Minnesota Reaction to Bush's "Surge" Speech

Please note: my next posting will be on Sunday.

No matter where I go in Minnesota I find little support for the war in Iraq, and even less for Bush's new strategy of "surging troops" in Iraq.

Minnesotans by and large were opposed to this war in Iraq before it started, and have become even more opposed as the war has dragged on and the body bags are filled.

Most Minnesotans say they would rather see all the money being wasted on this war used, instead, to create a single-payer, universal health care system.

If anyone doubts the above statement I would be willing to go out and any street corner to ask people their thoughts... something United States Congressman Collin Peterson might consider doing before he talks to the media the next time.

One can't help but wonder where Minnesota politicians are coming from on this war. Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor 7th District Congressman Collin Peterson is the epitome of stupidity when it comes to this dirty little war to occupy Iraq for oil and regional political domination.

Peterson told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "I agree with the president that the troops, a lot of them from our district, are doing an outstanding job over there. I don't know that I trust their new strategy, in light of all the things I've heard. If we were surging a lot more troops than that, maybe I'd be more comfortable."

Peterson is as dumb as they come; he just doesn't get it. And he is worried about his "comfort level" as Minnesotans are shipped off to their deaths.

Roseau County is in Congressman Peterson's district. Congressman Peterson never even bothered to show up for our county convention because he didn't have the moral courage or the political courage to defend his stand in support of this terrible war in Iraq.

The Roseau County DFL county convention unanimously passed a strongly worded resolution which stated in part, "The war in Iraq is based upon lies and deceit... a date must be set to end this war now."

As the Roseau County DFL member of the DFL State Central Committee, I have circulated George McGovern's "Blueprint" to end the war among my friends and neighbors all over Roseau County. I have not had one single person tell me they are opposed to McGovern's plan, with the exception of three people who have sons and a daughter stationed in Iraq... and for them, McGovern's proposal does not end this dirty little war soon enough... they didn't want their children over there to start with, and they want them home right now. Nor do they want to see other Minnesotans join the sitting ducks now stationed over in Iraq.

Congressman Peterson's position is very clear; Peterson thinks (and I use the word "think" very loosely with regard to Peterson) that this war is right and justified... he doesn't like the Bush proposal to surge troops because Bush isn't burying more troops in this quagmire.

Peterson has no understanding of the nature of colonialism or imperialism; he has no understanding of why Americans and Iraqis are dying in this senseless war. Worse yet, he doesn't want to learn.

Peterson is a pitiful excuse for a politician; I wouldn't vote for him if he was running for the proverbial dog catcher. In fact, Peterson couldn't even find a Minnesotan to nominate him to run for Congress, he had to bring in his friend Mark Froemke from North Dakota to nominate him.

Yes, that is right... a registered voter and legal resident of North Dakota was brought into Minnesota to nominate Peterson at the 7th District nominating convention because a Minnesotan couldn't be found for the ceremony. Bizarre? Yes. Fact? Yes. Maybe like the war, illegal.

And, the 7th District DFL Chair encouraged and organized this... and, the DFL State leadership tolerated this; apparently afraid that Peterson would run as the Republican he really is. I say, let the Republicans have Peterson.

Now, I know that North Dakotans want to build this water pipeline from Lake of the Woods to North Dakota real bad in order to steal our water; but, for North Dakota Republicans to send over someone to nominate a Congressman to carry forward this theft by promoting this kind of boondoggle is going a little too far, if you ask me.

I wonder what Froemke thinks about the war in Iraq? Must be he supports Peterson's position since he rallied his troops at the last 7th District Nominating Convention to oppose the idea of even having any discussion about this dirty war lest it be an embarrassment to Peterson... so much for the democracy Bush and Peterson say the war is about... Wally Sparvy, Peterson's loyal Assistant here in the 7th Congressional District, sees to it that anyone who opposes the war never gets to sit down and talk with Peterson.

Peterson has pushed for huge defense department contracts for Polaris in Roseau and Mattracks in Karlstad; Mattracks has now taken these tax-payer dollars and invested in building a huge new plant in China which has cost over 250 jobs in our own 7th Congressional District. Peterson and Froemke talk about, "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs;" neither one has explained how Mattracks building this huge new plant in China is serving workers in our own Congressional District. Both Polaris and Mattracks manufacture equipment being used by the U.S. military trying their dead best to occupy Iraq.

In fact, Peterson is a Republican on every single issue... his support for this war even surpasses the support of the Republican stragglers still defending Bush; no Minnesota Republicans have dared to say more troops should be "surged" into Iraq... not even that arrogant Michele Bachmann. Peterson is alone, except for John McCain and his side-kick, Joe Lieberman, in saying that more troops should be "surged" into Iraq. Oh yes, the good old American Enterprise Institute is all for a big "surge," too... these miseducated, misdirected adjuncts who call themselves professors are for anything that might cause corporate profits to "surge;" and war is big business.

To even suggest that more troops are needed is to state that this war is morally and politically justified... and, oh yes, legal.

In fact, this war is none of the above.

Collin Peterson has never put forward one single reason to support this war in Iraq... how could he, there is no reason for it; just one big pile of lies.

Collin Peterson should be ashamed of himself for supporting this dirty war that is bringing so much grief and sorrow to so many families here in the United States and in Iraq.

My suggestion to Collin Peterson is that he reverse his opposition to single-payer, universal health care along with his support for the war in Iraq and get with a program that the majority of his constituents support: use this money being squandered in Iraq to "surge" forward with creating a world-class, comprehensive, no-fee, single-payer, universal health care system so his constituents won't have to cross the border into Canada to buy their medications.

Off the subject of the war in Iraq and back to this Republican boondoggle to steal water from Lake of the Woods... perhaps Congressman Peterson might suggest to his friend from North Dakota--- Mr. Froemke, that instead of building a pipeline from Lake of the Woods to North Dakota, that this pipeline be built instead from Minntac's "Clear Water Reservoir" to North Dakota; after all, by the time Minntac's environmental engineers get done talking about their "water inventory reduction proposal" the water in this reservoir is good enough to drink... I hope North Dakota Republicans take my advice... being advocates of the "entrepreneurial spirit," they could add a little of that America Crystal Sugar to the water and create a real invigorating brew... I can see it now... a campaign poster of Collin Peterson wearing fatigues and Army Helmet while sitting on a Polaris ATV equipped with Mattracks that has run out of gas waiting for an ethanol delivery in the middle of the big-muddy headwaters, sipping a sweet "Clear Water" brew from a plastic bottle manufactured in China... as a wipes the sweat from his brow saying, "We can win this war in Iraq, if only President Bush would take my advice and "surge" 120,000 more troops."