Click here to view the embedded video.

About Cpl. Alan Babin Jr.

Cpl. Alan Babin Jr.

Cpl. Alan Babin Jr., a combat medic in Iraq, was running to the aid of a fellow soldier when he was hit by hostile fire. Alan took a bullet in his stomach in the midst of firefight so severe that it prevented Alan’s fellow soldiers from coming to his aid, so he lay there for three hours before help could arrive. Alan’s prognosis was grim. Army medics didn’t think he would live. Then doctors said, at best, he’d be paralyzed from the neck down. Alan underwent more than 70 surgeries, including five brain surgeries, and suffered a stroke. Since that time, with his mother, Rosie, by his side, Alan has made incredible progress, far surpassing his doctors’ expectations. Now, Alan can use his arms, he can stand, and he’s starting to move his legs; he’s even rock climbed. And with his mother’s help, he may very well be walking again soon.

About Rosie Babin

Rosie Babin

Rosie Babin wears a lot of hats. As her daughter Christy says, “My mom’s our everything–she’s our cheerleader, our mom, our organizer.” She’s also a wife, and for many years managed an accounting firm near their home in Round Rock, Texas. Five years ago, Rosie also became her son Alan’s full-time caretaker after he was hit in the stomach by hostile fire in Iraq and became paralyzed. At that point, Rosie’s life was completely derailed. She quit her job, packed up her life, and moved near Walter Reed Medical Center where Alan was being treated. Rosie’s been by Alan’s side every since as his cheerleader, his mom, and his organizer. She’s been his everything, and because of it, Alan has far surpassed his doctor’s expectations. Rosie’s gotten him to rock climb, scuba dive, and ski. Now she’s determined to help him walk again.

Washington D.C.

“We are discussing a $636 billion appropriations bill which will fund the continuation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress has been gripped for months by a debate surrounding health care reform, but we will only have a brief debate about spending $636 billion dollars and the wars that money will fund. That is not enough.

“We need to have a serious debate about the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan and the priorities of this nation. We need to discuss our options and we must immediately withdraw U.S. troops and contractors, not just combat troops, but all of our troops. It is time for this body to rethink the validity of funding military operations throughout the world when we have so many priorities that need to be addressed at home.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich

“Just today we saw a memo from Col. Timothy R. Reese, Chief, Baghdad Operations Command Advisory Team, who wrote, ‘Our combat troops are currently the victim of circular logic. We conduct operations to kill or capture violent extremists of all types to protect the Iraqi people and support the Government of Iraq. The violent extremists attack us because we are still here conducting military operations.’

“The U.S. military is unmatched. Since 2001, total U.S. defense spending has increased by nearly 80 Percent. Furthermore, we are spending more on defense than all of the other countries of the world combined. 56 percent of the entire discretionary budget for fiscal year 2010 will be used to fund the defense department.

“I do not believe that the priority this body continues to place on funding our the military industrial complex is consistent with the priorities and values of the American people. This bill includes over $600 billion in spending while only a small fraction is dedicated to non-proliferation activities. However, in December 2008 World Public Opinion found that 77 percent of Americans favor an international agreement for eliminating all nuclear weapons.

“This war has taken the lives of 4,330 of our brave and honorable troops. Over 1 million Iraqi civilians have been killed. The war in Afghanistan has taken the lives of another 753 of our beloved military service members. As the U.S. continues to ramp up operations in Afghanistan, these numbers, as well as injury numbers, will continue to grow.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

About Cpl. Alan Babin Jr.

Cpl. Alan Babin Jr.

Cpl. Alan Babin Jr., a combat medic in Iraq, was running to the aid of a fellow soldier when he was hit by hostile fire. Alan took a bullet in his stomach in the midst of firefight so severe that it prevented Alan’s fellow soldiers from coming to his aid, so he lay there for three hours before help could arrive. Alan’s prognosis was grim. Army medics didn’t think he would live. Then doctors said, at best, he’d be paralyzed from the neck down. Alan underwent more than 70 surgeries, including five brain surgeries, and suffered a stroke. Since that time, with his mother, Rosie, by his side, Alan has made incredible progress, far surpassing his doctors’ expectations. Now, Alan can use his arms, he can stand, and he’s starting to move his legs; he’s even rock climbed. And with his mother’s help, he may very well be walking again soon.

About Rosie Babin

Rosie Babin

Rosie Babin wears a lot of hats. As her daughter Christy says, “My mom’s our everything–she’s our cheerleader, our mom, our organizer.” She’s also a wife, and for many years managed an accounting firm near their home in Round Rock, Texas. Five years ago, Rosie also became her son Alan’s full-time caretaker after he was hit in the stomach by hostile fire in Iraq and became paralyzed. At that point, Rosie’s life was completely derailed. She quit her job, packed up her life, and moved near Walter Reed Medical Center where Alan was being treated. Rosie’s been by Alan’s side every since as his cheerleader, his mom, and his organizer. She’s been his everything, and because of it, Alan has far surpassed his doctor’s expectations. Rosie’s gotten him to rock climb, scuba dive, and ski. Now she’s determined to help him walk again.

Despite heavy rains, the Nashville Peace Coalition held a planned Peace street  rally at Centennial Park in Nashville today, just days before the anniversary (March 19) of the Iraq War.

The Nashville Peace Coalition has called  for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq on the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Iraq; the street protest went on as planned but rain washed out plans for an accompanying concert and speaker program that was to have from noon to 4 p.m.

“Now is the Time for Peace” was intended as an appeal to President Obama and the Democratic House and Senate to withdraw all troops from Iraq including non-combat troops and reverse the recently announced troop surge in Afghanistan. 

In February, President Obama announced a troop surge of 17,000 troops to Afghanistan.  In response, the Peace Coalition organized legislative visits to Federal representatives in Nashville to urge them to press the current administration to withdraw combat troops from Afghanistan, citing no clear mission for the troops and the extreme costs of continued occupation during a time of economic crisis.

March 19th marks the actual anniversary of the beginning of the Iraqi War and although the Peace Coalition does acknowledge the announced withdrawal of 70,000 combat troops from Iraq under the current administration, they call for a complete withdrawal of all troops from Iraq including the 50,000 who will remain after the announced drawdown and a closing of all military bases in Iraq.

In addition the Peace Coalition calls for a withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan. The Nashville Peace Coalition is a project of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center. participating in this event were the Firebrand Community Center, Veterans for Peace, Vanderbilt Students for Nonviolence, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Cumberland Greens, Eric Schecter for Congress, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Peace Roots Alliance, Clarksville’s Freethinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties, and the Nashville Greenlands.

Across the nation millions of people will be participating in peace rallies and demonstrations during the week of March 14th – 21st to mark the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Iraq.  On March 21st tens of thousands of peace activists will converge in Washington DC for a march on the Pentagon organized by national anti-war protest organizations including ANSWER and the Declaration of Peace.

In a release to the media on March 1st, ANSWER called for widespread demonstrations on the anniversary of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that:

“The Iraq and Afghanistan war will drag on for years unless we act now. The cost in lives and resources is criminal regardless of whether the Democrats or Republicans are in charge of the government. The Pentagon has employed 200,000 foreign contractors (mercenaries) and 150,000 U.S. troops to maintain the occupation of Iraq. They have no right to be there. A few thousand are being brought out of Iraq only to be redeployed to occupy Afghanistan. The people of the United States want change. We are sick and tired of wars of aggression waged abroad under false slogans of “national security.” The occupation of Iraq alone costs $12 billion each month. This amounts to $400 million each day, $16.7 million per hour and $278,000 per minute.”

PHOTOS by Debbie Boen

The Nashville Peace Coalition is calling for peace in Afghanistan & Iraq on the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Iraq with a street protest and peace concert in Centennial Park on Saturday, March 14th beginning at Noon.  The theme of the event titled, “Now is the Time for Peace” is intended as an appeal to President Obama and the Democratic House and Senate to withdraw all troops from Iraq including non-combat troops and reverse the recently announced troop surge in Afghanistan. 

In February, President Obama announced a troop surge of 17,000 troops to Afghanistan.  In response, the Peace Coalition organized legislative visits to Federal representatives in Nashville to urge them to press the current administration to withdraw combat troops from Afghanistan, citing no clear mission for the troops and the extreme costs of continued occupation during a time of economic crisis. The street protest on March 14th will begin at noon on West End Avenue in front of Centennial Park and will feature street theater and the Code Pink dancers performing the “Yes We Can Can Get Out of Afghanistan” dance and protest.

In addition to the street protest, the Nashville Peace Coalition will also be organizing a peace concert with speakers and music to begin at 1pm on Saturday March 14th at the Centennial Park bandshell.  The peace concert, which is meant to commemorate the six year anniversary of the occupation of Iraq, will feature Sonnye Dixon of the Hobson United Methodist Church and NAACP of Nashville speaking on the theme of peace.  The concert and rally will also feature the Shelby Bottoms String Band, Mike Muldoon, Ross Falzone, Randall Venson and Ngawang Losell among other speakers and performers.  The event will finish with a performance from the Farm band Night Train from Summertown, Tennessee.

The emcee’s of the peace concert will be Bill Humble, a member of Veterans for Peace and 27 year veteran of the Navy who is calling for peace in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Elizabeth Barger, a community organizer for Peace Roots Alliance in Summertown, Tennessee and regional coordinator for CodePink Women for Peace.

March 19th marks the actual anniversary of the beginning of the Iraqi War and although the Peace Coalition does acknowledge the announced withdrawal of 70,000 combat troops from Iraq under the current administration, they call for a complete withdrawal of all troops from Iraq including the 50,000 who will remain after the announced drawdown and a closing of all military bases in Iraq.

In addition the Peace Coalition calls for a withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan. The Nashville Peace Coalition is a project of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center which will have a table at the event.  Also tabling at the event will be a group advocating peace in Palestine and an end to the occupation of that country, as well as members of the Firebrand Community Center, a local anarchist performance space and infoshop, and members of Veterans for Peace, Vanderbilt Students for Nonviolence, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Cumberland Greens, Eric Schecter for Congress, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Peace Roots Alliance, Clarksville Freethinkers and the Nashville Greenlands.

Across the nation millions of people will be participating in peace rallies and demonstrations during the week of March 14th – 21st to mark the sixth anniversary of the occupation of Iraq.  On March 21st tens of thousands of peace activists will converge in Washington DC for a march on the Pentagon organized by national anti-war protest organizations including ANSWER and the Declaration of Peace.

In a release to the media on March 1st, ANSWER called for widespread demonstrations on the anniversary of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that:

“The Iraq and Afghanistan war will drag on for years unless we act now. The cost in lives and resources is criminal regardless of whether the Democrats or Republicans are in charge of the government. The Pentagon has employed 200,000 foreign contractors (mercenaries) and 150,000 U.S. troops to maintain the occupation of Iraq. They have no right to be there. A few thousand are being brought out of Iraq only to be redeployed to occupy Afghanistan. The people of the United States want change. We are sick and tired of wars of aggression waged abroad under false slogans of “national security.” The occupation of Iraq alone costs $12 billion each month. This amounts to $400 million each day, $16.7 million per hour and $278,000 per minute.”

For more information please contact:

Chris Lugo 615-593-0304  or by e-mail at
Elizabeth Barger 931-964-2119  or by e-mail at

Michael S. Steele at 2008 Republican National Convention

Michael S. Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland, was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee on January 30. He is the first African American to ever hold this position. Prior to his elevation to RNC Chairman, Steele served as chairman of GOPAC and worked as a partner at the law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf.

He was elected and served as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. Steele was the first African American to hold a state-wide office in Maryland and the first Republican lieutenant governor in Maryland’s history. During his tenure as lieutenant governor, he was the highest-ranking African American elected official in the United States.

With the election of the new Republican National Committee chairman, the Republican Party leadership hopes to begin making strides in renewing itself and reasserting itself as a relevant voice of America. The fact that Steele was elected over several more traditional candidates is seen as a sign that the GOP is getting on board the “change” train and sending a message that they can be moderate and sane. Some have asserted that this “change” would allow the party to expand its appeal beyond  adherents of intolerance, Toby Keith fans and religious conservatives, which many had criticized it has having catered to too heavily at the expense of its moderate members.

Michael S. Steele, newly elected RNC Chair

Steele is known as a moderate voice in the Republican Party circles. He was well aware he was an outsider at the election. He was considered an outsider because of his politics. He is a moderate Republican who isn’t a member of the RNC. He has been criticized for being Republican in name only. He created a stir when he publicly upbraided President Bush for his handling of the Iraq War and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Steele faced stiff opposition from several more traditional candidates. Incumbent committee chair Mike Duncan lost his steam after the first round of voting and dropping out. The race came down to Steele and Katon Dawson, head of the  South Carolina Republican Party, who represents a view of the Republican party more in step with the Bush administration.

The turning point for Steele came when his only African-American rival, Ken Blackwell, dropped out of the race after the fourth vote and endorsed Steele. Blackwell and Steele might get grouped together because they’re both black Republicans, but Blackwell is far more conservative, and his endorsement was a big win at a crucial time.

After hours and hours of travel, the  soldiers put feet to pavement on U.S. soil, but had to wait through formal ceremonies before the hugs, kisses, tears and smiles could happen. Most poignant were the images of soldiers seeing their babies, born while they were in Iraq.  Even after the families gathered, soldiers were separated and required to take part in a “reintegration” briefing before finally heading home.

This group is the first of several that will be returning home in coming weeks.

Clarksville Online was on hand to capture these images of 200 member torch team made up of the 2nd and 3th BCT, returning home from a 15-month tour of Iraq. (All photos by Bill Larson)

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1. Put soldiers in schools as teachers without requiring certification and Desert Storm was about protecting the oil.
2. Americans are innocent victims of greed and excess on Wall Street and as well as Washington, D.C.
3. Palin is a role model to women.
4. McCain rallies harbor few fringe peoples.

Here are McCain’s statements:

1. McCain’s solutions to education and why we had Desert Storm.

During the third debate, when asked about the state of education in the US, McCain had this, among other things, to say:

McCain: “We need to encourage programs such as Teach for America and Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations or have the certification that  are are required in many states.”

My Reaction (Incredulous) : Returning soldiers should go straight into teaching?

Soldiers coming back from the war are all, every one of them, suffering from PTSD, according to local psychologists in Montgomery County.  Here, at the home of Fort Campbell army base, agencies that deal with child abuse issues are spending a lot, if not most, of their time with military families.  Soldiers are gone so long from their growing families that they come back out of touch with their children and how to react and interact with them.

Many soldiers came back from the first deployment with sex addictions that befuddled local psychologist, Mary Coe.  News of rape within the armed forces continues to escalate at an alarming rate.  Now McCain suggests that we should put these soldiers in a room with our young, attractive, hormonal young women and men? Or the youngest of our children?

No certification required of soldiers to teach our children?  Well then, what are they going to teach, and how?  Am I jumping off a limb to say that soldiers know how to be good soldiers, how to obey orders without question?  Will classrooms be organized in a military atmosphere, where you listen when told to do so and speak only when spoken to?  Where the teacher’s job is to break down the students and rebuild them as one unit?  People I know, with kids and without, will tell me this is a great idea.  Teach kids how to respect, obey, and have discipline.  To force feed information without question? Without critical thinking and questioning? That works fine if you’re not trying to work with kids who love to learn, who are creative and who can find and express their own personalities.  And the kids who don’t fit in?  How does the military deal with that?  A group is only as strong as its weakest person.

Meticulously programmed Robby the Robot (Forbidden Planet/1956)

Personally, I can’t imagine that making kids into bigger better robots than they are now is the best thing for them or our future.  Or that making them hate school more than many do now is a solution.

No Child Left Behind is teaching kids to memorize data for tests, but we can and should do so much better than that, move beyond that.  We can make kids really hate learning and resist school, essentially pulling them to a place where their choice for the future is narrowed down to the military.

Or, worse yet, it will produce kids who love the discipline so much that they’ll be ready to choose the military as their future.  These kids will be so dedicated that they would turn in even their parents as traitors. Ok, let’s just say there’s something to that idea.  Why does McCain want or need to make larger armies?

McCain: (from the 3rd debate script)

Kuwait

“He (Obama) voted against the first Gulf War. He voted against it and, obviously, we had to take Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait or it would’ve threatened the Middle Eastern world supply.

He said (the war) threatened world supply, not oppressed people.  Kuwait sits on 10 percent of the world oil reserves, so fighting the terrorist Saddam was about protecting our source of oil and now our largest trading partner. This fact has been confirmed to me by a Vet of that and two other wars.

McCain needs armies to conquer oil-rich countries.  Let the Christian extremists believe that Muslims are evil and tell the rest of us that we are defending ourselves against terror.  What happened to the “spreading Democracy” thing?  We bought that for awhile.  Election time arrives: bring terror back into the picture.

If we keep using oil, we burn up the planet, even if we could justify our barbaric invasion into Iraq and Iran for oil.

2.  The Maverick has experience in an economic collapse.

McCain: “Americans are hurting right now, and they’re angry. They’re hurting, and they’re angry. They’re innocent victims of greed and excess on Wall Street and as well as Washington, D.C. And they’re angry, and they have every reason to be angry.”

My Reaction: Both Democrats and Republicans can be blamed for the current economic crisis.  But we should consider who has more “experience” in the world of high finance fraud.  When McCain says American’s are angry, does he know what it is like to lose your life’s savings and your future well-being?

From Wikipedia

“Lincoln Savings and Loan collapsed in 1989, at a cost of over $3 billion to the federal government. Some 23,000 Lincoln bondholders were defrauded and many elderly investors lost their life savings. The accompanying slowdown in the finance industry and the real estate market may have been a contributing cause of the 1990-1991 economic recession.

“Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association made substantial political contributions to 5 senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH),John McCain (R-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), totalling $1.3 million. Keating said, “One question …had to do with whether my financial support in any way influenced several political figures to take up my cause. I want to say in the most forceful way I can: I certainly hope so.”

“After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, and Donald Riegle had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings, with Cranston receiving a formal reprimand. Senators John Glenn and John McCain were cleared of having acted improperly but were criticized for having exercised “poor judgment.”

McCain admitted that was the worst mistake in his life. Thank goodness that hand slap worked; now the Maverick is running for president and I can’t image him being bought out by private interests. (sarcasm, Miss Betty, sarcasm)

So far I see a man with big bucks in his pocket and his hands in the poop when the last recession (so similar to this one!) hit.

3. Palin is a role model to women (in men’s fantasies).

McCain (From the third debate): “Well, Americans have gotten to know Sarah Palin. They know that she’s a role model to women and others — and reformers all over America. She’s a reformer”.

My Reaction: She’s a role model alright. We don’t want a Hillary running things because she stands on her own integrity. Hillary doesn’t support a man because he’s a man. We want a woman who agrees with and defends the man. Palin can take it and turn around and defend it. That’s a role model in the man’s sexual fantasy.

Palin’s a reformer alright. In a YouTube video she greets the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaska to secede from the Union.

From their website:

Q: What is the Alaskan Independence Party?

A: An Alaskan political party whose members advocate a range of solutions to the conflicts between federal and local authority; from advocacy for state’s rights, through a return to territorial status, all the way to complete independence and nationhood status for Alaska.

4. Why the negative campaigning, McCain?

So far, I see a man with big bucks in his pocket and his hands in the poop when the last recession (so similar to this one!) hit. And a woman who holds down the victim while developers rape the land; later she and Joe Six Pack threw around their power by shooting down protected wolves from a helicopter. Oh, she’s a role model alright. She can take it and turn around and defend it. A man’s fantasy role model. She even charges rape victims for their medical examination (that is a fact).

How are you going to keep us from knowing about this stuff, McCain?

The best thing for you to do, McCain, is keep us from looking at you, any way that you can. You better find things wrong with your opponent and pounce on it. Even if it’s a complete lie, just say it over and over until people believe it. Keep your opponent busy clearing himself of all the crap you are saying. Remember, it doesn’t have to be true, you just need to say it a lot, and get people scared.

Say something like 9/11 and get people scared about that again. Then make-up doubts about Obama. People will make the connection. Terror = scared = Obama.

The first lie I saw was “the no hand over the heart” affair, in which Obama was accused of not crossing his heart while saying the Pledge of Allegiance.The truth to that image is that he was listening to the National Anthem. That picture of Obama not crossing his heart hangs at our local Republican headquarters today; they’re not keeping up with the rest of the world and perpetuating a blatant lie.

Then there was the no-pin problem, when Obama did not wear an American flag lapel pin. Obama rhymes with Osama. What more proof do we need that he himself is a terrorist? Obama is a Muslim. A co-worker said that to me recently. Or suggested he has a Muslim background. Geez, girl. That was so last spring. Catch up. That’s been disproved and the party has moved on to bigger, better things. Recently I saw a short movie with out-of-context slides of Muslim terrorists. Lots of blood and guts too. IS THAT WHAT WE WANT? (vote McCain)

I’ve been doing a little study of the Neo-Conservative party and their efforts to control the population. They seek to convince people that we are in terrible trouble from terrorists. (The Power of Nightmares). They use control by fear of terror.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Edvard Munch - "The Scream" (1893)

I’ve been to England when people were afraid of bombs in fast food restaurants and airport lockers. But these people did not walk around in fear every minute; they would not buy into fear.

In the last debate, McCain put himself on the line as supporting accusations that Obama is connected to terrorists. Although his campaign had been pushing that subject for weeks, McCain said “I don’t care about an old washed-up terrorist. We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama’s relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.” As Saturday Night Live puts it, he also believes there is a unicorn under his bed.

It’s desperate, McCain, but you know you have to get people scared because when they get scared they get mad and fired up enough to get out there and vote. And anyone who opposes you, well, you have to discredit them, as quick as you can. Liberal, hippie, washed up: use those words.

McCain’s supporters have been recorded calling Obama a traitor and saying things like “kill him.”

McCain (from third debate):

“Let me just say categorically I’m proud of the people that come to our rallies. Whenever you get a large rally of 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 people, you’re going to have some fringe peoples. You know that. And I’ve — and we’ve always said that that’s not appropriate. I’m not going to stand for people saying that the people that come to my rallies are anything but the most dedicated, patriotic men and women that are in this nation and they’re great citizens.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Colin Powell is upset enough with McCain’s campaign to reprimand him in a press release.

The next thing McCain will do is insist on election fraud by ACORN. McCain will tell his lies and then it becomes our job to disprove it. Visit the ACORN website. Might as well get versed up in it ahead of time.

To my fellow people on this Earth who believe in McCain:

Our founding fathers gave us a Bill of Rights that has undermined our freedom

You refuse to watch the films, you refuse to question the stuff that is thrown at you.  We knew that Bush would not kill Osama, he is best friends with the Bin Laden family (see Farenheit 9/11).  He flew the Bin Laden family out of the U.S. directly after 9/11.  We, liberals, freethinkers, decent and creative people, were right. We were right about a lot of stuff: the war, Bush, torture, oil, violations to the constitution, our rights to free speech, and our rights to privacy. When we told you about it, you bullied us to get us to shut up. You are a long way from admitting that you were being bullies, just as you are a long way from admitting that fear lay beneath that. But know that it was all cleverly controlled. Being a bully is a way you were shown (by Fox News icon Bill O’Reilly and others) that gives you a sense of power when in reality you felt powerless. Now you need to WAKE UP. See the beautiful things around you that you have the power to destroy as you sleep.

You have been controlled through images of fear and terror. You react to it by hating and bullying and believing bullshit. Having to be “right” is a very low form of emotion for Democrats and Republicans alike. It’s barely above apathy. This is not the future we want for our United States. We are all in this together. Come back to us in this uphill battle to regain our freedoms and our prosperity and our health.

We miss you and miss America. We miss decency and fun. This is our most important choice.

Click here for a CNN transcript of the third debate.

The following video is the full 90-minute 3rd presidential debate.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sarah Palin has stated she believes in a literal translation of the Bible; a literal translation of the Bible dates creation of the Earth at 4000 B.C. Is the U.S. prepared to elect someone who truly believes dinosaurs became extinct only 6000 years ago? Forget the fact that science has proven the age of the Earth to be in the billions of years through countless (independent of each other) disciplines. Is the U.S. prepared to give the nuclear launch codes to someone who cannot pronounce the word ‘nuclear’ and refuses to believe in the science that created it?

Sarah Palin stated that it was God’s will to have a pipeline in Alaska; she followed this statement by asking a church full of followers to pray for its manifestation. I may be wrong because I admit I am not a Bible scholar, but it has been my understanding that God’s design for the planet was perfect to begin with and ever since sin man has only been able to ruin it with greater ease. Wouldn’t that include destroying thousands of square miles to drill for oil? Shouldn’t a Christian ask in their prayers to end man’s destruction of the Earth and not to increase it?

Sarah Palin supports making abortions of all sorts illegal under all circumstances, yet when asked up front about it in an interview with Katie Couric she was unable to defend her position other than to say she would advise the hypothetical worst case scenario woman/girl not to seek an abortion. If you stand for something, stand strong, state your case and stand by it. This sort of political meandering is surely a sign of things to come. She supported a bill while mayor that makes rape victims pay for their own rape kits while under the care of the public health system(getting raped in Sarah Palin world= $1200 and 20 to life for an abortion, electing an idiot= Priceless). Is this the sort of compassion America needs in a leader?

When Katie Couric asked Sarah Palin what periodicals she has read that have influenced her world view, first she replied that she had read them again (therefore at least twice), then afterward when asked to give an example said “uh… all of them, uh… any of them” and was unable to give a single example after an awkward moment of silence followed by a diversion about Alaska not being a foreign country…? WHAT? I have heard rhetoric like this before usually immediately followed by my saying in a loud voice “LIAR!” Really, if you cannot answer the question, ‘what magazines do you read’ honestly, what else are you going to lie about?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sarah Palin supports Hamas seriously? She would rather say Hamas needs our support before admitting she doesn’t know what it is? This makes a good leader? Since when is more obfuscation what Americans need?

Basic Geography: You can see Russia from the outermost Alaskan Islands

While commenting on what qualifies her having ‘foreign policy’ experience by way of Alaska’s proximity to Russia, Sarah Palin explained that she could actually see Russia from Alaska. What? So I have seen dozens of countries; does that mean I have dozens of times more experience than Sarah Palin? By her definition it does. If she bases her qualification to be V.P. on such nonsense can we trust her judgment about accepting the nomination for V.P.?

In a discussion about whether or not the U.S. has the right to invade Pakistan to stop Al Queda without the approval of their government, Sarah Palin said she would not even blink before she invaded. This was actually in complete contradiction to John McCain, whose platform has been not to invade without prior approval and should in no way be acceptable to the American people. Are we about to elect a V.P. who thinks we have the right to invade any sovereign nation in the world without blinking?

Sarah Palin spent 48 million dollars on a road that literally goes nowhere! Yet she gave her speech dozens of times claiming to have championed the fight against useless spending: is it ignorance or boldface lying? Which is worse?

Unfortunately, we should all know where this is headed. After eight years of leadership(or something), Bush has brought the U.S. success and pride in the Justice system, Iraq, the writ of habeas corpus, the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the hurricane Katrina disaster, preventing terrorism, the economy, torture, interpretation of the constitution, and general overall prosperity and good fortune across the globe (when was the last time Americans were so well liked?). If Sarah Palin, oops, I mean when Sarah Palin becomes President I am sure more great successes just like these are in store for Americans and the rest of the world, God bless.

70 is the new 40, vote Mccain 08!

SDS: "Youth are not Cannon fodder"

As a global audience tuned in on the second presidential debate, held at Belmont University in Nashville, all the action was happening on the streets surrounding the campus. Political commentators and pundits agreed that the town hall debate format simply didn’t work, that the hoped for verbal battles failed to detonate any real excitement. Outside, it was another story.

I opted out of specific local debate coverage, and with CO writer Debbie Boen instead headed to Nashville to make our own voices heard. Debbie, founder of the FreeThinkers for Peace and Civil Liberties, and I (a devout member) headed for 21st and Blakemore, two blocks from the Debate Hall, center of the Nashville Peace Coalition et al rally and press conference. The Coalition the night before sponsored “an alternative debate” featuring the other candidates in the running for the US presidency. The ones without the political machine and the super-sized budgets.

Nearing Nashville on I-24 we were greeted with traffic signs directing debate trackers to the proper exits, so naturally, we made a wrong turn, got slightly misdirected and ended up exactly where we needed to be. Serendipity can be wonderful.

As we navigated Nashville, we were amazed at the sheer volume of Obama and issue-oriented activism; the streets were overflowing with energized people, male, female, old, young, diverse economic backgrounds. All motivated and more than ready to have their voices heard. At 4 p.m., the streets had already been layered with activists for hours. At 5 p.m., the press conference and public statements that had lured us to Nashville began.

“We have seen what Nashville looks like during a small gas crisis — tempers flaring, people irate — long lines. What would happen if it lasted a week? A month? A year? If the power shut down? How about if the food ran out in the grocery stores? If nobody removed your trash? How would people react? We’ve seen a taste of things to come in New Orleans? Welcome to the next Miramax movie.”

Then cam a quoted from a 9.8.08 Army Times article, barely a blip on the media radar, that reported:

“The 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat team that has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle, helping to restore essential services and escorting supply convoys has now been ordered to come home and be under the command of the US Army North, an on-call federal response force for natural disasters or manmade emergencies including terrorist attacks.

“The 1st BCT’s soldiers will learn how to use ‘the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded’” states 1st BCT Commander Col. Roger Cloutier — referring to crowd and traffic control equipment and non lethal weapon designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them.”

As this voice boomed through the crowd and across Nashville streets, listeners were reminded of  how these weapons were used most recently at protests during the Republican national Convention. Pepper spray, tazers, assault weapons and sound grenades used by police in tandem with federal officials and task force. The result? Dissenting opinions were silenced. News commentator Amy Goodman and her news crew were arrested.

“Iraq is the practice grounds for what is coming to America.” That statement summed up part one of this presentation.

One perspective on the Iraq War...

When I took the microphone, I recounted my feelings at seeing a fairly recent film, Across the Universe, which is one of the better anti-war films I’ve seen. Advertising as “the new Beatles music movie,” it begins with the Camelot/Kennedy era innocence, until the scene, circa 1965 or so — frames two soldiers speaking to a mother who crumples to the stoop, having learned her son was killed in Vietnam. Scene shift: young women in little black dresses, white gloves, pearls, standard mourning garb.  I had that dress, those pearls, the pristine gloves. In 1965. ‘66. ‘67. ‘68. ‘69. And ‘70. More than once in some years. I protested the war then. Same peace symbol. Same songs. Same handmade signs. I watched this film with a sinking feeling of memory in my gut, a “deja vu” across the decades to now.

New recruits carry Lady Liberty across napalm'd fields of Vietnam in "Across the Universe"

I told my listeners how I grew up outside a major northeastern Air Force Base. Years later I became complacent, and moved through midlife and yes, through that earlier Gulf War, taking care of family, work, and all the mundane things.

“When I moved to Tennessee in 2004, I found myself outside another major military base, with another war raging, and suddenly the same symbols, signs, songs and outrage surged. I never thought I’d be doing this again. Not at 58. Forty years, and apparently we haven’t learned too much. This time, though, we’ve added economic disaster to the mix.”

Members of the SDS speak out against war

I watched as the new incarnation of the SDS (Students for a Democratic Society – and yes, there is an SDS group at APSU too) stepped up to the microphone, calling for young voters to be a “catalyst for change.”  Joey King of Veterans for Peace spoke, followed by Liz Barger of the Code Pink ladies. Senate Candidate Chris Lugo. Eric Schechter. Brian Moore, Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. Roger Clark of the Nader/Gonzalez presidential ticket. Green Party Senate candidate John Migllietta.

‘Debate Ralph Nader’ signs were everywhere. As were “Christians for Planned Parenthood.” And “‘Forecloz’ Wall Street.”

The song “I Miss America” was sung to the melody of God Bless America, substituting civil liberties losses among other losses American citizens have endured.

The line may have seemed thin at times, but it was "never-ending"...

Across the street, a steady line of Obama supporters marched toward Debate Central. A French documentary filmmaker filmed and interviewed our group, among others. The C-Span, CNN and NEA buses passed by, the latter scrolling statements of what Iraq war funding could buy for Americans on the home front. The NEA bus was, for me, the “best of show.” Police presence was everywhere, but thankfully not in an aggressive stance. We haven’t apparently reached a  point requiring RNC response tactics — yet.

Cars passing by waved, honked their horns, gave the “V” for victory sign. The rain held off. The crowds remained steady, heavy and true.

As Debbie and I left Nashville, the streets were still alive with people carrying signs and banners, with the dozens and dozens of young Green Power group toting pristine white windmills from their designated protest site through downtown.

What was refreshing was the eclectic of mix of people, and more importantly, the energized young people blasted out of complacency by war and economics to take action and stand up to have their voices heard. In them, I saw pieces of myself from forty years ago. It was an honor to share the streets of Nashville not just with those who have done this before, but with those who are finding their political voice for the first time.

The lackluster debate may have meandered over old territory, but it was a brave new world beyond that forum.

All Photos by Debbie Boen. “Across the Universe” frame from Revolution Studios/Sony Pictures.

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Montgomery County Democratic Party

Montgomery County Republican Party

The Joe Biden/Sarah Palin debate is over and history. The verdict: Biden held his own, scored particularly well in areas of foreign policy, and, I believe, won the debate. Palin, after a spate of blundered interviews and disingenuous flubbed questions from “Katie” (Couric) and “Charlie” (Gibson), did better than expected but still managed at best a break even score, up from her previous level — which was sounding ridiculous.

Watching the man/woman voter scrolling scoreboard at the bottom of the TV screen, a tally of sorts based on Ohio voters, both candidates managed to find sharp and prolonged spikes of interest, catching the attention of listeners not by political affiliation but rather by the issues that were being discussed. What were those topics: the economy, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economy, the economy and the economy. The Economy encompassed middle class tax relief, health care/insurance, jobs, gas prices, and the high cost of higher education.

Sen. Joe Biden

BIDEN: Yes, well, you know, until two weeks ago — it was two Mondays ago John McCain said at 9 o’clock in the morning that the fundamentals of the economy were strong. Two weeks before that, he said George — we’ve made great economic progress under George Bush’s policies.

Nine o’clock, the economy was strong. Eleven o’clock that same day, two Mondays ago, John McCain said that we have an economic crisis.

That doesn’t make John McCain a bad guy, but it does point out he’s out of touch. Those folks on the sidelines knew that two months ago.

Palin did her “I am one of you sitting around the kitchen table” complete with incorrect grammar, slang (”betcha” was the most irritating by far), and mispronounced words (can any Republican say “nuclear” instead of “nucular”? Please? Most notable, though, was Palin’s inability to stay on course and simply answer the darned question. All domestic roads, or in her case, questions, led back to taxes. Many of her foreign policy responses led back to taxes.The problem is, while I want a United States President and Vice President to have a real sense of what the average American wants and needs, I want that leader to sound, well, intelligent and functioning at a level commensurate with interaction on a global scale. “Betcha” doesn’t quite do it. By the time she spurt out the “six pack American” cliche she was, in my book, more than done. Nothing has offended me more in this campaign than that reference. Except the sappy “Charlie’s” and “Katie’s” in those CBS and ABC interviews. Maybe “six pack American” or “Joe six pack” was just my tipping point. Just how condescending can she get, I wonder.

Gov. Sarah Palin

PALIN: My experience as an executive will be put to good use as a mayor and business owner and oil and gas regulator and then as governor of a huge state, a huge energy producing state that is accounting for much progress towards getting our nation energy independence and that’s extremely important.

But it wasn’t just that experience tapped into, it was my connection to the heartland of America. Being a mom, one very concerned about a son in the war, about a special needs child, about kids heading off to college, how are we going to pay those tuition bills? About times and Todd and our marriage in our past where we didn’t have health insurance and we know what other Americans are going through as they sit around the kitchen table and try to figure out how are they going to pay out-of-pocket for health care? We’ve been there also so that connection was important.

But even more important is that world view that I share with John McCain. That world view that says that America is a nation of exceptionalism. And we are to be that shining city on a hill, as President Reagan so beautifully said, that we are a beacon of hope and that we are unapologetic here. We are not perfect as a nation. But together, we represent a perfect ideal. And that is democracy and tolerance and freedom and equal rights. Those things that we stand for that can be put to good use as a force for good in this world. (Palin’s tolerance and freedom and equal rights did not extend to gay marriag or the choice issue).

Biden stumbled on words and names from time to time, and it seemed as if his mind had more to present but not enough time to dish it out. At times he almost seemed to be playing a game for which Palin remained ignorant of the rules, the first and most important being “Answer the question”. Biden zero’d in on detail and stayed on task; Palin, well, didn’t. Palin frequently responded with statements that became lost in a maze of topics, ending nowhere near an actual answer to the original question.

BIDEN: Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history. The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that.

And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, and as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there’s a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit.

The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he’s part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.

As the debate drew to a close, Biden summed up the state of the nation under President Bush:

BIDEN: I’ll be very brief. Can I respond to that?

Look, the maverick — let’s talk about the maverick John McCain is. And, again, I love him. He’s been a maverick on some issues, but he has been no maverick on the things that matter to people’s lives.

He voted four out of five times for George Bush’s budget, which put us a half a trillion dollars in debt this year and over $3 trillion in debt since he’s got there.

He has not been a maverick in providing health care for people. He has voted against — he voted including another 3.6 million children in coverage of the existing health care plan, when he voted in the United States Senate.

He’s not been a maverick when it comes to education. He has not supported tax cuts and significant changes for people being able to send their kids to college.

He’s not been a maverick on the war. He’s not been a maverick on virtually anything that genuinely affects the things that people really talk about around their kitchen table.

Can we send — can we get Mom’s MRI? Can we send Mary back to school next semester? We can’t — we can’t make it. How are we going to heat the — heat the house this winter?

He voted against even providing for what they call LIHEAP, for assistance to people, with oil prices going through the roof in the winter.

So maverick he is not on the important, critical issues that affect people at that kitchen table.

While both candidates were speaking into a dais-mounted microphone, at times it looked as if Palin was wearing a wire, possibly with an earpiece tucked beneath her hair (hair that, I might add, is a messy semi-upswept style fit for a bad prom night circa 1968 — sorry, Sarah); at the end of the debate as she walked across the stage, she pulled a device out from the hem of her suitcoat. We might almost suspect she was being prompted as each question arose.

The vice-presidential debate only served to affirm my choices in leadership for the next four years.

I have spent hours skimming interviews and news stories about Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. It is not outside the realm of possibility, given Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain’s age and medical history, and the potential pressures of a presidency, that Palin could find herself in the Oval office, and not as a “visitor.” It’s is something American voters must consider as they prepare to cast ballots in the November election.

I question her experience and her agenda, particularly on the global scale; her lack of visible experience on a broader beyond-Alaska governance, is slim; on the world stage it is nil. Her recent foreign travels found the press pool (CNN) being allowed 30 seconds or less of filming as met with foreign leaders.

Then I heard defensive words and a hint of national policy from Palin in an interview with ABC’s Charles Gibson (whom I greatly admire). Palin’s answers (the questions are evident in the answers):

• “We are on a holy war … we are on God’s side … there is a plan and it is God’s plan…”
• “I have the experience to be vice-president … I am ready …”
• “I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell bent on destroying America and our allies. We have got to have all options out there on the table.”
• “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.”
• “I would never presume to know God’s will or to speak God’s words. But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that’s a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God’s side.”

Sounds lot like the extremist and terrorist “Holy War” “Jihad” mentality, which, when vented against us, is said to be wrong and perpetuated by “evil-doers.”

Gibson, in questioning Palin on “the Bush Doctrine,” had to first explain the 2002 statement to Palin to incite a semblance of intelligent response.

The Bush “Doctrine” ~~ his National Security Strategy (9.02):

“While the United States will constantly strive to enlist the support of the international community, we will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary, to exercise our right of self defense by acting preemptively against such terrorists, to prevent them from doing harm against our people and our country.”

Palin to Gibson:

“I believe that what President Bush has attempted to do is rid this world of Islamic extremism, terrorists who are hell-bent in destroying our nation. There have been blunders along the way, though. There have been mistakes made, and with new leadership, and that’s the beauty of American elections, of course, and democracy, is with new leadership comes opportunity to do things better.”

As September 11th memorial services unfurled, Palin said that should Georgia join NATO, the U.S. may find itself waging war on Russia, if Russia invades Georgia. She also warned of the threat posed by a nuclear armed Iran and from Islamic terrorists. She subscribes to the Bush-like principle that “the United States has the right to preemptively strike another country the U.S. thinks will attack first.” She defended the Iraq War as a task from God, which makes her sound as fanatical as the Islamic terrorists. I couldn’t help wonder where all the soldiers will come from to fight these wars … oh yes, it would have to be the “D” word: Draft. She hasn’t suggested that, but hey folks, read between the lines. Our troops can barely withstand the repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, much less consider battles on new fronts. And then there is the matter of equipping them … and nowhere does she speak of diplomacy, or of alternatives to war.

More recently, it has come to light that Palin as Wassila mayor likely knew, and appears to have supported, her city’s billing of rape victims for the rape kit/medical exam that constitutes evidence for the prosecution. The rape kits cost approximately $1,000. That’s akin to asking a murder victim’s family to pay for the bullet before they prosecute a killer.

Palin may find support for her views in some corners of the country, but voters need to ask to how much experience, understanding, and ability does she really have on a national and a global scale before opting to have her second in line to determine America’s future. What happens if she is left to step into the Oval office?

This is a reprint of Mr. Kucinich’s Op/Ed statement:

America must move from the errant, retributive justice of 9/11 to a healing, restorative process of truth and reconciliation.

Before the Congress adjourns, I will bring forth a new proposal for the establishment of a National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation, which will have the power to compel testimony and gather official documents to reveal to the American people not only the underlying deception which has divided us, but in that process of truth seeking set our nation on a path of reconciliation.

We suffer in our remembrance of 9/11, because of the terrible loss of innocent lives on that grim day. We also suffer because 9/11 was seized as an opportunity to run a political agenda, which has set America on a course of the destruction of another nation and the destruction of our own Constitution. And we have become less secure as a result of the warped practice of pursing peace through the exercise of pre-emptive military strength.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It is not simply 9/11 that needs to be remembered. We also need to remember the politicization of 9/11 and the polarizing narrative which followed, locking us into endless conflict, a war on terror which has wrought further terror worldwide and which has severely damaged our standing worldwide as an honorable, compassionate nation. As we were all victims of 9/11, so we have become victims of the interpretation of 9/11.

Our government’s external response to 9/11 was to attack a nation which did not attack us. Indeed on the first anniversary of 9/11, the Bush administration issued a well-publicized stern warning to Iraq which was part of a campaign to induce people to believe Iraq had something to do with 9/11.

The deliberate, systematic connection of Iraq with 9/11 has led America into a philosophical and moral cul-de-sac as over one million Iraqis and over 4155 US soldiers have died in a war which will cost over $3 trillion. Additionally, soldiers from 23 other countries have died in the Iraq war.

We attempt to unite Iraq by further dividing it. We talk about restoring Iraq while taking steps to place control of its vast oil wealth in the hands of US oil giants. And we intend to impose upon the Iraqi people the cost of rebuilding a country which our government ruined, keeping a once prosperous nation lashed to debt and poverty for a long, long time. Iraq has paid for 9/11. We all continue to pay for 9/11.

The heartbreaking loss of the lives and injuries to America troops further binds us to the Administration’s illogic of the Iraq war: We remember our troops’ sacrifice by demanding more sacrifice; we support our troops by continuing the war.

The dominant color of our new national security since 911 is neither red, white nor blue. Everyday is orange. Everyday reminders of fear of 9/11 become banal.. Yet we no longer hear the airport announcements nor see the orange colored warnings because they have commonplace standards in our new national security state, as is the Patriot Act, wiretapping, and a host of invasions of privacy and diminution of civil liberties. The Constitution has been roundly attacked by the very people who took an oath to defend it.

There is a powerful desire across America for change, not necessarily from control by one political party to another, but a change from living with lies to living with truth.

Over two dozen nations, facing peril within and without, deeply divided by politics and war have travelled down a path of restoring civil society through a formal process of reconciliation. At some point within each of those countries it was understood that the way forward is shown through the light of truth. This process is not without pain because it requires a willingness to study evidence to which eyes had been averted and ears had been closed. But in the process of truth and reconciliation, nations found new strength, new resolve, new commitment.

The South African Truth and Reconciliation enabled that nation to come to grips with its past through a public confessional, bringing forward those who committed crimes and having the power to grant amnesty for full disclosure of crimes against the people. Of course, our path may necessarily be different: High US government officials stand accused in Impeachment petitions of violating national and international law. Our continued existence as a democracy may depend upon how thoroughly we seek the truth. I will call upon the America people to join me in supporting this effort.

The truth can move us forward, as a unified whole, so that we can one day become a re-United States. 9/11 is the day the world changed. It is the day America embraced a metaphor of war. If we are open to truth and reconciliation, we may one day be able, once again, to embrace peace.

Editor: This column appears as an op/ed piece on Congressman Dennis Kucinich’s site.

The Bush/Cheney team on the move(scene from I.O.U.S.A.)

Across the country today corporate media headlines screamed the news that “an agreement has been reached” that would pull troops out of Iraq’s major cities ten months from now, in June, 2009. Read the fine print. Scrutinize between the lines. If you think all our troops are destined to come home, think again.

Yes, the United States and Iraq have “tentatively” reached an agreement that would see American troops vacated Iraq’s major cities, but that leaves a lot of ground out of the pact. That’s when the terms “broader withdrawal” and the words “tentative” and “but” come into play.

Iraqi leaders have yet to put a final stamp of approval on the deal, and as for that 2011 withdrawal date, it’s “contigent” on the implementation of additional security and on the “political progress” achieved in Iraq. So, folks, don’t hold your breath. The door is still ajar and our soldiers will still be rotating in and out of Iraq.

This agreement only touches one stressor on our military forces; we cannot forget that the door is still wide open and growing in Afghanistan, which has increasingly been a bubbling hotbed for insurgencies and terrorism.

Subject to final approval by the top Iraqi leadership, the exit date for U.S. troops would be December 2011, although American negotiators (Bush and company) insist on linking that target to additional security and political progress.

Timing is everything. The possibility of removing our troops from the Middle East is the new American Dream, fueled (1) by the insane billions of dollars we are now, as a country, indebted for, and (2) by the unconscionable number of lives lost for a war built on politically expedient lies. The longer the war drags on, the lower President Bush’s rating dip, with the end result that he’s now being called “the worst president ever.”

Timing is everything. What better way to boost the image of the Republic Party than a pre-presidential election resolution that appears to deliver a much-wanted objective without having to guarantee that the objective is met. The Republicans can “Rah Rah Rah” this issue through their upcoming convention as “mission completed” and make their party look like it has done the job after all.

It’s been done before.

In September, 2007, President Bush in a speech heard ’round the world’, attempted to support a gradual troop withdrawal:

“The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is ‘return on success’ — the more successful we are, the more American troops can return home.” (In other words, there is no, as the NY Sun explained, “no dramatic change in course.” –9.14.07

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, responded to that day’s speech with “The President failed to provide either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it.”

The NY Times immediately posted an No Exit, No Strategy editorial that said:

“Mr. Bush’s claims last night about how well the war is going are believable only if you use Pentagon numbers so obviously cooked that they call to mind the way Americans were duped into first supporting this war.”

A post editorial, The Korea Parallel, offers a darker perspective: ,

“In retrospect, Iraq may prove to be another Korea – a seemingly stalemated war in a strategically vital region that dominated a bitterly partisan presidential campaign.”

Newsday offered this editorial comment:

“[In his speech,] Bush will make it clear that, beyond a token troop reduction, he has no intention of deviating from a course of action that has produced minimal results at a heavy cost in lives and treasure – and provides no guarantees of future success.” 9.14.07

Same speech, different year.

Sen. Barack Obama

Sen. John McCain

Democratic Candidate Barack Obama has stated he wants all US forces out of Iraq within 16 months of his taking office (that’s July, 2010). He also says they are more urgently needed in Afghanistan. That means we will still have forces at war, but hopefully not as many.

Republican Candidate John McCain can’t even go that far; he says the timing of any withdrawal from Iraq must be based on “the conditions on the ground” (read: indeterminate) rather than on prearranged timetables. The Webster’s Dictionary defines “indeterminate” as “not able to be determined.” In other words: Who the hell knows?

Bush and company believe that a firm withdrawal date makes US presence more acceptable to the Iraq government and is rooted in the belief that Iraqi forces can stand on their own. It also has the caveat that some US military training forces would still be required even after 2011. Iraq has slated provincial elections in late 2008 and a national election in 2009. The new agreement being bandied about places US contractors under Iraq law while US troops remain subject to US law. Questions of immunity are reportedly the sole sticking point in this agreement.

What makes this deal so urgent?

The United Nations Security Council resolution that is the legal and binding authority for US troops to stay in Iraq ends December 31, 2009. After that, and in the absence of a an agreement for troop withdrawal in place, America’s presence in Iraq becomes illegal. It is why Britain is pulling all of its troops out by the end of the year. It will be interesting to see if Bush and company, if unable to seal the Iraq deal, will defy the UN and keep a highly visible presence in Iraq, in essence thumbing the US nose at the world.

As I read various reports on this “wonderful deal” I try to focus on the subtext, and on the terminology officially used:

• Aspirational: to aspire to (i.e. we hope that…)
• Broader withdrawal in 2011: implies that withdrawal will not be “complete”
• Contigent: it will happen if…

Troops in Iraq

The bottom line is yes, troops will be out of Iraq’s major cities … if conditions are met.

The bottom line is yes, they will out of one place … but moved to another.

The bottom line is yes … but many will be waging war in Afghanistan.

The bottom line is yes, we will remove troops from Iraq by 2011 … but we will still have a military presence there as “advisors.” Yeah, right.

In the meantime, military families can expect still more deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, because the troops there now have to be rotated home for some R&R with families before taking that 2nd, 3rd, 4th or heaven forbid, 5th tour of duty in an unending war zone.

Even with this almost-agreement, US forces will be deployed on the desert sand, waiting to step in “as needed” to assist Iraq military and police.

Some agreement!

Clarksville For Obama met recently to do its part in crafting this new national party platform. About 50 people converged at “Get Some Coffee” at the Great Escape Theater Complex along Trenton Road for Clarksville’s “Listen to America” event. Jim Robertson and Tyrone Taylor, Clarksville for Obama and Tennessee for Obama members, respectively, co-chaired the event. The meeting objective was to choose five topic areas, brainstorm to finalize, prioritize and develop enactment of those particular interest proposals. Five brainstorming groups were formed to consider the specific topics.

The final work product as developed by Clarksville area residents, concluded in the following the proposals:

War:

• Improve foreign relations with the international community and NATO.
• Reinstate Baker-Hamilton
• Address improving the Veterans Administration: elevate it to full presidential cabinet department status and non-discretionary funding
• Upgrade soldiers and veterans health care; command leadership must recognize its responsibility to support soldiers in all aspects of health care, including casting aside negative connotations regarding seeking mental health care
• Aggressive support for improving support systems for active duty military families and the families of service member casualties

Education:

• More funding of regularly budget-reduction targeted curriculum subjects of music and the arts.
• Increase funding and support for counseling and counselors.
• Support calls for quality teachers nationwide
• Encourage a 100 percent high school graduation rate.

Environment:

• Lessen dependence on foreign oil and petroleum-based energy
• Support and fund alternative energy generation and fuel development.
• Look beyond corn-based ethanol and bio-diesel development
• Wind and solar energy technologies must also be made part of the national energy profile
• Encourage and promote local recycling programs to prolong and extend useful lifespan of local landfills

Health Care:

• Establish universal health care coverage
• Exclude pre-existing condition penalties
• Include dental and mental health care coverage in addition to physical health care
• Shift Medicare and Medicaid to a universal insurance plan

Economy:

• Aggressive support for mass transit nationwide
• Insist on concentrated attention to infrastructure needs fund repair of roads, bridges, levees and waterways
• Institute a living wage and universal child care
• Encourage small business development and operations
• Encourage private individual savings and aggressively reduce the national debt

These five proposals were formalized and forwarded to the National Obama Presidential Committee for inclusion in a final report to the National Democratic Committee. This action is being repeated across the nation as the American people come together to formulate their party’s national focus for the next four years. Such initiatives truly represent citizen empowerment.

For more information on the local Clarksville for Obama group, or to sign up to host a house party, get assistance in hosting such an event or otherwise support the Obama campaign, visit their website at: <www.clarksvilleforobama.com.>

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