Campaign Opens for Censure of Bush

Military families and antiwar activists urged Congress on Wednesday to censure President Bush for what they called his deception and manipulation of intelligence before the Iraq war.

“The best way that the United States Congress can honor those brave men and women in uniform who have served in Iraq, and who continue to serve in Iraq, is to honor the truth,” said Sue Niederer.

Her 24-year-old son, Army Lt. Seth Dvorin, was killed in Iraq in February.

“They can do so by holding accountable those who deceived and manipulated the American people to justify the invasion and occupation of Iraq, starting with President Bush,” Niederer said at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol.

As Bush was inside for a St. Patrick’s Day luncheon, the soldiers’ families and antiwar activists displayed boxes of petitions calling for censure of the president.

The group Win Without War said it had gathered 560,340 signatures endorsing a censure resolution.

A statement released at the news conference contrasted Bush’s public comments on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq with CIA and media reports disputing the White House pre-war position that Iraq possessed these weapons.

The censure campaign is led by Win Without War, a coalition of 42 organizations, along with MoveOn.org, True Majority, Working Assets and Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.

The business group plans an ad campaign to begin Friday.

The ad, set to run in the New York Times, is headlined, “Have you noticed what’s happening to chief executives who lie?”

It goes on to say, “It’s time for someone in this government to step forward and take personal responsibility for the deadly deceptions used to mislead this great nation into war.

“And that someone must be Bush.”

On Saturday, the anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, antiwar activists including a group of military families, plan to demonstrate outside the Ft. Bragg military base in Fayetteville, N.C.

The groups include Military Families Speak Out, Bring Them Home Now coalition, United for Peace and Justice, September 11th Families of Peaceful Tomorrows and Veterans for Peace.

At least two counterdemonstrations supporting the Bush administration’s military policies are scheduled to be held the same day in Fayetteville, which is home to one of the largest military bases in the United States.