Green candidate criticizes Courtney on war vote

Scott Deshefy, the Green Party candidate running for Congress in the 2nd District, issued a statement on Wednesday criticizing the district's representative, Democrat Joe Courtney, for voting against a resolution to pull American troops out of Pakistan.

The Green Party had urged Congress to pass House Resolution 301, introduced by Reps. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and Ron Paul, R-Texas, which said President Barack Obama's plan to increase the number of U.S. military personnel in Pakistan would violate the 1973 War Powers Act. The bill was defeated by a vote of 372-38 in the House on Tuesday.

Deshefy, who supports an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he opposes the current supplemental appropriation to finance military action in the Middle East.

"Mr. Obama is repeating the reckless and illegal policies of the Bush-Cheney administration," Deshefy said. "His refusal to consult Congress about expanding the war, in violation of the War Powers Resolution, proves that he has learned from his predecessors that he can overstep his power with impunity. That's why the Kucinich-Paul resolution was so important - it holds the White House to at least some standard of accountability."