The past few years have been hard for our country. But instead of addressing our problems, the people running the federal government have spent their time and our money serving special interests.As a mother who has raised two children in our community, I know what matters to Virginia's families. As a leader in the fight for affordable healthcare, I know what reasonable steps government can take to improve our lives. And as a teacher of the next generation of public leaders, I know what it takes to make government effective and accountable.
I bring more than fifteen years of experience fighting for families like yours and mine on Capitol Hill. As your Representative, I will have one priority: making life in Northern Virginia easier.
I will work to cut down the time we spend in traffic, make healthcare more affordable for our families, and keep our community safe.
We'll have more information as we get it, and hopefully Judy will stop by for an interview too.
Frankly, I am disappointed by Judy Feder's announcement statement. Of course, like anyone living in northern Virginia I'd like to reduce traffic jams and naturally I agree that campaign finance reform--i.e., publically funded elections and assignment of equal radio and TV time on our publically owned frequencies (lots of luck) to candidates--should be a priority. God knows, we do need universal health care.
However, there is one essential issue in this election, reclaiming the Constitution. I ask of any candidate seeking my vote and support that he or she pledge: 1. That before the commitment of US armed forces to military action abroad the Congress, after full and open debate, must make a formal declaration of war. No more ambiguous authorizations giving the executive the discretion to do so. 2. That in the event the executive commits forces without a formal declaration of war that he or she will refuse to vote any money for its conduct. In other words, no more "supplementary defense appropriations" every six months, and if that's not enough, refuse to vote for any military (defense) appropriation until any and all military actions being pursued without a formal declaration of war have ceased and troops are withdrawn. 3. It be understood that the current wars being pursued in Iraq and Afghanistan are unconstitutional and that the candidate pledges not to support them by voting funds for them and will work to have all US forces unconstitutionally fighting in those conflicts withdrawn immediately. 4. That the candidate, in this case Professor Feder, seeking my vote will, as soon as the next Congress is seated, pledge to vote for congressional investigation to determine whether President George W. Bush, Vice-President Richard Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Secretary of State Condolleeza Rice, among others--all being either President, Vice-President or civil officers of the national government--should be impeached for the commission of high crimes and misdemeanors, the chief of which were deliberately misleading the Congress and People of the United States regarding Iraq's "threat" to the security of the United States and the connection of its government to the events of 9/11.
This is vital. If Feder can commit to these requirements she can count on my full support--my money and my time. If not,neither she nor any other Democrat deserves to win. It is time to stand up and be counted.
I might note here that I am, among other things, a former professional Marine Corps enlisted man and officer and a disabled combat veteran of the Korean War. I am, as well, a former university professor the history of US foreign relations (Ph.D., University of Oregon)who served as a counter-insurgency consultant in the US Embassy in Bangkok from 1965 to 1969. From 1981 to 1983 I served as a CIA senior estimates officer at the National Intelligence Council, subsequent to which I appeared as a witness against the United States in the case of Nicaragua v. United States in the International Court of Justice at the Hague and worked as a public critic of the Reagan-Bush administration's so-called covert operations, helping to expose what became the Iran-contra scandal. Currently, I am a member of the steering group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity--an organization which loudly and vainly protested prior to March 1903 that the intelligence process had been fatally compromised by the administration in its false justifications for going to (unconstitutional) war in Iraq.
I should also note that I am associated with the campaign for Congress in Minnesota of my friend, ex-FBI lawyer Coleen Rowley, who is definitely running on the issues I have outlined here.
Please have Professor Feder and/or her campaign manager get back to me as soon as possible. I'm eager to get to work.
David C. MacMichael, Ph.D.
759 Luchase Road
Linden VA 22642
Tel. (540) 636-3082
That's why this news from Judy Feder is such great news.
This year has to be the year of the full court press.
Is James Socas running again? Ive heard different answers from different people on this one. Anyone know for sure?
-Alec