-Please read this excellent article by Patricia Daugherty about her "encounter" with pro-war Representative Dan Lungren during a recent town hall.-

Peace Activist attends Pro-war Congressman Dan Lungren’s Town Hall

By Patricia Daugherty
 
How could it be?  I was clapping at what Lungren had to say, wishing that my own Congresswoman, Rep. Doris Matsui could utter the very same words: “Congress has the power of the purse….. Those that oppose the war should not continue to fund it.”

To be fair, Lungren quickly reaffirmed that he would vote to continue funding the war on Iraq, but at least I knew where he stood.  Not so with Representative Doris Matsui.
 
For the past eight weeks, Rep. Doris Matsui’s district office has been occupied by a “Peace In” with a simple demand: Stop funding the war so that we can bring the troops home now.  Matsui, who says she has been opposed to the war since it began, still can not bring herself to use the most effective tool provided her by the Constitution of the United States:  the power of the purse.

After eight weeks, soon it will be nine, she still refuses to commit to vote against further funding for the war and occupation of Iraq.  In fact, ever since she has been in Congress, she has voted to fund the war she “passionately” opposes.
 
Matsui keeps saying she has to “protect the troops.” Yet, over 1500 troops have died and thousands have been injured while she has been in office, rubber stamping Bush’s approval for more funds.  One has to wonder, if funding the war really “protects the troops”, why have so many died and been injured?
 
Why did I bother to go to Lundgren’s Town Hall on February 26?  I mean surely, there are better ways to waste and evening and I am not even in his district.  I attended at the direction of Matsui’s district office staff.  Since taking part in occupying her office, I have been told repeatedly that I am in the wrong place. Not because she is not my representative, she certainly is.  Rather, her staff tells me that it is the Lungrens of Congress that the Peace-In needs to convince, not Doris Matsui.
 
Apparently not.
 
I was disappointed when 9 pm rolled around I still hadn’t been called on, so I rushed right up to be first in line before his real admirers and said, “I completely disagree with your position on continuing the occupation and war on Iraq. However, would you mind calling your colleague Doris Matsui to explain the Power of the Purse… and tell her that part about how she can’t have it both ways… that it’s a mixed message… and please repeat what you said about how those who oppose the war have to stand up and take responsibility and simply stop funding it and bring the troops home.”
 
The Peace-in stated on January 8, 2007 in Congresswoman Doris Matsui’s Sacramento District office, 501 I Street, Suite 12-600.  An average of a dozen people a day have participated in this peaceful sit-in while they wait for Doris Matsui to realize that the way to ”protect the troops” is to end the funding that continues this war and bring them home now.  For more information, contact the Sacramento Coalition to End the War, 916-448-7157; sacendthewar [at] yahoo.com.