Then there was a kerfluffle over this sign.

Powderhorn Park Recreational has anti-swearing rule. The Rec Center staff confronted these guys. If RABL, the Revolutionary Anarchist Bowlind League is still around, they're probably members. So did the staff succeed in ousting them? Nope. Were the cops called to haul them away? Nope. Several mothers in the audience became indignant and threw them out in that motherly way ... you know what I'm talking about ... your Mom looks at you with that look and you know you're really in trouble. That's the look that they got. And then the lecture.

Pam Costain currently on the School Board had this very important statement to make and reiterated the point that we cannot fall out over this:

"We have got to stop eating our own. There is a huge difference between opposing and governing."

Donna Cassutt read a letter from Becky Lourey who was unable to attend. Once I get a copy of this letter, it'll go

Dear Keith

I have been meaning to write to you for awhile. You are making me
proud, but more importantly your efforts are making a difference.

I was impressed with your comments on NPR following your visit to the
Middle East. They were very cohesive and direct regarding what our
country needs to do to become respected and trusted once again.

But what has pushed me to sit down and write is my wish to thank you for
your vote to establish a timeline for bringing our soldiers home in
spite of the fact that funding was in the bill. I know this was very
difficult for you because you don't want to fund the war. But if you
had refused to vote for what COULD pass, we would not have been able to
actually accomplish something. It would have only been a statement;
while statements are often powerful, right now we need results. Now,
the president either has to sign the bill - meaning we have a timetable,
or he vetoes it, meaning he has vetoed the funding that he is looking
for and then you all have other moves that can have real results.

I was holding my breath as I listened to hear if the bill with a
timetable passed. I was so relieved that it did. I did not know I felt
that intensely as I listened; my heart would have broken if it had
failed. Failure would have meant that we had nothing to show this
president that we are indeed going to respond to the people who asked
for a change of course. This new congress must be responsive to the
people, must show that it wants a change of course as well. Turning
around is messy and muddy, but thanks for being part of the turn.

Could you forward me any information that helps me understand what this
Congress is doing to redirect the money already in the pipeline for the
war. How will it be taken away from the Haliburtons and the Blackwater
USAs? What other oversight is this Congress going to impose?

Sincerely, Becky Lourey

I left soon after that.

Just before I left I asked Charlie about all this. "What if this bill stalls, Bush won't compromise, we won't either, it becomes a stalemate and funding runs out in July? The troops might start heading home in August. What about that?"

"We'd beg forgiveness from Keith if that occurred," he said with a chuckle. "But, seriously, what are the chances of that happening?"

"I dunno," I replied. "But I'm praying for it."