[eDebate] Rove petition - action phase

Sat Jun 28 15:04:55 CDT 2003

Hi folks.

Thanks to everyone who supported the Rove petition drive at the NDT and 
CEDA Nationals. 181 people from 64 different debate affiliations added 
their signatures to the effort, and now we are making plans to execute the 
action phase of the campaign.

We have set up a July 9, 1 p.m. meeting in Washington, D.C. with Rep. 
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) to deliver the 20 pages of petition signatures and 
ask that he forward them to Karl Rove at the White House. The Capitol Hill 
delivery route was selected to heighten visibility of the petition drive 
and to demonstrate how the grassroots sentiment expressed by members of the 
debate community dovetails with some of the legislative initiatives 
pressing for government accountability on this issue. In addition to the 
ongoing investigations being conducted by the House and Senate Select 
Intelligence committees, some of these intitiatives include:

* Rep. Kucinich's efforts to press for accountability through Resolutions 
of Inquiry and amendments to intelligence legislation (his first ROI was 
bottled up in committee last week on a straight party-line vote, and last 
Thursday an amendment that would have ordered the CIA inspector general to 
conduct an audit of all telephone and electronic communications between the 
CIA and Cheney's office was also stalled in committee). Kucinich aides say 
additional initiatives are likely as more is learned from the intelligence 
committees' closed investigations.
	See 
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh10_kucinich/030626IntellAmend.html
	and http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/oh10_kucinich/030611threat.html

* Rep. Ellen Tauscher's (D-CA) drive to create a special investigative 
House committee to look into the handling of intelligence related to 
Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rep. Tauscher wants to focus on the role of the 
Special Plans Group, the so-called intelligence "cabal" created in the 
Pentagon to supplement CIA intelligence on Iraq.
	See http://www.house.gov/tauscher/06-24-03.htm

* Sen. Carl Levin's (D-MI) recently launched independent investigation 
conducted by staff in the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sen. Levin is 
following up revelations that the State Department had questioned CIA 
findings last month that two tractor-trailers discovered in Iraq were 
mobile biological weapons labs. He is also pushing for declassification of 
the data set that administration officials forwarded to UN weapons 
inspectors prior to the onset of war.
	See http://levin.senate.gov/releases/062703pr1.htm
	and http://levin.senate.gov/releases/062603pr2.htm

We invite debaters far and wide to join us in Washington on Wednesday, July 
9 to execute the action phase of the petition drive. Our tentative plan for 
the day is as follows:

1 p.m. 		Meeting with Rep. Kucinich
2-3:30 p.m. 	Meeting with legislative staff in other offices (TBA)
4:00 p.m.	Press conference
4:30 - 7 p.m. 	Tabling in a high-traffic area near Congress

For the tabling, our current plan is to set up a card table with a big sign 
on front that says "Evidence of Iraqi WMD here," with piles of index cards 
in boxes on top of the table. As people approach the table, we will ask 
them to pull a card from a box. We will explain that each card contains a 
claim on one side, such as "Iraq bought nukes from Africa" and "Iraq could 
launch WMD in 45 minutes." We will ask the visitors to assess the 
intelligence data backing up the claim by flipping the card over to see the 
supporting evidence. The other side of the card will be blank. Hopefully, 
this will set up possible lines of discussion including:

* Discussion of how the specific claim they chose was used to legitimize 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, and how the intelligence data supporting the claim 
was shoddy or non-existent.

* Discussion of the importance of honest debating practices in democratic 
deliberation and foreign diplomacy, and how the blank index cards symbolize 
Karl Rove's own shady practices as a high school debater in Salt Lake City, 
UT.

* Discussion of the pending congressional initiatives pressing for improved 
government accountability on this issue.

Again, we invite debaters and coaches to join us in any phase of this 
effort. The action group currently consists of a handful of Pittsburghers, 
but we are looking to expand in order to maximize our visibility and 
impact. If you are interested in joining us in D.C. July 9, we may be able 
to help out with transportation and lodging - please backchannel me at 
gordonm at pitt.edu to coordinate.

Finally, here is a reprint of the final petition text circulated at the NDT 
and CEDA Nationals and an alphabetical listing of the signers. My aplogies 
go out to those whose names are misspelled - I did my best to transcribe 
from the original petition sheets, but in some cases it was difficult to 
make out the exact spelling of the names. In case of errors, I would be 
glad to correct them if you send me the accurate spellings.

Petition text:

We object to the Bush Administration's manipulation of public deliberation 
in the implementation of its preventive military intervention policy. 
World-wide political legitimacy for that policy can be forged only through 
a process of fair and honest public argument. Uncritical use of forged 
documents purporting to link Iraq to Niger's nuclear industry, reliance on 
a deceptive British report that plagiarized and misrepresented the work of 
a California graduate student and intimidation tactics at the UN Security 
Council are each part of the Bush administration's 'win at all costs' 
approach to public diplomacy. These argumentative strategies must be 
reconsidered immediately, because the alienation and mistrust sown 
worldwide by their implementation bankrupts the political legitimacy of 
U.S. foreign policy and polarizes diplomatic conflict. This exposes U.S. 
soldiers to harm by dividing allies, worsens the terrorist threat by 
stimulating recruitment and undermines cooperative security ventures 
ranging from allied intelligence sharing to international peacekeeping and 
post-war reconstruction.

Petition signers and debate affiliations:

Abbott, Blake		Mercer University
Ashe, Allison		University of Georgia
Bannigan, Virginia	Wake Forest University
Baron, Chris		BUDL / Towson University
Barsness, Paul		University of Georgia
Bates, Benjamin		University of Georgia
Beerman, Ruth		Mercer University
Bellon, Joe		Georgia State University
Berger, Alex 		Dartmouth College
Blair, LoriBeth		Georgia State University
Boggs, Joshua		West Virginia University
Branelt, Caroline	Riverwood H.S.
Breshears, David	University of Texas
Brigham, Matt		Baylor University
Brock, Kimberly		West Virginia University
Bruschke, Jon		California State University-Fullerton
Bsumek, Pete		James Madison University
Campbell, Peter O.	University of Puget Sound
Carr, Adrienne		University of Georgia
Cashman, Bryan		State University New York-Binghamton
Chalus, Peg		University of Pittsburgh
Clark, Josh		California State University-Fullerton
Cole, Hayley		San Diego State University
Colston, Nicole		University of Miami
Congdon, Kelly		University of Pittsburgh
Crachiolo, Sarah	Georgia State University
Crittenden, Eli		Emporia State University
Czapla, Anna		University of Rochester
D?Ford, Stu		University of Rochester
Davies, Alexis		San Diego State University
Davis, Alysia		University of Georgia
Davis, Dan		West Georgia University
DeButts, Jessica	Fresno City College
Dillard, Tiffany	University of Louisville
Douglas, Lara		Cornell University
Drake, Brian		Mercer University
Dunn, Izak		Idaho State University
Dybvig, Kristin		Arizona State University
Eberle, R.J.		Georgia State University
Ellis, Andy		Marist College
Ellis, Steven Andrew	Marist University
Galloway, Ryan		University of Georgia
Garen, Adam		Dartmouth College
Garner, Ricky		New York University
Gaston, Bryan		University of Central Connecticut
Gedmark, Elizabeth	Wake Forest University
Gordon Mitchell		University of Pittsburgh
Gorelick, Nate		New York University
Goss, Tiffany		Fresno City College
Gossett, John		University of North Texas
Green, R.J.		University of Louisville
Grindy, Matt		University of Miami
Haddad, Nader		California State University-Fullerton
Hahn, Allison		University of Pittsburgh
Hall, Brad		Wake Forest University
Hall, Brooke		San Diego State University
Hamrick, Kevin		Northwestern University
Hanson, Jim		Whitman College
Harris, Sean		University of Puget Sound
Haskell, David		California Polytechnical-San Luis Obispo
Hausrath, Barry		University of Richmond
Hayman, Jethro		Cornell University
Helwich, David Cram	Macalester College
Hines, John		University of North Texas
Hingstman, David	University of Iowa
Holland, Shannon	University of Georgia
Hovden, Jan M.		Weber State University
Hughes, Michael		University of Pittsburgh
Janette, David		Pace University
Jenkins, Eric		James Madison University
Johnson, Kevin		University of Texas-Austin
Jones, Elizabeth	University of Louisville
Julian, Monica		California State University-Chico
Kaplan-Shain, Ilana	University of Rochester
Keane, Tom		University of Georgia
Keley, Kevin		GC & SU
Keller, David		Emporia State University
Kelley, Patricia	University of Georgia
Kemp, Andy		Kansas State University
Kenemer, Ben		Mercer University
Kenyon, Christopher	Wichita State University
Kerns, Diana		Baltimore Urban Debate League
Ketsdever, Nathan	University of Rochester
Klaff, Dan		Cornell University
Klein, Ronald		Binghamton University
Knops, Jennifer		University of Vermont
Knox, Corey		University of Louisville
Korcok, Michael		Boston College
Krinrochter, Brian	San Diego State University
Kuswa, Kevin		University of Richmond
Kwinfor, Benjamin	Macalester College
Lain, Brian		University of North Texas
Lantzy, Rob		University of Pittsburgh
Lee, Adam		University of Rochester
Lee, Ed			University of Alabama
Limprevil, Sheila	University of Vermont
Littlefield, Lindsay	Wake Forest University
Loghry, Chris		University of Missouri-Kansas City
Lundberg, Chris		Northwestern University
Mabrey III, Paul E. 	Fort Hays State University
Maldonado, Darinka	University of Pittsburgh
Mancuso, Steve		Catholic University of America
Marks, David		Dartmouth College
Marples, Thomas		University of Rochester
Marshall, Stephen	West Virginia University
Martin, Josh		California State University-Chico
Marty, Jillian A.	University of Vermont
Massey, Jackie		University of Vermont
Mathes, Eric		Georgia State University
Maurer, Sam		Emporia State University
Melander, Lindsey	University of Vermont
Miller, Josh		University of Vermont
Miller, Nikole D.	University of Alabama
Moore, Matthew		Augustana College
Moore, Stephen		Emporia State University
Morgan, Ainetta		West Virginia University
Morris, Eric		University of Kansas
Morrison, Catherine	James Madison University
Motes, Eric		University of Vermont
Mueller, Eric		Weber State University
Munksgaard, Jane	University of Pittsburgh
Murray, Craig		Cornell University
Nelson, Sam		University of Rochester
Newnam, Bill		Emory University
Odekirk, Scott		Weber State University
Patel, Nirav		University of North Texas
Perry, Michael J. 	Wake Forest University
Phillips, Tameka	University of Alabama
Pomorski, Michael	Catholic University of America
Porth, Raj		North Gwinnett H.S.
Puszczewicz, Rich	University of Louisville
Quijas, Richard		Kansas City Kansas Community College
Radford, James, Jr.	Samford University
Rani, Reena		Pace University
Rast, Lisa		Columbia University
Reimes, Tim		University of Vermont
Renegar, Valerie	San Diego State University
Renken, Judd		Depaul University
Riepel, Christina	Loyala University-Chicago
Rolfe-Redding, Justin	University of Chicago
Rosminder, Rafael	Towson University
Roston, Michael		George Washington University
Rufo, Ken		University of Georgia
Rundus, Dan		Kansas City Kansas Community College
Samuels, Phillip	Emporia State University
Schatz, Joe		State University New York-Binghamton
Schnurer, Maxwell	Marist University
Schriver, Kristina	California State University-Chico
Schueler, Beth		Whitman College
Schwartz, Rae Lynn	University of Iowa
Seaver, Frank		Woodward HS
Segal, Sara J.		Debate Mom
Sherman, Jerrod		Georgia State University
Shmerling, Brian	Riverwood H.S.
Siadak, John		Augustana College
Silva, Angela		California State University-Stanislaus
Simpson, Amanda		Florida State University
Skinner, Donna		Garden City HS
Slusher, Eric		Gonzaga University
Smith, Ross K.		Wake Forest University
Snider, A.C.		University of Vermont
Stevens, Jeremy		University of Texas-San Antonio
Stevens, Monte		University of Missouri-Kansas City
Stokes, Candice		Towson University
Sullivan, John		Harvard University
Thatcher, Elizabeth	Mercer University
Thomas, Nicholas A.	California State University-Long Beach
Tinsley, Jordan		University of Kansas
Todero Anthony		University of Pittsburgh
Torre, Stephanie	University of Miami
Tribble, Nathan		University of Redlands
Turley, Serena		California State University-Fullerton
Watson, Hays		University of Georgia
Webster, Christy L.	University of Rochester
Webster, Sandra		University of Louisville
Whalen, Shawn		San Francisco State University, CEDA Pres.
Williams, J.D.		Daytona Beach
Witte, Erin		Mercer University
Wright, Sarah		Mercer University
Zompetti, Suzette	Mercer University
Zompetti, Joseph	Mercer University

* * *

Gordon R. Mitchell
Associate Professor of Communication / Director of Debate
University of Pittsburgh
CL 1117, 4200 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: (412) 624-8531
Fax: (412) 624-1878
http://www.pitt.edu/~gordonm/