Recently in Military Category

Forbes has pictures of prototypes and artists' renditions of yet to be built models.

At stake: $100 billion and a chance to make Arnold Schwarzenegger's driveway a little more crowded.

I hope you are all having a wonderful long weekend. TB, the kids, and I certainly are. Yesterday we had a movie night, and broke with our usual routine to dine in front of the TV. The movie was National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The movie fell somewhat short of the first due to its predictability, but the banter and special effects were top notch. And there was a hint of a third movie to come which we'll definitely want to see.

Today, the kids are over at a schoolmate's house for the afternoon. TB is taking it fairly slow since she's recovering from a tooth extraction combined with a sinus infection. Me, I've got around 35 pounds of pork shoulder (butt roast) on the smoker - it's pulled pork for dinner tonight.

Had we not received the invite for the kids, I would have liked to have driven south to the tour of Dover's Revolutionary War veterans at Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery in Dover. Did you know we lost 25,000 people in the Revolutionary War? Not all were battlefield deaths, most died from disease or in prison ships. Casualty-wise, the Revolutionary War differs dramatically from our current conflict in scope. What the first war does have in common with today is that the troops then, as now, were all volunteers.

While all those who have died in defense of our country deserve respect and remembrance today and every day, there's a special place in my thoughts for those who willingly serve knowing that they may not survive. It's a devotion and love for country and countrymen that some Americans don't feel and can't understand. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as this is a free country and folks can believe as they wish. Still, I can't fathom the need for some to take a day like this and use it to deride the sacrifices so many have made for our country.

For example, I saw a post yesterday on another blog suggesting that we separate Memorial Day into two holidays - one to "honor the troops that were drafted into fighting", and another to shower contempt upon those "schmucks that signed up for it" who "knew what they were getting into". This means volunteers, including, for example, the 25,000 I mention above and the 6.3 million who volunteered during during the second world war.

However, it's still a free country, and I don't mind having volunteered 20 years of my life toward maintaining his right to spit contempt and ignorance.

Back to the real nature of the holiday, though. TB and I wish for all of you to have a safe and happy holiday as we honor and thank those who gave us the freedoms we enjoy today.

Especially the volunteers.

An arrest was announced this morning:

A Boeing Co. assembly line worker from Trevose has been arrested on charges of hacking wires on a $30 million Chinook helicopter being assembled at a Ridley Township plant last week.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan announced the arrest today, about a week after damage was discovered on two of the new model Chinook CH-47F helicopters. The dual-rotor aircraft were still on the assembly line, and no damage was found to other models in production or already deployed.

Meehan's office identified the arrested man as Matthew K. Montgomery, 32, an employee for 18 months at the Boeing plant. Montgomery admitted that he damaged one of the aircraft he was working on, Meehan said. Montgomery was arrested last night while being interviewed by Defense Department investigators.

Apparently, I was right about the motive - the sabotage was caused by a disgruntled employee:

Meehan said he would not speculate on a motive in the Montgomery case. According to an affidavit filed in the case, Montgomery was told on May 10 - two days before the severed wires were detected on one of the Chinooks - that he was being transferred to another assembly line at Boeing.

Montgomery told investigators yesterday that he cut the wires the day he was told of the transfer, the affidavit said.

There may have been "some sense of lack of appreciation for the job he may have been doing," Meehan told reporters at a news conference.

Well, he certainly got his wish - there's no way he'll get transferred to another assembly line now.

He appeared before a judge today, and was released on own recognizance. He also agreed to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Both Boeing and the feds quickly settled on referring to this as "vandalism", rather than calling it sabotage. To me that suggested that they had an idea early on as to who and why.

They're still treating the second aircraft as a separate incident, and the investigation is ongoing.

Sorry for the quietness this morning - had a busy work day.

Boeing started production again on Chinook helicopters. If there was any doubt that this was not an accident, the Pentagon has removed it by offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the culprit.

I haven't had much time to scan news today, so please forgive me if any of this repeats what has already been reported. It's been confirmed to me that the washers were dropped into the oil sump of one of the transmissions - the one that combines the drive shafts from the engines and turns output shafts to the forward and aft rotors. The oil sump is protected by a debris screen which would have to be removed in order to place any foreign objects inside - not something that can happen by chance.

The wire harness was not cleanly cut, but looked as if someone used dull tin snips or scissors to sever, and struggled to do so. Both of the folks at the plant I spoke with agreed that this was not an accident.

I've heard that nailing the culprit may be difficult - Boeing has lots of security cameras in use to watch the perimeters of the buildings and grounds, but few positioned to view the interiors of buildings. While it may be possible that the list of potential suspects has been narrowed down to a short few, proof may be, for now, in short supply. The working assumption is that the acts occurred last weekend, when fewer folks were around to witness the damage.

Now that production has resumed, I expect the investigation will occur quietly in the background as most people will be focused on getting back on schedule. But I've been promised a call from a friend there should there be anything worth passing on. Stay tuned.

Yesterday, Boeing shut down production at the Ridley Park plant where CH-47 Chinook helicopters are assembled:

WASHINGTON - Army criminal investigators are looking into damage to two military helicopters on a production line at a Boeing Co. plant in suburban Philadelphia, prompting the company to shut down the line.

Rep. Joe Sestak, a Democrat whose district includes the plant, said Wednesday he was told that wires that appeared to be broken or severed were found in one helicopter and a suspicious washer was found in a second.

My sources (fair reliability, better than 60%) tell me that the "wires" were an entire wire harness, and the washer was more than one. The wire harness was apparently in an area where accidental breakage is highly improbable, and the washers were placed in an area where the only way they could have gotten there has to be planned and deliberate. I have a few more details but I'm waiting for confirmation before passing them on. However, I will share that at no time was there any danger of defective aircraft being delivered to the Army - Each and every aircraft is inspected thoroughly and passes a rigorous flight test regime before delivery. Additionally, these helicopters are put together the old fashioned way - by hand. That means lots of eyes on each aircraft each day, and chances are good that these problems would have been discovered outside of any quality process. I know many of these folks personally, and they take a great deal of pride in what they do.

Boeing sent home over 100 production workers yesterday, and todays production crew, including evening shifts, were told to remain home save for a minimal crew to assist in inspecting the other 6 aircraft on the assembly line.

As to a motive (should this be determined to be deliberate), there are several possibilities I can think of:

• Disgruntled employee - the most likely cause in my opinion. Someone who's been under fire at work recently may have decided to "get even".
• Corporate sabotage - Boeing is in a battle with Lockheed and Sikorsky over a $15 billion contract for USAF aircraft called CSAR, for Combat Search and Rescue. Boeing initially won the contract but the award has been tied up by numerous challenges to the government from the losers. One of the reasons Boeing initially won was low risk, a series of "mishaps" could certainly cast a shadow over that advantage.
• Domestic dissident - Chinook aircraft are, after all, military aircraft. There are a number of our own citizens who hold the administration, the military, and the war in contempt. Not everyone who works in the defense industry is a Republican.

I think the likelihood of international espionage is small, as this is a manufacturing site with the type of security you'd expect at a defense contractor. They don't do tours or allow unscreened visitors.

I have a personal interest in this one, so I'll be watching closely and let you know what develops.

If John McCain runs this as a campaign ad, he's gonna have an easy time in November.

Unlike the candidates who actually had access to classified intelligence, he opposed the war from the beginning. In other words, he opposed the war based on... ignorance. Good luck with that.

"I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems." Sheer stupidity. How can you prove a system if you don't invest in it?

"I will slow our development in Future Combat Systems." You know, the massive Army program that has spawned all of the force protection and unmanned systems that are saving soldier's lives. Yes, while it's true that the systems being fielded today aren't technically part of FCS, they wouldn't have been developed as fast or in some cases not at all had it not been for the investment in FCS. Maybe Senator Obama would prefer that Army doctrine return to the days of trench warfare - it worked in WWI, after all.

Considering his view of FCS and missile defense, his statement about the quadrennial review really comes into focus. What would Barack consider to be unnecessary defense spending? Pretty much all of it, by the looks of it.

As for nukes - is he talking about the same Russia that's been pining for the good ol' days lately? Is he really so naive as to believe that everyone else will dispose of their nuclear weapons after we do? A nuclear weapons-free world is a nice goal. But to assume that Putin will suddenly start wearing flowers in his hair because Obama asks nicely is more than a little naive. It's downright dangerous. Oh, and notice he doesn't mention China.

When it comes to national defense, Obama's views sound less like a potential Commander-In-Chief and more like Jane Fonda. Is this really what you want for a President?

Via AP/Yahoo:

BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Baghdad on Sunday, the military said, pushing the overall American death toll in the five-year war to at least 4,000. The grim milestone came on a day when at least 61 people were killed across the country.

Well, I guess we know what the topic of the week is going to be for the Democrat candidates. Expect more dishonest tripe from both as Obama claims his ignorance-based stance on the war shows better judgment than that of those who actually had access to intel, and watch Hillary spin like a top as she regrets basing her Iraq war vote on facts instead of opinion polls of the moonbat wing of her party. And both will attack each other on which plan for surrender waves the white flag faster and higher.

Lost in all of this will be the troops, some of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom while the left continues to actively undermine the morale and mission of those that remain.

As a military retiree, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the men and women currently serving their country. Your tireless devotion, courage, and professionalism are appreciated.

The Wall Street Journal answers your questions - apparently, it's a lot like the good ol' days, when service was more than a bag of peanuts and a soda:

Airman Fauci, a diminutive blonde, was working in supply management on the flight line of an F-16 squadron in New Mexico two years ago. When she told her base commander she planned to leave the service at the end of her four-year stint and apply to be a flight attendant at Southwest Airlines, the officer put her in touch with the 89th Airlift Wing. Soon after she was selected, Ms. Fauci re-enlisted for four more years. She has traveled to foreign destinations ranging from Australia to Belgium, serving first lady Laura Bush and members of Congress.

When it came time to serve the new cookies on Secretary Gates's trip to College Station, the extra work paid off. They "were so much better," she says. And when the passengers noticed they were shaped like Texas, "they thought that was awesome."

Just doing the jobs that American flight attendants (and Southwest, Northwest, Delta, US Air, Continental, etc.) won't do.

Posted on Delaware Watch is the below video on Diego Garcia. I'm not studied on the primary subject of British policy in Diego Garcia, but the second minute of the piece paints the US military as baby killers. Sadly, this kind of disgusting totally untrue smear of the troops happens far too frequently in leftist circles. It is beyond dispute that no military in history has worked harder than ours to avoid civilian casualties.

The piece does show what appears to be horrible treatment of the indigenous population of Diego Garcia. However, its view of the U.S. military is so dishonestly wrong that the rest of the piece is highly suspect.

There's a lesson here. Journalists who really care about exposing injustices should check any ideology at the door else risk discrediting any good they might accomplish. Same goes for those who spread it.

Update: If the atrocities outlined in the film are real, then notable are the dates - the key years for the United States' involvement are between 1961 and 1968 - all during Democrat administrations.

I'm sure that makes it all OK, right? Since it was for the "common good", after all...

This post was blocked by Blogrolling.

Two clips - the first is the USAF-produced newser, the second is raw footage of Maggie being loaded into the shipping container and aircraft.

You never, ever see this happening with donkeys. Donkeys hate the military.

The Air Force article with more details can be found here.

H/T Michelle Malkin for the Danny Glover link.

I couldn't help but think back to the visit his vile bunch of haters made to Delaware. Kristin Harty recalls the event in the Wilmington News-Journal today:

Demonstrators from Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church huddled together with their signs.

"God Hates Fags."

"Fags Doom Nations."

"Thank God for Dead Soldiers," some of the signs read.

Then one of the demonstrators smiled at Dunn and spit on the American flag.

"Can't you do anything about that?" Dunn asked one of the dozens of policemen protecting the protesters.

"Not a thing," the policeman said.

Thankfully for the family of Cpl. Cory Palmer, the town of Seaford poured out into the streets to counter the Kansas group's disgusting display. The town made sure the location of the protest was out of view from where friends and family paid their respects to Cory. A funeral for a fallen hero is surely a sad event, but thanks to many Seaford residents, it was also a proud day for Delaware as over a thousand folks stood up for their own.

It wasn't just Seaford residents. Ms. Harty doesn't mention the efforts of 370+ Patriot Guard Riders, who helped to cancel the sick vitriol from Phelps' haters.

Marine Corporal Cory Palmer, 21, died on May 6, 2006 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Tex., from wounds received while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar Province. One of Delaware's own, and a true hero.

Paul Tibbets, 92, passed away yesterday. Paul was the pilot of the "Enola Gay", the B-29 bomber that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima during WWII.

Most of the coverage I've seen on the news sites centers on controversies surrounding the atomic bomb that helped bring about the end of the war with Japan. I won't deal with that here.

Paul Tibbet was part of a generation that placed country above self. He and the others who served in WWII answered the call from their nation with courage and honor, and enjoyed the support of a grateful American public. Today's America could learn some valuable lessons from that era.

Rest in peace, Paul Tibbets.

From yesterday evening on Fox News (via Hot Air):

I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.

A few folks were willing to give him a pass the last time. Not me, and I knew he'd repeat it sooner or later. To Charlie, our troops are greedy and/or desperate mercenaries who lack the civic spirit to join the military for altruistic reasons.

And we get some insight as to why he feels this way: "...as I did when I was 18 years old". Since the only reason Charlie joined was to escape his own poor neighborhood, that must be why everyone else joins. Very sad.

Maybe the lack of opportunity was what drove him to seek public office as well. You know, 'cause nobody would submit to being interviewed on Fox News if they had a decent career.

Tomorrow, while we're all furiously scanning the news for hints of how the election may be going, some folks will be spending a painful day in a hospital. Thank goodness there are some folks who didn't forget:

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Players for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be a big hit when they visit hospitalized veterans Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the James a. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, Fla., to celebrate Veterans Day.

Attending will be wide receiver Joey Galloway, defensive end Dewayne White and center John Wade, who are scheduled to visit the hospital at 2 p.m., signing autographs, presenting patients with souvenirs, and helping brighten the day for those who have sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom. The Buccaneers are the 2005 NFL South Division Champions and won Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 with a 48-21 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

The Buccaneers players will visit the James A. Haley VA Medical Center, 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in advance of Veterans Day, bringing team pennants for all the patients and footballs for severely wounded Iraq War veterans at the Tampa VA Polytrauma Center.

I've never been a Tampa Bay fan. But at least for tomorrow, I will be.

And thanks to the DAV for setting it up!

Update: But wait! There's more! Now I get to be a fan of the Ravens, too!

BALTIMORE, Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Players for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens will be a big hit when they visit hospitalized veterans Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in Baltimore, Md., as part of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Celebrity Entertainment Program.

Ravens running back Musa Smith, fullback Justin Green and offensive lineman Jason Brown are scheduled to visit the hospital at 11 a.m., signing autographs, presenting patients with souvenirs, and helping brighten the day for those who have sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom. The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2001 defeating the New York Giants 34-7.

The visit by the Ravens players to the Baltimore VA Medical Center, 10 North Greene Street, will be their first as part of the DAV Celebrity Entertainment Program. They join other NFL teams, Major and Minor League Baseball players, NASCAR drivers, country music singers and others participating in the program. They are generously donating their time to remember the men and women who sacrificed greatly in defense of liberty.

"We are proud to welcome the Baltimore Ravens to our Celebrity Entertainment Program," said DAV National Commander Bradley S. Barton. "I know that their visit to the Baltimore VA medical center will bring a great deal of joy to the men and women veterans being treated there. Many of these wonderful veterans rarely get visitors. They have sacrificed a great deal to defend our nation's liberty, and they should get the respect and care they deserve."

Update 2: Bears!

CHICAGO, Nov. 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Players for the NFL's Chicago Bears will be a big hit when they visit hospitalized veterans Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, Ill., as part of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Celebrity Entertainment Program.

Wide receiver Rashied Davis and defensive end Copeland Bryan are scheduled to visit the hospital at 11 a.m., signing autographs, presenting patients with souvenirs, and helping brighten the day for those who have sacrificed so much for the cause of freedom. The Bears have won nine football championships, including Super Bowl XX. The team has 26 members enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the most of any team.

From Kerry's website earlier:

Statement of Senator John Kerry

As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.

I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.

It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don’t want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops.

"I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative..." - In other words, "It's a shame that the troops (and the rest of you ignorant peasants as well) are too lazy and uneducated to understand the finely nuanced humor from my superior intellect."

This is as forced an apology as I've ever heard. And the addition of swipes at the right just give the impression that he hasn't had a change of heart since he made the "I don't apologize" speech yesterday. He's sorry anyone was offended, but not sorry he said it.

Even if, as he says, was making a joke about Bush, it would still warrant an apology. I've griped about the level of discourse in politics before, nowhere is it more of a problem than among our elected officials. The decline of statesmanship in Congress over the last thirty years is truly shameful. As a country, we deserve for our elected officials to set standards for dignity and grace. They can and should disagree - just act like adults.

Making jokes about the troops or the president in this manner is simply juvenile. It shows a distinct lack of maturity and character. The inability to offer a simple and contrite apology when necessary is a serious flaw - one that Kerry seems determined to display over and over.

Nope - this didn't cut it.

I'd heard about this, stored it, then promptly forgot about it. Thank goodness for this press release:

The National Museum of the Marine Corps Dedication will take place on Friday, Nov. 10, in conjunction with the Marine Corps Birthday, with some 15,000 invited guests including the President of the United States, Cabinet members, all living former Commandants of the Marine Corps and Marine delegations from 50 states. The Dedication Ceremony will be hosted by Jim Lehrer, Marine, executive editor and anchor of "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," on PBS. Marine and American Idol finalist Josh Gracin will perform in the dedication's prelude program. All media are invited to attend; museum dedication credentials are required.

To commemorate Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11, veterans groups and military families will tour the museum. A candlelight memorial service for fallen Marines and the dedication of Semper Fidelis Park will also be held at the museum at 5 p.m. All media are invited to attend; museum dedication credentials are required.

I don't know if it will be open to the general public on either of those days, but if you're in the area, it would be worth looking in to. If you go, let me know what you think. I work with several retired marines who would all be there if they could.

My personal view from knowing lots of Marines over the years is that the museum will be wholly inadequate. There are far more great Marine stories than any museum could tell. Even so, it would still be worth the trip.

...in today's Washington Post to decry Republican name-calling. In the process, he continues to show why Democrats like him don't deserve to be in power. His message is unmistakably clear - Iraq is hard, we might lose, so we should give up.

Had the forefathers of this country decided that the possibility of losing was enough not to try, we'd still be a colony today. How about WWII? Winning wasn't a given when we engaged in Europe - matter of fact, we went over there because our allies were losing. Murtha's head-in-the-sand brand of defeatism would have condemned Europe to defeat at the hands of Hitler all because it was too hard.

Is Iraq a mess? Yes. Do the Iraqi people deserve the even worse chaos and loss of life that would ensue if we simply pulled up stakes and abandoned them? No.

Murtha was quite the humanitarian when speaking out on the loss of Iraqi life when he claimed our troops were killing them in cold blood without the benefit of a complete investigation. If our continued presence while the Iraqis gradually take over saves lives that would otherwise be lost in the expanded sectarian violence that would surely erupt if we left now, why wouldn't Murtha support that? Cause it wouldn't further his political ambitions? Some humanitarian, eh?

Lots of things are hard, Jack. Lots are painful, too. Running away from things that are right because they might be hard and/or painful shouldn't be the trademark of a decorated veteran.

Very unusual in an AP story - a tale of heroism:

CORONADO, Calif. - A Navy SEAL sacrificed his life to save his comrades by throwing himself on top of a grenade Iraqi insurgents tossed into their sniper hideout, fellow members of the elite force said.

Please go read the rest.

Update: Must remember to search before posting. Shoulda known Froggy was on top of this over at Blackfive.

Kit has chapter 2 and chapter 3 of her series about the Pendleton Eight posted. Doesn't disappoint. We disagree on a point or two, but I'll wait until the series is completely posted to comment. Suffice to say that on most of her major points, I agree. These men appear to be getting a raw deal and the military needs to address the problem.

is being discussed in a series of posts starting today by the always excellent Kit Jarrell of Euphoric Reality. This is not only the must read of the day, but the rest of the series as it gets posted should be watched for as well:

Now imagine that you are sitting in an 8×8 cell, as are seven of your brothers, waiting to find out if your promise to remain faithful will in fact result in your death–not in a hail of enemy fire, not in the blinding explosion of a terrorist’s bomb, but by the sterile needle of a lethal injection, administered by the very country you spent your adult life defending. You have been shackled, wearing a label that says “PVD”: potentially violent and dangerous. You have been here for over a month now, in solitary confinement for almost 24 hours a day, with nothing to do but pray that someone stands up for you, just as you did for them. But hope is dwindling. Your military attorneys don’t have time to help you, and your civilian attorneys are being denied access to evidence that would prove you’re innocent–no autopsy of the man they say you murdered in cold blood, no witnesses, nothing.

Kit also provides links for those who wish to help - also recommended.

It matters little if you believe these men innocent or guilty - they deserve to be treated fairly by the military justice system, and by all indication, they haven't been.

I would also recommend writing to your elected officials in Congress. Unless, of course, you live in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District, where your representative is likely in his favorite rocking chair knitting nooses instead of flags. Those folks should write to someone else's Representative instead.

Via AP/Yahoo:

The government announced Thursday that a person officials would not identify had turned in the laptop and external drive, which were stolen from a VA data analyst on May 3. The FBI said an initial review determined that the contents had not been accessed or copied.

This turns yesterday's good news in to today's very good news. While issues surrounding privacy and computer security urgently need addressing, the most immediate concern should be the welfare of the veterans affected by the theft. The FBI is conducting additional forensic testing of the computer, but a gut read of this suggests high confidence that the data wasn't used, else the FBI would have deferred making a statement until deeper tests had been performed.

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson isn't off the hook, though. While disaster may have been avoided, the fact remains that improper handling of personal data caused a situation that could have been much worse. The recovery of the laptop should not in any way reduce the sense of urgency to investigate the causes and take corrective action.

Via CNN:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government has recovered the stolen laptop computer containing sensitive data for up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson announced Thursday.

Nicholson also said there have been no reports of identity theft since the May 3 burglary at the Maryland home of an agency employee.

"There is reason to be optimistic," he told reporters just before the start of another in a series of hearings Congress has had on one of the worst breaches of information security.

"It's a very positive note in this very tragic incident," Nicholson said.

Nicholson offered no immediate details on how the laptop was recovered.

This is indeed very good news. Assuming the database wasn't copied, the chances that veterans will suffer identity theft have diminished greatly.

As I said last night, there are still questions to be answered as to whether this was a single individual disobeying rules or an institutional failure. The hearings should certainly continue in order to discover how best to prevent this kind of thing from happening again.

The AP reports it has documents showing the permission level of the VA analyst in the stolen laptop case:

WASHINGTON - The Veterans Affairs worker faulted for losing veterans' personal information had permission to access millions of Social Security numbers on a laptop from home, agency documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

The story summarized the documents:

The documents show that the data analyst, whose name was being withheld, had approval as early as Sept. 5, 2002, to use special software at home that was designed to manipulate large amounts of data.

A separate agreement, dated Feb. 5, 2002, from the office of the assistant secretary for policy and planning, allowed the worker to access Social Security numbers for millions of veterans.

A third document, also issued in 2002, gave the analyst permission to take a laptop computer and accessories for work outside of the VA building.

"These data are protected under the Privacy Act," one document states. The analyst is the "lead programmer within the Policy Analysis Service and as such needs access to real Social Security numbers."

There's also going to be a hearing in the House tomorrow featuring the testimony of VA Secretary Jim Nicholson and others.

The piling on and upchanneling of blame is starting as well:

"The gross negligence in this case are the people above him," said Rep. Bob Filner (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., the acting top Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. "They gave him express permission to take the information home. When it was stolen, he reported it right away."

"They're trying to pin it on this one guy, but I think it's other people we need to be looking at," he said.

Meanwhile, President Bush requested funds to help the VA deal with the fallout:

Separately, the president asked in a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., for the $160.5 million to help the VA cover the costs of credit monitoring and fraud watch services.

The money would be taken from programs in the departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Labor, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs whose money would otherwise go unused or from programs previously set for elimination, according to Scott Milburn, spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget.

And the requisite bickering to go along with it:

Some Democrats said money to pay for veterans' protection should not come at the expense of other programs.

"It's outrageous to first expose millions of Americans to credit fraud and identity theft and then to try to cut food stamps, student loans, and youth programs to pay for it," said Sen. Patty Murray (news, bio, voting record), D-Wash. "This is a new problem that needs to be solved with new money."

The budget is fixed each year, and even discretionary funds get spoken for pretty quickly. Be afraid whenever a politician is looking for "new money". At least the rationale for the funds is a good one:

Nicholson told lawmakers this week that the money would cover monitoring for about half of the 17.5 million people whose Social Security numbers were compromised. He said it also would pay for out-of-pocket expenses ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 for those whose identities are stolen.

If there are any identities stolen - and so far, none have - this sounds like it would take care of all but the very worst cases.

Kinda makes you wonder how much the lawyers who brought suit have the troops' interests at heart - remember, they've blocked the VA from publicizing this assistance out of concern that it would diminish their award.

Additionally, from the descriptions of the documents the AP gives, I'm unconvinced that the unnamed worker had permission to take the personal data home with him, as the article suggests. The first document apparently deals with software - not data. The second gives permission to access social security numbers - something that would be necessary for work performed at the office, AP doesn't directly say that the permission extended to home in the document's description. And the third simply gives permission to take the laptop ouside the facility - something that would be required if he was subject to travel on department business. All three seem fairly ordinary.

My problem with AP's description is the lack of anything that looks like a smoking gun. The type of documents described above would be government forms or boilerplate letters, and very specific in scope. If any of the documents gave specific permission to take the live database home, why no quote?

Hopefully some of this will get clarified as the AP updates the story, or during the testimony in the House tomorrow. I'm still fairly angry about the situation, but not ready to assign blame until I learn more.

I don't often quote entire articles, but this one is important to a lot of folks I know, and I have some questions that hopefully one of my readers who have legal experience could answer. Via AP/Yahoo:

WASHINGTON - A federal judge temporarily has barred the government from publicizing its free credit monitoring offer to veterans whose personal data was stolen and wants to see if they might get a better federal offer.

Lawyers who have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the 26.5 million veterans and active-duty troops affected contend that accepting the government's offer could jeopardize their chance of winning more money in the privacy suit.

U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman in Kentucky scheduled a hearing this Friday to determine whether the Veterans Affairs Department should revise its offer. His order on the credit monitoring was issued late last Friday.

The suit seeks free monitoring and other credit protection for an indefinite period as well as $1,000 in damages for each person — or up to $26.5 billion total — in what has become one of the nation's largest information security breaches.

Last week, the department announced its plan to offer free monitoring for a year to millions of veterans and nearly all active-duty military troops whose names, birthdates and Social Security numbers were stolen May 3 from a VA data analyst's home in suburban Maryland.

The department said it would send out letters to affected veterans and military personnel in early August — after it solicits bids from contractors — on how to sign up for the free service. It also posted information on the government's Web site.

But in court papers, lawyers for veterans said the VA's deal was "incomplete and misleading." The VA must make clear whether veterans who take the government deal will have to give up their rights in court to a potentially larger payout, lawyer Marc Mezibov wrote.

A spokesman for the VA did not have an immediate comment Sunday.

Last week, a Senate committee approved $160 million to pay for the credit monitoring for veterans. It is one of many expected payments as the government struggles with fallout from data breaches crossing at least six agencies.

The VA alone has spent more than $14 million so far to notify veterans by letter and set up a call center, and it is spending an additional $200,000 a day to maintain the call center.

Class-action suits filed by veterans alleging privacy violations are pending in Covington, Ky., and Washington, D.C.

OK, the questions:

The article doesn't say the VA is banned from helping, just publicizing it. Is that a typo? If not, what good does that do for anyone?

The lawyers are suing for cash plus credit monitoring. If the Gov't offers the credit monitoring, how does that hurt the case in any way? Or are the lawyers looking at the value of the monitoring as part of the basis for determining their fee?

By the way, here's the press release from the VA about the credit monitoring service. I see no hint of "veterans who take the government deal will have to give up their rights in court to a potentially larger payout" anywhere in there. From where are they getting this?

For what it's worth, I'm not very impressed by this suit in the first place. If my data (which was on the laptop that was stolen) is actually used for some criminal purpose, of course I want Uncle Sam to fix the damage. But so far there's no indication that the information is being used by anyone. Credit monitoring seems appropriate, and after enough time has passed to be reasonably sure that this was a non-event, will no longer necessary. Credit monitoring for life - essentially what they're asking for - seems expensive and unecessary.

The theft of the laptop alone doesn't seem to me enough to justify an award. Until my data is actually used in some way, I don't have a reason to sue anyone. Of course, once that happens, the damage may add up to much more than a grand. Will this class action prevent me from making a claim if that happens?

Unfortunately, I don't see that this suit benefits veterans in the least. If any vets experience real harm, this isn't going to be much help. For those that weren't harmed, at best it makes them unwitting accomplices to what appears to be yet another money grab from some opportunistic lawyers. What's the fee for this sort of thing - 30%? 40%? More? This looks like a retirement event for a few lawyers who fixed a problem that didn't exist and prevented future real problems from being addressed.

Anyone know the answers?

If you weren't aware, today marks 10 years since a truck filled with explosives was detonated outside the Khobar Towers dormitory in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Air Force Magazine (which I read regularly) has a very well written article marking the anniversary.

One of those killed that day was MSgt Ken Kitson. I worked with Ken (or "KK", as we called him) while I was stationed at Eglin AFB with the 33rd Fighter Wing. We both deployed to King Faisal Air Base near Tabuk, Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

I remember Ken for his good humor, his positive attitude, and the genuine concern he had for the people he worked with. As a natural and intuitive leader, he was respected and well-liked by all who had the good fortune to know him.

When I had a need for advice (or just to vent a little), I frequently sought Ken out. What I learned from Ken during that time has stuck with me over the years, and I consider that much of what I've accomplished since I owe in part to his mentorship.

Although I tried a couple of times, I've never felt that I properly thanked him for being a teacher and a friend.

Rest in peace, and God Bless You, Ken.

Other bloggers are noting this anniversary as well:

Cao's Blog
Capital Region People
Euphoric Reality
Right Voices
Strategic Outlook Institute
Michelle Malkin

Or at least that's the plan (H/T Protein Wisdom):

Marine may call Murtha as witness

A criminal defense attorney for a Marine under investigation in the Haditha killings says he will call a senior Democratic congressman as a trial witness, if his client is charged, to find out who told the lawmaker that U.S. troops are guilty of cold-blooded murder.

Attorney Neal A. Puckett told The Washington Times that Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, briefed Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, on the Nov. 19 killings of 24 Iraqis in the town north of Baghdad. Mr. Murtha later told reporters that the Marines were guilty of killing the civilians in "cold blood." Mr. Murtha said he based his statement on Marine commanders, whom he did not identify.

Mr. Puckett said such public comments from a congressman via senior Marines amount to "unlawful command influence." He said potential Marine jurors could be biased by the knowledge that their commandant, the Corps' top officer, thinks the Haditha Marines are guilty.

"Congressman Murtha will be one of the first witnesses I call to the witness stand," Mr. Puckett said yesterday.

Mr. Puckett represents Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, an eight-year Marine who was a key participant in the Haditha operations that resulted in the 24 civilian deaths.

I don't know if the claim of unlawful command influence will have any traction - but somebody in the command structure thought these Marines were guilty. And the choice of Murtha as a recipient of the leak shows malice as it should have been predictable what would be done with it.

But the fact is that we don't yet know what the truth is regarding Haditha. I'm hoping they're innocent, but recognize that it could go the way of those who hope that they're guilty. If you're reading this and saying "but I don't hope they're guilty - I just know they are" then you're being dishonest. You can't know any more than I can since the facts haven't all been revealed. Only a fool driven by more emotion than brains could reach a conclusion of innocence or guilt on the public facts as they currently stand.

So if you believe they're guilty, it's not fact, but hope alone that drives you, and I don't have it in me to even pity you.

Murtha has hope, too. Political gain seems like such a petty motive, doesn't it? But his reprehensable act cuts both ways - if there is something that the Marines should be brought to justice for, Murtha and his informant may have given them the tools to avoid it. If they're innocent, they'll never be able to remove the stain that's been smeared on them.

That's not something to be proud of, folks. Why don't some of you "hopefuls" tell me again how courageous and patriotic Murtha is - OK?

Update (5:00pm EST): Okay, okay - I had a change of heart on the drive home from work. "Patriotism" is overused nowadays anyway - just like "integrity". Both are terrific concepts, but the application of each changes dramatically depending on perspective.

So in all fairness, it's entirely possible that Murtha believes that selling out a few Marines to achieve his party's and his own objectives is beneficial to the country, therefore, patriotic. You know, kinda like that woman down in Texas who claimed that the only way to save her kids was to drown them. So, in that spirit, the last paragraph of this post is corrected to read:

That's not something to be proud of, folks. Why don't some of you "hopefuls" tell me again how Murtha did the right thing - OK?

There. I feel so much better now.

Today's first sighting - AP:

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon Thursday confirmed that 2,500 U.S. troops have died in the Iraq war since it began more than three years ago. The grim milestone was announced just hours before the House was to begin a symbolic election-year debate over the war, with Republicans rallying against calls by some Democrats to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

I take back the nice remarks.

Via AP/Yahoo

WASHINGTON - Personal data on more than 2.2 million active-duty military personnel — not just 50,000 as initially believed — were among those stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee last month, the government said Tuesday.

VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said the agency was mistaken when it said over the weekend that up to 50,000 Navy and National Guard personnel — and no other active-duty personnel — were affected by the May 3 burglary.

In fact, names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of as many as 1.1 million active-duty personnel from all the armed forces, along with 430,000 members of the National Guard, and 645,000 members of the Reserves, may have been included.

The rest of the estimated 26.5 million records are from retired and separated military. The story also mentions lawsuits have already been filed:

It also came as a coalition of veterans' groups charged in a lawsuit against the federal government Tuesday that their privacy rights were violated by the theft. The class-action lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, is the second suit since the VA disclosed the burglary two weeks ago.

Personally, I think the lawsuits are premature. It's still too early to determine how much damage this will cause (so far there's been no indication that the data has been used), and there's still a slim possibility that the computer will be recovered in the coming weeks.

When this first broke, there was mention of letters being sent out to those affected. Have any of my veteran readers received one? I have not, and now wonder if perhaps I'm not affected, or I am and it got lost in the mail, or what...

Arianna hits bottom and digs yesterday as she shows her utter contempt for the troops and advises Democrats to sell out our military for political gain as "drugged up, hallucinating, and stressed out" killers for whom Haditha is an everyday occurance.

She starts by extending allegations about Haditha to all the troops.

It means the killings in Haditha -- like Abu Ghraib, like Bagram, like Guantanamo, like all the everyday, unheralded horrors perpetrated on innocent Iraqi civilians -- have made America less safe.

After all, says Arianna, smearing our troops is the moral thing to do. She continues by expressing her approval of Murtha's use of the tactic:

This is the issue that nationalizes the 2006 races. It's the right stance strategically (as Jack Murtha has been saying for months). It's the right stance morally. And it's also the right stance politically.

This is disgustingly cold and calculating by anyone's standards. But hey, it's about regaining power, right? After all, painting them as "baby killers" worked before...

And to Arianna, this represents an opportunity to be exploited - nothing more.

If Democrats can make this their defining issue, they can stop worrying about the laundry list of "what ifs" they are now obsessing over: What if people forget about Katrina and Abramoff and DeLay? What if gas prices come down? What if GOP gerrymandering trumps voter unrest? What if the gay marriage ruse works again? What if, what if, what if...

They need to calm their nerves and keep it simple. It's about making us safe, stupid. And keeping our worn-out, stressed-out, missionless troops in Iraq is making us less -- much less -- safe.

This is not just sick - it exposes an icy vacuum where heart and soul should be. In Arianna's case, I think the last thin veil of "I support the troops" - if indeed it was ever visible - has forever fallen away.

Update: Welcome Blackfive readers!

And they all belong to veterans:

WASHINGTON - Personal data, including Social Security numbers of 26.5 million U.S. veterans, was stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee this month after he took the information home without authorization, the department said Monday.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said there was no evidence so far that the burglars who struck the employee's home have used the personal data — or even know they have it. The employee, a data analyst whom Nicholson would not identify, has been placed on leave pending a review.

That's nearly 9% of the population, folks. When are people who maintain this kind of information going to learn?

By the way, this likely affects me - since I'm a veteran.

More later when I cool down.

Scientists Probe the Use of the Tongue

PENSACOLA, Fla. - In their quest to create the super warrior of the future, some military researchers aren't focusing on organs like muscles or hearts. They're looking at tongues.

Ick. This makes me kinda glad I'm retired.

I heard about this from the radio while taking my 2nd-grader to the bus stop. Via AP/Yahoo:

DOVER, Del. - A C-5 cargo plane with 17 people aboard crashed near the Dover Air Force Base Monday morning, according to a state public safety official.

There is no word on fatalities but Department of Public Safety assistant director Allen Metheny said some injuries have been reported. Some patients are being taken to a local hospital and others were being taken to a trauma center.

It's not clear if the plane was landing or taking off when it crashed around 6:45 a.m.

The plane broke into three pieces, with the cockpit separated from the fuselage and a wing shattered. It wasn't immediately clear whether the plane was taking off or landing when it crashed.

The C-5 is one of the Air Force's largest cargo planes and is designed to carry very heavy cargo loads on transcontinental deployments.

Yet despite its size, the C-5 is desigend to be a versatile aircraft which can fly non-stop for 2,500 miles at jet speeds and is able to re-fuel in air. The plane, made by Lockheed Martin, can take off and land on relatively short, unpaved air strips, and can load cargo from both ends at once.

The C-5 also has a respectable safety record. Prior to today, only 5 had been lost since it entered service in 1970. I flew (as a passenger) on C-5s several times during my active duty career - a truly impressive aircraft.

Some of you may know that I live in Newark, Delaware. I occasionally travel to Dover AFB, and enjoy meeting and speaking with the active duty professionals there. TB and I are thankful that there were no fatalities, and our prayers are with the 17 passengers and crew for a rapid and complete recovery from their injuries.

Via AP/Yahoo:

Army Teaches Troops How to Pick a Spouse

WASHINGTON - They are the Pentagon's new "rules of engagement" — the diamond ring kind. U.S. Army chaplains are trying to teach troops how to pick the right spouse, through a program called "How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk."

I'm sure that this program will be widely ridiculed, but folks who have served (like me) will tell you story after story of fellow troops who could have used the advice. I've known way too many to marry within weeks after the first date, or marry a foreign national whose singular goal was to gain entry into the US. While sometimes these marriages work out well, all too often they end tragically, adding to the high rates of divorce and domestic violence in military communities.

Kudos to the Army for supporting the person as well as the warrior.

This from CNS is speculative but interesting:

Having ascended to the national stage as one of the most vocal critics of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq, Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha has long downplayed the controversy and the bitterness surrounding the two Purple Hearts he was awarded for military service in Vietnam.

Murtha is a retired marine and was the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to Congress. Since 1967, there have been at least three different accounts of the injuries that purportedly earned Murtha his Purple Hearts. Those accounts also appear to conflict with the limited military records that are available, and Murtha has thus far refused to release his own military records.

A Cybercast News Service investigation also reveals that one of Murtha's former Democratic congressional colleagues and a fellow decorated Vietnam veteran, Don Bailey of Pennsylvania, alleges that Murtha admitted during an emotional conversation on the floor of the U.S. House in the early 1980s that he did not deserve his Purple Hearts.

"[Murtha] is putting himself forward as some combat veteran with serious wounds and he's using that and it's dishonest and it's wrong," Bailey told Cybercast News Service on Jan. 9. Murtha served in the Marines on active duty and in the reserves from 1952 until his retirement as a colonel in 1990. He volunteered for service in Vietnam and was a First Marine Regiment intelligence officer in 1966 and 1967.

You'd think after the beating he's taken over the cut and run statements, Murtha would want to keep this issue from causing even more damage.

Of course, his medals could very well be legit. Rep Murtha, why not end the speculation by releasing your complete military record? All it takes is one simple form - after you get done, you can give lessons to John Kerry...

Update (12:15 PM EST): Ya gotta admit the folks at CNS know how to stir the pot - now they have the Washington Post on their trail - duck, guys! The WaPo quotes Nancy Pelosi, who predictably and breathlessly says:

"The Swift Boat-like attacks on an American hero, Congressman Jack Murtha, are despicable and have no place in politics."

Since we all know the Swift Boat crowd was never effectively disputed, Nancy must be telling us the CNS story is true. Although her contention that truth is despicable and has no place in politics is a little over the top...

Update 2 (1:19 PM EST): Ed Morrissey throws down on CNS' story:

If someone wants to attack John Murtha's policy statements, there's ample room for criticism there. If people have issues with his defeatism, then they should specifically call Murtha out for that. Let's not get into denigrating a former Marine's commendations when he has not abused them himself for political purposes, especially when he has such a long record of honorable military service.

As I said in the comments - Murtha has made his own bed politically by his statements made in this century. There's no need to go back fifty years for irrelevant stuff.

Also, here's Murtha's response, from of all places, the Huffington Post (thanks, Cap'n Ed):

"Questions about my record are clearly an attempt to distract attention from the real issue, which is that our brave men and women in uniform are dying and being injured every day in the middle of a civil war that can be resolved only by the Iraqis themselves."

"I volunteered for a year's duty in Vietnam. I was out in the field almost every single day. We took heavy casualties in my regiment the year that I was there. In my fitness reports, I was rated No. 1. My record is clear."

Update 3 (2:00 PM EST): Greyhawk weighs in as well:

Let me be clear: attacks on Murtha's Vietnam record are pointless. Murtha's latest statements against the success of US troops in Iraq speak for themselves; his current behavior renders his past insignificant. Democrats, grown tired of waiting for an attack on Murtha's war record from the Right, have created their own. He's painted as a victim now - of "right wing chickenhawk" contempt for real war heroes. But those serious about standing up to the current John Murtha would be well advised to let his fellow Democrats and the mainstream media keep this war "unilateral".

That's the goal of 16 year-old Shauna Fleming:

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Shauna Fleming, 16, was recently challenged by Ret General Richard B. Myers, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to collect another million thank you letters for U.S. military members serving around the world. With over 1.6 million letters, notes and emails already collected and distributed to members of the U.S. Armed Forces through her "A Million Thanks.org" campaign, Fleming's new goal is to collect a million Valentine cards and messages in the next 30 days. Be reaching her goal, Fleming will have symbolically given a thank you to every man and woman actively serving in the U.S. military including Reservists.

"2.6 in 2006 is my New Year's Resolution," said Fleming from her home in Orange, Calif. "The Department of Defense's, 'America Supports You' effort that I joined last year, is also helping through their Web site http://www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil , so I just might be able to do it."

Fleming's "A Million Thanks" was the first organization to join "America Supports You," a Department of Defense outreach program designed to recognize citizens' support for the U.S. military and to communicate that support to members of our Armed Forces and their families at home and abroad. Since the launch of "America Supports You," thousands of citizens, businesses, and community groups -- from local schools and establishments to nationally-known corporations and organizations -- are undertaking projects to support the military.

"We are very excited about Shauna's Valentine's Day challenge, and we look forward to helping her reach her goal of 2.6 in 2006," said Allison Barber, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. "Shauna understands so well the impact that letters have on troop morale, and we are proud to be a part of her newest initiative."

Since beginning her initial letter efforts for the troops in 2004, Fleming has had the opportunity to discuss her program with many top military and political leaders including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, General Richard Myers, and even during an Oval Office meeting with President Bush. Actor Gary Sinise is also helping Shauna toward her goal.

In addition to mailing thank you letters to soldiers that Americans send her, Fleming has personally handed out thank you letters to thousands of military members during her visits to USO's, VA hospitals, military bases, aircraft carriers, and during a day long visit to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.

"Right now our soldiers and service members need a morale boost and what's better than sending them a heart of thanks," said Fleming.

She has a website: Valentines For Troops and A Million Thanks. Of course you can learn more at America Supports You.

Stop for a minute and think of the contrast between Shauna and the "but I support the troops" crowd in the Democratic party. Mothra could learn a thing or two for this exceptional young American.

During the first Gulf War, a school and several churches "adopted" me. Getting mail from them helped me keep my experience in perspective, and gave me reasons to smile in a pretty serious place.

Thank you, Shauna.

Welcome Polipundit Readers (thanks, Lorie!)! Please tell your friends about Shauna Fleming's campaign - our troops deserve all the support we can fess up and more!

Yesterday All Things Beautiful posted a nice roundup of the former Army sergeant Mark Seavey's exchange with Mothra and Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.). The video of the exchange is available at Michelle Malkin. Here's the words of Mark Seavey:

"Yes sir my name is Mark Seavey and I just want to thank you for coming up here. Until about a month ago I was Sgt Mark Seavey infantry squad leader, I returned from Afghanistan. My question to you, (applause)

"Like yourself I dropped out of college two years ago to volunteer to go to Afghanistan, and I went and I came back. If I didn't have a herniated disk now I would volunteer to go to Iraq in a second with my troops, three of which have already volunteered to go to Iraq. I keep hearing you say how you talk to the troops and the troops are demoralized, and I really resent that characterization. (applause) The morale of the troops that I talk to is phenomenal, which is why my troops are volunteering to go back, despite the hardships they had to endure in Afghanistan.

"And Congressman Moran, 200 of your constituents just returned from Afghanistan. We never got a letter from you; we never got a visit from you. You didn't come to our homecoming. The only thing we got from any of our elected officials was one letter from the governor of this state thanking us for our service in Iraq, when we were in Afghanistan. That's reprehensible. I don't know who you two are talking to but the morale of the troops is very high."

I'll add my comment to the fray, albeit late. It's beyond belief that an elected servant chooses to ignore a constituent like this - and in public, too. I hope some Republican shows this tape on the house floor the next time support for the troops comes up as a subject.

This tape would be a terrific cornerstone of a Republican ad campaign as well.

From a press release by the Florida Democratic Party:

"With the President's latest PR campaign clearly failing, Republicans like Jeff Miller are now cherry-picking Governor Dean's words just like they cherry-picked the pre-war intelligence."

Hmm. Let's see what Jeff Miller said, shall we?

“Yesterday, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee said our troops can’t win in Iraq. Howard Dean effectively signaled to insurgents and terrorists everywhere that his party was ready to wave the white flag in the War on Terror.

For the sake of political gains, Dean’s Party has chosen to trivialize the sacrifices our men and women in uniform have made in Iraq. His Party has gone from attacking the liberation of Iraq, to attacking the Bush Administration, to attacking the Armed Services of this country and saying they cannot win.

Howard Dean’s comments were a direct attack on the morale of our military and border on treasonous.

Regardless of your opinions on Iraq, it is wrong to attack the capabilities of our military for the purposes of political gain. I call on Mr. Dean to resign as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.”

Just as a reminder, this is what Rep. Miller supposedly "cherry-picked":

"Iraq is a catastrophe for America and Americans will leave, it will only be a matter of time.

"I say to Bush: You entered Iraq with lies, you will lose Iraq and lie about it and you will leave with the pretext that you have completed your mission ... America only has to decide on the number of (troops) it wishes to lose before withdrawing."

Oops - I'm sorry. That was Al Zawahri. Maybe it was:

"...Iraq can not be won militarily."

Oops - Sorry again. That was Mothra. Here it is:

"We should follow the lead of Congressman John Murtha"

Sorry again - that was Nancy Pelosi. Lets try again:

the "idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong."

"I've seen this before in my life. This is the same situation we had in Vietnam. Everybody then kept saying, 'just another year, just stay the course, we'll have a victory.' Well, we didn't have a victory, and this policy cost the lives of an additional 25,000 troops because we were too stubborn to recognize what was happening."

Maybe the Florida Dems are right - Rep. Miller did cherry-pick. But Miller wasn't incorrect, just incomplete. It was wrong for him to paint Dean's remarks as out of step with the rest of the party - increasingly, it's becoming the unified party message. A message of defeatism, surrender, and hopelessness.

I didn't post on the horrid Ted Rall cartoon yesterday. Nick at Conservative Dialysis addressed it pretty thoroughly, and I couldn't add to his analysis.

Today Ted dredges up a little more bile in his weekly op/ed subtitled "How Ragtag Insurgents Beat the World's Sole Superpower"

He wants to rewrite history on the Afghan war - something not even Nancy Pelosi would dare do. He claims the Afghan was not only lost, but claims our troops, to the last man, acted dishonorably and even criminally:

Banditry and looting soon made the average Afghan nostalgic for the security that accompanies tyranny. On the other hand, since U.S. soldiers quickly gained a reputation for shoving, kidnapping, robbing and even torturing innocent Afghans, perhaps their small number was a good thing.

If any of you reading this are veterans, this is what Ted Rall thinks of you. He doesn't stop there, however. He moves on to describe our Guard and Reserve:

As inexperienced weekend warriors shot up carloads of civilians from rooftops above invisible checkpoints, it soon became apparent that our forces were undereducated, poorly trained and excessively preoccupied with their own safety. The Americans' cultural insensitivity, often beyond the point of brutality, transformed people grateful to be liberated into insurgents in a matter of months.

If you ever served as a weekend warrior, that's what Ted Rall thinks of you. Oh - by the way - below the fold is another one of his cartoons in which he accuses our troops of homosexual rape. Just in case the above wasn't enough.

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That's the title of this opinion piece in today's USA Today:

In it, Tim Kane and James Jay Carafano do a respectable job of countering the arguments often made by anti-war/anti-recruiting activists that minorities and the impoverished disproportionately bear the burden of defence:

That's the view of some critics, such as New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, who writes that "very few" of the soldiers fighting in Iraq "are coming from the privileged economic classes," and that there would likely be no war if rich kids had to fight. According to Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., social equality demands reinstatement of the draft, which he justifies by asserting that "the most privileged Americans are underrepresented or absent." Herbert concludes that there is "something very, very wrong with this picture."

What's "very, very wrong" with the Rangel-Herbert picture is that it has no factual basis.

According to a comprehensive study of all enlistees for the years 1998-99 and 2003 that The Heritage Foundation just released, the typical recruit in the all-volunteer force is wealthier, more educated and more rural than the average 18- to 24-year-old citizen is. Indeed, for every two recruits coming from the poorest neighborhoods, there are three recruits coming from the richest neighborhoods.

The study mentioned can be found here. Also, more commentary by Mr. Kane can be found here.

The good news is that contrary to what we so often see in the MSM, patriotism among our youth is flourishing and crosses racial and economic boundaries.

I hope Rep. Charles Rangel takes a look.

I wrote about Monday is now available here. Just click on any of the still shots on the right side.

Not that I would suggest such a thing, but they do have a forum where folks could leave a comment about what they think of MoveOn rubbing salt in the wounds of any family with a loved one in the middle east, which I still feel is one of the lowest cheap shots they've made...

Added: The Republicans being singled out for special local airings of this ad are:

Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey, Duncan Hunter of California; Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston of Georgia; J.D. Hayworth of Arizona; Jean Schmidt of Ohio; Geoff Davis of Kentucky; and Steve King of Iowa.

In Frelinghuysen's case, MoveOn didn't like his statements last Friday during the withdrawal debate:

I

n his remarks last Friday on the House floor, Frelinghuysen called the immediate withdrawal of troops "a recipe for disaster, a dangerous defense policy, the wrong message for our soldiers and Marines who are truly doing the work of freedom."

"Frankly, I am concerned that such talk will only embolden the terrorists and demoralize our war fighters," he added.

"Our only exit strategy from Iraq should be victory," Frelinghuysen said. "Anything less than that virtually guarantees the next battleground may be closer to home!"

MoveOn says he was attacking Murtha personally:

Frelinghuysen and the other congressmen are out of step with the American people, who want a change of course in Iraq, Tom Matzzie, the Washington, D.C., director of MoveOn.org Political Action, said Tuesday.

"Frelinghuysen basically said Murtha was helping the terrorists," Matzzie said. "The debate that day was about repudiating John Murtha."

Uh, no, that's not quite what he said, Tom. But if the shoe fits...

If this pans out, it will be the best news for Iraq in many months:

Breaking: Zarqawi Killed?

Via Little Green Footballs.

Update: From the always witty LGF commenters: "Will the eulogy be given by George Galloway?"

May only be getting worse. After the fire he took last week when he advocated surrendering Iraq to Al-Zarqawi (something even Al-Zarqawi's family wouldn't do), now he may be facing an ethics probe:

Republican lawmakers say that ties between Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and his brother’s lobbying firm, KSA Consulting, may warrant investigation by the House ethics committee.

I think the timing isn't good on this, as the left will surely paint it as retribution no matter how valid the reasons for the probe. Considering the cries of "corruption" from the left every time a Republican sneezes and the bloodlust displayed in pursuit of Plamegate, Delay, Frist, etc., it's certainly a cynical paint job, though - a point that hopefully won't be missed by the public.

Even if the ethics allegations are true, it's no more than a pimple on the butt of the damage Murtha's already inflicted on himself.

Check out the rest of the story at NeoCon Central.

Howard Dean, responding to the Murtha controversy, sent a letter to Democrats yesterday defending the former Marine. What's in it is fairly ordinary for this type of communication from Dean, lots and lots of mud-slinging against the Republicans. What's notable is what he doesn't include - there's not a word about what the fuss was really all about. Here's Dean's masterpiece of illusion in its entirety:

Dear Friend,

I want to tell you about John Murtha. He's a Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania. He's also a combat veteran and retired Marine Corps colonel.

Murtha spent 37 years in Marine Corps, earned the Bronze Star, two purple hearts, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. And for the last thirty years he's been one of the most respected voices in Congress on military issues -- universally respected by Democrats, Republicans and military brass alike.

Until now.

Republicans have disgraced themselves by viciously attacking John Murtha with such disrespect that not only veterans, but every decent American should be angry.

What did Murtha, a decorated combat veteran, do to draw fire from a White House led by a president and vice president who evaded service in Vietnam? He questioned their management of the war in Iraq. Here's part of what he had to say:

"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf Region. ...

"For two and a half years, I have been concerned about the U.S. policy and the plan in Iraq. I have addressed my concerns with the Administration and the Pentagon and have spoken out in public about my concerns. The main reason for going to war has been discredited. ...

"I have been visiting our wounded troops at Bethesda and Walter Reed hospitals almost every week since the beginning of the War. And what demoralizes them is going to war with not enough troops and equipment to make the transition to peace; the devastation caused by IEDs; being deployed to Iraq when their homes have been ravaged by hurricanes; being on their second or third deployment and leaving their families behind without a network of support.

Shameless Republicans immediately went on the attack. Dick Cheney, who has said that he had "other priorities" and collected 5 deferments while people like Murtha served in Vietnam, called Murtha's comments "irresponsible" and regretted that "the president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone." The White House spokesman, who has also never worn the uniform, pronounced himself "baffled" that Murtha, who volunteered for two wars, wanted to "surrender to the terrorists". A Republican Congressman said Murtha and others "basically are giving aid and comfort to the enemy".

Shame on them. Every one of us -- right now -- needs to let Jack Murtha know that we respect his service, respect his leadership, and respect his right to speak the truth. This man has spent his life serving us. The very least each one of us can do is let him know that no matter what dishonorable smear campaign Republicans wage we will be there with him.

Send Congressman Murtha a note telling him that you will not be silent while he is attacked:

http://www.democrats.org/shameonthem

I will deliver your message to him personally, along with my own thanks for his service to our country and his continuing courage in the face of threats.

Lies and manipulation characterized the Republican case for war, and lies and manipulation have been the primary weapon against anyone who questions their failed leadership.

First it was Senator Max Cleland, who left limbs in Vietnam, being savagely attacked in 2002. Then John Kerry, who received three purple hearts, being smeared in 2004. The history of this war has shown that Republicans value political posturing more than the service of America's veterans.

Republicans don't want a serious debate about Iraq because they know the American people are simply not with them. They cannot respond to the substance of Murtha's criticism -- or any criticism -- because they are wrong.

Jack Murtha is already fighting back. When told of Cheney's comments he reminded people where Cheney was while he was in Vietnam: "I like guys who got five deferments and have never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."

But Jack can't beat this back alone. Show him that Americans know that Republicans should be ashamed of themselves:

http://www.democrats.org/shameonthem

Enough is enough -- we cannot allow another veteran to be smeared by George Bush's cronies.

Thank you for taking a stand.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

What he fails to pass on to the rank and file is the part of Murtha's statement that got everyone riled up - the part about immediate withdrawal:

"This is the immediate redeployment of American forces because they have become the target," said Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), D-Pa., one of Congress' most hawkish Democrats.

"To immediately redeploy U.S. troops consistent with the safety of U.S. forces."

"I believe we need to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis. I believe before the Iraqi elections, scheduled for mid December, the Iraqi people and the emerging government must be put on notice that the United States will immediately redeploy."

Not everyone follows the news as closely as the average blogger, and I'm sure that many Democrats had not heard the whole of Murtha's statement, if any of it at all. Obviously Dean was trying to capitalize on it by omitting key facts which would have revealed the true nature of Murtha's "Cut and Run" message.

All this from Howie, who in the letter says:

Lies and manipulation characterized the Republican case for war, and lies and manipulation have been the primary weapon against anyone who questions their failed leadership.

Yet it's Howie using lies and manipulation to sway the voting public once again.

House Resolution 571

For: 3 Against: 403 Present: 6

All Ayes and Present votes were Democrat, 16 Rs and 6 Ds did not vote.

It's gonna be awful hard for some of the Dems to face their anti-war constituents. Snicker. Snort.

Of course, the outcome was guaranteed:

Pelosi sent word to rank-and-file Democrats to vote - with the Republicans - against immediate withdrawal of American troops.

I'll try to give a roundup in the morning.

By the way, I spent most of my time over at Euphoric Reality where the vote was being live blogged. It was great fun!

In an answer to Representative Murtha's call to pull out of Iraq immediately:

WASHINGTON - House Republicans, seeing an opportunity, maneuvered for a quick vote and swift rejection Friday of a Democratic lawmaker's call for an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq.

"We want to make sure that we support our troops that are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. "We will not retreat."

The bill is very short and sweet:

House Republicans planned to put to a vote — and reject — their own resolution that simply says: "It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately."

This is a smart move - it forces the Democrats to put up or shut up on their posture regarding the war. If they vote yes, those Democrats will have given the GOP more ammunition to use in the current pushback campaign from the White House.

If they vote no, then they have exposed themselves to even more criticism on their recent posturing. It will be difficult for such Democrats to continue to pander to their anti-war base.

This should be interesting.

Update 1: Kos thinks the Democrats should cut and run from the vote. I think that would still be illustrative to the nature of the Democrat's hypocritical position.

Update 2: John Hinderaker: "Notwithstanding the media's breathless heralding of each liberal politician who comes out against continuation of the war, a substantial majority of House members will vote to reject the call for surrender. That's good, as our service personnel deserve the assurance that our government continues to stand behind their mission."

Ace of Spades: "Brilliant."

Jason Smith at GOP Bloggers: "Let's dispense with the public flogging of our troops' efforts and put it to a vote."

Rick Edwards at PowerPundit: "When the Democrats cry that holding them accountable for their words is "challenging their patriotism," as a number of them are doing on the House floor now, you know that they understand that their position is weakening."

Sister Toldjah: "The House isn’t playing around. It’s time to put up or shut up for the cut and run wing of the Democratic party."

Democratic Underground: Cleveland eaten by Batboy!

The Political Teen: "The Republicans have called Murtha’s bluff and boy has it paid off."

Kender at Stop the ACLU: "The Dems, railing constantly about the War in Iraq, have found themselves backed into a corner by the House Republicans, who finally tired of all the lies and rhetoric and have decided to vote regarding whether we should pullout of Iraq or not."

Euphoric Reality is live-blogging the vote. That's where I'm hanging out - Come and join us!

Very interesting: Murtha Acquaintaince Speaks Out

Update 3: (9:50 P.M. EST) Amazing. We went out to dinner and they're still at it when we get back. Democrats apparently have been foaming at the mouth with anger over being forced to act like adults and put their money where their mouths are. More later...

I found a link in the comments of this post at Blackfive yesterday that alerted me to a particularly disgusting act being waged by college professors calling themselves "Replacements Needed". They have been putting up posters on utility poles and other places with disturbing images on them. I have a few examples below the fold. (WARNING - graphic and disturbing images). Their website is here.

The commenter on Blackfive (his name is Brad Torgersen) has been waging a one man war against the filth being spread by "Replacements Needed", and you can find his website here. Please visit Brad's site and send him an email telling him how terrific his efforts are. Here are a few of the posters he has placed over the top of the moonbat filth:

Remember to drop Brad an email if you appreciate his efforts.

While I'm not a Milblogger, I am a veteran. So this is a special day for me. I just thought I'd share the results of some Veterans Day browsing with you. I have viewed tons of veterans day links and articles, I am including only items that have impressed me in some way. In no particular order:

From President Bush:

Americans owe a great debt of gratitude to those who have sacrificed for our liberty and for the security of our Nation. We express deep appreciation to our veterans -- the men and women who stepped forward when America needed them, triumphed over brutal enemies, liberated continents, and answered the prayers of millions around the globe.

From the beaches of Normandy and the snows of Korea to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our courageous veterans have sacrificed so that Americans and others could live in freedom. As we mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II this year, we remember the millions of veterans who crossed oceans and defeated two of the most ruthless military forces the world has ever known. The freedom that the children and grandchildren of these veterans now enjoy is a monument to their fallen comrades and the generations of patriots who have served our country.

Through their commitment to freedom, America's veterans have lifted millions of lives and made our country and the world more secure. They have demonstrated to us that freedom is the mightiest force on Earth. We resolve that their sacrifices will always be remembered by a grateful Nation.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service men and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2005, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 6 through November 12, 2005, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I urge all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to encourage and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirtieth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

NFL Salutes Veterans

Statement from Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert:

R. James Nicholson, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs

A news story about school children celebrating Veterans Day.

Some statistics from the Washington Post.

New York Jewish Times - Veterans Day Has Fresh Meaning for Iraqi Freedom Vets

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Editorial: Veterans Day / A time for reflection amid the sacrifice of war

A new Viet Nam Memorial is being dedicated today in Chicago.

A new veteran's museum in Pennsylvania.

Associated Press reminds us that there are few WW1 vets left. (If you know one, give 'em my regards and thanks)

This would be a neat project to work on.

New York Post editorial.

If you've never heard of Honor Flight, check this out. By the way, if you're in a veterans day giving mood, Honor Flight could use your help.

Moment of silence for AMEX.

The Legacy Project and the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum are launching a new exhibit called "War Letters: Lost & Found". For me, this promises to be well worth the drive to DC.

Home Depot is offering discounts to veterans.

US Airways is plussing up its "Miles of Hope" program

The VFW reminds you to thank a veteran.

So does the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

So does the commander at Fort A.P. Hill.

And the Orangeburg Times and Democrat.

A neat story from the Norwich Bulletin.

More school kids doing what school kids do best.

Editorial from the Anniston Star.

I love to see kids getting involved with vets. More kids. Still more.

Sometimes the thanks goes both ways.

Tradition at the Winchester Star.

Here's a book I want for Christmas.

I'd like to see more of this.

I've got more of these than I have time to post. So keep checking back, I'll be adding many, many more throughout the day. If you have anything to add, email me or trackback me and I'll incude it in an update.