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Seals Calls for an End to War; Criticizes Kirk’s Support for Status Quo and White House Propaganda

Petraeus testimony; Bush Speech; and Freedom Watch Ads All Part of War Supporters’ Campaign to Keep U.S. Troops in Iraq

September 11, 2007

Wilmette, IL- Calling for Congress to have the courage to end the War in Iraq, Democratic Congressional Candidate Dan Seals criticized Representative Mark Kirk’s continued support of the war, and challenged him to renounce the shameful propaganda ads currently running in the Chicago media market. 

“It’s time to bring our troops home.  No more delays, no more spin, no more politics.  We need a Congressman willing to stand up and tell the truth, not fall for further White House propaganda,” Seals said.

Freedom’s Watch, headed by former White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer is currently running a "stay-the-course" $1 million dollar ad campaign in the Chicago media market defending George Bush's failed war policy. These ads are running in key congressional races across the country to help those members who have helped the White House on Iraq.

The ad defends Kirk & Bush’s failed war policy in Iraq. “Mark Kirk should call upon the Freedom Watch to pull these ads down in Chicago. Unless he calls for these ads to come down, we can only conclude that he wants them to stay up on his behalf,” stated Dan Seals.

"Mark Kirk has been an architect, supporter and cheerleader over the last six years of the worst foreign policy debacle in a generation. The fact is we deserve elected officials with the courage and judgment to make America safer, not continue to support a disaster,” Seals continued.

Mark Kirk has voted against allowing troops the necessary breaks between their deployments and has continually voted against legislation to bring our troops home including The Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act.  It required a responsible redeployment of U.S. troops beginning within 120 days of enactment and ending by April 1, 2008 and for the President to publicly justify the post-redeployment missions for the US military in Iraq and the minimum number of troops necessary to carry out those missions.

In March of this year, the Daily Herald noted that, “Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk tweaked his position on the Iraq war a half-dozen times since he first voted to authorize the conflict in 2002.”

Seals reaffirmed his strong position by stating that, “I am the only candidate who has opposed the war from the start and the only one who unequivocally supports a responsible timeline for withdraw.”

After narrowly escaping a close re-election in 2006, Representative Kirk has been trying to distance himself from the President by voting for the non-binding resolution against the troop surge. However, when it comes time to vote for a plan to begin the responsible redeployment of our troops, Representative Kirk continually votes against the plan despite his rhetoric.

He’s tried to obfuscate his position for political reasons, but when the time comes to hold Bush accountable he backs off.  Representative Mark Kirk has been, and continues to be a strong supporter of President Bush:

• “Kirk…is a member of Bush’s inner circle on the projected war.”  Waukegan Sun, February 20, 2003

• “In 2002, Kirk was one of nine House members chosen by Bush to work on the resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq.”  Congressional Quarterly, July 14, 2003

• "Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) met with Bush and top administration officials Tuesday to deliver what one participant called a ‘strong signal’ about the electoral dangers that ‘war fatigue and war weariness’ pose for Republicans in 2008."  Chicago Tribune, May 10, 2007
• The following information is publicly available from the local media stations pertaining to the Freedom’s Watch Chicago media market advertising buy. 

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