Reminder: Iraq Summer Take a Stand Events Tonight

Take a Stand Day events coordinated by the Americans Against Escalation in Iraq's Iraq Summer campaign, MoveOn, TrueMajority Action, Working Assets and others are going around the nation today. Click to find one near you or set up your own. In New Mexico there are events set for Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Los Lunas.

In Albuquerque, you're urged to gather at the 'Iraq Summer' Campaign Take a Stand Townhall:

WHAT: Hundreds of Domenici and Wilson constituents to attend ‘Take A Stand’ Town Hall Meeting to pressure the Senator and Congresswoman to break with Bush and vote to begin responsible redeployment of U.S. troops out of harm’s way in Iraq

WHEN: Tuesday, August 28th, from 7:00 – 8:00 PM

WHERE: UNM Continuing Education Auditorium, 1634 University Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM

SPEAKERS: Moderator will be Claudia Iglesias – Iraq Summer Campaign

• Major General Mel Montano (USANG, Ret.) – Former Adjunct General of New Mexico
• Martin Heinrich – Albuquerque City Councilor (Dist. 6)
• Bruce Clark – Marine veteran and father of two active duty soldiers, one currently serving in Iraq
• Judy Pratt – Activist, former State Senator and 1984 U.S. Senate Candidate against Pete Domenici

The New Mexico 'Iraq Summer' Campaign has been turning up the heat on Senator Pete Domenici and Congresswoman Heather Wilson all summer to start representing their constituents by voting for a safe and responsible end to the Iraq war. The campaign will come to a crescendo on Tuesday, August 28th: 'Take a Stand Day' –- when the campaign will host a public town hall meeting on Iraq in Albuquerque featuring veterans, military families, and community leaders.

Invitations to the TAS town hall, which is already expected to draw hundreds of constituents, were ignored by Senator Domenici’s office and flatly rejected by Congresswoman Wilson’s. In response, the Iraq Summer Campaign will provide an empty chair for both Wilson and Domenici to highlight their disappointing lack of courage to face their constituents and explain their continued support for the President's costly and irresponsible policy of endless war in Iraq. With U.S. forces stretched the breaking point policing a religious civil war that has no end in sight, New Mexicans deserve answers from their representatives in Congress.

This historic forum comes on the heels of a startling pronouncement this month from Lt. Gen. Doug Lute –- a three-star general and President Bush's "War Czar" –- that a military draft is "on the table." This bombshell announcement followed recent statements by General David Petraeus -– the President's top military commander in Iraq -- that U.S. forces should stay in Iraq for another 9 or 10 years. In response, 'Take A Stand' participants will publicly ask Domenici, Wilson: Since you support Bush's endless war in Iraq, do you also support the draft needed to sustain it?

CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE
If you'd like to do more to help defeat Domenici and Wilson in the 2008 election, consider making a small donation at the BEAT BACK BUSH NEW MEXICO Act Blue page, a joint effort of the Democracy for New Mexico and blogs designed to counteract the fundraising machinery of Bush and the Republican right wing. Click to see previous posts on the effort.