A Message to Supporters   Deborah Vollmer's Entry in the League of Women Voters Voters Guide Deborah Vollmer's Entry in the Gazette Voters Guide  See Deborah Vollmer on Cable TV Status of Campaign: Next Steps Upcoming Forums and Events Welcome to the Site Biography of Deborah Vollmer Index to Site Articles that Mention Deborah Vollmer Letters to the Editor Out of Iraq Flyer (printable pdf file [click here to download pdf reader]) Letter to Voters Flyer (printable pdf file [click here to download pdf reader]) Endorsements of Deborah Candidates Endorsed by Deborah in 2006 General Election A Challenge to Debate Chris Van Hollen Press Releases & Announcements Photos

Write-in Candidate for Congress, CD-8

   March 19, 2008

On this Fifth Anniversary of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq, I am Running for Congress—as the ultimate outsider!

Friends,

          This week, and today in particular, marks the fifth anniversary of the United States invasion and occupation of Iraq—a war based on manufactured intelligence, which has led to the death of thousands of Americans; to the maiming in body, mind, and spirit of thousands more; and to the deaths of, and injuries to many more tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens—deaths and injuries which in number exceed any count likely to be given by our own U.S. Government.  (Estimates of the total number of Iraqi war dead vary, but the figure may well be in excess of 100,000.) We have destroyed the infrastructure of Iraq, and wreaked untold havoc with the Environment in Iraq, and in the world.  According to this morning’s Washington Post, the war has cost the U.S. Treasury more than half a trillion dollars.  As the war continues, the total could exceed well over three trillion dollars, according to Nobel prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz.

          This week, demonstrators against the war have been, are, and will continue to hit the streets, in an exercise of their First Amendment freedoms, in their efforts to bring the attention of the wider public and of the elected officials to this sad anniversary, and this ongoing senseless, tragic, and destructive war.  I will be joining them.

          This week also, Amy Goodman is broadcasting every morning on Democracy Now (WPFW Radio, 89.3 FM) the Winter Soldier hearings, which were held at the National Labor College in Silver Spring this past week-end.  Reminiscent of similar hearings held in the era of the Viet Nam War, these broadcasts contain moving and disturbing accounts by American soldiers who have returned from Iraq, with tales of cruel and senseless killing and maiming of Iraqi civilians, born of the terror our soldiers feel, of having to kill, or be killed.

          I will continue to demonstrate with others in the street, but I am also raising my voice in another way:  I am running for Congress as a write-in candidate.

          On February 19, I went to Annapolis and filled out a Certificate of Candidacy, making me an official write-in candidate for Maryland’s 8^th Congressional District seat in the 2008 General Election.  I want to take a little time today to explain on this website why I have made this decision to run as a write-in candidate for the 8^th Congressional District in the November General Election. 

The vote totals from the Democratic Primary for the 8^th Congressional District seat in Maryland are now final.  (I will put aside for the purposes of this discussion the issue of the accuracy and reliability of the electronic voting machines currently used in the State of Maryland without any kind of a verifiable paper trail—something which does cause me great concern.) According to the tally of the Maryland State Board of Elections, the votes in the Democratic Primary have been tallied as follows:  Van Hollen:  104,108 votes (87.8%), Vollmer: 11,052 votes (9.3 %), and Young: 3391 (2.9%).

          I want to thank the over 11,000 people who voted for me in this Democratic Primary Election.  And I congratulate Chris Van Hollen for his victory in the Democratic Primary.  But I want to also caution Mr. Van Hollen that we are not done with this particular campaign yet.  The issues are too important for me to walk away now, and stop talking about our differences on the issues—especially with regard to the war in Iraq. That is why I filed to run as a write-in candidate for the 8^th Congressional District seat.  As a write-in candidate, I will continue actively urging Mr. Van Hollen to take the leadership among his colleagues in the House of Representatives to end all Congressional funding for this war, and bring the troops home without further delay!  

 As a write-in candidate for the 8^th Congressional District seat, I hope that I will be invited to candidate forums and debates, and to fill out candidate questionnaires, and to speak to organizations, and I hope that the media will pay some attention to the candidacy of  a former challenger in the Democratic Primary who obtained over 11,000 votes in a campaign involving no fundraising, and no paid advertising, and which pushed the message that the voters in the 8^th Congressional District of Maryland want a representative who will take an active role in taking the leadership in Congress to end Congressional funding for the Iraq War, and bring the troops home NOW! 

I am aware that write-in candidates rarely win elections, but that there is always that possibility.  As a write-in candidate, I am running as the ultimate outsider—not as a Democrat; Chris Van Hollen won the Democratic nomination, but as an individual person, with my own independent voice.  In the admittedly unlikely event that I might win the 8^th Congressional District seat in the General Election, I would caucus with the Progressive Caucus in Congress.  To win any votes at all, I must do whatever I can to let people know that if they wish to vote for me, they must write my name onto the ballot.  This will be no easy task, so I am looking to people reading this to help me spread the word about this write-in campaign.  Help me let people know that they have a choice in this election, but that if they want to vote for me, they will need to write in my name!

Why do this at all, one might ask?  I am aware that as a write-in candidate, I have a real opportunity to keep pushing the debate on the issue of the Iraq war.  We have nearly eight months between now and the General Election—eight months, when the war in Iraq will continue to be a focus of the debate in Congress—eight months, for more Americans and Iraqi civilians to die—eight months for Chris Van Hollen to change course and take a position of leadership in opposing this war, as his constituents want him to do!  Frankly, if Mr. Van Hollen should choose to take a leadership position in Congress in ending Congressional funding for the war, and bringing the troops home, my write-in campaign for CD-8 will gain very little traction.  If my candidacy as a write-in candidate has the effect of motivating Van Hollen to exert his leadership among his colleagues in the House of Representatives to end this war, my efforts will have been worthwhile!

There is also in this race a Green Party candidate—Gordon Clark—who has a powerful message of opposing the war and working to stop global climate change.  Nearly eight months for a Green Party candidate to develop a campaign and present his message.  I don’t know how strong a candidate Gordon will be; I consider him to be a friend, and we agree on many of the issues.  I am not prepared to endorse him at this time, but we shall see. 

Meanwhile, I invite voters who are disappointed in Chris Van Hollen for his failure to take a leadership position in cutting Congressional funding for the Iraq war, to look at all of their options.  Another option, for those of you who are reluctant to abandon support for a popular Democratic incumbent, but are unhappy with Van Hollen’s positions, would be to contact Mr. Van Hollen, and let him know that you are disappointed, and that you are considering other options in this Election, if he does not reverse course and take leadership in ending this war!  A pledge from Van Hollen to vote for no more funding for the war and to join the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress might be a good start!

For those of you looking at this website for the first time, here are some of the issues that were central to my campaign, in this just-finished Democratic Primary Election.  I will continue to campaign on these issues, in my write-in campaign.

ON IRAQ—Bring all U.S. troops home NOW.  No more funding for the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq.  As I have discussed in previous e-mail messages, and on my website, Van Hollen’s voting record on Iraq War funding is a mixed one, and Van Hollen has not even joined the Out of Iraq Caucus in Congress!  We need a leader in Congress on this issue.  Van Hollen has been a timid follower, when he could have exerted his leadership position to end this war!

ON IRAN—I oppose the drumbeats for war with Iran, and other nations.

ON ISRAEL/PALESTINE—While Chris Van Hollen does have a better record on this issue than some, I would like to see him come out more strongly in support of the rights of Palestinians living under conditions of occupation.  In the long run, I believe that Israel, too, will benefit if justice is brought to Palestinians, because it will be possible for the two nations and their peoples to achieve a genuine peace.

ON CIVIL LIBERTIES—I am for protecting our precious civil liberties.  I oppose the U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT. I oppose practices and policies of the Bush Administration, whether or not actually written into law, that infringe on civil liberties.  Recently, Van Hollen voted for H.R, 1955, the so-called “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007”—a bill which had little publicity when it was being debated and voted upon, and which had little opposition, when it passed the House of Representatives.  Civil liberties organizations have sounded the alarm that this bill threatens to chill the rights of people engaged in peaceful protest.  Van Hollen voted for this bill.  I would have voted against it.

ON IMPEACHMENT—I support Dennis Kucinich’s resolution for impeachment.  Impeach Cheney first, and then Bush.  What message do we send to future generations and future Presidents if we do not impeach these two, for what they have done to our nation?  Van Hollen is on the record as opposing efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney.

ON HEALTH CARE—In fairness to Chris Van Hollen, he does agree with me that all Americans should have health care coverage.  But we disagree on the means.  Van Hollen would reform the current system, but keep the health insurance companies in the system.  I favor universal, single-payer health care, which eliminates the health insurance companies from the system and provides individuals with high quality health care, with a choice of health care providers, that is publicly financed:  Medicare for All.  I support legislation sponsored by John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich for universal, single-payer health care.  Van Hollen has refused to sign on to this legislation.

THE INTERCOUNTY CONNECTOR—I oppose this road project, which I view as detrimental to the environment, and communities.

          In a democracy, the voters have a choice.  You have the option of voting for the incumbent. But you do not have to vote for the incumbent, if you do not feel that he is representing you.  You do have a choice.  And I hope that you will consider writing in my name for the 8^th Congressional District seat this November!

Deborah A. Vollmer

Click here to read previous messages from Deborah.

Dear Friends,

Sincerely,