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Barney Frank Backtracks on Get-Tough-On-Nonexistent-Threat-From-Iran Resolution

Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2008-07-05 20:18.

From Rep. Barney Frank:

I thank you for contacting me about language in the resolution
regarding Iran that calls for a blockade of its naval activity. I agree
that this should not be our policy, and I regret the fact that I did not
read this resolution more carefully. I'm going to consult with the
authors to see if a change can be made that would omit this
language, and if they are unwilling to do that, I will make very
clear my disagreement with this in the most appropriate form. I
am grateful to those who called this to my attention. I apologize
again for not having read this more carefully.

I do support sanctions against Iran and I disagree with those who
think that sanctions are inappropriate. I believe that sanctions
appropriately done can have an impact on the behavior of countries
whose behavior ought to be changed. The fact that our European
allies, and even Russia and China, have agreed with us on the
sanctions I think is a testimony to the legitimacy of this approach.
But I repeat that I do think we should have a very clear distinction
between sanctions and military action or the threat of it, and the
blockade clearly falls on the wrong side of that line, so I will be
making clear my opposition to that.

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Yeah, Barney, BUT...

Submitted by R.A. Brown on Sat, 2008-07-05 20:28.

...what do your constituents, (i.e. the American people) think?! So you are just like the rest of the little demi-gods in Washington D.C.? It's what YOU personally think?!

DAMN! THIS SYSTEM JUST PLAIN DOES NOT WORK!!!

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Call for News Action.

Submitted by Chris Horton on Sat, 2008-07-05 23:14.

The bill about which Barney Frank is responding is House Continuing Resolution 362, perhaps better called Stealth Resolution 362. As of June 22, this resolution, which amounts to Congressional authorization for Bush to commit a grave act of war against Iran, had accumulated 160 co-sponsors, while getting NO MEDIA ATTENTION WHATSOEVER! It has since been reported on by the alternative press (e.g. www.antiwar.com/blog/2008/06/23/ iran-war-resolution-may-be-passed-next-week/), and Yahoo, Newsday and the Baltimore Chronicle have run opinion pieces about it. (See "Rep. Ron Paul Assails Congress's 'Virtual Iran War Resolution",
http://baltimorechronicle.com/2008/070208Paul.shtml) The CBS Website ran a commentary on June 23 from Politico, belittling concerns about it but there is no indication that they mentioned it on air.

Congressional Resolution 362 now has 220 co-sponsors, and is due to be voted on next week, reportedly under rules that will allow only 20 minutes of debate! Yet to date there has still been NO MENTION OF THIS RESOLUTION on ABC, NBC, MSNBC, FOX, CNN, PBS, NPR, BBC, AOL, msn, USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor or The Los Angeles Times! It is fairly safe to say that most Americans are unaware of it.

I urge the reader to:

1. Cut and paste this letter to a new email message and send it to your address list;

2. Post this letter to websites and lists;

3. Demand that your local editors and TV news directors cover this story.

Together we can break the Media Barons' chokehold on the news.

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Here's the letter you can cut and paste

Submitted by dikyzr on Mon, 2008-07-07 02:49.

Within the next week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on H Con Res 362, often referred to as the Iran War Resolution because it recommends cutting off the delivery of gasoline to Iran (Iran exports crude oil but imports gasoline).

I hope (name of newspaper) gives high priority to this attempt to move the US closer to another invasion of a sovereign country.

It is imperative that readers are apprised of this attempt to move us to war. Readers need to let Representative Member of Congress know of their feelings on the matter now.

(I sent a variation of this letter to the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson on Friday.)

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The Senate has its own similar bill, S.B. 580 . . .

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2008-07-07 08:46.

and it, too, could come up for a vote this week.

Please let your Senators know of your opposition.

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DOING IT WRONG: Barney Frank

Submitted by Matty on Sun, 2008-07-06 13:24.

Oh My GOD, but this asshole is so GROSSLY INCOMPETENT to not even carefully READ THE BILL ABOUT IRAN - only THE NUMBER ONE FLASHPOINT IN THE WORLD TODAY - that he should be RECALLED IMMEDIATELY!

And yes, "R.A.Brown", I agree his writing indicates a pervading attitude of: "I got elected to do whatever the fuck I think we should do...". With heavy undertones of "And anyway, what the hell difference does my vote make?".

Hey Barney, listen up: If you DON'T GIVE A SHIT - either about the most important legislation coming before you, nor about what your constituents want you to do with it - then you're DOING IT WRONG, AssHole!

Semper Fi,

-Matty in Florida
(Where "Winner Take All" has made loosers out of the entire country.)

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