We need veterans like Ashwin Madia, Tim Walz, and Leonard Boswell in Congress to lead us out of Iraq and to support our troops. Click here to donate to their campaigns today!

It's no surprise that a war veteran, Senator Jim Webb, has led the fight in expanding the GI Bill to give our troops the education benefits they were promised. Those who have worn the uniform know first-hand how much our troops have sacrificed and what it takes to support members of the armed forces.

That's why it was critical our community helped elect Jim Webb in 2006, and it's also the reason I'm backing three veterans who are running for Congress this fall. Though 30,000 Americans have signed a petition in support of Senator Webb's GI Bill, our opponents are already weakening the bill because it is too "generous" for our troops. We need more veterans in Congress who will help bring our soldiers home from Iraq and stand up for those who have defended our nation.

Join me and support veteran candidates Ashwin Madia, Tim Walz, and Leonard Boswell by donating to their campaigns today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/3vets

Ashwin Madia

Ashwin Madia is running in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional district, and his candidacy presents a prime opportunity for Democrats to pick up this open seat. As an Iraq War veteran, Ashwin Madia knows as well as anyone the importance of getting our troops out of Iraq and safely home. He spent seven months in Iraq, working with U.S. officials, European Union and United Nations representatives, and Iraqi judicial officers to strengthen the Iraqi criminal justice system.

Ashwin's extensive experience in Iraq would bring a needed perspective on our nation's interests in the Middle East. We need his voice in Congress, and with your early support he'll win this fall.

Help send Ashwin to Congress -- click on the link below to donate to his campaign today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/3vets

Tim Walz

Two years ago, Representative Tim Walz defeated a six term incumbent Republican in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. As a 24-year member of the Army National Guard, Tim understands the need to increase education benefits for our soldiers and has co-sponsored the House version of Senator Webb's GI Bill.

But Karl Rove and the National Republican Congressional Committee have named Tim as a top target for 2008. Already, well-funded special interest groups have launched misleading TV ads against Congressman Walz because he continues to stand up to the Bush Administration and its failed policies.

Help Tim Walz fight against the GOP's attacks and win a second term. Donate to his campaign today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/3vets

Leonard Boswell

In 2006, WesPAC helped Leonard Boswell fight off a "swiftboat" attempt on him in Iowa, and our efforts helped re-elect Leonard. As a 20-year veteran of the Army, he too supports an expanded GI Bill for our veterans and has pushed for increases in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

We can't afford to lose a true American hero like Leonard in Congress, and we can't take it for granted that the right-wing won't smear him again this November.

Help re-elect Congressman Boswell by donating to his campaign now!

http://www.actblue.com/page/3vets

The insight of those who serve in the armed forces is too often lost in our nation's dialogue about foreign policy, health care, education, and veterans issues. With your support, we'll strengthen the voices of those who have risked their lives for our country by sending 3 veterans to Congress in 2008.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

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Help Andrew Rice keep up his momentum -- click here to donate to his Senate campaign today!

Like me, Andrew Rice never thought he'd run for office. But Andrew's life took a dramatic turn when his older brother was killed in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The tragedy redirected Andrew on a course of public activism, first with the surviving families of 9/11 and later with a successful run for State Senate in Oklahoma.

Today, he's challenging Republican incumbent Senator James Inhofe in Oklahoma, who has blindly supported the Bush administration's failed war policies in Iraq. Andrew's campaign is gaining momentum every day, but he needs your help to defeat Inhofe this fall.

Help send a new leader to the Senate from Oklahoma -- click on the link below to donate to Andrew Rice's campaign today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/helpandrew

Andrew has spent his entire life helping others less fortunate than himself. He holds a Master's Degree in Theology, and has worked in Sri Lanka and Thailand to help fight disease and hunger. As a State Senator, Andrew added 38,000 Oklahoma children to a government-sponsored health insurance program and helped create a task force to tackle the problem of hunger in Oklahoma.

Andrew's record stands in strong contrast to that of Senator Inhofe, who has voted against veterans' health care funding, against funding for troops in the field including armored vehicles, and has blocked an increase in medical care funding for active duty military personnel.

We need more leaders like Andrew Rice in the Senate -- click on the link below to contribute to his campaign today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/helpandrew

Already, Inhofe's failure to represent the needs of Oklahoma is costing him votes. Recent polling by Pete Brodnitz of Benenson Strategy Group found that when Oklahoma voters hear positive statements about Rice's values, agenda and background, they favor him over the incumbent by a 43% to 41% margin. And while Oklahoma has long been dismissed as a "red" state, Andrew's commitment to a new direction for America is gaining traction across the state among voters who are weary of Inhofe's extremist politics.

Let's prove the media and our opponents wrong, and show that Oklahoma is ready to send a Democrat to the Senate. Contribute to Andrew's campaign today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/helpandrew

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

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April 18^th, 2008  

Dear Super Delegates,

In a few months, you will be asked to make a final and immensely difficult choice that will likely decide the Democratic nominee for president.  Unfortunately, that choice is not between Senator Obama or Senator Clinton – for everyone’s sake, I wish it were that simple.   The choice you must make is really much more personal – it’s the type of choice all of us must make at some point in our lives, and it’s never easy.   It’s the choice between what we personally want and hope will work vs. what we know is probably the greater good and best for others.  OK, that’s the kindest way I can put it.   The more blunt way is this: it’s the choice between doing what is best for yourself vs. doing what is best for everyone else, even and especially when it isn’t  what you personally want.

Over the last several months, and right up until the day of the national convention, you will continue to be wooed from all sides; the candidates want you to do what’s best for them, the party wants you to do what’s best for it, and the voters of your area want your vote to reflect their preference.  The pressure will only get worse, and no matter which way you go, you’re probably going to make someone unhappy.  That’s OK.   I’m guessing no where in the “Super Delegate Handbook” does it say one of your responsibilities is to make people happy. Hang on to that thought.  It’s one of two you’re going to need to remember most when you make your final decision on the convention floor. 

So – how are you to make this decision?   Let’s be honest – many of you will never have so much power to shape history, nor your own personal future, as you will have with this vote.  And it’s that last bit – the personal future part – where this starts to get complicated.   At some point in this process, don’t be surprised if someone suggests to you something along the lines of “if you play your cards right and vote for so-and-so, you can write your own ticket,” or “stick with me and I’ll make sure you have a seat at the table”’ or “so-and-so is who we want, and you don’t want to be on the wrong side of this when the day’s over”’ or, my personal favorite, the short and sweet, “you owe me”’ or some other version of a carrot or stick arm twist.   The less power you currently enjoy, the greater the pressure you’re likely to feel to do what someone with more power wants you to do.   This isn’t meant to be an indictment or condemnation of anyone.   It’s just what happens, so there’s no point in telling ourselves it doesn’t.

I’m not sending this out in order to tell you who I think you should vote for.   My state had its say on Super Tuesday.  I’m here to give you slightly different advice – presumptuous of me, I know – but it’s advice I don’t hear anyone else out there giving you.   So here goes…

Because you will cast the last votes in this contest, you have an incredible advantage over the general public voters; the advantage of time.  You will have had at least two months’ more time to examine each candidate than every other voter – for the nearly half of the country who voted by Super Tuesday, that’s six and a half months’ more information you’ve gained than we had when we voted.  That’s huge!  Consider how much more we’ve learned about the candidates in the last few months than in the previous year.  What more will we learn in the coming months?  I don’t know, but the longer the battle goes on, the better the odds we’ll get a clearer picture of the true mettle of these two people and the more informed your vote can be. 

A second advantage you have is that you’re party insiders.  You are privy to information, gossip, rumor, history and facts most of us will never know.  Those of you who are sitting politicians especially – you know how the game is played – you know the difference between sponsoring bills, co-sponsoring bills, and writing bills and what kind of leadership and talent is evidenced by each.  You know the difference between sitting on committees and working on them.  You know why these candidates have cast their senate votes as they have in detail we  will never hear, which of the hundreds of votes were critical, which weren’t and who showed up for each.  You know the kind of stress and pressure you and your colleagues face every day – and how much more intense it is for a president – and you’ve likely witnessed how each of these two candidates bears up under those stresses and pressures.  You know, better than any of the rest of us, the full breadth and depth of the problems the next president will have to face.   Rip through this information without mercy, but with every ounce of objectivity you can muster.   Close your ears to the charismatic cadence of campaign speeches and promises.  Ignore the polls – you know most of them are bullshit.  Forget who you like or hate.   Remember who gets the jobs done and who gets problems solved.  Those of us general public voters have the luxury of ‘falling in love’ with a candidate – you don’t.  You have to be smarter than us.  And don’t seek the counsel of others in the party – you’re on your own this time and you’ve got to suck it up and trust your own instincts and brains.   Let me repeat that: trust only your own instinct and brains.  This time our future really does depend on your ability to do just that.

It is because of these two advantages, your votes carry the power to essentially save us from ourselves.   In all likelihood, that’s precisely what you may have to do.   You must not falter.  Earlier, I told you it wasn’t your responsibility to make people happy, and to hold on to that thought as it was one of two you would most need to remember.   Here’s the second one: in this vote, your responsibility isn’t to choose the best person for the party – but to choose the best, strongest, most capable person to lead the country.  They may not be one and the same, and this is why Party must never come before Country.  Forgetting this dooms us all.

I know what I’m asking of each of you is far from easy, and I’m sorry for that.   I do understand the political risks you face should your choice go against the wishes of allies and friends. 

Good luck, God speed, and thank you,

K.A. Flinn

I'm grateful for all you've done to change the course of our country and send countless progressives to Congress these past four years. But the 2008 elections are coming up soon, and we need to take the White House and increase our majorities in Congress. Contribute to WesPAC in celebration of our Fourth Anniversary today!

Click to Contribute >>

The Clark Community and WesPAC didn't start with me. It was born out of a group of people who wanted to restore our nation's security and prosperity, address the threats facing America without sacrificing our civil liberties, and fight the unwise policies of the Bush Administration.

It's with the help of people like you that I founded WesPAC and that we have come to change the course of this country. As we celebrate WesPAC's fourth anniversary this month, I'd like to take a moment and look back on what we have accomplished together, and thank your for standing by me these past four years:

The Draft Clark movement started in 2003 with just a handful of activists -- only five years later, our organization includes over 300,000 activists working to increase our Democratic majorities in Congress and bring new leadership to Washington.

Your energy and commitment to our country has helped change the course of our nation both internationally and domestically. Americans across the country are frustrated with our strategic blunders in the Middle East, a weak economy and an administration that has failed to represent the interests of the people. That's why we started a campaign to stop war with Iran, sent over 25,000 emails to Congress urging our Representatives to get Ed Shultz's show on Armed Forces Radio, and have sent more than 260,000 emails to our nation's leaders demanding change in Washington.

Time and again, the WesPAC community has fought for a shared purpose to strengthen our national security, stand by our veterans, and make sure that the government is representing the interests of all Americans. But I alone could not have had the impact that we as a community have had on our nation -- instead it has taken the work of thousands of people like you to make our voice heard.

Of course, what I'm most proud of is our success in sending countless Democrats to Congress. Since 2004, I've asked you to help progressive candidates across the country, and together we have raised over 1.5 million dollars for over 100 candidates. Raising 1.5 million dollars takes more than just one person -- it takes the support of a community, and you are part of a community that has propelled countless Democratic candidates to victory at election time.

With your help, we've done great work so far for the 2008 elections, but we can't take it for granted that we'll come out on top in November. We're facing a Republican Party that is willing to do anything to cling to their seats in Congress, and our opponents are already throwing mud at progressive candidates. It's critical that we win the White House and increase our margins in Congress to move our sound economic and foreign policies forward.

Help us continue to support progressive candidates for the 2008 elections -- click here to donate today!

We've come a long way since WesPAC was founded four years ago. I'm grateful that you've joined me in our mission to bring new leadership to Washington and repair our nation's image in the world. And with your help, we'll succeed by leaps and bounds in 2008.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

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Why is John McCain silent on passing a new GI Bill for our 'new greatest generation?" Tell John McCain to do the right thing and co-sponsor the new GI Bill.

Click to sign the petition>>

McCain must lead the charge

A new GI Bill needs his support, yet the war-hero candidate appears reluctant.

By Wesley K. Clark and Jon Soltz | Los Angeles Times | April 10, 2008

Sen. John McCain served his nation with honor in Vietnam, and he is right to be proud of his service. But by hedging on whether he will support a "GI Bill for the 21st Century," he is casting doubt on his own commitment to the newest generation of American heroes.

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, sponsored by Sens. Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), will restore the promise of a cost-free education to those who serve in the military. The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing education for returning soldiers. The GI Bill not only recognized our nation's moral duty for the enormous sacrifices of our World War II veterans, but it helped create America's middle class and spurred decades of economic growth for our country. Economists estimate that the original bill returned anywhere between $5 and $13 for every dollar we spent on it. But the original GI Bill has become woefully outdated, to the point where the average benefit doesn't even cover half the cost of an in-state student's education at a public college.

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The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing education for returning soldiers. Not only was this our nation’s moral duty for the unbelievable sacrifices of our World War II veterans, it helped create America's middle class and spurred decades of economic growth for our country. Why then is John McCain silent on passing a new GI Bill for our 'new greatest generation?" Tell John McCain to do the right thing and co-sponsor the new GI Bill. Click to sign the petition>>

Robert Lopez served 8 years in our military, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a tank commander. He was told he'd get his whole education bill paid for when he got out of the service. Mr. Lopez has fought and sacrificed for our country but like so many others, Mr. Lopez has faced the bleak reality of a government that has turned its back on its veterans.

That is why Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel proposed the new GI Bill, which would bring back WWII-style standards of providing vets with full tuition, room and board. And that is why 51 senators have signed on, including 9 Republicans like John Warner, giving this GI Bill tremendous bi-partisan support.

But it isn't enough. Faced with unprecedented filibusters, the only way to ensure Senate passage of the GI Bill is to get 60 co-sponsors. So far, John McCain has refused. The same McCain who insists he supports our troops. The same McCain who is voting lockstep with the Bush administration (who have also resisted this bill). We need to get John McCain to do the right thing -- to sign now and signal to other Republican leaders that we should be strongly behind our vets.

Sign the petition to John McCain!

Click to watch the video!

The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing education for returning soldiers. Not only was this our nation's moral duty for the unbelievable sacrifices of our World War II veterans, it helped create America's middle class and spurred decades of economic growth for our country.

Why then is John McCain silent on passing a new GI Bill for our "new greatest generation?"

Robert Lopez thinks John McCain ought to stand in his shoes to know how difficult it is to be a vet and have to pay staggering education costs. THIS is your call to arms. Pass the video along and implore your friends to sign the petition.

Click here to watch the video and sign the petition today!

WesPAC, VoteVets.org and Brave New Films feel passionately about giving our veterans the support they rightly deserve. Our government owes our troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan the opportunity to receive full educational benefits. These patriots have fought hard for our government; it's time our government started fighting hard for them.

Sincerely yours,

Wes Clark, Robert Greenwald, and Jon Soltz

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