Levin and Obey Never Let a Chance to Lose A War Get By them

Posted By Blackfive

Seriously?

Lawmakers Propose 'War Surtax' to Pay for Troop Increase in Afghanistan 
Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., are proposing new taxes to pay for more U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Two top Democrats say they want to impose a new tax on the wealthy to finance any increase in U.S. troops for the Afghanistan war.

Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the purse string-controlling House Appropriations Committee, is calling the idea a "war surtax." He said that just as the federal government is expected to pay for its proposed intervention in the health care sector with new taxes, any escalated involvement in Afghanistan should come with a payment plan.

"If we have to pay for the health care bill, we should pay for the war as well ... by having a war surtax," Obey told ABC News in an interview that aired Monday. "The problem in this country with this issue is that the only people that has to sacrifice are military families and they've had to go to the well again and again and again and again, and everybody else is blithely unaffected by the war."

Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is making a similar demand...

 

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MUST READ: BEST EXPOSE EVER

Posted By Blackfive

Go over to This Ain't Hell and see a decent book turned into Left Wing Propaganda and the USAF Major who showed his @$$...

Must. Read.

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Want freedom of Speech in the Army? Then Convert to Islam

Posted By Blackfive

Wow, via Instapundit's comment:

WHILE MAJOR NIDAL HASSAN’S JIHADI SPEECH WAS HANDLED WITH P.C. KIDGLOVES, other members of the military are treated very, very differently. My advice: Convert to Islam, so you can get away with saying almost anything . . . .

Glenn's link takes us to the Mudville Gazette which shows why an American soldier cannot voice an opinion.  At least according to the Army...

It's a MUST READ!

PS:  CJ was part of the 3rd ID run to Baghdad.  Dog Face Soldiers, mount up! 

Over at Bouhammer, there are a few ways that you can help CJ. 

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Veterans Day - Part 1 - We Start With the Late Great Mike Royko

Posted By Blackfive

"A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards." - Theodore Roosevelt

Again this year (sort of a Veterans Day tradition), I wanted to offer up my favorite Veterans Day article from the late, great Mike Royko (1932 - 1997) who penned it in 1993.  I don't care if you were a paratrooper, cook, medic, grunt, pilot, or ran the laundry and bath point, you have my thanks for serving our country.

I think Mike's got the right idea about how to celebrate Veterans Day, GI-Style:

I just phoned six friends and asked them what they will be doing on Monday.

They all said the same thing: working.

Me, too.

There is something else we share. We are all military veterans.

And there is a third thing we have in common. We are not employees of the federal government, state government, county government, municipal government, the Postal Service, the courts, banks, or S & Ls, and we don’t teach school.

If we did, we would be among the many millions of people who will spend Monday goofing off.

Which is why it is about time Congress revised the ridiculous terms of Veterans Day as a national holiday.

The purpose of Veterans Day is to honor all veterans.

So how does this country honor them?...

Continue reading "Veterans Day - Part 1 - We Start With the Late Great Mike Royko"

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How the New York Times does Veterans Day

Posted By Blackfive

I know you're not surprised.  I guess I still expect more from "professionals". For posterity, here's a screen shot of the NYTimes Veterans Day Section (archive):

On the right for web headlines about Veterans Day issues, the NYTimes lists:

Michael Moore - This Just In
GOP to send Veterans Day letter to Obama asking for troop increase to Afghanistan

CNN Political Ticker
Senator: 131,000 homeless vets a 'disgrace'

TAPPED
Think Tank Round-Up: Obvious Benefits to the Economy Edition.

VetVoice
Coal Front Group Hijacks Veterans, Dishonors Veterans' Day

BLACKFIVE
Five Student Veterans You Should Meet

I realize that it's pulling a feed.  But still, a little editing here?

When Michael Moore's voice counts on Veterans Day to veterans, that's the day I'll know this country is done.  But for now, it's the NYTimes has Moore for stories on vets.  And VetVoice, CNN, Moore, etc. are in the rotation.

Where the Hell is Mudville Gazette?  Where is the Castle Argghhh! ?  Where the freak is Bouhammer?  SpouseBuzz? Villainous Company?  The US Naval Institute?  I could go on all day.  Maybe we need to ensure we're added enmasse?

But that's not all...

Here is a list of their articles about Vets on Veterans Day which some seem more appropriate (at least a few of them):

Gridiron Gladiators: Block That Metaphor! - “Fox NFL Sunday,” which was broadcast from Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, glorified fake warriors and their game, and played to a crowd of real warriors locked in an eight-year-old conflict.

Back From War, but Not Really Home - A sense of dislocation has been shared by veterans returning from war since Homer conjured Odysseus’ inauspicious return some 2,800 years ago.

Bush Honors Veterans at the Intrepid - Bush receives praise for his leadership since 9/11.

Decades Later, Recognition of a Seaman’s Heroics - America may not make presidents of those who serve it in uniform, but it does try not to forget them.

Echo of a Distant War -To seek peace, to oppose war, to cherish memory is a way to honor veterans on this day of armistice, this Veterans Day.

A Holiday to End All Wars - For Americans, Veterans Day celebrates the survivors of all the nation’s 20th and 21st century wars. In France and Britain, by contrast, the mood is altogether more somber.

All in all, I'd give the NYTimes Veterans Day Section a D+.

Mike Royko's article about Veterans Day is the best I've ever read.  We republish it here every Veterans Day.  I'll be at work but I'll set it to post for you all tomorrow.

Pass the tequila.

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Really General Casey?

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

Start with a horrific act of murder -- and that is what happened, murder -- and a lot of confusion.  Rule to remember is that the initial reports are always wrong, especially when dealing with national mainstream media.  The locals did better, but they too were dealing with the fog. 

Mix in a typical dose of immediate denial of terrorism by the Federal Government, well before any basic facts are known.  Typical, and has been the playbook since 9/12 (and one that needs to be dropped).

Add to it a mainstream media determined to push PTSD, and when that couldn't be done they come up with PTSD by proxy.  Yes, such a thing can exist, but it is rare and not terribly well documented at that from what I can find.  Yet, you wouldn't know that from most coverage. 

Add in yet more from the mainstream media pushing the pistol used as a "cop killer" despite the fact there appear to be no documented cases of an officer even being wounded with one, much less killed.  The officers at Ft. Hood appear to be the first ever shot -- thankfully, they did not prove the lie by dying. 

Then we have a Commander-in-Chief who gives an address to the nation, and is so tone deaf and more such that he places the tragedy at the last.  This is a bit of politics, as it allowed the President to showcase what he saw as the more important item first, and ensured that the networks would not cut away from same.  That this also increased airtime/facetime is just a bonus from the White House point-of-view.  A President who did not go to Dover with no photo ops (word is all families declined coverage), and has yet to go to Ft. Hood, and also couldn't be bothered to attend the celebrations of the fall of the wall that every other major and minor world leader is attending. 

Continue the celebrity-like coverage of the traitor and giving far less coverage to the victims.  The people who helped others.  The ones who ran to the sound of guns instead of away.  The ones who died and the ones who lived get a mere fraction of the rationalizing, apologizing, and excusive (well, it ought to be a word) coverage given a sorry sack.  Watch the so-called experts twisting themselves into pretzels to avoid the obvious, even to the point of saying there is no clear evidence -- despite eye witness accounts -- that the killer said anything, much less Allahu Akbar. 

Blow in a raft of warnings against backlash against Muslims from the President on down.  Yep, I remember the horrific backlash in the days right after 9-11, when the Amish death wagons rolled into Muslim neighborhoods and what happened to those poor souls taken into the Presbyterian churches...  Oh, wait, that's right, very little happened in those days.  This reaction of our so-called elite says far more about them and what they might do than it does about the population at large... 

Now add the final ingredient:  A General of the Army who says that losing diversity would be a greater loss than 13 dead and 29 wounded. 

And you wonder why no one was willing to step forward and make a formal complaint or notice about a killer who was very open about who and what he was?  You wonder why no one pushed the obvious investigations, from the FBI on? 

I had more, but right now, just am not sure it is worth it.  No leader, civilian or military, is going to own up to their responsibility and all have just shown how much they truly think of those who serve in our military.  Disgusted doesn't begin to cover my feelings, and I truly fear what is to come, for if we are not willing to deal fairly and evenly with all, then we have already lost all.  Failure to face facts and deal realistically means more and true horrors to come. 

For the terminally stupid out there, I am NOT advocating discrimination.  On the contrary, I am pointing out the reverse discrimination -- and rampant PC idiocy -- that allowed this horrific event to take place.  Or, do you think that if this had been someone with Savage or Beck book to their name that our great and mighty media would not be shouting about the right wing terrorist as loudly as they could?

LW

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Some Additional Questions In Regards The Traitor Hasan

Posted By Laughing_Wolf While I would rather focus on his victims, some things have jumped out at myself and others that need to be added to the growing list of questions that need answers. 

More than one of us has noticed some odd gaps in his record.  When you go to medical school, or when you pursue a research advanced degree, things happen in order and usually to a fairly strict timeline.  While there are sometimes variations, gaps usually indicate problems, not good things.  In reading the ORB, some things have jumped out to myself and others:

1.  What happened during the gap between his graduating with a biochemistry degree and acceptance to medical school?  Where was he and what did he do?

2.  Why the gap between his residency and his fellowship at WRAMC? 

3.  Credible reports state that his internship and residency resulted in negative reviews.  Such reviews are usually career killers.  Why were they not in this case? 

4.  A usual practice for those in clinical psychology or psychiatry is to undergo therapy, or at least periodic check ups, to deal with stress and to dump some of the load.  Was this done, and if so were there not red flags, and if not, why was this standard practice not done? 

5.  He allegedly was born here, but both listed himself as Palestinian and had a heavy accent.  Again, while there are exceptions, even in households where the parents are non-English speakers, the accent of the children is much lighter.  Did this not raise a flag anywhere? 

There are other discrepancies, but these jump out to those familiar with academia, medical academia, and medical practice.  These deserve honest answers, for they say much about the care taken by civilian and military personnel; the care given to same; and, to those who are supposed to be on watch. 
If he was the test case, or the canary in the coal mine, can and will we draw the right lessons and what lessons are being drawn by our enemies?

LW

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When Will Obama Act Like The Commander In Chief?

Posted By McQ

I am not impressed. You may say I was set up not to be impressed simply because of my ideological preferences and the fact that Barack Obama is the antithesis of those preferences. But this has nothing to do with politics. No I don't agree with most of what he stands for on the political scene, but that really has nothing to do with him acting like the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. And no, a photo op at Dover doesn't fulfill the role. Nor does a substitute visit to Walter Reed when soldiers are hurting at Ft. Hood and 13 are dead.

Nor does an insensitive and tone deaf "shout out" during a speech and prior to finally getting to the horrific news of Ft. Hood cut it either. The tragedy at Ft. Hood was a moment and a chance for a president, about whom the armed forces aren't yet sure, to step up and assume one of the most important roles he has - that of Commander in Chief. And, frankly, he blew it. And I'm not alone in that assessment. The liberal Boston Globe certainly seemed to understand he'd blown it:

“It takes more than scripted eloquence for Presidents to connect with fellow Americans. It requires a visceral ability to grasp the scope of tragedy, calculate its impact on the national psyche, and react swiftly. Obama missed the first moment to show he understood how much it hurt.”

Even with that, he had a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the military. There were a lot of hurting people at Ft. Hood who would have appreciated a visit from their CiC. Instead he left it to a former Commander in Chief to fulfill the role while he took "R&R" at Camp David for the weekend. As the Globe puts it, he seems to have completely missed the "scope of the tragedy" and its impact. More importantly he seems indifferent to his duties as CiC.

One of the best bloggers on the net when it comes to this sort of a subject is Cassandra at Villainous Company. She has a must read essay in which she eloquently points out why Obama simply doesn't "get" the military, and most likely never will. In my opinion, given what I've seen thus far, he appears to be totally unsuited to be the Commander in Chief.

Eloquence or style are no substitutes for leadership. An effective Commander in Chief leads. He doesn't vote "present". He doesn't outsource his job. He doesn't give it lip service. When those he's leading are hurting, he's there immediately. He acts like a leader, he empathizes like a leader and he makes decisions like a leader. And what he gains with his leadership is one of the hardest things in the world to earn and keep - respect.

At the moment I have absolutely no respect for the Commander in Chief of this nation. And I suspect that feeling is shared by a very good portion of our military and military families. My title is a rhetorical question. Unfortunately, given his performance so far, I'm pretty sure I know the answer

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History Lesson - The Iraq Surge

Posted By Blackfive

Let's start with the most excellent Cox & Forkum from January, 2007:

Back at Cox & Forkum, there are a few cartoons depicting the trouble over the Iraq Surge.

Here at Blackfive, we collected the wisdom of the left as they staked out debate territory instead of focusing on a way forward. I thought it might remind or inform on the debate happening right now and especially on the pandering to interest groups, lobbyists, and party bases.

Here's what they said about the Iraq Surge:

“But right now what we have is, I think by all accounts, a disaster unfolding in Iraq. We all have a responsibility, Democrats and Republicans, Congress and the White House, to make sure that we can come up with the best strategy. I don't think the president's strategy is going to work.” - Senator Barrak Obama on the Surge on MSNBC January 23, 2007

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"I think it is very difficult for the President to sustain a war of this magnitude without the support of the American people, and without the support of the Congress of the United States. That's why Congress will vote to oppose the President's escalation." - Nancy Pelosi

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"This whole notion that the surge is working is fantasy." - Senator Joe Biden

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"The reality is: Despite heroic efforts by US troops, the Bush surge is not working." - Senator (D-IL) Dick Durbin

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"In Iraq, his new plan is a plan for more door-to-door fighting, more civil war, more civilian casualties, more troop deaths, more wasted money, more destabilization in the region and more separation from the world community. The President wants to send more troops to Baghdad, where they will work to quell a civil war. Only a small portion - less than 20 percent - of the new effort will be spent in al Anbar, to fight al-Qaeda. Does anyone in this Administration have any sense left at all? They are sending more US troops into the middle of a civil war!

"Congress needs to take a stand against the President and take the necessary steps to bring our troops home. We need to begin talks with Iran and Syria -- and not blame them for our misguided war in Iraq. Diplomacy is the only way to avoid a widening war. If we follow the President's path of war, we will get . . . more war." - Dennis Kucinich

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"This country needs a dramatic change of course in Iraq and it is the responsibility of this Congress to consummate that change" - Congressman John Murtha

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"This escalation is the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Viet Nam." - Senator Chuck Hagel

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"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything..." - Harry Reid

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"it is too early to provide a definitive assessment of the US 'surge' but it does not look likely to succeed." - The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, urging Prime Minister Brown to withdraw British troops

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“I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse.” - Senator Barrak Obama on MSNBC on January 10, 2007

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"It's working. We're just years too late in our tactics.  We can't be fighting the last war. We have to keep preparing to fight the new war. We have to win.  I think the best way of honoring their service is bringing them home." - Senator Hillary Clinton to the VFW

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"The Bush Surge will backfire" - General (RET) Wesley Clark

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TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY-

Posted By Mr Wolf

Its UNCLE JIMBO'S BIRTHDAY.

Yeah, you got it.  The one day a year that it's 'Jimbo Day.'

We'd be a lot less worthy if he weren't a part of the team.

Happy B-day, buddy!

Now get back to work...

Wolf

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