Antiwar referenda pass in Madison, other Wis. cities
A referendum calling for an immediate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq passed resoundingly Tuesday in Madison and several other cities across Wisconsin.
Madison voters, given the option of voting ‘yes' or ‘no' to an Iraq pullout, supported the referendum 24, 344 to 11,252.
Although the call for withdrawal does not carry any official authority, supporters of the referendum said its success was proof of popular opposition to the war in Iraq.
Ald. Austin King, District 8, was a strong supporter of the referendum. King, who called the referendum a blowout,\ said the vote was a reflection of local politics.
""Dane County is moving to the left,"" King said. ""It is now firmly in liberal hands.""
Prior to Tuesday's vote, Democratic Party of Dane County chair Wayne Bigelow said ‘yes' votes to the referendum in small cities outside of Madison would greatly boost statewide antiwar efforts. Other than Madison, cities that voted ‘yes' to the referendum included La Crosse, Whitefish Bay, Ladysmith and Shorewood.
King pointed in particular to the referendum's success in small, traditionally conservative cities such as Mount Horeb as an indication of statewide discontent with the Iraq war.
""Small towns that voted for Bush came out in support of this referendum,"" King said. ""This entire state is fed up with the war.""
UW-Madison Student Labor Action Coalition member Joel Feingold supported the referendum and celebrated its success with King and County Board-elect Ashok Kumar Tuesday night at Hawk's Bar and Grill, 425 State St.
""This result is spectacular,"" Feingold said. ""It shows that this is a profoundly unpopular war all across America. The mainstream is firmly against the Iraq war.""
Kumar said history was on the side of the referendum.
""Voters know that there is no evidence that staying longer as an occupier does not make things better,"" Kumar said. ""Any time the U.S. or any imperialist country tries to take over a country, it does not work in the long run.""
UW-Madison College Republicans chair Jordan Smith said she expected the ‘yes' vote to prevail in Madison.
""I'm disappointed that Madison chose to vote this way,"" Smith said. ""But I can't say I'm totally surprised given Madison's liberal reputation.""
Smith said the College Republicans are now working on a response to the referendum's success.
""We're still recovering from the news,"" Smith said of her organization. ""I wish we had gotten more people to vote ‘no.'""
Feingold said he was not sure whether the ‘yes' vote would change minds about the Iraq war in the White House.
""One can only hope,"" Feingold said.
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