Veterans for Common Sense Weblog

Veterans for Common Sense Weblog http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org Veterans for Common Sense weblog en-us Copyright 2008 Veterans for Common Sense http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/xml/ Fri, 09 May 2008 12:39:12 EST America Betrayed: Will Progressives Take the Fall? <a href="http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/75646/?comments=view&cID=824012&pID=823939">http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/75646/?comments=view&cID=824012&pID=823939</a> Excerpted from this article:As we enter this crucial election year, progressives need to be wary that our greatest strength, our longstanding opposition to the debacle in Iraq, could become our greatest weakness. A trap has been set to clamp down on progressives when the apparent progress from the "surge" inevitably unravels into a new round of intense violence. Are we going to sit idly by while right-wing millionaires and billionaires fund campaigns like Freedom's Watch, with its <a href="http://www.alternet.org/blogs/democracy/74489/">plans to spend $250 million</a> this year to smear progressive leaders as betrayers? We need to set the terms of the debate before the barrage of deceptions issue forth. At this critical time in our nation's history, the consequences of inaction and complacency could not be more dire.The truth is that we have been betrayed by an extremist right-wing ideology that currently goes by the name "conservative." Its well-funded message machine lulled the public into a false confidence that led to the most devastating abuse of our military for private gain in this country's history. Contrary to the arguments of many critics, this is not simply a botched policy or misguided approach.An exceptional storyA trap has been set for progressives, and it comes in the form of a story. The betrayal has been made possible by the conservative take on the Myth of American Exceptionalism. This belief that we are the Great Nation, whose military endeavors always side with the Good, has set in motion a vicious cycle. It is the belief that our country is inherently good and our military strength is unrivaled. Consistency requires that our "enemy" must be evil and is always the lesser foe. Failure is impossible in a fair contest. If we lose, it must be a failure from within. We must have been betrayed.Kevin Baker, in a <a href="http://www.harpers.org/StabbedInTheBack.html">Harper's article published in 2006</a>, distilled this tale of betrayal into a political formula used by conservatives: <ul><li>Advocate some momentarily popular but reckless policy.  </li><li>Deny culpability when that policy is exposed as disastrous (and remain steadfast even when it becomes unpopular).   </li><li>Blame the disaster on internal enemies who hate America.   </li><li>Repeat, always making sure to increase the number of internal enemies.  </li></ul>(The betrayal story is also discussed on <a href="http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/67354/">Alternet</a> and in the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200801/partisan-retreat">Atlantic Monthly</a>.)The stage has been set for laying the blame on us. In the runup to the escalation, these phrases were repeated far and wide by unknowing journalists: <ul><li>"defeatist"  </li><li>"cut-and-run"   </li><li>"embolden the enemy"   </li><li>"not supporting the troops"   </li><li>"break the will of the American people"   </li><li>"lack of resolve"   </li><li>"demoralizing the troops"   </li><li>"the party of appeasement"  </li></ul>Often innocently quoted from interviews with conservatives, these phrases reinforce associations in people's brains between peace activists and the disaster in Iraq.The debate has been framed against us. Our brains have been conditioned through repetitive accusations that opponents of the Iraq occupation are "emboldening the enemy" with their "defeatism" until the only thing that makes sense is the betrayal of America by war-hating peace mongers.Talk about a twisted role reversal.Tell a different storyConservatives have spread a virus, incubating their ideas in our brains with the hope that they would replicate across the country. They have planted seeds of conservative thought to be born by a media that doesn't realize it is complicit in propagating the Betrayal Myth. Our responsibility as citizens is to get the truth out there ahead of the next round of lies. We can take away its capacity to influence our thinking by becoming sensitized to the hidden meaning of these words.Presenting the facts without changing the story will not be enough. Flesh-and-blood human beings just don't all reason to rational conclusions. We have to pre-empt the trap by revealing the true betrayal of America -- the deceptive conservative agenda and its anti-democratic goals.

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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3731 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Fri, 09 May 2008 04:23:21 EST OUR MEDIA HAS BEEN WRONG FOR SO LONG ABOUT IRAQ <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/our-media-has-been-wrong-for-so-long.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/our-media-has-been-wrong-for-so-long.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3730 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Fri, 09 May 2008 03:51:28 EST CNN REPORTS US MILITARY SKEPTICAL OF IRAQI CLAIMS CAPTURED TOP AL QAEDA LEADER <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/cnn-reports-us-military-doubt-iraqi.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/cnn-reports-us-military-doubt-iraqi.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3729 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Fri, 09 May 2008 03:20:41 EST Veterans vs Amnesty Veterans vs Amnesty <a href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_pat_smit_080508_veterans_vs_amnesty.htm">http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_pat_smit_080508_veterans_vs_amnesty.htm</a>    See how normal Democrats welcome a good non-racist article on a Democratic web-site from a (gasp) Republican?

Technorati: Veterans VA health care freedom society unemployment homeless|

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3728 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Fri, 09 May 2008 00:14:58 EST MARINE CORP TIMES REPORTS 43,000 TROOPS CALLED MEDICALLY UNFIT SENT TO IRAQ <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/marine-corps-times-reports-43000-troops.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/marine-corps-times-reports-43000-troops.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3727 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 23:42:56 EST IRAQ BRACES FOR MAJOR ATTACK ON MILITIAS: BLASTS HIT BAGHDAD <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/iraq-braces-for-major-offensive-on.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/iraq-braces-for-major-offensive-on.html</a>

Technorati: sadr city| iraq war| militias| |

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3726 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 23:26:08 EST BAGHDAD IN CHAOS, SADR CITY ABOUT TO ERUPT. MORE US CASULATIES <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/baghdad-in-complete-chaos-sadr-city.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/baghdad-in-complete-chaos-sadr-city.html</a>

Technorati: baghdad| sadr city| iraq war| |

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3725 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 18:16:47 EST MSNBC/REUTERS REPORT: IRAQ WAR STRAINS ARMY MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/msnbcreuters-reports-iraq-war-strains.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/msnbcreuters-reports-iraq-war-strains.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3724 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 17:34:06 EST Bush supports our troops? And what about Mc Cain? <a href="http://www.democrats.org/a/2008/05/must_read_doing.php">http://www.democrats.org/a/2008/05/must_read_doing.php</a>  Article from New York times: Excerted from article:......At the top of the list of no-brainers in Washington should be Senator Jim Webb's proposed expansion of education benefits for the men and women who have served in the armed forces since Sept. 11, 2001. It's awfully hard to make the case that these young people who have sacrificed so much don't deserve a shot at a better future once their wartime service has ended. Senator Webb, a Virginia Democrat, has been the guiding force behind this legislation, which has been dubbed the new G.I. bill. The measure is decidedly bipartisan. Mr. Webb's principal co-sponsors include Republican Senators Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John Warner of Virginia, and Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey… "Who wouldn't support an effort to pay for college for G.I.'s who have willingly suited up and put their lives on the line, who in many cases have served multiple tours in combat zones and in some cases have been wounded? We did it for those who served in World War II. Why not now? Well, you might be surprised at who is not supporting this effort. The Bush administration opposes it, and so does Senator John McCain. Here is another article:http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorials/146  Article title:<h1 class="title">Our Troops Have Not Failed: Bush and Cheney Have Failed Our Troops</h1>

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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3723 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 17:23:03 EST MSNBC BREAKING NEWS: THOUSANDS FLEE AS BATTLE FOR SADR CITY LOOMS <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/msnbc-breaking-news-thousands-flee-as.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/msnbc-breaking-news-thousands-flee-as.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3722 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 17:02:30 EST Remarks on this article..Suicides among vets...............  "May 5, 2008 - Suicides among veterans of wars overseas occur "just like cancer occurs," and are not an indication of negligence by Veterans Affairs Department mental health care providers, a top VA official has argued in a lawsuit filed by two veterans groups. The official said he does not know how well VA hospitals are complying with a directive to provide 24-hour referrals to veterans with mental health problems."The above statements are stupid and irresponsible. When people have cancer  they are directed to some form of treatment. Suicide should be treated  with  the same regard..  This is not something to be taken lightly, unfortunately mental health resources can be scarce because Bush's cut backs on programs. I receive mental health care and treatment being a daughter of a vet. What might help   if vets or troops cannot get  immediate help through the VA,and have to wait too long, is to look into state resources and mental health care, often there is no cost if you can't afford to pay or it is based on a sliding scale  or you are insured under the state. Here is a locator of services in each state. <a href="http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/default.asp">http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/default.asp</a><a href="http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/mi-and-the-family/finding-the-right-mental-health-care-for-you">http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/mi-and-the-family/finding-the-right-mental-health-care-for-you</a>  <a href="http://www.veteransfamiliesunited.org/how_to_get_help.html">http://www.veteransfamiliesunited.org/how_to_get_help.html</a>other resources you might  want to look into:<a href="http://www.silverstarfamilies.org/VA-ISSUES.html">http://www.silverstarfamilies.org/VA-ISSUES.html</a><a href="http://www.nchv.org/docs/Assist%20Guide.10.pdf">www.nchv.org/docs/Assist%20Guide.10.pdf</a><a href="http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=182">http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=182</a><a href="http://donnelly.house.gov/list/speech/in02_donnelly/morenews/043007CQWeeklyStory.shtml">http://donnelly.house.gov/list/speech/in02_donnelly/morenews/043007CQWeeklyStory.shtml</a><a href="http://swords-to-plowshares.org/programs-services/">http://swords-to-plowshares.org/programs-services/</a><a href="http://www.operationhomefront.net/services.asp">http://www.operationhomefront.net/services.asp</a> Are the other ways our troops can get help if they are not finding it  through the VA?What about applying for social security benefits(Disability) I don't know how that would work for troops, Go through DHS and find help, if homeless DHS- Department of human services  can provide food stamps and other services like medicaid and referrals .There are other government resources that provide training for a job , help with housing for low income , help for homeless people.  So I'm just suggesting that our troops may have to look down other avenues. I don't know if any of this will help but I hope by providing some additional resouces, this will give some information that people can use when they are in a crisis and cannot find the help they need.I'd like to add I am a search and research hound, often in the past I have helped people with referrals and won't give up until I find something for them. Often I find multiple resources knowing they can't jsut rely  one  referral. I've even called agencies and asked  for information. I did do that for one friend who was disabled, and needed help because she did not  have  air conditioner and was suseptible to heat because of diabetes .I made so many calls and inquiries I thought I would never find anything, but I did ,and she got her air conditioner. I would also advise our troops and vets to be doggedly determined as well, don't give up because of the roadblocks in your way, if you need legal help often there is free legal help and assistance available,(I  guess it varies according to each state) Bush of couese has cut into funding for many domestic services to fund his war,  and I have experienced this personally. Bush seems to not be in touch with reality ,he lives in his own dream world where he is the so-called  "protector" of our people. While he promised to defend and protect the constitution he has done the opposite. We cannot afford to play by his rules anymore, it is costing the American people too much, including our troops and vets.

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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3721 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 10:54:34 EST Bring our troops home now I am personally tired of congress waffling on the prospect of bringing our troops home, they are shell-shocked and they are taxed beyond their limits. Congress needs to make sure that our troops and vets get the benefits they deserve. They need help and support NOW!! Having to wait for it is ridculous. Now that Nancy Pelosi has approved more funding for the war, that shows a lack of commitment on the democrats part to bring our troops home within a time frame.  I pray for all our troops that they may come home safe and sound. While I don't oppose our troops , I do oppose this war  because I feel it is  more for a political agenda and for gaining control of Iraq's resources and assets. I've read many articles supporting this. That is not why our troops should be in Iraq, to support big business interests. Bush foreign policies are at the root of the problem. He knows nothing about the Middle East. Ron Paul is more educated in  constitutional law and does know alot about the history in the Middle East and he does not support this war for constitutional reasons and what he calls flawed foreign policies..It's a disgrace  at how things are being handled and how our troops are being treated. We must care for their wellbeing and support them in any way we can. They need medical care, mental health care and the other benefits that should come to them. Bush and Cheney mishandled alot of things and at the  expense of our troops and the Iraqi people. Our troops don't deserve this. Our troops  serve to defend our country  if there is a clear and present danger and there is no other viable way to resolve things; they are not here to  serve a political agenda or ideology,or corporate interests, which is why many people believe that Bush abused power and manipulated public opinion to support this war. The neocons want to remake and shape Iraq into their  "own image and to support their personal interests, they do not truly support a democracy for the Iraqis unless it is in alignment with what they want or think it should be. Do the Iraqis really have the right to self determination? This war has been mishandled from the beginning  by those at the top who make the major decisions and policies. http://www.orbstandard.com/News/Zeese/Zeese_Corporate_US_Takeover_of_the_Iraq_Economy.html

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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3720 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Thu, 08 May 2008 10:32:13 EST Freedom without fear is a hard concept for Iraqi children Both these links explains why our troops deserve so much more credit!     First this war is for these children and more credit should go to our troops, because by loving these children, they are teaching them that life with freedom is a life without constant fear. Freedom without fear is a hard concept for many of their youth. Teaching these kids how to trust is not an easy task, but one that is needed to end this war.  I love the irony of this short but great video clip.  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbj1hA-Vczg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbj1hA-Vczg</a>      Iraq Is Not Lost Because The US Military Is Still There By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Keith_Quackenbush">Keith Quackenbush</a>  <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1150364">http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1150364</a>

Technorati: Military Troops Iraqi children Victory over terror|

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3719 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 22:57:59 EST ATTACKS BY US FORCES ON SADR CITY SEND RESIDENTS FLEEING <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/attacks-by-us-forces-on-sadr-city-send.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/attacks-by-us-forces-on-sadr-city-send.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3718 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 17:08:04 EST My Friendship, With A Great Role Model, A Military Veteran, by Hazel Davis As I share this story, with you, I do want to say, that "If You Had Known This Man, He Would Have Been a Great Role Model, for You, Too". He is one of the Many Individuals, who has "Walked Beside Me, in True Friendship".The Man, to Whom I refer, is ENOCH ALEXANDER, who is from the Native American Indian Tribe...The Choctaw Indian Tribe, originally from the State of Mississippi, & whose ancestors, were "forced to travel" to the State of Oklahoma, after 1820, to a Reservation Land, bringing with them, many individuals who served as Christian Missionaries, & also, accompanying these Native American Indian Tribes, was More Than a Million Slaves...from the Eastern States.Enoch Alexander grew up in a Rural Area of Southeastern Oklahoma, near a Town called Talihini, & even today, he has many relatives still residing there.When I began to know Enoch Alexander, he was living in the Projects, the Apartments for the Elderly / Disabled. My Apartment, was a couple buildings from Enoch, and sometimes I would sit on my porch & Observe the Happenings with Mr. Enoch Alexander...in the Special Way, that he was Living His Life.As I got acquainted with Mr. Enoch Alexander, I discovered HIM TO BE A GREAT WISE MAN, One with Much Experience in Life, too. He had achieved Much Education, & been Employed at Prestigious Jobs. HE TRULY WAS A MAN, TO "STAND OUT, AMONG MEN". (Perhaps I am Partial Though, because I Learned Much from Him, during the time I knew him.The Project Apartments, were situated in a Cul-de-Sac, & from the Sidewalk, in front of Our Residence, We Could View the Traffic & Any Events, happening, for several blocks away. Thus, visiting among the Residents there, often took place, when we would gather on the sidewalk, near the middle of the Cul-de-sac.Enoch sometimes referred to this as the "Funny Farm", just in jest though, for "we had many good conversations & Many Laughs, as We Shared the Stories of  Each of Our Lives, telling details, about how we raised our families, and talked about the Various Types of Employment, we'd done, throughout Our Lives.Enoch often mentioned to me, "Hazel, why do you live here, when you have such intelligence, as you do??". I haven't forgotten that statement, made by Enoch, to me.During the many conversations that Enoch & I shared, he would tell me about the work he'd done for McDonald / Douglas, and about the education he'd gotten, and also, how he had a Natural Talent, as a Specialist in the knowing the Contents of the Many Metals, which are in the Dirt of the Earth, in the Machinery...manufactured around the World, and also, in our own bodies.Toward the end of Enoch's life, just before he came to live in the Projects Apartments, Enoch had lived in a very large city in Texas, & for several years, his job, was to Appear in Court as a Specialist, to Verify, the Amount of Metals, described in the Lawsuits that had been filed in court actions there. He said that he really had enjoyed that talent / that opportunity, to BE SOMEONE SPECIAL, Someone Who Had Such a Natural Talent, as he did.Mr. Enoch Alexander, had also been a Law Enforcement Officer, and after that He Studied Greek & Latin & became Very Fluent in these Two Languages & could Read / Write / Speak it, quite well. Mr. Alexander, Became One of the Most Outstanding Ministers of the World, maybe not so well-known as some others tho...but He Knew the Bible from Front Cover to the Back Cover...& could relate all the events & the Histories, therein.Mr. Enoch Alexander, must have Wanted to "Stay in Practice of Praying", for he would often say to me, "Hazel, Let Me Pray For You".  Hey,  I am a Believer..."Prayer Heals / Prayer Seals / Prayer is Good For the Soul". (Of course, I Never Turned Down a Prayer, not by such a Wise-Man, as Mr. Enoch Alexander). I knew the Power, He Held, Within, & I surely couldn't befall, his request, so "I received much prayer...from time to time".Before I end this Note, I want to say this: " MR. ENOCH ALEXANDER, WAS A MILITARY SOLDIER / VETERAN OF WWII, AND HAVING BEEN A PREACHER / MINISTER, OF THE WORD, HE ALSO KNEW / REALIZED.....WHAT IT IS TO HAVE BECOME......A  ...RECOVERING ...ALCOHOLIC".Has This Not Impressed You Yet ???  IF NOT, LET ME TELL YOU THIS MUCH MORE:MR. ENOCH ALEXANDER ....HAD ...NO LEGS !!!During his years, of being an Alcoholic, He had become a Diabetic. After one leg had been removed, below the knew, Enoch's wife had passed away. This is what he said to me, "Hazel, I could hardly accept it, when My Wife passed away, & I went out & became very drunk, returned to My Office, in the City, & fell asleep, with my leg, being close to an infrared heater, & "my leg was like jelly, when I awoke", but no one was around, so I used my crutches, & then, "drove myself to the hospital, where I was admitted, & this leg was also removed, below the knee". How Foolish, I had been, to allow Alcohol to "take over my life"...for me to allow this to happen. And, here I sit, with No Legs !!Many is the time, I would see Enoch, being in his wheelchair, going to his vehicle. After he would get the right door open, he would slide, from his wheelchair, into the vehicle, & slide over, so he could fold the wheelchair & put it in the floor by the front seat of the vehicle.Enoch, would say to me, "Hazel, get in the back seat, & we'll go to the Drive-Thru & get some food & take some lunch to your mother"...which we did, for she no longer drove a vehicle, & had to spend much time at home.So, there I was, BEING CHAFFEURED AROUND, BY A MAN, WITH "NO LEGS". Believe me, I Truly "felt honored", that This Man, Would Be So Humble to Me...(wouldn't you, if you had been in that position ??).I had known Mr. Enoch Alexander for about Three Years, altogether...& he'd Chaffeured Me, on Many Occasions, for he often, dined out...since he didn't cook much at his home.Mr. Enoch Alexander, was the Very First Military Veteran, who I learned to Assist, with helping him, obtain the VA Benefits, to which he was eligible. He certainly appreciated anything I did, on His Behalf.Some of the Advice which was given to me, by Enoch, was this: "Hazel, Never Waste Your Time, in Worrying About What Happened in Years Past, But...enjoy the time of Today, & Learn to Make Changes, so that You Grow, for the Years, which are Your Future.".From the Bible, Mr. Enoch Alexander, would often quote from Romans...Chapter 8 / Verses: 1 thru 10."There is No Condemnation to Them...Who Serve...from the Holy Spirit, within"."The Law of the Spirit, Maketh Me Free, from the Law of Sin"."To be Spiritually-Minded, is Life & Peace"."If the Spirit, from the Creator of Life, is In-You, ONLY THEN DO YOU HAVE...TRUE LIFE"."For as Many of You, Men of the Spirit, Ye Shall Have Life, & have it, Abundantly...."Enoch, would often quote also, from the Psalms, Chapter 121: "My Help Cometh, From the Creator of Life & Life is Freely Given...It should be Freely Accepted......The Creator of Life, is the ...Keeper of Life & Ye Shall Be Kept, within That Spirit of Life...forever, "as long as You Accept, for it to be, within".Yeah, I Treasured This Friendship...& the Fact, that "THIS MAN, WITH NO LEGS, WAS ...HUMBLE ENOUGH...TO USHER ME FROM PLACE TO PLACE, as if I was a queenly person".A few months before Enoch passed away, he had prayed for me, that day, & that same night, I envisioned some Angels, and two of them, would "smile at me" & then Walk Away...This dream appeared to me, just one time, but a few months later, during the nighttime, after midnight, Enoch passed away. A Year Later, on the same day, at the same hour, My Mother, passed Away.There was Memories & Great Influence in my life, from those two people. My mother, had also, had a Natural Talent, for Helping the Military Veterans. Her dad had served in WWII, and she had been from a Direct / Long-Lineage of Military Soldiers / Veterans, too.When Enoch was alive, I happened to ask him, this question, "When You Were a Child, What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up ??"  His Reply was this, "ALL IF EVER WANTED TO BE, WAS A ...CATTLE RUSTLER, & LIVE THE LIFE OF BEING A ...COWBOY, INDIAN".    To Enoch, those were the Good Ole Days, of Yester-Year. He had been Every Thing, but a Cattle Rustler.MR. ENOCH ALEXANDER, SERVED HIS COUNTRY (THE U.S.A.) WELL, AS A CIVILIAN / A MILITARY SOLDIER / A MILITARY VETERAN / A MINISTER...OF CHRISTIANITY...& he departed, to be among the Angels. (At Least This is What I wish to Believe).As With the Life of "Standing Bear" another True American Hero / Excellent Role Model, who Stood Brave, to say:"I can Feel the Same Kind of Pain You Feel, & My Blood, is the Same Color, as Yours"....WE ARE MEN...THE WAY, WE ARE MEANT TO BE.....WE STAND BRAVE...IN AMERICA..."THE HOME OF THE FREE, LAND OF THE BRAVE"."WE ARE MAN ENOUGH TO ...STAND / FIGHT FOR THESE FREEDOMS, TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY...THE U.S.A."  QUOTE, FROM: Hazel Davis.said on Behalf of Each & Every Military Soldier / Veteran, who Served, & is Still Serving, to Protect those Freedoms, for the People of America !!LET US BE...AS  BRAVE...AS THESE...TWO ...MEN...HAVE BEEN...TO...STAND TALL & FREE & BRAVE, ENOUGH, TOSTAND FOR THE "RIGHTS OF OTHERS & THE RIGHTS OF OURSELVES !!" (Hazel Davis, <a href="mailto:bojacks1@yahoo.com">bojacks1@yahoo.com</a>)

Technorati: AMERICAN SOLDIERS / VETERANS| BRAVE PEOPLE OF AMERICA !!|

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3717 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 14:50:44 EST You missed the point. By some of the comments it’s clear to me that some missed the point of “I rage at all the Barbara Cornetts of the earth” submission.  From 1958’s Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, “You’ve got to be carefully taught . . . to hate.”  Overheard, a mother to her little boy: “We don’t believe that.”  When and where the above may have been overheard is irrelevant. Suffice it that I have personally, on more than one occasion, heard a parent (or parents) chiding their charges with those or similar words. And each time, it was like a dentist locating just that nerve that sent a shock of pain through my entire being.   It is a tautology that words have meanings, and words spoken or written have consequences. Therefore, chose your words carefully, especially to a child who has no capacity to challenge you.   From the moment of birth, that emerging person is and will forever be a wholly unique individual, and I submit that, from the moment of birth, every child has an inalienable right to the dignity that derives from being respected as such. Furthermore, I would deny that any person, parent or other, has a moral right to suggest what any other person, child or other, should or must believe. They can hope. But to insist upon the adoption of a belief system seems the most despicable tyranny.   Perhaps the most precious and beautiful conveyance of the preceding is in Kahlil Gibran’s 1923, The Prophet, in his chapter “On Children.”   “And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.And he said:Your children are not your children.They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.They come through you but are not from you,And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.  You may give them your love but not your thoughts,            For they have heir own thoughts.            You may house their bodies but not their souls,            For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.            You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.            For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.              You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.            The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.            Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;            For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.”                       That 17-line chapter has composed the entirety of my parenting philosophy. Everything has been to respect the inalienable entitlement of both of my sons to dignity. They are who they are, and most assuredly they are not me. Above all else, they know as a mantra from me that no one more important than either has ever breathed earth’s air, and, likewise, they are no more important than anyone else on the planet.   Chris and Andy are now in their 20s. Neither has been baptized, and to the best of my knowledge, neither has ever been in a church. It isn’t that I was or am in opposition to such visits, only that, if they elect to visit one, that they provide themselves equal opportunity to be introduced to every religion, that they study each religion’s premises and tenets critically for flaws as well as truths before they conclude a decision one way or another. I never cared what that decision was, so long as it was one drawn from as objective analyses as might be possible.   Regardless I readily admit my prejudices, I doubt two more honorable, more ethical, more moral, more “Christ-like” young men ever traipsed the earth. Ever! Neither loathes much, but what they loathe deeply is any form of bigotry; racial, ethnic, gender-based, sexual orientation based; whatever.   But why this memo now? Because now, as ever before, I am confronted daily with a surfeit of evidence of both little restrained and completely unrestrained racial and ethnic hatred running through the veins of this country; as if by some measurement one group was superior to another. And the least spot of retention of that odious and entirely false proposition is an extraordinarily perilous spot for a state to be in.   Two truths. The first and foremost prerequisite to hatred is fear. Psychologically, it is utterly impossible to hate what one does not first fear. Thus, the first task, it seems to me, for the one who finds the merest mote of hatred infesting his or her heart is to take a good, long look in the mirror, and ask what it is about the object of their hate that frightens them so.   The other truth is to religion. By definition, religion requires that the advocate eschew a scrupulous, open-ended let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may, search for evidence on behalf of certain tenets that are to be believed above all else. Again psychologically, it just is not possible for a person to compartmentalize his or her most ingrained tendencies; I’ll look here, but that other room is one the door of which I will never permit myself to open. Why not push that door open? What are you so afraid of? And let’s be 100% blunt: a god that is responsible for the creation of the universe isn’t much of a god if he/she/it cannot handle one of its most puny of creations asking the most profound of questions. “If you didn’t want me to look, you shouldn’t have created me with a brain and a limitless sense of curiosity. So, even if my inquiry leads me to conclude you do not likely exist, if you do exist, my conclusions cannot make you not exist. So why are you so terrified, what I might come to believe? You that unworthy or insignificant that your sense of self depends on me?”     Three highly dangerous falsehoods I’d crush if I could.   One falsehood is that there is some abiding, necessary relationship between religion and morality. There is not. No people needed a commandment not to steal to know that theft of someone else’s property was bad behavior. All anyone ever needed was possession of an item to realize the pain of loss they would feel were that item to be stolen.   Another falsehood is that a god gave us, or gives us or anyone freedom. That’s not true at all. The freedoms Americans enjoy were, for all practical purposes, enumerated and elucidated during the European Enlightenment by intellectuals on all sides of the theistic continuum; Christians, Jews, spiritualists, agnostics and atheists. And what secured those freedoms was the blood of Christians, Jews, spiritualists, agnostics, and atheists. Some belief in a god sustained some. Others simply had an overriding hunger to believe and conduct their lives however they were wont. It wasn’t a god. It was lead bullets fired from muskets, perseverance through the most trying times, and considerable assistance from France.   The third falsehood I would crush is that there exists a factual relationship between what a person or group believes, and a logically driven condition that that belief must therefore necessarily be correct and true. The history of discovery is replete with examples that manifest the absolute absurdity of presuming there might be some element of the least correlative necessity between beliefs and facts, yet survey after survey demonstrate the majority of Americans cling to the absurd.  Finally, I ask these questions. Aren’t you sick and tired and just totally fed up with being afraid? Whether it’s five minutes from now or 80 years or so hence, you’re going to die, and when you do your time here will have been like a match-strike against the trillions of stars that compose the heavens. Maybe it’s me, but I kind of think that that’s just too short a time to spend a second of it fearing someone else because they’re not completely like me and don’t believe exactly as I do. Let it go, man. Just let it go. My most fevered wish then,  is that Americans, to the very last one, develop the courage to push all the doors open, and try to discover why we are scared of another because of that other’s race or ethnicity or culture or religion or language or sexual orientation.   — Ed Tubbs     Palm Springs, CA

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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3716 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 14:47:57 EST 75 RETIRED MILITARY OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED IN PENTAGON WAR PROPAGANDA ON TV <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/75-retired-military-officers-were.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/75-retired-military-officers-were.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3715 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 13:05:27 EST Time to behead a king It’s long overdue: behead a king.  Read the article below, then forward it to as many as you know, if you agree that what Burger King has engaged is as much an outrage as I do. Then, just do not visit one of the chain’s restaurants, and urge others to not go as well. Look, no one “needs” anything that Burger King is selling. Not patronizing them thus becomes the easiest way to express opposition to the practices outlined, and it sends a clear message to other corporations as well.   And oh yeah . . . If Burger King wants to send one of their dirty little maggots to spy on me, include my email address with the one you forward, and the fact that my name is Ed Tubbs and I live in Palm Springs, California. Unlike our first-to-cut-and-run, yellow-bellied president, when I say “Bring ‘em on,” I’ll be outside, ready to greet ‘em.  Thanks May 7, 2008Op-Ed Contributor <h1 style="margin: 2.25pt 0in auto">Burger With a Side of Spies </h1>By ERIC SCHLOSSER Monterey, Calif._WHILE the Patriot Act has raised fears about government spying on ordinary citizens, the growing threat to civil liberties posed by corporate spying has received much less attention. During the late 1990s, a private security firm spied on Greenpeace and other environmental groups, examining activists’ phone records and even sending undercover agents to infiltrate the groups, according to an article in Mother Jones. In 2006 Hewlett-Packard was caught spying on journalists. Last year Wal-Mart apologized for improperly recording conversations with a New York Times reporter._And now it turns out that the Burger King Corporation, home of the Whopper, hired a private security firm to spy on the Student/Farmworker Alliance, a group of idealistic college students trying to improve the lives of migrants in Florida._The Student/Farmworker Alliance and an affiliated nonprofit, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, have for years been urging the fast-food industry to accept some responsibility for the plight of Florida migrants who harvest the tomatoes for its hamburgers and tacos. I am a longtime supporter of their work. The wages of these farm workers, adjusted for inflation, have declined by as much as 70 percent since the late 1970s. And hundreds, perhaps thousands, of migrants have been enslaved by labor contractors and forced to work without pay. The McDonald’s Corporation and Yum Brands (which owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC) have agreed to subsidize a modest pay raise for their tomato pickers and work closely with the coalition to eliminate slavery from the fields. Burger King, however, has pursued a different strategy._In March, a woman named Cara Schaffer contacted the Student/Farmworker Alliance, saying she was a student at Broward Community College. Her eagerness aroused suspicions, but she was allowed to join two of the group’s planning sessions. Internet searches by the alliance revealed that she was not a college student._Ms. Schaffer is the 25-year-old owner of a private security firm. Her company, Diplomatic Tactical Services, seems like the kind of security firm you’d find in one of Carl Hiaasen’s crime thrillers. Last year Ms. Schaffer was denied a private investigator’s license; she had failed to supply the Florida licensing division with proof of “lawfully gained, verifiable experience or training.” Even more unsettling, one of her former subcontractors, Guillermo Zarabozo, is now facing murder charges in United States District Court in Miami for his role in allegedly executing four crew members of a charter fishing boat, then dumping their bodies at sea._In an interview, a Burger King executive told me that the company had worked with Diplomatic Tactical Services for years on “security-related matters” and had used it to obtain information about the Student/Farmworker Alliance’s plans — in order to prevent acts of violence. “It is both the corporation’s right and duty,” a company spokesman later wrote in an e-mail message to me, “to protect its employees and assets from potential harm.” _But the Student/Farmworker Alliance and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers are not dangerous, extremist groups. Both are pacifist, mainstream nonprofits inspired by the work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The coalition is supported by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Pax Christi, the Catholic peace movement._The Bill of Rights was adopted to protect Americans from the abusive power of their government. I’ve come to believe that we now need a similar set of restrictions to defend against irresponsible corporate power. Today companies like Wal-Mart and ExxonMobil have annual revenues larger than the entire budgets of some states, and they employ former agents from the F.B.I., the C.I.A. and the Secret Service to do security work. Unlike government agencies, whose surveillance activities are supposed to be conducted according to strict guidelines and court orders, these private firms operate with a remarkable degree of freedom. At the moment, federal laws against the practice of “pretexting” — using a false identity to obtain personal information — apply only to financial and telephone records. _Congressional hearings on corporate espionage would be a good place to start figuring out how to regulate the practice. A Senate inquiry during the 1930s prompted companies to disband their private armies and stop spying on labor unions. Burger King’s use of an unlicensed private investigator to spy on the Student/Farmworker Alliance may have been illegal under Florida law. John Chidsey, the chief executive of Burger King, knew about the use of Diplomatic Tactical Services. Mr. Chidsey should get a chance to raise his right hand and tell members of Congress why he thinks this sort of behavior is acceptable._Eric Schlosser is the author of “Fast Food Nation” and “Reefer Madness.”

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http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3714 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 09:42:00 EST PENTAGON: NO NEW TROOPS FOR AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT DEEPER IRAQ CUTS <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/pentagon-no-new-troops-for-afghanistan.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/pentagon-no-new-troops-for-afghanistan.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3713 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 04:01:50 EST CNN REPORTS: 3,500 US TROOPS TO HEAD HOME FROM IRAQ <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/cnn-reports-3500-us-troops-to-head-home.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/cnn-reports-3500-us-troops-to-head-home.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3712 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Wed, 07 May 2008 02:51:03 EST The Truth about Suicides Today, I listened to the House Committee of Veterans Affairs hearing to address the scandalous situation stemming from e-mails provided in discovery at the recent trial in San Francisco.  I will try to give you my honest impressions of the hearing.  First, the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs came across as out of touch, inept, and unable to deal with the fact that thousands of veterans suffer from mental health issues such at PTSD/TBI which leads to substance abuse, domestic violence, depression, and suicide.    The Secretary, from high aloft his pedestal which may be called the DVA/VHA bureacracy doesn’t get it.  Dr. Michael Kussman and Dr. Ira Katz obviously don’t get it.  Gordon Mansfield doesn’t get it.  I was not certain but it appears Gerald Cross, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration may get it.  I have written previously that Congress should not make Dr. Katz a scapegoat.  Let me be the first to admit I was wrong.  Not only was I not impressed with the doctor personally, he comes across as a sniveling, inept administrator, but also I was not impressed with his grasp of the situation and his ability to deal with the problem.  Unfortunately, all the Secretary could do was to say his concern for veterans was paramount, make nonsensical excuses, and point to two year old data.  It was obvious that the Department had no meaningful data for suicides or real method of collecting it, not that that matters.    The Secretary’s answer was another Blue Ribbon Peer Review Committee to look at what and how the Department is addressing the problem and confirm things were “under control”.  Congressman Filner had a fit!  It was very clear he was not swayed by the Secretary’s recommendation.  Expert witnesses, particularly Professor Emeritus Ronald William Maris, Ph.D., University of South Carolina and M. David Rudd, Ph.D., Texas Tech University provided a clear view of the failings of the Department, both fundamentally and clinically.  It was pointed out that a veteran, suffering from PTSD, deep in the troughs of depression, is faced with a 23 page application, a C& P exam, and then months or years to receive “permission” to be treated.  Is it not amazing even more veterans don’t suicide?  The Ranking Member could do nothing but attempt to undermine the hearing, and of course the trial, by disparaging questions and comments about the motives of CBS News and whether the data they provided was verifiable.    In point of fact, Professor Maris pointed out that the mental health assessment questionnaire is of no actual use, is less than cursory, and would provide no meaningful data from which to focus efforts showing that the Department has not taken the problem of suicides seriously.  The DVA’s assessment is two questions meant not to address fifteen potential risk factors, but to permit the Department to say it is doing something.  The mental health plan, well into its third year of implementation is useless.  It will never be implemented.    Suicide prevention coordinators surround the ivory towers, most often at the huge medical centers, but not one at a CBOC.  Family counseling is non-existent, and the Outreach Program is non-persuasive.  It consists of pamphlets ignominiously vouching for the “professional” care provided.    The DVA program does not seek to implement vet-to-vet assistance or provide outreach training to community clergy so families of effected servicepersons who might mention a potential situation may be referred.  It does not provide trained staff in and around the communities serviced by service centers and outpatient clinics.   It is so obviously clear that the DVA/VHA have ceased to be relevant in servicing veterans.  It is time to dismantle the federal bureaucracy and replace it with aggressive community-based outreach, streamlined processing, and adherence to more than minimal standards of care.    Rather than relying on “doctors” replete with fine educations, discussing issues of public health and epidemiologies, and the implementation of standard processes, we need leaders with flexibility, who can think outside-the-box, can act decisively, and communicate effectively to change the culture of the Department.    The Chairman requested an action plan from the Secretary within 15 days.  I am one vet that will not hold his/her breath.    Congress should demand the resignations of the Secretary and the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Under Secretary for Health, and the Chief, Mental Health Branch to start then move to the fortress of the Veterans Benefits Administration.  The inability to insure transition and treatment is grounded in a quagmire of forms, applications, processes, and denial rather than getting a vet help.

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3711 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Tue, 06 May 2008 16:55:03 EST "WAR MADE EASY" RETIRED MILITARY USED TO HYPE THE WAR: VIDEO <a href="http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/war-made-easy-pentagon-pundits-on-cable.html">http://corksphere.blogspot.com/2008/05/war-made-easy-pentagon-pundits-on-cable.html</a>

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3710 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Tue, 06 May 2008 15:39:38 EST Brad Henry, Governor / Oklahoma,/ Endorses Obama..Surprises Citizens OKLAHOMA CITY.....OKLAHOMA:Brad Henry's decision, announced the day, after Obama absorbed a 10-Point Defeat, to Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the Pennsylvania Primary, SURPRISED MANY OFFICIALS, REPUBLICANS & DEMOCRATS, ALIKE.After all, Clinton, the New York Senator, was a Fixture for Years, as the First Lady in Neighboring Arkansas, before Bill Clinton, the Former Arkansas Governor, was Elected to the First of His Two Terms, as President in 1992.And More Importantly, Hillary Clinton, scored an Impressive Victory in Oklahoma's Presidential Primary, garnering 55% of the Vote to Obama's 31%. Much of the Democratic Establishment, in the State of Oklahoma, was Solidly, behind Clinton.The Safest Decision for Henry would seem to be the Candidate Who Carried His State, and he said he gave that Strong Consideration.In choosing Obama, he said he was Picking Someone like Himself, WHO WOULD EXERCISE A BI-PARTISAN, Approach to Solving, the Country's Major Problems."We Need Somebody, Who Will Really Shake-Up, the System", he said."He Represents, the Future, Not the Past; the New Way, as Opposed to the Old Way", the 44-Year-Old Governor, said.For Those, Who Have Watched How Henry Operates in the Political Arena, however, the Endorsement, was Puzzling, Especially Coming So Early, in the Process.Some Officials speculated openly that the governor may be setting himself up for an appointment, IF Obama wins, the Presidency, Perhaps a Judgeship, AFTER HE LEAVES, AS GOVERNOR, IN 2010."I think it was a little bit Out of Character. He's been very cautious", said Senate Co-President Pro Tem, Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City."I had to laugh a little bit, with the governor endorsing Against His Own Party's Wishes, Here in the State, the Most Liveral Candidate, in the Presidential Race,", Coffee said."It Makes You Wonder, out loud, what the governor's plans are...if he's lobbying for a job in Washington D.C., with Obama," Coffee said.Henry said His Discussions with the Illinois Senator Did Not Include Any Possible Role, iin Obama's Administration, and He Repeated His Long-Held Position, that Neither He Nor First Lady Kim Henry Want to go to Washington.Some say His Decision to go with Obama May be a Sign, that He Plans to Opt Out of Being a Candidate for the U.S. Senate, some day, coupled with His Veto, in the Same Month, of an Anti-Abortion Bill, in the Face of a Sure Override.Henry said the Timing of the Announcement, After the Pennsylvania Vote was Co-incidental. He said He Voted for Obama on February 5 and Planned to Announce His Support, Earlier in April.The Governor said He Decided to Delay  Endorsing Obama, Until After He Spoke at an April 19, 2008 Ceremony, on the Bombing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.Henry said He Believed Oklahoma Democrats Would be Understanding That He Has the Right to Exercise "independent Judgement", as a Superdelegate & Endorse Someone HE FELT, was "Best for Oklahoma & Best for the Country".Traditionally, Democratic Political Leaders, in Oklahoma, Have Shunned Association, with Their Party's National Standard Bearers, Especially, If They Were Considered Too Liberal, For the Conservative State.Some Have Run From Appearing at Events, with Such Natinal Democratic Figures as Senator Ted Kennedy.It's a Tradition, That Goes Back to the 1930's, When the Oklahma Governor Opposed Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal.University of Oklahoma President, David Boren, a Former Senator and Governor (of Oklahoma), ALSO SURPRISED many PEOPLE, BY ANNOUNCING HIS SUPPORT FOR OBAMA.As Governor, Boren Got Behind the Candidacy of Another Sunbelt Governor_ Jimmy Carter.As Senator in 1992, Boren Backed the Late Senator Paul Tsongas, a fiscal conservative, over Cinton. Four Years ago, He Heaped Praise, On The Candidacy of Another Democratic Conservative, Joe Lieberman, Who was Re-Elected to the Senate, as An Independent, After Being the Running Mate of Al Gore, the 2000 Democratic Presidential Nominee.More Often, Than Not, in Recent decades, the Democrat, Who Was to Emerge, as The Presidential Nominee, Fare Poorly, in Oklahoma's Primary,Four Years ago, John Kerry Finished Third, in Oklahoma, to Wesley Clark and John Edwards. Henry went on, to Endorse Edwards, After First saying He Planned to Be uncommitted, Until the National Convention.In His Run, for Re-Electin, Television Ads, Run on Behalf of Henry's Republican Opponent, Former Representative, Ernest Istook, Showed a Clip of Henry, Casting Oklahoma's Votes, for Kerry, at the Democratic National Convention.Oklahoma Has Not Voted, for the Democratic Nominee, for President, Since 1964, When Lyndon Johnson, was elected.                            (information from the Native American Times, dated May 2, 2008)    OTHER NEWSPAPERS IN OKLAHOMA, PUBLISH NEWS & VIEWS ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES       WHY BRAD HENRY, GOVERNOR OF OKLAHOMA, ENDORSED OBAMASaid Governor Henry,"Barack Obama Represents the Future vs the Past, the New Way vs The Old Way.POLITICS: HENRY SAYS SUPERDELEGATES NEED TO COMMIT "BEFORE THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION".         MOVE COMES, DESPITE CLINTON'S VICTORY IN OKLAHOMA VOTESaying He's Been a Fan of Barack Obaqma, For Some Time, Governor Brad Henry, said He Made His Support Public, In Order, to Encourage Uncommitted Superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention--including six in Oklahoma--to Announce Their Choice."It's Critical, that We Resolve This Democratic Nomination, Before the Convention", the Governor said."If This is an Open Questin, that We Take All the Way to the Convention, It Will Be Disastrous, for Our Party, in November."That was Really the Catalyst, that Began My Thinking, That I Need to go Ahead, and Make My Position Known. Maybe I Can Help Persuade Other Superdelegates, to Go Ahead, & Make Their Positions, Known. It's Time, Now..that Superdelegates, Begin to Finalize Their Decisions & Make Thheir Choices Known", said Brad Henry, Governor of Oklahoma.Henry, A Superdelegate, to the Democratic National Convention, Announced His Endorsement of Obama, a U.S. Senator, from Illinois,  for President. He said He Voted for Obama, during Oklahoma's February 5, 2008, Presidential Primary."I've been a Fan of Barack Obama's since the Beginning", he said. "I've listened to Many of His Speeches, and I Really Believe, that "He (Obama) Represents the Change, that Is Critical, for This Time, in Our Country.""Barack Obama Represents the Future vx the Past, the New Way vs the Old Way," Henry said."WE'VE GOT TO SHAKE THINGS UP, IN MY OPINION, IN WASHINGTON, D.C.", stated, Governor Henry.Henry said He's Not Looking for a Job, in an Obama Administration."Oklahomans Are Sick & Tired of the Finger Pointing & Partisan Bickering that Plagues Washington, D.C.", Henry said. Obama has the Ability "to Motivate & Inspire People. I Think He's tthe Best Person to....Unite the Country...the United States of America".PLAYING THE WAITING GAMEHillary Rodham Clinton Won 55% of the Votes in Oklahoma's Presidential Primary, Compared with 31% of the Votes Cast for Obama. As a Result, Clinton was Awarded 24 Delegates and Obama was Granted 14 Delegates, from Oklahoma, at the National Cnventin, August 25-28, in Denver.Henry said Clinton's Strong Showing in the State "Weighed Heavily, on My Decision, There's No Question, About It. It Delayed My Decision, for Some Time.Henry is the Third Superdelegate, or Party Insider, from Oklahoma, to Back Obama. Clinton of New York, has the Support of One Oklahoma Superdelegate.THE STATE'S REMAINING "SIX" SUPERDELEGATES, HAVE "NOT" COMMITTED, ...PUBLICLY, YET"."My Intentin, in Terms of My Public Endorsement...was Really, to Wait Until the Nomination, Was Settled", Henry said. "I, Like Most People, I think, Assumed that the Nomination, Would Be Settled, Much Earlier."FACING A DILEMMAHoward Dean, the Chairman of the Democratic National Commitee, has Asked Super-Delegats to Announce Their Decisions, by June 1, 2008.Ivan Holmes, Chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, Who is an Uncommitted Super-Delegate, said He and the Five Other Remaining Uncommitted Superdelegates, Don't INtend to Change Their Status, Anytime Soon. One Might Make an Announcement, in a Couple Weeks, he said, but Most Will Wait, Until Closer, to the June 1 date, suggested, by Dean."The Democratic Party in Oklahoma, is Facing a Dilemma, Because We Have Two Excellent Candidates, Out There, Running, for President" (of the United States of America)...Holmes said. "Most of Us Feel Like Either One of These Two Individuals, Can Win the Presidency, & Will Win the Presidency."Holmes said He Was Called by Both Clinton & Obama."That's How Aggressive, the Candidates, Are, Because It Looks Like That It Very Well Could Go Down to the Super-delegates," he said. "I don't think any of us, want it to go down to that."Holmes Doesn't think It Will Hurt Democrats, If a Nominee, Is Not Decided, By the National Convention.Henry said He Will Work, to Bring Obama's Message to Oklahomans. He Expects, the Candidate, Will Visit Oklahoma, Probably, After the Final Primary, in June.   (this information, reported in the Oklahoman, newspaper, dated April 24, 2008)NOTE: WHEN IT COMES TO AN IMPORTANT TOPIC, AS VOTING FOR ANYONE, WHO "HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH, ANY OF OUR LIVES...FOR OUR SURVIVAL...ON A DAILY BASIS....FOR ANY OF US, TO HAVE / BE ABLE TO EARN & BE SELF-SUPPORTIVE...FOR THE....BETTERMENT OF OUR FAMILIES & OURSELVES...LET US.......SHOW UP, AT THE ...VOTING BOOTHS.....&...VOTE......FOR...OUR CHOICE...FOR  WE (THE PUBLIC) ARE THE INDIVIDUALS....WHO....MUST .....LIVE....WITH....THE ...END RESULTS.....FROM THE...VOTES...FROM EVERYONE ELSE...& OUR  OWN   VOTE,  TOO !!"LET  US  VOTE  &  HELP  CHOOSE   THE  CANDIDATE, WHO  WILL  PERFORM  THE  BEST JOB, TO "FIT THE LIVES OFALL THE CITIZENS,  OF THE (WHOLE OF THE) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA !!"LET US VOTE, FOR THE BEST CANDIDATE......WHO  CAN  PROVIDE  FOR EACH OF US, TO  INCLUDE  "BETTER SERVICES & ASSISTANCE,  IN THE HEALTH MATTERS...TO SECURE  OUR  MILITARY SOLDIERS / VETERANS & THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS"  &  THE CANDIDATE, WHO WILL  PROTECT   OUR  YOUTH, SO THAT WE CAN BE..ASSURED..THATWE'LL......HAVE ......SOME.....CANDIDATES.....FOR  MILITARY SERVICE...IN THE YEARS TO COME !!"                  (Hazel Davis,<a href="mailto:bojacks1@yahoo.com">bojacks1@yahoo.com</a>)."I'LL   SEE  YA ,   AT   THE   VOTING  BOOTH.... BE THERE !!" (November 2008)SHOW  THE  AMERICAN  LEADERS   THAT   YOU  HAVE   A    VOTE   IN   THE  LEADERSHIP  OF  OUR COUNTRY, USA.

Technorati: WE NEED TO VOTE...SEE YOU| AT THE VOTING BOOTH THIS FALL|

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/blogid/3708 contact@veteransforcommonsense.org () Tue, 06 May 2008 13:23:04 EST Your Republican supporting brother-in-law is a schmuck. “Moderation in all things” — Terence [Publius Terentius Afer], c 190 – 159 bce_“Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed.”_“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!” _      — Barry M. Goldwater; Acceptance speech at 1964 Republican convention_“Your McCain supporting, Republican brother-in-law is an ignorant, slime-ball schmuck. And, unless you disown him, that makes you one too.”     — Ed Tubbs, 2008_This past Sunday (May 4), I was seated next to the attractive, raven-haired, youngish wife of Barry Goldwater, Jr. at the Palm Springs Book Festival. Her husband was hawking the book, Pure Goldwater, which he collaborated on with John Dean. The book is an assemblage of Sr.’s diary entries from over his decades of service in both the US House and Senate. _As one side note, and another that I’ll introduce in a moment, goes directly to the heart of the matter, I found it extraordinarily eerie: how very much the physical appearance and nervous to be expected to sit still features of the 71-year-old son — from his lanky, standing proud and upright, look-you-honest-straight-in-the-eye, Southwestern carriage, jutting jaw and a tightlipped grimacing grin that seemed to expand larger than his face — resembled his dad. _During the Q&A that followed Junior’s presentation, it became sadly evident how few details, details that one would expect a son and assembler of a book on his father would immediately remember, that he was actually able to summon back. There were raised questions of the father’s truly ‘conservative’ — in the original classic sense, not what it has been hijacked as today — quotes (“Don’t have to be straight . . .” the “Extremism in defense of liberty . . .” ) and principled positions in re opposition to Eisenhower’s interventionism around the globe, interventionism in Latin America and in the mid-East for which we are paying highly today, and the terrible McCarthy stain, and Barry Jr. had a most difficult time with all of them.   _Earlier I sat through Valerie Bertinelli’s discourse on her most recent book, Getting My Life Back, One Pound at a Time. Three things I took from that presentation: 1.) She is a delightful, still looks great, woman; 2.) The book is a running ad for Jenny Craig; and 3.) Valerie didn’t write the book. _The second Stage-1 venue was the one I had looked forward to most: a discussion concerning the 2008 presidential prospects. As things unfolded, it became the one that disappointed me most. The first disappointment: John Dean, the highlighted member of the panel of political pundits, cancelled. Reportedly, his wife was running a 102-fever when they awoke that morning and John elected to stay by her side. The remaining members included conservative Hugh Hewitt (again, see above; not a Goldwater conservative; one of the modern hijackers of the mantle!), Matt Welch (author of McCain: The Myths of a Maverick; currently editor & blogger at Reason.com, and previously LA Times editor), liberal pundit Robert Scheer, and investigative journalist Greg Palast. _Mr. Palast reported to those gathered how the 2008 race had already been decided for the Republican candidate. “You don’t have to steal votes if you can prevent them from ever being cast. And the Republicans have eliminated six million registered Democrats from the lists of those eligible and previously registered to vote.” Among the strategies to which he was referring were “caging” (Google it), stripping from the rolls those folks whose names were the same as or sufficiently similar to the names of felons, being prepared to — in Democratic-leaning, African-American and Hispanic dominant precincts — challenge those who did show up, and reduce, in those precincts, the voting equipment, so as to make exercising one’s franchise an exercise in frustration. It was all to intimidation.       _What the discussion boiled most predominantly down to concerned John McCain and Senator Obama. Senator Clinton seemed to be the unnoticed washing instructions tag on a garment. Scheer made it clear he supported Obama because of the Illinois senator’s basic integrity, his desire to raise the level of discussion to issues, as opposed to divisive side-tracking gotcha ambushes, his cool-headed contemplative approach to complex issues, and because he genuinely does want to bring the country together. _Mr. Welch, as he readily acknowledged, had not actually interviewed Senator McCain, en route to writing the book on McCain. Rather, he had been on the campaign trail, following the senator. _During the Q&A, I was at last successful catching the attention of the moderator, Mr. John F. Kimberling. My first note was to Palast’s points: In 2004, and in 2006, I was a resident in Florida’s infamous 13th district, Katherine Harris’s district, and how, in 2006 especially, Republican Vern Buchanan won the congressional race by a handful of votes, in spite of how approximately 18,000 cast ballots from Democratic-leaning precincts had mysteriously been lost. That handled, I went on to report how John McCain has, since 2001, voted AGAINST EVERY senate bill and amendment intended to extend equipment funding for the active military ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those amendments and bills that would extend funding for VA medical services and facilities to our military veterans. (McCain’s most recent non-support of vets is his me-too Bush administration’s opposition — on the basis it is “too costly” — to Senator Jim Webb’s GI Bill update of the one passed in 1944. Webb’s bill, co-sponsored by Republicans Hagel and Warner, and by himself and Democratic Senator Lautenberg, would provide full tuition, books and a living stipend.) See below for the list of bills and amendments, with senate.gov URL attribution, the 57%-missed-voting-McCain has opposed. _Almost as a chorus, the panel softly remarked, either “I didn’t know that,” or “I wasn’t aware of that.” Following the panel’s discussion, I personally placed in Mr. Palast’s hand the paper upon which I’d printed all the data that none of the so-called “experts” had been the least cognizant about. He folded the pages, slipped them into his brief case, and thanked me. _Here’s the point folks: Regardless which end of the political (also includes religious) continuum you’re closest to, do NOT rely on the pundits and self-anointed “authorities” to provide you with much beyond their general, and all too often, wholly under-researched and documented, opinions. Ya gotta do some work yourself. And today, with the Internet, it’s all soooo easy and fast. _Do yourself and our American form of government a favor: 1.) open a blank Word (.doc) or Word Perfect (.wpd) document. Then scroll-highlight, to “copy,” just the list of McCain’s votes on the amendments and bills below. Then transfer the copied section to your blank document. Next, print it, and keep it handy. Then, whenever you hear anyone try to tell someone why he or she supports the senior senator from the Grand Canyon State, pull out that sheet and remark, “Really? Were you aware of how McCain actually voted?” It will not be your “opinion” in your hands, it will be FACT; simple, unadorned, unspun and unspinable, from the United States’ Senate voting tally, FACT! _Of course, you can also include in your response the remarks made by Senator McCain’s fellow Republicans about McCain’s inability to maintain a temperate composure whenever he feels his perspective on an issue might be being challenged. You can bring into the discussion the senator’s recent comments on equal pay for women, “If women want to earn more money, they just need to get more education,” and how it misses the point entirely: that, as the Lilly Ledbetter case illustrated, too often corporate America does violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and illegally discriminates, and the level of education the victim had had absolutely nothing to do with it. Or, you might reflect on how John McCain was an international interventionist who viewed the answer to every international confrontation as “rogue-state regime change,” and that just maybe “bomb, bomb, bomb . . . bomb, bomb Iran” and “Fifty years, what’s wrong with a hundred years [in Iraq]” were Freudian slips that revealed a tad more than he’d have wished the public might discern was his true orientation._— Ed Tubbs     Palm Springs, CA_PS to any/all of Sunday’s Stage 1 panel members who may read this: I’m the fellow, the one who identified himself as an army veteran from the 60s, the one who was sitting in the front row, the one who poetically concluded with “We’re going to nail that crazy m**** f****r to the wall,” and who received from those gathered a rather tumultuous applause._ The Voting Record:The Children’s Defense Fund Action Council (a nonpartisan evaluator of congress), in 2007 gave McCain only a 10% rating, the very worst in the senate! Here’s what he voted against: Increase funding for children with disabilities (S. Con. Res. 21)Protect children from unsafe medications (S. 1082)SCHIP Reauthorization (H.R. 976)College Cost Reduction and Access Act (H.R. 2669)SCHIP (H.R. 976 - motion to concur)DREAM Act (S. 2205)Funding child health and education (H.R. 3043)Improving Head Start programs (H.R. 1429)_ And per the Congressional Record, so far this session he has missed 57 percent of all senate votes and 80% of all relating to children.  _ Now here’s the part that the press refuses to report and that the senator does want raised: his demonstrated lack of support of our military, by the votes! (The ones he voted “NO” on!) They’re highlighted in bold because he ought not to be allowed to dodge them, just because someone might have missed reading them._September, 2007, Mc