Greens turning Blue

Since 9/11 we've been bombarded with the message "Support the Troops" by the Bush administration. For them it seems to be more of a word thing, rather then an action thing. They can spew that rhetoric all they want, but the fact that they actually support the troops isn't shown by policy. Republicans voted to cut 14.5 billion dollars for Veterans from the 2006 budget. This year alone Republicans have voted against increasing veterans healthcare 5 times. In 2004 Republicans voted against expanding VA healthcare by 1.8 billion dollars, even though the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicted the expansion could help 3 million veterans. In 2003 they voted against a 1.019 billion dollar increase. 2001, same thing, 1.7 billion dollars turned down.

Where does that leave us? It leaves us with a long waiting list of veterans waiting to get medical help. The wait could be six months or two years. We've got aprox. 517,000 claims pending alone. The 15,000 or so wounded troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan are a lot of the waiting.

With words of "Support the Troops" spewing out of the mouths of Republicans at every chance they get, you'd figure they'd put the money where their mouth is. But instead, they let those who've served this nation suffer. Actions always speak louder then words, so let's see some action!! Until the Republicans stop voting no on raises to VA healthcare and yes on cuts, I will continue to see the doublespeak for what it is.. a crock pot full of poop roast.

Brownie you're doing a heck of a job.

I don't get it. I just don't get it. Michael Brown, head of FEMA during the Hurricane Katrina disaster is starting a disaster preparedness firm. Not too be blunt, but that's like Michael Jackson starting a day care. It's like OJ Simpson opening a knife shop. Pauly Shore starring in a movie. It makes no sense!!

Maybe Mr. Brown feels bad about how he handled the Katrina situation. Even with that in mind, Mr. Brown will always be the man on the Wheaties box, the poster child and the definition of how NOT to handle a disaster. I hope I'm wrong and that he learned a lot about what to do, instead of what he proved, which was how not to do. His first plan to deal with a hurricane and it's aftermath failed, maybe, just maybe his second plan will work.

Hardcore?

I'm on the left, looking hardcore.

More Thanksgiving.

My wife is so good to me. Even though she's quite sick, she cooked a great Thanksgiving meal for us. I helped too, pretty much just peeling potatoes, but it's the only thing I'm qualified to do. I cannot cook, bake or anything like that but I am willing to go where I'm needed. The kids enjoyed the meal a great deal, especially the turkey. They are so cute. Oh yeah they enjoyed Kerri's pumpkin pie too. I was too full from the meal to have some, but I will tonight for sure. Boy, what a day weather wise here. Snow and blowing snow all around. The wind is terrible the tempurature is terrible. Just a crummy day weather wise. Thank you Kerri, Sophie and Lily for making my life so wonderful and perfect. Thank you to the rest of my family for helping out in that too, Love yas!! I should also give a shout out too the gentlebloggers at Kickin' Ass too. You all are great. Well, I hope Thanksgiving found everyone well and you all continue to be well.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all who stumble onto this blog!! I hope you have a lot to be thankful for, but mostly I hope you have the perspective to see it. Here's to another year of memories, thankfulness, family, friendship and love.

Polls

I am by no means an expert in politics nor am I an expert in polls. I was just looking over some polls and they all look the same to me. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Hastert and Frist are low in approval. On the flip side, Democratic members of Congress are also low. This kind of speaks to me in great volumes.
I believe the reason Democratic Congress members numbers are so low is simply because a lot of Americans want them to do more to stop the GOP corruption going on all around them. Americans want the Democratic Party to do more to assure victory in Iraq, while leaving Iraq in control of the Iraqi people. Americans want the Democrats to do more for the common, middle class American bending over yet again for another round of tax cuts for the rich. I also believe Americans are sick of high gas prices, the fear of being laid off, high medical costs and high drug costs. I think the American people are looking to the Democrats for leadership, that until recently they haven't shown.
It's about time for the Democratic Party to hold hands, stand tall by the ideas they stand for and start counter-punching the GOP with plans to end everything I mentioned above. They can do it, we can do it, we're all in this together as Americans as Democrats.

Call me simple Rush but...

I was listening to Rush Limbaugh today and he got to calling the left the "blame America first" crowd yet again. He was discussing the "fact" that America does not create terrorists. I got to thinking about the Iraqi insurgents and wondering, "Would ALL these insurgents be aggresive against America's brave soldiers had we not started the war in Iraq?" I got to thinking about my family as well. Put the two thoughts together and I was left with, "No, I don't think a lot of the insurgents would be terrorists."
My reasoning behind this is simply, if a foreign invader came here to America, odds are good I would pick up arms to defend myself and my family if we were put in danger. If by chance they wounded or killed an innocent member of my family, I would do whatever I could to avenge the death of my family member. Had that foreign invader never ended up on my country's soil, I wouldn't pick up arms against anyone. Therefore by that foreign military invading my country, wounding a family member, they created a "terrorist." It's simple when it all comes down to it, Rush. Take off the empathy free tin-foil hat of hate you're wearing and feel some, you might just get a new outlook on life!!

Floodgates

With Rep. Murtha's recent resolution to redeploy out of Iraq, while keeping troops on the immediate horizon wasn't voted on, the Republicans played a trick on the American public by introducing their own bill. Here is Rep. Murtha's:

Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of American in Congress assembled, That:

Section 1. The deployment of United States Forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date.

Section 2. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region.

Section 3. The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.

Now here is what GOP leadership did to it:

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately.

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately.

I believe the GOP bastardized the resolution to shut off all debate on the war in Iraq. They pulled this stunt so they could say "Murtha didn't even vote for his own resolution." I just hope the American public will research this bill and see how the GOP bastardized this great show of leadership by Rep. Murtha. They also pushed the resolution through without much debate, at least the debate that such a resolution deserves. I hope the debate will rage on in Congress as well as in America on John Murtha's show of courage in defying this administration's "stay the course" rhetoric. By the looks of things, America is sick of staying the course.