Washblog || Icing - Cake

Icing - Cake - Larsen

By The Left Shue
Thu May 15, 2008 at 07:15:17 PM PST
Section: Diary Topic: Democrats

Cross-posted Here

So on Tuesday I came home to what I thought must have been a prank call on my answering machine. A man who identified himself as Rep. Rick Larsen (WA 2nd CD) left a message asking for my support at the upcoming 2nd CD "Nominating Convention" on Saturday. The reason I suspected a prank call was that most folks that know me, including (I assumed) Congressman Larsen know that, even if I were going to said convention, I certainly would not be voting to nominate Rick Larsen. In fact I had just voted against his endorsement at my 38th LD meeting on the previous Tuesday.

Then, today, I received an email from Congressman Larsen, via Brooke Davis at his re-election campaign, asking me again to attend the convention and vote to nominate him for his upcoming walk through election. I could not help but send Brooke/Rick some of my concerns:

"Brooke,

We should all have Rick's job security. Odd isn't it that he fails to mention the single issue that holds this nation hostage to a failing economy and a generational debt that will be be a harsh burden for my children and my granddaughter. Rick's failure to take a strong leadership role (from his position on the Armed Forces Committee) to end our continuing occupation of Iraq; indeed his co-ownership of this travesty that he signed on to when he failed to support the only bill that has been offered to date to demand a draw down in American forces leaves me cold and resolute in my refusal to add my name in any way that might encourage support for him.

Rick's refusal to support actions that would lead to the impeachment of George W Bush and Dick Cheney by claiming that he finds no evidence of lawlessness simply begs the question, "Which constitution did he swear an oath to protect?" The fact that he is even concerned about FISA is in direct realtionship to Bush's admission that he ordered warrentless wiretapping of American citizens. The fact that top administration officials devised and ordered specific torture techniques to be used against uncharged, untried, prisoners apparently is a justifiable violation of the Geneva Conventions and other international treaties to which the United States is a signee to Rep. Larsen.

As I say, we should all have Rick's job security. He should be glad that he does not need my vote."

And then, only moments later, the icing on the cake--- Below the fold

From True Majority came this news:

"Dear Chad,

I wanted to share some breaking news. The House of Representatives just voted 149 to 141 to cut off funding for the war in Iraq.

This was followed by votes to put significant restrictions on President Bush's war policy, including a timeline for withdrawal, and creating a new GI Bill to help returning veterans."

Wow! but wait...........Larsen's vote? Why, with the 141 - of course!

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

< On Jury Duty, Or, "To Protect And Not Serve" | A bad taste in my mouth. . . >

Icing - Cake - Larsen | 4 comments (4 topical)

Chickenshit / Sell Outs 'Dems' Are

needed WHY?

oh yeah! so we can have Nancy and Harry dishrags as ...

choke

'leaders'!

ha ha ha.

one of the MOST EFFECTIVE fascist actions of the last 3+ decades is to get Dems elected who cower from the fascist defined 'middle', 'swing', 'independent' voter pining for fascist defined 'bipartisanshit'.

getting sell outs elected.

which is rick?

rick is which?

rmm.

http://www.liemail.com/BambooGrassroots.html

by rmdSeaBos on Fri May 16, 2008 at 06:09:47 AM PST

* 1 none 0 *

What will Senate do with the Iraq funding bill?

Chad, good to see you posted on your experience around the funding Iraq war bill. I am, of course, watching the progression of the Iraq funding votes with grave interest.

From my morning reads this morning.

from Neal Traven at Peacetreefarm:

Continuing funding for the war, defeated 141-149 with 132 present, 12 not voting.
All "present" votes were Republicans, but
Reichert voted YEA.
As did Baird, Dicks, Larsen, and Smith.
McDermott and Inslee were NAY. See it here.

Another take on it from another source at MFSO;

the funding bill in the House of Representatives. being rushed through, and skipping committe. committee. As amendments, they are including the GI bill, a timetable for withdrawal and requirement of no permanent bases. This means the bill will be vetoed, and will have to be voted on again. They are breaking the bill into parts, so Democrats can appear to be voting against funding while still voting for the bill.

That would seem to be borne out in the separations of the bill, again courtesy of Neal Travern's observations;

#2 -- multiple reforms and cleanups of bad Pentagon practices in readiness, accounting, interrogation, etc., passed 227-196, 11 not
voting. There were 8 Republican YEAs, but Reichert voted NAY. As did Baird, one of 13 Democrats to do so. See voting here:
#3 -- improving education benefits for veterans (and extending some unemployment benefits), passed 256-166, 12 not voting. Although 32 Republicans voted YEA, Reichert wasn't one of them. Several other vulnerable Republicans did vote YEA - see voting here

Media, ie, >Washington Post article,War Funding Bill Stalls in House - 131 Republicans Vote 'Present' in Protest of Pelosi Tactics, seems to be telling it as if the Republicans with their non-vote of 'present' are responsible for blocking the bill.

For me, while it is somewhat promising, it is a flicker more than a hope. I don't know what emboldened some Democrats after years now of hiding behind GW's coat tails giving the GW politically correct answers and votes, so I'm not trusting this as much more than a politically advantageous ploy.

Sadly, it seems politics on both party sides doesn't mind using the deployed troops to their own partisan advantage while doing actually very little to benefit the troops. Veteran suicides, inexorably long delays at VA for veterans to get even initial health visits at VA, much less significant treatment. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and oft-times beyond the damage of TBI and because of the TBI blindness results. Barriers preventing veterans from fully exercising educational benefits

from source, Foreign Policy in Focus;

In fact, they never would have come to light were it not for a class action lawsuit brought by Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth on behalf of the 1.7 million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The two groups allege the Department of Veterans Affairs has systematically denied mental health care and disability benefits to veterans returning from the conflict zones.

Eighteen American war veterans kill themselves every day. One thousand former soldiers receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs attempt suicide every month. More veterans are committing suicide than are dying in combat overseas.

According to an April 2008 study by the Rand Corporation, 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans currently suffer from post traumatic stress disorder or major depression. Another 320,000 suffer from traumatic brain injury, physical brain damage. A majority are not receiving help from the Pentagon and VA system which are more concerned with concealing unpleasant facts than they are with providing care.

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Fri May 16, 2008 at 10:43:29 AM PST

* 2 none 0 *

Cheryl Crist by The Left Shue, 05/16/2008 02:12:03 PM PST (none / 0)

Video of 3rd CD Nominating Convention chose Baird by Lietta Ruger, 05/18/2008 07:55:10 AM PST (none / 0)

Icing - Cake - Larsen | 4 comments (4 topical)

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