WASHINGTON - August 8 - The nation’s largest grassroots peace organization, Peace Action, predicted today that Sen. Joe Lieberman’s likely loss in the Connecticut Democratic primary is the beginning of a wave of anti-war frustration that voters will act on at the polls this fall.

“Whether Lieberman loses or manages to eek out a victory, it’s now apparent that if Democrats ignore the strong anti-war sentiment in the country - and particularly in their own party base – they do so at their peril,” said Kevin Martin, Executive Director of Peace Action. “Both Democrats and Republicans need to realize the American public is not looking for politicians who posture about being “strong” or “tough” on foreign affairs. The electorate is looking for candidates who have clear ideas about solving our nation’s problems, ideas based on firm principles they can articulate. And the #1 problem that needs to be addressed is our government’s disastrous military occupation of Iraq, which is now the defining issue of our time.”

Martin also noted that challenger Ned Lamont’s attraction to Connecticut voters is not simply his belief that U.S. troops should be brought home from Iraq, but his equally strong conviction that the U.S. must start prioritizing international cooperation over unilateral military action, and that serious domestic issues, such as health care for all Americans, need to be tackled.

Peace Action will help mobilize the pro-peace vote during the election season through its endorsements by its political action committee, Peace Action PAC, and even more ambitiously through its Peace Voter 2006 grassroots issue advocacy campaign, which will be active in over 40 House and Senate races this fall. “Even Senators that we have not had particularly close relationships with in the past, such as Sens. Robert Byrd (D-WV) or Daniel Akaka (D-HI), have actively welcomed our endorsement,” added Martin. “Astute politicians are realizing the importance of the peace vote this fall.”

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