The Nov. 7 midterm elections are less than six weeks away. The stakes have never been so high: Control of the House and Senate and governorships nationwide. A recent poll shows that 75 percent of voters are disgusted by the Republican majority House and Senate, the highest disapproval rate since 1994. They are frustrated at Bush’s endless Iraq war, by Republican cronyism and corruption, tax giveaways to the rich, cutbacks in vital services, and criminal negligence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Bush’s policies of war and repression have made us less secure. The people are angry and they want change.
Scraping the bottom in polls, Bush and the ultra-right attempted to change the subject back to the “war on terror.” The aim is to incite fear among voters and smear Democrats as “weak on national security.” But this time the “Swift Boat” tactics are falling flat.
Still they haven’t given up on “fear and smear.” That’s why they are trying to ram through legislation to build a 700-mile fence along our border with Mexico, trying to criminalize immigrants. This is a desperate last minute attempt to win — or steal — the election by inciting racist hatred against immigrants and people of color. They are also attempting to pass legislation allowing torture and wiretapping and limiting voting rights, and pushed through the war appropriations in the last week of Congress.
Most Republicans are running hard to distance themselves from Bush and
Cheney. They can run but they can’t hide! Even so-called “moderate” Republicans supported Bush when the chips were down. We must not let their scam divert attention from the Republicans’ failure to provide the basic needs of the people.
Whereas a few weeks ago only a handful of House and Senate seats were considered “competitive,” now more than 50 House seats are in play and more than a dozen Senate seats. A change of 15 seats in the House and 6 seats in the Senate would change control of Congress. Members of the congressional Progressive, Black, Hispanic and Asian-Pacific caucuses would chair half of the House committees and sub-committees.
An end to the ultra-right control will give strength to the grassroots demands to enact pending legislation to end the Iraq war, end torture and spying, reallocate resources to hard-pressed cities, towns, and rural communities, and end Bush’s attempt to pack the courts. It will open the door for legislation to protect the civil rights of all. We can move long-stalled legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act, Medicare for All, and strengthen health and safety and environmental protection.
But it’s not in the bag. In the countdown to the election, everyone must set aside business as usual. We must devote all our efforts to getting out the vote and insuring that the vote is counted.
• Volunteer to phone bank with your union, neighborhood association or political organization.
• Go door to door in your neighborhood or in citywide mobilizations on behalf of candidates you support.
• Help distribute campaign literature including “A Call to Action: Defend Democracy, Change Congress.” Distribute the People’s Weekly World.
• Know and discuss with voters the basic issues. Explain why changing Congress is so crucial to reversing the extremist, right-wing thrust of the Republicans.
• Volunteer to be a poll watcher or election judge on Election Day.
• “Protect the vote.” Volunteer with groups working to prevent the right wing’s “voter suppression” and “vote theft” tactics. Know the election laws and be an advocate for people whose right to vote is under attack.
• Register your family, neighbors and co-workers to vote and bring them to the polls on Nov. 7.
• Help give reminders and rides to get out the vote on Election Day.
This is a fight we can win! If not us, then who? If not now, when?
