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Paparian announces run for Congress
CONTACT: Bill Paparian 626.795.1750 Email:
Paparian29@aol.com Bill Paparian, former Pasadena Mayor, announced today that he will be a candidate for Congress in the November General Election for the 29th Congressional District.
“It is time to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home,” Paparian said. “It is time to stand up to the President’s warrantless wiretapping of American emails and phone calls. It’s time to act. That’s why I’m running.”
A native Californian, Paparian has been an attorney in private practice in Pasadena for more than 25 years. In the first post 9/11 civil rights case involving FBI misconduct, Paparian successfully represented environmentalist and anti-war activist Josh Connole who had been wrongfully accused of acts of domestic terrorism.
As Mayor of Pasadena, Paparian’s strong support of the military and veterans was recognized by the Secretary of the Navy who awarded Paparian the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. Paparian served as an elected public official in Pasadena for 12 years, from 1987-1999.
“I am running because our congressman needs to stand up to this rogue administration and say ‘Enough! What you are doing is wrong and my constituents and I have had enough’ “ Paparian said. “(Democratic incumbent Adam) Schiff isn’t doing that.”
“The president’s war isn’t working. Americans are dying and thousands are coming home horribly maimed because Iraq is now in the middle of its own civil war. The two factions in Iraq hate each other, but they do agree on one thing: until we are gone, the Americans are a target,” Paparian said.
“Congress must hold this President accountable for his decision to violate the constitution and order warrant-less wiretaps on thousands of American phone calls and emails.
“Congress must call for a complete investigation of the Vice-President, in no uncertain terms, now that his top aide, Scooter Libby, has testified that the Vice-President himself ordered Libby to break the law and leak classified information. “
We need a representative in Congress who will dare to stand up to bad ideas and stand up for the people of this District, according to Paparian.
“Schiff went to Congress full of energy and ideas, but these days he is all but invisible. He has become a collaborator with this President by his weak or non-existent opposition to the war and erosion of American constitutional rights.”
“Make no mistake,” Paparian said. “Schiff is a nice guy, and probably a fine neighbor. But whether he is unwilling or unable to do what we need him to do – to take the risk of losing his ‘safe’ congressional seat in order to tell this President ‘no more’ hardly matters. Schiff has let us down.”
Paparian, a Green, will focus his campaign on immediately ending the war in Iraq, and standing up to what he sees as the remorseless, incompetent, illegal conduct of this administration.
The 29th Congressional District covers an area surrounding Pasadena, and includes Glendale and parts of Burbank.
