McCain target of anti-war protest

The scene in front of Wilson Auditorium on March 3 looked something like the ending of Stanley Kubrick's anti-war movie Dr. Strangelove, only this time it was John McCain's likeness riding atop the rocket when the "Don't Bomb Iran Tour" visited the University of Cincinnati.

The float, originally designed with the likeness of George W. Bush atop the white and red rocket, was revamped for the Ohio primaries, replacing Bush's face with McCain's.

Pulled by a yellow Lincoln Towncar, the trailer holds a hydraulic-powered rocket dubbed the "Don't-Bomb-Iran-Mobile."

NotAnotherWar.org is sponsoring the tour - a project of Truemajority.org - founded by Ben Cohen of the ice-cream company Ben and Jerry's.

Truemajority.org is an anti-war Web site that aims to end the current war in Iraq and prevent another in Iran. Currently, the organization has 300,000 registered members.

Their main objective while on campus was to get signatures on a petition against a possible war with Iran.

"We want to end war and guarantee not to start another," said David Little, a volunteer and public affairs consultant.

Volunteers passed out literature stating exactly what signing the petition meant:

"The United States should not start a war with Iran. Iran is not an immediate threat, nuclear or otherwise, and should be dealt with diplomatically. Talking about war with Iran is only making the world a more dangerous place."

Although NotAnotherWar.org does not support any particular presidential candidate, the goal is to "stop the march to war with Iran by the right-wing spin machine," according to the Web site.

The majority of Americans do not support a war with Iran, according to the Web site, which cites a 2007 USA Today/Gallup poll, where 73 percent of the population thought the United States should rely on economic and diplomatic efforts in lieu of military action.

"I don't believe the United States should start a war with Iran," said Gus Melita, a volunteer with the project and student from the University of Vermont. "I don't believe they're a nuclear threat to us and who knows what the outcome would be if we [took military action against Iran]."

The float stopped at UC after traveling through Connecticut and making other stops in Ohio on a nationwide tour. Its stay was cut short due in part to windy conditions and parking difficulties, according to Little.

For more information, go to NotAnotherWar.org or Truemajority.org.