It's Official: Referendum WILL be on Watertown Ballot

According to the Watertown Daily Times, the Watertown Common Council has finally agreed to place a troop withdrawal referendum on the April ballot. Watertownians will have the opportunity to vote on a resolution similar to that which Oshkosh activists were not able to get the most expensive Oshkosh Common Council in history to place on the ballot: “Be it resolved that the city of Watertown urges the United States to begin an immediate withdrawal of its troops from Iraq starting with the National Guard and Reserves.”

The Watertown Common Council only agreed to place the question on the ballot after a judge ordered them to pass it or place it on the ballot. But in order to maintain their reputation as anti-democratic, Bush/Cheney lackeys, they "unanimously approved a resolution that allowed them to go on record as opposing the referendum question." Check out some of the rocket science coming from the referendum opponents:

“People can have their opinions and that is fine,” said Niel Wright, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Tom Petri. “But local governments do not have a say in when the troops can come home.”

“Where the troops go and when they come home is determined by the president of the United States and the Department of Defense,” said state Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc. “The state Legislature does not have a say as to where and when the troops go.”

“Obviously any citizen has the right to express their opinion and the people of Watertown will vote on this in its advisory sense,” he added. “The Legislature doesn't determine where the troops go, the city council doesn't determine where the troops go and county boards don't determine where the troops go.”

Kleefisch said he certainly would not count on an immediate return of troops if the voters overwhelmingly urge their withdrawal.

Congratulations are due to the Watertown activists who were able to take on ignorance, dogmatism, abuse of power, irresponsible media, and bullying, yet were still able to get the question on the ballot.