JUNE 10 (EIRNS)--Missouri Rep. Juanita Head Walton (D-St. Louis ) Today Endorsed Lyndon LaRouche for President, and Called for an Open Democratic Party Convention. Her Statement Follows:

After serious reflection on the sorry state of our nation, and the world, I have decided that it is appropriate and necessary to intervene in national affairs once again. Unless our nation alters its course in Iraq, I am afraid that we are headed down the same road the country took in Vietnam, and worse. We are already in a quagmire, with our young people dying at an alarming rate, for a cause that was never justified by the evidence. Unfortunately, Mr. Bush has no competent exit strategy, and I am appalled at Sen. Kerry's recent, absurd call to send 40,000 more troops either into battle or support operations.

Democratic Presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche has put forward the only competent exit strategy to end this conflict. His doctrine to hand over sovereignty of the region to the nations and peoples there, and transform America's commitment to one of economic development, has struck a chord in me and policymakers around the nation. We fear for the direction of this nation otherwise.

When Mr. LaRouche visited St. Louis during the primary campaign, he called for a massive infrastructure program to address the problem of joblessness and economic deprivation among my constituents and the nation. His bold initiative, based on the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt, is an action policy that can reverse the decades' long slide into oblivion of all of our cities, and restore a sense of purpose to the nation.

However, the fundamental issues boil down to a willingness to tell the truth and act on it. It is less about details, although those are important. In this regard, I remain terribly disappointed with the current, presumptive nominee of our party, Sen. John Kerry. As they say, Mr. Kerry is an honorable man, but he falls far short of the mark on both leadership and policy initiatives, and his current posture could actually lead to defeat for our party in November.

Therefore, I am lending my wholehearted endorsement to Mr. Lyndon LaRouche, a person I have met, worked with, and trust to lead our nation in a time of crisis.

However, there is one more initiative. Mr. LaRouche has issued a recent call to open up the Democratic Convention, allow full and complete debate among the delegates on the burning crises facing our nation. I support this call, and urge all candidates in the Democratic race, party officials, and the delegates to summon up the courage to open the convention and engage in the kind of deep debate that can only strengthen the party and the nation in this moment of decision.

As a people, we are at a crossroads that affects not only ourselves but the yong people looking to us for answers, and people around the world who hope to see in the United States a nation spreading goodness, not war and hate. We must not let them down.

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