OLYMPIA, TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!

Wasting A Lot of Loot (WALL) in Iraq

No, we are not talking about a wall around China Lake in Maine. The wall is the new
one that Sen. Olympia Snowe has built in her Portland office. One end of the wall is to keep Mainers from entering her office to share their deep concerns about the war in Iraq. The other end of the wall reaches all the way to the war torn nation of Iraq where the U.S. is wasting over $10 billion per month - with the full support of Sen. Snowe. (Bush just requested $120 billion for FY 2006 war funding.)

For over a year Mainers have been writing, calling, and visiting the offices of Sen. Snowe asking her to hold a public town hall meeting on Iraq. So far she refuses. Why is she reluctant to share the courage of her convictions with the citizenry?

Now the senator is going one step further. She has just built a wall in her Portland office making it even harder for the taxpayers to visit her with their grievances about the cost of the war. Is democracy being sealed off in Maine?

In the immortal words of Ronald Reagan, we say, "Olympia, tear down that wall!"

If you agree, call Sen. Snowe's Portland office at (207) 874-0883. While you are
at it, also ask her to hold a town hall meeting on Iraq.

HEADING TO NEW MEXICO FOR SPACE NUKES PROTEST

I leave Wednesday for Albuquerque, New Mexico to join protests at the 23rd Annual Symposium on Space Nuclear Power & Propulsion. Each year NASA, Pentagon, and the aerospace industry gather to make plans to move nuclear power into space. The Bush administration has been good to this group, resurrecting the nuclear rocket, now called Project Prometheus. Other space nuclear programs are being expanded and thus the chance of a deadly accident becomes greater as the numbers of dangerous launches will dramatically increase in coming years.

I will start out with talks in Silver City, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque with the protests set for Feb 13-14 outside the Hilton Hotel in Albuquerque where the symposium will be held.

I've been attending these events for more than 10 years and local activist Bob Anderson has always been a wonderful host and speaking tour organizer for me. His friendship is something I really treasure and am always happy to hang out with him for several days of action.

Bob is a Vietnam vet and has been teaching college for many years now. Because of his political activity across New Mexico, he has now lost his teaching position at the University of New Mexico. Bob is a true profile in courage as he never let his career ambitions stand in the way of speaking truth to power.

I spent several hours today listening to the funeral service of Coretta Scott King. George W. Bush was sitting right behind the podium and I was shaken to my bones when Rev. Joseph Lowery (former president of SCLC) got up and moved the crowd to its feet by saying that we know there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, we can't have war and deal with poverty. Bush was just a bit uncomfortable. I said to myself, now that is speaking truth to power. When he was done, Lowery turned and walked right up to Bush and extended his hand. What a moment!

So from Joseph Lowery I go to Bob Anderson. Good men they are.