Keep the Oregon National Guard Home campaign
Leah Bolger, Veterans for Peace Chapter 132, 05.02.2009 08:32
Today's (2/5/09) Press Release reminds us of Southern Oregon's support for this important campaign. The following local organizations have signed on: Citizens for Peace and Justice, Peace House, Rogue Valley Veterans for Peace Chapter 156 and Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice.
Portland, OR, February 5: Early this week, Oregon became the sixth state to introduce measures in its state legislature with the goal of challenging the use of the National Guard in Iraq. A bill, now known as HB 2556, would give the Governor the authority to withhold the Guard from federal deployment when there is no legally valid authorization. Identical House (HR 4) and Senate (SR 1) resolutions then call on the Governor to withhold the Guard deployments from Iraq and Afghanistan because the terms of the 2002 Iraq authorization by Congress have been met, and the 2001 "War on Terror" authorization improperly delegates warmaking powers to the President, resulting in a perpetual call-up of the Guard.
Leah Bolger interview, guest on the Brain Labor Report radio show (2/5/09 edition) 
http://www.kskq.org/brainlabor/?p=460
Oregon Guard Home Campaign Page http://www.pjw.info/guardhomecampaign08.html
NEWS ITEM -- For Immediate Release --February 5, 2009
Contact: Leah Bolger, Veterans for Peace Chapter 132 (Corvallis) 541-207-7761
Oregon Legislators Introduce Measures to Keep National Guard Home
Seven States Have Legislation, 21 States Plus DC Join Guard Home
Campaign
Portland, OR, February 5: Early this week, Oregon became the sixth state to introduce measures in its state legislature with the goal of challenging the use of the National Guard in Iraq. A bill, now known as HB 2556, would give the Governor the authority to withhold the Guard from federal deployment when there is no legally valid authorization. Identical House (HR 4) and Senate (SR 1) resolutions then call on the Governor to withhold the Guard deployments from Iraq and Afghanistan because the terms of the 2002 Iraq authorization by Congress have been met, and the 2001 "War on Terror" authorization improperly delegates warmaking powers to the President, resulting in a perpetual call-up of the Guard.
According to the primary sponsor of the bill, Representative Chip Shields, The two most important issues of our time are rebuilding our economy and he war in Iraq. This measure sets forth a legal strategy to bring our troops home."
The bill has bipartisan support from legislators across the state. In all, fourteen of Oregon's 90 legislators have put their names on one or both measures, including six senators and eight representatives.
On January 21, the Campaign to Keep Oregon's Guard in Oregon, made up of 54 organizations and four prominent individuals statewide, delivered 7139 signatures of Oregonians from every district in the state to Governor Ted Kulongoski, Senate President Peter Courtney, and House Speaker Dave Hunt, and every Senate and House office in the Capitol. The Campaign, part of the national "Bring the Guard Home! It's the Law" campaign, seeks to prevent the upcoming deployment of roughly 3000 Oregon Guard members to Iraq because the terms of the Congressional authorization have expired.
The "Bring the Guard Home" campaign began in Vermont in January 2008, and has rapidly gained momentum. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia are now part of the effort and more states are joining. Oregon becomes the sixth state to introduce legislation, and Maryland the seventh, joining Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New Mexico. Many other states have promised to introduce legislation this year. In New Mexico, 8 legislators are co-sponsoring a measure, and in Massachusetts, 5 legislators have signed on. This makes Oregon's 14 officials the highest in the country to date, while efforts continue to grow the campaign locally and nationally.
For more information on the Oregon Campaign, contact Leah Bolger of Veterans for Peace in Corvallis at 541-207-7761 or Dan Handelman of Peace and Justice Works in Portland (email only Feb 4-Feb 7) 
campaign@pjw.info. For national information contact Ben Manski at the Liberty Tree Foundation, 608-239-6915, manski@LibertyTreeFDR.org .
A full list of Oregon's supporting groups is available: http://www.pjw.info/guardhomesupporters.html
The states working on the national effort are: Alaska, California, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and Washington, DC.
Oregon Guard Home Campaign Page http://www.pjw.info/guardhomecampaign08.html
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camp homebound 14.02.2009 - 10:18 Portland Indy Media article on The Capital vigil "Camp Homebound" Gets Ticketed http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2009/02/386361.shtml also interview with Michele Darr here: Joe Anybody>  Homepage:: http://
Joe Anybody and Camp Homebound Video(s) 17.02.2009 - 15:31 Camp Homebound videos from Joe Anybody are here: http://www.joe-anybody.com/id133.html I recently posted an Interview Video, from 2.14.09 of Michel where I ask some hard questions about her hunger fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEA4QS1UB_o ((( i ))) Joe Anybody>  e-mail:: iam@joe-anybody.com
Homepage:: http://www.joe-anybody.com/id133.html
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