John Edwards: Another Pro-War, Big Business Candidate; Why We Must Protest at the DNC: Sunday, July 25

Contact: Peter Cook  617-522-6626

On Tuesday, July 06, 2004, Senator John Kerry announced that Senator John Edwards of North Carolina will be his running mate in the 2004 Presidential Election. A close look at John Edwards and his voting record makes it clear why he was chosen and why the anti-war movement must protest against the Democratic national Convention.

Edwards, a multimillionaire (his net worth is between $8 and 36 million) like Kerry and Bush, offers little to distinguish himself from the current regime.

The War

He voted for /H.J.RES.114/, Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq and helped spread the Bush Administration's lies about "Weapons of Mass Destruction," saying, "Make no mistake, Saddam Hussein alone has chosen war over peace. He has defied international law rather than disarm his weapons of mass destruction."

The Patriot Act

Not only did John Edwards vote for the Patriot Act, he sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee and helped draft it.

*The Occupation of Palestine*

According to his campaign website, "Edwards has been one of Israel's strongest and most consistent supporters in the U.S. Senate."

The No Child Left Behind Act

According to his campaign website, Edwards supports the No Child Left Behind Act, which is Bush's attempt to privatize the public school system and cut funding to schools in disenfranchised communities, especially communities of color.

Edwards poses as a "populist," but his voting record reveals that he is cut from the same cloth as John Kerry and George W. Bush. This is why his campaign is funded by huge contributions from multimillionaire law firms and Wall Street giants like the Goldman Sachs Group, as reported by Center for Public Integrity.

A.N.S.W.E.R. Boston is organizing a national march on the Democratic Convention on Sunday, July 25 in Boston, MA. According to Maureen Skehan, an organizer for A.N.S.W.E.R., "the people are mobilizing in opposition to the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq which could not have happened without the complicity of the Democratic Party and its members in Congress. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed and many more wounded. More than 700 US troops have been killed and thousands wounded and maimed. John Kerry and John Edwards have made it clear that they not only supports the occupation of Iraq but that he would send more troops if elected President. Kerry has accused the Bush Administration of not doing enough to overthrow the elected government of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Kerry and Edwards have repeatedly outlined their support for Israel while it wages war on the Palestinian people.

"Both the Republican and Democratic parties have been responsible for a massive transfer of wealth from badly needed social programs to the Pentagon's war budget. Devastating cuts in housing, education, job training, veteran's benefits, and healthcare are imposing a new level of human suffering especially in working class and poor communities. Hardest hit are African-American and Latino communities. The Democrats and the Republicans are attempting to abrogate civil rights and liberties while simultaneously falsely positioning Arab-Americans and Muslims as 'enemies within' as exemplified by the passage of the 'Patriot Act'. This is why the movement must stay vocal, visible, and mobilized."

"Both the Republicans and Democrats represent and are subservient to an economic and social order which puts the global pursuit of profits first and the rights of poor, working and oppressed people last. It is time to build an independent movement that will put an end to wars of conquest, racism and all forms of bigotry. The resources being used to fund the Pentagon belong to our communities and are needed for jobs, housing, healthcare and education."

A kickoff rally will be held at the Boston Common starting at 12 noon and will be followed by a march through the streets of Boston. People from throughout the country will be coming to Boston to participate not just in this protest but also in the many protests that will take place during the week of the convention.

This demonstration will focus on the role that John Kerry, John Edwards, and the Democratic Party have played in supporting the Bush administration's war and occupation of Iraq. The demonstration will also oppose the attacks on civil rights and civil liberties and support a call to fund jobs, housing, education and healthcare not the Pentagon's war machine.  The Democratic Party leadership has been complicit in Bush's war against social, legal and civil liberties at home.

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Why We Are Marching on the DNC

July 13, 2004--There are just two weeks remaining until the July 25 March on the DNC. Everyday when we pick up the paper or watch the evening news we are reminded why it is so important to protest against John Kerry and the Democratic Party.

Both Kerry and Edwards voted for the Patriot Act, the war against Iraq and both support the occupation. They both are opposed to equal marriage rights and Kerry has repeatedly stated that he supports the introduction of 40,000 more troops into Iraq and has publicly stated "I will never hesitate to use American power to defend our interests everywhere in the world". Kerry has also advocated for the overthrow of the Chavez government in Venezuela.

According to the July 2, 2004 issue of the Boston Globe, Kerry supports the construction of the apartheid wall separating Israel from the West Bank and Gaza and he also supports the genocidely attacks by Israel on the West Bank and Gaza.  Kerry charges the Bush Administration with not doing enough to counter Iran and claims that Iran is a "threat to the safety and security of Israel, the US and the rest of the free world". This statement can be viewed as nothing more than an overt threat to the people of Iran.

We know that the true threat to the world is not the Palestinians, the Iranians or any other country in the Middle East, the Carribean or Latin America. It is the US who seeks to dominate the world economically and militarily. It is the US who after 12 years of brutal sanctions decided to invade Iraq on phony, trumped up charges of weapons of mass destruction. It is the US who provides $7 million a day in aid to the racist government of Israel which includes the Apache helicopters and missiles used to murder and terrorize the Palestinian people. It is the US who invaded Haiti, kidnapped Pres. Aristide and has overseen the murder of thousands of Lavalas supporters.

This is why it is important for the anti-war movement to not fall into the trap of "Anyone but Bush". Both Kerry and Bush are beholden to the same interests - the Pentagon and Wall Street. We need to be in the streets of Boston on July 25 and throughout the DNC not to ask the Democrats and Kerry to be reasonable but to demand that the US troops leave Iraq immediately! To demand an end to the colonial occupations of Iraq, Palestine and Haiti! To demand U.S. hands off Venezuela, Cuba & Korea. To demand U.S. out of Colombia, Puerto Rico, Afghanistan & the Philippines! To demand money for for AIDS, jobs, housing, education & healthcare, not the Pentagon war machine! To demand an end to the attacks on undocumented workers, stop racist detentions, roundups & deportations!

Join us on July 25 and add your voice to those who stand in opposition to war, occupation, racism and all forms of bigotry and oppression.

Make sure that you will be in NYC at the end August to protest against the RNC.