The recent 70-26 vote in the U.S. Senate for an additional $162 billion for the Iraq war, enough money to pay for the occupation of Iraq through the end of Bush's term, was a disappointing one for peace activists, but it did offer some encouraging news for Wisconsinites. Wisconsin became one of only six states that had both of their Senators vote against war funding, when Sen. Herb Kohl joined Sen. Russ Feingold in voting "no" on the measure.
Kohl's conversion is a recent one. Over the past five years, Wisconsin peace activists have targeted Kohl with letter-writing campaigns and frequent protests at his offices, including one overnight "occupation" of Kohl's Madison office involving more than 40 students affiliated with the Madison Campus Antiwar Network:
Students protest in Sen. Kohl's office, April 2007
Through it all, Kohl steadfastly maintained that Congress had an obligation to continue funding as long as troops were in Iraq. Now Kohl takes the positions that war funding without a withdrawal timetable is unacceptable. Good job, Wisconsin peace movement!
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