*Rallies Armenian American Support for a Democratic Victory in November
Washington–DC: The Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council (AADLC) today launched "Armenian Americans for Gore," a nation-wide campaign to educate voters about Al Gore’s support for Armenia and to mobilize Armenian Americans to help elect him to the presidency this November.
In a statement to the AADLC–the Vice President welcomed the creation of Armenian Americans for Gore–noting: "I am honored to have the support of Armenian Americans and am proud that ‘Armenian Americans for Gore’ are organizing. I look forward to continuing to work together in the coming months and years."
The Vice President added: "I salute the important contributions that the Armenian American community has made to this country.
Your commitment to faith–family and roots is a tribute to Armenia and a blessing to America. Working together–we’ll secure a better future for all of us."
Vice President Gore will meet tomorrow with the President of Armenia–Robert Kocharyan–who is in Washington–DC on a working visit.
"Al Gore represents the best choice for our community and country–said Armenian Americans for Gore Chairman Michael Mahdesian. "The Vice President’s leadership in initiating the US-Armenia Task Force is only the most recent example of his commitment to a secure–prosperous–and democratic future for the Armenian people."
"We look forward to educating Armenian American voters about Al Gore’s track record – as a US Senator and as Vice President – in strengthening the enduring friendship between the American and Armenian peoples," added Mahdesian–who until recently served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the US Agency for International Development’s Bureau of Humanitarian Response.
"The choice for Armenian Americans is clear. George W. Bush and his advisers – from George Schultz and Richard Perle to Paul Wolfowitz – all have long-standing ties to the same oil industry that backed Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia and sought to suppress the people of Nagorno Karabakh’s right to self-determination," said AADLC Co-Chairperson Richelle Noroyan–who served as a delegate to the 1996 Democratic National Convention.
"Neither US interests nor American values would be served by placing the oil industry in charge of US policy on Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh."
AADLC: Take Back the House 2000
Parallel to Armenian Americans for Gore–the AADLC continues to press forward with its "AADLC: Take Back the House 2000" campaign to help the Democrats regain the majority in the US House of Representatives this November.
The Los Angeles Times on June 18–cited the role of the AADLC in mobilizing Armenian American voters to help Democrat Adam Schiff defeat two-term incumbent James Rogan in California’s 27th Congressional district.
"Partisan politics aside–Armenian Americans can agree that the current Republican Congressional leadership has been consistently unfriendly to Armenian American issues–ranging from their opposition to the Armenian Genocide resolution to their efforts to repeal Section 907," said Capitol Hill staffer Raffi Hamparian–who advises AADLC on Congressional affairs.
"A vote for Democratic Congressional candidates is a vote for replacing the Republican leadership with proven friends – like Dick Gephardt–Dave Bonior–Pat Kennedy–Bob Menendez–and Frank Pallone."