Peace Action Polictical Action Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2004
Contact:
Scott Lynch 301.565.4050 ext. 330
Kevin Martin 301.565.4050, ext. 307
Political Action Committee of nation’s largest peace organization formally calls for the defeat of Bush
Peace Action PAC’s “dis-endorsement” of Bush is unprecedented in the 47-year history of the group
Silver Spring, MD— In a move unprecedented in the 47-year history of Peace Action (the merger of Sane and The Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign), its PAC, the Peace Action Political Action Committee, has dis-endorsed, or formally advocated the defeat of, a presidential candidate.“George W. Bush’s foreign policy is counterintuitive, radical and dangerous. Because of Bush’s pursuit of security through aggression and unilateralism, its planned building of new U.S. nuclear weapons and its exportation of the weapons around the world, Bush has pushed this country and the world towards a cataclysm rather than towards safety. Bush has been so harmful to progress on the issues of nuclear disarmament, international cooperation, the arms trade and the elimination of war as a means of resolving international conflict that this country and the world cannot risk another four years of his failed leadership. We feel we have no choice but to issue this unusual ‘dis-endorsement’,” said Kevin Martin, Executive Director of Peace Action PAC.
Peace Action PAC has not chosen to endorse a candidate for president at this time, because neither Bush nor presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry has made a concrete pledge to overhaul the foreign policy of this country in the positive, practical manner required in order to successfully meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Peace Action PAC and Peace Action will consider at a later date whether to endorse a candidate for president. Peace Action PAC also endorses and supports the election of pro-peace candidates for U.S. Congress. U.S. House and Senate endorsements will be announced later this year.
“Bush and his administration of radical right recidivists—Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Negroponte, Abrams et al—are proponents of the discredited violent policies of the last century. Because there are new threats, we must have a new, smarter foreign policy that is based on American democratic values, not simply a more brutal and violent one based on perceived expediency. Bush’s foreign policy has done much damage to U.S and world security and that damage will take years to remediate. His foreign policy, in terms of human life lost worldwide, so far, has been akin to more than four World Trade Center attacks. This policy of institutionalized violence will guarantee more terror attacks on the U.S. and cannot be allowed to continue for another four years.” concluded Martin.
Peace Action PAC is the political action committee of Peace Action, the country’s largest peace and justice organization with over 91,000 members, with state affiliates and local chapters in 29 states.
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