BC Hall's Blog
About the Author
Democracy, NOT Plutocracy!
(From an email sent to me by the Union of Concerned Scientists)
Urge Your Senators to a Support National Renewable Energy Standard
Take Action: Link
Clean sources of renewable energy like wind, solar, geothermal, and energy crops reduce global warming pollution, create jobs, save consumers money, and increase America's energy independence and security.
A bill expected in the Senate would require utilities to have 15 percent of their electricity come from these clean, renewable sources by 2020. Please urge your senators to support this strong renewable electricity standard.
Sincerely,
Ben Larson
National Field Organizer
Clean Energy Program
What's At Stake?
Urge Your Senators to Support a National Renewable Energy Standard
The composition of the new Congress offers us the brightest prospects we have seen in years to pass strong federal renewable energy policy through a renewable electricity standard (also known as a Renewable Portfolio Standard or RPS).
Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), head of the Senate Energy Committee, has said he will support a 15 percent national renewable electricity standard.
As of April 4, 2007, 48 Senators have signed a "dear colleague" letter supporting the renewable electricity standard.
The House renewable standard bill, introduced February 8, 2007 by Tom Udall (D-NM), Todd Platts (R-PA) and others, would require that utilities generate or buy 20 percent clean, renewable energy by 2020. Fifty-nine representatives have co-sponsored the bill.
UCS analysis shows that a 20 percent RPS will:
* create 355,000 new jobs, nearly twice as many jobs as generating the same amount of electricity from fossil fuels;
* save consumers a total of $49 billion dollars on their utility bills for both natural gas and electricity; and
* reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 400 million metric tons, the equivalent of taking 71 million cars off the road or planting 104 million acres of trees.
If both Senate and House bills are passed, the different standards or requirements could be resolved in conference committee.
The renewable standard is one of the most viable solutions to global warming. Release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels is a leading source of global warming pollution. The renewable standard will reduce U.S. global warming emissions by decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels. The magnitude of the threat from climate change demands that we act now.
The Senate has passed a renewable electricity standard three times, only to be defeated in the House. However, many newly elected members of Congress campaigned in favor of renewable energy, and with new leadership in the House and a high level of public support for renewable energy, we are more hopeful than ever that the House will at last pass this bill.
UCS activists across the country can play a critical role in the campaign by contacting their representatives to urge them to support clean, renewable electricity.
Take action online:
Or copy, print and mail sample letter below:
(Sample letter )
Subject: Please Support a Strong Federal Renewable Electricity Standard
Dear Senator,
Please support strong federal renewable electricity policy by adopting a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of at least 15 percent by 2020.
Renewable electricity from sources like wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass would reduce our global warming pollution, create jobs, increase farm income, and save consumers money.
A high renewable electricity standard would increase demand for good-paying manufacturing jobs, create new sources of income for farmers from land leases and energy crops like switchgrass, significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and help consumers save billions of dollars on their electric and natural gas bills.
Lastly, please promote genuine renewable energy sources and resist attempts to include nuclear power or coal in the national renewable electricity standard.
Sincerely,
Link (I just love this video)
Link
.www.appealforredress.org
Many active duty, reserve, and guard service members are concerned about the war in Iraq and support the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to their Congressional Representative and US Senators to urge an end to the U.S. military occupation. The Appeal messages will be delivered to members of Congress at the time of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January 2007.
The wording of the Appeal for Redress is short and simple. It is patriotic and respectful in tone.
As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.
If you are active military and you agree that it's time to bring our troops home, sign the appeal at: Link
.www.appealforredress.org
Many active duty, reserve, and guard service members are concerned about the war in Iraq and support the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to their Congressional Representative and US Senators to urge an end to the U.S. military occupation. The Appeal messages will be delivered to members of Congress at the time of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January 2007.
The wording of the Appeal for Redress is short and simple. It is patriotic and respectful in tone.
As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq . Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.
If you are active military and you agree that it's time to bring our troops home, sign the appeal at: Link
There is an Indian saying that speaks to our interconnectedness, "We are all one family; all beings and all things." Doesn't need much translation, but it might require context for some folks. Below is a reprint of a letter from Chief Arvol Looking Horse that spells it all out from a Native American's perspective. It is an appeal to all people to listen to their hearts and be good stewards of our Mother Earth. For the sake of all life on Earth.
Another Indian ideal is to consider what you do now in terms of the consequences it will have seven generations from now; on your children's children's children. ...Are we doing every thing we can to secure that future?
Message from Chief Arvol Looking Horse.
Mitakuye (my relative),
I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota
Nation, ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has
happened in America, what we call "Turtle Island." My words seek to
unite the global community through a message from our sacred
ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in
the Creator.
We have been warned from Ancient Prophecies of these times we live in
today, but have also been given a very important message about a
solution to turn these terrible times around.
To understand the depth of this message you must recognize the
importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what
is happening today, in reflection of the continued massacres that are
occurring on other lands and our own Americas.
I have been learning about these important issues since the age of
12, upon receiving the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its
teachings. Our people have striven to protect Sacred Sites from the
beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and
have brought us to the predicament that we are in at the global level.
Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations,
and we are on the brink of destroying the possibility of a healthy
and nurturing survival for generations to come, our children's
children.
Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the
Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota, "Heart of Everything That Is,"
from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view
of this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that
it is in the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like
a heart pumping.
The Dine have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver, and
we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the
coal from there and the poison processes used in doing so.
The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global
warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth's blood
purifier.
The Indigenous people of the rainforest relay that the rainforest are
the lungs of the planet and need protection.
The Gwich'in Nation has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich'in as
"Where life begins!"
The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the Animal
Nations. The death of these Animal Nations will destroy Indigenous
Nations in this territory.
As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we
will witness many more extinct Animal, Plant, and Human Nations,
because of mankind's misuse of power and their lack of understanding
of the "balance of life."
The Indigenous people warn that these destructive developments will
cause havoc globally. There are many, many more Indigenous
awarenesses and knowledge about Mother Earth's Sacred Sites, her
Chakras, connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future
generations.
There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of energy that are
safe for all Nations upon Mother Earth. We need to understand the
types of minds that are continuing to destroy the spirit of our whole
global community. Unless we do this, the powers of destruction will
overwhelm us. Our Ancestors foretold that water would someday be for
sale. Back then, this was hard to believe, since the water was so
plentiful, so pure, and so full of energy, nutrition, and spirit.
Today we have to buy pure water, and even then the nutritional
minerals have been taken out; it's just empty liquid. Someday water
will be like gold, too expensive to afford.
Not everyone will have the right to drink safe water. We fail to
appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out the minerals and
gifts that lay underneath them as if Mother Earth were simply a
resource, instead of the Source of Life itself.
Attacking Nations and having to utilize more resources to carry out
destruction in the name of peace is not the answer! We need to
understand how all these decisions affect the Global Nation; we will
not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing continual contamination
of our food and land is affecting the way we think.
A "disease of the mind" has set in world leaders and many members of
our global community, with their belief that a solution of
retaliation and destruction of peoples will bring Peace.
In our Prophecies it is told that we are now at the crossroads:
Either unite spiritually as a Global Nation, or be faced with chaos,
disasters, diseases, and tears from our relatives' eyes.
We are the only species that is destroying the Source of Life,
meaning Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral resources, and
ownership of land, using chemicals and methods of warfare that are
doing irreversible damage, as Mother Earth is becoming tired and
cannot sustain any more impacts of war.
I ask you to join me on this endeavor. Our vision is for the Peoples
of all continents, regardless of their beliefs in the Creator, to
come together. As one at their Sacred Sites to pray and meditate and
commune with one another, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our
Mother Earth and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining
Peace.
As each day passes, I ask all Nations to begin a global effort, and
remember to give thanks for the Sacred Food that has been gifted to
us by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional energy of medicine can be
guided to heal our minds and spirits.
This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony or it will bring
the end of life as we know it. Starvation, war, and toxic waste have
been the hallmark of the Great Myth of Progress and Development that
ruled the last millennium.
To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth, falls the
responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction. You
yourself are the one who must decide.
You alone - and only you - can make this crucial choice, to walk in
honor or to dishonor your relatives. On your decision depends the
fate of the entire World.
Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally
decide the future of humankind.
Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time
of such terrible danger?
Know that you yourself are essential to this World. Believe that!
Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself
are desperately needed to save the soul of this World. Did you think
you were put here for something less? In a Sacred Hoop of Life, there
is no beginning and no ending!
This letter was reprinted from The Buffalo Field Campaign's newletter. Please visit their site to learn more about the plight of the United States's last free-roaming wild buffalo and the effort to save them at: www..buffalofieldcampaign..org Link
Another Indian ideal is to consider what you do now in terms of the consequences it will have seven generations from now; on your children's children's children. ...Are we doing every thing we can to secure that future?
Message from Chief Arvol Looking Horse.
Mitakuye (my relative),
I, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota
Nation, ask you to understand an Indigenous perspective on what has
happened in America, what we call "Turtle Island." My words seek to
unite the global community through a message from our sacred
ceremonies to unite spiritually, each in our own ways of beliefs in
the Creator.
We have been warned from Ancient Prophecies of these times we live in
today, but have also been given a very important message about a
solution to turn these terrible times around.
To understand the depth of this message you must recognize the
importance of Sacred Sites and realize the interconnectedness of what
is happening today, in reflection of the continued massacres that are
occurring on other lands and our own Americas.
I have been learning about these important issues since the age of
12, upon receiving the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe Bundle and its
teachings. Our people have striven to protect Sacred Sites from the
beginning of time. These places have been violated for centuries and
have brought us to the predicament that we are in at the global level.
Look around you. Our Mother Earth is very ill from these violations,
and we are on the brink of destroying the possibility of a healthy
and nurturing survival for generations to come, our children's
children.
Our ancestors have been trying to protect our Sacred Site called the
Sacred Black Hills in South Dakota, "Heart of Everything That Is,"
from continued violations. Our ancestors never saw a satellite view
of this site, but now that those pictures are available, we see that
it is in the shape of a heart and, when fast-forwarded, it looks like
a heart pumping.
The Dine have been protecting Big Mountain, calling it the liver, and
we are suffering and going to suffer more from the extraction of the
coal from there and the poison processes used in doing so.
The Aborigines have warned of the contaminating effects of global
warming on the Coral Reefs, which they see as Mother Earth's blood
purifier.
The Indigenous people of the rainforest relay that the rainforest are
the lungs of the planet and need protection.
The Gwich'in Nation has had to face oil drilling in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain, also known to the Gwich'in as
"Where life begins!"
The coastal plain is the birthplace of many life forms of the Animal
Nations. The death of these Animal Nations will destroy Indigenous
Nations in this territory.
As these destructive developments continue all over the world, we
will witness many more extinct Animal, Plant, and Human Nations,
because of mankind's misuse of power and their lack of understanding
of the "balance of life."
The Indigenous people warn that these destructive developments will
cause havoc globally. There are many, many more Indigenous
awarenesses and knowledge about Mother Earth's Sacred Sites, her
Chakras, connections to our spirit that will surely affect our future
generations.
There needs to be a fast move toward other forms of energy that are
safe for all Nations upon Mother Earth. We need to understand the
types of minds that are continuing to destroy the spirit of our whole
global community. Unless we do this, the powers of destruction will
overwhelm us. Our Ancestors foretold that water would someday be for
sale. Back then, this was hard to believe, since the water was so
plentiful, so pure, and so full of energy, nutrition, and spirit.
Today we have to buy pure water, and even then the nutritional
minerals have been taken out; it's just empty liquid. Someday water
will be like gold, too expensive to afford.
Not everyone will have the right to drink safe water. We fail to
appreciate and honor our Sacred Sites, ripping out the minerals and
gifts that lay underneath them as if Mother Earth were simply a
resource, instead of the Source of Life itself.
Attacking Nations and having to utilize more resources to carry out
destruction in the name of peace is not the answer! We need to
understand how all these decisions affect the Global Nation; we will
not be immune to its repercussions. Allowing continual contamination
of our food and land is affecting the way we think.
A "disease of the mind" has set in world leaders and many members of
our global community, with their belief that a solution of
retaliation and destruction of peoples will bring Peace.
In our Prophecies it is told that we are now at the crossroads:
Either unite spiritually as a Global Nation, or be faced with chaos,
disasters, diseases, and tears from our relatives' eyes.
We are the only species that is destroying the Source of Life,
meaning Mother Earth, in the name of power, mineral resources, and
ownership of land, using chemicals and methods of warfare that are
doing irreversible damage, as Mother Earth is becoming tired and
cannot sustain any more impacts of war.
I ask you to join me on this endeavor. Our vision is for the Peoples
of all continents, regardless of their beliefs in the Creator, to
come together. As one at their Sacred Sites to pray and meditate and
commune with one another, thus promoting an energy shift to heal our
Mother Earth and achieve a universal consciousness toward attaining
Peace.
As each day passes, I ask all Nations to begin a global effort, and
remember to give thanks for the Sacred Food that has been gifted to
us by our Mother Earth, so the nutritional energy of medicine can be
guided to heal our minds and spirits.
This new millennium will usher in an age of harmony or it will bring
the end of life as we know it. Starvation, war, and toxic waste have
been the hallmark of the Great Myth of Progress and Development that
ruled the last millennium.
To us, as caretakers of the heart of Mother Earth, falls the
responsibility of turning back the powers of destruction. You
yourself are the one who must decide.
You alone - and only you - can make this crucial choice, to walk in
honor or to dishonor your relatives. On your decision depends the
fate of the entire World.
Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally
decide the future of humankind.
Did you think the Creator would create unnecessary people in a time
of such terrible danger?
Know that you yourself are essential to this World. Believe that!
Understand both the blessing and the burden of that. You yourself
are desperately needed to save the soul of this World. Did you think
you were put here for something less? In a Sacred Hoop of Life, there
is no beginning and no ending!
This letter was reprinted from The Buffalo Field Campaign's newletter. Please visit their site to learn more about the plight of the United States's last free-roaming wild buffalo and the effort to save them at: www..buffalofieldcampaign..org Link
Let me start this blog off with a few quotes to set the mood...
"Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me."
~Matthew 25:46
(...or if you prefer the New Living translation~ )
"And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'"
~Matthew 25:46
"The biggest problem confronting the world today is the illusion that our differences matter more than our common humanity."
~Bill Clinton
"Think of the poorest person you have ever seen and ask yourself if your next act will be of any use to him."
~Mahatma Gandhi
The letter below was sent to me by Vince Isner and the FaithfulAmerica.org Team. Thought some of you folks might appreciate it. If you're a Democrat of faith I encourage you to sign up for their emails; they are wonderful people with a beautiful message in these difficult times. ...no matter what your faith is.
Here is a link to a page with this same letter: Link Read More »
"Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me."
~Matthew 25:46
(...or if you prefer the New Living translation~ )
"And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'"
~Matthew 25:46
"The biggest problem confronting the world today is the illusion that our differences matter more than our common humanity."
~Bill Clinton
"Think of the poorest person you have ever seen and ask yourself if your next act will be of any use to him."
~Mahatma Gandhi
The letter below was sent to me by Vince Isner and the FaithfulAmerica.org Team. Thought some of you folks might appreciate it. If you're a Democrat of faith I encourage you to sign up for their emails; they are wonderful people with a beautiful message in these difficult times. ...no matter what your faith is.
Here is a link to a page with this same letter: Link Read More »
Unbelieveable. Bush is doing just what he's scolding Iran and North Korea for; nuclear proliferation. "Divine Strake", nuclear "bunker busters" (RNEPs), depleted uranium munitions... these are all weapons of mass distruction!!! What's WRONG with him?
Link to truthout.org:
Link
Link to truthout.org:
Link
Please sign "The America I Believe In" petition at Amnesty International and pass it on:
Link
From Amnesty International:
We're in a struggle for the soul of our nation. Congress has just given the President authority to detain people indefinitely without charge or trial.
Outraged, and in response, Amnesty International has launched a new campaign that will fight to restore our traditional American values of justice, rule of law, and human dignity.
In the coming weeks and months, we will as a nation either end some of the worst human rights abuses of the Bush administration or continue down this destructive path. Amnesty is fighting for the America we believe in, the America that leads the world on human rights.
Be part of this campaign. Shape the outcome. Join with Amnesty International to restore "The America I Believe In." Start now by signing the pledge.
This campaign is mobilizing people of conscience all across America to speak out. Please join us. We won't stop until we turn America around on human rights.
SIGN THE AMERICA I BELIEVE IN PLEDGE
The Pledge:
The America I Believe In doesn't torture people or use cruel, inhumane treatment. . . doesn't hold people without charge, without fair trials, without hope, and without end. . .doesn't kidnap people off the street and ship them to nations known for their brutality. . .doesn't condone prisoner abuse and excuse high-ranking government officials from responsibility for that abuse. . .doesn't justify the use of secret prisons. . .and does not rob people of their basic dignity.
I'm joining with Amnesty International USA to restore The America I Believe In. The America I Believe In leads the world on human rights.
I'm committing to tell friends and family about the campaign. I'm also committing to contacting my members of Congress and my local media to tell them that the America I Believe In defends human rights and justice for all.
Link
From Amnesty International:
We're in a struggle for the soul of our nation. Congress has just given the President authority to detain people indefinitely without charge or trial.
Outraged, and in response, Amnesty International has launched a new campaign that will fight to restore our traditional American values of justice, rule of law, and human dignity.
In the coming weeks and months, we will as a nation either end some of the worst human rights abuses of the Bush administration or continue down this destructive path. Amnesty is fighting for the America we believe in, the America that leads the world on human rights.
Be part of this campaign. Shape the outcome. Join with Amnesty International to restore "The America I Believe In." Start now by signing the pledge.
This campaign is mobilizing people of conscience all across America to speak out. Please join us. We won't stop until we turn America around on human rights.
SIGN THE AMERICA I BELIEVE IN PLEDGE
The Pledge:
The America I Believe In doesn't torture people or use cruel, inhumane treatment. . . doesn't hold people without charge, without fair trials, without hope, and without end. . .doesn't kidnap people off the street and ship them to nations known for their brutality. . .doesn't condone prisoner abuse and excuse high-ranking government officials from responsibility for that abuse. . .doesn't justify the use of secret prisons. . .and does not rob people of their basic dignity.
I'm joining with Amnesty International USA to restore The America I Believe In. The America I Believe In leads the world on human rights.
I'm committing to tell friends and family about the campaign. I'm also committing to contacting my members of Congress and my local media to tell them that the America I Believe In defends human rights and justice for all.
Republicans, eh... not so:
from AWOLBush.com
Who served in the military?
Prominent Democrats
* Jim Webb, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Virginia -- rifle platoon and company commander with the Fifth Marine Regiment in the An Hoa Basin west of Danang; was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. (1)
* Representative Jack Murtha (D-PA) - distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990. (1)
* Representative Richard Gephardt, former House Minority Leader - Missouri Air National Guard, 1965-71. (1, 2)
* Representative David Bonior - Staff Sgt., United States Air Force 1968-72 (1, 2)
* Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle - 1st Lt., U.S. Air Force SAC 1969-72 (1, 2)
* Former Vice President Al Gore - enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Bien Hoa, an airbase twenty miles northeast of Saigon. More facts about Gore's Service
* Former Senator Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Lt. j.g., U.S. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam (1, 2)
* Senator Daniel Inouye, US Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, World War Two (1, 2)
* Senator John Kerry, Lt., U.S. Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat (1)
* Representative Charles Rangel, Staff Sgt., U.S. Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea (1, 2)
* Former Senator Max Cleland, Captain, U.S. Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam (1, 2)
* Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) - U.S. Army, 1951-1953. (1)
* Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) - Lt., U.S. Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74. (1, 2)
* Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) - U.S. Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91 (1)
* Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - served as a U.S. Army officer in World War II, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons. (1)
* Representative Leonard Boswell (D-IA) - Lt. Col., U.S. Army 1956-76; two tours in Vietnam, two Distinguished Flying Crosses as a helicopter pilot, two Bronze Stars, and the Soldier's Medal. (1, 2)
* Former Representative "Pete" Peterson, Air Force Captain, POW, Ambassador to Viet Nam, and recipient of the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit. (1, 2)
* Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA: Staff sergeant/platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, U.S. Army; was wounded and received a Purple Heart. (1, 2)
* Bill McBride, Democratic Candidate for Florida Governor - volunteered and served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam; awarded Bronze Star with a combat "V." (1)
* Gray Davis, former California Governor, Army Captain in Vietnam; received Bronze Star. (1)
* Pete Stark, D-CA, served in the Air Force 1955-57
* Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate - lengthy military career.
Who's that guy shaking hands with Don Rumsfeld? Was this footage shot on Rumsfeld's first trip to Baghdad, Dec. 19-20, 1983? Or was it on his second visit, March 24, 1984, the very same day Iraq was using mustard gas and Tabun in its war with Iran?
Prominent Republicans
* Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve (1). "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself."
* House Majority Whip Roy Blunt - did not serve
* Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve. (An impressive medical resume, but not such a friend to cats in Boston.)
* Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-KY - did not serve (1)
* Rick Santorum, R-PA, third ranking Republican in the Senate - did not serve. (1)
* George Felix Allen, Republican Senator from Virginia - a supporter of Nixon and the Vietnam war, did not serve. (1)
* Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. (1) Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East and met with Saddam Hussein twice in 1983 and 1984.
* GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. Still says that he's "been to war." Huh?
* VP Cheney - several deferments (1, 2), the last by marriage (in his own words, "had other priorities than military service") did not serve (1)
* Former Att'y Gen. John Ashcroft - did not serve (1, 2); received seven deferment to teach business ed at SW Missouri State
* Jeb Bush, Florida Governor - did not serve. (1)
The wealthy have never yet sacrificed themselves upon the altar of patriotism.
* Karl Rove - avoided the draft, did not serve (1), too busy being a Republican.
* Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve (1, 2)
* Former President Ronald Reagan - due to poor eyesight, served in a noncombat role making movies for the Army in southern California during WWII. He later seems to have confused his role as an actor playing a tail gunner with the real thing.
* "B-1" Bob Dornan - avoided Korean War combat duty by enrolling in college acting classes (Orange County Weekly article). Enlisted only after the fighting was over in Korea.
* Phil Gramm - avoided the draft, did not serve, four (?) student deferments
* Senator John McCain - McCain's naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Why did the Bush campaign smear him so? At least Senators Cleland (D-GA), Kerry (D-MA), Kerrey (D-NE), Robb (D-VA) and Hagel (R-NE) defended him.
* Former Senator Bob Dole - an honorable man. Link
* Chuck Hagel - two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam. Link
* Duke Cunningham - nominated for the Medal of Honor, received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other decorations Recently entered plea bargain on felony charges of bribery, etc. etc.
* Senator Jeff Sessions U.S. Army Reserves, 1973-1986
* Colin Powell. What are we to make of Powell? On the one hand, a long career as a military manager. On the other hand, accused of covering up the My Lai massacre. Back on that first hand, one of the seemingly sane voices in this administration when it comes to Iraq (or at least he used to be). On the other hand, a clear hypocrite ("I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units...")
* Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), served in USMC in Vietnam; wounded in action.
Here are a few more...
Democrats
* Chuck Robb, US Senator from Virginia, served in Vietnam
* Howell Heflin... Democrat... Silver Star
* George McGovern, famous liberal, awarded Silver Star & DFC, dozens of missions during WWII.
* Former President Bill Clinton - avoided the draft through student deferments; in the autumn of 1969, Clinton entered the draft but received a high number (311) and was never called to serve. (CNN article.) "...it was his doubts about the morality of the war and the Selective Service system that led him to abandon the ROTC idea and to subject himself to a draft lottery. Only the luck of the draw - a high lottery number - kept him out. " (Jeff Greenfield, ABC News, quoting Gov. Clinton.)
* Former President Jimmy Carter, most recent recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, seven years in the Navy. "Except for his fellow service-academy graduate Dwight Eisenhower, no President of the twentieth century spent more years in uniform than Carter." (New Yorker Magazine)
* Former Presidential Nominee Mike Dukakis - United States Army, 1955-'57 (1)
* Former Senator/Vice Presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen - B-24 pilot in WWII 1942-'45, Squadron Commander; earned Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. (1)
* Former Vice President Walter Mondale, U.S. Army 1951-1953
* Former Senator John Glenn, D-OH (1974-1999) - Served in WWII and Korea; extensive military commendations include the Distinguished Flying Cross on six occasions, and the Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
* Congressman Tom Lantos, D-CA - Did not serve in the US military; did serve in the Hungarian anti-Nazi underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg, is the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress.
Great at cheering on others to do the fighting, yet too scared to enter the fray himself. Truly a wimp, like the rest of the chickenhawks.
Republicans/Conservatives
Political
* Senator Richard Shelby, did not serve (1)
* Senator Jon Kyl, R-AZ - did not serve (1, 2)
* Senator John Cornyn, R-TX - did not serve. (1)
* Senator Tim Hutchison, R-AR - did not serve (1, 2)
* Rep. Christopher Cox, R-CA, (formerly) fifth-ranking Republican in the House - did not serve. (1)
* Rep. John T. Doolittle, R-CA, sixth-ranking Republican in the House - did not serve.
* Representative Saxby Chambliss, Georgia - did not serve (1, 2), had a "bad knee" (yet somehow feels he has a right to attack Max Cleland's patriotism)
* Former Representative JC Watts - did not serve (1, 2)
* Jack Kemp, did not serve (1, 2) (was unfit because of a knee injury, though he heroically continued as a National Football League quarterback for another eight years - source)
* Former Vice President Dan Quayle, avoided Vietnam service, got a slot in the journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard when the unit was at 150% capacity (at least he showed up for his duty, unlike GW) (1, 2)
* Eliot Abrams, did not serve (1, 2) (however, played a key role in subverting democracy in South America)
* Paul Wolfowitz, did not serve (1, 2)
* Former Representative Vin Weber, did not serve (1, 2)
* Richard Perle, did not serve (1, 2) (is the current bloodshed in the Middle East a direct result of his treasonous meddling in Clinton Administrstion foreign policy?)
* Douglas Feith, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy - did not serve. (1)
* Rudy Giuliani, did not serve (1, 2)
* Michael Bloomberg, did not serve (1, 2)
* George Pataki, did not serve (1, 2)
* Spencer Abraham, did not serve
* John Engler, did not serve (1, 2)
* Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - website used to claim service as a "Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran." A current biographical website makes no such claim. In reality, was a National Guard lawyer who never left South Carolina during the Gulf War.
* Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA, did not serve (1)
* Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA/49th, there were some problems with his service.
* Rep. John M. McHugh, R-NY - avoided the draft, did not serve (1)
* Rep. Todd Platts, R-PA - did not serve (1)
* Arnold Schwarzenegger, CA Republican Governor - went AWOL from his Austrian army base to enter a bodybuilding competition
* George Herbert Walker Bush, pilot in WWII. Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross. Shot down by the Japanese; was lone survivor out of airplane (link).
* Representative Sam R. Johnson, combat missions in both Korea and Vietnam, POW in Hanoi from April 1966 to February 1973 (1)
(don't ever run for president Sam, they'll spread rumors that you're crazy)
* Senator Ted Stevens, R-AK, WW II pilot, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals, and the Yuan Hai medal awarded by the Republic of China.
* Sen. John Warner, R-VA - Served in the Navy 1945-1946 as a RM3; reenlisted in the USMC 1950, 10 years service in Marine Corps Reserve, retired as Captain.
* Congresswoman Heather Wilson, R-NM, served in the Air Force 1978-1989
* Former President Gerald Ford, served in the Navy, WWII
* Former Senator Strom Thurmond - apparently believes, along with Trent Lott, that America should have been a segregated society. Still, he served.
Fighting Democrats
Back from the front lines, and headed for Congress in 2006. Why are almost all the veterans coming home from Iraq running as Democrats?
* Paul Hackett - U.S. Senate - Ohio
Website: www.hackettforohio.com
* Charles Brown - California 4th District - 26-year career in USAF; jet and helicopter pilot; recently retired as Lt. Colonel
Website: Link
* Patrick Murphy - Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District
Website: www.murphy06.com
* Bryan Lentz - Pennslyvania's 7th Congressional District
Website: www.lentzforcongress.com
* David Harris - Texas 6th Congressional District
Website: http://followmetodc.com/
* David Ashe - Virginia's 2nd Congressional District
Website: Link
* Andrew Duck - Maryland 6th Congressional District
Website at http://duckforcongress.org
* Eric Massa - New York�s 29th District
Website: www.massaforcongress.com
* Tim Dunn - North Carolina's 8th Congressional District
Website: www.dunnforcongress.com
Check out the Band of Brothers 2006, as well their candidates page, for a good list of veterans running for Congress in 2006, such as:
* Karen Marie Otter, US Army 1983-1985, California's 52nd District
www.otterforcongress.com
* Phil Avillo, lengthy career as a US Marine, Pennsylvania's 19th District
www.avilloforcongress.com
Punditocracy and Preacher-types (See also Media Whores Online)
* George Will, did not serve
* Chris Matthews, Mediawhore, did not serve.
* Bill O'Reilly, did not serve
* Paul Gigot, did not serve.
* Bill Bennett, did not serve
* Pat Buchanan, did not serve
* Rush Limbaugh, did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst' ASS PIMPLE! [see "The Rush Limbaugh Story" by Paul D. Colford, St. Martin's Press, 1993, Chapter 2: Beating the Draft.])
* Michael Savage (aka Michael Alan Weiner) - did not serve, too busy chasing herbs and botany degrees in Hawaii and Fiji
* John Wayne, did not serve
* Pat Robertson - claimed during 1986 campaign to be a "combat veteran." In reality, was a "Liquor Officer."
* Bill Kristol, did not serve
* Sean Hannity, did not serve.
* Kenneth Starr, did not serve
* Antonin Scalia, did not serve
* Clarence Thomas, did not serve
* Ralph Reed, did not serve
* Michael Medved, did not serve
* Charlie Daniels, did not serve
* Ted Nugent, did not serve
* Country Singer Toby Keith, did not serve. (1)
* Radio Host Phil Hendrie, did not serve.
* Ollie North - Convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal, at least he served.
* Charlton Heston - served in WWII, but went AWOL when Michael Moore asked him some tough questions.
* James Carville, a.k.a. "Corporal Cueball" - Served in the United States Marine Corps, 1966-'68. (1)
* Markos Moulitsas, a.k.a. "Kos" (leading liberal blogger) - Served in the United States Army, 1989-'92. (1)
Independents
* Gov. Jesse Ventura, U.S. Navy SEAL training, did UDT work
* Senator Jim Jeffords, U.S. Navy 1956-1959
And let's not forget the Coast Guard...
The brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard risk their lives every day to protect our nation and save thousands of lives every year. The Coast Guard is in fact a branch of the United States Armed Forces.
* Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MI) served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1971-1984. Link
* Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC) served in the U.S. Coast Guard (Active Duty)for 5.5 years. Served in the CG Reserve for 18 years. Link
* William Delahunt (D-MA) served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1963-1971 Link
from AWOLBush.com
Who served in the military?
Prominent Democrats
* Jim Webb, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Virginia -- rifle platoon and company commander with the Fifth Marine Regiment in the An Hoa Basin west of Danang; was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. (1)
* Representative Jack Murtha (D-PA) - distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990. (1)
* Representative Richard Gephardt, former House Minority Leader - Missouri Air National Guard, 1965-71. (1, 2)
* Representative David Bonior - Staff Sgt., United States Air Force 1968-72 (1, 2)
* Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle - 1st Lt., U.S. Air Force SAC 1969-72 (1, 2)
* Former Vice President Al Gore - enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Bien Hoa, an airbase twenty miles northeast of Saigon. More facts about Gore's Service
* Former Senator Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Lt. j.g., U.S. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam (1, 2)
* Senator Daniel Inouye, US Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, World War Two (1, 2)
* Senator John Kerry, Lt., U.S. Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat (1)
* Representative Charles Rangel, Staff Sgt., U.S. Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea (1, 2)
* Former Senator Max Cleland, Captain, U.S. Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam (1, 2)
* Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) - U.S. Army, 1951-1953. (1)
* Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) - Lt., U.S. Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74. (1, 2)
* Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) - U.S. Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91 (1)
* Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - served as a U.S. Army officer in World War II, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons. (1)
* Representative Leonard Boswell (D-IA) - Lt. Col., U.S. Army 1956-76; two tours in Vietnam, two Distinguished Flying Crosses as a helicopter pilot, two Bronze Stars, and the Soldier's Medal. (1, 2)
* Former Representative "Pete" Peterson, Air Force Captain, POW, Ambassador to Viet Nam, and recipient of the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit. (1, 2)
* Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA: Staff sergeant/platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, U.S. Army; was wounded and received a Purple Heart. (1, 2)
* Bill McBride, Democratic Candidate for Florida Governor - volunteered and served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam; awarded Bronze Star with a combat "V." (1)
* Gray Davis, former California Governor, Army Captain in Vietnam; received Bronze Star. (1)
* Pete Stark, D-CA, served in the Air Force 1955-57
* Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate - lengthy military career.
Who's that guy shaking hands with Don Rumsfeld? Was this footage shot on Rumsfeld's first trip to Baghdad, Dec. 19-20, 1983? Or was it on his second visit, March 24, 1984, the very same day Iraq was using mustard gas and Tabun in its war with Iran?
Prominent Republicans
* Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve (1). "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself."
* House Majority Whip Roy Blunt - did not serve
* Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve. (An impressive medical resume, but not such a friend to cats in Boston.)
* Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-KY - did not serve (1)
* Rick Santorum, R-PA, third ranking Republican in the Senate - did not serve. (1)
* George Felix Allen, Republican Senator from Virginia - a supporter of Nixon and the Vietnam war, did not serve. (1)
* Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. (1) Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East and met with Saddam Hussein twice in 1983 and 1984.
* GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. Still says that he's "been to war." Huh?
* VP Cheney - several deferments (1, 2), the last by marriage (in his own words, "had other priorities than military service") did not serve (1)
* Former Att'y Gen. John Ashcroft - did not serve (1, 2); received seven deferment to teach business ed at SW Missouri State
* Jeb Bush, Florida Governor - did not serve. (1)
The wealthy have never yet sacrificed themselves upon the altar of patriotism.
* Karl Rove - avoided the draft, did not serve (1), too busy being a Republican.
* Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve (1, 2)
* Former President Ronald Reagan - due to poor eyesight, served in a noncombat role making movies for the Army in southern California during WWII. He later seems to have confused his role as an actor playing a tail gunner with the real thing.
* "B-1" Bob Dornan - avoided Korean War combat duty by enrolling in college acting classes (Orange County Weekly article). Enlisted only after the fighting was over in Korea.
* Phil Gramm - avoided the draft, did not serve, four (?) student deferments
* Senator John McCain - McCain's naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Why did the Bush campaign smear him so? At least Senators Cleland (D-GA), Kerry (D-MA), Kerrey (D-NE), Robb (D-VA) and Hagel (R-NE) defended him.
* Former Senator Bob Dole - an honorable man. Link
* Chuck Hagel - two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam. Link
* Duke Cunningham - nominated for the Medal of Honor, received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other decorations Recently entered plea bargain on felony charges of bribery, etc. etc.
* Senator Jeff Sessions U.S. Army Reserves, 1973-1986
* Colin Powell. What are we to make of Powell? On the one hand, a long career as a military manager. On the other hand, accused of covering up the My Lai massacre. Back on that first hand, one of the seemingly sane voices in this administration when it comes to Iraq (or at least he used to be). On the other hand, a clear hypocrite ("I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units...")
* Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), served in USMC in Vietnam; wounded in action.
Here are a few more...
Democrats
* Chuck Robb, US Senator from Virginia, served in Vietnam
* Howell Heflin... Democrat... Silver Star
* George McGovern, famous liberal, awarded Silver Star & DFC, dozens of missions during WWII.
* Former President Bill Clinton - avoided the draft through student deferments; in the autumn of 1969, Clinton entered the draft but received a high number (311) and was never called to serve. (CNN article.) "...it was his doubts about the morality of the war and the Selective Service system that led him to abandon the ROTC idea and to subject himself to a draft lottery. Only the luck of the draw - a high lottery number - kept him out. " (Jeff Greenfield, ABC News, quoting Gov. Clinton.)
* Former President Jimmy Carter, most recent recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, seven years in the Navy. "Except for his fellow service-academy graduate Dwight Eisenhower, no President of the twentieth century spent more years in uniform than Carter." (New Yorker Magazine)
* Former Presidential Nominee Mike Dukakis - United States Army, 1955-'57 (1)
* Former Senator/Vice Presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen - B-24 pilot in WWII 1942-'45, Squadron Commander; earned Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. (1)
* Former Vice President Walter Mondale, U.S. Army 1951-1953
* Former Senator John Glenn, D-OH (1974-1999) - Served in WWII and Korea; extensive military commendations include the Distinguished Flying Cross on six occasions, and the Air Medal with 18 Clusters.
* Congressman Tom Lantos, D-CA - Did not serve in the US military; did serve in the Hungarian anti-Nazi underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg, is the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress.
Great at cheering on others to do the fighting, yet too scared to enter the fray himself. Truly a wimp, like the rest of the chickenhawks.
Republicans/Conservatives
Political
* Senator Richard Shelby, did not serve (1)
* Senator Jon Kyl, R-AZ - did not serve (1, 2)
* Senator John Cornyn, R-TX - did not serve. (1)
* Senator Tim Hutchison, R-AR - did not serve (1, 2)
* Rep. Christopher Cox, R-CA, (formerly) fifth-ranking Republican in the House - did not serve. (1)
* Rep. John T. Doolittle, R-CA, sixth-ranking Republican in the House - did not serve.
* Representative Saxby Chambliss, Georgia - did not serve (1, 2), had a "bad knee" (yet somehow feels he has a right to attack Max Cleland's patriotism)
* Former Representative JC Watts - did not serve (1, 2)
* Jack Kemp, did not serve (1, 2) (was unfit because of a knee injury, though he heroically continued as a National Football League quarterback for another eight years - source)
* Former Vice President Dan Quayle, avoided Vietnam service, got a slot in the journalism unit of the Indiana National Guard when the unit was at 150% capacity (at least he showed up for his duty, unlike GW) (1, 2)
* Eliot Abrams, did not serve (1, 2) (however, played a key role in subverting democracy in South America)
* Paul Wolfowitz, did not serve (1, 2)
* Former Representative Vin Weber, did not serve (1, 2)
* Richard Perle, did not serve (1, 2) (is the current bloodshed in the Middle East a direct result of his treasonous meddling in Clinton Administrstion foreign policy?)
* Douglas Feith, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy - did not serve. (1)
* Rudy Giuliani, did not serve (1, 2)
* Michael Bloomberg, did not serve (1, 2)
* George Pataki, did not serve (1, 2)
* Spencer Abraham, did not serve
* John Engler, did not serve (1, 2)
* Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - website used to claim service as a "Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran." A current biographical website makes no such claim. In reality, was a National Guard lawyer who never left South Carolina during the Gulf War.
* Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA, did not serve (1)
* Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA/49th, there were some problems with his service.
* Rep. John M. McHugh, R-NY - avoided the draft, did not serve (1)
* Rep. Todd Platts, R-PA - did not serve (1)
* Arnold Schwarzenegger, CA Republican Governor - went AWOL from his Austrian army base to enter a bodybuilding competition
* George Herbert Walker Bush, pilot in WWII. Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross. Shot down by the Japanese; was lone survivor out of airplane (link).
* Representative Sam R. Johnson, combat missions in both Korea and Vietnam, POW in Hanoi from April 1966 to February 1973 (1)
(don't ever run for president Sam, they'll spread rumors that you're crazy)
* Senator Ted Stevens, R-AK, WW II pilot, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals, and the Yuan Hai medal awarded by the Republic of China.
* Sen. John Warner, R-VA - Served in the Navy 1945-1946 as a RM3; reenlisted in the USMC 1950, 10 years service in Marine Corps Reserve, retired as Captain.
* Congresswoman Heather Wilson, R-NM, served in the Air Force 1978-1989
* Former President Gerald Ford, served in the Navy, WWII
* Former Senator Strom Thurmond - apparently believes, along with Trent Lott, that America should have been a segregated society. Still, he served.
Fighting Democrats
Back from the front lines, and headed for Congress in 2006. Why are almost all the veterans coming home from Iraq running as Democrats?
* Paul Hackett - U.S. Senate - Ohio
Website: www.hackettforohio.com
* Charles Brown - California 4th District - 26-year career in USAF; jet and helicopter pilot; recently retired as Lt. Colonel
Website: Link
* Patrick Murphy - Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District
Website: www.murphy06.com
* Bryan Lentz - Pennslyvania's 7th Congressional District
Website: www.lentzforcongress.com
* David Harris - Texas 6th Congressional District
Website: http://followmetodc.com/
* David Ashe - Virginia's 2nd Congressional District
Website: Link
* Andrew Duck - Maryland 6th Congressional District
Website at http://duckforcongress.org
* Eric Massa - New York�s 29th District
Website: www.massaforcongress.com
* Tim Dunn - North Carolina's 8th Congressional District
Website: www.dunnforcongress.com
Check out the Band of Brothers 2006, as well their candidates page, for a good list of veterans running for Congress in 2006, such as:
* Karen Marie Otter, US Army 1983-1985, California's 52nd District
www.otterforcongress.com
* Phil Avillo, lengthy career as a US Marine, Pennsylvania's 19th District
www.avilloforcongress.com
Punditocracy and Preacher-types (See also Media Whores Online)
* George Will, did not serve
* Chris Matthews, Mediawhore, did not serve.
* Bill O'Reilly, did not serve
* Paul Gigot, did not serve.
* Bill Bennett, did not serve
* Pat Buchanan, did not serve
* Rush Limbaugh, did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst' ASS PIMPLE! [see "The Rush Limbaugh Story" by Paul D. Colford, St. Martin's Press, 1993, Chapter 2: Beating the Draft.])
* Michael Savage (aka Michael Alan Weiner) - did not serve, too busy chasing herbs and botany degrees in Hawaii and Fiji
* John Wayne, did not serve
* Pat Robertson - claimed during 1986 campaign to be a "combat veteran." In reality, was a "Liquor Officer."
* Bill Kristol, did not serve
* Sean Hannity, did not serve.
* Kenneth Starr, did not serve
* Antonin Scalia, did not serve
* Clarence Thomas, did not serve
* Ralph Reed, did not serve
* Michael Medved, did not serve
* Charlie Daniels, did not serve
* Ted Nugent, did not serve
* Country Singer Toby Keith, did not serve. (1)
* Radio Host Phil Hendrie, did not serve.
* Ollie North - Convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal, at least he served.
* Charlton Heston - served in WWII, but went AWOL when Michael Moore asked him some tough questions.
* James Carville, a.k.a. "Corporal Cueball" - Served in the United States Marine Corps, 1966-'68. (1)
* Markos Moulitsas, a.k.a. "Kos" (leading liberal blogger) - Served in the United States Army, 1989-'92. (1)
Independents
* Gov. Jesse Ventura, U.S. Navy SEAL training, did UDT work
* Senator Jim Jeffords, U.S. Navy 1956-1959
And let's not forget the Coast Guard...
The brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard risk their lives every day to protect our nation and save thousands of lives every year. The Coast Guard is in fact a branch of the United States Armed Forces.
* Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MI) served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1971-1984. Link
* Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC) served in the U.S. Coast Guard (Active Duty)for 5.5 years. Served in the CG Reserve for 18 years. Link
* William Delahunt (D-MA) served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve from 1963-1971 Link
The New York Times
October 11, 2006
Data Suggests Vast Costs Loom in Disability Claims
By SCOTT SHANE
Nearly one in five soldiers leaving the military after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan has been at least partly disabled as a result of service, according to documents of the Department of Veterans Affairs obtained by a Washington research group.
The number of veterans granted disability compensation, more than 100,000 to date, suggests that taxpayers have only begun to pay the long-term financial cost of the two conflicts. About 567,000 of the 1.5 million American troops who have served so far have been discharged.
�The trend is ominous,� said Paul Sullivan, director of programs for Veterans for America, an advocacy group, and a former V.A. analyst.
Mr. Sullivan said that if the current proportions held up over time, 400,000 returning service members could eventually apply for disability benefits when they retired.
About 2.6 million veterans were receiving disability compensation as of 2005, according to testimony to Congress by the V.A. The largest group of recipients is from the Vietnam era. Of the 1.1 million who served in the Middle East during the Persian Gulf war in 1991, 291,740 have been granted disability compensation.
The documents on the current conflicts provide no details on the type of disabilities claimed by veterans. Most were found to be 30 percent disabled or less, and one in 10 recipients was found to be 100 percent disabled. Payments run from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 a month depending on the severity of the disability.
A separate V.A. health care report shows that the most common treatments sought by recently discharged troops are for musculoskeletal disorders like back pain, followed by mental disorders, notably post traumatic stress disorder. About 30,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have sought treatment for post traumatic stress, which afflicts soldiers who have been under fire or in prolonged danger of attack.
A V.A. spokesman, Terry Jemison, said �service-related� disabilities could include an amputation as the result of a bomb injury or a case of diabetes or heart disease that was first diagnosed or found to get worse while in uniform. Mr. Jemison said officials had no cost projections for disability payments to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
The documents were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
The documents show that 37 percent of active duty veterans have filed for disability compensation, compared with 20 percent of those who served with National Guard or Reserve units. Also, 18 percent of claims filed by Guard and Reserve soldiers are denied, compared with 8 percent of those filed by active duty troops.
The report offered no explanation for the differences, but veterans� advocates said efforts to explain V.A. procedures might be better for those leaving active duty than those offered to reservists.
�The Guard and reservists may be falling through the cracks at a higher rate,� said Joseph A. Violante, national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans. �The V.A. needs to study why there�s a difference.�
Mr. Violante, a Vietnam veteran, said young soldiers returning from war often shrugged off their injuries and did not necessarily seek compensation right away. �But as they get older,� he said, �and their injuries cause them more problems, then they�re more likely to file.�
In recent years, disability compensation programs have seen a number of changes that are likely to increase the filing of claims by veterans.
Congress told the V.A. last year to advertise the availability of compensation to veterans in states where payments had been disproportionately low, a program that the agency has predicted will attract nearly 100,000 new applicants.
October 11, 2006
Data Suggests Vast Costs Loom in Disability Claims
By SCOTT SHANE
Nearly one in five soldiers leaving the military after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan has been at least partly disabled as a result of service, according to documents of the Department of Veterans Affairs obtained by a Washington research group.
The number of veterans granted disability compensation, more than 100,000 to date, suggests that taxpayers have only begun to pay the long-term financial cost of the two conflicts. About 567,000 of the 1.5 million American troops who have served so far have been discharged.
�The trend is ominous,� said Paul Sullivan, director of programs for Veterans for America, an advocacy group, and a former V.A. analyst.
Mr. Sullivan said that if the current proportions held up over time, 400,000 returning service members could eventually apply for disability benefits when they retired.
About 2.6 million veterans were receiving disability compensation as of 2005, according to testimony to Congress by the V.A. The largest group of recipients is from the Vietnam era. Of the 1.1 million who served in the Middle East during the Persian Gulf war in 1991, 291,740 have been granted disability compensation.
The documents on the current conflicts provide no details on the type of disabilities claimed by veterans. Most were found to be 30 percent disabled or less, and one in 10 recipients was found to be 100 percent disabled. Payments run from a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000 a month depending on the severity of the disability.
A separate V.A. health care report shows that the most common treatments sought by recently discharged troops are for musculoskeletal disorders like back pain, followed by mental disorders, notably post traumatic stress disorder. About 30,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have sought treatment for post traumatic stress, which afflicts soldiers who have been under fire or in prolonged danger of attack.
A V.A. spokesman, Terry Jemison, said �service-related� disabilities could include an amputation as the result of a bomb injury or a case of diabetes or heart disease that was first diagnosed or found to get worse while in uniform. Mr. Jemison said officials had no cost projections for disability payments to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
The documents were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
The documents show that 37 percent of active duty veterans have filed for disability compensation, compared with 20 percent of those who served with National Guard or Reserve units. Also, 18 percent of claims filed by Guard and Reserve soldiers are denied, compared with 8 percent of those filed by active duty troops.
The report offered no explanation for the differences, but veterans� advocates said efforts to explain V.A. procedures might be better for those leaving active duty than those offered to reservists.
�The Guard and reservists may be falling through the cracks at a higher rate,� said Joseph A. Violante, national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans. �The V.A. needs to study why there�s a difference.�
Mr. Violante, a Vietnam veteran, said young soldiers returning from war often shrugged off their injuries and did not necessarily seek compensation right away. �But as they get older,� he said, �and their injuries cause them more problems, then they�re more likely to file.�
In recent years, disability compensation programs have seen a number of changes that are likely to increase the filing of claims by veterans.
Congress told the V.A. last year to advertise the availability of compensation to veterans in states where payments had been disproportionately low, a program that the agency has predicted will attract nearly 100,000 new applicants.
On the disputed number of Iraqi civilian deaths since the U.S. invasion of Iraq...
I don't care if republicans say there were only 100 Iraqis killed. I don't care if they insist there were only 10 Iraqis killed. One innocent, Iraqi life is too many. One, people... one. The Iraqi people did not ask for so-called liberation and democracy. They did not ask for our help in any way. We have invaded their country and imposed our rules on them. We are occupiers, not liberators.
George Bush always defends his war as "necessesary for liberating the people of Iraq" and necessary for "bringing democracy to the people of Iraq". If that is so, then he damn well better find out who they are. And he damn well better know how many "bright, liberated futures" he has destroyed. And he damn well better start acknowledging those civilian casualties. And he better damn well know how many family members and friends he has taken that future away from, because these survivors will be angry and hurt and understandably try to avenge the senseless killing of those loved ones.
And he damn well better start apologizing to those families and friends for each and every Iraqi civilian that, because of his stupid war, has been denied the opportunity of that so-called bright, liberated future.
Hate makes war.
War makes hate.
Link
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/
http://civilians.info/iraq/
from The Washington Post 2004:
Link
from The Christian Science Monitor 2003:
Link
"There will never be peace until the power of love conquers the love of power."
~Jimi Hendrix
I don't care if republicans say there were only 100 Iraqis killed. I don't care if they insist there were only 10 Iraqis killed. One innocent, Iraqi life is too many. One, people... one. The Iraqi people did not ask for so-called liberation and democracy. They did not ask for our help in any way. We have invaded their country and imposed our rules on them. We are occupiers, not liberators.
George Bush always defends his war as "necessesary for liberating the people of Iraq" and necessary for "bringing democracy to the people of Iraq". If that is so, then he damn well better find out who they are. And he damn well better know how many "bright, liberated futures" he has destroyed. And he damn well better start acknowledging those civilian casualties. And he better damn well know how many family members and friends he has taken that future away from, because these survivors will be angry and hurt and understandably try to avenge the senseless killing of those loved ones.
And he damn well better start apologizing to those families and friends for each and every Iraqi civilian that, because of his stupid war, has been denied the opportunity of that so-called bright, liberated future.
Hate makes war.
War makes hate.
Link
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/
http://civilians.info/iraq/
from The Washington Post 2004:
Link
from The Christian Science Monitor 2003:
Link
"There will never be peace until the power of love conquers the love of power."
~Jimi Hendrix
From my beloved friend, SweetJesusIHateBillOReilly on myspace:
Link
Those cretins at FOX and Bull O'Reilly will stop at nothing to prove how conniving, cheating, manipulative and sleazy they really are!!!! They've "accidentally" labled that repukelickin smarmball prevert Foley a DEMOCRAT -THREE times even!!!
Cripes Almighty, those crackpots suck butt!!
Link
Those cretins at FOX and Bull O'Reilly will stop at nothing to prove how conniving, cheating, manipulative and sleazy they really are!!!! They've "accidentally" labled that repukelickin smarmball prevert Foley a DEMOCRAT -THREE times even!!!
Cripes Almighty, those crackpots suck butt!!
"Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV"
Directed by: Morgan Higby Night
25% of the purchase price of this mp3 (available only as a download at asylumstreetspankers.com) goes to Iraq Veterans Against the War. You can find out more about this activist group at w w w IVAW dot org.
video: Link
Directed by: Morgan Higby Night
25% of the purchase price of this mp3 (available only as a download at asylumstreetspankers.com) goes to Iraq Veterans Against the War. You can find out more about this activist group at w w w IVAW dot org.
video: Link
Olberman on MSNBC gives an extensive report on what the Bush administration knew -and chose to ignore- prior to the 9/11 attacks.
video Link
video Link
This is a great video ad for the book
"The Best War Ever
Lies, Damn Lies and Mess in Iraq"
Link
About the book:
How America defeated itself in Iraq -- by believing its own spin. From the non-profit Center for Media & Democracy.
http://www.thebestwarever.com
Check out the book!
"The Best War Ever
Lies, Damn Lies and Mess in Iraq"
Link
About the book:
How America defeated itself in Iraq -- by believing its own spin. From the non-profit Center for Media & Democracy.
http://www.thebestwarever.com
Check out the book!
From The Raw Story:
Link
Bush's 'rush' to redefine Geneva Conventions may be mostly about 'covering his own backside'
David Edwards
Published: Saturday September 16, 2006
Keith Olbermann's Friday broadcast on MSNBC featured a long look at the President's contentious Rose Garden press conference on Friday, dubbing it the "Roast Garden," and then pondered whether Bush's urgency to redefine the Geneva Convention had more to do with "covering his own backside" than anything else.
At a Friday press conference, an animated President Bush tells reporters that the U.S. program to interrogate terrorist suspects will not continue unless Congress creates new legal definitions for Common Article 3 or the Geneva Conventions -- a move that has alarmed some GOP senators and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Bush also devoted his Saturday radio address to the issue.
In video of the Friday presser, a visibly angry President raises his voice as responds to reporters' questions.
NBC White House Correspondent David Gregory asks the President how he would react if American officers were interrogated based on another country's own re-interpreted version of the Geneva Conventions. Without answering the question, Bush says, "We can debate this issue all we want but the practical matter is if our professionals do not have clear standards in the law, the program will not go forward."
Further pressed by Gregory for an answer, Bush raises his voice and says, "You can ask this question all you want but the bottom line is -- and the American people have got to understand this -- that this program won't go forward... if there are vague standards applied like those in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. It's just not going to go forward. Now, perhaps some in Congress don't think the program is important. That's fine."
Afterward, Georgetown University Constitutional Law Professor Jonathan Turley joined Keith Olbermann for a discussion on why the president was in such a hurry to get the legislation passed "his way."
Turley agreed with Olbermann that Bush's primary motive might be in "covering his own backside."
Turley noted that the 14 high level detainees recently transferred to Guantanamo Bay are due to be interviewed by the Red Cross, and that "most people believe that they will reveal that they were subject to water boarding - held under water until you think that you are going to drown - that is undeniably torture under the international standard."
"I think that the Administration senses that there is a lot of trouble coming down the mountain," said Turley.
See the video from Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" show on MSNBC:
Link Read More »
Link
Bush's 'rush' to redefine Geneva Conventions may be mostly about 'covering his own backside'
David Edwards
Published: Saturday September 16, 2006
Keith Olbermann's Friday broadcast on MSNBC featured a long look at the President's contentious Rose Garden press conference on Friday, dubbing it the "Roast Garden," and then pondered whether Bush's urgency to redefine the Geneva Convention had more to do with "covering his own backside" than anything else.
At a Friday press conference, an animated President Bush tells reporters that the U.S. program to interrogate terrorist suspects will not continue unless Congress creates new legal definitions for Common Article 3 or the Geneva Conventions -- a move that has alarmed some GOP senators and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Bush also devoted his Saturday radio address to the issue.
In video of the Friday presser, a visibly angry President raises his voice as responds to reporters' questions.
NBC White House Correspondent David Gregory asks the President how he would react if American officers were interrogated based on another country's own re-interpreted version of the Geneva Conventions. Without answering the question, Bush says, "We can debate this issue all we want but the practical matter is if our professionals do not have clear standards in the law, the program will not go forward."
Further pressed by Gregory for an answer, Bush raises his voice and says, "You can ask this question all you want but the bottom line is -- and the American people have got to understand this -- that this program won't go forward... if there are vague standards applied like those in Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. It's just not going to go forward. Now, perhaps some in Congress don't think the program is important. That's fine."
Afterward, Georgetown University Constitutional Law Professor Jonathan Turley joined Keith Olbermann for a discussion on why the president was in such a hurry to get the legislation passed "his way."
Turley agreed with Olbermann that Bush's primary motive might be in "covering his own backside."
Turley noted that the 14 high level detainees recently transferred to Guantanamo Bay are due to be interviewed by the Red Cross, and that "most people believe that they will reveal that they were subject to water boarding - held under water until you think that you are going to drown - that is undeniably torture under the international standard."
"I think that the Administration senses that there is a lot of trouble coming down the mountain," said Turley.
See the video from Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" show on MSNBC:
Link Read More »
From my friends on Care2.com:
GREAT BUMPER STICKERS
*BUSH AND OIL:
1999 - $19/BARREL
2006 - $70/BARREL
*BUSH HAD AN EXIT STRATEGY FOR VIETNAM
*BLIND FAITH IN BAD LEADERSHIP IS NOT PATRIOTISM
*IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED,
YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION
*IF YOU SUPPORTED BUSH,
A YELLOW RIBBON WON'T MAKE UP FOR IT
*POVERTY, HEALTHCARE & HOMELESSNESS ARE MORAL ISSUES
*OF COURSE IT HURTS.
YOU'RE GETTING SCREWED BY AN ELEPHANT!
*BUSH LIED, THOUSANDS DIED
*RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM:
A THREAT ABROAD, A THREAT AT HOME
*GOD BLESS EVERYONE (No exceptions)
*BUSH SPENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY ON HIS WAR
*PRO AMERICA, ANTI BUSH
*WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?
*IF YOU SUPPORT BUSH'S WAR,
WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?
SHUT UP AND SHIP OUT!
*FEEL SAFER NOW?
NEITHER DO I
*WHAT'S WORSE?
SCREWING AN INTERN OR
SCREWING THE WHOLE COUNTRY?
*JESUS WAS A LIBERAL
*MY VALUES? FREE SPEECH. EQUALITY. LIBERTY. EDUCATION. TOLERANCE
*IS IT 2008 YET?
*DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM
-Thomas Jefferson
DON'T BLAME ME. I VOTED AGAINST BUSH -TWICE!
*ANNOY A CONSERVATIVE;
THINK FOR YOURSELF
*VISUALIZE IMPEACHMENT
*CORPORATE MEDIA = MASS MIND CONTROL
*STOP MAD COWBOY DISEASE
*GEORGE W. BUSH:
MAKING ENEMIES FASTER THAN HE CAN KILL THEM
*KEEP YOUR THEOCRACY OFF MY DEMOCRACY
*DEMOCRATS ARE SEXY.
WHOEVER HEARD OF A GOOD PIECE OF ELEPHANT?
*ASPIRING CANADIAN
*CORPORATE MEDIA:
WEAPON OF MASS DECEPTION
*DON'T CONFUSE DYING FOR OIL
WITH FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
*STEM CELL RESEARCH IS PRO LIFE
*HATE, GREED, IGNORANCE:
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
*HONOR OUR TROOPS - DEMAND THE TRUTH
*THE LAST TIME RELIGION CONTROLLED POLITICS,
PEOPLE GOT BURNED AT THE STAKE
*I'LL GIVE UP MY CHOICE
WHEN JOHN ROBERTS GETS PREGNANT
*SUPPORT OUR TROOPS - IMPEACH BUSH
GREAT BUMPER STICKERS
*BUSH AND OIL:
1999 - $19/BARREL
2006 - $70/BARREL
*BUSH HAD AN EXIT STRATEGY FOR VIETNAM
*BLIND FAITH IN BAD LEADERSHIP IS NOT PATRIOTISM
*IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED,
YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION
*IF YOU SUPPORTED BUSH,
A YELLOW RIBBON WON'T MAKE UP FOR IT
*POVERTY, HEALTHCARE & HOMELESSNESS ARE MORAL ISSUES
*OF COURSE IT HURTS.
YOU'RE GETTING SCREWED BY AN ELEPHANT!
*BUSH LIED, THOUSANDS DIED
*RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM:
A THREAT ABROAD, A THREAT AT HOME
*GOD BLESS EVERYONE (No exceptions)
*BUSH SPENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY ON HIS WAR
*PRO AMERICA, ANTI BUSH
*WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?
*IF YOU SUPPORT BUSH'S WAR,
WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?
SHUT UP AND SHIP OUT!
*FEEL SAFER NOW?
NEITHER DO I
*WHAT'S WORSE?
SCREWING AN INTERN OR
SCREWING THE WHOLE COUNTRY?
*JESUS WAS A LIBERAL
*MY VALUES? FREE SPEECH. EQUALITY. LIBERTY. EDUCATION. TOLERANCE
*IS IT 2008 YET?
*DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM
-Thomas Jefferson
DON'T BLAME ME. I VOTED AGAINST BUSH -TWICE!
*ANNOY A CONSERVATIVE;
THINK FOR YOURSELF
*VISUALIZE IMPEACHMENT
*CORPORATE MEDIA = MASS MIND CONTROL
*STOP MAD COWBOY DISEASE
*GEORGE W. BUSH:
MAKING ENEMIES FASTER THAN HE CAN KILL THEM
*KEEP YOUR THEOCRACY OFF MY DEMOCRACY
*DEMOCRATS ARE SEXY.
WHOEVER HEARD OF A GOOD PIECE OF ELEPHANT?
*ASPIRING CANADIAN
*CORPORATE MEDIA:
WEAPON OF MASS DECEPTION
*DON'T CONFUSE DYING FOR OIL
WITH FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
*STEM CELL RESEARCH IS PRO LIFE
*HATE, GREED, IGNORANCE:
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
*HONOR OUR TROOPS - DEMAND THE TRUTH
*THE LAST TIME RELIGION CONTROLLED POLITICS,
PEOPLE GOT BURNED AT THE STAKE
*I'LL GIVE UP MY CHOICE
WHEN JOHN ROBERTS GETS PREGNANT
*SUPPORT OUR TROOPS - IMPEACH BUSH
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