June Casagrande and Paul Clinton An anti-war...

June Casagrande and Paul Clinton

An anti-war group’s nationwide blitz hit home Tuesday as members

of MoveOn delivered petitions and pleas to the local offices of U.S.

Reps. Chris Cox and Dana Rohrabacher.

“Nobody wants war unless it’s the option of last resort,” said

Roslyn Manley, a local organizer for the event. “This is not just the

voice of a loud few. This is the majority.”

Protesters touting an anti-war message showed up at Rohrabacher’s

local office at noon to urge the hawkish congressman to back off

support for military force against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

“The main focus is wanting to put on the brakes [on military

action against Hussein],” group spokesman Dayve Hind said shortly

before the protest. “That’s the central focus today.”

About 30 members of the group delivered what they said were

petitions with signatures of about 700 local residents who do not

support military force against Hussein. The group staged similar

protests at the offices of about 400 of the nation’s congressional

representatives.

Rohrabacher was traveling and wasn’t at his downtown Huntington

Beach office to receive the group, but a press deputy for the

congressman said Rohrabacher’s door is always open to constituents.

“Our office maintains an open-door policy for anybody who wishes

to stop by and offer their views,” said Aaron Lewis, Rohrabacher’s

spokesman.

However, Lewis said the group would be granted a meeting with

Rohrabacher, when the congressman could free up time in his schedule.

In Newport Beach, a contingent of 17 citizen representatives of

the anti-war group delivered a petition with nearly 1,200 signatures of Cox constituents to the congressman’s district office.

“We’re trying to get across the idea that they should let the

inspectors do their job,” Manley said.

The organization, which launched a television campaign last week

in 13 major markets including Los Angeles, opposes the Bush

administration’s push to impose a February deadline on finishing

weapons inspections.

Cox has come out in support of President George Bush’s plan to

possibly use war as a way to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

MoveOn is an anti-war group that was formed in 1998 to protest

President Clinton’s impeachment. Group leaders said they hoped to

pressure President Bush to avoid war with Iraq and, instead, allow

U.N. weapons inspectors to complete their work.

A message on the group’s Web site (www.moveon.org) asserts that

“some elements of the Bush Administration are still dead set on war,

even if the inspections are working.”

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected]. PAUL CLINTON covers the environment,

business and politics. He may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by

e-mail at [email protected].