John McCain, Warmonger

Sarah Palin, Mean Girl or Miss Congeniality?

We know a bit more than we did on Friday about Governor Sarah Palin, the presumptive VP nominee for the Republican party. What we are finding out isn't pretty and I have to wonder what kind of Rovian joke this is.

The rumors and rants are flying and who knows what will turn out to be fact or fiction? The corporate media is going to do what they do best by covering the lurid stories that may or may not amount to anything, but what about the facts? What matters about the person who could be one heartbeat away from the presidency? What matters to me is good judgement, common sense, intelligence, compassion, character and where they stand on the issues. What doesn't matter to me is how "hot" the candidate is or isn't, how many houses they have- unless they don't know the answer to that question, how much they pay for their shoes, if they are a maverick- or not, whether a VP's candidate's spouse got a DUI 20 years ago, what their parenting skills; all subjects that have come up in the past day or so.

* We know that Palin was not vetted properly by the McCain campaign. Don't we want to know what skeletons are hiding in what closets before make makes their national debut as a major political player? It's not that there are skeletons that may be worrisome, it's what kind of skeletons. With access to the internet, no one should be surprised at the casual vetting taking place by bloggers, pundits and reporters. If the party hasn't done an adequate job, it becomes our responsibility.

*We know that Palin was speaking in Texas when she was 34 weeks pregnant in April 08. KTUU reports:

The governor's water broke during the energy conference but she stayed and gave a 30-minute speech before boarding an Alaska Airlines plane home to deliver the baby.

Airlines rules vary; Alaska Airlines has no restrictions for pregnant travelers, although many other airlines require a medical certificate stating the woman is fit to travel. Once Palin's water broke, flying put the flight crew in a potentially difficult situation, a risk that doesn't show much common sense or good judgement to me. Additionally, the 8 hour flight plus trip to the hospital would seem to put the baby at risk, as well.

*We know that Palin, appeared on a radio talk show in Alaska back in January of this year that a writer to the Alaska Daily News described The governor's appearance on KWHL's "The Bob and Mark Show" last week is plain and simple one of the most unprofessional, childish and inexcusable performances I've ever seen from a politician. The DJ unleashed a vicious, mean-spirited, poisonous attack on Senate President Lyda Green all the while Palin laughed and joined in the fun as the *b* word was thrown around. As a state executive, we expect better. Do we need a Mean Girl to be our Vice President?

More will come out about Palin; the good and the bad. I hope that many people who thought Palin was a valuable addition to the Republican ticket, and the answer to the disaffected Hillary supporters, will consider the facts as they become available. Sarah Palin is not ready to be the Vice President; her nomination is an insult to those of either gender who are much more qualified. I can only hope that potential supporter's who might have voted for McCain, will not in good faith, do so with Palin's name on the ticket.

Politics is not for the faint of heart. Palin has been thrown into the big leagues with little league experience. It remains to be seen how she will do on the campaign trail. Will she hold her own when the questions start getting tough? Does she have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with Joe Biden in the October VP debate? How will she handle meetings with heads of state?

We know one thing for sure, this VP candidate is not in Wasilla anymore although she may wish she was.

Bristol Palin's Pregnancy

The announcement of the pregnancy of her 17 year old daughter, Bristol had barely hit the wires when responses started flying that Sarah Palin is a "bad mother" (because she could or should have prevented her daughter from getting pregnant). Who are they to pass judgement? This pregnancy is a personal issue for the Palin family and the father's family that should be nobody else's business. It isn't as cavalier as "teen pregnancies happen", but they do and no demography is immune.

Mothers already put enough pressure on themselves. Even as the most well-adjusted and happy children grow into adults, mother's question whether, how or if they could have done better or more. I suspect most mothers give themselves an inner pat on the back when their child leaves home without having had to deal with a teen pregnancy. Who would wish that kind of responsibility on their child?

As one Wasilla, AK resident said when he heard the pregnancy had hit the national news, Oh, "I'm so sorry. That's so unfair." She's right, of course, but that doesn't mean the rumors and rants will go away.

We hope for a happy, healthy baby for young Bristol and the baby's father. They have challenges that parenthood will bring, that they cannot possibly know at this time. The best news for Bristol is to know that she has the unconditional love and support of her family.

Move along people, there's nothing to see here.

Katrina's Evil Twin, Gustav

For about a millisecond I felt sorry for The RNC when I heard McCain's spokesmodel discuss the ever changing plans regarding the Republican Convention/Party in Minneapolis. It seems that some of those republifolks are a little bit worried about their reputation getting all messed up again because they fiddled while the Gulf region was devastated by Katrina exactly 3 years ago. Who wants to see that story again?

The Republicans are trying to show their sensitive side so people know they care about their fellow Americans (do not tell me that this wasn't discussed by their strategists- it is just so out of character for this party that turned their back on the good people of the Gulf Coast). The word of the day was "appropriate". Rick Davis, Mc Cain's campaign manager, said they would respond "appropriately" if they needed to adjust the convention schedule with regards to the weather. They were considering changing their ad strategy because they aren’t going to do anything that would be deemed inappropriate in the course of this kind of situation and because the negative tone would be inappropriate during Gustav. Delegates from the Gulf coast were offered trips back home. Bush & Cheney have cancelled their appearances at the parties convention so they can focus on preparations for Hurricane Gustav, which may hit New Orleans. The LA Times reports that Republican strategists are relieved that the president, and his low ratings, won't attend. And the presumptive nominee John McCain said, "This is a time when we have to do away with our party politics and we have to act as Americans" Really? Why this time? Why start now?


3 years ago, they didn't act as Americans who care about what happens to their fellow citizens. You might recall that George Bush helped John McCain celebrate McCain's 70th birthday that same day exactly 3 years ago as Katrina was bearing down. After the cake photo-op, Bush hopped on a plane heading to sunny California, that day, not even thinking about the potential danger the citizens of the Gulf coast were facing. We know how that story unfolded.

An historical 2 million people have evacuated from the New Orleans area in advance of Gustav, Katrina's evil twin that has it's eye on the Gulf Coast. I don't want to belittle the efforts that have been put into improving the government response, and I know evacuations aren't a walk in the park, but if they, if we, didn't learn anything in the last 3 years, then it's more shameful than it looks.

Mother Nature has a twisted sense of humor; sending Gustav to arrive on the anniversary of Katrina is cruel. So hang on to your hats (literally) and let's see if the government really learned anything exactly 3 years ago. My thoughts are with the residents of the Gulfcoast region as they face another fight for their survival.

Sarah Who? Let the Games begin

John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States of America selected his running mate this morning. Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska and staunch conservative will run as the Vice President of the Republican party.

I'm a little worried by the commentary, especially from the right, the jubilation and glee that the Republican campaign has met Obama's historical achievement as the first African American candidate for President with the first female Republican female Vice Presidential candidate. So? Yes, it is a remarkable and historical achievement on both sides, but anyone who votes for any candidate because they are black or female or Hispanic or Jewish or whatever fill-in-the-blank demographic is just wrong and hasn't put any thought into their important choice of who will be this country's next leader. Governor Palin is not a substitute for Hillary. If women, in particular, who supposedly supported Hillary, throw their support to the Republican ticket, I wonder if they ever supported Hillary's policies in the first place.

Sarah Palin, as Vice President would be one heartbeat away from the Presidency. A VP with no foreign policy experience, none at all, should raise questions to those who support this Republican ticket. Her premiere on the national stage was this morning as she was introduced by John McCain. As the Governor of Alaska, she has executive experience that would be a valuable asset in the White House, but is 2 years experience enough? Many pundits have questioned Obama's supposed lack of foreign policy experience and I wonder how they will defend Palin's obvious lack of experience in international issues. How will they match her 2 years experience with the 30 years Joe Biden brings to the party?

Sarah Palin is not "just like" me or many of you. By all accounts is a strong woman and I admire that. Unfortunately, for me and many others, she is strong supporter of issues that I do not agree with and that I would never support. I've never gotten up at 3 a.m. to hunt for moose, or any other living animal for that matter. She is anti-abortion, supports capital punishment and is a lifetime member of the NRA. She supported the 1998 constitutional amendment against gay marriage. She is a strong advocate of everything that I am not.

Married to her high school sweetheart, today is her 20th wedding anniversary. Mother of 5, self-described "hockey mom", got her first political experience in the PTA (and anyone who thinks the PTA isn't political has never been to a PTA meeting), on to a city council position and ultimately the Governor of Alaska. She reportedly has a 90% favorable rating from her constituents but how does the Alaskan experience translate to the national stage? Her compelling biography is a great human interest story, but does it make for a good Vice President of the United States?

We have two VP candidates with son's who are heading to Iraq. Joe Biden's son, Beau is a JAG officer who has already spent one tour in Iraq. Palin's son Tyler will be shipping out on September 11 as an infantryman. Hopefully the argument about who has more skin in the Iraq/ military game will be equalized by both of these young men's honorable service to our country. As Obama said in his acceptance speech in Denver, we all love our country, so let's stop arguing about who is more patriotic. We know both candidates support their son's service and the troops, and we know Joe Biden no longer supports the war in Iraq, but what are Governor Palin's thoughts on this? Is she in the 100 year camp with her running mate?

It's too early to know enough about this new Republican team, and we'll see what comes out of this. What are Palin's stands on human rights issues, minimum wage, healthcare,foreign policy and other important national issues? At this time I don't see anything to make me or other progressives support this ticket that would continue 4 more years of the same bad policies that the Bush administration brought to this country.

I don't hate Sarah Palin and I do not hate John McCain, I think they are wrong for America.

Strange Bedfellows

There are alot of issues, but none more important than this- we must hold Washington accountable. If groups from the right and left can find a common ground, we Strange Bedfellows may be onto something.

Up Yours, Bush!

The Bush administration will not go quietly. The latest "eff-you" to women in America is the attempt to redefine certain methods of contraception as abortion.

The San Jose Mercury News posted an editorial earlier this week that pretty much sizes it all up.

President Bush has spent his eight years in office fighting a social war against American women's right to choose. Now he is orchestrating one last campaign to try to curb abortion. This is one surge that must be defeated.

The Bush administration knows it can't win this fight in Congress. So its latest effort is a draft proposal by the Department of Health and Human Services that purports to clarify workers' rights to refuse to provide abortions.

The new rules define abortion as "any of the various procedures - including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action - that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation."

It doesn't take a medical expert to know that definition includes birth control pills, IUDs and "Plan B" emergency contraception. Sen. Hillary Clinton said that if birth control is defined as abortion, it would permit individuals and health-care corporations to refuse to provide family planning.

The new regulations could also invalidate California's and a dozen other states' laws that ensure women's access to safe, affordable contraceptives.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have joined in the fight to get Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt to reject the draft proposal. They should make clear to President Bush that his final effort to block women's right to choose is destined to fail.

With 171 days left in this administration, it is obvious we can't take our eyes off the ball. Apparently his legacy as worst president ever isn't as well established as he thinks it should be and there is still more damage to be done.

Doing the Right Thing

Nothing like a little sunshine on a story to bring it out of the darkness and into the public sensibilities. On July 10, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote about Gina Gray, former Public Affairs Director at Arlington National Cemetery who ran afoul of her managers in an attempt to allow media coverage of funerals of Iraq war dead with permission of the families.

On Saturday, the Post reports that Army Secretary Pete Geren has asked his staff for an internal review to examine the Army's firing last month of Gina Gray. While there might be reason for some skepticism that an honest and forthright investigation will actually take place, there is hope that this publicity will encourage it. In this case, the media actually did their job and I give kudos for that.

On a related note, I was the only Gold Star Family member who had commented on the initial story. A friend suggested I send a Letter to the Editor at the Post and on Saturday with a bit of editing, my letter was one of 3 letters in response to the initial article.

When I was notified that my only child was killed in Iraq on May 30, 2004, I requested a photograph of his body's arrival at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. My request was denied because it was "against Army regulations" and "to protect the privacy of the families" -- apparently without regard to a family's specific request.
When I was planning my son's burial at Arlington National Cemetery, I do not recall if I was asked about media coverage, but at least one reporter from The Post was present. I welcomed the presence of the media, in part because I wanted to remember the day.
America should be privileged to witness the ceremony and dignity of a military funeral.
America should be required to witness and experience a family's mournful loss as they bury a loved one. America should be allowed to mourn, if only briefly, as it bears witness to the human cost of war.
It seems that as public affairs director at the cemetery, Gina Gray, was attempting to honor the wishes of the families, and I applaud her efforts. Families going through the casualty process are extremely fragile and need more professionals like Ms. Gray to be their advocates at Arlington National Cemetery.

Further, in the initial article, Dana Milbank had written

The ghost of Rummy is proving difficult to exorcise. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has tried to sweep out the symbols of his predecessor's capricious reign, firing acolytes of Donald Rumsfeld and bringing glasnost to the Pentagon. But in one area, Rummy's Rules still pertain: the attempt to hide from public view the returning war dead.

One of the other Letters to the Editor was from Keith Urbahn from Donald Rumsfeld's office.

To the contrary, the longstanding Defense Department policies reflected the American public's right to know of the sacrifices made by U.S. men and women in uniform while respecting their family members' wishes for privacy.
Further, Mr. Milbank's suggestion of Mr. Rumsfeld's ongoing influence over personnel decisions -- a year and a half after his departure from the Pentagon -- is a ridiculous stretch, and it is a discredit to the men and women at the Defense Department who decide and implement the policies governing how the nation's fallen are laid to rest.

Mr Urbahn is full of crap. It's not surprising that Mr Urbahn protests so much especially when this kind of incident clearly demonstrates how some people at the Department of Defense drank the Rumsfeld koolaid willingly and still do. Mr Urbahn's boss's unfortunate lasting legacy will always be the arrogance he had for the military and their families. Rumsfeld's casual attitude towards the conditions of the boots on the ground and the damage his policies caused only added to the anguish we families of the fallen live with daily. (Don't forget that back in 2004, as Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld could not be bothered to personally sign the letters of condolence that he sent to more than 1000 families of the fallen)

Finally, thanks to Operation Yellow Elephant for noting my original comment. The kind words are gratefully appreciated.

Putting Her Foot Down and Getting the Boot

Former Arlington Public Affairs Director, Gina Gray was recently fired after being on that job for less than 3 months. It seems that Ms Gray felt that her job was, in part, to be an advocate for families. Dana Milbank from the Washington Post reports that Ms Gray

discovered that cemetery officials were attempting to impose new limits on media coverage of funerals of the Iraq war dead -- even after the fallen warriors' families granted permission for the coverage. She said that the new restrictions were wrong and that Army regulations didn't call for such limitations.

Just 10 days on the job, she was handling media coverage for the burial of a Marine colonel who had been killed in Iraq when she noticed that Thurman Higginbotham, the cemetery's deputy superintendent, had moved the media area 50 yards away from the service, obstructing the photographs and making the service inaudible. The Washington Sketch column on April 24 noted that Gray pushed for more access to the service but was "apparently shot down by other cemetery officials."

In response to Gray's actions, retaliation in her workplace took place from her supervisors. Further, Milbank reports,

Arlington's problems with the burial of the Iraq dead go far beyond Gray; the cemetery is looking for its fourth public affairs director in the past few years. Gray contends that Higginbotham has been calling the families of the dead to encourage them not to allow media coverage at the funerals -- a charge confirmed by a high-ranking official at Arlington, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Gray says Higginbotham told staff members that he called the family of the next soldier scheduled for burial at Arlington and that the family, which had originally approved coverage, had changed its mind. Gray charges that Higginbotham admitted he had been making such calls to families for a year and said that the families "appreciated him keeping the media out."

When I was notified my only child was killed in Iraq on 5.30.2004, I requested a photograph of his body being treated with dignity and respect as he arrived at Dover AFB, the mortuary for the military. I was repeatedly denied my request that week because it was “against Army regulations” and “it is to protect the privacy of the families”- apparently without regard to a family’s specific request.

Additionally, should a family wish to meet their loved one’s remains as they make the final journey home, the Department of Defense strongly discourages family members from coming to Dover to watch the caskets of the dead unload. "It's a tarmac, not a parade ground".

When I was planning my son’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery, I cannot remember if I was asked about media coverage, but at least one reporter from the Washington Post was present. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55823-2004Oct22.html While Mr Markon’s report was not totally accurate, it provided a fair representation of the service. I welcomed the presence of the media, in part, because I wanted to remember the day.

America should be privileged to witness the ceremony and dignity of a military funeral. America should be required to witness and experience a family’s mournful loss as they bury their loved one, whose years on this earth were too few. America should be allowed to mourn, if only briefly, as they bear witness to the human cost of war. America owes at least that much respect for those who died while serving their country, while so few others serve.

It seems that Ms Gray was making an attempt to honor the wishes of the family, something that a family may not be able to stand up for during this difficult time and I applaud her efforts. Families going through the casualty process are extremely fragile and need more professionals at ANC like Ms Gray to be their advocate.

After more than 7 years of war and 4662 US casualties from Iraq & Afghanistan, one would have hoped for more transparency from an administration responsible for the carnage. I have little hope that the wishes of Gold Star families will ever be a priority during this presidency. January 2009 cannot come too soon for this Gold Star Mother.

Sad Relief

The families of Sgt. Alex Jimenez and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty received that final knock on the door on Thursday when they were notified by the military that the bodies of these young men and some of their personal effects were identified after they went missing in May 2007.

The Washington Post reports:

Pvt Byron Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich., and Army Sgt. Alex Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Mass., were kidnapped in May 2007 in the volatile area south of Baghdad known as the "triangle of death."

"Every day that he's been missing has been a day of `what could have been' ... but after hearing the news ... I'm still in shock," Dibler (Fouty's stepfather) said Thursday, after military officials came to his Oxford home and told him his stepson's body was one of two discovered in the Iraqi village of Jurf as Sakhr.

Jimenez's father, Ramon "Andy" Jimenez, said he also received a visit Thursday from military officials who told him that his son's body and some of his son's personal effects had been discovered in Iraq. Speaking through a translator, he said the news "shattered all hope" the
family had to "see Alex walk home on his own."

From the Associated Press


SPC Ahmed K. Altaie (Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie) remains as the remaining US soldier declared as Missing- Captured. He has been missing since October 23, 2006. We cannot forget Spc Altaie and we must not leave him behind.

Sgt. Alex Jimenez and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, welcome home. May you rest in peace and may your families find comfort that you are finally home.

4th of July Wishes

This nation has an opportunity, at this very moment, to realize and strengthen her very foundations on which she was founded; to realize the ideals and hopes in which our founders believed; to actually bring life to the words of one of this nation's greatest statesmen and presidents, Abraham Lincoln ' ... government of the people, by the people and for the people.'.

This is the opportunity and the gift which we all can give to this nation and her people on her 232nd birthday. It is to have this nation and especially her government become responsible and answerable to her people - not to just the few. Has this not been the trademark of nation's declines throughout history! Our government's validity comes from the people on whose behalf it governs.

It is the duty and responsibility of each and every citizen to know, to question, to debate and, if necessary, to protest. Are these not the very freedoms on which this nation was founded? Are these not the very freedoms which we encourage others to adopt? Yet are these not the very freedoms which some of those who represent us in government have tried to chill or, in some cases ,deprive us.

We deeply feel that this Great Nation of ours is at the crossroads. Will this nation continue to evolve and become by example the shining Beacon of Freedom or will the slow gradual erosion of our freedoms - the very foundation of this great nation - eroded by fears - reduce and destroy the promises and expectations of our founding fathers.

We as a people should not and can not stand by and allow our government to victimize this nation and her people ever again...as they - the few - victimized our people by deception and ignorance; as they victimized our son and so many more by failing to be prepared and failing to be the best that they could be; and they victimized us and so many more of our loved ones by allowing our veterans to suffer horribly within their families and then abandoning many.

Let us realize the true greatness of this nation; Let us realize the promises and dreams of our founding fathers; Let us all make this nation once again united and proud; Let us commit this nation to giving the best of care to our troops and veterans - let there be no more Jeffreys.

Kevin & Joyce Lucey, the proud parents of Cpl. Jeffrey Michael Lucey,

a 23 year old USMC reservist forever

succumbed to the hidden wounds of PTSD

03/18/81 ----- 06/22/04

Here's to Ken & Jeffrey and all of our Gold Star sons!

We, the People

I was proud to support this ad, sponsored by Peninsula Peace & Justice, that ran today in local San Francisco peninsula news papers. Imagine my delight to see this as a full page ad in the San Jose Merucry News- great placement, too!

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT....
On July 4, 1776, our country's founders issued the Declaration of Independence, a listing of the causes that impelled them to rebel against the rule of King George III. As they wrote in that magnificent document, "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations..."
Now, 232 years after the Declaration, we find ourselves governed by a President who acts more like a King than an elected servant of the people. We are supposed to have a representative democracy, not a monarchy. Under our Constitution, Congress has an obligation to hold the President to account. Sadly, our Congress has repeatedly failed to hold this President accountable.
Therefore, on this Fourth of July, We the People hereby declare the "repeated injuries and
usurpations" of President George Bush. As the Declaration itself said, "Let facts be submitted to a candid world."
· President George W. Bush systematically and fraudulently misrepresented Iraq as a threat to our security and thereby compelled our country to engage in an illegal and wasteful war of
aggression.
· He systematically and fraudulently misrepresented Iraq as having been involved in the dreadful attacks of September 11, 2001, compounding his fraudulent case for a war that has now cost the lives of over 4,000 Americans.
· He created a secret propaganda campaign to press his desire for a war of choice, an act that is inarguably illegal under the law.
· He has secretly and illegally encouraged and authorized the use of torture, in violation of our laws and the moral standards of our country.
· He has authorized the illegal detention, indefinitely and without charge, of both US citizens and foreign nationals.
· He secretly and illegally authorized spying on American citizens without a court order, in violation of legal statute and the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
· He has flagrantly defied the will of Congress, publicly vowing to disobey enacted legislation through the use and abuse of so-called Presidential signing statements.
· He has caused the deaths and suffering of American citizens through his wanton disregard for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
· He has wreaked havoc on our country's economy with his reckless militarism and callous indifference to the needs and desires of the vast majority of the people.
· He has brought shame and scorn upon the good name and reputation of the United States of America.
WE, THE PEOPLE, call on Congress to act with the utmost urgency to hold President George W. Bush accountable for these and other crimes against the people and the Constitution of the United States. Congress must act before President Bush departs office and leaves behind a disastrous and damaging legacy.

In Their Boots

The good people at Brave New Films are launching a new series tonite at 7 p.m. EDT called "In Their Boots" These are real stories about real members of the military and their families. I hope you take a few minutes for this weekly series to see what's really happening on the ground in Iraq and how that experience affected those who served and those who waited at home.

From their website:

IN THEIR BOOTS is a compelling new magazine show about the dramatic impact the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are having on us - the people here at home. The show will feature our Iraq and Afghanistan service men and women, and their families, in stories that have universal appeal.

Funded by a grant from the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact fund (IADIF) and produced by Brave New Foundation, IN THEIR BOOTS will be streamed exclusively online.

In Their Boots will be hosted by Jan Bender, a veteran of the war in Iraq who served as a rifleman/combat correspondent in Iraq with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines from 2004 to 2005.

Every week a live episode will be built around a dramatic and emotional IN THEIR BOOTS "Real Story," a non-fiction narrative about how our servicepeople, their families, and their communities have been profoundly changed by the nation's campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then, in a live forum, Jan Bender, our host, will interview the participants and lead a discussion that includes experts, service-providers and individual viewers in an interactive discussion of the issues raised.

Here's a sneak peek at one of the episodes:

Rewriting Iraq War History

James Risen, a Pulitzer Prize winning author who wrote "State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration." writes in the Washington Independent about "The Return of the Neocons, Bush Hawks Aggressively Working to Rewrite Accepted Iraq War History"

Ever since the Rumsfeld era at the Pentagon ended abruptly in the aftermath of the Democratic victory in the 2006 mid-term elections, the civilian hawks who ruled the Defense Dept. during the early years of the Iraq war have remained largely silent. They have not engaged publicly even as their culpability for the Iraq war's myriad failures has congealed into accepted wisdom.

Poor Doug Feith, the Pentagon team and his own historical standing is being damaged.

“It caused enormous damage to me personally,” Feith said. “I wasn’t in a position to contradict false and damaging things said about me.”

Feith will never understand “enormous personal damage” until he loses a child in a war that should never have happened and to which he holds personal & professional blame.

As a Gold Star mother, (my son, Lt Ken Ballard, was KIA in May 2004) I have no sympathy for the likes of Feith (or Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rice, Perle et al). Feith’s efforts to rewrite history are an insult to the country, but mostly to the military; the boots on the ground who acted on the orders of their commander-in chief. Fortunately, there are sufficient witnesses to this hideous chapter in our country's history to keep him from gaining any traction to his convenient 20-20 recall and we will not be silent.

Notwithstanding my hopes for all of them to sit in judgment at the Hague, the least I can ask is that the lot of them live a miserable life until the heat of Hell is hot enough to accept them for eternity. Even that might be too good for them.

Women Warriors

CBS News does a pretty good job in keeping veteran's issues on the front page. They've done stories about veteran's suicide, the GI Bill, veterans deaths by accidental drug overdose, and the unthinkably horrible conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.

On Thursday evening, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric will air a story about Women Veterans.

By the year 2020, one in five veterans under the age of 45 will be women. Currently, women make up about 15 percent of the active duty forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CBS News is taking a look at this growing group of women warriors, female soldiers returning with wounds of war. How do they adjust to civilian life as women with disabilities? And, is the VA system prepared to treat women with the same quality of care it has given men for decades?

CBS News Correspondent Kelly Wallace visited the VA's D.C. Medical Center and met with the experts grappling with those issues. She also interviewed four women veterans who told compelling stories about how their lives have changed since returning from war.

"Chicks love scars. I heard that all the time at Walter Reed," said Army SPC Diane Cochran (Ret.). "Well, do guys love scars?"

In a war with no front lines, combat wounds aren't just a badge of honor for the boys.

Of the 1.7 million troops who have deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 190,000 — or about 11 percent — are women.

Most people in this country still do not have to be touched by the war and it's effects unless they choose to be. It's no longer just Johnny marching home; Jane is marching home, too. As these young women come home to middle America, broken from war, we will see how we deal with their "badge of honor of combat wounds". It's not pretty, but war isn't Hollywood and it certainly isn't pretty. These women stood up for this country and it's citizens; we must stand up for them, as well.

6.19.08-UPDATE: Here is the report

Making Her-story!

Editorial (from the San Jose Mercury News): Today belongs to couple, married at last after 50 years.

Congratulations and happiness to you, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon.

Best wishes, too, to hundreds of barrier-busting couples who will take marriage vows at secular courthouse altars across the state. The first ceremonies in Santa Clara County are today. For now - and, we hope, forever - may your same-sex marriages be sanctioned by the state of California.

Last night marked the start of a new wedding season as dozens of gay and lesbian couples were married. But the evening belonged to Martin and Lyon, octogenarians who tied the knot in San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's office. Longtime advocates of lesbian rights, Martin and Lyon have lived together for 50-plus years.

Their enduring, loving relationship is a model for others, gay or straight. It honors what marriage is intended to promote: monogamy.

In coming months, leading to a November initiative that would overturn the court decision sanctioning same-sex marriages, there will be impassioned rhetoric and protests. But there will also be celebrations by neighbors and co-workers. Many marriages will be by couples in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have lived together for years.

They will offer a human face to the polemics, and, we hope, persuade voters not to use the ballot box to deny them joy and respect.

I'm Voting Republican

It's Not Too Important

We got a a one-two punch from Team McBush this week. First the President confessed his regrets about statements he made about the Iraq War. If only he had such introspection before he engaged his mouth and our military. Regardless of his sincerity (and I'm not buying it), it still hurts to know that the commander in chief of our military admits that he could have approached the war better.

And second, John McCain proved beyond a shadow of a doubt today that his presidency would continue the Bush policies in an interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show. Lauer asked McCain about bringing the troops home, to which he responded "That's not too important; what's important is the casualties in Iraq." McCain went on to compare the troop situation in Iraq to that in South Korea, Japan and Germany, which is an insult to anyone who has stepped onto the sands of Iraq and into harms way for any amount of time.

Let's hear it from the horses mouth.

Doesn't the military deserve a commander in chief who actually supports the them and not give them a life sentence rotating in and out of hell. The troops are either heading back to Iraq or they're heading home, rinse, lather, repeat. McCain has not defined the mission in Iraq any better than his evil twin in the White House, so I'm not sure how he defines success either. Despite McCain's protestations, it sounds as if it wouldn't bother him at all to keep the troops in Iraq for another 100 years.

John Mc Cain has sold out the military more times than he has supported them. Veterans for Common Sense sums it up nicely with a listing of McCain's voting record on veteran's issues.

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

Alot of people, including the corporate media are giving John McCain a free pass on foreign policy because of his military service. When John McCain speaks, people listen, and mostly do not question when he speaks about military policies. Extending the benefit of the doubt solely because of one's military service does not guarantee success . Should we not have learned this from our current president's service?

Brandon Friedman from Vote Vets properly states "We respect John McCain's service and all we ask in return is that he respect ours". The vets who served in Iraq, spent more than a day or two strolling through a Baghdad marketplace and experienced all that was thrown at them for months at a time. It's time we respect their service and bring them home responsibly now. It couldn't be more important.

Regrets? I've got a few

It's a bit late for regrets, but George Bush never was known for his timing or his sincerity. Regardless, in his farewell tour of Europe, he seems to think the UK was a safe place to let down his Frat Boy in Chief bravado. Introspection is good for the soul and indeed a sign of leadership, which explains why Bush is the person he is.

In an exclusive interview with the TimesOnline out of the UK, Bush

expressed regret at the bitter divisions over the war and said that he was troubled about how his country had been misunderstood. “I think that in retrospect I could have used a different tone, a different rhetoric.”

Phrases such as “bring them on” or “dead or alive”, he said, “indicated to people that I was, you know, not a man of peace”. He said that he found it very painful “to put youngsters in harm’s way”. He added: “I try to meet with as many of the families as I can. And I have an obligation to comfort and console as best as I possibly can. I also have an obligation to make sure that those lives were not lost in vain.”

President Bush has admitted to The Times that his gun-slinging rhetoric made the world believe that he was a “guy really anxious for war” in Iraq. He said that his aim now was to leave his successor a legacy of international diplomacy for tackling Iran.

George Bush told People Magazine "I'm sleeping a lot better than people would assume", so it's highly unlikely that he found it very painful “to put youngsters in harm’s way”, and anyway as long as it wasn't his youngsters, it will never be that painful enough.

Bush has met with approximately 10% of families of the fallen, which I would not consider meeting "as many families as he can". You don't need to dig too deeply to find that the majority of families of the fallen that he meets continue to support his failed policies even while support among military families is falling (six out of every 10 military families disapprove of Bush's job performance and the way he has run the war, rating him only slightly better than the general population does.) . These families of the fallen, think the war needs to continue in some misplaced attempt to allow their loved ones to "not die in vain". I couldn't disagree more. How can more bloodshed in this endless occupation honor the life and death of my son, 1Lt Ken Ballard?

Bush has already left his successor a legacy that will require diplomacy, creativity, curiosity, tenacity and intelligence, all traits that he lacks, to undo all the wrongs of his administration. He should not do one more thing to "tackle Iran". He should just sit in a corner quietly and do nothing for the next 222 days. We could do worse than that.

Bush should save his regrets and see if they get him through the Pearly Gates, because they are wasted on me. As for my regrets? I've got a few.....

• That 4094 US casualties, including my son and will never come home to their families because of George Bush's war.
• That 30,000 US wounded will bear the scars of war forever and the government who sent them to war can't seem to care less about them once they return home.
• That we will never know the number of suicides of Iraq war vets and that Ira Katz and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon Mansfield still hold their jobs at the VA.
  
• That it took this country 7+ years to really understand how bad of a president #43 is.
• That 28% of this country still approves of the job Bush is doing. Who are these people?
• That Bush thinks in any way that he is a "man of peace". Not in this lifetime, not in any lifetime will that describe him.

need I continue?

McClellan's walk from the dark side

It's kind of nice to see someone walk away from the dark side. Whether Scott McClellan is "disgruntled about his experience at the White House" as Dana Perino, spokesmodel for the White House says, or whether he finally saw that loyalty only works one way for George Bush and his cronies, we can't say. Scott McClellan still has to get up every morning and face himself in the mirror. Who he sees is who he has to live with for the rest of his life. If there is any karma, the devil is still staring back at him.

I'm not sure we will ever know why McClellan wrote the book, was it an attempt to wash the blood off his hands or a "desire to understand the truth" as he explains it? Regardless of what he writes in his book, his role at the White House and his participation in perpetuating the campaign to go to war and continue it will never allow his hands to be clean of the blood of casualties related to the Iraq war.

McClellan is no different than Colin Powell, George Tenet, Paul Bremer and any others who now proclaim that they were lied to, or whatever 20-20 hindsight explanation they have for not speaking out until that book advance was waved in front of them. Their complicity is sickening and their much delayed "truth" can never bring back any of the military or civilians who so grievously suffer with the silence. These men who purport themselves as truthtellers, delayed as it may be, are no less war profiteers than KBR, Halliburton, CACI and any others who are making a buck off the backs of the military. Why they did not stand up when they knew the truth is a question they alone can answer. Their special place in hell is waiting for them.

The shock and offense from Bush's inner circle might be amusing if the subject wasn't so serious. Based on those severe & sanctimonious reactions from the White House and those in the Bush inner circle, I wonder how many books will be purchased by those who still support the President? Those 19% seem forever committed to this president and his spin. For those of us who have been against the war, isn't the book a bit of preaching to the choir?

Karl Rove accused Scott McClellan of sounding like a left wing blogger. I had to laugh, but what's wrong with that? Rove makes being a left wing blogger sound like it's a bad thing, but I think McClellan is finally in good company with the truth.

The unwritten code for White House press secretaries has been that they should keep their mouths shut regardless of what they know and when they knew it. "I guess that last vestige of decency is gone," said Ari Fleischer, who was Bush's first press secretary. Ahh, decency. Decency seems misplaced when applied to describe an administration that is clearly incapable of anything close to decency. Wouldn't it have been the decent thing to do to be forthright with the military and the country about the reasons to invade Iraq? Wouldn't it be the decent thing for the president to meet with ALL Gold Star families, regardless of their politics?

Fleischer said it would have been more "honorable" if McClellan had stepped down, for instance, after the incident involving the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity to the news media. The words "decency" and "honorable" should never pass through the lips of Ari Fleischer. If he is demanding those traits of McClelland, why not also demand the same of members of this administration and himself?

McCllellan offers a story of Bush being affected at a meeting with the family of an injured troop.

...recounts Bush's unwillingness or inability to come up with a mistake he had made when asked by a reporter to do so.

"It became symbolic of a leader unable to acknowledge that he got it wrong, and unwilling to grow in office by learning from his mistake — too stubborn to change and grow," McClellan concluded.

A page later, he recounts what he perceived as a moment of doubt by a president who never expresses any. It occurred in a dimly lit room at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a room where an injured Texas veteran was being watched over by his wife and 7-year-old son as Bush arrived.

The vet's head was bandaged and "he was clearly not aware of his surroundings, the brain injury was severe," McClellan recalled. Bush hugged the wife, told the boy his dad was brave and kissed the injured vet's head while whispering 'God bless you' into his ear.

"Then he turned and walked toward the door," McClellan wrote. "Looking straight ahead, he moved his right hand to wipe away a tear. In that moment, I could see the doubt in his eyes and the vivid realization of the irrevocable consequences of his decision."

But, he added, such moments are more than counterbalanced by deceased warriors' families who urge him to make sure the deaths were not in vain.

If Bush ever met with deceased warrior's families who do not support his war turned occupation, he would know that we would urge him to make sure no other deaths occur in our loved ones names. Additional deaths do not honor our loved ones. McClellan should know that now.

As much as Scott McClellan has opened his kimono and showed us much of what he experienced in the White House, I question his loyalties when he says he retains great admiration and respect for Bush. But, how? "Great Admiration & respect" for a man he admitted took this country into a war that was unnecessary. "Great Admiration & respect" for a man who has decimated the constitution and our personal freedoms? McClellan can't have it both ways, the terms "great admiration" and "respect" are wasted on people like George Bush.

McClellan offers no apology, merely an explanation of "what happened". What are the Gold Star Families, vets & their families, Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame, the residents of the Gulf States, and so many others who were betrayed by this administration supposed to do with the information included in this book? How are we supposed to process McClellan's confession of spin, stonewalling, hedging, evasion, denial, noncommunication and deceit by omission,'. We can't, plain and simple. McClellan's book was published too late for us, but if it prevents this kind of president or presidency ever again, that is one thing we can process.

Memorial Day 2008 at Section 60

I spent the Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery. All things considered, I would rather have been somewhere else, anywhere else. But sometimes you have to do the right thing, pull the covers off your head, get out of bed and face your life. On Memorial Day at Arlington, I have to literally face the headstone of my son, 1Lt Ken Ballard, who was killed in Iraq 4 years ago.

Brad Jacobsen over at at-Largely wrote a great posting putting some context into what Memorial Day 2008 should mean to this country. I encourage you to take a look.

As Brad mentioned in his post, the AP covered the events at Arlington with these words-

President Bush paid tribute Monday to America's fighting men and women who died in battle, saying national leaders must have "the courage and character to follow their lead" in preserving peace and freedom.

"On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the commander in chief and try to tell you how proud I am," Bush told an audience of military figures, veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the men and women buried in the hallowed cemetery, he said, "They're an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens."

That provoked a standing ovation from the crowd in a marble amphitheater where Bush spoke. "Whoo-hoo!" shouted one woman, who couldn't contain her enthusiasm.

I agree with everything Brad writes, but I want to make it personal and add a different perspective of what happened over at Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, the section where my only child is buried and the section where I gathered with friends and family.

President Bush will never have the "courage and character" that those fighting men and women who died in battle had when he sent them into his battle without good reason. As Commander in Chief, he should be ashamed to stand in front of our military for any reason. This Commander in Chief hides behind the military and the vets when he does not provide adequate protection, adequate medical care, adequate training, and a fair GI Bill.

President George Bush has not attended a military funeral of anyone who died in Iraq or Afghanistan and he has not visited Section 60 at Arlington to see the more than 400 graves of young men and women who have died in the wars/occupations in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Perhaps this Commander in Chief could have had the courage and character to make time on Memorial Day to see the families who gathered at Section 60, to try to understand the pain and grief his war has caused these families. Seeing 400 white headstones in one place from these wars should be a sobering sight for anyone. But wait, Bush had to rush back to the White House to meet with with five NCAA head football coaches, who recently returned from a seven-day visit to military bases in the Middle East to boost troop morale. Meeting with football coaches on Memorial Day, but not families whose lives have been so affected by his war does send the wrong message to the families of the fallen.

I'm sure his handlers considered the possibility that a trip to Section 60 might have revealed some families who would ask him to leave, as I would have done. I do not want to be anywhere near George Bush on the anniversary of the day I got the knock on the door, and believe me, he doesn't want to be near me, either.

I can assure you that there were no "whoo-hoo's" in Section 60 on Monday. There were tears, sobs, hugs, and a palpable grief that I wouldn't wish on any one. Some families and visitors met each other for the first time and exchanged condolences and some reunited, having met in Section 60 on a prior visit. The majority of visitors while we were there were to visit the newer graves, where the pain is so fresh and is almost uncomfortable to see. We all remember intimately those excruciating early days too well.

Our family and friends travel to Arlington each Memorial Day to celebrate Ken's life. We gather to remember and celebrate how Ken lived his life and not how he died. Some visitors to Section 60 might have been caught off guard when we popped the champagne cork of the first bottle, and if they didn't understand why, I'm sorry. We all need to learn how to wake up to this new normal and figure out how to get out of bed each morning. If they aren't ready to celebrate their loved one's life, or if they cannot bear to show any joy of their loved ones lives yet, or ever, I understand.

Memorial Day is the day that Ken's grave site is to be the most decorated in Section 60 and we make a great effort to do that. We leave the leftover bottles (beer and/or champagne), flowers; lots of them, and other mementos to let Ken know that we were there and that we miss him every day. He deserves that much.

Remember the Gold Star Families; for us, everyday is Memorial Day.

Dog Tags: Meaningful Metal on Memorial Day

Dog Tags: Meaningful Metal on Memorial Day

May 19, 2008
BY Ginger Cucolo

During overseas tours, dog tags hang from the neck of every servicemember. They are intended to help identify remains of the fallen and have been a uniform requirement since World War I. When a servicemember is killed, their loved ones often find sentimental value in their dog tags. Photo by C. Todd Lopez

ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, May 19, 2008) - In Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan are laid to rest, a mother recently clutched her son's dog tags.

The chain drooped over the mother's clinched fist as rifles were fired and Taps played. Those pieces of metal gave her comfort, she said. The tags had once hung beneath her son's shirt, and over his heart, and the mother said when she holds them now, she feels close to him.

Much like that mother, Karen Meredith wrote about her son, Ken Ballard, killed in Najaf, Iraq, May 30, 2004: "When my son's body was returned to me, they gave me what was on his body when he was killed; his belt-buckle, his spurs (Cavalry), and his dog tags. I immediately put them on and have not removed them for anything; not for airport security, not for a mammogram. They stay close to my heart where my son will always be."

These small pieces of metal hanging from the neck of every servicemember are intended to help identify remains of the fallen and have been a uniform requirement since World War I. Science has come a long way since then and future identification system just might render them obsolete, but the name, image, and personal connection many feel to their tags go beyond their simple, primary purpose.

At the American Civil War battle of Cold Harbor in 1864, before Union troops made a frontal assault on Confederate trenches, they wrote their names on pieces of paper and pinned them to their uniforms. They did not want to be forgotten.

During the Spanish American War, Chaplain Charles E. Pierce believed the identity of war dead should be practiced on a more scientific basis. He suggested a central collection agency where mortuary records would be gathered, and the addition of an "Identity Disk" in every Soldier's combat field kit. This "Identity Disk," in 1899, is considered the first institutionalized identification tag.

U.S. troops were issued identification tags en masse in 1908 and the tags have been a required part of the uniform ever since.

The nickname for the ID tag was first coined by William Randolph Hearst who printed unfavorable stories about the New Deal and President Roosevelt in 1936. Having heard the Social Security Administration was considering the use of a nameplate for personal identification, Hearst called it a "Dog Tag."
The tangible tags connect one personally to an otherwise large and anonymous world, and they are the center of countless stories -- like the one about Joe Beyrle, a paratrooper captured by the Nazis. A German soldier took Beyrle's dog tags and put them around his own neck. While wearing an American uniform and Beyrle's dog tags, the German soldier was killed. A telegram was sent to Beyrle's family in the states telling them he was dead.

In January 1945, Beyrle escaped and joined a Russian unit, fighting alongside them as a machine gunner for at least a month. After he was wounded by German bombers, he was taken to a hospital, and eventually made his way to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, hoping to return home. Embassy officials at first, though, did not believe the fighter was Beyrle. It was not until Beyrle's fingerprints proved his identity that he finally was able to return home in September 1946. Ironically, he was married in the same church where his memorial service had taken place a year before.

Tanna Toney-Ferris was walking her dog on a beach in Southern California, when her
eyes caught an unusual rock piece. She bent down to pick it up and realized there was a military ID tag embedded in the rock.

"It seemed to be attached to a key ring, as there were a few other items embedded in the rock also -- a key, fingernail clippers and a small screwdriver. Much to my amazement, I could make out his name, ID #, branch of service and his religion," said Tanna. "My first thought was that this Sailor had perished at sea and I held his last farewell to this world in my hand. All I could think of was how much I wanted to return this brave Sailor's Dog Tags to his family and I wasn't sure how to go about doing that. So for the next 3 years, they sat on a shelf with other treasures that I had found on our many walks along the beach.'"

Tanna finally found the now 62 year old veteran living in Wisconsin. Having served in the Navy on the USS Pledge, he had lost his first set of tags more than 30 years ago. After numerous e-mails and phone calls, they met in person and Tanna was able to hand him his tags.

Tanna is a member of the Patriot Guard Riders. This group rides their motorcycles to show respect for fallen heroes, their Families, and their communities by shielding the mourning family. This is the type of emotional response and connection people have for many who serve.

General John A. Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, wrote General Order #11 on May 5, 1868, for the observance of Memorial Day. He wanted us to sustain the fraternal feelings of those having died for their country, and for us to guard their gravesites, "a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders."

As much as Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, the dog tag is a daily reminder that in the professions of arms, to be forgotten is the cruelest fate. The dog tag is more than 100 years old, and this little piece of metal connects us to those slain defenders. To each it might mean something different, but to the millions of service members, past and present who were required to wear one, the Dog Tag is a symbol of service and personal sacrifice. Most importantly, it is a reminder of the possibility of the ultimate sacrifice. We shall not forget.

http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/05/19/9268-dog-tags-meaningful-metal-on-memorial-day/

McCain's Free Ride in the Corporate Media

I don't like when people accusingly use the term "flip-flop" in a political setting. It is a way to say "gotcha" and intimate that that person might be lying in that moment (Were you lying then or are you lying now?). When someone finds new information that wasn't available initially, and they change their mind, I call that wisdom or intelligent analysis. If, however, you change your mind for political expediency rather than stand by your principles, that's where I draw the line.

As the current presidential election cycle heads into the final stretch, we can expect the "flip-flop" term to be flung back and forth over the fence. Let's look at a few examples of John McCain's Straight Talk Express leaving the track.

Thanks to the good people of Brave New Films for their continued fine work. As they say, We're Putting the Brakes on McCain's Free Ride in the Press, and I'm all for that!





pssst, do something

Keith Olbermann to Bush- Shut the Hell Up!

This video is a post script or an exclamation point to an earlier posting here. Some days Keith Olbermann provides the only words that give me any sense of normal. When I listen to his Special Comments, I leap from my couch with wild applause.

Keith Olbermann is the real deal. He gets what is happening to military families more than some military families do. He has a powerful soapbox and for that, I am grateful. If you know his boss, will you please tell him to give Keith a big raise?

Do note in this Special Comment that he shows that Bush did not give up golf back in August 2003 as he said he did. Other evidence has been shown that the Columbus Day golf outing was not his only failure in his so-called solidarity; he also golfed at Andrews AFB on September 28, 2003 with Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla) and Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio),

That's some sacrifice, Mr Bush. Imagine the sacrifices of the families that you so want to show solidarity to. Oh that's right, you can't, because sacrifice for your war all about you!

The Great Sacrifice, giving up Golf

President Bush and those in his family and administration can't seem to grasp the meaning of sacrifice or understand the impact war has on military families in this country. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Barbara Bush said 'Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? It's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?' (yes, she did!)

In January 2006, when the Commander-in-Chief visited wounded troops at Brooke Medical Center and said As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself -- not here at the hospital, but in combat with a Cedar. I eventually won. The Cedar gave me a little scratch. Their Commander-in-Chief said this to soldiers wounded in a war of his choice. I'm pretty sure those wounded warriors didn't find the humor in his comments.

In April 2007 First Lady Laura Bush revealed how far removed she was from the American public when she said “believe me, no suffers more than their president and I do when we watch this (news of Iraq on TV)” The First Family will never suffer enough until they lose a child in a war that should never have begun. They will never suffer enough until they accept a folded flag that recently covered the cold coffin of their dead child as the mournful tones of Taps plays in the background.

When I first heard that George Bush gave up golf to show solidarity to the families of troops who have died in Iraq, I thought that was a little bit like a kid giving up green beans for Lent, a bit disingenuous. As it turns out, giving up golf might be a huge sacrifice in the mind of our 43rd president, who has a handicap of 15, which I am told is pretty good. Comparing giving up golf to the sacrifices of a Gold Star family, one who has lost a loved one in war, however, may well be the worst attempt at empathy, solidarity or sympathy that this president has ever shown. Bush was interviewed by Politico and was asked questions submitted by online listeners. Let's listen in:

Q Mr. President, you haven't been golfing in recent years. Is that related to Iraq?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, it really is. I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the Commander-in-Chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be as -- to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.

Q Mr. President, was there a particular moment or incident that brought you to that decision, or how did you come to that?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life. And I was playing golf -- I think I was in central Texas -- and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, it's just not worth it anymore to do.

This interview, of all the malignant narcissist interviews this President has given, rendered me speechless. That those thoughtless words could come out of any public figure is appalling. That this public figure could ever imagine that those words would provide solace to any grieving family is unimaginable, yet this president continues to disgrace his office and offend. Golf, indeed! This president gave up golf in some pathetic attempt at solidarity with me, while I wonder what it would be like to hear my son's voice one more time and while I wonder what it would be like to feel his arms hug me, just one more time. I go to bed clutching my son's baby blanket in hopes that long ago memories will bring me precious sleep to escape from the reality of my new normal and this president gave up a game!

People may wonder why we Gold Star Families just don't get on with our lives, perhaps they think this grieving thing is going on a little too long. I explain that until the last soldier comes home, until this dying ends and until January 19, 2009, when this pathetic, poor excuse of a president leaves office and shuts his mouth will I even be able to consider getting on with my life.

This President has never demonstrated one bit of empathy, one bit of sympathy nor has he ever shown a glimmer of recognition that anything has gone wrong in his presidency, nor a hint of recognition of individual responsibility for anything that has occurred in the past 7 years. Whenever George Bush opens his mouth I know what comes out is likely to be full of malapropisms and other mispronunciations, but I steel myself that he will not say anything painful or hurtful to or about anyone. In this interview, he stepped way over any line of decency or respect. When Ken was killed 4 years ago, I did not expect to be continually abused by the uncaring words of the president.

Playing golf doesn't send the wrong signal to Gold Star Families. The fact that this president is still in office sends the wrong signal. If giving up golf is the best he can do to show solidarity, then George Bush needs to leave the White House today, not in 252 days, but now.

Happy Mother's Day, Nancy Pelosi

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

I write to you this Mother's Day as the mother of Lt. Ken Ballard, who was killed in Najaf, Iraq four years ago, fighting in a war that you have criticized but continue to fund.

I hope that this Mother's Day you are lucky enough to be surrounded by your children and grandchildren, to share thanks and hugs. But I also hope that you will think about the thousands of mothers of U.S. troops who will never see their children again -- and the tens of thousands of mothers of troops now serving in Iraq who live in fear every day of the phone call or the knock on the door telling them their child has been injured or killed.

I raised a great man who was proud to serve his country. Ken cared about his friends and family and he was blessed to have plenty of both. We were lucky to have had him in our lives for 26 years. But it was only 26 years. Ken had spent 384 days in Iraq and he was killed during a fierce battle on May 30, 2004. To think that this Sunday will be the fourth Mother's Day that I won't be hearing from him is heartbreaking. He won't come bounding into my bedroom with the greatest greeting card that he always took such pride in picking out for me. This year, instead of going to the beach as we always did, I will be spending this special day remembering him. When the first stars twinkle in the sky that night, I will look to those stars and hope that he is happy where he is. I will ask those same stars, "Will I ever know happiness again?" I wish I knew.

I miss Ken every minute of every day. When Ken was killed, people told me it would get better. They were wrong; it is different, but life without Ken will never be better. As a friend described Ken at his memorial, There was "no secret icing on the cake, just a plain, honest man . . . who would get crazy every so often.'' As a single mom, Ken was my north star, my grounding. But when Ken died, so did my future. We Gold Star families are the human cost of this war. We are left behind to pick up the pieces of our broken lives. We will go on with our lives, but there will always be a part of our heart that is a desperately empty black hole.

When you became Speaker of the House I had great hopes that you would take the lead in bringing an end to the war that killed my son and so many others -- that you would spare other mothers that devastating pain. But since you were sworn in, 1,069 more U.S. troops have died in Iraq.

You said this week that "Democrats in Congress stand with Americans who want to bring our troops home responsibly, safely and soon" -- and yet you are asking the House to pass legislation funding the continuation of the war in Iraq well into 2009. It is likely that we will lose about 500 more members of the US military and thousands of wounded by the time Mother's Day 2009 rolls around. That may be acceptable to you, but it isn't acceptable to me.

While our country is entering the sixth year of the war in Iraq and hostilities continue in other parts of the world, and hundreds of thousands of mother's are separated from their loved ones, it is fitting that we know one of the origins of the Mother's Day in the United States.

Julia Ward Howe was a well known abolitionist during the Civil War. After the war, her efforts turned to peace.. In 1870 she was the first to proclaim Mother's Day, with her Mother's Day Proclamation. It was to be a day dedicated to peace. She pondered the question

"Why do not the mothers of mankind interfere in these matters to prevent the waste of that human life of which they alone bear and know the cost?"

"Arise then...women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts! Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

As a mother whose only child, was killed in Iraq, I wonder about the soul of this country as the death toll rises every day and yet there is silence from the mother's of this nation. And I can't comprehend how you as a mother can continue to approve the funding that will send other mother's sons and daughters off to fight in a war that you have known was illegal, immoral, and unjust from the start.

Speaker Pelosi, there are already too many Gold Star Mothers. Please show some of the same courage my son and his fellow troops displayed. Admit that you were wrong, and commit yourself to opposing any bill that will continue to fund this war that is killing our brave young men and women. Promise to do everything in your power to bring every mother's child home from Iraq quickly and safely, and to give all our troops the care they need when they get here. That's the best way to honor the mothers of our fallen soldiers this Mother's Day.

Sincerely,

Karen Meredith

Cremating our Fallen Soldiers with Respect

It seems that the military still hasn't figured out the proper & respectful treatment of fallen soldiers and their families.

We know that the administration has ruled that there will be no photographs of flag covered caskets as they make their last journey home. We don't see those images as the bodies are flown into Dover AFB, the mortuary for the military. We have been told that there is a reception for every fallen soldier arriving at Dover with a general officer and an honor team from the Old Guard. We are told that every step of the way, everyone involved exhibits great reverence and respect for each fallen soldier. But we don't have evidence of this because there are no photographs and families are not welcome at Dover. Even if a family requests a photograph of their loved one's caskest, as I did 4 years ago, they are denied becase it is 'against Army regulations" and "it is for the privacy of the families". Despite my persistence, I never received a photograph. I was and remain heartbroken because the Army refused my simple request for a photograph from Dover that would have documented the final journey home for my son, Lt Ken Ballard.

Still today, it seems that the military has figured out one more way to show their disrespect for fallen soldiers. At a 3:30 press conference this afternoon (nice timing, release sucky news on Friday afternoon when no one is likely to notice), the Pentagon is recommending changes in the handling of troops' remains, after it was revealed that crematoriums contracted by the military handle both human and animal cremations. A military official said there have been no instances or charges that human and pet remains were mixed. But officials are now recommending that troops' remains be incinerated at a facility that is dedicated entirely to humans, in order to avoid any appearance of a problem. Defense Secretary Robert Gates believed the earlier situation was "insensitive and entirely inappropriate for the dignified treatment of our fallen," said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell.

"Our heroes deserve to be better treated than that," Morrell said, he said Gates offered an apology to military families for the insensitivity.

Late this afternoon, I got a call from my friend, Diane in Pennsylvania, Neil's Gold Star Mom, who had received a call from a local media outlet in Pittsburgh, PA informing her of this development. Diane called me immediately to alert me to this new Friday factoid, knowing that Ken was cremated. I didn't think much about it until I remembered that Ken had been classified by the Army as "unviewable" because of the devastating head injury he had suffered, so I never was able to view his body back in June 2004. I knew if I asked the Army today to confirm that Ken's body was returned to California, that I would never know the truth, regardless of their response, as the Army had so mishandled so much about Ken's casualty process.

After Diane's call, I thought I remembered seeing the name & a local location on the receipt for the cremation, but who knows what I remembered from those awful first days? I immediately called the local funeral home that handled Ken's funeral and cremation to confirm that Ken's body and not remains were shipped to California for the services. I was assured that the military escort officer knew Ken personally and was able to identify that it was his body to the Mortuary. The fact that Ken was cremated in accordance with proper mortuary protocol is good news to me; that I had to ask the question is problematic. The families whose loved ones were cremated out of Dover will always wonder.

There have been some improvements to the casualty process. In the early days of the war, some bodies were returned home to their families in the belly of a commercial aircraft and offloaded to the cargo area of the airport to await the arrival of the hearse. There is no ceremony or reverence to that; those loved ones underneath the red, white and blue were not treated as precious cargo, they were left to sit among the bags and boxes awaiting processing. Families soon demanded that our sons & daughters deserved better and the policy was changed to allow a family to request that the their loved ones be delivered home in a private jet to the nearest airport.

Even in the 6th year of this war/occupation, the Department of Defense seems to be unable to avoid appearances of problems, even if there are none. There are some people who work within the casualty process who just don't get it and probably never will. These "bodies" are some one's loved one. They are a precious part of some one's life and they should be treated with dignity and respect as military families are promised. A family should never doubt that their loved one is treated with the utmost respect as befitting someone who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service for their country.

Our heroes do deserve to be better treated than that and so do those left behind.

Misson Accomplished- Year 6

It feels like Groundhog's Day, the day that keeps replaying over and over, once a year to remind of us of one of the big lies of this war. "Mission Accomplished" wasn't the first lie about Iraq and it was not the last one. Today is the 5th anniversary of the day President George Bush playing his own personal version of Top Gun flying beside the pilot in the cockpit of an S-3B Viking Navy jet and landing on the deck of a carrier. The President of the United States in a flight suit on an aircraft carrier? Hollywood couldn't have written a better script.

Iraq fatigue has settled in around the country and maybe people are getting tired of being reminded of continued occupation and this day, this national embarrassment when the President strolled off the jet onto the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and swaggered up to the microphone and announced that "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed" He also told us that "Iraq is free".

In the ensuing years, the White House told us, they didn't erect the banner, it was the Navy's idea, the White House actually made it, but the Navy put it up. One year later, President Bush explained that we had "achieved an important objective", sidestepping the real question of what mission, in fact, had been accomplished. Then spokesmodel, Dana Perino told the White House press corps that "we had toppled the Iraqi government and the Iraq Army", blaming the misunderstanding on the left. She said, "the left has decided to believe what they want to believe". The ever changing story of what was really meant with the "Mission Accomplished" banner on that day in May 2003, took one more twist today when Dana Perino said that the banner meant "mission accomplished for these sailors on this ship on their mission" adding that "we have paid a price for not being specific" about what the banner really meant.

What price exactly has the White House paid because of the misleading banner? Nothing, zero, zip and zilch. It is disingenuous and patronizing to even suggest that a price has been paid by anyone unless they have been handed a folded flag at the funeral of their loved one or sat by a bedside of their loved one trying to figure out what his or her normal will be after one, two, three or more deployments to Iraq. The occupants of this White House, and members of this administration have not and will never pay a personal price for the endless occupation. The troops and their families are carrying the burden of this continued occupation in blood & stress. The readiness of the military has been damaged, perhaps beyond the point of reasonable and simple repair, and this White House has the

Ken was alive 5 years ago today; he had not yet landed in Iraq, but in little more than a year I would be handed a folded flag, the same flag that honorably covered his casket that carried him home to California from the sands of Iraq.

On May 1, 2009, this country will have a new president. I am not hopeful that the mission in Iraq will have changed much by then. I am hopeful plans will have been put in place to bring the troops home once and for all. 3908 US troops have died since "Mission Accomplished" was announced. It is likely that we will lose about 800 more members of the US military and thousands of wounded before May 1, 2009 rolls around. That may be okay with you, but it isn't okay with me.