VIRB

GRAVEL TALKING POINT - United States Armed Forces Withdrawal from Iraq Act

Democratic Presidential candidate Mike Gravel has a plan that will
end the war in Iraq by September 2007 with all US troops home by
Christmas. This plan recognizes that under the United States
Constitution the power of the Congress is superior to the power of
the Presidency.

Mike's plan is to pass a law in the Congress making the war in Iraq
illegal. Failure to comply with the law would be punishable by 5
years in jail without possibility of parole. Understand that the
President of the United States is required to follow the law just as
is any other American citizen.

Of course, once the law is passed by the House of Representatives and
the Senate, it is likely that President Bush will veto it. Mike
Gravel's plan would call for the Senate and House Democratic
leadership, Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to bring the
bill to a vote day after day, 7 days a week, 30 minutes per day,
forcing the media spotlight to shine on those Senators and
Congressman who are prolonging the war until pressure from their
constituents produces a two-thirds majority sufficient to override
the Presidential veto. (If the law is filibustered in the Senate
initially, the same procedure would apply.)

What is important to understand is that Mike served two terms in the
US Senate fighting for "unpopular" causes and winning against the
odds. Mike is a legislative strategist and you will see that his
plan for ending the war will work, if adopted. Most other options for
ending the war fall into the "do the right thing" category or involve
timelines that extend far off into the future. Rather than wait,
let's force our elected representatives to listen to the will of the
American people by introducing Mike Gravel's draft legislation, the
United States Armed Forces Withdrawal from Iraq Act, and end this
destructive and unnecessary war now.