Interfaith Peace Coalition

TIBERI'S FLIP FLOP ON HOUSING BILL

Gray Hunter, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:42:26 EDT

(From the Robinson for Congress campaign)

July 24, 2008

ROBINSON CALLS OUT TIBERI ON FLIP FLOP VOTE AND OUT-OF-TOUCH RECORD

Columbus, Ohio: "Pat Tiberi needs to stop flip-flopping on the housing crisis," 12th District Congressional Candidate David Robinson said today.

"While I'm glad to see Tiberi finally support a strong federal intervention in the crisis, it's not clear why the congressman had to wait months for permission to do so from the White House," said Robinson. "Ohio's home foreclosure rate ranks ninth highest in the nation, and this market failure has subjected families across the state and in the 12th district to great frustration and despair."

The American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act. (HR 3221) passed the U.S. House 272-152 on Tuesday, moving the measure to the Senate.

Tiberi voted YES this week, although he voted NO on many of the same provisions two months ago, just when the housing crisis was building to a boil.

The congressman's change of heart came only after President Bush this week made a sharp policy U-turn on the rescue bill, signaling approval, even though he has previously opposed the legislation and threatened a veto.

House Democrats have been working for a year on the mortgage reform plan but up until this week couldn't get Bush and House Republicans on board.

Two short months ago, for example, Tiberi voted:

· NO on the Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008 which would have provided $15 billion to states and municipalities for the purchase and rehabilitation of foreclosed homes.
· NO on an earlier version of HR 3221 which, among other things, would have authored the Federal Housing Administration to help refinance as much as $300 billion of subprime loans.

In fact, Tiberi's major contribution to the housing debate was a proposed amendment in April to HR 5720, the Housing Assistance Act of 2008, which would have allowed homeowners facing foreclosure to withdraw without penalty up to $50,000 from their IRA account.

"This commonsense measure," Tiberi said in a press release last April, "would help homeowners help themselves when they find themselves in mortgage trouble."
Common sense, however, should have clued Tiberi that few if any homeowners facing foreclosure have $50,000 tucked away in an IRA account.

"Tiberi's amendment was an echo of Marie Antoinette's famous 'let them eat cake' retort to starving Parisians," said Robinson, "and demonstrated that the congressman after eight years in Congress is sadly out of touch with the problems of average Ohioans.".

What Congress does need to do, said Robinson, is:

· Stop demonizing struggling homeowners and provide money to help them refinance subprime loans inflicted on them by predatory and irresponsible lenders.
· Support special mortgage provisions for military personnel returning from service abroad.
· Increase financial counseling for families at risk of foreclosure.
· Provide funding for state and local governments for the rehabilitation and resale of abandoned and foreclosed homes.
· Strengthen regulation of the mortgage industry and increase disclosure requirements so borrowers will be fully aware of the terms of their loan.

www.robinson2008.com

Ohio Green Party Member Dennis Spisak Files For Congress

User from Struthers, OH — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:15:48 EDT

Ohio Green Party Member Dennis Spisak Files For Congress

July 14, 2008

Lisbon, Ohio- Ohio Green Party Member Dennis Spisak filed as as write-in candidate for Congress today at the Columbiana County Board of Elections. Spisak will run as a write-in candidate for Ohio's 6th Congressional District.

" I am running for Congress because I believe we must send a Progressive Liberal to Congress since we already have two conservative candidates in the race, Democratic Incumbent Charlie Wilson and Republican Rich Stobbs. It's time we give the voters of the 6th district a choice between conservative values which have failed this country over the past eight years and Progressive Liberal Values that will bring back Renewable Energy Jobs to the Ohio River Valley, Single-Payer Health Care for All, and clean and fair elections back to Ohio, " said Spisak.

" I am running for Congress because we must send a representative to Washington who will address the issues facing regular citizens, not Lobbyists and Corportation PACS. My campaign will focus on economic justice and nothing less than a renewal of America's sense of community and promise of equal opportunities for the poor, working, and middle class."

Spisak was one of the first Green Party Candidates to be elected in Ohio back in 2005 when he was elected to the Board of Education for the Struthers City Schools system. As a Board Member, he was able to help take the district out of state fiscal control and debt and return the system to financial health in 2 years with the help of his fellow board members.

Dennis Spisak's Platform:

LIVING WAGE JOBS: Organize opposition to NAFTRA trade policy. Protect our workers and unions.

EDUCATION: Fund and protect public education. Make college and technical education affordable. Help provide support, advocacy, and support to Ohio parents and care givers of children and adults with developmental disabilities and autism.

A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT: Promote clean renewable energy and create new renewable energy manufacturers and companies up and down the Ohio River. Protect Ohio's air and water. Improve Mass Transit. With gas over 4 dollars a gallon, busses, vans, and trains are the way many people will get to work-and that number is expected to grow over 40% in the next 10 years. Dennis Spisak will work with Congress on green solutions and less costs to riders and taxpayers.

CLEAN ELECTIONS: Eliminate fraudulent computer ballot counts and use verifiable paper ballots. Assure all Ohioans have an equal opportunity to vote and run for office.

HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OHIOANS: Pass Single-Payer Health Care Acts that cover every American for any necessary procedure their doctor orders without exclusions for pre-exisiting conditions.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information, contract Dennis Spisak at 330-755-0729 or 330-503-1407

I, Dennis Spisak, approve of the contents of this press release.

NUMBERS GAMES

Gray Hunter, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:11:17 EDT

Politics is a numbers game, but which numbers really count these days?

In Ohio's 12th District, 4-term Republican incumbent Pat Tiberi is easily winning the money race, having raised nearly $1.4 million in campaign contributions so far this year, including $246,000 in the second quarter alone.

By comparison, in reports to the Federal Elections Commission, Democratic challenger David Robinson has raised $80,254 this election cycle, which includes $52,371 in the second quarter. (Disclosure: that includes $200 from LICOPAC).

No surprise there. As the Dispatch reports today,

"Quarterly congressional campaign finance reports due yesterday provide a reminder of why it is usually an uphill battle to beat an incumbent lawmaker: They raise tons of campaign cash."

Robinson himself has told volunteers he expects to be heavily outspent by Tiberi, who draws major support from utilities, insurance companies, banks and financial institutions and national Republican PACs. His hopes lie in outworking Tiberi at the grassroots -- and on cashing in the 12th District numbers in terms of 12th District voter demographics.

According to a Robinson fact sheet:

---George Bush beat John Kerry in the district by only 2.8 percent back in 2004.
---Democratic Governor Ted Strickland won the 12th with a 58.4 percent margin in 2006.
---Republicans registered only 18 percent of primary registered voters in the district in March, as compared to 30 percent Democratic and 52 percent independent.
---Robinson won his primary race in March, gaining 51 percent in a 3-way race, despite the fact that he was not the party-endorsed candidate.

Despite his modest bank account, Robinson spent early and heavily on the tools of the trade -- campaign buttons and stickers and signs and a high quality video and web site (www.robinson2008.com ) operation. And there are now signs he's putting more emphasis on fund raising, although it may be too late to impress the dollar-fixated Democratic sugar daddies in Washington and Columbus (ie, DCCC, DNC, ODP).

In part, Robinson is hoping that the Obama tide raises all Democratic boats, even the small ones.

"I'm not a career politician, so we're creating our campaign from scratch," Robinson said back in April. "We are confident that we will have the resources to put our ideas and plans before every voter for the general election."

Meanwhile, in the 18th District, Republican challenger Fred Dailey must be praying for a McCain tide because his small craft needs a boost as well in its bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Zack Space.

Space, despite swearing off all gifts from lobbyists, raised $322,147 during the second quarter, easily outdistancing Dailey, a former state agriculture director, who brought in $116,000 over the same period.

According to the Dispatch, this gives Space a 10-1 dollar advantage over Dailey for the entire 2007-2008 election cycle.

It wasn't too long ago that national Republicans announced they intended to make Space their number one target in 2008, on the belief that his victory two years ago in a normally Republican district was a fluke, resulting only from the lobbying scandal which engulfed former Republican incumbent Bob Ney.

Only in this case, the "target" decided to fire back, and now seems headed for an easy re-election win.

New Americans Forum Next Wednesday

Gray Hunter, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:28:14 EDT

July 3, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW AMERICANS TELL THEIR STORIES

The voices - and experiences - of Columbus' new ethnic residents will be heard on Wednesday, July 9, during the New Americans Forum to acquaint officeholders and candidates with the concerns of recent immigrants.

The event, at 6:30 p.m. at the IBEW Local 683 Union Hall, 23 W. 2nd Ave., will bring together members of Columbus' Hispanic and Somali communities with some two-dozen candidates for federal, state and local office.

Since the 1400's, immigrants have come to America to find their dreams or to escape treachery, war and starvation. They have not always been greeted warmly or well.

Columbus, for the most part, has been a welcoming community. Still, many newcomers experience lengthy bureaucratic delays in qualifying for citizenship. They also have to navigate their way through unfamiliar institutions, such as the schools, the courts and local permit and licensing agencies.

And in an election year, new Americans - like all citizens - can get confused by constantly changing voting requirements and procedures.

At the same time, politicians today face many opposing opinions as to how to address immigration and immigrants in the post 9/11 era.

The new Americans are courted by politicians "but there's not much awareness there," said one Somali community leader. "And after the election, they don't come back."

The New Americans Forum is being sponsored by the Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations to encourage dialogue between officeholders, candidates and new ethnic residents. Following panel discussions, a representative of the Ohio Secretary of State's office will clarify voting procedures and information will be shared about the Ohio Democratic Party's Neighborhood Leader Program.

The Coalition is a coordinating group for more than 20 Democratic and independent clubs and PACs in Franklin, Licking, Delaware and Perry counties.

For more information, contact:
Judy Kress, 614-268-2823, or
David Lore, 740-967-5227
Central Ohio Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations
http://coalitiondemscentralohio.org

War Funding Keeps Surging

Gray Hunter, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:54:00 EDT

I was one of a number of Ohio peace activists who linked up with Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown earlier today via conference call to talk about the war funding bill now approaching a Senate vote.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Iraq (or Iran), the senator didn't have much encouraging news to share.

Brown said he will vote against the $165 billion supplemental funding bill for Iraq and Afghanistan which will soon be on the Senate floor. This is no surprise, since Brown cast a similar vote against a $70 billion supplemental war-funding bill last December.

Once again, however, the war funding bill is expected to pass without significant concessions by the White House.

Brown's position on war funding has hardened since last June when he vowed in e-mail to Ohio Quakers to "continue to fight to fully fund our troops.."

And, in fact, in May 2007 Brown voted in favor of an earlier $120 billion war supplemental bill brought to the Congress by the Bush administration.

Now, however, "I don't trust anything he (Bush) says when he's talking about Iraq," Brown said. In view of the administration's failure earlier in the war to provide adequate body and vehicle armor, Brown said legislators can't be sure the President would recall U.S. troops even if future funding was denied.

Brown said in voting against continued war funding, he is taking a risk that congressional opposition could weaken U.S. forces abroad.

"It's a real hard call," he said. "In an election year, a lot of Democrats flinch from it. (Note: Brown was elected to a 6-year term in 2006 and isn't up for re-election until 2012.)

"But politics aside, it's a hard legitimate question," he said. "Do you cut funding when you have soldiers in the field? It's more than politics."

In his response to Ohio Quakers last June, Brown said, "I voted against the Iraq war and I generally support the principles of the (withdrawal) legislation. I will continue to fight to fully fund our troops, to ensure accountability and oversight, for economic and political changes that benefit all Iraqi citizens and to redeploy our troops as soon as possible."

Brown said he opposes any attempt by the Bush administration to ink a long-term security agreement with Iraqi officials that ties the hands of the next administration. The U.S. reportedly wants to preserve more than 50 U.S. bases in Iraq under such an agreement, and give U.S. soldiers and contractors immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law.

Administration officials say they don't need to get congressional approval for such an agreement. Brown said he's not sure Congress could block such a move, although the next President could overturn any Iraqi pact not approved by Congress.

Likewise, if the outgoing administration launched a pre-emptive attack against Iranian nuclear facilities before leaving office in January, its congressional critics might not be able to do much more than complain.

"If there's an attack on Iran, and they (Iran) haven't attacked us,....there will be all sorts of reaction," said Brown. "That would be met with skepticism and rage by a lot of us..."

The bottom line, he said, is that the debate on the war has now shifted from Congress to the Presidential campaigns.

"The party will take the lead from Barack, he said. "In the end, what he says is pretty much what we follow. And we'll just have to fight about it after the election."

It was announced by Cleveland Peace Action during the conference call that an Iran Coordinating Group will meet this Saturday in Cleveland as part of the National Assembly to end the Iraq War and Occupation. For more information, go to www.natassembly.org or call 216-736-4704.

ROBINSON NETWORK GROWS

Gray Hunter, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:10:11 EDT

Outside of the community of Democratic activists and progressives, very few voters in Central Ohio have ever heard of David Robinson, let alone know anything about the 12th District Democratic candidate for Congress.

Yet, come Nov. 4, Robinson is confident he'll be elected to replace four-term Republican incumbent Patrick Tiberi.

Nobody in the media or the Democratic Party power structure is paying any heed to Robinson yet. But since March, this shiny-domed, high-energy first time candidate has been dashing about central Ohio building the network of supporters he expects to carry the day against his better-funded incumbent.

"It's a very winnable race," Robinson told about 40 prospects yesterday during a Granville house party. "And at the end of the day, money doesn't decide elections - people do."

How does Robinson think he can win when, four months out, he's at such a disadvantage in terms of name recognition and money?

In part, Robinson is hoping for a boost from the Democratic tide, which appears to be running strong at the state and national level. "The Obama effort should be very helpful in the 12th District," he said.

But Robinson, a businessman from Columbus, also looks at the numbers when predicting victory.

The 12th District, which includes parts of Licking, Franklin and Delaware counties, "is trending independent, Democrat," he said.

In the March 4 primary, Democratic registration topped Republican in the 12th District, 30 percent to 18 percent. Independents are 52 percent of the district electorate, however, and thus are the deciding factor.

By highlighting his business and environmental background, and labeling his opponent as a loyal foot soldier to the unpopular Bush administration, Robinson thinks he can rally Democrats while attracting independents and cutting into Tiberi's Republican base.

"I even look more Republican than Tiberi," he quipped.

To learn more about David Robinson, check out his web site at www.robinson2008.com

Democratic Party bosses will be watching his 2nd Quarter campaign finance reports to see if Robinson has raised enough money and attracted enough contributors to make the 12th District competitive this year. This could determine whether Robinson gets support from the national party, and in particular the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Supporters are being urged, therefore, to make their contributions to the Robinson campaign before July 1.

Dave Robinson needs your support

Gray Hunter, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:20:31 EDT

It's often said that all politics are local, but in a presidential election year, it just doesn't seem to work out that way.

Typically, national campaigns suck up all available resources like a black hole.

Several times each week, I have to explain over the phone to some earnest volunteer for the DCCC, DSCC, DNC, etc., that any loose change in my pocket that the oil companies missed has to go to local candidates for Congress, the state legislature, the county commission or local judiciary.

No doubt, sitting in Washington, they find this notion quaint but not particularly helpful in the coast-to-coast game of dialing-for-dollars.

Which brings me to David Robinson, Democratic candidate in the 12th Congressional District, who is hosting a modest fundraiser this Thursday night in Powell, Ohio.

Robinson is seeking to depose 4-term Republican Pat Tiberi who enters this year's re-election race with huge advantage in terms of funding and name recognition.

(As of March 31, Tiberi reported $757,719 cash-on-hand as compared to $7,611 cash-on-hand for Robinson who -- at that time -- was just getting organized.)

And it's unlikely that Robinson will get much help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) unless he can show significant local support by the end of this month.

Robinson is one of the most interesting new faces in local politics in years. A Columbus businessman, he brings degrees in fields as varied as accounting, psychology and theology to issues such as global warming which he engages as a volunteer speaker in Al Gore's campaign. Since his win in the March primary, Robinson has been working the grassroots 24-7 and has become a frequent visitor to Licking County, which shares the 12th with eastern Franklin County and parts of Delaware County.

You can learn the basics at www.robinson2008.com but you really have to meet Dave Robinson to experience the energy and enthusiasm of the man.

The only prospect as depressing as a Third Bush Term under John McCain would be a Fifth Tiberi Term dedicated to more slavish boosterism for the Bush-McCain-GOP platform of prolonging the war in Iraq, cutting taxes for the rich and jerking back the safety net for everybody else.

I encourage you to attend this week's Robinson event or take the opportunity to support his campaign in the weeks ahead. Remember, without more progressive Democrats in Congress, it may not really make that much difference who takes the presidential oath of office next January.

Wedgewood Fundraiser

David Robinson
Candidate for
Ohio's 12th U.S. Congressional District
Thursday, June 5th, 2008
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wedgewood Golf and Country Club
9600 Wedgewood Blvd.
Powell, Ohio

Cash bar, Light Hors D'Oeuvres
$25 Suggested Donation at the Door
R.S.V.P. to Rob Doersam at: rdoersam@robinson2008.com
- or - 614-294-2900
If unable to attend, donations can be made at www.robinson2008.com
or at Robinson for Congress, PO Box 8246, Columbus, OH 43201.

Bob Hagan: Living The Good Life Off Of Your "Campaign Donations"

User from Struthers, OH — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:04:32 EDT

Bob Hagan: Living The Good Life Off Of Your "Campaign Donations" Why there is no such difference between Republicans and Democrats. Whey you write Bob Hagan a campaign contribution that goes into his campaign account, you expect it to be used for campaign expenses. However, a candidate can keep any left over campaign funds for their personal use. That's the system as developed by the major parties. No Surprise! So, when you give Bob Hagan a campaign contribution and he has no campaign to run in the fall, Bob get's to put those campaign contributions to personal use and lives high off the hogs from his friends in the 60th district. So far this year Bob has reported to the Secretary of State's office the following uses of campaign "expenses" on the following items in 2008: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 555 BORROR DR. COLUMBUS OH 43210 2008 200 04/04/2008 $1751 FOOTBALL TICKETS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 100 01/31/2008 $41.17 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN PILOT #287 10048 AVON LAKE RD. BURBANK OH 44214 2008 100 02/05/2008 $35.67 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 100 02/08/2008 $43.21 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN SHELL OIL 631 S. HIGH ST. COLUMBUS OH 43215 2008 100 01/10/2008 $35.39 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN AMOCO OIL 1477 MARKET ST. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44512 2008 100 01/16/2008 $40.52 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN LOVE'S COUNTRY MARKET 138 MAIN ST. WADSWORTH OH 44281 2008 100 01/18/2008 $36.19 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 100 01/23/2008 $28.11 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN LOVE'S COUNTRY MARKET 138 MAIN ST. WADSWORTH OH 44281 2008 100 01/24/2008 $34.16 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 100 01/25/2008 $35.98 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 100 01/06/2008 $39.27 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN PILOT #287 10048 AVON LAKE RD. BURBANK OH 44214 2008 200 04/03/2008 $29.15 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 200 03/04/2008 $37.16 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN GETGO 1759 SOUTH BROADWAY GENEVA OH 44041 2008 200 03/18/2008 $41.7 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 200 03/09/2008 $24.51 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN PILOT #287 10048 AVON LAKE RD. BURBANK OH 44214 2008 200 03/05/2008 $33.66 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN USA GAS MART 2904 BELMONT AVE YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 200 03/01/2008 $23.95 GAS FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN ROSETTA STONE CAFE 110 WEST FEDERAL ST. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44403 2008 100 01/30/2008 $86.82 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN ROSETTA STONE CAFE 110 WEST FEDERAL ST. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44403 2008 100 02/01/2008 $82.11 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN AVALON GARDENS 1719 BELMONT AVE. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44504 2008 100 02/02/2008 $41.77 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN ROSETTA STONE CAFE 110 WEST FEDERAL ST. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44403 2008 100 02/08/2008 $27.2 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN CAFE CIMMENTO 120 EAST BOARDMAN ST YOUNGSTOWN OH 44503 2008 100 02/08/2008 $21.75 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN THE CLARMONT 684 SOUTH HIGH ST. COLUMBUS OH 43215 2008 100 01/11/2008 $53.25 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN MITCHELL'S STEAKHOUSE 40 NORTH THIRD ST. COLUMBUS OH 43215 2008 100 01/16/2008 $45.43 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN MARSANO'S DALE CLEANERS 1543 BELMONT AVE. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 100 01/16/2008 $39.46 DRY CLEANING FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN CAFE CIMMENTO 120 EAST BOARDMAN ST YOUNGSTOWN OH 44503 2008 100 01/22/2008 $85.29 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN ROSETTA STONE CAFE 110 WEST FEDERAL ST. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44403 2008 200 02/26/2008 $104.53 FOOD/BEVERAGE FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN MVR 410 NORT WALNUT ST. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44505 2008 200 02/27/2008 $45.72 FOOD FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN ROSETTA STONE CAFE 110 WEST FEDERAL ST. YOUNGSTOWN OH 44403 2008 200 03/07/2008 $132.66 FOOD/BALLET W.R. FRIENDS OF BOB HAGAN So, Bob Hagan, the the progessive liberal in the state who fights for the common man, uses campaign donations for OSU football tickets, free gas,dry cleaning, and some good eating all across the state. With all these perks, plus his salary and pension, how can Bob Hagan relate to the poor, working, and middle class of the 60th district? It's time we elect a state rep who will work for the people, and not sit in the shoe or eat high on the hog after he begs you to give him campaign contributions to keep the "Rich Republicans" out of power. Dennis Spisak-Independent Green Party Candidate for State Representative-60th District campaign site: http://votespisak.tripod.com

Pentagon: US War Dead Cremated In Same Facility As Pets

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:18:45 EDT

"We just believe our heroes deserve to be treated better than that."

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a review of the handling of the remains of US war dead and apologized after learning that some were cremated in a commercial facility that also cremates pets, the Pentagon said.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said there was no evidence that any US servicemember was cremated in an incinerator used for pets.

But Gates believed that the use of a commercial facility that cremated both humans and pets, albeit in separate incinerators, was "insensitive and entirely inappropriate for the dignified treatment of our fallen," Morrell said.

"The families of the fallen have the secretary's deepest apology," he added.

Watch it:

Post-War Veteran Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:26:13 EDT

Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths, U.S. Says

The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government's top psychiatric researcher said.

Community mental health centers, hobbled by financial limits, haven't provided enough scientifically sound care, especially in rural areas, said Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He briefed reporters today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting in Washington.

Insel echoed a Rand Corporation study published last month that found about 20 percent of returning U.S. soldiers have post- traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment. About 1.6 million U.S. troops have fought in the two wars since October 2001, the report said. About 4,560 soldiers had died in the conflicts as of today, the Defense Department reported on its Web site.

Read the whole story here.

Pat Tillman's Mother On 60 Minutes: The Govt. Still Hasn't Told The Whole Truth About Her Son's Death

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:17:41 EDT

What Really Happened To Pat Tillman?

(CBS) Pat Tillman was a heroic face of the war on terror - an NFL star who left behind a $3.6 million contract and his new wife to fight for his country after the attacks of Sept. 11. When he died in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, the Army told his family he'd been killed by enemy fire after courageously charging up a hill to protect his fellow Army Rangers.

But as Katie Couric reports, that story didn't hold up. He had really been killed by friendly fire, shot accidentally by his fellow soldiers.

For the past four years, his family, led by his mother Mary, has been searching for answers about what really happened, beginning the day she heard the news from Pat Tillman's wife Marie.

Crooks ad Liars points out:

One part that stands out is when Couric asks Pete Geren, the new Secretary of the Army, about eyewitness statements that had been altered to falsely show that Tillman had been engaged with the enemy at the time of his death. He replied, “Well, that’s one of the questions that we will never completely answer.” That’s a telling statement because the Bush administration has exerted executive privilege over “certain papers relating to discussion of the friendly-fire shooting” because they claim they would “implicate Executive Branch confidentiality interests.” Last August, when pressed directly about it, President Bush avoided making any promise to ever come clean about what really happened.

Watch it:

McCain Said In Cleveland Today He "Would Be Reluctant To Ever Declare Mission Accomplished In Iraq" But He Already Has

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:18:33 EDT

Speaking in Cleveland earlier today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) defended President Bush, saying he should not be held responsible for the “Mission Accomplished” banner that was visible aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln when Bush declared that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” on May 1, 2003:

“Do I blame him for that specific banner? I can’t,” McCain said. “But I do say that statements are made, ‘a few dead-enders,’ ‘last throes,’ those are, as opposed to the banner, direct statements which were contradicted by the facts on the ground.”

McCain then said of the banner: “I thought it was wrong at the time.” But while the White House has actually acknowledged making an error, McCain himself used the term “mission accomplished” when talking about the Iraq war on at least two occasions in 2003:

– “Their morale could not be higher. This is a mission accomplished. They know how much influence Saddam Hussein had on the Iraqi people, how much more difficult it made to get their cooperation.” [This Week, ABC, 12/14/03]

– During an appearance on Fox News, host Neil Cavuto said, “many argue the conflict isn’t over.” McCain answered, “Well, then why was there a banner that said mission accomplished on the aircraft carrier? Look, the — I have said a long time that reconstruction of Iraq would be a long, long, difficult process, but the conflict — the major conflict is over, the regime change has been accomplished.” [FOX, Your World With Neil Cavuto, 6/11/03]

Watch it:

In 2003, McCain Claimed ‘Mission Accomplished’ In Iraq, Now Claims ‘I Thought It Was Wrong At The Time’

McSame: Mission Accomplished!

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:55:01 EDT

Watch it:

Here, then, is a look back on John McCain's words on the mission accomplished in Iraq:

On the Run-Up to War

"Look, we're going to send young men and women in harm's way and that's always a great danger, but I cannot believe that there is an Iraqi soldier who is going to be willing to die for Saddam Hussein, particularly since he will know that our objective is to remove Saddam Hussein from power."
John McCain, September 15, 2002.

"But the fact is, I think we could go in with much smaller numbers than we had to do in the past. But any military man worth his salt is going to have to prepare for any contingency, but I don't believe it's going to be nearly the size and scope that it was in 1991."
John McCain, September 15, 2002.

"He's a patriot who has the best interests of his country at heart."
John McCain, on Ahmed Chalabi, 2003.

On Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction

"Proponents of containment claim that Iraq is in a "box." But it is a box with no lid, no bottom, and whose sides are falling out. Within this box are definitive footprints of germ, chemical and nuclear programs."
John McCain, February 13, 2003.

"I remain confident that we will find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."
John McCain, June 11, 2003.

On Being Greeted as Liberators

"Absolutely. Absolutely."
John McCain, asked by Chris Matthews, "you believe that the people of Iraq or at least a large number of them will treat us as liberators?" March 12, 2003.

"Not only that, they'll be relieved that he's not in the neighborhood because he has invaded his neighbors on several occasions."
John McCain, asked by Chris Matthews, "And you think the Arab world will come to a grudging recognition that what we did was necessary?" March 12, 2003.

"There's no doubt in my mind that we will prevail and there's no doubt in my mind, once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators."
John McCain, March 24, 2003.

On a Rapid Victory and Mission Accomplished

"I think the victory will be rapid, within about three weeks."
John McCain, January 28, 2003.

"It's clear that the end is very much in sight...It won't be long. It, it'll be a fairly short period of time."
John McCain, April 9, 2003.

"Well, then why was there a banner that said mission accomplished on the aircraft carrier?"
John McCain, responding to assertion by Fox News' Neil Cavuto that "many argue the conflict isn't over," June 11, 2003.

"I have said a long time that reconstruction of Iraq would be a long, long, difficult process, but the conflict -- the major conflict is over, the regime change has been accomplished, and it's very appropriate."
John McCain, June 11, 2003.

"I'm confident we're on the right course."
John McCain, March 7, 2004.

"We're either going to lose this thing or win this thing within the next several months."
John McCain, November 12, 2006.

"My friends, the war will be over soon, the war for all intents and purposes although the insurgency will go on for years and years and years."
John McCain, February 25, 2008.

On the Safe Streets of Baghdad

"[There] there "are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today."
John McCain, after touring a Baghdad market wearing a bulletproof vest and guarded by "100 American soldiers, with three Blackhawk helicopters, and two Apache gunships overhead, April 1, 2007.

"There's problems in America with safe neighborhoods as we well know."
John McCain, March 8, 2008.

On President Bush and His Team

"We are very fortunate that our president in these challenging days can rely on the counsel of a man who has demonstrated time and again the resolve, experience, and patriotism that will be required for success and the hard-headed clear thinking necessary to prevail in this global fight between good and evil."
John McCain, on Dick Cheney, July 16, 2004.

"I think he strengthened our national defenses. I think he has a good team around him."
John McCain, on President Bush, September 3, 2004.

"I said no. My answer is still no. No confidence."
John McCain, on whether he had confidence in Bush Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, December 15, 2004.

On the Non-Existent Alliance Between Al Qaeda and Iran

"But Al Qaeda is there, they are functioning, they are supported in many times, in many ways by the Iranians."
John McCain, February 28, 2008.

"As you know, there are al Qaeda operatives that are taken back into Iran, given training as leaders, and they're moving back into Iraq."
John McCain, March 17, 2008.

"[Iranian operatives are] "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."
John McCain, March 18, 2008.

"[It is] common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate."
John McCain, March 18, 2008.

"Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated."
McCain campaign statement, March 19, 2008.

"To think that I would have some lack of knowledge about Sunni and Shia after my eighth visit and my deep involvement in this issue is a bit ludicrous."
John McCain, March 19, 2008.

"Do you still view Al Qaeda in Iraq as a major threat? Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shiites overallâ€¦"
John McCain, questioning General David Petraeus, April 8, 2008.

On a Permanent American Military Presence in Iraq

"We cannot keep our forces indefinitely staged in the region. Were we to attempt again to contain Saddam, we would eventually have to withdraw them. The world is full of dangers and, more likely than not, we will need some of those brave men and women to face them down."
John McCain, February 13, 2003.

"We have had troops in South Korea for 60 years and nobody minds."
John McCain, June 7, 2007.

"Make it a hundred."
John McCain, told that President Bush had said American troops could remain in Iraq for 50 years, January 3, 2008.

"I asked McCain about his 'hundred years' comment, and he reaffirmed the remark, excitedly declaring that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for 'a thousand years' or 'a million years,' as far as he was concerned."
David Corn, January 3, 2008.

"The U.S. could have a military presence anywhere in the world for a long period of time."
John McCain, February 20, 2008.

From the always great Perspectives Blog

US troop deaths hit 7-month high in Iraq

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:05:34 EDT

BAGHDAD — The killings of three U.S. soldiers in separate attacks in Baghdad pushed the American death toll for April up to 47, making it the deadliest month since September.

One soldier died when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. The other died of wounds sustained when he was attacked by small-arms fire, the military said Wednesday.

Both incidents occurred Tuesday in northwestern Baghdad. A third soldier died in a roadside bombing Tuesday night in the east of the capital, the military said.

The statement did not give a more specific location. But the eastern half of Baghdad includes embattled Sadr City and other neighborhoods that have been the focus of intense combat between Shiite militants and U.S.-Iraqi troops for more than a month.

In all, at least 4,059 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Cross Posted From:

McCain: No on New GI Bill Because "Troops Will Leave The Military To Go To College".

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:12:45 EDT

BREAKING: Bipartisan Congressional Action to Send Troops to College

Today at noon, some big-name Democrats, including Senator Jim Webb and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will be leading a press conference on the steps of the Capitol - and they'll be joined by some of Congress's leading Republicans, including Senators Chuck Hagel and John Warner. With the political situation so polarized this election year, it's like seeing players from the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox sit down for Sunday afternoon tea.

What has brought them together? A commitment to ensuring that troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan get the chance to go to college.

After World War II, the "GI Bill" ensured that more than two million combat veterans could get a college education. Economists have said this legislation rebuilt the country after five years of war. Now, however, the GI Bill pays only a fraction of the cost of a four-year college - and today's veterans just aren't getting the same readjustment opportunities afforded to the Greatest Generation.

Read The Full Story Here or you can sign the petition to support our troops here.

Presidential hopeful wants to keep troops from leaving military for a college education

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has suggested he would oppose a bipartisan measure by Virginia Sen. Jim Webb to expand college tuition benefits for military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

McCain told reporters Monday he was working on alternative legislation aimed at ensuring that troops do not leave the military earlier than planned to go to college.
McCain echoed the concern voiced by some in the Defense Department who worry that the promise of full college tuition could entice many troops to leave the military sooner than they otherwise might at a time of war.

McCain is saying that we can't keep troops in Iraq for 100 years if we offer them what we offered WW II veterans after 4 years of service.

RNC: If You Keep Showing John McCain Saying "Make It 100 Years" In Iraq, We'll Sue You

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:34:51 EDT

The Republican National Committee wants CNN and MSNBC to stop airing the DNC's new national television advertisement, calling it "false and defamatory" and illegally coordinated.

"This is a complaint about the facts that are being misrepresented in the ad, and this being a deliberate falsehood, that we are saying, stations have an obligation to protect the public from airing a deliberate falsehood," said Sean Cairncross, an RNC lawyer.

The RNC provided no evidence to support their change that the communication was illegally coordinated, aside for a few newspaper articles pointing out that some Democrats work for both a candidate and the committee, like pollster Cornell Belcher. DNC chairman Howard Dean said this morning that neither campaign saw or heard the ad before the put it out.

The RNC is ginning up the threat of legal action to give weight to their criticism of the ad's content. Cairncross would not say whether the party will sue CNN or MSNBC, the two cable networks airing the ad, if they refuse to kill it.

Democratic Party chief Howard Dean said "there's nothing false" about the ad.

"We deliberately used John McCain's words. This isn't some ominous consultant's voice from Washington. This is John McCain's own words. And we've been very upfront about everything that he's said."

Watch The Ad:

Sadr Gives "Final Warning" As Violence In Iraq Escalates

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:51:05 EDT

"So I am giving my final warning ...... to the Iraqi government ...... to take the path of peace and abandon violence against its people," al-Sadr said. "If the government does not refrain ...... we will declare an open war until liberation." - Muqtada al-Sadr

Anti-US cleric al-Sadr threatens new uprising in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) — Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gave a "final warning" to the government Saturday to halt a U.S.-Iraqi crackdown against his followers or he would declare "open war until liberation."

A full-blown uprising by al-Sadr, who led two rebellions against U.S.-led forces in 2004, could lead to a dramatic increase in violence in Iraq at a time when the Sunni extremist group al-Qaida in Iraq appears poised for new attacks after suffering severe blows last year.

Al-Sadr's warning appeared on his Web site as Iraq's Shiite-dominated government claimed success in a new push against Shiite militants in the southern city of Basra. Fighting claimed 14 more lives in Sadr City, the Baghdad stronghold of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army.

Fighting in Sadr City and the crackdown in Basra are part of a government campaign against followers of al-Sadr and Iranian-backed Shiite splinter groups that the U.S. has identified as the gravest threat to a democratic Iraq.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, also a Shiite, has ordered al-Sadr to disband the Mahdi Army, Iraq's biggest Shiite militia, or face a ban from politics.

In the statement, al-Sadr lashed back, accusing the government of selling out to the Americans and branding his followers as criminals.

Al-Sadr, who is believed to be in Iran, said he had tried to defuse tensions last August by declaring a unilateral truce, only to see the government respond by closing his offices and "resorting to assassinations."

"So I am giving my final warning ... to the Iraqi government ... to take the path of peace and abandon violence against its people," al-Sadr said. "If the government does not refrain ... we will declare an open war until liberation."

John W. McBush on Iraq

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:48:40 EDT

Watch it:

Close to 1 in 5 Iraqis are refugees...

User from Columbus, OH — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:51:36 EDT

Watch It:

Video: Biden Clashes With McCain Over Iraq On Countdown

Dave Harding, ProgressOhio — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:32:48 EDT

Crooks And Liars Reports:

Senator Joe Biden joined Keith Olbermann on Tuesday’s Countdown to talk about his foreign policy speech today, in which he knocks away John McCain’s ever-changing rationales for staying in Iraq and his embrace of the failed Iraq policies of George Bush. Biden notes the ongoing Democratic primary battle between Obama and Clinton, but makes it very clear that Democrats are more than willing to engage him on in a debate about Iraq and national security.

Biden, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, tells Keith that regardless of how Senator McCain meant his 100 years in Iraq statement, the American people are against it and it sends the wrong message to the people of the Middle East. Americans don’t want permanent bases in Iraq and as Biden puts it, it feeds into the theory that we’re only there to control their oil: