Bush welcomed by “disapproval ratings [protests]” at Republican Pep Rally in Ohio.

According to Dayton Daily News (DDN), those who make up the bulk of President Bush’s disapproval ratings [anti-Iraq War protestors] will welcome Bush to the Dayton area. “If you had any doubts about the power of the presidency, consider this: The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will close all day on Thursday, March 27, for President Bush's visit there. The museum is normally open seven days a week and closes on only three days a year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day,” said DDN reported J. Nolan.

By ommission the DDN reporter meant to say ABUSE OF THE POWER OF THE PRESIDENCY!

Do readers take this misuse of non-partisan tax payer money as serious as my military familiy does, note that a portion of Air Force Museum funding comes out of the Air Force part of the annual Defense Budget (WINK). Remember that in 2008 and when the next Defense Budget is being decided make sure the Army and Marine corps gets the lion's share of any so-called Peace Dividend. Why?

For two reasons:

This is how serious I take any political rally using any troops by this President:

Make no MISTAKE Rove is still around whispering in draft dodging Bush's ear in 2008!

Question is: With Bush's approval rating pulleting within the Army and Marines Corps [Our Ground Forces] watch for these backdrops to GO BACK UP!!!

2. Both Bush and the Air Force have some gall holding a Republican Pep Rally at any Museum paid for by the American People. Yes, the U.S. Air Force Foundation brings in donations, and donations come in from the local community, but 'the National' Air Force Museum gets funding from the Defense Budget (non-essential funding during wartime at that). If any military museum that is publicly funded via tax payer money is going to be used for partisan political rallies by either (or both conservative wings of said party), those of us who are INDEPENDENTS should not have to pay taxes for it. 

Now, I realize that haggling over tax dollars is not attractive to even the anti-warrior community, but that is not my point. This is: The Air Force [and Navy] is not only on the sidelines of the Iraq War and War on Terror [so to speak], these services are in the midst of the Grand Daddy of all Defense Budget wars with both the Army and Marines Corps [our ground forces]. It is our ground forces that have been exhausted, misused, and abused in Iraqinam NOT our Air Force or Navy. 

Proof is not in rhetoric but actions, and by this I mean the Army and Marine Corps [really at a disadvantage because it is part of the Navy and should not be for cost saving purposes if nothing else-for tradition is useless when it is a waste of tax payer dollars]. These are the actions the Air Force is taken behind the Army and Marines backs

"If major funding is channeled to the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps,  forcing the Air Force and U.S. Navy to repair instead of replace systems, " the Army and Marine Corps will lack the throw-weight to win without the Navy and Air Force at their side." one senior [Air Force] officer told the Christian Science Monitor. [We are all in the War on Terror together – victory cannot be achieved in Iraq 90 plus years from now without us, but for Bush’s sake don’t turn us into Soldiers or Marines].

With an attitude like that, is it any wonder that the Air Force is cozying up to a lame duck President and his clone John McCain?

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/03/11/us_air_force_argues_for_more_money/5569/

Now, the Air Force and Republican Party will argue that this pep rally at the Air Force Museum did not violate the Hatch Act nor misuse non-partisan tax dollars, but don't believe that for a Neo-Democrat second, because a few BY-INVITATION ONLY Neo-Democrats were screened for their views on Iraq and INVITED. (WINK). Misuse of the public funds is abuse of power regardless which political party does it.

To add insult to injury, listen up Army and Marine Corps Vets cause YOU are NEXT in line for this shameful scam, Bush attended a $10,000 a dollar plate dinner in the Republican strong hold of Greene County,  held for John McCain. That fund raiser was advertised and in direct coordination with the Air Force Museum visit. Any investigative reporter worth their salt (and there are no more investigative reporters who do not fear the Pentagon) can figure out that the same folks setting up the Air Force Museum visit, misuse of tax payer funds, and misuse of one of our branches of Service ar ethe same folks setting up this $10,000 a plate Republican Fund Raiser - the Air Force Museum Foundation. (so much for their non-partisan, non-profit charter). If the Air Force Museum Foundation is a Republican Front Organization, than let them run, manage, and fund all operations at the Air Force Museum DEMAND your state representative in Congress (you don't have to live in Ohio, that Museum is a National Museum) and your state Senator ensure that no more tax payer dollars go toward any military museum hosting partisan political rallies -PERIOD.

The Libertarian party should be raising hell about this waste of tax payer dollars. Presidential Candidate Ron Paul (who thinks he stands no chance aganst McCain - WRONG) should be rasing hell, and my military family just MIGHT vote for him instead of Obama - who knows.

In 1935 the Air Force museum got its first real home in the form of a specially designed building at Wright Field costing $203,000. Funding came through the Roosevelt administration's [some conservatives call ] Works Progress Administration. [WPA] depending on what American tax payer dollars were used for during the Great Depression.  By this time, the museum collection included more than 3,000 items. But the new home was converted to wartime use in 1941, and the collection went into storage.

Although the Air Force operates the museum, [out of public, non-partisan funding] the U.S Air Force foundation operates the IMAX Theatre, Morphis MovieRide Theatre, souvenir shop and cafeteria. Proceeds are used to support museum activities and to remodel or expand museum facilities. "Friends of the Air Force Museum," created by the foundation in 1978, is an organization of aviation enthusiasts who support the museum. For an annual fee, members receive a quarterly Friends Journal, discounts in the museum shops, and other benefits. Question for any investigative reporter would be: Are these organizations non-profit? Do they have a non-partisan charter from Congress via the official Air Force? If so, then these organizations should be paying all costs for the Museum - NO military museums should be funded out of the federal public purse, especially when use for partisan pep rallies.

As a Retired Air Force Officer, who happens to have been in the Army, and had a child serve in the Army in Bosnia, and Iraq, but morese as a registered member of a 3rd [Independent] political party, my military family is passionately OFFENDED BY THIS!

How offended? [<--GO TO 34% OF AMERICA SUPPORTS BUSH.MIL]

Robert L. Hanafin, SP/5, U.S. Army (69-76), Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired (77-94)

RELATED SOURCES:

Air Force Museum get sporadic funding for the U.S. Air Force [Defense Budget]: http://www.wright.edu/news_events/dialogue/oct98/marketing.html

Biased Reporting at it's Worse: the Dayton Daily News (DNN):

http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/26/ddn032608bushprotestweb.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=16

There goes the Peace Dividend that never was: Air Force stabs Army and Marines {Our Ground Forces}in the Back in their War on the Defense Budget. [Remember this the next round of Base closings - Go Army!]

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/03/11/us_air_force_argues_for_more_money/5569/

In attempt to not appear too biased the DDN bows to pressure from anti-Iraq War groups to at least mention them. http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/03/26/ddn032608bushprotestweb.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=16 However, as I drove by the entrance to the Air Force Museum the morning of Bush's Republican Pep rally, I noticed about 25 to 30 members of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), and Veterans for Peace (VFP) among others standing in the pouring rain to show THEIR PASSION. Our heart goes out to them, even though no media outlet, including the DDN, gave them ANY COVERAGE.  So much for an Independent, and non-partisan mainstream media, but who is SURPRISED? Are YOU? Then, the DDN customer service representative wonders why we hang up the phone everytime they bug us to BUY a subscription - NO WAY! In fact, we get the Republican Propaganda Rag from Beavercreek, Ohio FOR FREE, and do not want that.  Do the same in your local, and state regions, and the mainstream media JUST MAY GET THE POINT - who knows? Catch more of the Mustang Major's antics, humorous reporting, and long winded philosophy on Veterans for America (VFA), and we are expanding to an international site, Cruncyroll, to join our friends on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus expanding to other umbrella blogs to expose more inter-service rivalry as the Air Force, and maybe even the Navy tries to screw our Ground Troops out of $$$ in their War on the Defense Budget - Stay tuned.