Now that a Democrat is in the White House, the political dynamics of voting for war funding have changed. Would Republicans vote any spending bill from this President, after so many pro-war votes? Would Democrats who opposed previous supplementals now vote in favor? And would Scott Garrett ever vote with a majority of New Jersey Representatives?
Congressman Rush Holt joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting foreign leaders, military leaders, and troops (including NJ National Guardsmen and women in Iraq) in Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq on a trip that began last Thursday and saw them return home last night:
Yesterday morning in London, Pelosi and Holt met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the international economic crisis, climate change, trade and the United Kingdom's participation in the multinational force in Afghanistan.
This weekend, Pelosi and Holt also met with King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan, the Emir and Sheikha of Jordan, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq, among other leaders.
The Asbury Park Press examined some of the challenges facing veterans as they return from active duty home to civilian life. One of the disturbing pieces of information however is this comment about the lack of knowledge to just how big the problem is:
"Nobody has a handle on who's coming back, or how many, or how it's going to impact on the job market in New Jersey,"
We don't even know what help they will need when they return home. Not to mention they're returning home to a much more difficult job market than when they left. The article says that states across the country are facing this problem. 200 Marine reservists returned from Iraq just last week and some 3,000 National Guardsmen from New Jersey are scheduled to come home in July. The state needs to get a handle on this situation so that they can provide the necessary care and training to facilitate a smooth transition back to civilian life. We don't want to see our returning veterans fall through the cracks.
The House Armed Services Committee will be holding a hearing tomorrow at 10:30am, U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan: Balancing Interests and Resources.
Here's a chance for Rob Andrews to ask some tough questions and show he meant what he said during his primary run, at least regarding his about-face on Iraq.
United for Peace and Justice is asking people to call members of the committee and Committee Chair Ike Skelton with a couple of questions for the panel. UFPJ notes that there is no panelist who clearly opposes the wars.
Rep. Rob Andrews 202-225-6501 or 856-546-5100
Rep. Ike Skelton 202-225-2876
House Armed Services Committee 202-225-4151
1) What do you predict the total dollar costs for Iraq and Afghanistan to be to the U.S. economy? Did Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz underestimate when he calculated three trillion dollars for Iraq alone? How can you justify spending many millions of hard-earned dollars every day in Iraq and Afghanistan when the U.S. economy is suffering and so many of our people are out of work?
2) The Taliban is on the rise again. Living conditions for the average Afghan have not changed much. The U.S. military has killed at least 4,800 civilians in Afghanistan, representing 79% of the total civilian casualties in the war. Is U.S. military action in Afghanistan harming our national interests by turning the people against us? How has U.S. military action in Afghanistan increased the security of the region and the people of our country?
3) A policy of the former Bush administration allowed for drone attacks to occur in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The continued drone attacks are contributing toward anti-American animosity without accomplishing much. Wouldn't it help reduce the tension and improve the quality of life to ban drone attacks entirely?
The panel will be:
Anthony Cordesman, Ph.D
Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Stephen Biddle, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow for Defense Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
The Honorable Zalmay Khalilzad
Counselor, Center for Strategic and International Studies
General Jack Keane (ret.)
Former Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army
Janet St. Laurent
Managing Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Team, GAO
Andrews staff will probably listen more to constituents even though he is our only Rep from NJ on Armed Services, so anyone can call (hint to those who helped him out in the primary).
The other day, we saw the Governor with our troops in Iraq. Here's a video put out by the Corzine's office on his Iraq trip:But going over to support our troops also brought concerns to the Governor about the economy back on the home front:
After greeting troops guarding the Camp Bucca prison in southern Iraq, Corzine said many were anxious about the recession or possibly losing their jobs back home.
"They're fearful about how they will fit back into economic life when they come home in June," Corzine said, speaking on a teleconference with reporters from Baghdad. But he called the troops "extraordinarily professional."
Our troops are protecting their country and dodging fire, but they're concerned about what they will return home to. You would think they already have enough to worry about without the economy at home weighing on their mind.
Even with two of the most actively anti-war councilmen absent, Highland Park Borough Council passed 4 to 0 a resolution supporting Sen. Weinberg's Bill SJR55 calling on Bush and the Secretary of Defense to send the NJ Guard home and for Corzine not to allow them to be sent back to Iraq without a renewed war authorization from Congress.
Councilman Millet, left, Council President Elsie Foster-Dublin middle left, Councilman Minkoff and Morris, right
The bill, which has an Assembly version sponsored by Valerie Vainieri Huttle AJR104, is co-sponsored by Senators Turner and Sweeney.
Urges President and Secretary of Defense to withdraw NJ National Guard from Iraq and withholds consent of Governor and Legislature from further National Guard deployments to Iraq.
A Joint Resolution urging the President and Secretary of Defense to withdraw all New Jersey National Guard troops from Iraq in absence of a valid and subsisting Congressional mandate for such service; urging the Department of Defense to cancel the pending deployment of the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team to Iraq in the absence of such mandate; and withholding the consent of the Governor and State Legislature from any further deployment of the New Jersey National Guard to Iraq in the absence of such mandate.
Whereas, The war in Iraq has entered its sixth year, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 American service men and women, and the cost of the war now exceeds $1.3 trillion, $16,500 for each American family of four, and continues to rise; and
Whereas, On October 19, 2007, the Department of the Army alerted the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the New Jersey National Guard, based at Fort Dix, to prepare for deployment to Iraq in the autumn of 2008; and
Whereas, The planned deployment of National Guard forces represents roughly 50% of the total strength of the New Jersey National Guard, making this the largest deployment of New Jersey National Guard personnel since World War II; and
Whereas, Governor Corzine has expressed concern that the loss of the National Guard?s heavy trucks and Blackhawk helicopters may impair the State?s ability to respond to an emergency; and
Whereas, Even if such adverse impacts on the New Jersey National Guard were absent, and assuming arguendo that the war was lawful when commenced, the presence of the Guard members in Iraq is not now lawful. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 15 of the United States Constitution, Congress may call forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrection, and repel invasions; and
Whereas, Since 1933, federal law has provided that persons enlisting in a state National Guard unit simultaneously enlist in the National Guard of the United States, part of the U.S. Army. The enlistees retain their status as state guard members unless and until ordered to active federal duty and then revert to state status upon being relieved from federal service; and
Whereas, Under the U.S. Constitution, each state?s National Guard unit is controlled by the governor, but can be called up for federal duty by the President, provided that the President is acting pursuant to the Constitution and laws of the United States; and
Whereas, The War Powers Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-148) specifically limits the power of the President of the United States to wage war without the approval of Congress; and
Whereas, In October 2002, the U.S. Congress authorized military force under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, (Public Law No. 107-243) (AUMF), a law enacted in response to a presidential request under the War Powers Act. The AUMF stated in part that the President is authorized to use the armed forces of United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq and enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq; and
Whereas, The AUMF contained neither a termination date, nor a process or procedure to determine when the authorization should terminate; and
Whereas, U.S forces, including members of the New Jersey National Guard and guard members from other states, have long since addressed the purposes recited under the AUMF, and Iraq does not pose a continuing threat to the national security of the United States, nor is there an extant United Nations Security Council Resolution to be enforced; and
Whereas, The President may not maintain U.S. forces, and in particular members of the New Jersey National Guard, in Iraq other than for the purposes set forth by Congress in the AUMF. Without a specific date for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in the AUMF or a method or formula for determining the time for withdrawal, and in the absence of Congressional legislation curing these omissions, the President is required to order the withdrawal of troops within a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. The President has taken no such action; and
Whereas, Other than the AUMF, there is no authority under the Constitution or the laws of the United States for the continued presence of New Jersey National Guard members in Iraq; and
Whereas, The maintenance of New Jersey National Guard members in Iraq beyond the time and scope set for the in the AUMF has resulted in significant harm to Guard members and their families, including death and injury, loss of time together, and financial hardships; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Governor and Legislature of the State of New Jersey declare that the Congressional Authorization for the Use of Military Force of October 16, 2002 has expired and no further authorization has issued, and therefore the President is urged to order the return of the New Jersey National Guard?s 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team.
2. The Governor and Legislature resolve that the New Jersey National Guard shall hereafter be limited to service within and on behalf of the State of New Jersey, unless called into federal service pursuant to a declaration of war or a duly enacted and substituting federal statute authorizing the use of military force.
3. The New Jersey Attorney General is authorized to appear in any state or federal court with jurisdiction over the deployment of the New Jersey National Guard to defend any decision to consent, or not consent, to the deployment of the New Jersey National Guard to Iraq; or to file an action on behalf of the State of New Jersey with respect to the same subject matter.
4. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution addresses the limits to the Constitutional and statutory authority of the President and Department of Defense to federalize and deploy the New Jersey National Guard to Iraq, absent a valid and subsisting mandate from Congress. The resolution declares that the authority for the deployment of New Jersey National Guard members to Iraq has terminated and requests that in the absence of valid federal authorization for their deployment to Iraq, the President order the return of New Jersey National Guard members to New Jersey. The President and Secretary of Defense are urged to cancel the pending deployment of the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team to Iraq. The resolution declares that New Jersey National Guard members must hereafter be limited to service within and on behalf of the State of New Jersey, and resolves that consent to further federalization and deployment of New Jersey National Guard members to Iraq must be withheld, unless the New Jersey National Guard is properly and lawfully called into federal service under a valid and subsisting authorization from Congress.
Tom Wyka took the 6:33 a.m. Morris & Essex Train from Dover to Summit on Tuesday to talk to voters about public transit and a green economy. Wyka for Congress volunteers were at the stations to hand out literature to commuters who were waiting for the train. Wyka, a Democrat from Parsippany, is challenging 7-term incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen for New Jersey's 11th district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Diane Burns, of Hanover Township, wore a full-size Wyka for Congress lawn sign hung on a cord around her neck "which caught people's eye. I just said, 'Here is information about Tom Wyka, who is running for Congress in our district. He will be riding on your train this morning introducing himself to people, and answering any questions you may have.' All but one person took the flyer."
Geoffrey Thomas of Madison was handing out literature at the Madison train station. "You can't really expect to have a political discussion with many people before 7 in the morning, especially on a cold rainy day like today, but most people accepted the literature to read on the train. Several people said that they knew about Wyka and are going to vote for him."
Eric Carlson, a Wyka for Congress volunteer from Harding Township who rode the train with Wyka, said, "A few commuters huddled together waiting for the train to New York in the dark, on the cold and rainy morning were asked by Wyka what their biggest worry was, and they answered in chorus 'MONEY!' Tom Wyka cheered some folks up, and received a few smiles, after explaining that they had a choice for a change come November. For some, it was an easy sell once they realized that Tom Wyka was running on the same ticket as Obama."
Public transit development is an important part of the new "green" economy that Wyka advocates. Wyka says, "When it comes to energy efficiency, nothing beats electrified rail transit. This year, a lot more people have wanted to ride the train. But New Jersey Transit has actually been cutting service, because of budget problems. When we can't afford to do the single most effective thing to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and avoid global climate change, it shows that our government hasn't been spending our money on the right kinds of things. So far, the taxpayers in this district are stuck with a bill of $3.2 billion for the Iraq War. Just think of what we could have done locally to reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil for that amount!" According to recent estimates from the National Priorities Project (www.costofwar.com), taxpayers in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District will pay $3.2 billion for total Iraq war spending approved to date.
CONTACT:
Wyka for Congress
P.O. Box 350
Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
973.215.2082
www.tomwyka.com
tomwyka@yahoo.com
Frelinghuysen No Champion of Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
Parsippany, October 7-Representative Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, R-Harding, and Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, were tied for the lowest score in the New Jersey Congressional delegation in a scorecard issued by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Action Fund, an organization representing veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
In the 2008 IAVA Congressional scorecard, four of New Jersey's members of the House of Representatives scored an A+ (a perfect score of 15): Bill Pascrell, (D-8) Steve Rothman (D-9), Rush Holt (D-12), and Albio Sires (D-13). Six others scored an A, which represented a score of 13 or 14: Robert Andrews (D-1), Frank LoBiondo (R-2), Chris Smith (R-4), Frank Pallone (D-6), Michael Ferguson (R-7), and Donald Payne (D-10). Jim Saxton (R-3) got a B for scoring 11 out of 15, and Scott Garrett (R-5) and Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11) each got a B for scoring only 10 out of 15.
Tom Wyka (D, Parsippany), who is running against Rodney Frelinghuysen in the 11th district, explains:
"You might think that a B is good, but it means that Frelinghuysen voted against healthcare and education for veterans."
"The IAVA's grades are generous. Ron Paul got the only F. Only four members got a D, and only 34 members got a C. All of those who got a C, D, or F were Republicans. In contrast, all of the 122 members who got an A+ were Democrats."
"Only one Democrat in the entire House of Representatives scored as low as Frelinghuysen did, but it was because of absences, not hostile votes. In contrast, 100 Republicans scored better than Frelinghuysen did."
"Frelinghuysen and Garrett's scores of 10 out of 15 are an embarrassment for the New Jersey delegation, most of whom got A+ or A. Both Frelinghuysen and Garrett have provided poor support to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The same can be said of the Republican Party as a whole."
"Not only does Frelinghuysen have a poor voting record on veterans' issues, he seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by major veterans organizations."
"The IAVA is a nonpartisan organization, so we had to put the scores into a spreadsheet and add the data on party affiliation," explains Wyka.
According to the IAVA Action Fund's report, the scorecard for the House of Representatives is based on 13 key votes on veterans' issues. Each of these votes was an opportunity for the Representative to take a stand on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The Representative got one point for each vote that was in line with IAVA Action Fund's position. The Representative didn't get a point if he or she voted against the IAVA position or failed to vote on the issue. Because the fight for the new GI Bill was considered to be so important, Representatives who cosponsored the bill (H.B. 5740) got two additional points in the scorecard. The scorecard included a score for all of the Representatives except those who did not serve a complete term, such as Tom Lantos, who died in office. Nancy Pelosi was also excluded from the scoring, because as Speaker of the House, she votes only in the case of a tie.
WHY FRELINGHUYSEN SCORED POORLY
Cosponsorship of H.B. 5740 Frelinghuysen lost 2 points because he was not among the 302 cosponsors of this bill.
Funding Veterans' Health Care, 2007 January 31, 2007; Roll Call Vote No. 72 IAVA Action supported this legislation, which passed 286 to 140; Frelinghuysen voted against it.
The IAVA scorecard says, "More than five million American veterans rely on the Department of Veterans Affairs for their health care. Although veterans' hospitals provide some of the best health care in the country, the VA has been underfunded for years; for FY2007, the Bush Administration requested almost $4 billion less in VA funding than the amount suggested by major veterans' organizations. In early 2007, Congress made veterans' health care a priority, increasing the funding for veterans' health care by $3.6 billion. The budget passed by a vote of 286-140."
The Post-9/11 GI Bill: Fair Education Benefits for Veterans (first vote) May 15, 2008: Roll Call Vote No. 330 IAVA Action Fund supported this legislation, which passed 256 to 166; Frelinghuysen voted against it.
The IAVA scorecard says, "For the 1.7 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the transition to civilian life can be challenging. Veterans of World War II were aided in their reintegration by the "GI Bill," which paid for the education of eight million combat veterans. The GI Bill changed the lives of millions of American veterans and their families. Sadly, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, still covered by the peacetime Montgomery GI Bill from 1984, received a far smaller benefit. Many new combat veterans were struggling with student loans or dropping out of school altogether. A new GI Bill was the number one priority for IAVA and IAVA Action in 2008.
"The popular and bipartisan 'Post- 9/11 GI Bill,' introduced on the House side by Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-AZ-5), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL-5), and Rep. Peter King (R-NY-3), offered a new future to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The new GI Bill dramatically increases education benefits by providing tuition payments up to the cost of the most expensive public university in the state, a monthly living allowance, and a book stipend. It also creates a new 'Yellow Ribbon' program that matches any scholarship given to a veteran by a school more expensive than the tuition cap. In spring 2008, the new GI Bill was included as part of the domestic spending amendment to the Iraq war funding bill. Because of the concerns of some fiscally conservative 'Blue Dog' Democrats in the House, the cost of the GI Bill was given a budget offset (although the cost of the war funding as a whole was not). The offset chosen was a tax increase on individuals making over $500,000 a year, or couples making over $1 million annually. The offset lead many Republicans to vote against the measure despite their support for the GI Bill. "
A Second-Rate GI Bill May 23, 2008; Roll Call Vote No. 364 IAVA Action opposed this legislation, which failed 186 to 223; Frelinghuysen voted for it.
The IAVA Scorecard says, "For over 18 months, IAVA and IAVA Action worked closely with a bipartisan coalition of Senators and Representatives on a new Post-9/11 GI Bill that would make college affordable to veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The model for the new legislation was the World War II GI Bill that paid for the education of eight million combat veterans, and helped rebuild America after a half-decade of war. The Post-9/11 GI Bill quickly gained the support of 300 cosponsors in the House, almost 60 cosponsors in the Senate, and all the leading Veterans Service Organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and of course IAVA.
"A small but vocal opposition in Congress argued that the benefit was too generous. In an effort to derail the popular and bipartisan Post-9/11 GI Bill already a part of the war supplemental funding, a motion was made to advance a meager and ill-conceived 'alternate' GI Bill before the Post-9/11 GI Bill had the opportunity to be passed and signed into law. This alternative GI Bill did not meet any of IAVA's requirements for a new GI Bill; it did not cover the cost of college, it did not create fairness for National Guardsmen and Reservists, and because it was not linked to the cost of college, it would lose value every year. It did include a 'transferability' benefit, which offered current service members who agree to remain in the military for ten years the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill benefit to their spouse or children. However, because 75% of those serving in the military get out after their first term of service, this benefit will apply to relatively few Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Moreover, transferability was already possible at the discretion of the Department of Defense service secretaries. The weak 'alternative' GI Bill received the support of no major veterans' service organizations."
OTHER VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS The IAVA Action Fund is not the first organization to point out Frelinghuysen's poor voting record with regard to veterans' issues:
Disabled American Veterans Frelinghuysen voted against everything on the Disabled American Veterans' agenda, except for items that passed unanimously or nearly so.
http://capwiz.com/dav/bio/keyv...
American Legion Frelinghuysen seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by the American Legion:
http://legion.capwiz.com/bio/i...
Veterans of Foreign Wars Frelinghuysen seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
http://vfw.capwiz.com/bio/id/3...
Vietnam Veterans of America Frelinghuysen seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by the Vietnam Veterans of America.
http://vva.capwiz.com/bio/id/3...
Congressman Frank Pallone and I hosted a conference call earlier today to discuss what the war in Iraq has cost New Jersey and why New Jersey can?t afford another four years of the failed Bush policies in Iraq that Chris Smith and John McCain want to continue. To see exactly what the war in Iraq has cost New Jersey, go to National Priorities.org.
On the call I emphasized the following:
· I support a responsible end to the war in Iraq so that we can invest in America?s urgent domestic priorities like renewable energy, and break our addiction to foreign oil as well as lower gas and electricity costs.
· Chris Smith and John McCain have supported George Bush every step of the way on Iraq, from believing faulty intelligence, to believing we would be greeted as liberators, to believing the war will pay for itself with Iraqi oil.
· Each month, the United States spends $10 billion a month in Iraq ? money which could be used to address domestic priorities like ensuring affordable health care, rebuilding our infrastructure or hiring more teachers or public safety officers.
· Incredibly, Iraq is right now holding onto $79 billion in excess oil revenues. We?re spending $10 billion a month to rebuild Iraq instead of using that money to create jobs here in America.
· The citizens of the 4th Congressional district have paid $2.2 billion for the war effort. That money could have been used to provide every home in the 4th Congressional District with Renewable Electricity, with enough money left over to help provide affordable health coverage for our residents.
That $2.2 billion could:
· Provide 203,137 People with Health Care for One Year
· Power 3,096,562 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year
· Hire 37,775 Public Safety Officers for One Year
· Provide 724,756 Children with Health Care for One Year
· Provide 28,856 Port Container Inspectors for One Year
· We can?t keep doing what we?re doing. We need change at all levels of government.
· Chris Smith and John McCain have no plan to bring our troops home.
· We need to elect a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress to bring our troops home and invest in our country?s future.
The campaign is entering a critical phase and I need your support. You can contribute at my ActBlue page. If you'd like to volunteer, please contact ian_at_joshzeitz_dot_com. Please visit my website to learn more about what I stand for.
"This is not the sort of struggle where you take a hill, plant the flag and go home to a victory parade... it's not war with a simple slogan," he said.
"We have got to get out of Iraq on our terms and win," Myers said to applause. "I don't want them bombing New Jersey."
He added that if the country didn't win in Iraq, "we will get hit here in the United States. And I don't want terrorists running around in New Jersey."
This however, was in contrast to his previous statements that we don't need to win, we just need to make it look that way:To summarize:
1. Chris Myers won't bring our troops home before we "win".
2. Chris Myers also thinks we don't need to "win", we just need to make it look that way.
3. General David Petraeus, the Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq says this isn't a war where you can declare victory and go home
That leaves me with these questions: What does Chris Myers know that Gen. Petraeus doesn't and then what does winning mean so that we can bring our troops home?
Joshua Casteel will be the keynote speaker at Pax Christi NJ's upcoming spring assembly to be held on March 28, 2009 at Felician College in Lodi. Joshua will also be making himself available for other speaking engagements at the end of March. For more information or to book Joshua contact:
Kathy O'Leary 908-273-0751 kathy-wargo@comcast.net
About Joshua Casteel
Joshua is a former interrogator at Abu Ghraib turned conscientious objector and a recent convert to Catholicism. He gave witness at Winter Soldier and traveled to Rome in March of 2007 with the Catholic Peace Fellowship to meet with Pope Benedict XVI and members of the Vatican to advance the issue of conscientious objection. He is featured along with Camilo Mejia and six other CO's in the documentary Soldiers of Conscience which will air on PBS's P.O.V. on October 16th.
The worst part of [the focus on John Edwards] is that for the past several weeks, this as swirled around the news media. Beginning in the highly reputable National Enquirer, rolling through North Carolina's Charlotte Observer, making a stop at Fox News, and finally landing on ABC. Every pundit who had not yet opined on this story will tonight.
The world is shocked and dismayed. Talking heads will be spinning for weeks to come.
And no one seems to give a shit that 17 Soldiers have died this month in a war of choice in Iraq, and a war of neglect in Afghanistan. And that's the most important story so far this month.
If only we had someone who had actually served who could draw our focus back to what is truly important:
Oh, well, I guess the glare off of his decorations has blinded him. Not once has Chris Myers sent out a press release reminding people of the sacrifice our armed forces are making. I guess for Myers, campaigning for Congress is kind of like the war in Iraq - you just have to look like you care.
Here's a story in the Courier Post. First, we get this observation and analysis about the current state of Iraq from Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen after returning from his recent trip:
Frelinghuysen said the trip proved to him that President Bush's decision last year to increase the number of U.S. soldiers by 30,000 was the right one to help stabilize Iraq.
Then two paragraphs later, we find this piece of information, which would seem to undercut his previous statement:
The congressional delegation didn't travel outside the so-called "Green Zone" in Baghdad - the U.S. headquarters in that country - and was unable to meet with an Iraqi official though it was scheduled.
Yes, very stable. Look, I hope things are more stable in Iraq as much as the next person. I want things to get better and I want our troops to come home. But isn't that sort of like saying crime is down in Ohio from looking out your window in New Jersey?
The Green Zone is hyper-fortified and was safe before the surge. How can you see the progress of the surge from an area not impacted by the surge? Frelinghuysen could have learned exactly the same stuff by organizing a teleconference with the military leaders, and could have made the meeting with the Iraqi leaders he missed, too.
And not spent all that taxpayer money on airfare, gasoline, military and security support.
"Quit talking about, 'Did the surge work or not work,' or, 'Did you vote for this or support this,'" Hagel said Thursday on a conference call with reporters.
"Get out of that. We're done with that. How are we going to project forward?" the Nebraska senator said. "What are we going to do for the next four years to protect the interest of America and our allies and restructure a new order in the world. ... That's what America needs to hear from these two candidates. And that's where I am."
Well said and while he's directing the response to the presidential candidates, I think it certainly applies here too. And for you confused candidates out there, that's not some "radical liberal blogger" making the statement.
Chris Myers held a press conference to rip into his opponent for all the ills of Trenton, but something happened on the way to the good headline express. Myers decided to move on to the success of the surge where he gave us this gem (emphasis mine):
The bottom line is we have to figure out a way that makes it look like we've won, said Myers. We cannot leave Iraq unless we're viewed as having won that war. ...I don't want to be back there in Iraq two years from now because we didn't finish the job.
Ah those sliding goal posts again. Is Chris Myers really trying to suggest that we will end up back in Iraq in two years if we don't stay long enough to just make it look like we won? Is he also trying to suggest that finishing the job does not actually mean winning anymore? It amazes me how much the mission has changed. Now winning isn't important either, just making it look like we won will suffice for the billions in US Treasury and lives that have been spent on this mission.
If you wrap up a pile of coal in a nice bow, its still a pile of coal. Along those same lines, I would submit that if we make a failed Iraq try to look like a success for our own ego, we will spend more lives unnecessarily and end up back in the same place we are trying to leave now.
Dennis Shulman sent out the following message to his supporters yesterday. You can sign up to receive emails from Dennis at www.shulmanforcongress.com.
Dear Blue Jersey,
Happy Fourth of July!
We have much to be proud of on this important holiday -- but we also must reflect on all that's left for us to accomplish in continuing to form our more perfect union.
Today, we must honor all of the brave men and women who are serving our country around the world, as well as our heroes who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We must honor their families and their communities. We must honor the returning veterans with proper medical care and the benefits they deserve. And we must honor our commitment to bring our troops home safely.
This week, I began a listening tour throughout the Fifth District, and I enjoyed meeting many of you today at Independence Day celebrations. I'm making stops throughout the district to hear your concerns about the war, the economy, energy, health care, and all of the issues that affect us. I invite you to email me about your concerns at listening@shulmanforcongress.com.
When I am sworn in next January as your Representative in Congress, I will honor my commitment to serve you and your family faithfully.
Sincerely,
Dennis Shulman
We invite you to email your concerns to listening@shulmanforcongress.com.
First, I want to wish you all a Happy 4th of July. I've been thinking about the meaning of Independence Day, a day on which we as a people publicly declared our desire to be masters of our own destiny, to chart our own course as a free and independent society no longer under the control of others. For 232 years we Americans have done just that. We have governed ourselves, and I'd say that our record is one in which we can justly take a great deal of pride.
On this 4th of July, I've also been thinking about another kind of independence, namely energy independence. We are a strong country with our best days yet ahead of us. Right now, however, we face tremendous problems because we are deeply dependent on foreign oil. And we're not just importing oil from friendly democracies like Canada, but from places like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, countries who have very different values and interests from our own.
This week, I and a team from Veterans for America are in New Jersey meeting with National Guard leaders, state officials, and Guard members across the state discussing the upcoming New Jersey National Guard deployment to Iraq.
As of late June, almost half of New Jersey's National Guard will be mobilized to deploy to Iraq, and we are looking at the effect of that deployment on the troops, their families, and also we're looking at the impact of that deployment on New Jersey's safety and security.
Sussex County Community College
1 College Hill Road, Newton, NJ 07860
Performing Arts Center
the Sussex County Community College
from 10-12
Protest at 9 am
An incredible woman named Janice Swack will be there to tell Garrett exactly what she thinks of him. Garrett aroused her anger for having the audacity to be in Sussex County on June 2 to kick off Veterans History Project - AFTER he voted AGAINST the GI Bill.
Janice, who is married to a disabled ex-POW, will be there - with her husband's wheelchair to voice her anger at the Congressman from the 5th District.
From Janice's email to me:
"My husband is a 100% disabled WWll Ex POW who used the GI Bill and got a Ph.D. If it had not been for it, he would not have had the money to go to college and this poor kid would have spent his life in poverty. The GI Bill began the middle class that we all enjoyed."
I met Mrs. Swack after an event on Friday where Rachel Maddow was interviewing Camille Abate. Mrs. Swack's determination touched me. Her husband was a Jewish soldier during WWII who was a Prisoner of War. Because of his faith, he was sent to Buchenwald. She couldn't go on without her eyes tearing up, describing what had happened to her husband over 60 years ago. She was so angry at Garrett she is staging a one woman protest against Garrett ala Cindy Sheehan.
With Janice was Robert Levine, the National Service Officer of the American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc. Garden State Chapter No.1 located in River Edge. Mr. Levine had himself lost his leg in WWII. At that time, he said, prosthetics were not as state of the art. He was given a CIVIL WAR era leg to replace what he had lost. And yet, he stated that as veterans of WWII they were treated so much better than our veterans coming home from Iraq. As a WWII veteran he is angry that our young Iraq soldiers are not treated as well as he was. He often speaks to the soldiers returning who have lost limbs in Iraq. His eyes teared up as he spoke of them. It was hard not to be touched by what Janice and Robert had to tell me. I found my eyes welling up as I listened.
Please urge anyone at all who can go tomorrow to stand with Janice Swack - Garrett will be there 10-12, Janice will be there at 9 am for her protest. The press will be there. Lets show the veterans that we care and show Garrett that we are appalled at his lack of leadership when it comes to helping our veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.
It is only one week since Memorial day - but there are so many veterans to help every day - all year long.
If you can at all attend, please do and give Janice an email to let her know.
Janice Swack
jswack@comcast.net
For those interested in helping out our veterans but who can't make it to Sussex on June 2, Rachel also pointed out http://www.votevets.org
"How do you ask a man...to be the last man... to die for a lie?"
Those were the famous words of the young John Kerry before the Fulbright Committee in 1971.
The question is as relevant today as it was then.
Harry Hager is the only Congressional candidate (Democrat, 11th CD) who is astute enough and -- frankly, PO-ed enough -- to make the point.
Lies have been told, to justify the war. The lies continue to this very day.
They are willful.
Rodney Frelinghuysen knows full well -- or else he's amnesiac -- that this war cannot be won.
Why can it not be won? It should be obvious, but let me spell it out.
We send hundreds of men with guns, big guns, and big trucks and heavy armor into a country where they do not speak the language and have maybe a crash course in the culture.
They take over the roads, they shoot the place up just to make an impression; they are foul-mouthed and disrespectful to the citizens including their women.
We get only one chance in life to make a bad impression.
Almost immediately they have lost any hope of gaining the trust of the locals.
Almost immediately they have lost any cooperation and hope of so-called "actionable intelligence" to find the bad guys.
But they have to do something, so they interrogate people, treat them badly, run around, knocking down doors in the middle of the night.
It takes very little time before they have created more enemies than were there when they came in.
Pretty soon, they are in a cycle: more bad guys, more casualties, more frustrating interrogations, more abusive treatment, more bad guys.
Rodney knows this. He was in Vietnam -- where we saw it every day.
Still he repeats the militarist rhetoric. It's bred in the bone of these old-line families, the McCains and Frelinghuysens, the families who gave their all to fight the cold war.
They still don't get it that a guerilla war -- asymmetric warfare -- cannot be won by brute force.
Moreover, in Iraq and Afghanistan we are surrounded and out-numbered.
The borders are open to unlimited numbers of suicidal maniacs. The Madrassas produce thousands of them. They are waiting line to go out and kill Americans. We have no idea who or where they are. They refuse to wear uniforms. They look just like any other citizen, but they are waiting and watching.
Which goes to another reason why we cannot win: the element of surprise.
According to our own military doctrine -- which goes back to Clausewitz 150 years ago -- the element of surprise today lies entirely with the bad guys. They have a thousand eyes, watching us, they know our every move.
We barely know who they are, much less what they are up to.
As much as Custer at Little Bighorn, Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan are surrounded and out-numbered.
We are always on the defensive, surprised by every IED, every suicide bomber.
Then, throw in the endemic corruption in a society that has never known the rule of law. Throw in the Sunni-Shia fanaticism.
You have a witch's brew of an unwinnable war.
Rodney knows all of this. We should not have to spell it out.
Yet people die every day -- because of Rodney's lies.
"Cut and run," how many times did we hear that from Frelinghuysen? '"Fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here."
Now, he can't spin those lies any more, so he goes back to "...playing politics with our veterans."
He's the one who is playing politics. He's playing politics with people's lives.
He knows full well -- or else he's amnesiac, willfully -- that this war cannot be won.
If we win the primary on June 3rd, we will raise the money, and we will bring Rodney down.
If we win the primary, we will reach out to Congressional leaders like John Kerry, Jim Webb, Jack Murtha, Joe Sestak, and Patrick Murphy -- all either Vietnam or Iraq war veterans -- who would love to see Frelinghuysen defeated.
And they would welcome more anti-war veterans in Congress.
With the grace of God, and a press corps using their God-given native intelligence, we will bring this terrible man down.
Willful lies. The Banality of Evil. Did you guys ever hear of Hannah Arendt?
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