Cape Codders who oppose the war in Iraq are pushing U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Quincy, to sign on to legislation that would de-fund the war and set a timetable for the return home of U.S.troops. “We just want him to take a leadership role,” said Lee Roscoe, one of the activists who met Monday with Delahunt’s aide Mark Forest in Hyannis.
Delahunt opposes the war in Iraq and is a longtime critic of the Bush administration’s handling of it, however he does not support impeachment efforts pushed by many anti-war activists and he has not endorsed HR508, which seeks to stop funding for the war and also calls for complete funding of the Veterans Administration health care system.
Forest said that bills could be potentially be very costly and that Delahunt will be an original co-sponsor of a bill filed by U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, calling for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq within 30 days of passage of the legislation. Withdrawal would take no more than 180 days and would be paid for by funds already appropriated. Under McGovern’s bill, upon completion of withdrawal, all funds for deployment of U.S. forces in Iraq would be terminated. Exceptions would be for military personnel assigned to the U.S. embassy in Iraq and Army Corps of Engineers personnel working on reconstruction projects.
Forest said Delahunt wants to support legislation “that will have a more direct impact on changing our Iraq policy.”
As for why Delahunt has not endorsed efforts to impeach President Bush, Forest was succinct: “Two words; President Cheney,” he said. “We have not found much enthusiasm for a President Cheney.” Roscoe stressed that while Delahunt’s anti-war credentials are solid, a stronger message should be sent.“There needs to be censure of this kind of imperial presidency,"Roscoe said. Roscoe said people in the anti-war movement are encouraged by the large turnout in Washington last weekend, “and that so many kids and their parents are involved in this.”
