On April 4, 1967, exactly one year before his assassination, Dr. King spoke at the Riverside Church here in New York City about our ... activities in Vietnam. His words were right then, and they are equally right now as we struggle to force our "leaders" to withdraw from Iraq.

The speech can be found at the American Rhetoric website.

In the race to replace Vito Fossella in New York's 13th Congressional District the arguments among and between the partisans of the aspirants for the Democratic Party nomination in New York’s 13 Congressional District has focused on almost anything but the issues. Personally, I’ve been dissatisfied with what seemed to be shaping up as an intensely insider debate. (Who can raise enough money? Who is a pawn of Vito Lopez? Who supported Sen. Martin J. Golden?) Process questions are important, but they should not take the place of policy discussion, as I see it.

In order to understand the difference between them, I called up both candidates and asked them about key issues. I’ve run the statements below by each candidate again so as to ensure their accuracy and opportunity to fine tune the positions. Corrections are welcome. In my view, the statements below point to some policy differences between Mr. Harrison and Mr. Recchia.

I asked about the views of Mr. Harrison and Mr. Recchia on other issues too: health care, civil liberties, the economy, the sub-prime lending crisis. Suggestions are welcome The statements post jump.

GOD of our fathers, known of old—
Lord of our far-flung battle-line—
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard—
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard—
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!

Tonight was a forum on Iraq sponsored by Democracy for NYC, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Independent Neighborhood Democrats, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Brooklyn Parents for Peace and MANY other groups. Jarrold Nadler, Anthony Weiner and my own Congresswoman Yvette Clarke showed up. Nydia Velazquez had planned to make it but had to attend a funeral. Ed Towns begged off with another commitment. Vito Fossella politely declined (big surprise...imaging HIM facing the common people about a real issue). Senators Clinton and Schumer were invited but chose not to even respond to the invitation, if I understood correctly. This goes along with what I have personally experienced with Chuck Schumer's office in the past where a bunch of disgruntled New York City Democrats were basically told upstate was more important than NYC.

My view of the event was affected by the fact I was watching Jacob. I missed all of Nadler's opening satement and half of Clarke's opening satement. I also had to leave early, as I am sure the audience heard when Jacob started feeling sick and calling loudly for mommy! But I have Joy's impressions and notes as well.

Once again, the Senate failed to pass a measure to bring our troops home and end the occupation of Iraq. This time, Democrats led by Carl Levin and Jack Reed couldn’t even muster 50 votes, much less the 60 needed to bring the bill to a final vote, but landed in a 47-47 tie. The constant failure to pick up Republican votes, and the continued refusal of Senate Democrats to seem willing to compromise, might seem like a sign of stubborn weakness matching only a similar set of traits at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. On the other hand…

Could there be a method to this madness?

For a long time political insiders have understood that the easiest way to win an election is to allow your opponents to block a popular initiative and then blame them for the failure. This “failure and blame” strategy was spectacularly employed by Harry Truman to win reelection in 1948 by attacking the “do-nothing Congress.”

What issues matter to you? National defense? The rights of working class Americans? Seniors issues? A woman's right to choose? The environment?

On all of these issues, New York Republicans are out of touch with America. Most Americans want a strong national defense, support the rights of working class Americans, women and seniors, and place a high value on the environemnt. New York Congressional Republicans have the wrong priorities on national defense, support Halliburton profits but not a minimum wage increase, want to privatise Social Security, place the rights of pollutors over the environment and the health of Americans, and oppose a woman's right to choose.

By now, everyone is familiar with the MoveOn.org ad in the New York Times asking the question, “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?” It has raised a firestorm. It should be clear that the general’s testimony before Congress was a pathetic bunch of lies, including cherry-picked data and outright perjury (who really believes that he didn’t run his prepared statement by the White House before making it?).

But worse that General Petraeus’s lies is the continued lack of a spine among Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and far too many of his followers. He actually allowed Republicans to get a vote on a resolution, sponsored by Texas Republican John Cornyn condemning MoveOn.org’s ad – a resolution that garnered 72 votes. (N.B.: Senator Barbara Boxer, D-CA, tried to put in a softer resolution, but it failed to get 60 votes.)

To her credit, Senator Clinton actually voted against the resolution. To his credit, Senator Dodd, another presidential contender (sort of) actually voted against the resolution. To their shame, Senators Obama and Biden ducked the vote. To their collective shame, many other Democrats voted for the resolution.

This is pathetic!

So Bouldin was unhappy with the Brooklyn-centric front page this morning. Sorry...sometimes Brooklyn still is our best draw for readers. But to balance it out, here's some national coverage. Seems Republicans are going in hiding rather than facing America about the Iraq quagmire...sometimes literally! This comes from Americans Against Escalation in Iraq:

Members of Congress are Afraid to Face Their Constituents on Their Support for Endless War in Iraq

All Across the Country, Republicans who Supported Bush’s Failed Iraq policy are Running away from, Avoiding, and Even Locking Out Their Own Constituents

Steve Harrison is running for Congress against one of Bush's main Iraq War supporters, Vito Fossella. Vito has voted for the war at every opportunity and has helped to block Democratic attempts to discuss withdrawal.

We need a change. And Steve Harrison understands that. I learned this last year when I met him and we discussed the Iraq war.

One of the things I like about Steve Harrison is he understands what is at stake and how to stand up to the Republicans in Congress who have failed us on national security. For example, Steve Harrison put the Iraq war into almost perfect perspective. He gave credit for this perspective to one of his staff members, but it means a lot that he recognized the importance of this perspective.

Suppose for a moment Bush had not lied about Iraq. Let's suppose that Bush does bring stability and democracy to Iraq and the civil war that we are now stuck in calms down and we can pull out our troops. Would New York, after that, feel safer than you did just after 9/11?

A “new” video has surfaced, showing Dick Cheney talking about his decision not to invade Baghdad when he was Secretary of Defense. In 1991, we “liberated” Kuwait from the invasion by Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein, and the coalition forces stopped after ridding Kuwait of Iraqi forces.

At the time, Cheney said, “… if we had gone to Baghdad we would have been all alone … It would have been a U.S. occupation of Iraq.” He went on to ask, “Once you got to Iraq and took it over … then what are you going to put in its place?” He continued by worrying that Syria and Iran would claim parts of Iraq and that Turkey’s “territorial integrity” would be threatened.

He even said, “It’s a quagmire.” Those are Dick Cheney’s exact words.