Posts with the tag Veterans

Veterans' Entrepreneurship Task Force

Holy Truth 2009 Community Alliance Crusade — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:31:49 EST

On 19 NOV 2009, members of the Holy Truth Veterans Housing Program attended an extremely important meeting held at the brand new Vets Center located in Washington, DC. The meeting consisted of panelists from key Veteran's organizations and others who were able to provide tremendous insight into the release of funds to organizations as well as veterans seeking entrepreneurial opportunities.

This may represent a key turnaround in the attitudes towards assisting veterans through training, education and opportunities to obtain funding for their own businesses.

To this end, we made serious inroads and developed positive contacts which we are already working with a view towards getting funds released for our Holy Truth Veterans Back to Work Program. With the Grand Opening of the Holy Truth VetsTown Variety Store only scant weeks away, we are already making plans to open up to five more within Baltimore City and beyond. The initial store will employ 10-15 veterans who were previously homeless. The subsequent five more stores shall employ up to 75 veterans! Those who needed a second chance. All VetsTown operations are veteran owned and operated. For more information, contact me directly at jpeterson@holytruthveteranshousingprogram.com

With Holy Truth VetsTown Carpet Cleaning and VetsTown Home Improvement on the way, the possibilities for entrepreneurial objectives are now realistic for many who know they really do deserve that second chance. Our American Military veterans.

James Peterson-Holy Truth Veterans Housing Program

Survivor

Khaidji — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:17:19 EST

Let us salute all those veterans throughout the world. Let us pay close attention to bettering the life of all of them remembering what they did to make us who we are today. But as we remember them let us not forget the surviving veteran from World War I, Mr. Frank Woodruff Buckles. I salute his longevity and recognize the problem that we have just to go across the street to buy some bread yet he has survived a century and more.

Survivor

Served from Aug 14, 1917 in World War 1

US Army received him with others but all others are gone

Remember all who fought and remember him too

Value Frank Woodruff Buckles who served for me and you

Incredible that this 108 years old is the only to survive

Valor has any man who after a century on this earth is still alive

Our Wars and weather, riots and crime

Remember friends all our veterans and Frank Buckles at this time

Remembrance Day

Khaidji — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:12:59 EST

Today we remember those who fought in the Wars on our behalf. Those who do not believe in war must still remember that the fought for them too. Most of what we have today has been influenced by the outcome of these wars whether we like it or not. The millions of people who have died may not have had a choice like we do; they may have been drafted to fight. What ever the reasons or circumstance, you may wear to poppy to acknowledge the lost of these lives or the disfiguring of the many others. Those with haunting pains deserve some support.

Remembrance Day

Red poppies worn to show that we

Empathize with those of the military

Men and women who were in battle slain

Enemies took their lives and never again

Met with their families

Battled for us and our sovereignties

Remembering those too who where injured

And returned home and though honored

Never got solace when they slept at night

Couldn’t separate themselves from the fight

Even those that survived with no haunting pain

Don’t have the legacy of wartime gain

All those people who chose and went in battle for me

Yes, I’ll give my dollar and I’ll wear a red poppy.

Message from Barack on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

John Sonnen, San Antonio — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:50:24 EST

Today at 7:49 CST I received the following message from Pres. Obama, thanking me for my service as a veteran on this day. I liked it and wanted to share. I hope the DNC sent it to all veterans in their database.

--Begin quoted text here.--

John --

Today, on Veterans Day, my message to you is simple: Thank you. Thank you for your selfless service, for your valor, and for your strength of purpose that make all of us proud to be Americans.

Today, Americans will pause amidst a great conversation about the future of our nation to take a moment and recognize your service to our democracy -- a service that guarantees us all the liberty to engage freely in that conversation, no matter what our views may be.

We know that we owe you a debt that cannot be repaid. But we can and will fulfill our nation's promise to stand by you and your loved ones. That is why we've worked hard for better care for our veterans, and why we provided the largest increase in Veterans Administration funding in history.

Today, we honor those Americans past and present who've served on battlefields from Lexington to Antietam, Normandy to Manila, Inchon to Khe Sanh, Ramadi to Kandahar. You have defended our freedom on land, and at sea, and in the air.

You reflect the diversity that makes this America. You share a patriotism beyond question. And you share the same unflinching courage, selfless compassion, and uncommon camaraderie that -- when faced with the tragedy of a despicable and heartbreaking attack last Thursday -- the soldiers and civilians of Ft. Hood humbly revealed to the world.

You and your loved ones are the patriotic men and women we honor today, Veterans Day. And you are the men and women we shall honor every day, in times of war and times of peace, so long as our nation endures.

Thank you.

President Barack Obama

On this Veterans Day, Strength Born from Tragedy

Aris — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:48:34 EST

The tragedy at Ft. Hood will forever darken a page in American history, but it is precisely in these moments of emotional upheaval that the greatest lessons can and must be learned. On this Veteran's Day we honor our noble troops and the sacrifices they and their families bear to ensure our safety and way of life. Each has made a commitment to serve a purpose greater than themselves and our monumental obligation to them can never be fully repaid, and for that, we salute you.

Click For Obama

Click For Obama — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:24:53 EDT

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Our first announcement

Worship from Aiea, HI — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:36:38 EDT

How do you post a blog?

State Rep. in PA calls OpFREE veterans "traitors"

Lorin Walker — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:17:25 EDT

Team--Seems a state representative in Pennsylvania thinks Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans working for energy security are "traitors" and "Benedict Arnolds" Let's get the word out and push back hard against smears like this.

Twitter friendly post:
Why is a Republican State Rep. calling Iraq and Afghan vets "traitors"? http://tinyurl.com/ylspwev #secureamerica #vetsbus

Direct link to the story:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-powers/why-is-a-republican-pa-st_b_326155.html

Thanks,

Lorin Walker

PBS: "Medical Marijuana Laws Are Hazy"

Justin Turley, San Diego Medical Cannabis Patient — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:50:57 EDT

This is an interview with San Diego Assistant District Attorney, Steve Walter from the local Public Broadcasting Service's local station.

(A link to the original source, which includes an audio version can be found after the full text.)

MAUREEN CAVANAUGH (Host): Now what constitutes the difference between a drug dealer and a legitimate provider of medical marijuana?

WALTER: It’s a very difficult question. The law itself, when I say the law I’m talking about Prop 215, SB-420, and the AG’s guidelines, as well as the case law. In essence, you have to be either a user or a qualified patient or a caregiver for such a patient.

Wow. So according to the San Diego District Attorney's Office, "a user" is "a legitimate provider of medical marijuana." That's really disturbing as I have obtained/do obtain all of my medical cannabis from Medical Cannabis Caregivers/ Legal Patients. These are the ones that Walter himself oversaw the aggressive arrests of. I guess going on the above quote, he believes that any one ELSE, just so long as they 'use marijuana' is a responsible, law abiding, trustworthy source for the medication I use for my healthcare. Great.

Bringing Terror To San Diego's Suffering

Justin Turley, San Diego Medical Cannabis Patient — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:02:44 EDT

Organizing for America,

While the President was expressing the need for our nation to reform its' inhumane Health Care system, some of San Diego, California's most vulnerable, suffering citizens were subjected to organized terrororism inflicted upon them by their own City and Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.

I am referring to San Diego District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis' continued persecution (not a mis-spelling) of those who benefit from legal medical cannabis. Lies are being told about the Collectives operating for profit and not being caregivers to its' members.

Please Mr. Stewart and OFA, we're already victims of our ailments, diseases, handicaps and inflictions. Members of these particular Collectives, at least one that I know, is an amputee U.S. Soldier. Isn't the pain he brought back from the war enough punishment and sacrifice for his country? Does he really need to suffer through prescription opiates that are highly addictive and less effective than medical cannabis? These voices need to be heard. Please look into the facts of this. People's lives are at stake.

"The Fakery"

James — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:32:10 EDT

I read the Sunday New York Times today. I was sorry to see that Maureen Dowd, brilliant as she can be, wrote near unprintable drivel. That didn't bother me. Most of the columnist's spend so much time doing everything else but writing that I expect to see their 'staff work' much of the time. What bothered me was the article in the middle of the front page, just under the photo from Afghanistan, which poignantly illustrated it. We just had our worst month over there, with a ton of kids having lost it all in our names. The article was well written. It was all about the problems that the 'living' returning veterans have in coming home. How difficult, or near impossible, that return can be, depending upon the horror of what the particular veteran whet through to get home. There was no fakery in any of that. PTSD is a killer, and when it is not killing directly, it is a destroyer of marriages, family relationships, friendships, sleep and all appetites. It causes drug addiction and acoholism. The worst part is that it is damned difficult to diagnose, very hard to treat, and embarrassing difficult for a combat 'hardened' veteran to admit. No fakery.

But read on in the same issue. Half way through the first section is a long article about this 'problem' that we have with people making up war stories, the places they did or did not serve, decorations or even units served with. We have a federal law that now attacks anyone who is caught even lying verbally about those things, or, and this is a grand bit of fakery, of not being able to prove what he or she said is true! Yes, said! Like in the first amendment freedom of speech 'said.' Wild times. That this article would be in the same section with the PTSD article from the front page is deeply droll. Gallows kind of humor. You see, most civilians do not make up any of that veteran junk! They usually don't even know enough to make credible stuff up. No, the preponderance of fibbers are veterans themselves, embellishing stories and maybe just demonstrating mental damage. Many many of them are veterans returning with PTSD, just like the kids pictured in that photo on page one! Do you know that there are even volunteer groups of other veterans who pursue these fibbers to catch them, label them on the internet and then turn them over to the feds for prosecution? The law is called the 'Stolen Valor' law, and it is one of the most deceptively damaging laws against veterans ever passed in this country.

Let's take a group of these woeful, and deeply hurt, returning veterans, and lets hold them to a standard which no civilian (except a complete idiot civilian, probably on drugs or alcohol) would be held. Where does stuff like this come from? Has the lead content in our water supply increased substantially? Or let's take a geriatric veteran who has PTSD stuff come out late in his life, and gets it all wrong. Are our Congressmen and Congresswomen completely out to lunch? And the veterans who go along and investigate, mostly their fellow veterans, who are these people? I was a Marine Officer in Vietnam, shot three times and brought home on a gurney, barely alive. I won't even tell anyone, ever, what decorations I received. "Let's have that fact-checked," somebody might say. Then I can allow beads of sweat to form as the report comes in. Is the report missing something I said I had? Did I give the proper unit and place? Yes, I know all that stuff by heart and I've got the medals in my closet. But, you know what, I don't want to go through the 'vetting' process. You know, in many ways, it is better for me to say that I did not serve at all. This 'Stolen Valor' law is all about that. I am not ashamed of my service on your behalf. I am just ashamed to admit it to you, or around you. PTSD has caused me to be 'hyper-vigilant,' and I am. I am hyper-vigilant of you. You can, and may, hurt me.

What fakery is up next? The new G.I. Bill! The one that gives vastly huge benefits to the guys and gals who served following 9/11? But not the veterans before? Yeah, that sure seems fair! Thanks again. And how about preferential treatment at V.A. medical facilities for returning Iraqi and Afghani veterans? A bit more thanks is due there, from those of us who bled our asses off in prior wars (and I was at Yokosuka Naval Hospital in Japan first, then Oaknoll over in Oakland, CA, and then the Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton, CA....go 'fact-check" it!)

But this new fakery is not just directed towards veterans. It is all around us. It is in the press portrayal of that black professor named Gates, and that police officer named Crowley. The media, with the governments support, changed the whole thing all around, into complete fakery. The black guy lipped off and the cop broke the law, numerous times. That the black guy gets to lip off to the police in his own home (except about any decorations or units he might have or served with!), nobody is much arguing about his right to do that. But nobody is talking about the simple fact that our police, across this entire land, and definitely including Officer Crowley, may not arrest people for that. Fakery. Crowley got to stand up to the President of the United States and thumb his beer foamed nose. I do so hope that Obama has a long long memory.

And the H.R. 3200 fakery. I wouldn't want to pass on that. We started out with everyone talking about health care for all Americans at affordable cost. The insurance companies, and the medical providers (yes, that is the hospital in your neighborhood, and your doctors and dentists in town) do not want this. And they have a ton of influence on those Congress people I was writing about earlier. So much so that the watered-down version of this bill we are hearing about now has just about one thing left, as a solid feature of it. 47 million uninsured Americans will be paying premiums to these rotten insurance companies, except those companies will have Federal Punishment built into the collection system. And the insurance companies will still decide on who gets real coverage, what coverage and when. This is the fakery that is descending upon us in health care. If you think those Federal Punishments for not paying your new medical premium are in any way humorous, then think again. How about no air travel if you are not up to date? How about no driver's license renewal? How about garnishment? Through fakery, lies and just pure bullshit we are being led along like the bovine, press-driven, creatures we are all beginning to resemble, physically and mentally!

A lot of the things I have discussed here are not going away. The bills have been passed. The procedures are in place. Even H.R. 3200 is just about a done (and rotten) deal, thanks to the Blue Dog Democrats and the usual assortment of Southern Fried Republicans, and the big health money people. But can we recognize what we have done? And what we are doing? Can we sit and think about the reality of these things, without just being sold on all of it by that melodious voice coming from the television? If we do not pay attention to the past we are not doomed to repeat it. We are doomed to having everything become a whole lot worse! Over the course of the last ten years have things really been getting any better, anywhere? Think about it.

http://www.jamesstraussauthor.com

http://www.themastodons.com

http://www.from-the-chateau-dif.blogspot.com

Health Care for Veterans

Duane from Suffolk, VA — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:33:20 EDT

Good Afternoon Mr. President,

My name is Duane Thomas from Suffolk, VA. I am 30 years old and a United States Army Veteran where I served for 7 years. I am writing this letter to you to express my deep concern with health care of not only myself but other Veterans that have proudly served their country in the Armed Forces.

In my own personal issue, I feel that the VA is not taking care of me. I am only receiving 20% disability and I have received two knee operations and a shoulder operation. Just those alone, I should be receiving at least 50% to 70% disability. Even in the fact of education. I have had nothing but lasting problems with my knees, my shoulder and it is adding to other problems with my hips and back.

It is hard to sleep, work and go to school. Every so often, I have to take days from work just to go to the VA Hospital since I have to Heath Insurance and cannot afford to go to a Regular Doctor. I have filed claims after claims and I hardly ever hear back from anyone. The claims representatives and people at the VA hospital do nothing but look at me as a number and if you are 30 and under, they really do not bother to take time and treat you the right way. They figure, since I am 30, I am young and will recover. Well, the truth is I have not fully recovered.

I work a full time job and have no Health Insurance or Dental Insurance only because I am a Contractor and am not entitled to benefits. Another thing that is unfair about the VA is that veterans are not entitled to Dental Care unless they are 100% disabled. That does not make any sense. Why do I have to be completely broke down just to get my teeth looked at? So, not only does the Health Care System need complete revamping. The Health Care system at the Veteran Affairs Level need to be completely revamped as well. I am asking you Mr. President; please make this happen for myself and other Veterans.

Distinguished Veteran, Frank Kucinich, Brother of Congressman, Passes Away

Jason M. Christos — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:47:47 EDT

Distinguished Veteran, Frank Kucinich, Brother of Congressman, Passes Away

Wednesday, 01 July 2009

The distinguished veteran, Frank Kucinich, beloved brother of Congressman Dennis Kucinich, died suddenly yesterday, June 30, at the Ohio Veterans Home, where had been a resident for many years. He was 60 years old.

Frank Kucinich, Jr. was a United States Marine Corps combat veteran of The Vietnam War, completing his service as a lance corporal. After his military service, he began a lifelong commitment to fellow veterans, assisting many local veterans organizations in their activities.

Through his military service, he made many friends and inspired those with whom he served. He was recently nominated to the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

This past week he accompanied his brother, Dennis, to a reception at the White House where he met President Obama and Vice President Biden.

"Thank you for serving," the President said to Frank, "I'm proud of you."

"Frank told me that was one of the proudest moments of his life," Dennis Kucinich said. "He had a great love of country, which informed every moment of his life. His patriotism was an inspiration to everyone in our family and to everyone he met."

That was the second time that Frank saw President Obama up close. Frank also attended the President’s Inauguration in January as a guest of his brother Dennis.

Frank was the beloved brother of Dennis, Gary, Theresa, Larry, the late Perry and the late Beth Ann who passed away in December of 2007 and November of 2008, respectively.

The Kucinich family will receive friends at the Golubski Funeral Home, East 65th and Fullerton Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, on Sunday July 5th between 4 PM and 9 PM. Funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 AM on Monday, July 6th at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, E. 65th and Forman Avenue. Military honors and interment at Calvary Cemetery will proceed the Mass.

From... http://www.kucinich.us

LtCol John Flerlage USMC (Ret.) Candidate for CD6 in Colorado.

DocWalsh101 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:03:30 EDT

As many of you know we have yet another election coming up next year. What you may not know is that the race for the 6th Congressional District in Colorado is probably the single most important campaign for the entire state. Why? It's simple the person currently holding that seat is Mike Coffman. Now for anyone that was involved with the campaign last year you know exactly how bad of an individual Coffman truly is for the State of Colorado. After the pruging of the voter lists, and running for higher office while being the guardian of fair elections for the entire state, Mr. Coffman has since gone on to attack our Governor and the President on many key issues, from the Pinon Canyon issue for the Gov. and Afghanistan for the Pres.

That introduction being finished I would like to introduce you to a candidate in CD6. His name is John Flerlage and he is a 22 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. I don't think I can do anymore justice to John then do use his own words so I have inlcuded them below:

John Flerlage is currently an airline captain who served 22 years in the Marine Corps before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Marine Reserve in 2000. Over his eleven active-duty years and eleven years in the Reserves, John flew the F/A-18 Hornet and A-4 Skyhawk. He also served in various Squadron and Group level leadership and staff positions and taught classes in world affairs, strategic commitments and the operation of fighters and other tactical aircraft at the Marine aviation advanced tactics school. During his reserve years, John also volunteered and flew missions in support of NATO operations in Bosnia, and in 1996, he was chosen to fly the Hornet aboard the USS George Washington in the first Marine Reserve carrier qualifications to be held in over fifteen years.

In January, 1995, in anticipation of retiring from the Marine Reserve, John and his family settled in Littleton, CO, and since then, John has been readying himself to serve again, this time as the Representative from Colorado's 6th Congressional District. To prepare for his candidacy, John has been active in local (Jefferson County) politics, serving at the precinct (PCP) and house district level (Treasurer HD 28). He has also volunteered countless hours on local, congressional, and presidential campaigns.

John is currently a member of the leadership team of a start-up group called South JeffCo Democrats, and cites his election as an Obama delegate, first at his precinct caucus, followed by the Jefferson County, CD 6 and the Colorado State Conventions and Assemblies, as confirmation of his desire to pursue a political career.

While a freshman at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, John joined the Marine Corps officer training program in 1977. He earned a BA in mathematics from Colby College in 1980, and furthered his education by graduating from the Air Force Air War College in 2001.

John was born in Boston on January 29, 1958, and lived in Massachusetts, Maine, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Arizona and California during his school and Marine Corps years. He and his wife, Helena, moved from old Littleton in Arapahoe County to their home in south Jefferson County in 1997. He has volunteered regularly at the schools of his three children: David (21), who graduated from Columbine High School and now attends Columbia University; Lisa (16), currently a sophomore at Columbine; and Karl (11). John played varsity hockey throughout high school and college and continues to play on a local adult team. He particularly enjoys coaching hockey, at all age levels, including a stint as the high school coach at Columbine. John is also on the Governor's Council for Physical Fitness and believes strongly in proper fitness and nutrition for children especially in our schools.

As an airline pilot, John is a member of the Air Line Pilots Association and flies long haul international flights for the largest airline in the world, Delta Air Lines. He has had the great fortune to visit many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, affording him unique insight as a candidate for Congress.

John needs your help and support. I am asking every person that reads this posting visit John's Campaign website at www.flerlagforcongress.com and see how you can help the campaign whether it's through volunteering or donating any and all help would be appreciated. I know we have all come off of a hard fought and hard won election but John is the person we want representing CD6 and to also support the President so many of us dedicated so much time and effort into getting elected. If you're on facebook look for John there as well!

Budgeting

Mysti — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:36:17 EDT

I am not sure if anyone will be able to read this,THE FONT IS REALLY SMALL, especially; people in California; but we are in trouble. especially, our children. Education and Health Care is extremely important, no job, no tax no savings for the future. It is a problem that our state has to take from people whom are struggling to survive as it is. I am sorry but, our children are our future, without health care or education they will just be another number. This is 2009, our Country should have already passed this ridiculously fight over who gets what and when and how it is going to help. I have been an advocate for the disabled population for quite sometime now; and, it is truly sad that even the working disabled, still needing assistance to be able to work, are being cut. Our children's education is also important; without them how are we to grow?, how are we to continue with our Globe?, who is going to proceed with our country? All these questions need to be addressed. Someone is still being stingy and putting money in all the wrong hands. Our health care is ridiculous; with all of the air, water and food tainted our children are growing with health problems. This needs to be corrected. CALIFORNIA HAS A PROBLEM..

Recession Survival Fair—Volunteers Needed

signsSansSignifieds — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:38:04 EDT

The Recession Survival Fair will take place on 6/6 at the Brooklyn Brownstone School in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Volunteers are needed now. Details here:

http://signsanssignified.blogspot.com/2009/05/recession-survival-fairvolunteers.html

The Voices At Arlington Cemetery

Khaidji — Mon, 25 May 2009 19:18:15 EDT

The millions of people who had died for the freedom of America like in Arlington National Cemetery and many lie in unmarked graves. Though the cemetery is often peaceful and quiet, there is one day in particular that there are crowds of people queuing up to get in. Now, on this Memorial Day with the testing of missiles by the North Koreans, there are some Americans eager to go to war again. Thankfully we have a leader like President Barack Obama who believes in diplomacy first.

The Voices At Arlington Cemetery

Today I shed quiet tears

Had a sadness like previous years

Emotions still overwhelm me

Veterans pass by but its like they can’t see

Old friends congregate and one of them says

I lost my friends in enemy bays

Couldn’t find them when we converged

Enemy fire destroyed our vessel as it emerged

Sometimes the stories are dismal and confuse

All the details twisted, the veterans are bemuse

They try to remember but it’s all blank

All they talk about is the approaching enemy tank

Rocket fire was rampant and whistled by

Lieutenant as brave as he was, he wanted to cry

I saw puffs of smoke that swallowed my friends

None survived the blast and now fate sends

Good men to unmarked graves and no one knows

The identity of the men who lay in Arlington’s rows

On Memorial Day many come to honor their lives

No one even knows their children , their wives

Can’t speak with familiarity by the graveside

Eyes are teary though they don’t know who had died

Makes me teary too cause I clearly see

Every friend who returns here religiously

They march slowly and sometimes whistle the Taps

Empathetically they often remove their caps

Remy, gravitates to my strange grave with our kid, not alone

Youth tore me up, he placed items on my unmarked headstone

Change is in Our Future Not Our Past

Tom Awtry — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:30:55 EDT

Every good past President has looked to the future, while every failed administration has suffered with the past, in part by their own misunderstandings of the failure(s) and to fully concentrate on moving their own agenda’s forward! Consequently, we the American public are as much to blame, for their failures as they are.

Today in office we have elected a forward looking Chief Executive, tasked with the mission of tackling the previous administrations failures and deceptions; while moving onwards his own vision of how America should be.

To me, this means let the president delegate responsible, for corrective action on the issues concerning Gitmo, torture, Rove, FOIA and FISA to his appropriate cabinet members and select committees within congress.

We as diligent citizens and supposed caretakers of our country should and must be focused on issues such as health care, getting out of Iraq, the economy and perhaps an over looked issued by many, an improved, affordable plan to enhance our current educational system of higher learning.

We have seen hundreds of thousands of jobs disappear over the past several months, will these jobs ever come back? The answer is “No”!

Soon we will have thousands of veterans returning from overseas, will they remain in the military service? Again, the answer is possibly “No”!

So what are the solutions to the aforementioned issues within the Obama Administration? I feel the president has chosen the most correct choice by relying on what made our nation what it was in the “past” – “Education”.

But, as we all know, including the president, both the cost and quality are the downsides for most of us, even the slightly “upper middle class”.

As quoted by President Obama (President Obama on Higher Education and Reforming Student Loans):

Over the past few decades, the cost of tuition at private colleges has more than doubled, while costs at public institutions have nearly tripled. Tuition has grown ten times faster than a typical family’s income, while inefficiencies in the student loan system provide lenders billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies instead of making college more affordable for all Americans.

When we review the 60’s, the days of placing a man on the moon and the golden times of NASA; education was at our country’s forefront, even while the Vietnam War was in progress, education was considered a must for survival in the Cold War overall and personal success in life as an individual(s).

We must not accept taking a backseat within the international community, as we have and again noted by the President in his Remarks by the President at the National Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting:

Our schools continue to trail other developed countries and, in some cases, developing countries. Our students are outperformed in math and science by their peers in Singapore, Japan, England, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Korea, among others. Another assessment shows American 15-year-olds ranked 25th in math and 21st in science when compared to nations around the world. And we have watched as scientific integrity has been undermined and scientific research politicized in an effort to advance predetermined ideological agendas.
Complementing while confirming the aforementioned is the following from Gallup Polls with an article entitled: “Public Discontent With Quality of U.S. Education, where we can see the American public over the past eight years have been frustrated with the Bush Administration’s progress on education:
A three-year aggregate of Gallup data (2002-2004)* on attitudes toward the public schools indicates that 44% of Americans are very (11%) or somewhat (33%) satisfied with public education, but a slight majority, 55%, are either very (25%) or somewhat (30%) dissatisfied. Despite these negative perceptions about the quality of the U.S. education system, past surveys have demonstrated that most Americans are happy with their own educations and the educations their children receive.

So, should you subscribe to the fact our nation’s higher learning institutions are to expensive and our primary education system(s) of public schools are not performing as they should; how is the president and perhaps more selfishly “us the American public” going to resolve the educational systems and turn their services into “jobs” and an increased standard of living for all of us?

The President has prepared congress for needed changes, staring with his Fiscal Budget for 2010 with major investments in broadband networks, clean energy technologies, and health information technology, as I’ve quoted him here (Fact Sheet A Historic Commitment To Research And Education):

President Obama has already made science and technology a top priority: The Recovery Act includes $21.5 billion for research and development, the largest increase in our Nation’s history, and well as major investments in broadband networks, clean energy technologies, and health information technology. The President’s FY10 budget includes sustained increases in basic research, $75 billion to make the research and experimentation tax credit permanent, and funding to triple the number of the National Science Foundation’s graduate research fellowships. The President is committed to restoring integrity to science policy, and making decisions on the basis of evidence, rather than ideology.

Also, the President has enacted steps within his own Executive Branch (President Obama Meets with Family Struggling with College Costs, Underscores Need to Eliminate Wasteful Spending in Federal Student Loan Program, Reinvest Savings in Making College More Affordable):

Today, President Barack Obama met with a family struggling to afford the cost of college and underscored his commitment to cutting wasteful spending on federal student loans by ending taxpayer subsidies to banks. President Obama discussed the strain that rising tuition costs are placing on middle class families and his proposal to end the private Federal Family Education Loans program that lines the pockets of the banks who serve as middlemen while costing the American people $5 billion a year.

As I elated to earlier, since this is a failure of past administrations to attend address the president has wisely delegated this national concern to Vice President Joe Biden, who in my own opinion as been doing an outstanding job for the president in seeing all measurers are brought to the forefront on getting legislation authored and past in a bipartisan manner.

Vice President Biden has implemented “Middle Class Task Force” to find solutions and assist him in seeing colleges become more affordable through a series of town hall meetings. Here in an excerpt from such a meeting in St. Louis, the excerpt is entitled: “Middle Class Task Force Report: College Affordability”

Middle Class Task Force Report: College Affordability

An obstacle to federal student aid is the unnecessarily complicated application process that is often intimidating to families and students seeking loans. In order to qualify for aid, students or their parents must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which contains well over 100 questions on income, assets, family characteristics, personal characteristics, and other items. Completing the FAFSA requires families to sift through paperwork and transfer numbers from tax forms that they may or may not have readily available.

The following is a downloadable pdf report, which bears reading, regarding steps being taken by the Obama administration to lower college cost to the middle class desiring to enter college and making the application procedure more simplified and friendly:

Middle Class Task Force Staff Report (pdf)

So, what’s the Point:

Much “to do” recently has been made in the media over the release of torture memos and the president’s first 100 days in office, which are all constructive concerns and self-servicing pats on our own backs for electing the “right person for the right job”, but lets not get hung-up on the issues of witch hunts and arrogance that got us into the trouble we’re in today.

Lets keep pressing forward in correcting mistakes and apathy of the past with “new ideas” and approaches that will insure we’re never in the fix we are in today.

After all wasn’t it President Bush who said “Fool me once and you’re a fool, fool me twice and I’m a fool”.

The following selections of videos cement President Obama’s commitment to the middle class and his devotion to insuring every American is entitled to higher learning:

Opening the Doors of Higher Education

Taking a defiant stance towards those banks defending the status quo, the President proposes cutting out the middle man in student loans for a savings of almost $50 billion over ten years.

Additional Videos:

Real Tax Cuts Making a Real Difference

Flanked by Americans who have benefited from his Making Work Pay tax credit, President Obama speaks about his tax policy and how it is helping people across the nation.

Taking on Education

The President explains the urgency of changing the way we educate our children, and offers four pillars of reform.

Meet Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan talks about the source of his passion for education reform — and why he thinks it’s about more than education, it’s about social justice.

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

ONLINE VETERANS COMMUNITY

WEBMASTER — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:42:47 EDT

President Barack Obama says all Americans have a “sacred trust" with the military personnel who have served this Nation, a responsibility to reward courage and self-sacrifice with all the benefits an open democratic society can provide.

MyVetwork (myvetwork.com) provides the solid foundation for a vibrant network of support in the spirit of that sacred trust to improve the lives of not only our active duty personnel and the 600,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, but all our nation's estimated 23 million living military veterans - and their families, too.

MyVetwork is already operational, with the capability to service the Veterans Community—for the first time—in three intersecting strings, known as a Trident Connection, add up to One Trusted Source for Veterans that anyone connected to the government understands is crucially needed:

Connection: An easy to use—free—means for our service men and women (all branches, all conflicts, whether active duty, veterans or retired) and their extended families to connect and shape their own community where they can interact and exchange information on getting the services and resources they need (replacing current “Needle in a haystack” searches with the badly needed “Bingo. Found it!” laser-like search). Employs a cool Pin View that makes it easy to:
- Locate people you know, like buddies from combat
- Find people you don’t know, the very people—living nearby or half a world away—with whom you most want to connect based on values, interests, concerns, and specific experiences you’ve identified as important
- Find jobs the MyVetwork way: the “job board on steroids” helps find work that matches your interests and skill sets, and helps vet-friendly employers ensure vets get first-look opportunity at available positions.
Information: MyVetwork is building the innovative “Milipedia” with content specifically shaped by and for the military community, continually adapting to the needs of service personnel and their families and updating the information they seek, especially in the areas of healthcare, education, money and finance, and careering. Whether cutting through the red tape to benefits programs available from the VA; differentiating the proliferation of local services and programs; or finding specific people offering advice and support, Milipedia info has the added advantage of being “vetted” by military personnel who can vouch for the value of the proffered service/information (think “Military meets Wikipedia meets Zagat guide”).
Organizational Umbrella: Finally, a place for unwinding the organizational maze, categorizing all the available services, the scores of organizations, the many websites and the hundreds of community programs already providing support for our military and their families, giving them the best possible means to showcase themselves to the military community with the accompanying opportunity to increase membership, even raise needed funds.

Veterans community in one location. All for free.

Founded by decorated veteran John R. Campbell, MyVetwork draws on the “secret sauce” of the military, the “I’ve-walked-in-your-shoes” strength military personnel willingly share with one another, which will be a driving force behind MyVetwork.

Learn more about MyVetwork by visiting myvetwork.com or join the Veterans Community by visiting community.myvetwork.com.

Online Veterans Community: veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxcKg
Document posted by David Apperson

A Lot of Talk Finally Some Action

Tom Awtry — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:04:28 EDT

Call Centers - India

During the Presidential campaign we heard numerous politicians expounding on their concepts on ways to retrain our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and fellow Americans workers who saw their jobs outsourced overseas.

Finally we have one brave Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania with a workable plan to introduce a new law that aims to pay community colleges nationwide $1,000 per student to retrain laid-off workers, which Casey says would come from existing funds already allocated to job retraining in the department’s budget.

In an article authored by Anne Fisher of TIME, entitled: “Tuition Help for the Unemployed Gains Traction” the following excerpts regarding Senator Casey’s pending bill:

His inspiration for the bill: Pennsylvania’s community colleges, 10 of which have enrolled 1,062 unemployed workers in free training programs this semester, at a total cost to the schools of $741,788. “They shouldn’t have to foot the bill alone,” Casey says. “My bill will encourage other community colleges across the U.S. to do the same thing.” Senate Democrats are working to build bipartisan support for the bill and expect to move it forward in the coming months. (See TIME’s special report on paying for college.)
A few states already have a head start. California, whose 11.2% March unemployment rate is the state’s highest since 1941, is rushing to funnel $415 million in federal stimulus money to 49 job-retraining centers. Most of the training will be designed to qualify people for jobs in infrastructure construction, health care and green industries like waste recycling and wind-farm technology. In Texas, legislators will vote next month on a final version of a 2010-11 budget, already passed by the state senate, that boosts spending on higher education by $1.5 billion. That figure includes $500 million in federal stimulus funding for workforce retraining and a $134 million state-funded increase in financial aid for students.
Michigan, whose 12.6% jobless rate is the highest in the U.S., with still more auto-plant closings coming soon, launched its “No Worker Left Behind” program in August 2007. So far the state has footed the bill — up to $10,000 per displaced worker — for 61,434 unemployed Michiganders to learn the math, technology and science skills they need to embark on new careers at companies like Hemlock Semiconductor, Dow Chemical and Dow Corning, which are investing and hiring there. Also in demand: the program’s newly trained nursing assistants, physical therapists and health-care technicians.

Hopefully Senator Casey’s proposed legislation will quickly be approved, in congress, since it won’t be long before our long awaited veterans will finally be returning home and will be in direr need of employment.

The following video concerning outsourcing is a revolutionary twist on outsourcing. American workers have themselves gotten into the act of sending their jobs overseas. For example; there are tasks, such as proof reading that could be accomplished overseas as well as it could be done in the office back in the states, thus allowing more time, useful energy and increased productivity to be devoted to other, more important tasks. Give the video a watch it’s interesting.

More American Workers Outsourcing Own Jobs Overseas

The following video concerning outsourcing is a revolutionary twist on outsourcing. American workers have themselves gotten into the act of sending their jobs overseas. For example; there are tasks, such as proof reading that could be accomplished overseas as well as it could be done in the office back in the states, thus allowing more time, useful energy and increased productivity to be devoted to other, more important tasks. Give the video a watch it’s interesting.

Additional postings regarding this topic and others may be found here:

Pmasmikea

Unknown user — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 03:01:16 EDT

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Open for Questions Review

Raven — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:01:24 EDT

March 26, 2009 We saw the president answer a few questions that were posted by Americans in a forum like manner. These same Americans could then vote on various other Questions posted by others. Now like most forum like polls. The most popular would be most likely voted into the position by those who are able to and are most affected by the Question. I was saddened to see that in the Veteran's Polls that the top question was about just the currewnt war veterans.

"The unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is higher than the national unemployment rate. Our veterans are a national treasure. How can you, the VA and I ensure our veterans are successfully transitioning into civilian life?"

1,797 votes

The next Question would have been the better Question to ask. For it covered all Veterans, both past and present.

"Pro-military or not, our veterans deserve at least the basics: food, shelter, health care. How can we work together to ensure the basics for our veterans?"

1,406 votes

I thank JillF in Chicago, IL for thinking of all Veterans instead of just the current ones coming home. But, if this Question is not answered soon. Many of the past and present Veterans will still be wondering when will it be their turn to be helped. Many will feel that this administration is still working the same angles. That the Veterans have "served their purpose" Now they will be thrown away with the rest of the "trash". People are not toys, nor are they machines to be recycled or placed in a dump. Which is exactly what has been done for years. These Veterans, whether they saw Combat time or not, volunteered for duty. Ever since the legislature was passed that abolished the draft, every Military Veteran has made the descision to join the Military and put their lives on the line to keep America the place that they have been led to believe it is and should be. Yet looking around many Basic freedoms are denied to these brave people who tried to make a difference for the many.

The veterans need the answers to these Questions that involve many of them. Especially the Homelessness. Disability can be partially relieved if the stress of not having a home is relieved. Many of the Mentally handicapped Veterans (PTSD, Brain Trauma, Night Terrors, Flash backs, etc.) Can be relieved if the Veterans has a secure place for them. Where they feel safe and secure in familiar surroundings that don't change unless they want it to change. Instead they have to move from place to place in many places no one have the ability or training to help these Veterans. I have seen Veterans who have been banned from facilities for the Homeless because of their mental problems which are then exacerbated by the stresses of being out on the streets. Many cases end in tragedy.

An Article placed by Common Dreams Org: Traumatised Veterans 'Have Killed 120 in US'
Which was posted in January 2008. Why was this not Noticed nor at least acknowledged? Because too many people were more worried about How much money they were not getting in the top 5% of the population who have more money then they know what to do with.

Another Article: 1 in 9 Veterans Unemployed
This one deals with Current War Veterans and their fears of coming home to no job after service. Which means no job and no home.

Now I see lots of "Veterans Homes" , but they are mainly for the elderly (both disabled and non-disabled). Not for the younger Veterans and their Families that need homes to get off the streets.

This article points out how Veterans who have been Mentally Traumatisedare being treated like they should be able to just go back to a normal life after being subjected to stresses that no civilian will ever have to face. (unless this country goes through another Civil War which is unlikely since not many would take up arms to try to fix the problems themselves instead of complaining about the problems then going back to doing the same old same old "Not my problem" attitudes.)

Texas Senate Veteran Affairs Committee Meeting

learner — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:26:07 EDT

Tomorrow there will be a Senate hearing on a number of bills before this year's legislative session that effect veterans. Below please find the bills being discussed. The hearings start at 1330hrs in the Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20. (See the specific bills and links below the main post.)

If you have time please come to the hearings to support these bills. If not please contact your state legislators and ask them to support these bills. SB1538 in particular is designed to actively recruit veterans to attend our state educational institutions. It is appalling how few of our veterans actually use their educational benefits and it is a shame that we are not educating our returning vets. Not only are we losing the economic asset that an educated veteran becomes but the Federal VA dollars that could be going into our state educational institutions.

Chris Frandsen

Co-Chairman, Texas Veterans for Obama

Open Letter to Veterans | Eric K. Shinseki

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:09:48 EDT

An Open Letter to Veterans | From Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki

WASHINGTON (March 13, 2009) - Following is an open letter to Veterans from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki:

"My name is Ric Shinseki, and I am a Veteran. For me, serving as Secretary of Veterans Affairs is a noble calling. It provides me the opportunity to give back to those who served with and for me during my 38 years in uniform and those on whose shoulders we all stood as we grew up in the profession of arms.

"The Department of Veterans Affairs has a solemn responsibility to all of you, today and in the future, as more Veterans join our ranks and enroll to secure the benefits and services they have earned. I am fully committed to fulfilling President Obama's vision for transforming our department so that it will be well-positioned to perform this duty even better during the 21st Century. We welcome the assistance and advice of our Veterans Service Organizations, other government departments and agencies, Congress, and all VA stakeholders as we move forward, ethically and transparently, so that Veterans and citizens can understand our efforts.

"Creating that vision for transforming the VA into a 21st Century organization requires a comprehensive review of our department. We approach that review understanding that Veterans are central to everything VA does. We know that results count, that the department will be measured by what we do, not what we promise, and that our best days as an organization supporting Veterans are ahead of us. We will fulfill President Lincoln's charge to care for ". . . him, who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan . . ." by redesigning and reengineering ourselves for the future.

"Transforming any institution is supremely challenging; I know this from my own experience in leading large, proud, complex, and high-performing organizations through change. But the best organizations must be prepared to meet the challenging times, evolving technology and, most importantly, evolving needs of clients. Historically, organizations that are unwilling or unable to change soon find themselves irrelevant.

You and your needs are not irrelevant.

"Veterans are our clients, and delivering the highest quality care and services in a timely, consistent and fair manner is a VA responsibility

I take that responsibility seriously and have charged all of the department's employees for their best efforts and support every day to meet our obligations to you. Our path forward is challenging, but the President and Congress support us. They have asked us to do this well-for you. Veterans are our sole reason for existence and our number one priority-bar none. I look forward to working together with all VA employees to transform our department into an organization that reflects the change and commitment our country expects and our Veterans deserve.

"Thank you, and God bless our military, our Veterans, and our Nation."

Signed: Eric K. Shinseki

Veterans hit hard by recession

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:08:47 EDT

Job fair held to help them find employment | By Evelyn Holmes

Many U.S. troops coming home to America's troubled economy have fallen on hard times. Some veterans find themselves looking for jobs to fight off foreclosure and other financial problems.

Sunday, a group of Chicago area community, business and government agencies came together to help them.

Fifteen months ago, Brian Jacobson put his fast food job on hold and headed to Iraq for an Army tour of duty, only to return home and become one of the thousands of jobless veterans.

"Now that I'm out, I find it hard because I don't have a set plan day-to-day," Jacobson

That's the reason why hundreds of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families attended the second annual Welcome Home celebration. That employment and information fair is the brainchild of Chicago area Veterans Affairs officials and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"As a returning Iraqi veteran, there was nothing here on campus. It's an opportunity," said Robert Malnik of the UIC Veterans Student Association.

"It's harder for them now. When they return home, there are not as many people hiring," Jesse brown VA Medical Center's Valerie Creedon said.

Fewer businesses looking to hire veterans showed up at the fair this year, but those that did hoped to fill their ranks with former soldiers.

Military Sexual Assault

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 20:08:49 EST

Marine Corps - “Victims of sexual assault are entitled to our support” | By Suzia Van Swol - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service and Talk Radio News Staff | Friday, March 6, 2009

The House Armed Forces Subcommittee held a Military Personnel hearing, today, on “Sexual Assault in the Military: Prevention.”

The subcommittee heard testimony from Carolyn Collins, program manger of the Army’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program, Raymond Bruneau, manager of the Marine Corps’ Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program; Katherine Robertson, deputy manager of the Navy Installation Command’s Counseling, Advocacy and Prevention Program and Charlene Bradley, assistant deputy for the force management integration in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Prevention and Response Office.

This was one in a series of hearings that this subcommittee will conduct on the subject of sexual assault in the military, this year. The hearing today focused on Prevention Programs that are currently in place.

Chairwoman Susan Davis (D-CA) said: “Just as we have the responsibility to ensure that victims of a sexual assault receive all the support that can be provided following an attack, we also have an obligation to do all we can to prevent such attacks from ever taking place. The Department of Defense has made significant improvements in recent years, but the question we need to ask is, has enough been done?”

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) asked the witnesses whether and why the question “do women belong in the military” was still an issue and stated that this needed to be addressed. She said there needs to be a “change in cultural attitudes” towards woman in the military, and more “effective laws.”

The prevention and after-care systems that were identified by the panel seemed focused on the woman; offering counseling for victims. There was no evidence of rehabilitation programs in place for the men who commit this offense.

Mr. Bruneau said: “People are our most important resource. Marines have a long history of taking care of their own. Which means that we do not intentionally harm one another. Nor, do we leave a comrade behind. Victims of sexual assault are entitled to our support and care and deserve to be returned to the fight as fully functioning marines. The marines as always, are committed to caring for their own, as it’s the right thing to do.”

The subcommittee showed three videos by the witnesses that have been created by and for the military in an attempt to highlight the serious nature of sexually criminal behavior.

Source:

http://talkradionews.com/2009/03/marine-corps-%E2%80%9Cvictims-of-sexual-assault-are-entitled-to-our-support%E2%80%9D/

VA Unopened Letters

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:40:17 EST

Heck of a job, VA. | By William Fisher | March 6, 2009

It's not as dramatic but it's just as heart-breaking - and as anger-making -- as our government's pitiful performance during Katrina.

I'm talking about employees in our Department of Veterans affairs putting ten of thousands of unopened letters containing benefit claims in desk drawers or in bins awaiting shredding.

I'm talking about the vets or their survivors who call to check on the status of a claim, only to be told that the VA has no record of their claim and that they should resubmit their paperwork.

I'm talking about the woman who claimed she had to submit paperwork to the VA three times to prove she was married and had three children.

I'm talking about vets' survivors who have to wait six to nine months for simple claims to be approved.

I'm talking about workers at a Detroit VA regional office who turned in 16,000 pieces of unprocessed mail during an "amnesty" period.

I'm talking about VA managers who told their staffs to post-date claims to make it appear the claims were being processed faster. A review found that 56 percent of claims had incorrectly recorded the dates when they were received, which in many cases determine the effective date for benefits payments. That raises serious questions about how many past claims have been delayed or denied.

When this news broke, there was the totally predictable outcry from Congress men and women, whose "support our troops and our vets and their families" has become an easy staple on their road to reelection. We're shocked! Shocked!

Rep. Bob Filner of California, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, has said he "has made it his priority to ensure that our veterans receive the honor and dedicated care that their courage and bravery demand." He has said he has directed his Committee to improve the health care and benefits for our veterans. He claims that he continues to fight to ensure that Congress keeps the promises that have been made to our veterans, not only the new generation of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan but also the generations from past conflicts.

Similar sentiments have been expressed by Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii - a World War Two vet -- who is chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the Senate. Sen. Akaka says he is "determined to honor this nation's veterans by ensuring they receive the care and benefits they have earned through selfless service."

So where was the Congressional oversight that's supposed to prevent this kind of outrage?

A.W.O.L.

But if this latest outrage came as a surprise to Congress and to most of the American people, to others, it was an old story -- albeit not the type that gets page one treatment or lots of time on cable news, like the unforgivable deficiencies exposed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Kathryn Witt of Gold Star Wives of America said survivors trying to receive VA benefits have long complained about problems getting accurate information and missing claims.

And Kerry Baker of the Disabled American Veterans said, "A large section of the veterans community and representatives of the community have long felt that the Veterans Benefits Administration operates in such a way that stalls the claims process until frustrated claimants either give up or die."

"Give up or die." Think about it. You're back from active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan and you've been injured. Or your spouse, or your son or daughter, won't ever be coming back, and you're trying to get the government to pay the debt they keep saying is so well earned.

Just filling out the paperwork would be tough enough under these circumstances. But can you imagine the unspeakable frustration you would feel after you file your claim and then - silence. You hear from no one, or you're told your claim was never received. Can you think of anything more likely to push a vet or a vet's family over the edge?

Why has this kind of stuff been happening for so many years? The main reason is that the VA is grossly under-staffed. And the reason it's so under-staffed is that it's operating with quill pens. Most of its so-called information technology is like something out of the 19th century, which means that claimants' records are on un-digitized paper.

Paper that piles up in people's desk drawers or in shredding bins.

When he appointed retired general Eric Shinseki to head the VA, President Obama said, "We owe it to all our veterans to honor them as we honored our greatest generation, not just with words, but with deeds." Obama said Shinseki was the right person to cut red tape, boost funding, and bring benefits to veterans.

"Not just with words, but with deeds."

Eric Shinseki is a smart guy. A guy who really cares about veterans and their families. But the task he confronts, just in this small corner of the VA, is Herculean.

Let's hope he's the kind of "bring-it-on" guy who's really ready to "cut red tape, boost funding, and bring benefits to veterans."

But he shouldn't have to do it all alone. We can help him by writing our representatives in Congress.

Rep. Filner can be reached at (202) 225-8045. Sen. Akaka can be reached at 202) 224-9126.

Source:

http://www.opednews.com/populum/print_friendly.php?ok=y&p=Heck-of-a-job-VA-by-William-Fisher-090306-936.html

Author's Website: http://billfisher.blogspot.com

Author's Bio: William Fisher has managed economic development programs in the Middle East and elsewhere for the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development. He served in the international affairs area in the Kennedy Administration and now writes on subjects ranging from human rights to foreign affairs for a number of newspapers ond online journals.

Unopened Claims Letters Hidden at VA Offices

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:36:19 EST

A new report about Veterans Affairs Department employees squirreling away tens of thousands of unopened letters related to benefits claims is sparking fresh concerns that veterans and their survivors are being cheated out of money.

VA officials acknowledge further credibility problems based on a new report of a previously undisclosed 2007 incident in which workers at a Detroit regional office turned in 16,000 pieces of unprocessed mail and 717 documents turned up in New York in December during amnesty periods in which workers were promised no one would be penalized.

“Veterans have lost trust in VA,” Michael Walcoff, VA’s under secretary for benefits, said at a hearing Tuesday. “That loss of trust is understandable, and winning back that trust will not be ea sy.”

VETERANS AFFAIRS JOBS

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:59:39 EST

Many Hires Needed for Budget Goals

Several major agencies said they are already making plans to grow their workforces, some significantly.

Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs, for instance, said they expect to hire more than 17,000 new employees by the end of the year, many at hospitals and other facilities to fulfill Obama's pledge to expand veterans' access to health care.

The agency -- whose budget will grow by 11 percent, to $56 billion, under Obama's plan -- will add about 7,900 nurses, 3,300 doctors, 3,800 clerks and 2,400 practical nurses, spokeswoman Josephine Schuda said.

Full article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030202935.html?hpid=topnews

Military Backs Obama Plan

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:50:41 EST

Military Leaders Back Obama's Iraq Plan By Paula Wolfson | Washington| 01 March 2009
America's top military leaders say they back President Barack Obama's plan to drawdown U.S. forces in Iraq. They indicated in broadcast interviews they are fairly confident the plan will move forward on schedule.

President Obama's broadcast address, 28 Feb 2009After extensive consultations with defense officials, the president went before members of the military Friday to announce his plan to end the war in Iraq.

"By August 31st, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," said Mr. Obama.

Roughly two-thirds of the 142,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq will come home. The remainder, 35 to 50,000, will stay behind as a transition force. In time, they too will leave.

"I intend to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011," he said.

That timetable is in keeping with an agreement reached between the United States and Iraq in the last weeks of the Bush administration.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, the only holdover from the Bush Cabinet, says President Obama retains the ability as commander-in-chief to modify the withdrawal plan. But during an appearance on the NBC television program Meet the Press, he appeared confident no changes will be needed.

"I would characterize the likelihood of significant adjustments to this plan as fairly remote," said Gates.

Gates was asked about criticism of the plan from members of the president's Democratic Party, who do not like the idea of a large transitional force in Iraq until 2011.

He stressed their mission will be very different from the combat forces now in place. The defense secretary acknowledged the remaining troops will still face some danger, but far less than today.

"It is a very different kind of mission and the units that will be left there will be characterized differently, they will be called advisory and assistance brigades," he said. "They will not be called combat brigades."

U.S. commanders have indicated they are strongly supportive of the plan. The nation's top military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, told the Fox News Sunday program that he is comfortable with the president's decision.

"Clearly, the conditions are much more positive than they were two years ago," said Mullen. "And the conditions are set for the Iraqi government, the Iraqi people, to take over their own country and be responsible for it."

Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen said they were pleased with the process that led to the withdrawal plan.

Mullen said the president listened extensively to the commanders. And Gates said he thought Mr. Obama was more analytical than his predecessor, George W. Bush.

"He makes sure he hears from everybody in the room on an issue, and if they do not speak out, he calls on them," he said.

Gates said he does not know how long he might be willing to stay at the Pentagon, but admitted it might be a challenge to remain through President Obama's current four-year term in office.

Source: Voice of America

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-01-voa16.cfm

Military Electronic Medical Records

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:44:11 EST

Orlando Illi: Unraveling a Web of Medical Records, One Veteran at a Time

From the Partnership for Public Service | Sunday, March 1, 2009; 11:00 PM

Orlando Illi has been a man on a mission, a very personal mission to change the way the military handles medical records.

Three decades ago, Illi was thrown from a vehicle during an Army training accident, hospitalized for a month and left with permanent back injuries. Many years later the medical file detailing his injury could not be found when he applied for veterans' disability benefits, causing him great difficulty proving his claim.

Now a civilian manager working for the Army at Fort Detrick in Maryland, Illi is playing a pivotal role bringing electronic medical records to the battlefield -- a task that is helping improve the care of wounded soldiers and ensuring that injured veterans will not have to fight our government for the benefits they deserve.

"When I leave here at night, I know that somewhere in Afghanistan or Iraq that if somebody is injured or in combat and wounded, that data is being captured and that guy will know forever what happened to him," said Illi. "That's what keeps me going. That is the bottom line."

Illi, deputy product manager with the Army's Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Team, or MC4, has been a steady and persistent hand for almost 10 years in helping oversee the worldwide deployment, expansion and improvement of the military's electronic medical records system that today is used in 14 countries.

While President Obama has made electronic medical records one of the hallmarks of the recently--approved economic stimulus package, Illi and his team have been ahead of the curve. The Army's MC4 unit has already trained more than 33,000 personnel, fielded 28,000 laptops, servers and handheld devices used to collect 9.6 million medical encounters.

The system has made a real difference.

When a soldier is injured in Iraq, doctors and nurses in the field hospitals use MC4's system to immediately create a permanent electronic record of the patient's condition, treatment and medications -- digital records that follow the soldier to larger military hospitals in Iraq, Germany or the United States. This allows doctors to have the complete medical history at their fingertips, and to make quick and often critical life-saving decisions.

"We used the MC4 system daily," said Mary Miller, a nurse in St. Charles, Mo., who served in a combat support hospital in the Iraqi desert in 2007 and 2008.

"We would build a record from the get-go, from the first point of contact when an injury or illness occurred'' said Miller, an Army Reservist.

Miller said before the "user-friendly" system was put in place, a paper record was created and sent from the frontlines to the next treatment center with an injured solider. ``Things would get lost and there would be no continuum of care,'' she said. "Now they can pull up the record and see everything."

Illi's boss, MC4 Product Manager Lt. Col.William Geesey, said Illi has been a big part of the program since its inception and is "relentless and committed in everything he does."

"He's seen the program grow from only a handful of people in 1999 to an outfit that's meeting a global mission with a workforce of more than 250 people," said Geesey.

"Getting doctors and commanders to adopt new technology in the war zone has been MC4's biggest challenge, and remains so," said Geesey. "Orie's historical knowledge of the program and ability to collaborate with industry and military partners has been the difference between success and failure."

Army Major Kevin Peck, who served in Iraq and is now a chief information officer stationed in Korea, said MC4 technical support teams have been responsive to those in combat, providing software and hardware "way faster than anything else ordered when in theater."

"If I put in a ticket to get a problem solved on the ground, the guys get on it right away and work nonstop to fix it," said Peck. "They provide excellent support for the system down range."

Illi said it is satisfying knowing he is helping save lives and sparing other veterans the same personal ordeal he endured when trying to link his medical condition to his military service.

"Everyone else in this office feels the same way," he said. "We are all here for the same reason."

(This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and washingtonpost.com. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more about the organization's work to recognize the men and women who serve our nation.)

Source:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022702059_pf.html

DAV Legislative Agenda

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:32:28 EST

DAV Presents Legislative Agenda at Hearing of House, Senate Veteran Affairs Committees

Washington, DC - On Tuesday, February 24, 2009, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee led by Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee led by Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI), held a joint hearing to receive the legislative presentation of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

“Later this week, the Obama Administration will submit an overview of the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010,” said Chairman Filner. “Funding for veterans benefits and health care services is without question a top priority for this Congress and the Administration, and I believe it is a continuing cost of our national defense. The service and sacrifice of our veterans are real, and the VA’s budget must provide the realistic funding to meet their needs.”

National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans, Raymond E. Dempsey, testified, “[B]enefits and services for disabled veterans, in fact all veterans, remain primarily the responsibility of our government. The citizens and government of a country that sends its men and women to defend its homeland and fight its wars have a strong moral obligation to repay them for bearing such a heavy burden. Our indebtedness to veterans is more important than any other part of our national debt because, without their sacrifices, we would not exist as a nation.”

Today’s hearing marks the first joint Senate and House meeting in the 111th Congress to receive legislative presentations from veterans service organizations. The House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees have scheduled future joint hearings to receive legislative presentations from Paralyzed Veterans of America, Blinded Veterans Association, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Wounded Warrior Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Ex-POWs, Gold Star Wives, AMVETS, Fleet Reserve Association, The Retired Enlisted Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, Air Force Sergeants Association, Non Commissioned Officers Association, and Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Source: Imperial Valley News |

http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4479&Itemid=2

Veterans Affairs Budget

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:06:02 EST

Vets group challenges Shinseki to beef up budget, staff | By Kelly Kennedy

A new report from Veterans for Common Sense comes as a reminder of what the Veterans Affairs Department needs to fix: backlogged disability cases, too many suicide attempts and patients waiting weeks to see mental health providers.

But it’s also a predictor of what’s ahead: In a bad economy, fewer veterans will have good civilian health care plans.

A variety of factors will add to the pressure on VA’s patient load. Congress just awarded veterans who deploy five years of free health care after they leave service; more people are seeking mental health help; VA is catching more problems by screening veterans for brain injuries and mental health issues; and President Barack Obama just announced a troop surge in Afghanistan.

VA’s 2010 budget proposal is due out in April, and new VA Secretary Eric Shinseki will have to break his department’s habit of budgeting low and claiming it can make do with what it has if he wants to impress the veterans groups that have been pushing for more funding since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began.

“He will have to streamline processes,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense. “He needs to hire more staff. He needs to ask for more money. He needs to remove top leaders who are bogging down the claims process.”

In his confirmation hearing in January, Shinseki said he planned to come up with a “credible budget” and acknowledged that VA needs to move past barriers to care, such as backlogs and too few doctors. “I intend to be a forceful advocate for veterans,” he said at the time.

After filing several Freedom of Information Act requests with VA and the Defense Department, as well as gaining information from lawsuits against VA, Veterans for Common Sense issued the report “Looking Forward: The Status and Future of VA.”

“VA has repeatedly sat in front of Congress and said, ‘We are sufficiently resourced.’ And Congress says, ‘You keep telling us that; tell us what you need.’ People kept asking us for more information about what’s needed.”

The report, Sullivan said, gives legislators the data they need to ask specific questions and get specific answers.

“If [Shinseki] doesn’t take advantage of this golden moment to address these problems, the door will close,” Sullivan said. “If Congress hadn’t forcibly pumped money into VA over the past few years, VA’s crises would have already become a catastrophe.”

BY THE NUMBERS

According to a report by Veterans for Common Sense:

• In January, VA had a backlog of 625,000 disability claims.

• Those claims take an average of six months to process, with post-traumatic stress disorder cases taking longer.

• As of September, VA had treated more than 400,000 patients from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Of those, 105,000 were diagnosed with PTSD.

• Of those 105,000, about 25 percent had to wait more than 30 days to see a doctor.

• In 2008, 12,000 veterans in VA care attempted suicide — about 33 a day.

• There were 154,000 homeless vets in 2008, according to VA.

• The Rand Corp. has estimated that 320,000 vets are at-risk for traumatic brain injuries, and another 338,000 will need to be treated for PTSD or depression.

• Among VA patients from the current wars, 45 percent had one or more mental conditions.

• If the wars were to end today, VA should plan for 750,000 patients from among the 1.83 million people who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Source: AF Times http://www.airforcetimes.com/benefits/health/military_woundednumbers_022409w/

Obama Cruces Connection: Global Issues Group Meeting recap for Thursday, Feb. 19 2009

Bryan J Chasko — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:29:03 EST

Obama Cruces Connection:
Global Issues Group
Meeting recap for Thursday, Feb. 19 2009

NEXT MONTH'S MEETINGS:

General meeting of the Obama Cruces Connectionis:
Saturday, March 14th at 11am
1400 S Solano Ave

Pending schedule approval, the agreed upon time and date for next month's meeting of the Global Issues Group: Obama Cruces Connection:
Thursday, March 19th at 6pm
1400 S Solano Ave

Top 3 Points for Future Action:

Plan to Plan- Find & bring in a volunteer with PR experience to help us plan the agenda and activities of the group; chair will lead this effort.
"When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love."
Share- Begin the practice of sharing articles & media pertinent to our discussions which we may then share with the public.
"Wisdom alone is true ambition's aim, wisdom is the source of virtue and of fame; obtained with labour, for mankind employed and then, when most you share it, best enjoyed." - Alfred North Whitehead
Utilize Human Capital- During the planning, focus intensely on ensuring that as volunteers become involved there is opportunity to actively contribute and be rewarded by achieving tangible results.
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Fallen Soldiers at Dover

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:41:30 EST

News coverage of flag-draped coffins has been a major debate since President Barack Obama announced a review of the policy, which we wrote about here today.

Since 1991, during the Gulf War, media access has been banned at the air force base in Dover where casualties -- now many from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars -- go through on their last journey home.

Nearly two-thirds of military families do not support lifting the ban, according to an informal poll released by one coalition of military families today. This is not a scientific survey, but the responses certainly add to the debate.

Families United for Our Troops and their Mission asked its 60,000-plus members via email how they felt. So far, they've received about 600 responses. Here's what they think:

64 percent believe that the policy should not be changed

21 percent feel if the ban is overturned then families of the fallen should determine media access on a case-by-case basis

12 percent indicated a desire to overturn the policy and allow all flag-draped caskets to be photographed.

"We at Families United are not advocating overturning the current ban, but if the Obama Administration is demanding a change then we strongly believe that the decision to permit media at Dover [air force base] should be left to the family members of the fallen hero," said Brian Wise, executive director of Families United, in a statement.

At least 4245 members of the US military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003.

Coffins of fallen troops arrive at Dover Air Force Base, Del. The Air Force released this undated photo after a Freedom of Information Act request.

Source: Dallas Morning News Wed, Feb 18, 2009

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/02/more-military-families-weigh-i.html

UHAUL ARMY EMPLOYMENT

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:38:06 EST

Wed., Feb. 18, 2009 PHOENIX, Feb. 18, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)

U-Haul, in addition to supporting our veterans and troops throughout the world, now will become a partner with the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, which will allow U-Haul to provide priority status to qualified members of the Army who are participating in the Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) Program.

Under the terms of the agreement between U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) and U-Haul, enlistees interested in gaining specific job training and qualifications will receive that training while in the U.S. Army. As part of the enlistment process, recruits sign a statement of understanding of their interest to work for U-Haul upon completion of their term of service. As they near the end of their enlistments, these members of the Army will have the opportunity to interview with U-Haul for a specific job at a specific location.

"U-Haul has supported our military personnel since 1945 and has always given a high priority to veterans in our recruiting process, so this partnership is a natural fit," stated U-Haul International President John ("J.T.") Taylor. "U-Haul simply wants to give back to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. Veterans have the qualities that we look for in our U-Haul team members: dedication, an excellent work ethic and strong leadership values."

U-Haul will be signing the agreement with the U.S. Army during a ceremony on February 20, 2009 at 10 a.m., at U-Haul International, Inc., 2727 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Ariz., with Colonel Michelle D. Mitchell, Battalion Commander, U.S. Army Phoenix Recruiting Battalion, and Colonel Robert Akam Commander of the 5th Recruiting Brigade out of San Antonio, TX.

"The Army is excited to add U-Haul to its team of corporate partners," said LTC Michelle Mitchell. "Signing this agreement enables our recruiters to offer quality employment opportunities to Soldiers upon entering the civilian workforce."

About U-Haul

After World War II, there existed a widespread need for do-it-yourself moving equipment on a one-way, nationwide basis. World War II veteran and U-Haul founder L.S. "Sam" Shoen and his wife, Anna Mary Carty Shoen, recognized that need and acted upon it. Ever since, U-Haul has been the undisputed choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 15,650 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces.

U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the Company to maintain a fleet of 96,000 trucks, 75,000 trailers and 35,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 387,000 storage rooms and more than 34 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,075 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.

About U.S. Army Recruiting Command

The U.S. Army Recruiting Command, headquartered at Fort Knox, recruits quality men and women to serve in the Army and Army Reserve. Approximately 8,000 soldiers and civilian employees conduct recruiting operations throughout the States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and at U.S. facilities in Germany and Asia. http://armypays.com/

CONTACT: U-Haul Public Relations Joanne Fried Ashleigh Wagner (602) 263-6194 publicrelations@uhaul.com U.S. Army Phoenix Recruiting Battalion Public Affairs Deborah Marie Gibson (602) 254-1981 deborah.gibson@usarec.army.mil

Source: MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29266273/

Stand down of recruiters

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:01:22 EST

The Army has ordered a stand-down of its recruiting force on Friday, Feb. 13. The one day stand-down includes all 7,000 active duty and 1,400 Army Reserve recruiters. During that day the soldiers will receive training on leadership, suicide prevention, coping skills, recruiter wellness. The stand-down was ordered after an investigation of four suicides in the Houston Recruiting Battalion.

Poor command climate, failing personal relationships and long, stressful work days were factors in the suicides. All four recruiters were combat veterans (Iraq and Afghanistan) although none had been diagnosed with PTSD.

The Army's suicide rate increased from 12.4/100,000 soldiers in 2003 to 18.1/100,000 soldiers in 2007. This is an all-time high for the service. (This information is from an article in the "Army Times", 1/27/2009.)

Letter to the President from Army of Dude, Very Important

Annette Sousley — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:35:55 EST

This is for Alex, a young veteran of the Iraq War. I have linked to his blog before, in the B A D list, when the Weblog Awards were going on and I have talked about it at other times.

Well, this morning I noticed there was a new post, so I went to read it. I have been touched deeply by Alex's posts before, but this one really, really touched my heart. So, I am asking you to read this post, I am putting here, I will also link to his blog, he is a very talented writer, and you can follow your heart, but I think you will see where he and I are coming from. I hope you will write to Pres. Obama as I am and ask that he spare Alex's friend and all the others who are caught up in this back door draft that the Bushies got us into. Because that's how it is. So, read this and see what you think. Then if you want, go here to "http://armyofdude.blogspot.com/ and read more.

More after the fold

Subcommittee Assignments for House Veterans' Affairs Committee

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:26:44 EST

VETERANS: This is who is introducing legislation on your behalf.

*************************************

Washington, DC - Today, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Bob Filner, announced Subcommittee assignments.

Members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs:

Bob Filner, CA, Chairman, Corrine Brown, FL, Vic Snyder, AR, Michael M. Michaud, ME , Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, SD, Harry E. Mitchell, AZ, John J. Hall, NY, Deborah L. Halvorson, IL, Thomas S.P. Perriello, VA, Harry Teague, NM, Ciro D. Rodriguez, TX, Joe Donnelly, IN, Jerry McNerney, CA, Zachary T. Space, OH, Timothy J. Walz, MN, John H. Adler, NJ, Ann Kirkpatrick, AZ, Glenn C. Nye, VA, Steve Buyer, IN, Ranking Member, Cliff Stearns, FL, Jerry Moran, KS, Henry E. Brown, Jr., SC, Jeff Miller, FL, John Boozman, AR, Brian P. Bilbray, CA, Doug Lamborn, CO, Gus M. Bilirakis, FL, Vern Buchanan, FL, David P. Roe, TN

Subcommittee Assignments for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs:

Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs:

John J. Hall, New York, Chairman, Deborah L. Halvorson, Illinois, Joe Donnelly, Indiana, Ciro D. Rodriguez, Texas, Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona, Doug Lamborn, Ranking Member, Jeff Miller, Florida, Brian P. Bilbray, California

Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity:

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, South Dakota, Chairwoman, Thomas S.P. Perriello, Virginia, John H. Adler, New Jersey, Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona, Harry Teague, New Mexico, John Boozman, Arkansas, Ranking Member, Jerry Moran, Kansas, Gus M. Bilirakis, Florida

Subcommittee on Health:

Michael H. Michaud, Maine, Chairman, Corrine Brown, Florida, Vic Snyder, Arkansas, Harry Teague, New Mexico, Ciro D. Rodriguez, Texas, Joe Donnelly, Indiana, Jerry McNerney, California, Glenn C. Nye, Virginia, Deborah L. Halvorson, Illinois, Thomas S.P. Perriello, Virginia, Henry E. Brown, Jr., South Carolina, Ranking Member, Cliff Stearns, Florida, Jerry Moran, Kansas, John Boozman, Arkansas, Gus M. Bilirakis, Florida, Vern Buchanan, Florida

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations:

Harry E. Mitchell, Arizona, Chairman, Zachary T. Space, Ohio, Timothy J. Walz, Minnesota, John H. Adler, New Jersey, John J. Hall, New York, David P. Roe, Tennessee, Ranking Member, Cliff Stearns, Florida, Brian P. Bilbray, California

Source:

http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4157&Itemid=1

Shinseki: More VA claims processors on the way

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:22:21 EST

By HOPE YEN | WASHINGTON (AP)

Eric K. Shinseki, the new Veterans Affairs secretary, said Wednesday he is trying to reduce the six-month delays in paying veterans' disability claims, and he wants to move quickly toward an all-electronic claims system that could speed up the process.

In his first appearance before Congress since becoming secretary, Shinseki said the VA is looking at a major switch that would phase out paper processing, possibly by 2012. In the meantime, the VA will hire 1,100 more staff this year to deal with the backlog of cases, which typically involve paper stacks "going halfway to the ceiling," he said.

"This is a brute-force solution," Shinseki told the House Veterans Affairs Committee, adding that a technological format is needed "to ensure timely, accurate consistent decision-making on behalf of our veterans. This is part of what our backlog is about. That will take investment, of course," he said.

In his testimony, Shinseki also said he was launching a topdown review of his embattled department and reiterated his promise to submit a "credible and adequate 2010 budget request" that will be cost-effective while fully sensitive to veterans in need.

"If it's going to be solved any faster, it's going to take leadership," he said of the challenge ahead, promising a "change of culture" at the government's second largest agency.

Shinseki, a former Army chief of staff, is taking over the VA that was accused during the Bush administration of not doing enough to meet veterans' growing needs. Thousands of veterans currently endure six-month waits for disability benefits, and the VA is scrambling to upgrade government technology systems before new legislation providing for millions of dollars in new GI benefits takes effect in August.

PTSD, I am shell-shocked!!

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:45:40 EST

Combat stress reaction, in the past commonly known as shell shock or battle fatigue, is a military term used to categorize a range of behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the combatant's fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue, slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one's surroundings, and inability to prioritize.

Combat stress reaction is generally short-term and should not be confused with acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other long-term disorders attributable to combat stress although any of these may commence as a combat stress reaction.

Shell Shocked
Battle Fatigue
Operational Exhaustion
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

I don't care what the Department of Defense is calling it in our generation. If our military service members answered the call, they should have the proper care when they come home.

Find out more here: http://iava.org/

Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:28:41 EST

Army Times | Tuesday Feb 3, 2009 8:57:56 EST

A Harvard University researcher with some radical ideas about how to reduce the backlog of veterans disability claims appears to be in line to head the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Linda Blimes, a public policy lecturer and research at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to operate like the Internal Revenue Service — on an honor system that trusts veterans claiming service-connected disabilities. All veterans claims would be approved as soon as they are filed, with a random audit conducted to “weed out and deter fraudulent claims,” Blimes told the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee in testimony in 2008.

Ninety percent of veterans disability claims end up being paid after they make it through the system, she said — proof, she said, that most veterans are asking only for what they deserve.

Immediate payment of at least a minimum benefit would help to reduce the average 180-day waiting time for initial benefits claims to be processed and allow VA to redeploy the employees processing those claims to work on more complicated appeals, she said.

Blimes also has talked of a vastly simplified disability rating system that would have just four ratings instead of the current 10 for service-connected disabilities and illnesses.

Blimes has not been formally announced as a nominee, but her name is being circulated among lawmakers and congressional staff in what has become a standard procedure to determine whether there is any strong opposition to her taking the key post.

Her idea of a streamlined claims process has some prominent supporters, among them Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman who has talked of automatic claims approval as a way to quickly eliminate the claims backlog.

Duckworth to be named to veterans' post

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:23:41 EST

By John McCormick | Tribune staff reporter

10:29 PM CST, February 2, 2009

Obama intends to nominate her an assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs

Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, will be nominated by President Barack Obama to be an assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a White House official said late Monday.

The source said Obama intends to nominate Duckworth to be an assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs.

Duckworth, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, will be yet another Illinois resident expected to move to Washington to join Obama's administration.

On Veterans Day, shortly after Obama was elected president, Duckworth joined the then president-elect to place a wreath on a bronze memorial at Chicago's Soldier Field, a highly visible appearance that prompted speculation that she might be picked for a job in his administration.

Duckworth's name was also among those mentioned as possible replacements for Obama in the Senate.

After growing up in Southeast Asia as the daughter of a U.S. Army officer, Duckworth earned a master's degree in international affairs at George Washington University.

She enlisted in the Illinois Army Reserve in 1992. While piloting a Black Hawk helicopter north of Baghdad in November 2004, Duckworth was seriously wounded, losing both legs, after her craft was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-duckworth-appoint-feb02,0,1817024.story

America's Wounded Warriors March

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:05:02 EST

MOPH: America's Wounded Warriors March on Washington, DC | Feb. 2, 2009

Responding to President Obama's call for all Americans to get more involved, America's Wounded Warriors from across the country will converge on Washington, D.C. the second week of February, 2009 to meet with their Senators and Members of Congress. Their purpose will be to educate their Representatives on the issues of greatest importance to all Veterans, not just those who have been wounded in combat.

Coming by twos and threes from almost every State and Territory, Capitol Hill will be awash in a sea of color as some 100 members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart travel the halls of Congress, their distinctive blue blazers adorned with the medals they were awarded for defending our National freedoms. The most prominent of these will be the Purple Heart Medal worn on their lapel, the symbol of dedicated service to the country.

According to Hershel Gober, National Legislative Director for the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), "It is important that Members of Congress hear directly from their own MOPH constituents about issues of importance to Veterans in their respective states and nationally."

Hall reappointed chairman of Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:21:18 EST

WASHINGTON – The House Veterans' Affairs Committee has voted to reappoint Democrat Congressman John Hall of Dover Plains as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Hall was appointed as chairman of the Subcommittee in 2007 as a freshman lawmaker.

"The ability to work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee to make sure disabled veterans get the benefits they have earned is truly my greatest honor in Congress," said Hall. "I want to continue serving as the voice of Hudson Valley veterans in Congress and ensure that our government lives up to its sacred contract with veterans."

As chairman of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee last term, Congressman Hall wrote and passed into law groundbreaking legislation to overhaul the Veterans Administration's disability claims bureaucracy.

Hall said his top priority is to reduce the backlog of 800,000 disability claims at the VA. "Overseeing the implementation of my reform bill is going to play a big role in cutting through the VA's red tape to get veterans their benefits faster and easier,” he said. “As part of this, we must recognize PTSD and other mental injuries as war wounds and give veterans the appropriate treatment and care for these disabling injuries without forcing them to jump through unnecessary hoops."

Hall was also appointed as a member of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation and will also continue serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

John Hall's Web Link: http://johnhall.house.gov/issue_veteransaffairs.asp

Secretary Shinseki Announces Choice for Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:37:01 EST

Secretary Shinseki Announces Choice for Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON (Jan. 30, 2009) - Today, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki praised President Barack Obama's intent to nominate W. Scott Gould as next Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Gould is currently vice president for public sector strategy at IBM Global Business Services and a former intelligence officer in the naval reserve. He has public service experience at both the departments of Commerce and Treasury.

Shinseki said, "Scott and I share a reverence for those who have served in uniform. He is fully committed to fulfilling President Obama's vision and my goals for transforming the Department of Veterans Affairs into a 21st Century organization, and he understands the fundamentals that will drive that transformation: Veteran-centric, results-oriented and forward looking."

Shinseki further said that Gould possesses a unique and wide-ranging set of skills in information technologies, acquisition, budget, human resources and leading the modernization of large, complex organizations. "Scott's expertise in these areas, as well as his broad experience in the public sector, the private sector and the military, will prove invaluable for better serving our Veterans," Shinseki added.

Gould worked in the public sector as the chief financial officer and assistant secretary for administration at the Commerce Department and deputy assistant secretary for finance and management at the Treasury Department from 1994 to 1999. As a White House Fellow, he worked at the Export-Import Bank of the United States and in the Office of the White House Chief of Staff.

Prior to his job at IBM, he was chief executive officer of The O'Gara Company, a strategic advisory and investment services firm, and chief operating officer of Exolve, a technology services company.

As a naval reservist, Gould served at sea aboard the guided missile destroyer Richard E. Byrd and as assistant professor of naval science at Rochester University. He was recalled to active duty for both Operation Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom as a naval intelligence reservist.

During President Obama's campaign and after his election, Gould was co-chair of the National Veterans Policy Team, Obama for America, and co-chair of the Veterans Agency Review Team for the Presidential Transition Team.

A fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, Gould is a former member of the National Security Agency's Technical Advisory Group and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Overseers. He has been awarded the Department of Commerce Medal, the Treasury Medal and the Navy Meritorious Service Medal and is coauthor of The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in the Public Service. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University and a masters in business administration and a doctorate in education from the University of Rochester. Gould is married to Michèle A. Flournoy, and they have three children: Alec, Victoria and Aidan.

Shinseki to Enter Veterans Affairs With Daunting Task of Job Creation for Soldiers

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:39:54 EST

Congratulations General on your appointment! Please let us know how we can help you!!! The American people will not turn their backs on you like the Bush Administration did.

Retired four-star Gen. Eric K. Shinseki is facing a daunting task as the probable next head of the Veterans Affairs Department -- getting soldiers returning from the field into the workforce in a very weak employment environment

WASHINGTON-- Retired four-star Gen. Eric K. Shinseki will face a daunting task if he is confirmed as the next secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department: getting soldiers returning from war into the workforce in a very troublesome employment climate.

Nearly 900,000 veterans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they could have a hard time finding or keeping a job. Many have been in and out of the workforce because of multiple deployments, and others face the prospect of being deployed overseas again.

"The unemployment rate among veterans is high and dramatically increasing," said Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq war veteran and head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has consulted informally. "We need to hear about job creation, and how we are going to get veterans out and to work."

Shinseki, whose confirmation hearing will be held Wednesday before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, will be expected to engage in a government-wide job creation strategy. The challenge will be especially daunting because of the numbers of military members who have returned recently from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the even greater number expected to return as America withdraws its fighting troops from Iraq.

Obama has instructed each of his Cabinet nominees to begin charting out job-creation strategies as part of his overall vision of generating more than 3 million jobs through a proposed $775 billion economic recovery package. In his weekly radio address on Saturday, Obama said 90 percent of the jobs would be created in the private sector.

His remarks came one day after the Labor Department announced the nation's unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent in December, a loss of 524,000 jobs in a month. For all of 2008, the country lost a total of 2.6 million jobs.

US Army recalls 16,000 pieces of body armor

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:52:01 EST

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The US Army announced Thursday it has recalled 16,000 units of body armor after an audit determined they were not tested properly and posed a potential danger to soldiers.

The army vehemently contested the conclusions of the audit report by the Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General (DOD IG), which said three out of eight designs tested and approved by the army had actually failed testing.

But the department nevertheless pulled the protective gear as a precautionary measure.

The report "identified a range of issues involving Army testing processes and documentation dating back to 2007," the US Army said in a statement.

The Army stressed it had already identified problems raised by the inspector general and "moved aggressively to fix them," including instituting reforms to equipment testing.

"Out of more than 2,300 body armor tests conducted by the Army, the DoD IG is questioning three of them," Secretary of the Army Pete Geren said in the statement.

The Pentagon's Directorate of Operational Test and Evaluation, "the government's preeminent independent expert, says the plates passed those three tests," Geren said.

According to a copy of the DoD IG report released Thursday, the first-article testing meant to confirm the product meets US Army specifications "was not consistently conducted or scored in accordance with contract terms, conditions, and specifications."

"As a result, the Army does not have assurance that all inserts purchased under Contract 0040 provide the level of protection required," the report said, referring to the armor plates inserted into bullet-proof vests.

The army argued that the report implied the military issued defective armor plates to its troops.

"There is nothing more important than the safety of our soldiers, their confidence in their equipment, and America's confidence in their Army," Geren said in a statement.

"We think we utilized valid processes and we came to the correct conclusion," Brigadier General Peter Fuller, who oversees the equipment issued to Army soldiers, said during a conference call.

"We provide the best we can to our soldiers. No one has been killed because they have defective body armor," Fuller added. "Why is that? Because we don't issue defective body armor."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hrEHJDYzokgq3hDXbPUZXMmaEL8g

Military substance abuse

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:41:25 EST

Sen. Claire McCaskill wants to force the Pentagon to change its substance abuse treatment policies worldwide in the wake of recent failures to help addicted personnel at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

McCaskill, D-Mo., questioned Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a congressional hearing Tuesday and disclosed plans to introduce legislation that would give confidentiality to servicemen and women who get addicted to drugs such as Oxycontin, often after being wounded in combat.

McCaskill described to Gates what she called a "scandal" at Fort Leonard Wood in which more than 150 soldiers dating back to 2007 had trouble getting help for addiction and waited for as long as nine months for treatment.

She attributed chronic problems to military policy in which drug and liquor problems typically are treated as disciplinary matters, not medical issues.

Army records show that legal painkiller use by injured troops has increased nearly 70 percent since the start of the Iraq war six years ago. Surveys show that more soldiers are struggling with prescription drug addiction while also seeking help from Army doctors and counselors.

Eight soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood were convicted by court martial in 2008 of illegal drug use or distribution. Five more await trial on similar charges.

Jan. 27, 2009 -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates testifies about strains on the Pentagon's budget during an a appearance Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill. Gates, the only Cabinet holdover from the Bush Administration, is recuperating from surgery to his left arm, which he injured handling snow equipment over the holidays.

By Bill Lambrecht POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF

RENEW AMERICA CAMPAIGN

WEBMASTER — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:19:00 EST

BLOGFEST 19 January 2009 * Murphy's Grand Irish Pub * Alexandria VA Websites:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/obama-blogfest/1628668081

More than 100 experienced bloggers and community leaders met on 19 January 2009 in Alexandria Virginia to celebrate the Inauguration of Barack Obama and participate in the National Day of Service, which fell on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

To rise to the USA Service challenge, attendees raised over a thousand dollars on behalf of The Fisher House, an organization dedicating to helping family members of wounded soldiers and veterans. The Fisher House (http://www.fisherhouse.org) program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The Fisher House Foundation has received an A+ rating from Charity Watch. Fisher House Foundation is a not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.

The bloggers held a raffle and received donations by the attendees.

For the entertainment, Shirley Green, a Chicago based soul and gospel singer kicked off the event with a favorite hymn of Martin Luther King Jr., after which time, Jewish comedians Susannah Perlman and Jeff Kreisler provided political humor.

David Apperson, a U.S. Army veteran and nationally known barackobama.com webmaster provided tips to attendees to increase blogger presence and expand readership. Mr. Apperson explained the new system Change.gov, which is now Whitehouse.gov. The methodology he shared harnesses the power of the blog community and is designed to provide additional visibility to the new administration.

Mr. Apperson will utilized this service event to begin a nine month journey touring the country and helping people from all walks of life participate in the Obama administration and community service through USAService.org

As Master of Ceremonies, Lisa Holmes, a longtime advocate for veterans rights, called upon some attendees to share their organizations experiences.

Derek Donovan inspired the audience with a nine minute documentary on the Fisher House. The presentation deeply moved the audience.

Ravi Gupta talked about his dream of Peace in our Hands, Ed Ablard shared information about transitional housing for homeless veterans in Northern Virginia.

Chris Stearns of nish.org, an agency that supports a network of over 2,100 non-profit organizations, employing 40,000 disabled Americans presented Derek Donovan, a retired Marine Colonel and Vice President of Operations for Fisher House, an American flag made in America by disabled Americans. Mr. Stearns cited that Colonel Donovan has inspired the organization through his prior military service and his efforts on behalf of Fisher House. Mr. Stearns further stated that "NISH was proud to give this flag to a great American and supporter of disabled veterans."

The program was very moving and money was raised to help in the expense of 100 families spending a night near their wounded loved one.

Renew America Training Video: http://video.aol.com/video-detail/obama-blogfest/1628668081

Obama Volunteers for Veterans-St. Louis, MO

Kathy — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:18:57 EST

What a wonderful day it was on Monday, January 19, the day our nation celebrated the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. !! 60 volunteers, some old friends and some new friends, some young, some not so young, some men, some women, came together to serve 120 of our Nation’s heroes at the Veteran’s Hospital at Jefferson Barracks.

The veterans, both men and women, came to enjoy the companionship of strangers who became strangers no more. They enjoyed a simple lunch but were nourished by the friendship and gratitude of the volunteers who gave of their holiday to serve and console. A wonderfully fun band (The Button Box Band) provided exhilarating music as the backdrop for dancing, laughter and remembering.

Thanks to Lee Bell, Linda Henry, and Sally Hodges for coordinating this great day that is hoped to continue in the future.

Some of the volunteers came as a call to service by our 44th President, Barack Obama. Others came because they were stirred to service to veterans and found the event on USAservice.org. Regardless of the motivation their participation in this event was received with gratitude and grace.

Check out the photos! http://www.flickr.com/photos/34498798@N05/show/

JON BON JOVI

WEBMASTER — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:37:04 EST

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BALL TO AIR ON PENTAGON CHANNEL
AVAILABLE ON MILITARY BASES AROUND THE WORLD

JON BON JOVI TO PERFORM

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today that the Commander-in-Chief's ball, honoring the country's active duty and reserve military, will be broadcast to American troops around the world on the Pentagon Channel, which is available via cable on 368 military bases and on commercial cable and satellite services throughout the United States. Overseas, the Pentagon Channel is distributed via cable and direct-to-home satellite to nearly one million troops via the American Forces Radio and Television Service.

Jon Bon Jovi will headline the talent lineup for the ball, which will be held on Tuesday, January 20th, at the National Building Museum. George Lopez will emcee the event, which also feature performances and appearances by Jordin Sparks, Miss America 2009 Kirsten Haglund, and Right On. The event is also co-hosted by the Senior Enlisted Advisors of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

"This opportunity to honor our troops should not be limited to those who are able to be in the room with us for the evening," said PIC Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. "We want all our troops, around the world, to share in this special evening with the newly sworn-in President and Vice President and the excellent talent we have for the evening. Our troops deserve our thanks and our gratitude and this is one way we hope to express our thanks to those here and abroad."

"While a relatively small number of service members will be able to attend the Commander-in-Chief's Ball in person, they will represent more than 2 million men and women in uniform," said Col. Hiram Bell, director of public affairs for the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. "Most of those service members will be able to watch the celebration on the Pentagon Channel, or later on Armed Forces Network, and we want them all to feel part of this historic event."

The Pentagon Channel will break into regular programming with live coverage of the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, including remarks by Department of Defense leadership and both the Vice President and the President. Coverage begins at approximately 8 PM Eastern time and continues throughout the evening.

The event will be produced by The iDream Company, led by entertainment executives Suzanne de Passe, Suzanne Costen, and Madison Jones, and written by Ruth Robinson. The iDream company has been recognized with Emmy Awards, Golden Globe and Peabody Awards.

Tickets are being provided free of charge to all invited guests, which includes active duty and reserve military, wounded warriors (Purple Heart recipients), families of fallen heroes, and spouses of deployed military. This event is not open to the general public.

source: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFsx

CITIZENS BRIEFING BOOK

WEBMASTER — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:45:58 EST

Share your ideas on any issue facing the new administration, then rate or comment on other ideas.

The best rated ideas will rise to the top -- and be gathered into a Citizen's Briefing Book to be delivered to President Obama after he is sworn in.

'Citizens Briefing Book' sample: Military Medical Coverage

HELP WOUNDED VETERANS

WEBMASTER — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:46:06 EST

AIR FORCE * ARMY * COAST GUARD * MARINES * NAVY

If you are going to be in Washington DC during the Inauguration you may want to attend the Blogfest event to Help Wounded Veterans. see http://www.usaservice.org/page/event/detail/4jqt3

Where were you when the world stopped turning?

“If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But, recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Ebenezer Baptist Church, 4 February 1968.

HELP WOUNDED VETERANS
Source: David Apperson, LIFE CLOUD

http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFK9

"Honor Our Veterans" Community Service Event - Obama Advocates for Service-LA/OC

natalie gould — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:16:57 EST

Born out of our grassroots volunteer efforts to elect Barack Obama, several of us in the Los Angeles and Orange County area have formed a group called "Obama Advocates for Service-LA/OC". Our intention is to continue volunteering as advocates for community service in Southern California.

We have decided to focus on Veterans for our first community service event. It will coincide with the inauguration and will take place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Monday, January 19th, 2009. Obama Advocates for Service-LA/OC will be visiting with and passing out gift bags to approximately sixty (60) patients at the Community Living Center located at Long Beach Veterans Hospital in Long Beach, CA. Our efforts are funded by our own grassroots donations (not by the Obama campaign/administration).

We are looking for donations of personal items to be included in the sixty (60) gift bags. Items we are looking for are: toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, shavers, fingernail clippers, toenail clippers, post it pads, pens, etc. You could also write a personal letter or send a card for a Veteran to include in any of the gift bags. We are also looking for cash donations to purchase additional items.

If you are interested in assisting us in our efforts, please contact me as soon as possible at corrina_loca@yahoo.com.

Thank you!
Natalie in Seal Beach, CA

GLOBAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY

WEBMASTER — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:00:14 EST

GLOBAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Rehabilitate * Replenish * Research * Restore * Revive

The economy has collapsed and banking institutions are responsible for creating the financial problem. What can be done immediately to speed up recovery to our financial markets?

THREE THINGS TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY

1. CREDIT CARDS
No credit cards should be issued to anyone under 21 years of age unless they pass a basic test on the knowledge and use of credit. In fact, outlawing the predatory nature of credit card companies through junk mail would save thousands of tons of paper, thereby conserving the environment.

The bank modifications during the present administration regarding credit cards and bankruptcy law also helped perpetrate the financial mess the world is presently involved in. These laws need to be repealed.

2. MORTGAGES
Why bail out banks? Why not require banks to unload foreclosed homes at 50% of the value of the original mortgage within 90 days of foreclosure.

This was done during the Reagan Administration by the VA in Oregon and other states and the nation was able to crawl out of the mortgage crises in the eighties. This solution will free up cash while allowing new home buyers the ability to afford a home.

3. SMALL BUSINESS
Issue $50,000 small business grants to any recognized company that was formed after 1 Jan 2005. Veterans should receive an additional $25,000 to help modify the business to fit their needs.

The people who started these small businesses deserve to be rescued financially from the deception perpetrated by the Bush administration.

Also posted at http://discusseconomy.blogspot.com/2008/12/global-economy.html

MILITARY HERO - G.I. JOE

WEBMASTER — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:30:15 EST

In honor of military pigeons throughout history, I post on this Christmas Eve, information produced by Otto Meyer, U.S. Army (Ret), and supplied by the ARPU, on the American Hero “G.I. JOE” -

“G.I. JOE”
American Hero

“G.I. JOE” is the most outstanding military pigeon in history and is credited with saving the lives of at least 100 British troops during World War II. The British 56th Brigade was scheduled to attack the city of Colvi Vecchia, Italy, at 10 a.m., October 18, 1943.

The U.S. Air Support Command was scheduled to bomb the city to soften the entrance for the British Brigade. The Germans retreated leaving only a small rear guard and as a result the British troops entered the city with little resistance and occupied it ahead of schedule.

All attempts to cancel the bombings of the city, made by radio and other means of communication, had failed. Little “G.I. JOE” was released with the important message to cancel the bombing. He flew 20 miles back to the U.S. Air Support Command base in 20 minutes and arrived just as our planes were warming up to take off. If he had arrived a few minutes later, it might have been a different story.

Gen. Mark Clark, Commanding the U.S. Fifth Army, estimated that “G.I. JOE” saved the lives of at least 100 of our British allies. In November 1946, “G.I. JOE” was shipped from Fort Monmouth, N.J. to London, England, where he was cited and awarded the Dickin Medal for Gallantry by the Lord Mayor of London. “G.I. JOE” is the only bird or animal in the United States to receive this high award.

“G.I. JOE,” a dark checker pied white flight cock, was hatched March 24, 1943, at the Pigeon Section in Algiers, Algeria, North Africa. Later he was taken to the Tunisian front, then to Bizerte, and from there to the Italian front.

After World War II, “G.I. JOE” was housed in the Churchill Loft, U.S. Army’s “Hall of Fame” at Ft. Monmouth, N.J., along with 24 other pigeon heroes. In March of 1957, the remaining pigeon heroes were placed with different zoological gardens throughout the U.S.A.

“G.I. JOE” was placed with the Detroit Zoological Gardens where he died June 3, 1961, at the age of 18. “G.I. JOE” was returned, mounted, and placed in the Historical Center, Meyer Hall, at Fort Monmouth, N.J.

--- Otto Meyer, U.S. Army (Retired)
--- Former Commander of the U.S. Army Pigeon Service

I dedicate this inspiring story of courage and determination of the pigeon named “G.I. JOE” to the generations of troops that will secure the success of the 44th President of the United States.

May the message of peace come to The White House and spread throughout the land.

Merry Christmas Everyone,

David Apperson, Life Cloud Discussions

American Legion - member
ARPU - lifetime member
VFW - life member

Source: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxKt3

Help for our veterans

Linda Nelson — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:29:08 EST

Today I cried as I watched several veterans and families of veterans as they told their horror stories about not being able to find the help they need. This has got to end and I believe that nothing short of total restructuring of Veterans Affairs will solve the problem. The budget is already huge, but it is not making its way to the returning soldiers that need help. Instead, it is being wasted on a huge burecratic system that has failed.

How many of our veterans have to take their own life, once they return, just to end the suffering they are experiencing? I live in LA, where there are more than 15,000 homeless vets, who are desperate for our help.

There are people like Tammy Duckworth, a legless Iraq vet herself, who heads the Illinois Veteran Affairs Department who runs an incredible state program that needs to be repeated in every state. I hope that Barack's choice of Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki will engage with Tammy to help implement some of their programs nationwide.

I know that there are many things that need to change, but this has to be high on the list.

In a little-noticed regulation change in March, the military's definition of combat-related disabilities was narrowed, costing some injured veterans thousands of dollars in lost benefits - and triggering outrage from veterans' advocacy groups

John Lewis-Dickerson, Atlanta — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:34:51 EST

Pentagon limits claims for combat-related injuryBy David Zucchino | Los Angeles Times December 14, 2008

Marine Cpl. James Dixon was wounded twice in Iraq - by a roadside bomb and a land mine. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, a concussion, a dislocated hip and hearing loss. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Army Sgt. Lori Meshell shattered a hip and crushed her back and knees while diving for cover during a mortar attack in Iraq. She has undergone a hip replacement and knee reconstruction and needs at least three more surgeries.

In each case, the Pentagon ruled that their disabilities were not combat-related.

In a little-noticed regulation change in March, the military's definition of combat-related disabilities was narrowed, costing some injured veterans thousands of dollars in lost benefits - and triggering outrage from veterans' advocacy groups......

ENTIRE ARTICLE - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.combat14dec14,0,1772974.story

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

"Do you think that God's going to send me to hell for killing innocent people?"

John Lewis-Dickerson, Atlanta — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:00:03 EST

As Suicides Climb, a Search for 'Why?'

Olympia Olympian @ military.com - December 01, 2008

"Do you think that God's going to send me to hell for killing innocent people?" former Sgt. Joshua Barber asked his wife one day last summer.

Kelly Barber tried to reassure her distraught husband. Nearly three years after a combat tour in Iraq, he was a shell of the loving and fun-loving man she'd married nine years earlier.

Joshua Barber was quiet, withdrawn, constantly fighting demons he couldn't exorcise. His question reinforced her fear that he was sliding further into a well of guilt and despair as she tried desperately to hold on.

The couple had sought help from the Army and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but Kelly Barber said they got caught up in red tape.

"He just had to fight so many battles, and no one would help him," she said.

The 31-year-old Soldier killed himself three weeks after asking that terrible question........

ENTIRE ARTICLE -

http://www.military.com/news/article/as-suicides-climb-a-search-for-why.html?col=1186032310810

Seeking help for us to help our brain injured veterans.

Len from Sebastopol, CA — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:23:14 EST

My partner and I run a mom and pop tiny R&D company. We develop systems and teach physicians, psychologists, etc. how to use the system to treat head injuries. Those who are daring enough to user our system have said they are “stunned” and “incredulous” at the results. (Of course it doesn’t work for everybody; nothing does.) We also designed a system to speed tissue healing and reduce inflammation that echoes what NASA uses only much less expensive and equally or more effective. Both are non-invasive, leave nothing in the body as does medication, and are reasonably fast-acting and easy to use, and much less costly than any other conventional or medical treatment.

There has been one book written about the system (Larsen, Stephen. (2006) The Healing Power of Neurofeedback.), a double-issued of a professional journal (Hammond, Cory: Journal of Neurotherapy, 2006, number 2-3) and a subsequent monograph from that journal. We have users in every continent, perhaps in the low hundreds in number.

The bad news is that our systems are so different from anything psychological or medical in use today that those who haven’t used them are dead set against their use as “impossible” or potentially harmful. Even I, who developed the system, said to myself for over 10 years that these can’t work – in spite of the benefits I and others saw every day. This system for helping the head injured is genuinely new in science.

We had one promising NIH-sponsored pilot study on head injury, published in a reputable journal; yet NIH declined to sponsor another one because of “design defects” in the original study that they approved. We don’t have the prestige to champion our own studies.

After recently training someone from Hong Kong in the use of the system he offered us a chance to conduct a study in China with their head injured earthquake victims. They would supply all the experimenters, statistical and experimental design help, data analyzers, food, transportation, and lodging for us. We are tentatively scheduled to spend next October, 2009 in China to conduct the study.

However, we have our own head-injured troops in every VA and military hospital in the world. I would much rather ask you for help for just as much support as China will offer. I’ll design the study and let the study results demonstrate its value. Please help nascent technologies; keep it American; and discover something new and effective that will help our veterans.

I am a 65-year old psychologist and my partner is a 64-year old clinical nurse specialist. Our web site: www.ochslabs.com

David Hunter of Indiana: A Grateful Call to Arms

Jill 4 Obama — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:06:14 EST

A Repost from David Hunter

All,

Where do we go from here? The campaign was a battle of epic
proportions. As in war and most battles, the heroics of the
battlefield will remain unsung. Where do the spoils of war rest?
There will be no medals given out; that's the bottom line. President-Elect Obama called upon us to join him to bring the change we need.
Though all our stories are unique to ourselves, we answered that
call. With fierce determination, strength and political will that
the world has never seen before, we turned 'Yes We Can' into 'Yes We
Did.' There are no words to describe what victory means in the
context of history, to the people of the world or to oneself. The
victory is either upon us or now rests soundly behind us depending on
what we do from this point forward.

So where do we go from here? I say this: There will be no more lofty speeches to feed our hunger for change. Change has come to the White House and the United
States. Our President must be the President of all our citizens.
Today and for the unforeseeable future, the challenges are great but
not insurmountable. The battle of Obama for America and the Campaign
for Change was won and a celebration is due. However, the problems
we face as a nation are far greater than our victory. The time to
exult must be short because victory was merely a step in the right
direction.

Though the challenges we face are immense and the battlefield appears to be in Washington D.C., it is not. The battle rages on in large and small cities across this country, places that
only we have been with people that were once strangers to us who
still remain unemployed, uninsured and underpaid. We still live in a
crumbling infrastructure where jobs are being shipped overseas and
where the schools for our children are under-funded, etcetera. These
problems still remain and will continue to do so. Though these
challenges were not created by us, it is us that know how to bring
the change they seek to them.

President-elect Obama called upon this nation two years ago and asked us all as a people to help him with these challenges. These problems will not go away overnight. The president cannot swipe his pen and end poverty and inequality. We as
a trained "army" are the ones who know how to build and harness
change at the grassroots level and help it rise to the top. The
brotherhood, sisterhood and the renewed value of citizenship are
alive again in America. It brings with it something new, individuals
of all generations, all economic levels and all backgrounds. It took
the whole history of the United States for this to come about and it
cannot wilt. The community we built and the strength that has come
with it has just begun. Our time is now to act on what appears
natural for us to do: bring change to our communities, which will
bring change from the bottom-up to our President's desk. We carry
the mantra of change now because we were and are that change. That
symbol of hope, which is the new great symbol for America, is ready
for its next steps. I believe that it is on us to pick up that
battle flag and continue to inspire and motivate the millions of
people who helped us all get to this historic moment in history.

What are the spoils of this war? First and foremost, we now hold
inside us the greatest political victory in our nation's history.
For all people that took part, from volunteering, first time
activists and to all the staff, we will not fully understand the
weight and gravity of our achievement for some time to come. It goes
far beyond anything we have ever done in our life.

Now is not the time to stop. We are at the beginning of our journey. We have still yet to make the ultimate sacrifice. We worked tirelessly, but that
was just to get us to the starting line. No sacrifice was too
small. Each and every individual played a critical role, which
contributed to our success. I truly believe the grassroots
organizations combined with an unstoppable field operation are the
faces connected to the people who got it done. Washington is not
where that happens. It's now rooted in Des Moines, Iowa and all the
places in the country where we made a difference and where the
campaign foothold was grounded deep in the trenches.

If we let the front lines go and do not build them strong and reinforce them, our
President's job will be tougher than what it is today. 2010 and 2012
will be here before you know it and we must be prepared. The
President's mandate is the front line, and it must be held. We
cannot fade into the distance and watch as things unfold. In some
way we must be there to stand with them so we are building from this
point forward and not rebuilding afterwards, which may be too late.
The most precious thing we have is our grassroots and the communities
we organized. We must keep them motivated and empowered to take
action in their own towns and to keep supporting our President as he
wades the difficult time ahead that he and the American people face.

We all started this for our own reasons. For me it was my belief in
Barack Obama and the belief that if he were president, my brother
Sgt. Daniel James Hunter, U.S. Army, would finish his third tour
safely and return to a new President and Commander-in-Chief. These
are my spoils of war. Yet, the war still rages on at home and
abroad, and our task has just begun.

What I'm thankful for today on this Thanksgiving Day is that tonight
my brother will arrive again on U.S. soil. Let us all hope that this
will be his last tour.

I am also grateful for every individual who sacrificed and who
believed that what we were doing was the right thing to do and that
if we worked hard enough we would bring change to the United States
of America. We did and for that I am thankful for each and every one
of you.

We are all the ones we were waiting for and we shocked the world.
Let's see this through. We must water the roots and they will grow.

David Hunter
Former Field Organizer for the Battle of the Campaign for
Change-Indiana

BAILOUT the VETERAN’S ADMINISTRATION (VA) | URGENTLY |

NO A LA MARCHA EN CONTRA DE OBAMA — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:55:01 EST

On Wednesday I receive one of the most heartbreak emails ever. A Heart Break E-mail and I posted the entirely email as it, as a proof of what is happen in the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA).

VA literally is broken in his finances and the bureaucracy in this department follow a steady course and this is the one of the principals motives of an unnecessary harm for to many of those VETERANS who is rightfully entitle to receive the assistance they deserve from the VA.

This soldiers practically are begging to the VA for solutions, THE ONLY THINK THEY WANT is receive a respectfully treatment, They want his payments on time and the necessary medical assistance they need, They want to be loved by his country as they much loved it.

Not enough was the discovering of the disastrous mistreatment they suffer in the Walter Reid Hospital, they receive promises and some improvement, just the necessary actions to calm down the media, but the really true is nobody is talking about the continue injustice this proudly HERO’S receiving every single day from the VA.

If there is some institution in this country need a BAILOUT is the VA, they has the great responsibility of taking care of all VETERANS?

Of course at this point there are not EXTRAORDINARY session of the CONGRESSMAN favoring any solution in this mess of the VA, NOT special declarations of the Speaker of the House, or the Majority Leader calling for immediate and expedite solutions of the SOLDIERS problems dealing with the VA, as they did easily in FAVOR of the corrupted institutions in wall street.........NO, there are NOT prefabricated NEWS CONFERENCE voicing for a quickly and smart solutions for the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION , there are NOT RUSH to solve his problems, NO pressure to the people and fancy explanations to secure VOTES.

At the end of the day nothing is going to happen, may be they think …….. THEY ARE TOO LITTLE AND TOO POOR.

It’s incredible and hard to believe, these two young soldiers practically begin for money because the VA unwariness’.

I can't visualize how this kind of differences could happen in this country?

Lawmakers know what happen in the VETERAN ADMINISTRATION, this is nothing new, this problem coming from years before. But always they couldn't find out the right solution, only promises and long time lapses and debates, until something special come out trough the media like this issue of the Walter Reid. I just wondering if someone of these busy lawmakers of Washington are going to read this: A Heart Break E-mail.

Why does the Congress ISSUE a rush and fair “BAILOUT” to the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) solving definitively and permanently all the PROBLEMS THEY SURELY HAS, as a real signal of gratitude for all what this soldiers did, after all is his responsibility's to do so.

Just am calling for some justice and sensibility to the attention of the President-Elected Barack Obama, I do not expect nothing being solve by the Bush Administration.

Just am calling to the leaders of the Congress for an EQUAL TREATMENT for these citizens, who with his WATCH’S and exposures in dangerous way are granting the LIBERTY AND SECURITY of his countryman and them as congressmen’s they fully enjoyed.

This proudly man’s and women’s of the United States Armed Forces, HERO’S of the past and present wars, deserved nothing less than EQUAL TREATMENT, quickly and expedites solutions for the VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA), as others entitlements or institutions recently receive from the United State Congress.

Percy H Florez

GENERATION O

WEBMASTER — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:59:08 EST

The continuous expansion of HOPE THROUGH GENERATION O rest on the continuous support of active participants. Obama 'Generation O' members include –

AFRICAN AMERICANS for Justice
AMERICANS OVERSEAS
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
ARAB AMERICANS for Freedom
ASIAN AMERICANS for Human Rights
COLLEGE STUDENTS for Education
CONSERVATION Groups
FAITH, FAMILY AND FELLOWSHIP Assemblies
GENERATION O for Opportunity
JEWISH AMERICANS for Civil Rights
GOP For Obama
LABOR UNIONS for Better Pay
LATINOS for Fairness
NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES
OBAMA KIDS for a Better World
OBAMA FARMERS for a Better System
OBAMA SENIORS for Social Security
OBAMA VETERANS for Peace
OBAMA WOMEN for Women
WORLD STUDY BIBLE
and the ANGELS MESSAGE

GENERATION OBAMANATION SEARCH QUERIES
Altavista | Google | Lycos | MSN | Yahoo

what i am doing to make changes

Danielle Clarke USA Vietnam Vet — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:31:24 EST

Myself i moved to a farm and i am helping two elderly people a couple get their farm back together. They are older and needed help real bad. Things are looking up here and soon they will be producing more with less. Its been about making sure they are not wasting or ruining machinery just to keep going. I have been able to help guide them in many things and do a lot of the hard work that is needed that was being put off due to their age. This summer will be a bountiful yr and will produce so much more with less work. I had to do some major weeding and organizing and now this place is really looking up. Many farmers do need help. Many are elderly and their kids have left and well they don't have funds to pay but the benefits are great if a person is willing to help them.

PS: Some pics of my horse buddy and my buggy = http://www.eons.com/images/members/2008/11/13/8/9/89609562219117541829_610w.jpeg and http://www.eons.com/images/members/2008/11/13/4/7/47019562215413541829_610w.jpeg

http://www.eons.com/groups/topic/1296571-BUDDY-THE-HORSE-WENT-BUGGY-FOR-OBAMA-IN-PA?page=1#replies

Today We Honor Our Veterans

Jill 4 Obama — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:24:57 EST

The Newsroom Tuesday, November 11, 2008 06:38pm EST / in Blog Slideshow: Honoring Veterans President-elect Barack Obama and Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth shared a moment of silence at 11 a.m. this morning after laying a wreath at the Soldiers Memorial in Chicago. Tuesday, November 11, 2008 05:35pm EST / in Press Releases Obama Transition Announces Rules for Lobbyists in Transition

During a briefing today at the Presidential Transition Team headquarters, Obama Transition Co-Chair John Podesta announced the strictest, and most far reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008 05:28pm EST / in Press Releases Statement of President-elect Barack Obama on Veterans Day

“As we mark Veterans Day, all Americans are united in honoring the extraordinary service and selfless sacrifice of our nation’s veterans.”

Monday, November 10, 2008 06:47pm EST / in Blog President-elect Obama and President Bush Meet at White House President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush warmly welcomed President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to the White House this afternoon for a visit that lasted several hours. Sunday, November 9, 2008 05:51pm EST / in Blog Transition Team Co-Chair Valerie Jarrett Discusses Priorities on ‘Meet the Press’ President-elect Barack Obama's transition team is "hitting the ground running" on its top priorities - the economy and foreign policy, Transition Co-Chair Valerie Jarrett said on 'Meet the Press' today. Sunday, November 9, 2008 12:15pm EST / in Blog President-elect Obama Calls for Swift Action on the Economy in Weekly Democratic Radio Address Barack Obama delivered this week's Democratic Radio Address Saturday morning, his first as President-elect. Friday, November 7, 2008 06:20pm EST / in Blog President-Elect Obama Meets with Economic Advisers, Calls for “Swift Action” on the Economy Barack Obama today held his first press conference as President-Elect to call for "swift action" to fix the nation's economy. Friday, November 7, 2008 04:19pm EST / in Blog Emanuel to be Obama’s White House Chief of Staff President-elect Barack Obama announced yesterday that Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) has accepted his offer to join the White House as Chief of Staff. Open Government It’s Your America: Share Your Ideas

The story of the campaign and this historic moment has been your story. Share your story and your ideas, and be part of bringing positive lasting change to this country.

VETERANS DAY

WEBMASTER — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:51:24 EST

On 11 NOV 2008 We CELEBRATE VICTORY by remembering our brothers and sisters who sacrificed for future generations of men,women and children throughout the world.

THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING; Today, children everywhere are celebrating the tremendous grassroots victory of President-Elect Barack Obama. THINK AMERICA FIRST and THANK A VETERAN.

With that said, I send a 'PRAYER OF BLESSING' to the following personnel who presently serve on active duty, have served in the past, and will serve honorably in the following branches of military service:

US AIR FORCE * US ARMY * US COAST GUARD * US MARINES * US NAVY

IT IS BETTER TO BE A FRIEND IN PEACE THAN AN ENEMY IN WAR

And yes, today we bless all service members around the world -

see NATIONAL RESOURCE DIRECTORY and PHYSICAL EVALUATION BOARD

America - Together (post election)

Alex Karoub — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:44:40 EST

..... Contact: http://Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

WHO IS THAT GUY BARACK OBAMA? HE IS US.

We have made historic headway by together pointing our nation in the right directions. After decades, we have America focused on the issues of fundamental importance. Now, each of us acting in concert can together move our country to lead the world to the fruitfulness of moral goodness. I have no doubts about my abilities and the abilities of fellow Americans to work smart and hard to achieve these goals.

Barack Obama has the visions, leadership, and integrity for us to correct and redirect our country to once again lead the world for the fruitions of good. Let's closely listen, learn, and move forward based on that which we know deep inside is good and which we can validate with our hearts.

I hope that those who had but a few reasons to support Obama, look further into the other issues more deeply. I found the more I explored, studied, and listened to Obama the more I found us in agreement. The couple of issues that I did not have depth of knowledge of, quickly became obvious in need. This was unusual for me since I have always refused to be any kind of a follower, and still am not. I find Obama to be a deep thinker who is articulate and inspirational; and, of most fundamental importance, Obama makes excellent moral sense.

Hopefully, our country has learned lessons from the past of mistakenly following leadership blindly, as was done with Nixon and Bush. There are leaders who are simply in it for themselves and will cater to individuals or groups in order to grab for their own benefit. Corrupt and bad leaders hide at all levels. This is especially true in city government as well as county and state government. The corrupt deals of politicians need to be exposed, and those responsible need to be weeded out in the coming local elections. Others need to be investigated by law enforcement and be prosecuted for illegal dealings; for deals they often make for their hidden personal agendas. Let’s look at the bad experiences of the past as bitter medicines, let’s eliminate the need for such bad medicine in the future. Let us use what we know is good to go forward.

I believe we have chosen wisely, not by greed and not by misguided retaliatory anger. I believe this time our country has chosen with open eyes, with each of us listening and examining our choice of leadership closely, driven and validated by our hearts.

I hope we can continue to make our efforts even more inclusive (in many more ways than I touch on here). Far right republicans will be stubborn to change, but we will need to include them to change if we are to succeed. Sure a few more will leave our country, but that is not the American way. No, we really don't need their false fronts of power, money, insider knowledge, or other trappings that they have taught many to 'respect?'. Let's recruit as many as we can, that's the American way, evolving and changing together as one nation. Try to be understanding as we move forward; by better understanding each as individuals and people with various desires and needs we will find ways to reach out with friendship and have them join our causes of good.

Be on the lookout, and root out bad leadership in government and business. Do not be intimidated by those who use the false fronts of power and give a false sense of security in order to lead. Be extra leery of those who say or imply ‘Trust me’; those who give a sense that they somehow omnipotently know better. No longer will Americans be dazzled by phony displays of brilliance or baffled by baloney. There are government aristocrats and business leaders who still believe in the old adage of: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle em with bullshit”. We can embrace complexity by demanding true, fundamental, and understandable explanations. We can root out falsehoods by not accepting double speak. We as Americans know how to grow ourselves by first believing in ourselves. Don’t be a follower. Don’t be a follower of followers.

However, when we find leaders who are good; a leader that thinks, speaks, and acts from their heart; one that is honest, has integrity, and leads by sincere examples; then we need to in a big way, join them, support them, and promote their causes of good. From much research, investigation, and scrutiny, I believe Barack Obama is such a person. I hope we search for and find many more who are similar, who we can add to service at all levels of government. We need to add/replace leaders in business with ones that have honesty, integrity, and show quality in leadership. We need more people in leadership roles who are moral, like Barack Obama.

Remember, we are not fighting a battle, we are the artisans and sculptors of the future for ourselves and generations to come. Rarely do societies have opportunities to make such dramatic moves forward as we now have in this opportunity of today. Take pride and practice in being inclusive as we stride forward. In moving forward, create opportunity not only for yourself, but also for all. Hope is a wonderful thing to behold; but without opportunity, hope can become but a dream never achievable. We can, will, and must, create opportunity.

In the coming year I hope that we do not lose our spiritedness, but instead continue to build and make headway. I hope we all continue our campaign for change in government and business. We will succeed in moving forward once again, it will take much effort and good oversight on the part of each of us. We will make great strides in the months and years ahead in order to achieve the fruitions of good. Let's keep our enthusiasm progressing through these coming toughest of times. Let us use the light of goodness and love to motivate us with historic momentum.

I have chosen Barack Obama because he best represents my deepest beliefs in America. Please take time to read the issues that Barack Obama has published on this website. Also, give your attention to see how he leads us to move our nation forward in the time ahead. Most importantly, be part of America's great future, participate in the greatness that together we will make. Participate!

We will each and all flourish, if we think, speak, and act, by using the love in our hearts.

Your reply is welcome. Contact: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com

Reassuring Moves

CLS — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:51:52 EST

There has been a lot of speculation the last couple of days as to what Pres. Elect Obamas best first moves should be once in power. I would like to suggest some moves that would please both sides of the isle and the whole country.

Reform Veteran bennefits, specifically health and education.

Everyone will love you. Probably the most uncontroversial move you could make.

Next, allow access to personal IRA accounts w/o penalty up to 10,000. I believe this idea came out your campaign. I think its simplicity is genius. (which is of course why I voted for you)

We all have savings. They are funds tied up in IRAs and 401ks. Most would pay house and car payments and maybe spend some, giving a boost to the lagging economy. But more importantly it would put money in peoples pockets and there would be no out of pocket expense to the government. A win/win.

just my .025 cents

I LOVE YOU BARACK! HERE'S WHAT I WANT:

Aaron from Wellesley Hills, MA — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:02:10 EST

I love you Barack!

Here’s what I want:

1) Close Guantanamo torture camp and all other un-Constitutional U.S. torture and sadism camps. Repeal all torture legislation.

Barack, you said “Torture is never right.” Start saying that again.

2) Abolish the Patriot Act and all related, un-Constitutional laws that deny Americans their human rights. Restore the Constitution of the United States.

3) You said you would listen to me and to the Americans who didn’t vote for you, too. -- Great. Also listen to the people of Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan whose civilians are having their lives ended everyday by the U.S. military. As the Iraqi government has said this month, Iraq must not be used as a “center for U.S. aggression in the Middle East.”

4) Listen to the rising voices of the Iraqi government, the Iraqi people, world leaders and your landslide election by the American people: Bring the troops home.

5) You said you would negotiate with Iran. You will be held to your promise. No matter what blows up in this world and is blamed by the Bush Group on the government of Iran, Syria, Lebanon, etc., you must NOT be pressured by John Bolton, the New York Times, Fox News and all other Bush Soldiers to retaliate with UNEQUAL FORCE. You must TALK and NEGOTIATE with Iran. You must do this WITH accountable, world government bodies.

6) You and Joe Biden say on your website that you support Israel 100%. – Fine. If you’re going to insist that 400 million American people need to be so involved in directing the course of the Middle East, then ALSO support and LISTEN TO the Arab/Muslim/Palestinian PEOPLE of Gaza, West Bank, Palestine. Stop supplying Israel with weapons. (The Lebanon War of 2006 was fought by Israel with U.S.-supplied weapons.) -- Lead NEGOTIATION between Israel and Palestine through a world government body.

7) Abolish all un-Constitutional “emergency powers/martial law” legislation, starting with Presidential Directives HSPD-20 and NSPD 51 that were “passed” WITHOUT a vote from Congress in 2007, see the White House website for a description of these laws: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html

8) Keep ALL forms of abortion legal and accessible to ALL women. Abortion is a human rights issue. Bombings of medical clinics is domestic terrorism.

9) Decrease military spending and regulate private weapons manufacturers and private mercenary soldier training camps in the U.S.

10) PROVIDE 100% PHYSICAL AND MENTAL MEDICAL CARE FOR ALL U.S.VETERANS.

11) Keep separation of church and state. Defend the U.S. Constitution.

12) Move toward creating a Peace Economy in America, not a War Economy.

13) Fight lobbyists and special interests in Washington, as you said you would.

14) Start publicly addressing the fact that 2.3 million Americans are behind bars. 1 in 9 black men age 20-35 are incarcerated. Prisoners are used to make goods for the American public. This is slavery.

15) Do not let Congress be intimidated and rush legislation for the American people that has not been read by the U.S. Congress, as is the case with the Bailout Bill. -- See Texas Republican Congressman Michael Burgess and California Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman on youtube addressing this issue and "martial law" in Congress the day before the Bailout Bill was passed:

Texas Republican Congressman Michael Burgess saying: "I understand that we're under martial law as declared by The Speaker of the House last night":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7B4laX1E70

California Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman saying that Congress was "threatened with martial law" if they didn't pass the Bailout Bill:

Brad Sherman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaG9d_4zij8

Thank you, Aaron Kiely, American Citizen

*******

McCann in charge of Veterans Affairs

PIYN — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:42:14 EST

John McCann is uniquely positioned in history to become the driving force to reform how we handle VETERAN AFFAIRS.

He is a War Hero with personal experience of the system and has the scars to prove it!

He has decades of experience dealing with issues at the top level of government and has the Maverick style of leadership we need to shake up the system when is comes to taking care of our men and women who have given themselves to our military.

Consider his qualifications for just a moment and it makes sense to offer a cabinet position dealing with VETERAN AFFAIRS to John McCann.

I wish I could say "Now What?"

SSG_Dan — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:46:04 EST

I'm sitting at home, drinking the last of the 18-year old Single Malt Scotch, and smoking my last Cuban cigar. I'm filled with pride and accomplishment, having worked hard to elect Senator Obama for President. And in that, I know that some worked harder than me, sacrificed more, and are rejoycing more than I.

I do pause at the the memories of some of the vile and hateful things that people have told me. That I'm a traitor. That I'm going to help destroy America. That I hate my country.

I will not lie - I hated everyone who dared insult me. In one case, I had to work hard and not beat another American into a bloody pulp. I'm still astounded that a total stranger, someone who doesn't know all I've lost and sacrificed, would dare insult me so deeply.

But of all the things that has me believing again my country, it was the gracious speech of Sen. McCain. I watched and listened to his speech, and I hung on his every word. This was a man who used a flawed approach to try and win the Presidency, but he was more a leader in the loss that he ever was in his campaign.

If this had been the man who campaigned, I might have voted for him. I know he has redeemed my respect for him.

Now, we have to move forward as a county. If we wanted, the Democrats in charge can simply move forward, and do whatever we want for two years. I know that will fail. If the idea is "payback," then we fall back into the last eight years, and we are no better than we were. We will be far worse.

So, I'm willing to embrace my metaphysical past and present, and forgive. I want to find a way to work with the same people who would call me a traitor, and find the common ground. And if there is none now, I will work to make it.

I am tired of "My Way or the Highway." I want a consensus when we do things, so that it doesn't "fixed" later. I am willing to ignore the slings and arrows of the past, provided there's not a armory of new ones waiting.

Is it that hard to do?

Real-Life War Hero, Comic Book Superhero, Campaigns for Change

Victoria Secrest — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:36:55 EST

Who is that masked man?

His story will astound you! His story will astound Republican Presidential candidate & veteran John McCain!

His story will astound (& even inspire) President-Elect Barack Obama, who (unwittingly) stands firmly on the broad shoulders of this masked man.

He was born on Memorial Day, in the midst of the Great Depression, to Spanish McGee, inventor of the snowtire chain & Perrie Dalton McGee.

Decorated War Hero, American Patriot, Distinquished Veteran, Real Comic Book Superhero!?
Promised the Medal of Honor & a Battlefield Commission in 1952, by his West Point commanding officer (but this was pre-Civil Rights America, & when the medals were distributed, he received a lesser medal, the Silver Star); he also earned two Purple Hearts (wounded in the face and leg), Korean War Service Medal, Ohio Military Hall of Fame for Valor Medal, Combat Infantrymen's Badge, etc. As you read his citation, you are surely scratching your head and wondering: "What more could Corporal McGee have possibly done to be awarded our country's highest decoration for valor in combat, the Medal of Honor?" (note the ending of the citation, 'in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service...') www.ohioheroes.org

non-Political ? VA aiding NC Sen Dole ??

Bill Johnson — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:42:53 EST

Salisbury Post - Friday, October 18, 2008 www.salisburypost.com http://www.salisburypost.com/Area/101708-Watt-questions-Dole-press-release By Kathy Chaffin kchaffin@salisbury post.com Rep. Mel Watt said he was surprised to see an article in Wednesday's Post quoting a letter Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake sent to Sen. Elizabeth Dole. With the exception of one change, Watt said he received the same letter from Peake saying that he has asked his staff to review and consider concerns raised about proposed changes to eliminate emergency, surgical and inpatient services at the Hefner VA Medical Center. Though the letter was dated Wednesday (Oct. 15), Watt said it arrived at his Charlotte office via e-mail at 8:47 a.m. Thursday. "I can't understand how she got the letter before I got the letter," he said. "It don't smell right. This is supposed to be on the level and not about politics." Dole's office released copies of three letters to the Post on Wednesday night: two dated Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 expressing her concerns about the changes and Peake's Oct. 15 response dated for Wednesday. Dole's letters were identical, and her representative said the later one was a followup to the earlier letter. The only difference in Peake's letter to Dole and his letter to Watt was that he referred to the dates of their letters sent to him. Watt sent a letter to Peake on Sept. 22 addressing his concerns about the plan to eliminate inpatient, emergency and surgical services as part of a transition to a long-term care and mental health facility for veterans. Watt, who is running for his ninth term as the 12th District representative, said he's not upset that he received the same letter as Dole. "That happens all the time," he said. What does upset him, he said, is that he wrote to Peake first and didn't get a response until the morning after Dole's office had sent out a press release with the letter. "It seems to me that Dole is trying to use your newspaper to make it sound like this was a response to her letter," he said. Watt said he was preparing a followup letter to Peake, thanking him for his response and asking for two things. "No. 1, I want to see the plan, which is what I requested on Sept. 22," he said. And No. 2, Watt said he wants to know what Peake is going to do between now and Nov. 15, the date he specified in the letter as the deadline for his staff to provide him with the results of the review. "Is it just full speed ahead?" he asked. "And is this just a political response to get Liddy Dole through the election? I think these people are playing games, and some of this has to do with politics. "They'd love to get beyond the election and create a firestorm in the middle of the election. I think it's a little late for that." Watt said Carolyn L. Adams, director of the Hefner VA, traveled to his Washington office to talk with him about the proposed changes one day last week. Though she discussed the plan for the Hefner VA with his staff, Watt said he did not talk with her. "It doesn't seem to me to be a productive use of my time," he said, "to be sitting down talking to somebody verbally about a proposal that I have not yet seen in writing ... Before I started fussing at anybody about what they are proposing, I wanted to see what it is that they are proposing." Watt said at a Salisbury-Rowan NAACP candidates forum Wednesday night he suspects some Congressional leaders knew about the plans for the Hefner VA before they were announced in a Sept. 19 press release from Veterans Affairs. Sen. Richard Burr, the ranking Republican on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, was with Peake when he spoke to about 50 people at a March 20 veterans round table held by Watt at VFW Post 3006 on Brenner Avenue. When he heard they were going to be in the area to visit the new community-based Veterans Affairs clinic in Charlotte, Watt invited them to drop by the round table. Peake spoke briefly of his plans as the new Veterans Affairs director that day. "He didn't mention anything about any major reorganization at that meeting," Watt said. Watt said it was inconceivable to him that Veterans Affairs would have announced the plans without Peake having consulted with Burr. "And if that was being done with Sen. Burr, I can't imagine that he wouldn't have raised the possibility with Sen. Dole, who lives right here in Salisbury," he said. A spokesman for Burr's office said he was aware of a study of VA services to see if there were ways to improve the health-care delivery for veterans, but did not know of the specifics of the proposed changes at the Hefner VA Medical Center until the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee was briefed on Sept. 18, the day before the news was released to the media. When asked if Dole knew about the plans before the official announcement, a spokesman for her office said Veterans Affairs informed her last spring that it was conducting a study to determine how to better serve North Carolina veterans. "But the VA did not share the findings of the study with her until it had already been reported by the press," the spokesman said. "Senator Dole has criticized the VA for being too secretive with this process. Senator Dole is pleased the VA is reviewing their plan before moving forward, as she requested."

Gold Star Family Members Support...

Lorin Walker — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:14:25 EDT

Posted by my friend Marcia Yerman on Huffington: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/veterans-families-cast-a_b_139934.html

I previously wrote an article about those who have served in our military, and the challenges facing them and their families. At that time, I interviewed Lorin Walker. We have stayed in touch, and she recently sent me this letter. It speaks for her, and two other women that she quotes in her correspondence. They are all members of what is referred to as a Gold Star Family - those who have lost loved ones who have died in service to our country.

As military family members, we were supportive, proud to serve, and prepared to sacrifice for our country and our values. We were not however, prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for artifice. We are Gold Star family members, a mother, a sister-in-law, and an adult child of service members who lost their lives in honorable service of our nation. We feel strongly about the reprehensible way in which the war in Iraq was conceived. The moment that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz sat down to plan how to sell the invasion to the public under false pretenses, we lost. We all lost. The damage done to us and to our reputation as a nation has still not been fixed.

How then, could Senator McCain begin to fix what he doesn't even seem to acknowledge has happened? We remember all too well that the war did not begin with the surge. Senator McCain's rhetoric demonstrates a complete denial about all of the "loss" that occurred beforethat -- the loss to our nation's integrity and honor. "Still further, what are we as a country losing when we continue to lay to eternal rest the funny kid on the baseball team and the girl who always knew how to get her little siblings to finish their chores? These aren't Rambos we're sending to do our dirty work, they are our military," said Gold Star mother Rosemary Palmer. "We will forever wonder what each might have contributed to our world."

We appreciated Senator McCain when he spoke up about Bush policies that were damaging. Yet, he still does not seem to have acknowledged (even to himself) the ongoing extent of that damage or the resulting loss of public trust -- which is the lifeblood of our entire system. The Iraqi budget is running a surplus while ours is in a downward spiral. When tens of thousands of Iraqis peacefully protest in the streets against long-term U.S. presence, it is time to change course. It is time to refocus and redouble our efforts on Afghanistan, not stubbornly stay in Iraq while being asked to leave. Gold Star sister-in-law, Janine Gastineau said, "The war in Afghanistan has long been overshadowed by the distraction that is the war in Iraq. Every new disaster there rubs more salt in the wounds of our grief."

When combined with McCain's insulting record on veterans' issues and his tendency to be out of touch with the plight of average working Americans, it is not surprising that he is also far out of touch with the long-term loss of credibility that Iraq has caused us around the world. Only with a truly myopic definition of victory is it possible to keep talking about winning.

As the daughter of a pilot who has been missing for 37 years, I can tell you that the cost of war is decades, generational in scope. To say that we will stay until we have won, in a war that has no clear lines, an ever-shifting definition of the word win is offensive, damaging, unethical, and wrong. It is playing with words to fuel a political campaign. What must we have won to say that we have won, and what more will we have to lose?

By stark comparison to Senator McCain, Senator Obama will take the long view. He will look before he leaps. He will not sacrifice American lives lightly or use force to prove a point. He will restore an honor to the American Presidency that is based on mutual trust. He will respect our service members, their families, and the rest of the world. He will engender respect from around the globe and from the troops that will call him Commander in Chief.

And finally, there is the question of patriotism. When the political chips are down or policies are failing, those who raise questions or who point out failures are accused of being unpatriotic. We are not unpatriotic people. As one widow said to me, "I was a proud military wife for ten years. I resent anyone who questions my patriotism, or anyone else's, simply because we question a flawed doctrine that endangers precious lives. I would never back down from defense of my country in the presence of a genuine threat. However, I cannot condone the duplicitous politics of McCain and Palin. As a survivor, I am a witness to the pain that plagues the families left behind."
We are Gold Star Family Members, true patriots. We are standing up for all that is great about this nation that we love. We are standing with a leader who has inspired the nation and the world, a patriot who will command with authority and lead with intelligence and foresight. We will proudly cast our votes for Barack Obama on Tuesday, November 4th.

OPERATION RECOGNITION IN PUEBLO, COLORADO - OBAMA CONNECTION

Karen in St. Joseph, Missouri — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:47:27 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y5GxtO62BU

Eighteen months ago, my son (now 8 years old) Rexie Planalp, Chairperson KiDS for Obama-Missouri, and I met Sen. Barack Obama. Since that meeting, we've been diligently working on the campaign to elect Sen. Barack Obama to the position of, President of the United States of America.

Sen. Obama stated he would bring our troops home from the war in Iraq. He stressed the need for us to help our troops when they come home; and most importantly, that we never forget our veterans and those who gave their lives. Sen. Obama personally encouraged me; he reminded me to "seize the moment; seize this opportunity." So, with a ton of hope and encouragement, and the Senator's words ringing loud and clear, I became busy researching programs to assist our veterans. I found OPERATION RECOGNITION; a program that provides high school diploma's to veterans who left school, to defend freedom. In the state of Colorado, Operation Recognition is authorized by Colorado State law (SB-100) and is offered by the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Association of School Boards.

I began with my Father, a proud United States Veteran. I directed my brother to the web location http://www.dmva.state.co.us/page/va/op_rec ; he helped Dad fill out the application. I coordinated with the other agencies involved. My Dad is Richard D. Quintana, Jr.; he is 75 years old and resides in Pueblo, Colorado. Many years ago, Dad left high school to join the military. In past conversations with Dad, he stated that he couldn't understand why some "kids today", don't get their high school diploma. He stated, he and many other veterans "joined the military to protect our country, and so that our kids would have opportunities to get a good education that would further them in life."

In coordination with the Department of Education, Department of Veterans Affairs, Colorado Association of School Boards, Central High School Principal Mr. Robert Gonzales, Mrs. Mary Beth Garrett, Mr. Brandt Erickson, and School District 60; my Father is a 2008 recipient of "Operation Recognition" and was given an Honorary High School Diploma. He "walked" with Pueblo Central High School's Class of 2008 at Graduation on May 31, 2008. With tears in his eyes, Dad proclaimed that it was one of the proudest days in his life. Of course, I cried a lot too. Right before the ceremony, (perhaps believing I was in distress), Dad asked why I was crying, I told him because I was so very proud of him, they were tears of joy. Please view the youtube video, I promise it's short.

Dad had a hemorrhagic stroke earlier this month, he is recouperating in "the (Colorado) Springs" and doing well (cards are SO appreciated 6430 Garlock Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80918). I am so happy that we seized the moment and opportunity; life is most definitely short.

Thank you Barack, for all you do for everyone in these United States of America.

NB: Dad wears his Obama button; he voted by absentee ballot...

He voted OBAMA.

One in a Million

Tricia — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:39:10 EDT

I, who never donated to a campaigh in my life, am one of the first million who supported Obama. Over the last 20 months I have contributed $25.00 at key moments.

I am the mother of a Marine Corps Sergeant. I first came to this campaign because of his stance on war during my son's deployment to the Al-Anbar Province in Iraq. My son is now fine, on inactive duty but still has a contract till 2010. With all my research and investment I can say without hesitation that I would be proud to have this man as my son's Commander-in-Chief .

We, the People are finally being asked to step up and circumvent the old politics that have dominated our collective lives for too long. We, the People funded his campaign in by giving our own little mites and have seen this man take our trust and not break it once.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=lHTwUvOje04

McCain's Military Record Shows He Is Unfit To Be President

Juli Norwood — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:37:30 EDT

From a must read article titled "McCain's Military Record Shows He Is Unfit To Be President" by Hidell at:

At the Naval academy McCain graduated at the bottom of his class 790th out of 795.

McCain crashed 5 airplanes during his career. Anyone else who would have crashed at the rate McCain did would have been kicked out of the service.

His father was an admiral which made him invincible. untouchable if you will...So McCain continued to blunder his way through his military career until he was finally shot down.

McCain was responsible for lives lost on the USS Forrestal.

Quote

It appears that McCain's incompetence played a significant part in increasing the severity of the incident when, in a frightened scramble to get out of the aircraft, he pressed the bomb release button by mistake, dropping a bomb from his aircraft onto the burning fire. It detonated one minute later, killing many people. After escaping from the aircraft, McCain shamefully left the deck and hid below, then, within hours, flew to Saigon for some "R n' R" while funeral services were still being arranged for his shipmates.

UnQuote

He never returned to the USS Forrestal and for good reason. His former crew mates despised him and blamed him. He HAD to be trasferred to another ship!

Despite McCain's constant reminder to us that he is a war hero, he has gone out of his way to hide his military and POW records. In fact his records have been classified and sealed. He also pushed through laws that prevented records of all POWs from being available to the public in an effort to guarantee the saftety and protection of his own from public viewing.

We hear all about his 28 medals but he plays down the fact he only put in 20 hours of combat time. 20 hours hardly qualifies you as being experienced in military affairs. The average grunt on the ground put in 7,000 hours making McCain's mere 20 hours laughable. And yet his chest is covered with 28 medals for doing nothing more than our brave men did on the ground. Just another instance of John McCain riding on the coattails of his Father the Admiral.

The question of whether he was ever tortured has been one of the biggest debates of all time. If the senior ranking officers at the POW camp had been allowed to process their formal charges stating John McCain was a collaborator and a traitor there would have been a court martial to answer this question once and for all. But that was to never be. The government refused to prosecute anyone coming home from vietnam... because they wanted the public to perceive them all as hero's.

The ONLY reason John McCain wasn't court martialed for being a traitor is because the Government gave him a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card"

Quote

There are two ways to look at the torture claims. Either McCain is lying about it – in which case he’s unfit to be president; or he’s telling the truth – in which case he’s unfit to be president. Why? Because torture is one of those experiences, like being abused as a child, which inflicts permanent psychological damage.

Many of America’s veterans from the Korean and Vietnamese wars suffered lingering psychological trauma from their wartime experience. The rate is even higher among former prisoners of war (POWs). One study found that 85% of POWs who had been tortured experienced Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Was McCain one of the 85% or was he one of the lucky 15%?

There is every reason to suspect that McCain suffered deep-seated psychological trauma while a prisoner of war. He himself says that he was “reduced to an animal” and “broken”. He signed confessions – “I am a black criminal and have performed the deeds of an air pirate” - and made broadcasts denouncing his own country and its actions in the war. In fact, so great was his propensity to be friendly with his captors that, in the camp, McCain acquired the nickname of “Songbird”.

Bear in mind that McCain’s medals were awarded for resisting torture. Yet where was the resistance? Perhaps it is this gulf between the perception and the reality of John McCain that explains why so many Vietnam veterans groups openly despise him.

However much pity we might feel for a prisoner of war subjected to such intense pressures, the record is clear : McCain was no war hero. He was, rather, a coward, an incompetent, a collaborator and a traitor.

Unquote

Please click the link below to read the full story.

http://www.forandagainst.com/articles/McCain_s_Military_Record_Shows_He_Is_Unfit_To_Be_President

The stakes are too high!!!

We cannot afford to put a psychologically crippled man in as President.

Nor can we afford to put a traitor in as President!

Also Please click this link to read about the veterans who despise McCain!

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_12_16/ai_61487324

Juli Norwood

Veterans and Military Families for Progress endorses Barack Obama for President.

Maura Satchell — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:44:20 EDT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATIONAL CONTACT: Name: Matt Cary, President

Tel: Tel: (202) 841-1687

E-mail: president@vmfp.org

Veterans and Military Families for Progress endorses Barack Obama for President.

Washington, D.C.:

By vote of the Board of Directors, Veterans and Military Families for Progress (www.vmfp.org) proudly endorses Senator Barack Obama in the upcoming United States presidential election. Founded in 2005, VMFP is dedicated to ensuring that the rights and needs of veterans, those currently serving (including national guard and reservists), and their families are understood by the American public, endorsed by our elected officials, and protected by legislation, regulation, and public policy initiatives.

As the grandson of a veteran of World War II, his appreciation of veterans’ issues is underscored not by words but by actions. He serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has shown leadership by introducing several non-partisan bills, some of which have been enacted into law, for the benefit of veterans. He shares the values of our military forces, and fights to ensure our forces are well-rested and properly equipped. Of particular interest to VMFP, Senator Obama shows superior support for veterans’ “coming home” issues such as accessible physical and mental health care, expanded educational benefits and job opportunities, and reduction of homelessness and suicide within the ranks of America’s veterans.

From his days as head of Harvard’s Law Review to the moment he entered the Senate, Obama’s leadership and commitment to our country have been recognized. His superior leadership and commitment to the issues that are critical to veterans, those serving, and their families is unsurpassed by other candidates in this election. His public support for full funding of the Veterans Administration and his declared determination to provide for the establishment of a national veterans and military family policy give veterans and their families hope -- hope that at long last a President will support veterans in such a way as to honor the sacred trust of those who have served and sacrificed.

Senator Obama’s decision to support the passage of a 21st century GI bill, and his deep understanding of the need for providing and guaranteeing full healthcare coverage for National Guard and Reserve personnel who have deployed in combat zones, demonstrate he is a candidate who has the character and courage to do what is right for those in service to our country. We feel that veterans, those now serving, military families, and in fact, all people of the United States will be well-served with Barack Obama as their president by ensuring that America’s military remains strong, ready, equipped, and properly managed to protect the country against the threats we face in the 21st Century.

Veterans and Military Families for Progress is a 501(c)(4) non-partisan, not-for-profit veterans organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is a 21st Century organization made up of members located throughout the country, and from across the breadth of rank and military services, who served, are serving, or are family members of those who have heeded the call to serve their country in the U.S. armed forces. VMFP’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President is based upon a number of non-partisan criteria assessed for major party candidates for this office, including support of VMFP’s mission, proposed policy agendas -- especially those focused on coming home issues -- grades, rankings and ratings of other veteran-related interest groups, and each candidate’s actions in the Senate.

Why Military and Veterans Vote For Obama! Vets Say No McCain- McCain Fails to Vote for Benefit of Soldiers - Veterans Issues-Obama Supports Veterans, Obama's Veterans Issues Voting Records

soldiersdaughter — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:18:03 EDT

Make your vote count for veterans care and rights- vote for Obama- Here are the facts on McCain's Voting Record on Veterans Issues and why many military families and veterans are voting for Obama in the election.

Here is my collection of information, facts, links, videos, and voting records of Obama and McCain. Read and see resources to understand why I, a daughter of a disabled Vietnam War Veteran, am voting for Obama- Biden in this election!

Also see video of my poem, Dovv Rising about Iraq War Soldier's Children-the forgotten children whose lives are impacted by this war. I feel we can't elect McCain whose favorite word seems to be FIGHT, who has no plan to bring the troops home, who has a D rating from IAVA, and actually sang, "bomb, bomb Iran."

Voting for Veterans- Fact on the candidates voting records on veterans issue, facts for the election- Why Military Families and Veterans are Voting for Obama- Biden:

"Miserable Record of Not Supporting America's Troops and Veterans"
McCain's Voting Record on Veterans Issues-Know the Facts for the Voting in the Election

Spread the WORD! PLEASE SHARE THE ABOVE LINK for great FACTS AND VIDEOS with everyone! An Iraq War veteran, at Vetvoice has collected these facts and videos for people concerned about issues in this elections that effect veterans.

Vets VS. McCain:

McCain said,"I know the veterans, and I know them well," he said, his voice shaky with emotion. "And I know that they know that I'll take care of them. And I've been proud of their support and of their recognition of my service to the veterans. And I love them, and I'll take care of them. And they know that I'll take care of them."

But he hasn't. McCain has had 25 years in Congress to help veterans, yet about all he's done is talk about his own experiences as a prisoner of war—and push our country to go to war again.Veterans' groups are finally speaking out about their frustration with McCain...........
READ MORE of this great article Vets Vs McCain at The Village Voice

How McCain Sells Out Vets- Veteran's Issues- Voting for McCain or Obama

Military families for Obama has a great video to show why they support voting for Obama-
video why military families vote for Obama

Their website is Military Families for Obama

Next Generation VETERANS FOR OBAMA Video why veterans vote for OBAMA

An Air Force Veteran tell why military and veterans should vote for Obama

My own BarackObamaBlog has facts, information, and my lengthy commentary about the RNC, what patriotism means to me, and the facts about how McCain has not been 'walking his talk' when it comes to supporting veterans with his actions and votes. Read how Obama has a solid track record of voting for soldiers and veterans. Why those who care about patriotism, veterans issues, the troops, and military families should consider voting for OBAMA, by the daughter of a disabled Vietnam Veteran.

Dovv Rising- Stop the War Poem- Veteran's Issues Poetry This is a video of my poem About Iraq War Soldier's Children- Support the Troops Bring Them Home Alive-Take Care of Veterans.

Latest news October 26,08 Vietnam Veteran and former GOP senator endorses Obama

How Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain are annoying many military and veteran's families and potentially harming veterans:

How Cindy McCain's comments about PTSD sets policy for veterans back 30 years!

Q: You met your husband after his POW days. To what extent is that still with you - or is it a part of history?

CINDY McCAIN: My husband will be the first one to tell you that that's in the past. Certainly it's a part of who he is, but he doesn't dwell on it. It's not part of a daily experience that we experience or anything like that. But it has shaped him. It has made him the leader that he is.

Q: But no cold sweats in the middle of the night?

CINDY McCAIN: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. My husband, he'd be the first one to tell you that he was trained to do what he was doing. The guys who had the trouble were the 18-year-olds who were drafted. He was trained, he went to the Naval Academy, he was a trained United States naval officer, and so he knew what he was doing."

Video and more info and facts about how Cindy McCain's PTSD comments are dangerous to disabled soldiers from VETVOICE.COM

The Danger of Cindy McCain's comments about Veterans issues PTSD: If You Have PTSD Because You Are Immature and Poorly Trained

An Open Letter TO Cindy McCain- A Navy Wife speak outs about comments made by Cindy McCain:

READ full article Navy wife speak out against McCain - Click here

Did you get a cold chill when your husband FLAT OUT REFUSED to support the new GI Bill?

Did you get a cold chill when your husband was voting AGAINST troops' safety equipment for Iraq and Afghanistan on 3 separate occasions?

Did you feel even a cool breeze when your husband opposed mandatory downtime for our troops instead of continuing the endless swinging door of war theater tours?

Did you feel even a slight shiver when your husband voted LOCK STEP with Bush on invading Iraq and starting a war that had NOTHING to do with 9/11?

Do you feel anything knowing that 4,181 troops have been killed and 30,702 have been injured to date in Iraq and Afghanistan?

And did you even feel when your husband talked about staying in Iraq for a hundred years, risking hundreds of thousands of more troops lives? READ MORE HERE

Veterans for America has an article about the facts on how Sarah Palin's policies do not support the National Guard Troops. Alaska National Guard faces hardships and shortfalls.

"VFA’s final report confirms its preliminary findings: the serious and growing needs of Alaska Guard Soldiers, their families, and communities far outstrips available resources and programs.

Many of Alaska’s Guard members have been deployed, and, in some case, deployed again, despite the absence of high-quality care and treatment after their return. It remains VFA’s recommendation that the United States should not continue to deploy the Alaska National Guard until this situation is remedied.

Under no circumstances is it acceptable to deploy a citizen Soldier to war knowing that they cannot receive adequate care post-combat."

Please share these resources and make you vote count for soldiers and veterans!

Barack: Right on Policies for Ohio

Michael in Ohio — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:13:22 EDT

In an election season, the big philosophical or ideological differences between the candidates are discussed frequently. We know the difference between Barack and Senator McCain on the big issues: the War, Health Care, and the Economy, for example. But rarely are the smaller policy differences put forth--in the specific but nonetheless important areas.

For example, this article from ZDNet clearly and succinctly outlines and grades the differences on tech policy:

Broadband Access: Barack rates better than McCain
Green Technology: Barack rates better than McCain
Net Neutrality: Barack rates better than McCain
Airwaves Spectrum: Barack rates even with McCain

This is especially important in Ohio, where top-rate schools provide huge potential for technology development.

Also, Barack has shown that sound policies draw support where you least expect it: this radio story from statenews.org details how many Republican farmers are drawn to Barack because of his support for Ethanol. Ohio is a corn-growing state, and in fact, as their site details, the American Corn Growers Association endorsed Barack in August.

Finally, a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch gives a glimpse into how many Ohio veterans are left behind--more so than in the rest of the States:

By some measures, Ohio is one of the worst places in the country to be a disabled veteran.
They average $8,090 per year in disability compensation; the average in New Mexico, one of the best states for disabled veterans, is $12,891.

Ohio's disabled veterans ranked next to last in average compensation in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Only Indiana veterans received less money.

In 2005, Ohio ranked last.
The state of Ohio has its own problems. Applying for disability compensation is so complicated that most veterans can't do it by themselves. All over the country, they rely on service officers funded by the state or county, or on service officers from veterans groups to help them.

Ohio has no way of tracking how good the officers are. No state employee regularly interacts with the Cleveland office, helping to guide claims through the process or receiving feedback on how to better submit those claims. More-successful states do.

Barack, much more so than his opponent, actually has policies that directly address what these Ohio veterans go through. And one of them, Ben, in Lancaster, knows it:

Jeff Fields’ assertion that John McCain has not been a friend to veterans during his time in the Senate is absolutely correct.
Every year between 2004 and 2007, McCain voted against a Republican-proposed Veterans Administration health-care bill for troops coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2008, he did not vote at all on the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act, yet spoke out against it. This bill was a bipartisan effort by Sens. Jim Webb, D-Va., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and would have paid a veteran’s tuition rather than only some of it, as the GI Bill does today.
McCain loves to espouse that he has been awarded a perfect voting record by veterans groups. In 2008, the Disabled American Veterans gave McCain a 20 percent rating out of 100 percent. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCain a D rating. The Vietnam Veterans of America have McCain down for nine votes with them, 15 votes against them.

In contrast, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has an 80 percent rating from the DAV and a B-plus from the IAVA.

(Click HERE to join Ohio Veterans for Obama)

Barack's platform is so right for Ohio, he even has a policy specific to restoring the Great Lakes!

What policies are important to you? Let us know in the comments section below!

Danzig, Former Sec. of the Navy, visits Obama Seacoast Office

Anne Marie @ NH HQ — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:59:32 EDT

This post was written by Colin Milligan at NH HQ

Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy under President Clinton, visited our Portsmouth Campaign for Change office to meet and talk with Seacoast veterans. Danzig, a strong supporter of Senator Obama, was in town for the commissioning of the USS New Hampshire.

Danzig spoke to veterans and volunteers in the office about the connection between working on a political campaign and serving in the military. He said that both offer a chance for two people who have never met each other to have an instant bond and sense of comrade.

Danzig, who was in Ohio and Virginia recently, said that New Hampshire is one of the most important states in this election. With his words of encouragement, the volunteers and veterans headed off to knock on doors and make phone calls. He encouraged everyone to sign up for a GOTV shift.

If you're a veteran for Obama, please visit our website for NH Veterans to sign up to help!

Going Door-to-Door in Virginia

John — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 09:36:58 EDT

This will be the fourth weekend that I've gone door-to-door for Obama. The feedback has been fantastic. I have talked with several Republicans who can no longer support their party and are voting for change. I have talked with many moderates and liberals who are very excited about Barack Obama. I have talked with veterans on both "sides" who think the only way to keep America safe in the future is to renew our standing in the world and rebuild the trust and respect that Bush has destroyed (and McCain would further erode). There are many, many Veterans for Obama!

Rain or shine, here we come!

I want to do an ad on "Dan the Iraq Vet"

SSG_Dan — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:31:34 EDT

In response to Senator McCain's latest round of inscrutable advertising, I've decided that I would like to do an ad in the same vein as "Joe the Plumber." I'd call it "Dan the Iraq Vet."

I met Dan the Iraq Vet at the Stand Down for Homeless Vets in Colorado Springs last week. Dan was an Army Infantryman from Fort Carson, and had 7 years of service, which included deployments to Iraq and other countries in the Middle and Far East, as well as some time at West Point, carefully herding clueless Army Cadets thru weapons instruction.

Dan the Vet wanted an Army Career, but he was wounded in Iraq, and suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his head and neck. The Army patched him up, but wasted no time hustling him out with crappy transition classes, no Purple Heart and no mentorship to transition him to civilian life. That was 2005 or 2006...Dan has trouble remembering.

Dan the Iraq Vet lives in a tiny apartment now in Colorado Springs, but he only recently managed to land a minimum wage job that could help pay for that. Before that, he was either living on his buddies' couches, or out of his car. Dan the Iraq Vet drinks a lot - before he goes to work, when he tries to sleep, and when he's with his friends. It's the only way he can keep going day-to-day.

He finally has a disability rating from the VA, but he still hasn't managed to get an ID card for treatment, or attend any therapy sessions....they're during the day, which would force him to choose between attending his session and getting fired, or missing his session and keeping his job.

In sort, Dan the Iraq Vet got f*cked over by his country. When he answered the call to defend our nation, our Constitution and our way of life, he did not hesitate. He took the toughest and most dangerous job the Army had for him, and he very nearly paid the ultimate price for his patriotism.

In my ad, I tell Dan the Iraq Vet's story, and I would tell them what Senator Obama would do for him. Senator Obama will make sure the VA takes care of Dan the Vet, including PTSD therapy and proper medical attention for his wounds.

Senator McCain would tell him to go see a private doctor who might figure out what's wrong, and he'd use a "plastic card" to pay for it - IF the Doctor takes the card.

And if the Doctor doesn't want to take the "Plastic Card", then he can wait in line for the limited service the VA would have under McCain's idea of a budget. See, Senator McCain always votes for the least amount of money for the VA, like he has every year since 2004. Dan the Iraq Vet wouldn't get extra counseling for his mental illnesses, because Senator McCain fought against funding that program.

In sort, Senator McCain, the 100% disabled vet from his Vietnam service and his torture as a POW, will not help vets from Iraq and Afghanistan. Because he wouldn't help vets from ANY conflict his entire term in Congress. It his record, and it is shameful.

Senator Obama, if you or your people are monitoring this blog, will you make a commercial called "Dan the Iraq Vet?" Because the whole nation needs to know how we treated this patriotic young man, and they need to know how Senator McCain would treat him if he was President.

Iraq Veterans Against the War - Benefit Concert and Book Release Party

*Richard Zack* — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:06:23 EDT

PRESS RELEASE
RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 10, 2008

IRAQ WAR VETERANS RELEASE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF MIDEAST OCCUPATIONS
WINTER SOLDIER BENEFIT CONCERT AND BOOK DEBUT, OCT. 30, 2008

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) has teamed up with the NYC management company The Wink Winks to craft an evening of rock and reflection to celebrate the release of Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations from Haymarket Books. On Thursday, October 30, 2008, veterans, musicians, and the general public will converge at Sullivan Hall to raise awareness with readings from the book by Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans, and to raise money for continued advocacy with performances by great bands from NYC and around the country.

In the spring of 2008, inspired by the Vietnam-era Winter Soldier Investigation, IVAW gathered outside Washington, D.C., and testified to atrocities they personally witnessed or participated in while deployed in the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. The book presents their powerful words, photographs, and documents from this historic event, with a Foreword from Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead.

Along with readings from Winter Solder: Iraq and Afghanistan, there will be performances by musicians from around the country who support the continued work of IVAW, including the Brooklyn based bands System Noise, The Volunteers, Wounded Buffalo Theory, Lachi, Trevor Earth, the Connecticut band doublethink, and a special solo performance by Milwaukee's Otto Ohlsson from Into Arcadia. Special guests and additional artists TBA.

Sullivan Hall is located at 214 Sullivan St. in New York's Greenwich Village. Tickets are available for presale through TicketWeb (www.sullivanhalltix.com) for a discounted $15, or $20 at the door. Proceeds will go to the New York City Chapter and the Winter Soldier Committee of Iraq Veterans Against the War. Doors will open at 7:30PM with readings and performances to begin shortly thereafter. Come add your voices to ours to show that together we can change the path of this country and end this war and occupation.

ABOUT IVAW: IVAW was founded by Iraq war veterans in July 2004 at the annual convention of Veterans for Peace in Boston, to give a voice to active duty service people and veterans who are against the war. Today, IVAW has over 1,200 members in 48 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada, and on military bases overseas.

ABOUT THE WINK WINKS: The Wink Winks was founded in 2004 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio by Richard Zack and Dave Smith, to produce, manage, and promote talented artists with a focus of making a positive impact on society. Today, The Wink Winks is based in Queens, NY and manages several Rock artists and producers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Iraq Veterans Against the War: http://www.ivaw.org
The Wink Winks: http://www.thewinkwinks.com
System Noise: http://myspace.com/systemnoise
The Volunteers: http://myspace.com/thevolunteers
doublethink: http://myspace.com/doublethinkrocks
Into Arcadia: http://myspace.com/intoarcadia
Wounded Buffalo Theory: http://myspace.com/wbt
Lachi: http://myspace.com/lachimusic
Trevor Earth: http://myspace.com/trevorearth

Truth,McCain NOT for Veterans

Jack — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:45:57 EDT

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McCain's Voting Record: He Does Not Support Our Troops and Veterans

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Mar 14, 2008

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Editorial Column: The Government, the Media, and Afghanistan

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Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - Since everyone is at least a bit familiar with John McCain’s record when it comes to strolling through a market in Baghdad with hundreds of his closest guards, or how he wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years (except when he flip flops on that).

But not that many really, truly know just how horrific his voting record is when it comes to the troops. And it is pretty consistent – whether it is for armor and equipment, for veteran’s health care, for adequate troop rest or anything that actually, you know, supports our troops.

This is chock full of links to the roll call votes, and the roll call votes have links to the actual underlying bills and amendments. I present this so that there is support and things that can be rattled off when saying that McCain is not a friend of the military. Feel free to use it as you want, but this can be tied into the "Double Talk Express". But here is a very quick statement - John McCain skipped close to a dozen votes on Iraq, and on at least another 10 occasions, he voted against arming and equipping the troops, providing adequate rest for the troops between deployments and for health care or other benefits for veterans.

In mid 2007, Senator Reid noted that McCain missed 10 of the past 14 votes on Iraq. However, here is a summary of a dozen votes (two that he missed and ten that he voted against) with respect to Iraq, funding for veterans or for troops, including equipment and armor. I have also included other snippets related to the time period when the vote occurred.

September 2007: McCain voted against the Webb amendment calling for adequate troop rest between deployments. At the time, nearly 65% of people polled in a CNN poll indicted that "things are going either moderately badly or very badly in Iraq.

July 2007: McCain voted against a plan to drawdown troop levels in Iraq. At the time, an ABC poll found that 63% thought the invasion was not worth it, and a CBS News poll found that 72% of respondents wanted troops out within 2 years.

March 2007: McCain was too busy to vote on a bill that would require the start of a drawdown in troop levels within 120 days with a goal of withdrawing nearly all combat troops within one year. Around this time, an NBC News poll found that 55% of respondents indicated that the US goal of achieving victory in Iraq is not possible. This number has not moved significantly since then.

February 2007: For such a strong supporter of the escalation, McCain didn’t even bother to show up and vote against a resolution condemning it. However, at the time a CNN poll found that only 16% of respondents wanted to send more troops to Iraq (that number has since declined to around 10%), while 60% said that some or all should be withdrawn. This number has since gone up to around 70%.

June 2006: McCain voted against a resolution that Bush start withdrawing troops but with no timeline to do so.

May 2006: McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.

April 2006: McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.

March 2006: McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.

March 2004: McCain once again voted for abusive tax loopholes over veterans when he voted against creating a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion by eliminating abusive tax loopholes. Jeez, McCain really loves those tax loopholes for corporations, since he voted for them over our veterans' needs.

October 2003: McCain voted to table an amendment by Senator Dodd that called for an additional $322,000,000 for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq and to reduce the amount provided for reconstruction in Iraq by $322,000,000.

April 2003: McCain urged other Senate members to table a vote (which never passed) to provide more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment in Iraq related to a shortage of helmets, tents, bullet-proof inserts, and tactical vests.

August 2001: McCain voted against increasing the amount available for medical care for veterans by $650,000,000. To his credit, he also voted against the 2001 Bush tax cuts, which he now supports making permanent, despite the dire financial condition this country is in, and despite the fact that he indicated in 2001 that these tax cuts unfairly benefited the very wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

So there it is. John McCain is yet another republican former military veteran who likes to talk a big game when it comes to having the support of the military. Yet, time and time again, he has gone out of his way to vote against the needs of those who are serving in our military. If he can’t even see his way to actually doing what the troops want, or what the veterans need, and he doesn’t have the support of veterans, then how can he be a credible commander in chief?

Comment here (55 comments).

Veterans for Common Sense
Post Office Box 15514
Washington, DC 20003

Barack/Biden Helps Veterans

Jack — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:10:41 EDT

The Problem

Wounded Troops Suffer: The Walter Reed scandal showed that we don't always provide returning service members with the care they deserve.

Veterans Budget Shortfalls: In 2005, a multi-billion dollar VA funding shortfall required Congress to step in and bail out the system.

Benefits Bureaucracy is Broken: There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VA error rates have grown to more than 100,000 cases a year.

There is Shortage of Care for PTSD: Veterans are coming home with record levels of combat stress, but we are not adequately providing for them.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden's PlanA Sacred Trust

Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that America has a sacred trust with our veterans. They are committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation's veterans deserve.

Allow All Veterans Back into the VA: One of Obama's first acts will be reversing the 2003 ban on enrolling modest-income veterans, which has denied care to a million veterans.
Strengthen VA Care: Obama and Biden will make the VA a leader of national health care reform so that veterans get the best care possible. They will improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women's health.
Combat Homelessness among Our Nation's Veterans: Obama and Biden will establish a national "zero tolerance" policy for veterans falling into homelessness by expanding proven programs and launching innovative services to prevent veterans from falling into homelessness.
Fight Veterans Employment Discrimination: Obama and Biden will crack down on employers who commit job discrimination against guardsmen and reservists.

Help for Returning Service Members

Obama and Biden will improve the quality of health care for veterans, rebuild the VA's broken benefits system, and combat homelessness among veterans.

Ensure a Seamless Transition: Obama and Biden will demand that the military and the VA coordinate to provide a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life.
Fully Fund VA Medical Care: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will fully fund the VA so it has all the resources it needs to serve the veterans who need it, when they need it. Obama and Biden will establish a world-class VA Planning Division to avoid future budget shortfalls.
Fix the Benefits Bureaucracy: Obama and Biden will hire additional claims workers, and improve training and accountability so that VA benefit decisions are rated fairly and consistently. They also will transform the paper benefit claims process to an electronic one to reduce errors and improve timeliness.

Improved Mental Health Treatment

Obama and Biden will improve mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.

Improve Mental Health Treatment: Obama and Biden will improve mental health care at every stage of military service. They will recruit more health professionals, improve screening, offer more support to families and make PTSD benefits claims fairer.
Improve Care for Traumatic Brain Injury: Obama and Biden will establish standards of care for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq war.
Expand Vet Centers: Obama and Biden will expand and strengthen Vet Centers to provide more counseling for vets and their families.

Barack Obama's Record

Record of Advocacy: As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Obama passed legislation to improve care and slash red tape for our wounded warriors recovering at places like Walter Reed. He passed laws to help homeless veterans and offered an innovative solution to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness. Obama led a bipartisan effort in the Senate to try to halt the military's unfair practice of discharging service members for having a service-connected psychological injury. He fought for fair treatment of Illinois veterans' claims and forced the VA to conduct an unprecedented outreach campaign to disabled veterans with lower than-average benefits. Obama passed legislation to stop a VA review of closed PTSD cases that could have led to a reduction in veterans' benefits. He passed an amendment to ensure that all service members returning from Iraq are properly screened for traumatic brain injuries. He introduced legislation to direct the VA and Pentagon to fix disjointed records systems and improve outreach to members of the National Guard and Reserves.

VETERANS DESERVE THE BEST OF THE BEST

Tamar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:03:03 EDT

My father retired as a LTC Colonel in 1994 after his last overseas assignment to assist in the capture Noriega in Panama . I remember crying after watching the Noriega's compound in flames. My mother and brother can sympathize with other family members as they tirelessly watch the news and wait by the phone to speak to their loved ones that have been sent off to war. When my father finally came home permanently, he became frustrated that it was not as easy for him to get a job although he had several degrees. Another component to his anger is that it was hard to find resources that would help him as a veteran. I don't understand why there are statistics that show that half of the homeless people in America are veterans.

He was very blessed that he was eventually pointed in the right direction. He was surprised to find out that his children could receive assistance from military. This was just one thing out of an array of benefits that he was made aware of. At that point he decided that his fellow veterans should benefit from the information as well. After months of being denied from different banks he found a partner who shared his same vision to help their own. Years later he became DVBA certified and received a contract from the state of California . This contract allowed him to buy computer equipment and provide computer training to disabled veterans. I shared in my father's vision as well and decided to study to become one of his trainers to educate the veterans on how to use the computer. So I experienced first hand the change in their disposition once they found out that someone did care about them. I always thought that my father was giving them a chance to stay in touch with the outside world by connecting to the web. One veteran stays in my thoughts and prayers. He was shot down while flying a helicopter during the war. While he did not die he was paralyzed from the waste down. This resulted in slurred speech and weight gain of 200 to 300 lbs. My father went to his residence to access his needs. There was food, feces, urine, along with other debris everywhere. He complained and complained until he finally got someone to listen. The man received a nurse and housekeeper. I don't think any family member should turn their back on a veteran but it is appalling that the US would do so. While the man enjoyed his training, he eventually got sick due to his weight. I had to call the paramedics twice towards the end of our sessions. Both times I noticed I was the only one at the hospital to support him with the exception of my father. Weeks later he put in a nursing home. While I moved away my father would still go to the nursing home to check on the man from time to time. This is just one of the many stories that my father can share with you since the 14 years that he has been in business. This is not what anyone deserves from serving their country. Our US veterans should have access to the best care, hospitals, schools for themselves, wives and their children, etc. My father's partner eventually asked him to buy his share of the business out so my father runs it with the help of my mother. He informed me that his lines of credit was cut a couple of weeks ago. He only had enough funds to pay for two computers out of his pockets since he was still waiting for payment from the state. I felt the urgency to speak out because my father is a proud man and no matter what obstacle he is faced with, he tries his best to overcome it. As always he told me that "he would get through this". This man served his country over seas and is still serving his country here in the US through his business. One of the reasons that he is trying to keep the store front open is because it is a safe haven for other veterans. They can come in and talk, volunteer,etc. One man use to come in everyday just to take the garbage out. Another man thought it was important to clean the bathroom daily. Years ago there was a homeless man that my father reached out to. He found out the man was a veteran. He helped the man get access to disability which got him off the streets and into a trailer home.

Now a days my father should be resting from major surgery to remove the cancer from his back 1 year ago and open heart surgery 2 months ago, he is doing the opposite. Instead he is doing his best to fulfill his promise and take care of his fellow veterans. I know that my father is a fighter and will fight the cancer and his heart problems but I should not have to worry about him passing away and what will happen to my mother. While I have moved away she has become my father's rock. With my father's illness a lot of responsibility to take care of him and the business has fallen into her hands. This is significant since her main goal in life was to be a homemaker. She never imagined that she would be running a business. My mother sees the need for the shop and its resources to other veterans as well.

Although I am aware that Mc Cain is a veteran I am very upset that he has not been more of a advocate for his fellow veterans. While we support Obama, my family and I are firm believers of results. It is great that we have a candidate for change but we need him to follow through. The work(Sheltering and Rehabilitating Homeless Veterans; Fighting for Illinois Veterans' Fair Share of Disability Benefits; Feeding Recovering Wounded Veterans; Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI);Easing the transition of New Veterans in Society) that he has done thus far is great but more has to be done. He can start with the providing the very best for veterans once the economy is stable. Maybe it is to late for Bush to step up to the plate and leave the White House with at least one positive thing on his conscience. Again, there needs to be a policy applied to provide the best of everything for veterans. During this financial crisis, veterans should not have it any other way. These are people that risked their lives for our Country. Something needs to be done immediately. We can start by voting for a man strongly cares about the Nation's Veterans and is working hard to improve their treatment.

Thank you Barack and Michelle!

Maura Satchell — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:53:59 EDT

Thank you Barack and Michelle!

Thank you for lighting the spark of this movement in America right now. This push to change our country, to rewrite the story from this day forward.

We’ll be writing about how we saw a glimmer of hope in a blind vet’s eyes the first time he got to vote in his 60 years of life since a volunteer was out there, ready to register him, deliver him to the polls, and ensure he was afforded the assistance he needed to vote.

We’ll be writing about the little children we met in low-income streets, so excited about their own future they could say your name out loud – and did, into a campaign volunteer’s bullhorn for all their neighbors to hear.

We’ll be writing about the single mother of three, so motivated by your call to heal our country she’d cart her infant and toddler along, and watch from her minivan, tooting her horn, heralding in hope, and monitoring her 11-year-old daughter’s effort to canvass with older volunteers.

We’ll be writing about the unemployed volunteer, so worried about healthcare coverage she made herself sicker, but who believed enough in your leadership to pack it up and head to a battleground state to ensure you won there.

We’ll be writing about the downtrodden red-state county Democratic party that for the first time in years pulsed with vitality, youth, and achievement as they broke new voter registration and voter participation records and planned a unified victory party like never before!

And we’ll be writing about the blue star families, the moms, dads, spouses, sons and daughters who believe your call to service honors their military member’s commitment, who trust you will be good stewards of their loved one’s military service, and who believe you will keep America’s promise to them as they hang up their uniforms and become veterans.

We’ll be writing the story of America from this moment on. Because you took a chance on us. I want to say, Barack and Michelle, we’ve got your back, and will do all in our means to ensure you make it to the White House.

And as I write these words, I call on my fellow Americans. Please join me in voting for Sen. Obama and bringing change, hope, unity, and vision to America. It is the time. It is the place. Yes we can!

Issues for Veterans and Unemployed

DVOP Florida — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:01:14 EDT

I'm a little more concerned about some debate issues that I have yet to see any feed back or follow up on that ARE more important than what mud puddle McCain is playing in.
From the debate McCain misspoke about Troops to Teachers and what WIA is in Reality doing! I'm on the front lines as a DVOP (Department of Labor grant that gets raped and beat to death on it's way down to us.. State takes their cut then the privatized Workforce boards take half. Just FYI I have a MBA and do NOT make $30,000 a year working in this program helping veterans with employablity)... On with what you need to be looking into!
Troops To Teachers does not put any soldier straight from the battlefield to the classroom. Definately had some teachers HOT HOT HOT in the ABC chat room last night with that slip. Troops to Teachers is a way for Veterans that have a Bachlors degree to get thier certifications to teach at little or no cost to them. It is also an expanded side Spouses To Teachers for the Military Spouses. It is actually a bit of a hard program to get into.

Big Ohy from the Manager's Workforce board meeting minutes, happened the day of the debate as a matter of fact experiance. The DOL Vets grant money are getting skimmed to go into the privatized Workforce Boards kick backs to companies on the board section.
From the Managers Meeting

Veteran Incentive

Region 11 earned additional veteran incentives dollars. This money will be used as a supplement to support services by being added to the WIA training dollars.
Additional Pass-Through
("pass-through" is what the board calls the part where they take half our grant money and do not give us anything for our Vets)

There is an additional $4,000 that will be used internally as a swap for funds used for veteran services.

I have asked for a Stand Down for my Homeless Veterans ... Denied. Asked to go to the once every 4 years Women Veteran's summit.. Denied.
I have not requested rembursment for my milage when doing employeer visits and off site Organizational Presentations for 3 years.
I asked for a $400 College Blue Book DVD that has every loan grant and scholarship avalible and updates on line.. denied.
Asked for the money to set up certification program to help transitioning veterans get the civilian certification for thier military jobs (EMT/FireFighter/etc.) ...Denied.
But they took our money and put it in WIA (Workforce Investment Act). the reason... Employeed Worker Training is paid out of WIA funds. EWT is supposed to train those working in low wage positions that may be cut to be able to work at he higher level and limit the possiblity of them being let go. How is it actually being used? Executives and upper Management earn the companies on the WorkForce Board $1,500 each by taking a $100 Red Cross CPR class and are given a new title. Total kick back per company each year? $20,000 or 9.5 job seekers that could have been trained to be employable or move into a higher position.

The fiscal year started July 1. Job seekers coming in requesting retraining due to layoffs and/or not being able to do the job they have been doing for the past 20 years. $0 avalible.

The workforce training and job seeker and business services are not going to work as long as the businesses are running the Employment offices. Privatization of the services stupidest move on Clinton's watch.

The McCain/Hero myth

GoyitoMKE — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:17:54 EDT

Like many extended American families, my family’s members represent a wide range of political opinions. My mother and her recently deceased older sister, for example, were about 180 degrees apart (with my aunt the one on the far right side of the spectrum).

My aunt’s husband of 50+ years was a career Air Force officer who retired with the rank of Colonel, rising from a humble start as an enlisted man during WWII. Their son Bob, my cousin, piloted B52 bombers in combat over Vietnam following ROTC training. And his son, following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, also enjoyed a career in the Air Force after graduating from the Air Force Academy.

I haven’t kept in touch with my cousin over the years, so it came as a real surprise to me recently when I learned that he and other members of his family are supporting Obama in this election. This morning, I received an email from him, in which he shared some words he has written to several newspapers to counter the McCain/Hero myth. They are so striking that I felt the need to share them…

“As a former B-52 pilot with hundreds of combat hours in Vietnam, I was always fearful of being shot down and captured. Thank God I was never put to the test, because none of us knew for certain how we would react. But if the worst happened, we airmen were thoroughly trained and believed in our sacred duty to resist aiding and abetting the enemy at any cost. We openly discussed and took pride in reinforcing our bedrock intention to accept death before dishonor. While we sympathized with those POW's who succumbed to torture and made damaging statements about America, we never elevated them to hero status. If anything, we pitied and looked down on them. Our real heroes were the ones who stood firm in the face of unimaginable horror. They set the standard of patriotism to which we all aspired, but hoped we would never have to rise. Upon reflection, I now know that the secret to our resistance training was a belief in something so much bigger than ourselves that individual capitulation was never an option. We all knew who had it and who didn't. That's why I'm betting many of John McCain's squadron mates weren't terribly surprised when his character cracked in Hanoi.” His email went on to list the link to the recent Rolling Stone exposé of McCain at http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

Youtube clips in support of Obama

TJ — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:15:19 EDT

Battle of the Senators: McCain vs Obama Part 1

Battle of the Senators: McCain vs Obama Part 2

These videos compare Obama's and McCain's US Senate voting records on different issues. I only used 30 votes so far but I have more I would like to add. Any ideas or suggestions to make these videos more interesting and informative would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to spread these videos around.

MCCAIN LIES TO VETERANS

Juli Norwood — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:39:17 EDT

John McCain is a POSER, during the debate of Sept 2008 he lied to American veterans when he said that he loved them and that he would take care of them!

When in fact as this video proves voted against Veterans health care needs time and time again!

Will his legacy of lies to our veterans ever catch up with him!

Only if you vote for Obama in 2008!

See Video of McCain lying to the people of the United States during the debate!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_C-K5oSfCY

Juli Norwood

The Fierce Urgeny of NOW...Mother Wit ... Just Plain Common Sense

One of Those Women — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:07:07 EDT

THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW*

Mother Wit... Just Plain Common Sense

By Cynthia A. Williams

Don't let the title of this message deceive you. This article is about the state of our country and the upcoming election. The title implies that this article will appeal to your intellect, your mother wit, and your common sense.

Some might ask what gives me the authority and right to write an article of this nature. I am writing this article under the auspices that the world through the American and International biographical associations recognizes me as one of the Great Minds of the 21st Century, 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals, and selected as 2007 Woman of the Year (Globally) in the Field of Theology (The study of God) and Spiritual Healing. It is on that note, spiritual healing, that I am writing this article.

I am almost certain when I say no one likes to be lied to. Anyone who lies is a liar, and one not to be trusted. That is a common sense statement, and requires no explanation. The Word of God says satan is the father of lies and the author of confusion and there is no good in him. Consequently, by deduction those who lie are servants of satan, evil, bad, and there is no good in them. Their only intent is to cause confusion, bring division and ultimately destroy whatever is in the midst or making.

With all that said, let’s take a look at the Presidential campaign. With no many days left, this message is crucial to appeal to your sense of good-will, truth, integrity, and unity.

This is about making a decision to believe a lie or the truth, life or death, hope or despair, ignorance or intelligence. You choose because we all have the God given right to choose what we believe and I pray it is based on the truth.

We have twelve qualified candidates running for the office of President /Vice President. They are competing for the highest office in this country. The office of President represents the United States as a people. This office should reflect excellence; the highest morals and values, the ultimate sense of honesty and integrity, and intelligence and wisdom. In this office decisions reflect how we as a people will live and survive for their term and maybe longer depending how much good or bad was done. We can see from the state of this country right now, somewhere, we failed in our judgment of character. It is assured we cannot do this again and survive the ramifications of a bad decision.

So let’s look at what we have in front of us. The way I see it the decision is too easy. We have the Republican candidates who have campaigned negatively from the inception of the race. Now we are at the end and their tone has changed only it has changed to outright lies, causing confusion and division. If this were a regular dispute, the things that are happening would be short of slander and libel. They have blatantly lied to the people, in speeches, on their website, in the debates, in their advertisements, all lies. The media which has twisted the news quite a bit doesn't have to do that for them because they make up their own mayhem. I can say they are lies because if you take the time to research what is being said the evidence is there, and it is clear. They know they are lying and think its okay to lie to the American people.

My thoughts are this, if they lie to you now, blatant and in your face, what makes you think they are going to do anything less when they get in office. You cannot trust a liar, and why should a person have to lie unless they have nothing to stand on to win. They really think the American people are stupid. For instance, Governor Palin get the results of her investigation which finds her guilty of unethical practices and she swears over and over again the report does not say that when the press shows you the written report... are we the people stupid?

Now let's look at the Democratic Party candidates. Senator Obama and Senator Biden, have only had one negative ad in their entire campaign, an ad, which Senator Obama apologized for and never ran another. They dispute the difference in the Republican Party’s platform and ideas but never attack the person and definitely no lies. They speak on what they plan to do versus what their opponents have done that have nothing to do with the campaign or the race for President. They spend much of their resources answering the lies that are being told and proving the other party to be exactly what I described in the beginning of this article.

As for the other eight candidates, they are soft spoken and almost unheard of. That’s just something to throw the numbers off. There are two other women of the Presidential ballot, so Palin is not the only making history.

If this was a game, the Republican Party candidates would have been thrown out of the game for unsportsmanlike conduct. If it was school they would have been expelled. If this was a family, they would have been punished. If this was a job they would have been fired. If this was court they would have been found guilty of perjury and sentenced to confinement.

ATTENTION… ATTENTION… This is neither, this is the Presidency of the United States and if we allow such conduct then whatever we get we deserve.

What are we looking at if we elect a liar? We are looking at more years of what we already have with escalated confusion, poverty, unemployment, the rich getting richer and more families on the streets. Are you ready for that? We can't afford more of what we have endured up to the present.

So let me deal with a few issues that I have had to explain to many that have been confused by those who are telling lies.

Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life: The Pro-Life suggested by the Republicans is Pro-Death. It is going back to butchers in the back yard. However, both democratic candidates are against abortion but they more so against the government taking away an individual’s right to choose who they do with their own body. Freedom of choice is a God given and a constitutional right. When an individual makes the wrong choice they have to live with it. And no one knows the circumstances that might present in this evil world.

Gay Rights: Neither party upholds same sex marriage, and again the democrats uphold an individual right to choose what who they live with and ultimately who they share their personal property with in the legal sense of the matter.

Gun Rights: Both parties basically believe the same thing. They both defend the 2nd Amendment with the right to bear arms, only the Democratic Party has stressed the need for more patrolling on illegal, unregistered assault weapons especially in the hands of criminal, gangs etc.

Military Issues: If the Republican Party had its way our children would be overseas in a useless occupation (we are not in a war), spending money we don’t have, having soldiers come home wounded and without proper treatment and rehabilitation and families are being shattered by long deployments and PTSD. Whereas, the democrats want the troops to be downsized and brought home responsibly to realign them in places where our presence is necessary. To spend appropriately and support those coming home and the veterans who need rehabilitating. They intend to beef up military spending to ensure the equipment is in the highest state of readiness as well as the troops.

Health Care: The Republican party want to give people Money but not enough to cover the whole amount needed to maintain their insurance, and in turn tax the companies they work for so they drop coverage and leave the people hanging with nothing. Note getting health insurance with pre-existing illness is almost impossible and if so it will be much more than $5000. However, the Democrats look to subsidize those who have insurance and those who don’t ensure they get in a plan much like the ones the Senate has. It’s not social medicine but it is health care for everyone.

Taxes: You should all read the Intelligence Report. It breaks down what each party proposes and although it is not said McCain can’t so what he says without taxing the poor people oops the middle class heavy, while still giving taxes break to his class of people, the 5%. Obama plan, though many think it is impossible, will give tax break to those making less than $250,000 and spread the tax burden proportionately amongst those who have more to give. We all must remember before you start griping, to whom much is given much is required and we are the United States, all for one and one for all. Then we must not forget that when the monies are aligned properly, much like working a budget, some expenses will take care of itself.

Last but not least, and this is my opinion. I think the Bail out was more of the rich taking care of their own at the tax payers expense. While the Executives and CEO still have their Golden Parachutes and Million dollar salaries, many people are still unemployed, homeless and hungry. It was a smack in the face for the execs of AIG to go on a vacation after taking the taxpayers money. I think the taxpayers ought to get some dividends or stock in these companies, or at least a say in the adjustment of those balloon salaries.

My thought was if they were going to give up money they should have bailed the people out. They all knew who was down (in foreclosure, pending bankruptcy) on their books and cleared them of their outstanding debt, attached that debt onto their mortgages, refinanced them at 30 year fixed, and they would be in their homes, the businesses would have the money to stay afloat, and we wouldn’t be deepen than ever in history in a hole while the rich are laughing going to the bank.

* Excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr. speech 40 years ago

“One of Those Women” by Cynthia Williams

Buy the book at www.amazon.com

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About The Author: Mother, Grandmother, Ambassador, Prophetess, Ordained Minister, Advocate, Author, Mentor, Nurse, Retired Army War Veteran, Businesswoman, President- It’s A New Day Productions, Founder- Free-Will Fellowship Ministry, Distributor Millennium Plus GPS, Independent Owner NSE, Notary Public, Life Fellow Biographical Association, Deputy Director General of America, Life Fellow American Biographical Institute, Host of the One of Those Women BLOG Talk Show, 2008 Outstanding People, Great Women of the 21st Century, Marquis Who’s Who of American Women, of America, of Health Care Professionals, of Business and Finance; International Biographical Centre: Order of Excellence, One Thousand Great Americans, 21st Century Award for Achievement in Theology and Spiritual Healing, 21st Century 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals, Cambridge Blue Book; American Biographical Institute 2004 Female Executive Award for Theology and Spiritual Healing, Great Minds of the 21st Century, Universal Award of Achievement. Ministry Partner, Most of ALL Ambassador for Christ, and Child of the Most High God. BLESSED!

Palin - When Adroit Meets Android

Roberta from Crestline, CA — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:34:54 EDT

Palin's attempt at adroitness is overwhelmed by her androidness when she uses her stock reply against "those people" who dare to speak out at one of her rallies..

Sarah Palin, bless her little pea pickin' heart, is always ready to fall upon her sword of righteousness to demonstrate her Blue Star Mother patriatism with her retort of "Ya know what? My son is serving in Iraq to guarantee your right to do... what you're doing."

No matter that it's that whole pesky First Ammendment of the Unites States Constitution which "guarantees" our right to Free Speech as part of that whole "inalienable rights" thingy:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Bill of Rights, Article the Third, "Amendment I" to the US Constitution- [emphasis added]

Which in fact were added "in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers...." (Preamble to Bill of Rights.). A lesson that Palin has not learned, btw, making her the singularly biggest threat to our Country's safety & Constitutional rights in the event McCain bites the big one while in office.

OR that it's part of that whole... World "Free Speech" doohicky that has been a part of the larger global view for more than a generation as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Human Rights Law, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (created 1966, adopted 1976)

Free Speech is CERTAINLY not "guaranteed" by Palin's singular 19 year old soldier boy - or by any soldier for that matter. As a Disabled Veteran of the Granada Era, and wife of a Viet Nam Veteran, stepdaughter of a Blind Veteran, Auntie of a Naval Midshipman, I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in the young soldiers of today verses the soldiers of Viet Nam and previous wars.

My husband was the last generation to know consription - also known as The Draft. He was a successful musician in a very popular group called The Greenwood County Singers and was in American homes on shows like the Hollywood Palace hosted by George Burns, and on Hullaballoo appearing with acts such as Sonny & Cher, Rolling Stones, and worked with such stars as Red Skelton, Robert Goulet, Stevie Wonder, Carol Channing, and more. In fact it was after his show with Andy Griffith at Harrahs in Lake Tahoe that he received his draft notice which started: "Dear Reginald Bannister, Congratulation..." (sic) With that letter, his "Freedoms" disappeared and he would ultimately wind up in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam as a Radio Operator, exposed to Agent Orange and probably PTSD. (Which Cindy McCain says, basically, if you ignore it PTSD doesn't exist and "The guys who had the trouble were the 18-year-olds who were drafted. (McCain) was trained, he went to the Naval Academy, he was a trained United States naval officer, and so he knew what he was doing." Of course McCain was 894th in a class of 899 and Cindy's statement set Disabled Veterans back 30 years.)

It was my husband, and those gosh darned Veteran soldiers like him, that later fought to remove such doctrines that stripped constitutional freedoms away from US Citizens with the stroke of an illiterate pen in a non-declared war. It would not, however, be the last "non-declared war" our young soldiers would see as is evident by the First Gulf War and the current Afghanistan and Iraq invasions.

Palin's 19 year old son is NOT serving in Iraq to "guarantee" our rights to "do what (we're) doin." Her exuberence to spew her stump speech and regurgitate her handlers Cliff Notes was evident when she turned on HER OWN SUPPORTERS! When a crowd of at least 10-20,000 gathered at the Richmond International Raceway, and "those hockey moms and six-pack Joes" on the outer periphery who were more than 100 yards from the stage could not hear. The chant went up, "Louder! Louder!" Palin replies, "I hope those protesters have the courage and honor to give veterans thanks for their right to protest," When the Dude whispered in her ear what they were actually saying, it was a "Rosann Rosanna Danna" (SNL) moment of "Oh! Never mind."

This is the SAME woman who - after being in office of Governor two years - was asked by Alaska Business Monthly her views on the surge to which she responded:

"Alaska Business Monthly: We've lost a lot of Alaska's military members to the war in Iraq. How do you feel about sending more troops into battle, as President Bush is suggesting?

Palin: I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq. I heard on the news about the new deployments, and while I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan in place~"

Huh?!?!

The Domestic Terrorists We Already Know

ted in pdx — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:10:29 EDT

That's a headline I would love to see, and certainly one that John McCain would not expect to see. Let me explain...

I've been challenging the Ayers smear campaign every day on-line in the major print media. I attack this fear and innuendo rhetoric by citing the fact that since 2003, the Bush administration has granted over 125,000 'moral waivers' to new enlistees in our military who have serious criminal records, many of whom are also members of organized gangs with names like 'Crips', 'Bloods' and 'Gangster Disciples'. It's about drawing a distinction between guilt by association, and the inference of a terrorist threat, and a real-world set of policies and actions which have led to real-world acts of terror here at home, by organizations which are, among other things, the terrorists we know.

Here's a link to my blog that provides details of that policy:

(http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/tedthomas/gGg7Fg)

I believe these policies are seriously undermining our military by reducing the entry level standards to be a member of our armed forces. It's not just a policy that allows criminals to enlist in our armed forces, they have reduced the minimum educational requirements as well. I believe this reveals a degree of contempt for our military personnel on the part of Bush, McCain, and Lindsay Graham, all of whom opposed improving the education benefit for volunteers, and who have deliberately pursued policies designed to extend and exploit to the limit the enlistment contract in order to compensate for their own inability to contain and bring closure to the Iraq initiative. It is also profoundly hypocritical given the propensity of Senator McCain to wrap himself in our flag, and pose as the "true champion of our citizens in uniform".

I suggest that Senator Obama announce that he will end the practice of approving moral waivers on enlistees with criminal backgrounds, and discharge any enlistees who may have connections with domestic gang organizations. This would correct one of the most insidious aspects of this ill-considered policy, by restoring the expectation of all who enlist in the military that they are joining an elite corps that represents the best people in our country, rather than seeking out the dregs of our society from amongst those who have committed crimes. If we don't make this change, we will create a serious disincentive for the best among us to even consider volunteering for military service. What reasonable person would consider going into combat knowing that some of their comrades have a criminal history, or worse, have divided loyalties which include domestic terrorist organizations, aka: organized gangs?

He should announce tax credits for businesses who provide entry-level on the job training for returning Iraq veterans, and an extension of military health care benefits to veterans even after they have left the military and taken jobs in the private sector. By relieving prospective employers of the health-care costs of veterans, we create an incentive and an offset for training costs, and provide businesses with a means of sharing the burden of our foreign policy.

Finally, I think he should create a national recruiting campaign called the "Shared Service Initiative" under which Americans are encouraged to enlist in the reserves solely in order to relieve existing military personnel and their families of the crushing burden they have been asked to bear.

The cost associated with these changes in policy can be offset by reducing the amount of money being paid to private contractors like Blackwater for security personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. I contend that if Americans believe their service commitment is respected by the government, and that our leadership is willing to ask all of our Citizens to share the burdens of defending this country, the call will be answered. That is the tradition in this country, and the failure of the Bush administration to ask Americans to share the sacrifices of these two wars has undermined the bond of trust between the nation and those who go in harms way in service of their country.

I firmly believe these measures are called for regardless of their impact on the Presidential campaign. But I think it would be timely to announce them during the campaign as a way of refuting the misconception that Democrats are somehow less tuned-in to the issue of national security, and pointing out the egregious disregard that has been demonstrated by the Bush administration and by Senator McCain towards our military, albeit beneath the public radar for the most part.

Anyone who reads this, if you agree, please make some noise about it, and pass it on up the chain to the leadership of the campaign. We could still lose this election...

What where fighting for !

Vince from Boston, MA — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:52:37 EDT

The following is a video reminder of what's at stake in this election.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w

Lets take this Viral !

Obama / Biden '08 .... the change we need.

A Veteran for Obama.

Who's John McCain ?

Vince from Boston, MA — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:46:43 EDT

The following is a video reminder of what's at stake in this election.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w

Lets take this Viral !

Obama / Biden '08 .... the change we need.

A Veteran for Obama.

Posts with the tag Veterans

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PBS: "Medical Marijuana Laws Are Hazy"

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Budgeting

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A Lot of Talk Finally Some Action

Pmasmikea

Open for Questions Review

Texas Senate Veteran Affairs Committee Meeting

Open Letter to Veterans | Eric K. Shinseki

Veterans hit hard by recession

Military Sexual Assault

VA Unopened Letters

Unopened Claims Letters Hidden at VA Offices

VETERANS AFFAIRS JOBS

Military Backs Obama Plan

Military Electronic Medical Records

DAV Legislative Agenda

Veterans Affairs Budget

Obama Cruces Connection: Global Issues Group Meeting recap for Thursday, Feb. 19 2009

Fallen Soldiers at Dover

UHAUL ARMY EMPLOYMENT

Stand down of recruiters

Letter to the President from Army of Dude, Very Important

Subcommittee Assignments for House Veterans' Affairs Committee

Shinseki: More VA claims processors on the way

PTSD, I am shell-shocked!!

Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas

Duckworth to be named to veterans' post

America's Wounded Warriors March

Hall reappointed chairman of Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee

Secretary Shinseki Announces Choice for Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Shinseki to Enter Veterans Affairs With Daunting Task of Job Creation for Soldiers

US Army recalls 16,000 pieces of body armor

Military substance abuse

RENEW AMERICA CAMPAIGN

Obama Volunteers for Veterans-St. Louis, MO

JON BON JOVI

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"Honor Our Veterans" Community Service Event - Obama Advocates for Service-LA/OC

More Questions for Obama Transition Team

GLOBAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY

MILITARY HERO - G.I. JOE

Help for our veterans

In a little-noticed regulation change in March, the military's definition of combat-related disabilities was narrowed, costing some injured veterans thousands of dollars in lost benefits - and triggering outrage from veterans' advocacy groups

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

"Do you think that God's going to send me to hell for killing innocent people?"

Seeking help for us to help our brain injured veterans.

David Hunter of Indiana: A Grateful Call to Arms

BAILOUT the VETERAN’S ADMINISTRATION (VA) | URGENTLY |

GENERATION O

what i am doing to make changes

Today We Honor Our Veterans

VETERANS DAY

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Reassuring Moves

I LOVE YOU BARACK! HERE'S WHAT I WANT:

McCann in charge of Veterans Affairs

I wish I could say "Now What?"

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non-Political ? VA aiding NC Sen Dole ??

Gold Star Family Members Support...

OPERATION RECOGNITION IN PUEBLO, COLORADO - OBAMA CONNECTION

One in a Million