Sacramento Coalition to End the War

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007
Contact: Coalition to End the War/Veterans for Peace 916/996-9170

ATTN: Assignment Desk

Governor should not have vetoed Iraq war withdrawal ballot measure; It would have given Democrats ‘courage' to do the right thing, say vets

SACRAMENTO – Anti-war activists said Wednesday that although they believe the advisory vote on withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq – vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late Tuesday – was largely "political," the vote would have helped give Democrats the courage to end the war immediately.

"This vote would have given Californians an opportunity to speak out about the war, and although the measure doesn't go far enough as far as calling for our troops out now, it is something the people should have had the opportunity to vote upon," said John Reiger, a member of the Coalition to End the War in Sacramento.

Vietnam veteran Cres Vellucci, a member of Veterans for Peace, said the governor made a grave mistake not signing the resolution to allow the February vote.

"Most of us who have seen war up close believe the resolution is not as strong as it should be, and is too little, too late. But, by preventing the people from voting, the Governor shows his hand as a politician who does believe, in the end, in politics first and our troops and the electorate, second," said Vellucci.

The vets said that while they would have liked to see the ballot measure, they also understood it was being used by some Democrats to upstage Republicans.

"If it was on the ballot, and if it resulted in people overwhelmingly supporting withdrawal, as all the polls indicate, it would have given cover and courage to Democrats in Washington D.C. to make the right decision and bring our troops home now – something they still resist," added Vellucci.

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