Asked about a “die-in” protest last week at his Fort Bragg and other offices, Congressman Mike Thompson said he was impressed with the energy of protesters but felt it was misdirected.
“It”s important that people speak out, that they show their passion,” Thompson said in a telephone press conference.
The St. Helena Congressman, who was a paratrooper in Vietnam, wondered why that passion was aimed at him, while he was celebrating passage of a funding bill that includes a timetable for troop withdrawal.
“As you know, I have been a staunch opponent from the beginning,” he said, telling how he went to Iraq before the war to see for himself, drawing national fire from war supporters. He voted “no” on authorizing the war in the first place.
“When they”re protesting outside my office, they are protesting the same side. I think we would have better luck changing policy if [protests] were aimed at people not wanting to get us out of Iraq,” Thompson said.
Thompson voted last week for the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans” Health and Iraq Accountability Act, which sets a timetable for bringing troops home, but continues to fund the troops.
The protesters want Congress to cut all funding for the war. They point out the history of the slow withdrawal from Vietnam, in which casualties continued to mount daily as the U.S. government sought to save face while withdrawing.
“I voted for this bill because it provides vital funding to protect our troops in Iraq and ensure our veterans get the care they deserve,” Thompson said. “It also — for the first time since this war began four years ago — holds the Bush Administration and the Iraqi government accountable through firm benchmarks and sets a responsible timeline for redeployment of U.S. troops.”
Questions have been raised about how the bill will accomplish anything when President Bush has threatened to veto any legislation that includes any restrictions by Congress.
Protester Bernie MacDonald, in a email to coast residents on the MCN email listserv, wrote, “All over Congressional District 1 we have been demonstrating our resistance to any funding of this atrocious campaign of murderous Iraq occupation. This occupation defies all norms of human compassion and dignity (and rules of war) and may truly be said to be immoral.”
Protesters were set to demonstrate again this Monday at Thompson”s offices across the district, including Fort Bragg.
“Even though the president has threatened to veto this bill, I stand behind it because it protects our troops and veterans, who have given so much to their country, and because it is an important step toward bringing our troops home and charting a new course for our country,” Thompson said.
Thompson said he worked with the leadership of Congress on the bill and also talked to conservative Democrats who were opposed to the timetable but ended up voting for it.
The $124 billion 2008 War Funding and Pullout Statement was approved by the minimum margin (218-212) in Congress this past Friday.
In a mass email advocating further protests, those opposed to the war were encouraged to continue to fight for immediate action.
“Mike”s response to this action has been that this funding and war redefinition is the only way to succeed — other, more humane/logical paths are not possible in Mike”s mind. This perception of impossibility means hundreds of American lives lost and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives squandered for the sake of impossible politic — and a murky future for our country,” MacDonald”s email stated.
Thompson said he has met with protesters, and called and talked with some who gathered outside his offices.
“I think we agree the tragedy of Iraq is monumental,” said Thompson.
MacDonald said the congressman did call and talk to protesters recently. He said the argument against funding the war is simple.
“If you don”t give them the money, they can”t do the war,” MacDonald said.
He said global warming, world hunger and national health care could have benefited richly from the $124 billion war funding. The measure includes some unrelated items.
“Accepting this kind of politics is insane,” MacDonald said.
