Help Bill Richardson End the Iraq War: NoTroopsLeftBehind.com

From Governor Bill Richardson:


I've been saying it for months. And just this morning, at the Take Back America conference, I made it crystal clear: my position on Iraq is totally different than every other candidate.



I want to start bringing ALL of our troops home right now -- every last one.



While other candidates push plans to get troops out sometime in Spring 2008, I am calling for all troops out in 6 months.



And, perhaps more importantly, while every other major candidate voted for or supported recent legislation with loopholes that allow Bush to leave an indeterminate number of troops indefinitely in Iraq, I want ALL of our troops out -- every last one.



That means no airbases, no embedded soldiers training Iraqi forces, no troops in the Green Zone. Zero troops. I would leave the customary small marine contingent at the embassy, but if that became unsafe, then I'd bring them home too.



I've had my campaign set up a website with the sole purpose of generating the grassroots support needed to get our troops home: www.notroopsleftbehind.com



And I hope you will join me.



Sign the petition calling on Congress to end the war NOW and bring ALL the troops home. www.notroopsleftbehind.com



Here's the deal: over 70% of Iraqis want us out of their country. Over 60% think its okay to kill Americans. At the rate we're losing American lives, over one thousand American troops will be killed this year alone. In a war where our troops are the #1 target, who are the poor souls we'd choose to leave behind?



Every indication is that Iraq is not getting safer -- it's getting more and more dangerous. Waiting until September to act will only lead to more lost American soldiers. We must act now.



That is why I am calling on Congress to de-authorize and end this war BEFORE they leave for their summer break.



The American people are with me -- we want this war over NOW and ALL the troops out.



Now we just have to pressure those in power to do what they've been elected to do.





www.notroopsleftbehind.com



I have had it with cautious leadership -- we need bold action. Congress can end this war now -- but they seem dead-set on waiting until the fall to do anything. I see no reason to give George Bush any more time to come up with absurd excuses and stalling tactics to drag out this war any longer.



Thank you for joining me to end this war now, and bring all of our troops home.



Sincerely,





Bill Richardson

Campaign Press Release: Governor Bill Richardson Has Strong Showing in Second Democratic Presidential Debate

Official press release from the Richardson Campaign:

Governor Bill Richardson Has Strong Showing in Second Democratic Presidential Debate

Governor Richardson's strong and bold positions on key issues show the clear difference between real experience and political rhetoric

MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE— At tonight's Democratic Presidential debate in New Hampshire, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson tonight firmly established himself as the candidate with the strongest positions on the key challenges facing this country and showed that he is the most qualified to be the next President of the United States.

"The other candidates have policy positions and Bill Richardson has real-world experience dealing with those challenges," said David Contarino, Governor Richardson's campaign manager. "Tonight he separated himself from the other candidates and showed voters in New Hampshire and across the country that he will be a strong and effective President that can bring this country together and restore America's standing in the world."

On Iraq:
Bill Richardson has the strongest plan to get US forces out of Iraq without leaving residual troops. Congress should vote, before the summer recess, to de-authorize the Iraq War under Article I and the War Powers Act and to withdraw all US forces- with no residual troops – within six months after that vote.

On Energy and Global Warming
Governor Richardson is calling for a "man-on-the-moon" effort, a ten-year intensive plan to reduce our dependence on oil by 50% and our global warming pollution by at least 20%. He is proposing tough fuels mileage standards for vehicles and incentives to stimulate production of more efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. The Governor also believes that a mandatory carbon emission cap-and-trade program will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The League of Conservation Voters calls Governor Richardson's plan the "most aggressive of all the candidates", and the Sierra Club says Governor Richardson has "raised the bar."

Health Care
Governor Richardson believes in universal health care to provide quality, affordable coverage for all Americans. His plan would give people the choice to keep their current coverage or obtain coverage through an existing, well-established program. The Richardson plan can be paid for without raising taxes and will not create a new bureaucracy. The plan will also ensure our Veterans have the quality health care they deserve by providing them with a Hero's Health Card, meaning they can get care at a provider of their choice instead of traveling long distances to the closest VA facility.

Education
Governor Richardson was the only candidate to say he will make education a priority, including increasing teacher salaries (including a national minimum wage for teachers), access to pre-k for all four year olds, eliminating junk food from schools, mandating physical education in schools, and giving every American the chance to attend college or vocational school.

Darfur
The Governor is very familiar with Sudan and the conflict in Darfur and believes the United States must lead the world in helping to stop the genocide that has already claimed more than 200,000 lives. The US must use every available diplomatic tool, including the possibility of the US boycotting the upcoming summer Olympics, to persuade China to pressure Sudan to allow UN peacekeeping forces into Darfur.

Immigration
Governor Richardson believes in comprehensive immigration reform that includes dramatically improving border security, enforcing sanctions against employers that knowingly hire illegal workers, using diplomacy to engage Mexico, and creating an earned path to legalization for the 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the country, providing they meet strict requirements- passing a background check, learning English, paying fines and back taxes, and following a detailed application procedure. The Governor believes keeping families together must be a priority with any immigration plan, and he will not support any guest worker program that does not provide basic worker protections and could create a permanent underclass of immigrant worker.

www.RichardsonForPresident.com

Gov. Richardson: De-Authorize the War Now

Congress has the power to end this war. They authorized the invasion of Iraq under the War Powers Act and they can now de-authorize it and bring the troops home.
De-authorization can't be vetoed. The President won't listen to the American people, and he won't listen to Congress -- together we can show him that being stubborn isn't a foreign policy.
For several months, I have been calling for de-authorizing this war and leaving no residual troops because I believe that this is is the best approach to ending the violence.
But many Americans don't even know that de-authorization is an option. They know the proposals coming out of Washington don't go far enough, but they don't know a better way forward.
That's where you come in. I need your help to send the message to Congress that they need to execute their authority to end this war immediately. It is increasingly obvious to me that only an overwhelming public outcry will force our leaders to act. So let's create that outcry.
Click here to sign the petition calling on Congress to use its power to de-authorize the war and bring the troops home now. We need their help to end the violence in Iraq.
Our presence in Iraq worsens the violence and enables our enemies to portray us as imperialist occupiers. If we announce that we are getting out completely, we undercut this propaganda. We need to get all our troops out of the crossfire of this civil war.
Anything less than immediate de-authorization and the withdrawal of all American troops is not a real plan to end this war. We can't leave behind airbases. We can't leave behind embedded troops to train the Iraqi army. We can't leave behind any residual force whatsoever in a country where American troops aren't wanted and have targets on their backs.
Click here to sign the petition calling on Congress to use its power to de-authorize the war and bring the troops home now. We need their help to end the violence in Iraq.
I know this region well and understand how people there see the world. I served as Ambassador to the UN, President Clinton's Special Envoy, and as Secretary of Energy. I have been there. I even met with Saddam Hussein and secured the release of hostages. Diplomacy can work in this region -- I've done it before -- there is no military solution in Iraq.
Last Thursday, Senators Clinton and Byrd introduced a proposal to de-authorize the war. I'm pleased to have their support, but I encourage them to go further.
We must de-authorize the war and set a timetable to get our troops out by the end of this year.

Sincerely,
Bill Richardson

Gov. Richardson: De-Authorize the War Now, No Residual Troops

Governor Richardson has written an op/ed for The Huffington Post:

De-Authorize the War Now, No Residual Troops
By Governor Bill Richardson

I first called for de-authorization of the war in Iraq in January, and I have repeated that call all around the country -- because I believe immediate de-authorization and removing all of our troops from Iraq this year is the only way to end Bush's war.
Congress should de-authorize the war today and demand that the President begin redeploying our troops.
There would be no need to negotiate the withdrawal with the President, and he could not veto the resolution.
The time has has come for Congress to stand up to this President who refuses to recognize that his war is bleeding our military and weakening our country. He believes mere stubbornness is a foreign policy and that he can just ignore the will of the American people. In the interest of our national security, he must be stopped.
Congress has the ability to end this war under the War Powers Act -- let's not wait or waver while more people die. And de-authorizing the war should mean removing all our troops. Every last one.

Continue reading De-Authorize the War Now, No Residual Troops

Bring the troops home -- Support Bill Richardson's plan to end the war in Iraq

Bill Richardson is the only major candidate who would withdraw ALL American troops troop from Iraq before the end of 2007. At the debate in South Carolina, he repeated his commitment to leaving behind no residual force.
Every other major candidate supports leaving at least some troops behind. While others refine and rephrase their positions, Bill Richardson is the only major candidate who is committed to getting all our troops out and ending this war.
It's time to bring the troops home. All of them. Click here to support Bill Richardson's plan to end the war in Iraq.
Pundits analyzing the debate seemed more interested in haircuts and horse races than the crucial distinction on which candidate will really end this war.
With your help, our campaign can overcome all that and bring experienced, competent leadership back to the White House. But to do that we must build a chorus of right-minded voice committed to doing what's necessary to protect American lives and end the violence in Iraq.
If you believe America should withdraw all our troops from Iraq as soon as possible, then I urge you to take immediate action in support of Governor Richardson and his plan to bring the troops home.
It's time to bring the troops home. All of them. Click here to support Bill Richardson's plan to end the war in Iraq.
Governor Richardson is the most qualified and experienced candidate in this race. He's been to Iraq, he knows and understands the region. He knows that our presence there is no longer helping, and indeed is playing into the hands of our enemies, including Al Qaeda.
He knows that we have to bring our troops home because there is no military solution to Iraq's political crisis. The Iraqis must take responsibility for their security, their government, and their future. As the Governor has said, "They need to stop killing each other and start compromising."
We need to get out of their way. Our troops have done their job under terrible circumstances, but now they are stuck in the middle of a civil war. Jihadist propaganda exploits the American presence to foment more hate and violence. Sixty percent of Iraqis say it is justifiable to kill Americans. Eighty percent want us to leave.
Only Governor Richardson has shown the wisdom to call for the withdrawal of every American troop before the end of 2007. Every single one.
Sincerely,
Dave Contarino

Campaign Manager

Richardson for President

P.S. Please share this message with your friends and family. Once they see the crucial differences in this field of candidates, I am certain they will side with us.

It's time to bring the troops home. All of them. Click here to support Bill Richardson's plan to end the war in Iraq.

Cokie Roberts & Steven V. Roberts: Sell John McCain stock, buy Bill Richardson's

From Cokie & Steve Roberts:

Bill Richardson will turn 60 next fall and seems full of energy. In recent months he has traveled to Darfur and North Korea on diplomatic missions, which underscores the fact that he has actually held more government posts than any candidate in either party.Congressman, cabinet secretary, U.N. ambassador and now, two-term governor. And remember, we elect governors, not senators. In the past 30 years four governors have won the presidency; in our entire history, only two senators have accomplished that feat.
Then there was this blog entry by James Boyce on The Huffington Post: "On the left, the netroots-early-warning-detection-system is starting to buzz a little bit and the recipient of the buzz is Bill Richardson."
The reasons: He favors a complete pullout from Iraq, has real credentials on energy issues, and his mother is Mexican. Yes, his father was a wealthy American banker, and he attended a fancy New England prep school, but he speaks fluent Spanish and would appeal strongly to America's largest and fastest-growing ethnic minority.
"Richardson," writes Boyce, "will get a look over the next 60 to 90 days and if he transfers his growing online buzz into mainstream media buzz, watch out."
McCain and Richardson have the same bank balances, but their similarities end there. In the political marketplace today, one is a junk bond, the other a growth stock.


Read the entire column:
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/23/opinion/guest/50-roberts.txt

Presidential candidate Richardson talks of need for diplomacy

From Iowa:

Presidential candidate Richardson talks of need for diplomacy

By EMILY CHRISTENSEN, Courier Staff Writer

CEDAR FALLS --- Bad guys like Gov. Bill Richardson.The New Mexico governor has worked with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to broker a fragile 60-day cease fire agreement in Darfur. He has helped a scared wife rescue her journalist husband from a Sudanese prison thanks to his relationship with the African leader.More recently Richardson was in North Korea, collecting the remains of six soldiers lost during the Korean War, from a country that has been less-than-friendly with the United States in recent history.Richardson, a Democratic presidential hopeful, said it is his commitment to diplomacy that has afforded him the opportunity to arrange such meetings.
It is that same diplomacy Richardson said is needed in Washington to begin moving this country in the right direction. "We should have a foreign policy that we do things not just for our own interest, but because it is right," Richardson told a group of about 150 on the University of Northern Iowa campus Friday. "... We have forgotten that element in our foreign policy. ... I think that buys us goodwill and eventually that translates into something that advances our issues." He was in Cedar Falls as part of a larger program sponsored by the Center for International Peace and Security Studies that focused on conflict and conflict resolution in Africa. "What you do here, mediation and conflict resolution, that's the reason I am running for president," Richardson said. If elected, Richardson said he will make Africa and the Darfur region and other third-world countries that he said have been neglected under the current administration a top priority of his international agenda.
But, Richardson said he isn't interested in starting another war on the behalf of these countries. Instead he wants to use United Nations peace-keeping envoys, economic sanctions and diplomacy to end the wars now raging in many third-world countries. He also would divert funds currently being used in Iraq --- his first order of business would be to remove troops from that area --- to fund additional foreign aid and refocus our military efforts at U.S. ports and in Afghanistan." America also has to protect its own interests. ... The war in Iraq is taking away from the real threats to America," he said.
Richardson, who is in his second term as the New Mexico governor, served as the Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton, was a Congressman and an Ambassador to the United Nations. His work has earned him four nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Our Guv on Hardball !!!

Governor Richardson appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews this afternoon and discussed Iraq and Darfur. As always, the Governor was phenomenally inspiring and impressive.

For those of you who missed it, you can view it on MSNBC's video site: http://tinyurl.com/t7e6s