It’s “Out of Touch Bob” McDonnell and Virgil Goode on Veterans Treatment

This is a quote from the Franklin News Post concerning a recent visit by Attorney General and candidate for the office of Governor, Republican Bob McDonnell. His observation is that Virgil Goode is a great supporter of veterans flies in the face of evidence to the contrary. More on the evidence soon.

McDonnell praised Kubasak (a fallen veteran) and pointed to his name on the memorial, the only one on the side of the memorial that honors those fallen in the war on terror.

While never forgetting the sacrifice made by Kubasak, “let’s hope we never have another name on that wall,” he said.

McDonnell stressed the need to treat veterans well and appreciate what they have done. How veterans are treated has a direct impact on future recruitment efforts, he said.

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Rocky Mount) also attended the ceremony. McDonnell praised Goode for his efforts on behalf of veterans.

“Congressman Goode is a great supporter of veterans,” he said.

And by the way Mr. McDonnell? There will be many who will still fall due to the so called ‘war on terror’, which is a huge hardship on our country’s military and our citizens. Your buddy, Republican George W. Bush, has seen to it that over 4,000 Americans have died for a war over oil. For Bush to please his corporate masters and Dick (‘Dick”) Cheney, we will suffer the physical, mental, and financial scars for decades to come. They, and you by extension, have put this country in a terrible hole. Please stop pontificating on the war.

It makes you sound well, out of touch.

McGuire VA Hospital in Richmond Can’t Afford Socks for GI’s

I was reading the local paper last week, and a letter to the editor sprang up at me. In it, a volunteer for the VFW chapter in Farmville wrote that the Veteran’s Hospital in Richmond does not have enough socks for their patients, many of them long-term care patients. The injured soldiers’ feet get cold due to the limited activity most of them can stand. Their feet get cold, hence the socks.

I can’t relate to you how upset this has made me. In fact, that is why I have waited to write about it. It was said that the VA hospital ‘couldn’t afford’ socks. I wonder if somewhere in the multi-billion dollar war budget there might be room for some socks. Everywhere you look, facilities are falling down. National Guard units can’t do their jobs (Katrina) because their equipment is being used in the war. At one point a few years ago, I read that the soldiers in a particular Guard unit were expected to share one pistol among them for target practice. Will we be protected? Will our soldiers be treated humanely?

I welcome today’s news that Virgil Goode has signed on late to the GI Bill measure that our Senator, Jim Webb has authored. Now let’s see if we can afford some socks for the men and women who will never be the same, who are bedridden by their injuries and who deserve socks woven with gold thread for the job they do and did for us.

This is just disgusting. Call your Congresspeople and your Senators to get some action on this. It is a national disgrace.

Boucher, Scott Reject Telecom Free Ride

John Conyers (D-NY) and 19 House Judiciary Committee members rejected amnesty for telecoms that participated in illegal spying on the American people. From the Speaker’s blog:

Statement of Undersigned Members of the House Judiciary Concerning the Administration’s Terrorist Surveillance Program and the Issue of Retroactive Immunity

As a result of our review of classified as well as unclassified materials concerning the Administration’s Terrorist Surveillance Program, we have concluded that blanket retroactive immunity for phone companies is not justified. However, we do recommend a course of action that would both permit the carriers the opportunity to defend themselves in court and also protect classified information – by eliminating current legal barriers and authorizing relevant carriers to present fully in court their claims that they are immune from civil liability under current law, with appropriate protections to carefully safeguard classified information. In addition, we recommend legislation to fill a current gap in liability protection for carriers, and to create a bipartisan commission to thoroughly investigate the legality of the warrantless surveillance program….

Accordingly, we support a resolution that would, notwithstanding the state secrets doctrine, authorize relevant carriers to present fully in court their claims that they are immune from civil liability under current law, with appropriate security protections to carefully safeguard classified information. This solution would ensure that carriers can fully present their arguments that they are immune under current law, while also ensuring that Americans who believe their privacy rights were violated will have the issue considered by the courts based on the applicable facts and law, consistent with our traditional system of government and checks and balances.

Our review has also led us to support two other recommendations. First, there is arguably a gap in liability protections for carriers that complied with lawful surveillance requests covering the time period between the expiration of the Protect America Act and the future enactment of more lasting FISA reform legislation. As Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid have proposed, legislation to fill that gap is justified and important. This provision is not included in the Senate FISA bill, and shoul dbe included in any final legislative product.

In addition, our review of classified information has reinforced serious concerns about the potential illegality of the Administration’s actions in authorizing and carrying out its warrantless surveillance program. We, therefore, recommend the creation of a bipartisan commission to conduct hearings and take other evidence to fully examine that program. Like the 9/11 Commission, it would make findings and recommendations in both classified and unclassified reports and thus inform and educate the American people on this troubling subject.

The following members voted to reject:

Representatives Howard L. Berman (D-CA), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Robert C. Scott (D-VA, Melvin L. Watt (D-NC), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), William D. Delahunt (D-MA), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Betty Sutton (D-OH), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Anthony D. Weiner (D-NY), Artur Davis (D-AL), Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), and Keith Ellison (D-MN)

My hat is off to Rep. Rick Boucher and Rep. Bobby Scott for doing the right thing. Amnesty for lawbreakers is not going to make the abuses go away. Paying the price for their complicit actions will make these companies think again about performing illegal operations with no legal authority.

Link – Speaker’s Blog

My Daughter Speaks Out

Editor’s note: My daughters are both very politically aware. My oldest daughter Sara sent this to me and it is presented here with only minor edits. She wrote this last week after the Iowa Caucuses. I am proud of you, Sara.

Last night, my sister called at 6:23 to tell me that the race was called for Barack Obama. I can’t imagine her joy, her relief, her satisfaction, because I’ve never been on the winning end of election day. She was pretty elated.

On the news B-Roll of different campaigns included Raj, my intern-boss when I was in Iowa working for Howard Dean. Raj was on his old street corner again, 8th and Grand, waving Obama: Hope signs. I was very happy to see him, even if it was only on the news.

My fiance’s mother called to say, “Go Huckabee!” Personally, I still think Romney wins the nomination, but what do I know about Republican politics? She tried to bait me, but I just let it roll off my back. Last night’s victory was too sweet to not relish it.

This morning, I found an email in my inbox: “WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?!?” If you’ve ever had an email account, I’m sure you’ve seen this one: Barack Obama is nothing but an Islamic Fascist who wants to declare Jihad against America the moment he takes the oath. Of course, it was from my fiance’s mother. So I’ve crafted my reply and sent it not only to her, but to every other person that the email had ever been sent to.

To everyone who has received this email:

I have sent this response to everyone who received the original email, to spread some truth. In the interest of full disclosure: My sister worked for Barack Obama in Iowa, and I personally plan to vote for Bill Richardson when my turn comes on February 5th. I don’t work for Barack Obama or his campaign. I just have a vested interest in politics being about truth and not about lies.

Here’s the truth: Barack Obama had a Muslim father. He had an atheist mother. And, by his own admission, he is a baptized Christian. The following quote is directly from an interview with Barack Obama that appeared in TIME Magazine on October 23, 2006.

“It was because of these newfound understandings—that religious commitment did not require me to suspend critical thinking, disengage from the battle for economic and social justice, or otherwise retreat from the world that I knew and loved—that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ one day and be baptized.” — Barack Obama

How many of us had atheist parents? How many of us are of a different belief than our parents? Why should we judge a grown man based on the actions of his parents? Is the worst quality about Barack Obama his lineage? Someday if I ran for public office, would you immediately discount me because my father is a Methodist, my mother is a Unitarian, and I am neither?

To those who say that Obama is only a Christian to look good for the American public, well, I would turn you to the fifth chapter of his book, The Audacity of Hope. There he describes his parents and stepfather and their religious views, and describes his own spiritual awakening when he was in his 20′s. Even if you have no intention of ever voting for him, don’t you owe it to yourself as an American to read Obama’s own words, and make up your own mind rather than believing that “Because his father was Muslim, he must be a terrorist!” That’s just fear based thinking, and I’m sure it’s way beneath all of you.

To those who say that Obama does not place his hand over his heart or salute the flag, well, you’re right. On occasion, he doesn’t. There is some photographic evidence.

The allegations in that email that he turns his back and slumps are simply lies. Look at the picture for yourself. There he is, standing tall and proud. Here’s the photographic evidence of Obama placing his hand over his heart at an event:

There must be hundreds of similar occasions. I have no intention of defending him, just of giving you the information.

And, while we’re airing the truth, look at this picture:

wherein President George W. Bush does not have his heart covered with his hand during the national anthem. One can only imagine if he thought that is where his heart is. Is he any less patriotic? Is he any less fit to serve?

Notice how the email that you’ve all read had absolutely no references or resources listed. How can you know if the facts are correct unless you checked them for yourself? I’ve quoted three different sources here (TIME Magazine, The Audacity of Hope, and FOX News via MediaMatters.org) for a total of four different references to back up what I am saying.

It really comes down to this: if you like Barack Obama’s polices, then vote for him; if you like someone else’s policies better, vote for them. That’s the beauty of America. But I would present to you another beauty of America: the right to question. Is it not your patriotic duty to correctly inform yourself — even if it’s about people or politicians you may not like? Do the American thing and ask some questions the next time you receive an email like this.

With warmest wishes,

Sara Brooks

I am so pissed at this blatant LIE, and I’m even more pissed that I’m letting it get to me.

George Bush’s Shame