Protesters at Thursday's MoveOn.org rally in Louisville
A lunch-hour demonstration in downtown Louisville drew about two dozen protesters together in front of the building housing the district office of Senator Mitch McConnell. The rally was organized by policy advocacy group MoveOn.org as part of its campaign to highlight what they claim are links between the war in Iraq and the current economic downturn.
Speakers at the demonstration referenced a new SurveyUSA/Voter Roll Call poll commissioned by MoveOn.org, which questioned 615 registered voters on their opinions on how to cure economic woes.
"[The poll] is about people's impressions. Its an acknowledgement of how they've been effected and how they feel funds going to the war should be spent," said Jim Webb, the organizer of the event.
The poll finds 40 percent of respondents believed "pulling out" of Iraq would help the economy "a great deal." Similarly, 25 percent of respondents said "increased spending on public infrastructure" would help the economy a "great deal," while 39 percent said the same of tax cuts.
Speaker at the Thursday rally
The protesters and the MoveOn.org report also frequently argued that public funds directed for the war in Iraq could be "better" utilized on domestic programs.
Carole Trainer, who identified her self as a Vietnam-era veteran, said war funding decreased resources available to returning soldiers and older veterans.
"Congress tried to increase medical costs on retired military," said Trainer. "They are trying to pay for this war on the backs of our veterans, and they will continue paying for these mistakes on Iraq war veterans' backs."
The location of the protest in front of McConnell's office was doubly significant for Louisville's anti-war movement. Throughout the summer of 2007, McConnell was dogged by numerous anti-war protesters around the state - including a July 4 protest at the Senator's house.
This year, McConnell is expected to be a favored target for left-leaning policy advocacy groups such as MoveOn.org - a targeting perhaps foreshadowed by Thursday's demonstration.
During the rally, protesters frequently referenced McConnell, and a brief chant of "Mitch McConnell, bring them home. Mitch McConnell, end this war" arose from the handful of protesters.
"I don't think anyone has taken a good look at Mitch McConnell's war record," said MoveOn.org organizers Charlie Casper during the event. "A lot of people in charge of this war have no understanding of what war is about."
Casper also noted he was a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Of McConnell's targeting by the group, organizer Webb said "It hasn't been officially decided yet."
"My understanding is we will support whoever is going to get us out of Iraq, and it's not McConnell," added Charlie Casper.
Following the conclusion of the demonstration, two representatives of the group delivered a copy of the poll data to a staffer in McConnell's office. McConnell was not present at the office.
