New Poll Shows Strength in Anti-War Pledge

Contact: Peter Kelley, 202-270-8831, or Susan Roth, 202-997-5672

WASHINGTON, March 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Aiming to make the Iraq War "an issue candidates can't ignore," a new non-partisan group called Voters For Peace has been launched for the war's third anniversary to highlight growing public opposition across the political spectrum.

Voters For Peace, endorsed by the largest U.S. anti-war groups, said it will educate, organize, and activate anti-war voters and collect 5 million signatures on a "Peace Pledge" by 2008. It released a poll showing 45.9 percent of registered voters agree, and 20.1 percent strongly, with the pledge: "I will not vote for or support any candidate for President or Congress who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign."

Among Independents, the fastest-growing group of voters, 59.2 percent agree with the pledge, and 25.3 percent strongly agree. Among Democrats, 67.1 percent agree -- 33.3 percent strongly -- and among Republicans, 25.7 percent agree, and 5.5 percent strongly.

The poll of 856 voters was conducted by telephone March 9-13, 2006, by ICR Survey Research, which also polls for ABC News and The Washington Post. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.35 percent.

Speakers representing the ideological spectrum launched Voters for Peace and unveiled the "Peace Pledge" at the National Press Club on Friday, with Kara Hopkins, editor of The American Conservative magazine, saying, "True conservatives believe our actions should be defensive, not offensive."

The first signature on the pledge is that of Michael Berg, father of Nick Berg, the U.S. civilian beheaded in Iraq in 2003.

Also endorsing the pledge were Kevin Martin, executive director of Peace Action, the largest U.S. peace group with over 90,000 members; Susan Udry, legislative coordinator for United for Peace and Justice, which represents 1,400 local and national anti-war groups; Kevin Zeese, director, DemocracyRising.US; and Bill Scheurer, editor, PeaceMajority Report.

"When policymakers distort the facts and engage in wars of aggression, it is the public's right and duty to speak out and act," said Linda Schade, spokesperson for Voters for Peace. The group has $1 million pledged for startup funding. See http://www.votersforpeace.us

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