Saturday, March 01, 2008

THIS JUST IN! BAMBI HOLDS A PRESS CONFERENCE!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
 
WITH QUESTIONS SWIRLING ABOUT SENATOR BARACK OBAMA AND HIS SPECIAL FRIEND ANTOIN "BIG TONY" REZKO, BAMBI FELT THE NEED TO CALL TOGETHER A HASTY PRESS CONFRENCE THIS MORNING.
 
"IS IT A CRIME TO BE FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE?"  ASKED BAMBI JABBING HIS FINGERS AS HE'S SO PRONE TO DO.
 
"IS IT A CRIME TO HAVE A FRIEND UNDER FEDERAL INDICTMENT?  IS IT A CRIME IF HE HAPPENS TO HAVE RAISED OVER $150,000 FOR MY POLITICAL CAREER?  IS IT A CRIME TO BUY A PROPERTY WITH HIM WHEN HE'S UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION?  IS IT A CRIME TO WANT A MANSION AND WANT IT SO BADLY THAT YOU GET IN BED WITH A CRIMINAL SO THAT HE AND HIS WIFE BUY THE LITTLE LOT OF LAND AND YOU BUY THE MANSION?  IS IT A CRIME TO USE THAT LAND TO PARK YOUR CAR?  PEOPLE PARK CARS ACROSS AMERICA!  IS IT A CRIME TO TOUR THE PROPERTY WITH YOUR FRIEND WHO IS UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION -- BUT NOT, AT THE TIME, YET INDICTED -- TO GET HIS OPINION ON THE PROPERTY?  NO, NONE OF THESE ARE CRIMES.  SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON SAYS THEY GO TO MY JUDGEMENT?  I SAY AMERICA WILL NOT STAND FOR IT.  WE ARE TIRED OF THE DIVISION, WE WANT TO SEE CRIMINALS AND POLITICIANS OPENLY MINGLE.  WE WANT TO SEE THEM REACH ACROSS THE AISLE AND, IN FACT, REACH THROUGH THE PRISON BARS!  SENATOR CLINTON QUESTIONS MY FRIENDSHIP WITH BIG TONY AND THAT IS RACISM!  IT IS A RACISM TO EVER QUESTION ME ABOUT WHO MY FRIENDS ARE.  IT IS RACISM TO QUESTION ME ABOUT STEALING LINES FROM THE WORDS OF OTHERS.  IT IS RACISM TO QUESTION MY CREDIBILITY.  IT IS RACISM TO SAY SHE WOULD BE A BETTER PRESIDENT.  ANY TIME SOMEONE QUESTIONS ME, IT IS RACISM.  PURE AND SIMPLE.  AS MY MENTOR PASTOR WRIGHT SAYS, THIS COUNTRY WAS FOUNDED ON RACISM.  MY CAMPAIGN IS FOUNDED ON SCREAMING 'RACISM' TO SILENCE MY CRITICS.  THANK YOU, AMERICA, THANK YOU!"
 
WHEN REPORTERS ATTEMPTED TO ASK QUESTIONS FOLLOWING HIS OPENING STATEMENT, BAMBI WALKED AWAY LEAVING DAVID AXELROD TO EXPLAIN FOR THAT THE PRESS TO QUESTION BAMBI WAS "RACISM."
 
 
Starting with war resistance.  Courage to Resist interviews war resister Robin Long who is seeking safe harbor status in Canada.  Long was stationed at Fort Knox and hearing stories from returning service members that didn't have a thing to do with democracy.  "In the army you just want to fit in," Long explained noting how the US military uses collective punishment to discipline their own -- which is to create a shunning among the enlisted.  Those returning from Iraq, "a lot of them were bragging about I guess you could say what was going on there," Long explained, and he was hearing and seeing things that weren't being covered in the media such as pictures of the first kill ("holding a head up" for the photo "and smiling with a peace sign," photos of an Iraqi run over by a jeep, etc.).  After self-checking out of the military, he stayed in a friend's basement for two months and then went to Canada with two friends.  At the border, Long was asked if he was AWOL ("which I found out later that they weren't allowed to do") and replied that he was on leave. About his decision, Long says he has no second thoughts.  If he is deported would he be stopped at the US border and taken to jail?  Long shared that war resister Brad McCall had a friend take his car back to the United States and when the car crossed the border into the US "they were holding him at gun point, the guy that was bringing his car back, thinking that he was the war resister.  So that's a pretty good idea of what's going to happen to me if I try to cross the border.  If I'm deported they're going to be waiting there."
 
War resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey.  Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use.  That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored. 
 
 
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.



Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).

 

In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
 

 
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." As part of their fundraising efforts for the event, they are holding houseparties and a recent one in Boston featured both IVAW's Liam Madden and the incomprable Howard Zinn as speakers. IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause.  Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible.  The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies.  It won't be easy but it must be done.  Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it."
 
 
Iraq Veterans Against the War is calling the gathering "Winter Soldier," after a quote from the U.S. revolutionary Thomas Paine, who wrote in 1776: "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."
Organisers say video and photographic evidence will also be presented, and the testimony and panels will be broadcast live on Satellite TV and streaming video on ivaw.org.
Winter Soldier is modeled on a similar event held by Vietnam Veterans 37 years ago.
In 1971, over 100 members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with fellow citizens. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions.
"Initially even the My Lai massacre was denied," notes Gerald Nicosia, whose book "Home to War" provides the most exhaustive history of the Vietnam veterans' movement.
"The U.S. military has traditionally denied these accusations based on the fact that 'this is a crazy soldier' or 'this is a malcontent' -- that you can't trust this person. And that is the reason that Vietnam Veterans Against the War did this unified presentation in Detriot in 1971."
"They brought together their bona fides and wore their medals and showed it was more than one or two or three malcontents. It was medal-winning, honored soldiers -- veterans in a group verifying what each other said to try to convince people that these charges cannot be denied. That people are doing these things as a matter of policy."

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Friday, February 29, 2008

THIS JUST IN! REPUBLICANS LOVE BAMBI!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
 
 
AND NOT BECAUSE THEY PLAN TO VOTE FOR HIM IN THE GENERAL ELECTION. 
 
BUT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SCREW WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
 
WHEN THESE REPORTERS CONFRONTED BAMBI ABOUT THIS, HE BATTED HIS LOVELY EYE LASHES AND DECLARED, "I'M ALL ABOUT MOVING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO THE RIGHT.  I WAS WITH THE D.L.C. AND DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME PRAISING RONALD REAGAN?  I LOVE RONALD REAGAN.  MMM.  MMMM.  YUM-YUM.  I WANT MY OWN IRAN-CONTRA.  WAIT TILL THE PEOPLE VOTING FOR ME REALIZE HOW TO THE RIGHT I AM!  MERCENARIES IN IRAQ!  TROOPS LEFT IN IRAQ! NO END TO THE WAR!  THAT'S WHAT I'M ABOUT.  DO I NEED TO APPLY ANOTHER LAYER OF MASCARA?"
 
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
 
Starting with war resisters.  Stephen Lendman (Global Research) reviews a new book by Francis A. Boyle ("distinguished University of Illinois law professor, activist, and internationally recognized expert on international law and human rights") entitled Protesting Power -- War, Resistance and Law (available in hardcover for $75.00 and in softcover for $24.95). Lendman notes Boyle was not allowed to testify at Camilo Mejia's court-martial but did get to give testimony during the sentencing and was allowed to testify at Ehren Watada's Article 32 hearing (August 2006) but not at the court-martial.  Lendman summarizes Watada's February 2007 court-martial: "It began in February under very constricted rules -- denying a First Amendment defense and disallowing one questioning the legality of the war.  However, legality issues were impossible to exclude, they directly related to charges brought, and the prosecution introduced them at trial.  In addition, Watada firmly stated before testifying that he refused to deploy because of the war's illegality.  Unable to pressure him not to so testify, the presiding judge" -- that would be Judge Toilet (aka John Head) -- declared a mistrial.  He'd lost control of the proceeding, knew Watada was on solid ground, and had to prevent his evidence from being introduced to avoid the embarrassing possibility of an acquittal on one or all charges.  If it happened, the war's illegality would have been exposed and its continuation jeopardized.  Under the Fifth Amendment 'double jeopardy' clause, Watada cannot be retried on the same charges." In June 2006, Ehren Watada became the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to the Iraq War.
 
Meanwhile war resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey.  Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use.  That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored. 
 
 
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.



Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).

 

In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
 

 
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." As part of their fundraising efforts for the event, they are holding houseparties and a recent one in Boston featured both IVAW's Liam Madden and the incomprable Howard Zinn as speakers. IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause.  Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible.  The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies.  It won't be easy but it must be done.  Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it."
 
[. . .]
 
 
Turning to the media landscape.  Carol Jenkins (Womens Media Center) notes last weekend's Saturday Night Live sketches [here for Ava and my piece on that], "The show recognized what many observers had come to feel: the media has conducted itself poorly and are worthy of parody.  And watching Tim Russert, parodying himself last night, scowling eyebrows, raised voice, blustery manner and slightly weird questions -- encapsulated what's wrong with the media.  Time seemed to have the mistaken believe that he was the third debater, an impression only heightened after the debate when Chris Matthews repeatedly lauded Russert on 'reeling in' Hillary Clinton with a question on her war vote."  The Iraq War. Jenkins goes on to list Howard Kurtz and Howard Fineman as among those recognizine a media bias -- a pro-Obama media bias.  But it's not just Real Media, it's also Panhandle Media.  Take the trash that passes for 'journalism' on Amy Goodman's Democracy Now! these days.  To her credit, Goodman didn't lead the headlines today with Chris Dodd's endorsement of Bambi; however, as Marcia pointed out yesterday, Goodman led it with it on Wednesday after having already included it as a "news" "headline" on Tuesday.  Jeremy Scahill was a guest on the program today to discuss his talk with a foreign policy advisor on the Obama campaign (everyone assumes it's Samantha Power and the statements/justifications do read as if they're from her -- here for his article at Common Dreams on this topic).  Goody played a clip from the debate.  She didn't play the exchange everyone's working hard to ignore.  We noted the exchange Tuesday night and Rebecca noted it Tuesday night.  From the New York Times transcript of the debate:

SEN. CLINTON: Well, I have put forth my extensive experience in foreign policy, you know, helping to support the peace process in Northern Ireland, negotiating to open borders so that refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing would be safe, going to Beijing and standing up for women's rights as human rights and so much else. And every time the question about qualifications and credentials for commander in chief are raised, Senator Obama rightly points to the speech he gave in 2002. He's to be commended for having given the speech. Many people gave speeches against the war then, and the fair comparison is he didn't have responsibility, he didn't have to vote; by 2004 he was saying that he basically agreed with the way George Bush was conducting the war. And when he came to the Senate, he and I have voted exactly the same. We have voted for the money to fund the war until relatively recently. So the fair comparison was when we both had responsibility, when it wasn't just a speech but it was actually action, where is the difference? Where is the comparison that would in some way give a real credibility to the speech that he gave against the war?

[. . .]

SEN. OBAMA: Let me just follow up. My objections to the war in Iraq were simply -- not simply a speech. I was in the midst of a U.S. Senate campaign. It was a high-stakes campaign. I was one of the most vocal opponents of the war, and I was very specific as to why. And so when I bring this up, it is not simply to say "I told you so," but it is to give you an insight in terms of how I would make decisions.
 
Did you catch the lie?  Common Dreams can't stop pushing Bambi off on their readers including today.  Click here for the bad 2002 speech (it calls out the illegal war, yes, it is a bad speech and one that takes for granted that Iraq had WMD which they didn't).  What's the date on that speech?  October 2, 2002.  Obama was not "in the midst of a U.S. Senate campaign."  He did not run for the US Senate in 2002.  He was running for the Illinois state senate.  It was not "a high-stakes campaign."  He was running for re-election.  He won the seat in 1996.  He ran for re-election in 1998 and won.  He ran for re-election in 2000 and won.  He won for re-election in 2002 and won.  It was not a statewide campaign.  His race was one of 59 state senate races taking place in Illinois in 2002.  [For Bambi as a state legislator, MyDD recommends Todd Spivak's article in the latest edition of the Houston Press.]
 
Since we noted Bambi's lies, Rebecca and I have had all sorts of whiners complaining that Bambi was referring to something else.  As with Bully Boy, there's a lot of "Obama really means" going on (Jeremy Scahill takes part in peering into Obama's soul on Democracy Now! today).  So let's go slow for the really stupid who think a politician's statements can be 'fixed.' 
 
When was Bambi in a high-stakes race?  The Democratic 2004 primary race?  No.  His only real opponent, Blair Hull, was done in by a whisper campaign launched by Barack Obama's campaign.  They used their usual press contacts (including the same writer at The Chicago Tribune who's always been Bambi's bag man) to push rumors about Hull's former marriage repeatedly.  But let's pretend that Bambi, commenting on 2002, actually was referring to that 2004 primary race.  Did it take a lot to be against the illegal war?  No.  Blair Hull, a veteran, was also against the Iraq War.  Dick Durbin's opposition to the illegal war wasn't held against him by the voters of Illinois.  So it wasn't the primary.  What about the campaign for the general election, was that "high-stakes" for Bambi to stake out a position against the illegal war?  [He was not against the illegal war during this time, but let's all buy the lie.]
 
March 16, 2004 was the primary election.  Obama won the Democratic primary, Jack Ryan won the Republican primary.  The Obama campaign launched a whisper campaign against Jack Ryan almost immediately.  And, not surprisingly, Obama's usual crowd of supporters today were penning columns on his Senate run.  The whisper campaign gets real traction beginning in late April (whisper campaign against Jack Ryan and his ex-wife Jeri Ryan).  You have The Chicago Tribune (and a local station) suing to unseal the records.  Jack Ryan is out of the race June 25th.  Three months after Obama became the Democratic nominee in the Senate race.  "High-stakes"?  No.  July?  No oppenent at all.  A few consider it but none decide on running.  August 8, 2004 is when Alan Keyes agrees to become the GOP nominee.  Keyes did not (and never had) lived in Illinois.  In 1988, he ran for the US Senate from Maryland and only got 38% of the vote, in 1992 he ran again and only got 29% of the vote. He was a joke and there was no "high-stakes" involved in his campaign.  27% would be the percentage of the vote Keyes received.  That needs to be noted.  Barack Obama has never won a tough state-wide race.  In the state legislature, he was representing one of 59 districts.  In 2004, whisper campaigns killed off his only real competition and he was left to run against professional joke Alan Keyes.
 
Barack Obama lied.  There was never a "high-stakes" campaign he was in where it hurt him to be against the war.  But while doing his US Senate race, he was against US troops leaving Iraq.  That is reality and it will be addressed more tonight.  Liars like Amy Goodman would prefer you not know that reality.  But Obama was not calling for "TROOPS HOME NOW!" when he ran for the US Senate.  That's a lie or, if you prefer, a fairy tale.
 
The debate was an embarrassment for Obama.  As Ruth points out, he repeatedly cribbed from Hillary Clinton's answers as if he didn't have time to do his own homework.  As Mike points out, Obama's 'excuse' for not holding meetings of the Senate subcommittee he chairs (one whose terrain includes NATO and Afghanistan) is laughable, "I became chairman of this committee at the beginning of this campaign."  Then you decline the offer to be chair you do not let 14 months go by without holding a hearing.  The Afghanistan War is not our scope, but it hasn't ended.  Obama demonstrates no leadership but does suggest that he puts his own ego ahead of elected duties.  As Kat and Rebecca pointed out last night, Bambi belittles Hillary's very real experience.  Of course, when you don't have something, you campaign has to belittle it.  We saw that take place in 2004 when the GOP belittled John Kerry's record of serving in Vietnam.  As Elaine pointed out, his manner of destroying candidates in the past focused on whispers about their marriages.  His campaign attempted to do that with the Clintons last year.  When that failed (as always, the New York Times took the bait), it was time to find a new strategy: any criticism of Bambi is "racism."  His campaign has played that strategy for months -- long before South Carolina but they really took it to a new level following New Hampshire.  How long is that going to work?  How long can every criticism be dismissed as "racism" before he turns off voters of all races?
 
 
 
 

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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

THIS JUST IN! REPUBLICANS FLOCK TO BAMBI (FOR NOW)!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
 
 
WHEN WE ASKED OBAMA HOW HE FELT ABOUT A RIGGED PRIMARY, HE CHUCKLED.
 
"I NEVER FOUGHT FAIR," BAMBI ADMITTED.  "I ALWAYS PLAYED DIRTY.  I AM A FAIRY TALE!  THAT'S WHY OPRAH LOVES ME!  I AM THE NEW JAMES FREY!"
 
 
 
 
 
Starting with war resisters.  Earlier this month, Paul Boers (The Goshen College Record) reported on war resister Rob Weiss. At age 17, Weiss signed up for the US military and, following high school graduation and basic training, the Army sent him to Germany where he was stationed.  For 18 months all was fine until he was home at the end of 2006 when the fiance of his sister died en route to the hospital and, as Boers explains, "This event caused Weiss to start thinking about his own mortality, especially as a soldier."  Weiss explains to Boers about how he would explain his death, "What would I say? 'Sorry, I didn't have time to go to church.  I was hung over.'  I thought, 'maybe it's time that I would do something productive with my life other than getting bar fights and getting hammered drunk'." Exploring these issues and turning to the Bible, Weiss explains, "I was shocked by this message of peacemaking.  There is a constant, recurring message of not responding in violence, unlike in the Army where they teach you to kill everything." On June 6, 2007, Weiss filed his conscientious objector status and as he waited for a response, he was sent to Iraq.  While in Iraq, the decision came down: his CO application was denied.  While on leave, Weiss self-checked out and went underground in the US.  Speaking to Boers, Weiss explained, "I think it's better to turn yourself in and get it over with.  I don't want to live in people's basements until the day I die."
 
Meanwhile war resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey.  Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use.  That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored. 
 
 
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.



Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).

 

In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
 

 
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." As part of their fundraising efforts for the event, they are holding houseparties and a recent one in Boston featured both IVAW's Liam Madden and the incomprable Howard Zinn as speakers. IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause.  Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible.  The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies.  It won't be easy but it must be done.  Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it."
 
Staying with veterans, the US House Committee on Veterans Affairs' subcommittee on Health held a hearing today.  Subcommittee chair Michael Michaud explained in opening remarks, "Today's hearing is an opportunity for the VA, Veteran Service Organizations and members of this subcommittee to discuss draft legislation dealing with Fiscal Year 2009 VA construction.  38 United States Code requires statutory authorization for all VA major medical facility construction projects over $10 million and all major medical facility leases more than $600,000 per year.  This hearing is a first step in this important process."  Dennis Cullinan, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US, testified on behalf of the VFW regarding the proposed "Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Authorization and Lease Act of 2008."   Cullinan felt the budges were too low and placed the blame for that on "the administration" which "saw fit to halve the major and minor construction accounts from the Fiscal Year 2008 levels, failing to meet the future needs of our veterans."  The White House has played it on the cheap with veterans care throughout this decade and they've generally gotten away with that.  Cullinan stated the proposed legislation "demonstrates that this Congress is ready, able and willing to correct this situtiona and to advance VA's construction priorities so that future generations of veterans -- such as those currently serving in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Aghanistan -- will have a first-rate VA health care system ready to fully meet their needs."  The proposal, as US Dept of Veterans Affairs' Donald Orndoff noted, mainly is about the "authorization for six major medical construction projects and twelve major medical facility leases". 
 
Meanwhile, Dr. Dean Kilpatrick of the Medical University of South Carolina testified to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs yesterday on the subject of PTSD and this morning he testified to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.  Kilpatrick is the direcyor of the National Crimes Victims Research and Treatment Center. And for context, the American Public Health Association's 135th Annual Meeting last November utilized these numbers for PTSD -- 12 percent to 20 percent of all veterans from the Iraq War will suffer from PTSD, over 52,000 veterans have already been diagnosed and treated with PTSD. In December 2006, Ann Scott Tyson (Washington Post) reported, "U.S. soldiers serving repeated Iraq deployments are 50 percent more likely than those with one tour to suffer from acute combat stress, raising their risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Army's first survey exploring hos today's multiple war-zone rotations affect soldiers' mental health."  In his opening remarks today, Kilpatrick explained the basics.
 
Kilpatrick:  I will begin with some background information of posttraumatic stress disorder.  Briefly described, PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can develop in a person after a traumatic experience.  Someone is diagnosed with PTSD if, in response to that traumatic experience, he or she develops a cluster of symptoms that include        
* reexperienceing the traumatic event as reflected by distressing recollections, memories, nightmares, or flashbacks
* avoidance of anything that reminds them of the traumatic event   
* emotional numbing or feeling detached from other people 
* hyperarousal as reflected by trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, outbursts of anger, and having to always be vilgilant for potential threats in the enivornment        
* impairment in social or occupational functioning, or clinically significant distress   
 
The focus of the hearing was not PTSD, however.  Kirkpatrick and others were members of the Institute of Medicine committee studying veterans health issues with a primary focus -- today -- on the ratings.  Is the Scehdule for Rating Disabilities -- currently used to determine the financial benefits paid to wounded veterans -- adequate or even fair?  Former American Medical Association president Dr. Lonnie R. Bristow gave an overview of areas the committee felt needed futher exploration and these included compensation for loss of quality of life, the differences in employment income for those suffering brain injuries as opposed to physical ones.  Scott Zeger, of John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health noted veterans with "medical conditions that develope after military service" and the need to for "Congress or the Department of Veterans Affairs . . . to make a 'presumption' of service-connection so that a group of veterans can be appropriately compensated.  Presumptions are made in order to reach decisions in the face of unavailable or incomplete information."  The Center for Health Research and Policy's Joyce McMahon also addressed compensation and the need for a system that was inclusive, "Congressional language indicates that the intent of VA compensation is to provide a replacement for the average impairment in earning capacity.  VA compensation is not an individual means-tested program, although there are minor exceptions to this."  As with most studies, by the committee members own statements, the emphasis was on males and before Congress creates an 'inclusive system,' it would be better to actually be inclusive.  At this late date, there's really no excuse to set up a system that will treat male as the norm and take decades of pressure to include women in the studies and then to begin addressing health and disability issues specific to women.  Aaron Glantz (War Comes Home) reported last month on the continued crisis in veterans health care and noted, "The average wait time for a veteran's disability claim to be decided is now 183 days.  More than 600,000 disabled vets are waiting.  Tens of thousands more veterans are being totally denied medical care and disability benefits they were promised after serving abroad."  The 600,000 waiting should especially stand out to those who remember the 2004 presidential debates.  Senator John Kerry noted the crisis -- it was then and it is now a crisis -- in veterans health care and among the lies Bully Boy tossed out (and the likes of FactCheck.org quickly swallowed) was that the wait-time was going smoothly, right on track, boom-boom-boom.  The reality, as Kerry pointed out repeatedly before the debate and after was that the wait-time was increasing.  So when the figure of 600,000 emerges today, it has recent historical roots.  Let's return to PTSD to note this from AP (November 2007): "About 42 percent of the Guard and reserves compared to 20 percent of active-duty troops, were identified as needing medical health treatment in two screenings.  The first testing was immediately upon return from Iraq and the second six months later.  Problems showed up more often on the second screening. . . .  For those citizen soldiers, the military's Tricare health insurance benefits expire after six months: VA benefits expire two years after a soldier's return to civilian status."  Ron Jacobs (Dissident Voice) reviews Michele Barrett's Casualty Figures and notes of PTSD, "We associate this disorder primarily with veterans of combat.  What many people do not know is that this disorder was included into the bible of therapeutic mental health disorders only after a long struggle by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War and some other US veterans organizations in the 1970s."
 
 

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

THIS JUST IN! BIG O COACHES BAMBI!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
 
"EVERYTHING IS RIDING ON THIS!" SCREAMED THE BIG O, OPRAH WINFREY, AT SENATOR BAMBI OBAMA.
 
THESE REPORTERS WERE BEGINNING TO WORRY THAT WE'D SHORTLY BE JAMES HATFIELD-ED.  WHY ELSE DID THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN CONTINUE GIVING US SUCH ACCESS?
 
OPRAH HAD INSISTED EVERY ONE ELSE LEAVE THE ROOM AS SHE COACHED BAMBI FOR THE DEBATE TONIGHT.
 
"YOU HAVE TO CROWD HER!"  THE BIG O YELLED AT TOP VOLUME.  "CROWD!"
 
BAMBI BEGAN TO WHIMPER AS THE BIG O ADVANCED. 
 
"B-B-B-UT BIG O, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN . . ."
 
"YES YOU CAN!  YES YOU WILL!"  THE BIG O INSISTED.  "IT ALWAYS WORKS ON GAYLE!  YOU WILL DO IT!  YOU WILL NOT DISGRACE ME OUT THERE!  SAY YOU WILL DO IT!  SAY YOU WILL DO IT YOU LITTLE PANTY WAIST!"
 
"I WILL DO IT."
 
"LOUDER!  LIFT UP YOUR SKIRT AND YELL, YOU LITTLE GIRL!"
 
"I WILL DO IT!"
 
"CAN YOU DO IT?"
 
"YES, I CAN!"
 
THE BIG O TURNED TO THESE REPORTERS AND SMILED.
 
"MY WORK HERE IS DONE," SHE SAID GLIDING OFF IN SEARCH OF GAL PAL GAYLE.
 
 
Starting with war resistance.  Joshua Key's The Deserter's Tale and Camilo Mejia's Road from Ar Ramaid: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Mejia  are two books where war resisters tell their stories.  They are also two books reviewed by Dee Knight (Workers World) who notes:
 
Both Mejía and Key had sufficient direct experience of being ordered to commit war crimes in Iraq that they had enough. As soon as they were allowed out of Iraq on leave, they decided not to come back. Mejía chose to refuse publicly and apply for conscientious objector status. He was rejected, and was sentenced to a year in military prison and a bad conduct discharge.
Key just left. He rejoined his wife and their then three small children, and went underground for over a year. Finally, after "googling" the Internet with "deserter needs help," he got in touch with the War Resisters Support Campaign in Toronto.
"Sucking up the courage to drive to the border of my own country was the hardest thing I had ever done," he said.
 
Knight notes those who have followed Key and Mejia (and the other early war resisters of the Iraq War) including Lt. Ehren Watada and Pablo Paredes and the effects, "The GIs who have refused made their choices.  And they have begun to change history."
 
Joshua Key and other war resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey.  Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use.  That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored. 
 
 
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.



Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).

 

In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
 

 
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." As part of their fundraising efforts for the event, they are holding houseparties and a recent one in Boston featured both IVAW's Liam Madden and the incomprable Howard Zinn as speakers. IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause.  Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible.  The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies.  It won't be easy but it must be done.  Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it."
 
This morning the US Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2009 and the Future Years Defense Program.  Offering testimony were Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army, and Gen. George W. Casey, Chief of Staff Army.  In a prepared joint-statement given to the committee in writing before the hearing began, Geren and Casey note:

 
The likelihood of instability will increase as populations of several less-developed countries will almost double in size by 2020 -- most notably in Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia.  The "youth bulge" created by this growth will be vulnerable to anti-government and radical ideologies and will threaten government stability.  This situation will be especially true in urban areas in which populations have more than doubled over the last 50 years.      
By 2025, urban areas with concentrations of poverty will contain almost 60 percent of the world's population.  
Competition for water, energy, goods, services, and food to meet the needs of growing populations will increase the potential for conflict.  Demand for water is projected to double every 20 years.  By 2015, 40 percent of the world's population will live in "water-stressed" countries.  By 2025, global energy demands are expected to increase by 40 percent, threatening supplies to poor and developing nations.    
 
In the above statements you'll not only find where the US headed in the near future but the same sort of thinking that led to destabilization efforts in Greece, et al in the 1960s.  "Young" populations have "worried" US planners for well over sixty years now.  [PDF format warning, click here for the 24-page statement.]  CNN reduces the hearing to troops stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan will drop from fifteen months to twelve month tours.  That's rather skimpy for what was a very lively hearing.  In regards to the issue of the months involved in a tour, the committee chair, Carl Levin, had to be rather specific repeatedly finally asking "shorthand, you have to drawdown to what level?"  Levin also had to pin Casey and Geren down regarding stop-loss.  Beaming, Geren declared that the Army will get the number of stop-lossed soldiers down to "a little less than 8,000 today" and insisted -- at length -- that the Army wanted to "move away from" using stop-loss.  Stop-loss is the backdoor draft.  It's when you're service contract is ending and you're told, "Forget what your contract says, you're staying."  Pressed by Levin about the decrease in the number of soldiers stop-lossed that Geren was so optimistic about, the Secretary of the Army swallowed and stated, "It might get to 7,000."  Wow.  It might drop to 7,000.  To hear him spin and spin before Levin pinned him down you would have thought the figure was going to be significantly below 5,000.  Geren insisted, "We're growing this Army faster than we planned." 
 
US Senator Bill Nelson wanted to know about the RAND Study.  That's a study commissioned by the Army, conducted by RAND which reportedly found that the illegal war was not well planned for.  "The chairman has already asked you to release" the report to the committee, Nelson pointed out and added, "I would like to additionally ask that the RAND study be sent to the intelligence committee."  He addressed that topic quickly and moved to an issue he's been working on, "It has come to my attention from women in my state [Florida] about the rapes that have occurred in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I have been after this to try to get information."  But what he's getting is regarding the US military and what he's been asking for information on was the number of rapes among the contractors.  He has asked for that information repeatedly and still has not received it.  "What we're finding is incomplete information and also this never-never land of not knowing what to do and what the law is to apply and who's going to enforce it?" 
 
Nelson went on to list what is needed.  For Iraq, the information needs to start in March 2003 when the Iraq War started and needs to include:
 
*What are the service components and government agencies involved in each investigation? 
 
*What is the status for the person involved in each investigation?  
 
*Who has the jurisdiction or investigative authority?   
 
*In writing a list of rules, regulations and policies governing these issues.
 
Nelson repeated that it's been a struggle to get any information at all and noted that one of the women assaulted is a Tampa constituent.  The two witnesses assured it was possible for the information to be passed on.  But these assurances have been coming since the end of the last year.  And that is the point where the hearing (not dull before) really came to life. 
 
"What law applied when you were commanding troops over there?"  Senator Jim Webb wanted Gen. Casey to answer.  UCMJ was Casey's reply, the Uniform Code of Military Justice.  Webb asked if Casey was stating that "UCMJ applied to contractors?"  Casey nodded and added it applied -- when he was commander of Iraq -- to those working for the Department of Defense.  Webb wanted to know how many contractors this would have applied to and the number 20,000 was casually tossed around by Casey.
 
Webb: You had 20,000 contractors subject to the UCMJ?  
 
Casey: I don't recall the number. . . . I want to say the number was around 7,000 to 8,000. 
 
Webb wanted to know if any contractors "were discharged under UCMJ" and Casey replied, "I have vague recollections of a couple of cases, but I can't say for certain."  The exchange between the two was an important moment and the press should pick up on it.  Webb's face was pure disbelief in the comments Casey was making, the testimony Casey was offering.  Webb declaed, "I'm not even sure how you could have a proper court under the UCMJ" for contractors since UCMJ applies to the military.  Webb noted that when he started out on the Armed Services committee lat year, he was told that was a proposal -- UCMJ being used for contractors -- and now here was Casey before the Senate today "saying that it was being used?"
 
""I am not 100%" certain, Casey said attempting to beg off from his public statements.  Webb responded, "I would think, quite frankly, if you were commanding you would know that. . . . It's not a difficult concept."  Casey's command of Iraq (Commanding General of   M-NF) began in June 2004 and lasted through the start of February 2007.  For three years, Gen. George Casey was the top commander and a year after his command ended, he's stumbling around in public, making assertions and then attempting to withdraw them?  While this exchange took place, Geren was attempting to intercede but would have to wait a bit longer. 
 
Casey said that UCMJ was being applied to contractors of the Defense Department when he was commander in Iraq, Webb noted, "This came up in the personnell subcommittee last year as a proposal and I'm not aware of anyone, any civilian who was subject to the UCMJ."  In addition, serious crimes have been committed by contractors and Webb would assume that if UCMJ applied -- as Casey was maintaining it did -- that there would have been something to pass on to the Senate sometime ago.
 
Again, it was the moment to follow in the hearing.  Levin would later ask for all information regarding that and other issues of contractors breaking the law including "any understandings or agreements which have been reached between American or Iraqi authorities."  Webb would ask Geren about modernizing the GI Bill to have something similar to what followed WII for those serving today and Geren would maintain everyone was all on board and for it which the Senate's heard before (repeatedly) leading Webb to ask, "Where's the hold up?" and "Does the administration oppose expanding GI benefits?"  It was Geren's turn in the hot seat.  He squirmed a little but fell back on US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and stated that Gates was reviewing recommendations currently. 
 
Ted Kennedy would emphasize the Army's suicide rate which "was the highest it had ever been" in 2007 with 121 soldiers committing suicide "more than double the number reported in 2001 before we sent troops into Iraq."  Kennedy would also note that that there has been a "24% increase in felony moral waivers" among recruits and that "only 79%" of recruits now have high school diplomas; furthermore he noted the shortage among officers which was 3,000 lower than the amount the Army stated they needed.  All of this led Kennedy to ask about "a perfect storm": "It seems we're reaching a perfect storm here both in therms of young people going in" and those already serving in terms of retention, "is this the perfect storm that's happening in terms of the military?  How serious should we be concerned about it?"  Casey agreed ("You are right") and said this was an indication of "the signs of a force that is stretched and under stress."
 

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