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Votermarch and Others Launch Official Campaign 2004 Theme: Oust Bush, Words Unltd.

His Re-election Spells Death to Roe v. Wade and Democracy

by Marta Steele

“We can change America here. This is where we start the march for 2004.”
(Greg Palast, quoting Martin Luther King III)

With the cessation of the bombing of Iraq, it is not as if the fight is over, nor even the war, but progressives demonstrating on Monday, June 23, in front of the Sheraton Hotel in midtown Manhattan stressed other issues. The organizer was Lou Posner, head of votermarch.org and nobloodforoil.org, among the first to organize and protest the illegal outcome of election 2000 and the subsequent iniquities that have plagued this country in the inept hands of the “Commander in Thief” and his cronies. The catalyst was Bush’s visit to a $2,000 per plate fundraiser at the hotel, on the heels of a stop at the UN to discuss the Humanitarian Appeal for Iraq. Whom better to consult on the subject of humane treatment of Iraq than Bush? But deeper contradictions plague our country than pretending to care, something Bush does every day while his actions speak otherwise.

Other progressive groups represented at the 7th Avenue and 54th St. protest were democrats.com and democracy march, also pioneers in protesting the mangled ethics of election 2000. Speakers included Posner, Bob Fertik and Chris Acosta of the former group and Cheryl Guttman of the latter. A last-minute addition was the investigative journalist and best-selling author Greg Palast, just back from a book tour in England, where he is also producing a new film. As speakers addressed the exigent themes of the protest--military aggression against Iraq, the corrupt influence of corporate interests, the quashing of civil rights, and disregard for the environment--they also manifested a combination of anxiety and determination on the subject of election 2004. Crucial issues like Roe vs. Wade are at stake, not to mention our basic freedoms and the future of democracy. Grass-roots activism is imperative. But it must transcend in a way totally beyond “us usual suspects.” As Lou Posner later noted, it must lead not to a narrow victory margin of one or the other candidate (as supposedly occurred in 2000) but a large one. And this involves campaigning the hinterlands, among those who stayed home from the polls in 2000: both registered and unregistered (See the statistics in my article “When Democracy?” in this issue and the more detailed focus on this moral majority in both this and “ Dear Fellow Progressives.”)

Other protest groups turned out also in larger numbers, but far from the millions that opposed the Iraq invasion. ANSWER protested Bush at Times Square; some Israel supporters and a few championing Palestinian autonomy flanked the votermarch protest, and Planned Parenthood activists stood outside the Sheraton Hotel opposing the ultra rightwing favoritism of unborn lives over those already on the earth and in need. All were confined within police barricades. This time around, I found them welcome. Having endured three years of Bushocracy, I found them suddenly sheltering me from him and gladly respected the barriers, needing the protection, wanting real protection from the right wing, which the entire NYPD could not deliver, horses, clubs, guns, and all. That is where the theme of miracle comes in, that vertical ice Everest we must climb to unseat the usurpers.

”Bush is no fool,” lamented Posner. “The real fool is the American public who believes him. He doesn’t have their interests at stake. He supports the top .1 percent of the wealthy in this country [Note the decimal that replaces the statistic formerly cited: one percent. Another .9 percent cheated. Where is their protest?]. The culprit? In Manhattan especially, but throughout the country, the conservative talk shows that dominate this media sector are lying to the public, Chris Acosta of Votermarch.org and democrats.com later told the crowd that maxed at a few hundred at the progressive gathering. He called hosts like Rush Limbaugh and Bob O’Reilly “Meccas of misinformation.” Fully 52 percent of New Yorkers, for example, thought Iraqis were on the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11, connecting both Iraq and Saddam Hussein with that event. “There is no connection,” Acosta said.

“The truth must be known,” Posner continued. “The president of the United States is a dishonest scoundrel who stole the election with the help of Jeb Bush, Republican bullies, and a crooked Supreme Court. He lied to the American public, the UN, and the world community, using false pretexts for waging military occupation of a Third World country. He lied about WMDs to invade the Middle East oil reservoir, where there were either no WMDs or so few that there was no threat to our security. Votermarch seeks constructive solutions!”

“The true patriots are here, not at that $2,000 a plate dinner. While those at the Sheraton trade favors with Bush, we in the street tell the truth,” said Posner. One protester held up her sign “Weapon of Mass Deception,” an arrow pointing toward the mouth of an enlarged photo of Bush. “Operation Enduring Feardom,” read another sign. “Bush leaves 12 million children behind,” “Bush leaves no multimillionaire behind,” read others.

A major focus of the protesters was the Republican plan to hold their convention in 2004 to renominate Bush in Manhattan, timing it to coincide with the laying of the new cornerstone at the 9/11 memorial. “Have it in Texas!” growled one protester. “Call Bloomberg, get a petition,” said Posner. “Three thousand people did not die on 9/11 for that!”

Chris Acosta of Voter March then stepped on to the podium, followed by Bob Fertik and Greg Palast. Click on Words Unltd. for the continuation of this article.