Virginia's 8th Congressional District

Members at last night’s Fairfax County Democratic Committee meeting heard from a group of candidates for the 8^th Congressional District.  Ambassador Bon Beyer, State Senator Adam Ebbin, Delegate Mark Sickles, Delegate Patrick Hope and television personality Mark Levin spoke.  Thanks to Messrs. Ebbin, Sickles, and Hope who were working a long day in the legislative session in Richmond and then drove to Fairfax County for our meeting only to return in the snow to Richmond.  That shows remarkable interest in the folks in Fairfax County.  Announced candidates Delegate Charniele Herring and Bruce Shuttleworth were not there.  Other names being tossed around to replace Rep. Jim Moran in the 8^th are State Senator Barbara Favola; Delegates Bob Brink, Alfonso Lopez, and Rob Krupika; Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, Arlington County Board member Walter Tejada, Fairfax Supervisor Jeff McKay, and former Secretary of Technology, Aneesh Chopra; and Former Alexandria Mayor Kerry Donnelly.  

A few things are clear.  There is a candidate for everybody’s liking.  There could be 10 or more announced candidates before Valentine’s Day.  Some of them will drop our over the next 16 weeks as we approach the primary.  With voters having so many choices, a candidate polling in the teens likely can win this race.  

With the 8^th Congressional District being such a Democratic stronghold, the real race is the primary.  The winner should easily win the general election in November.  Stay tuned for more…

ADC Asks Oxfam to Drop Scarlett Johansson

.Oxfam International’s Global Ambassador Scarlett Johansson has recently become the Global Brand Ambassador for SodaStream, an occupation profiteer that maintains a factory on an illegal settlement in the West Bank.  SodaStream exploits Palestinian land, labor, and resources, and is complicit in the brutal occupation of the Palestinian land. Such corporate complicity in human rights violations is a crime under international law. 

ADC President, Samer Khalaf, stated in a letter sent to Raymond Offenheiser, Oxfam America President, "While you have stated that you oppose all trade from Israeli settlements, there has yet to be any tangible action on this matter. In October 2012, Oxfam Italy cut its ties with Paola Maugeri over her role as a SodaStream PR Ambassador. You also dropped Kristin Davis in 2009 when she became a spokesperson for a company that manufactured cosmetics in illegal Israeli settlements. Scarlett Johansson should not be an exception to the rule."

In the written statement published on Oxfam’s website, Oxfam said: “We have made our concerns know to Ms. Johannsson and we are now engaged in a dialogue on these important matters… Oxfam is opposed to all trade from Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law.” 

However, despite making a statement saying that they oppose all trade from Israeli settlements, Oxfam has chosen to keep Scarlett Johansson as their Ambassador, in spite of the fact that she is explicitly promoting trade from illegal Israeli settlements.  

Oxfam says that it respects the independence of their ambassadors.  Yet, how can one truly be an ambassador for justice and human rights, but also advocate for a company that exploits an indigenous population? In the American legal practice this would be considered a clear conflict of interest: a definitively unethical position to maintain.  One simply cannot simultaneously advocate for human right and human exploitation.  

Please take action to stop this hypocrisy before SodaStream's airs its advertisements to millions at the Super Bowl!

• Learn more about the campaign to End the Occupation.

• Contact Oxfam’s President and tell him to drop Scarlett Johansson as their Global Ambassador

• Join ThunderClap Campaign and Tweet to Oxfam

• Sign the petition to urge Scarlett to end her relationship with SodaStream

• Read ADC's letter to Oxfam here