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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020;
or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

'You Can't Win an Occupation'

WASHINGTON

ADAM KOKESH
Kokesh held up a sign -- "You Can't Win an Occupation" on one side and
"McCain Votes Against Vets" on the other -- at the beginning of
McCain's speech at the Republican convention last night. Video is online.

A member of the board of Iraq Veterans Against the War,
Kokesh said today: "It's shameful McCain is running as a veteran
considering how bad he's been on veterans' issues. He's repeatedly
voted against adequate Veterans Administration funding and he voted
against the new GI bill.

"McCain's rhetoric about winning or losing in Iraq makes no sense --
he's simply failing to admit that it's an occupation. The only way
'victory' makes sense is to end it as soon as possible and to rapidly
bring the troops home.

"I found it amusing that most of the delegates -- acting like
'dittoheads' -- tried to drown me out with chants of 'U-S-A!' Just two
days before, I'd spoken at Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty and had the
crowd there chanting 'U-S-A!' ... I've found -- after being sent to
fight in Fallujah -- that the biggest enemies of the Constitution are
right here at home." Kokesh's "Revolutionary Patriot" blog -- which includes video of his speech.

ELIZABETH HOURICAN
A member of the women's peace group CodePink,
Hourican also protested at the Republican convention during McCain's
speech. She said today: "McCain is a flip-flopper if there ever was
one. I'm from Arizona and I've known McCain for eight years. In 2002 he
said that the Iraq war would be easy -- and then in 2006 made fun of
people who said that." Transcript and video is available.

A nationwide consortium, the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) represents an unprecedented effort to bring other voices to the mass-media table often dominated by a few major think tanks. IPA works to broaden public discourse in mainstream media, while building communication with alternative media outlets and grassroots activists.