Convention Notebook: Antiwar Resolution
MICHAEL COOPER
New York Times
May 30, 2005

A long-shot challenger to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is highlighting the senator's support of the Iraq war by introducing a resolution here this week at the state Democratic convention calling for the withdrawal of all troops.

The proposed resolution caused a stir among the delegates, many of whom are opposed to the war, but wary of doing anything that would embarrass Senator Clinton.

The challenger, Jonathan Tasini, handed in petitions for a resolution that read, "As Democrats, we believe that our state party must act now to hasten an end to the violence in Iraq, bring our men and women home and cease the waste of our economic resources on an immoral war." Mr. Tasini said he had collected about 2,500 signatures.

The chairman of the State Democratic Party, Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell, said that Mr. Tasini did not get his resolution in on time, explaining that it must be handed in 15 days before the convention. Still, he said, the resolution could pass if a delegate introduces it from the floor and two-thirds of the delegates support it.

Mr. Farrell said that he thought such a resolution would be redundant. "We have taken positions opposed to the war," he said.

Mr. Tasini, a labor advocate, said that his campaign had been told the resolution could be submitted the day before the convention. "You can read into that what you want — I'm going to be charitable and assume it was an honest mistake," he said.

Mr. Tasini said he believed it would be hard to win a two-thirds vote for the resolution, because it would probably be offered on Wednesday after the last candidates were selected, when many delegates leave the convention.

"If we don't have a full debate on the war, how are we different than the Republicans?" he asked. "My opponent does not want to have a debate on the war, because then primary voters will find out that she is out of step with New Yorkers."