Media Advisory: St Cloud Educators and others to visit Congresswoman Bachmann's office

Americans Against Escalation in Iraq
http://www.iraqcampaign.org
For Immediate Release Contact: Kevin Fahey, (612) 465-8803
August 13th, 2007

*** MEDIA ADVISORY for August 14th at 12PM***

St. Cloud Educators, School Employees to Call on Bachmann to Vote for Responsible End to War in Iraq

Effort Comes on Heels of Bush War Czar’s Announcement Last Week That Administration Is Considering Reinstating a U.S. Military Draft / Iraq Summer to ask Rep. Bachmann: Since you support Bush’s policy of endless war in Iraq, do you also support the draft needed to sustain it?

[ Waite Park, MN] – With the war in Iraq now expected to cost in upwards of $1 trillion, a group of Minnesota teachers and classified school employees will gather in front of Rep. Michele Bachmann’s constituent office Tuesday to urge she change course and stop voting to enable President Bush’s costly, irresponsible and failed policy of endless war in Iraq . Even in the summer, they are working on behalf of Minnesota ’s youth, who will shoulder the financial burden of this war for decades to come. The group will call on Bachmann to support a safe and responsible end to the war and will include a local grandmother whose grandson is currently hospitalized at the VA in St. Cloud, as well as others in the educator community who are rising to defend the youth and future generations unfairly saddled with the immense burden of paying for this war.

Educators and classified school employees are speaking out on behalf of Minnesota ’s youth on the heels of the startling pronouncement on Friday from Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the President’s new war adviser - commonly referred to as the war czar - that he is considering reinstating a military draft. Lute’s draft talk followed General Petraeus’ recent statements that we should stay in Iraq for another 9 or 10 years. In response, the Iraq Summer Campaign will ask the Congresswoman if she agrees with General Petraeus’s assessment that the US will need to keep fighting in Iraq for the next 10 years and if she is willing to support a draft to maintain troop levels to support Petraeus’s plan.

AAEI's "Iraq Summer" Campaign is a nationwide, 10-week long campaign with nearly 100 organizers in 15 states and 40 congressional districts to turn up the heat on members of Congress, including Sen. Norm Coleman and Rep. Jim Ramstad, who have opposed setting a timeline to bring a safe and responsible end to the war in Iraq. The effort will culminate with a national "Take a Stand" day on August 28th, when Members of Congress will have the opportunity to explain their stance on the war to their constituents in a town hall setting.

WHO: Iraq Summer Campaign / Minnesota Educators, Classified School Employees
WHAT: Speak out against the war on behalf of young Americans saddled with rising costs, both human and financial
WHEN: Tuesday August 14th at Noon
WHERE: St. Cloud/Waite Park Office
110 2nd Street S, Suite 232Waite Park, MN 56387