(Since the State Central debate on censuring Lieberman is approaching, it's important to demand that your DTC takes a stand on the issue.
- promoted by ctblogger)
The Glastonbury DTC voted on November 20th, the same evening as Greenwich, to Censure Joe Lieberman. It took a bit longer to get the final document and also add names of Town Committee members who missed the vote and other Democrats who wanted their names added to the document.
The Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee Glastonbury, Connecticut Notice of Censure for Joseph Lieberman - Independent Senator, Connecticut
Whereas Joe Lieberman actively campaigned for the Republican candidate for President and impugned the competence of the Democratic candidate for President at the Republican National Convention,
Whereas Joe Lieberman chose to ignore the will of the Democratic party in the 2006 election for US Senate and chose to run as an independent candidate,
Whereas Joe Lieberman is a key player in several organizations that promote US hegemony and the use of pre-emptive war including The Foundation for the Defense of Freedom (where he serves as 'Distinguished Advisor') (1) and The Committee on Present Danger (where he serves as Honorary Co-chairman with Jon Kyl, James Schultz, James Woolsey and along with Kyl received their 'Distinguished Statesman' award (2, 3) in June,
Whereas Joe Lieberman trumpeted the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, then, when the White House proposed to shortchange funding the new department's inaugural budget in 2003, issued 8 press releases decrying the plan and promising to rectify the situation. But when it came time for the U.S. Senate to vote on increasing funding, he was nowhere to be found,
Whereas Joe Lieberman>skipped every single Senate vote that could have increased homeland security funding in the first critical year of the new department's existence.His absence in a debate on legislation to potentially increase security funding to Connecticut's cities meant the difference between the bill passing and losing."(4),
Whereas Joe Lieberman voted for the original USA Patriot Act and the later reauthorization of expired provisions,
Whereas Joe Lieberman was one of only 6 Democrats who voted to confirm Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General and the only democratic senator from new England, in spite of Gonzales' support of torture, rendition and eavesdropping on US citizen(5),
Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only Democrat in New England, one of only 11 in the senate to vote for the Military Commissions Act of 2006 that denies prisoners the right to habeas corpus, sanctions torture and protects members of the administration from prosecution for war crimes(6),
Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only Democrat in New England to vote for cloture in the bankruptcy bill (7) when it could have made a difference in the outcome, then, when it was too late to make a difference, he voted against it (8),
Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only New England Democrat to vote for cloture on the Alito nomination then, when there was no chance the vote would fail, he voted against the nomination (10, 11). This vote opens the country up to further erosion of separation of church and state, erosion of civil rights and further expansion of presidential power,
Whereas Joe Lieberman voted not to censure President Bush for authorizing the NSA to spy on Americans, an illegal act that threatens our liberties, but he voted to censure President Clinton for behavior that is not illegal and posed no threat to the nation,
Whereas Joe Lieberman was absent for the vote on the Fair Credit Reporting Act 2003 that permanently limits states rights to enact stronger consumer protections and privacy laws (12),
Whereas Joe Lieberman was the only Democrat to support the president's idea of private accounts. (13) Once it was clear that the issue had no traction, Joe Lieberman joined Democrats in opposing the President's plan,
Whereas Joe Lieberman voted for NAFTA and was the only Democratic senator in New England to vote for CAFTA (14). Whereas Joe Lieberman opposed Democratic efforts to negotiate side agreements to protect worker rights, human rights and the environment (15),
Whereas Joe Lieberman voted to table a bill that would have forced drug companies to offer drugs developed at taxpayer expense at fair prices (16),
Whereas Joe Lieberman was one of only 7 democrats to vote against an amendment to the Class Action Fairness Act that would allow tougher state laws to prevail in class action suits. The Class Action Fairness Act later passed with Lieberman voting in favor of the bill (17),
Whereas Joe Lieberman was one of only 15 democrats to vote against the Cluster Munitions amendment (18) which would have banned the sale of cluster bombs by the US until the defense department adopted rules preventing their use on citizens. (As many as 50 % of the bomblets in these bombs don't detonate on impact but later explode when civilians collect them as souvenirs or when military return to clear areas of unexploded devices),
Whereas Joe Lieberman supports the Death Penalty even for minors (19),
Whereas Joe Lieberman has demonstrated unwavering support of the war, the greatest contributing factor to the growth in the national debt.
We the under-listed members of the Glastonbury Democratic Town Committee, representing a majority of those present, voted to publicly censure and repudiate the words and actions of Senator Joe Lieberman, Connecticut-Independent, on November 20, 2008,at its regularly scheduled meeting:
Allen Freidrich
Karen Klingensmith
Kim McClain
Patricia Saddlemire
Cathy Vacchelli
Michelle Jacklin
Michael Low
Cynthia Merritt
Helen Stern
Denise Weeks
Joan Kemble
Patricia Low
Barbara Nebb
Victoria Usher
Luther Weeks
Winnie Zimberlin
In addition, the under-listed members of the GDTC, who were unable to attend the meeting and vote on the motion of censure and repudiation at the November 20, 2008 meeting, have requested to have their names added to this Notice of Censure:
Jeanie Babineau
John A.Davis, Jr.
Lynn Onderko
Barbara Wagner
Kathleen Collins
Thomas Kehoe
Daniel Schnaidt
Bob Zanlungo
Timothy Coon
Michael Lepore
Amrutur Srinivasan
The under-listed citizens of Glastonbury, who are not members of GDTC, have requested to have their names added to this Notice of Censure:
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