Senators up for Election

Thought you might want to consider their votes on suspending earmarks (pork-barrel politics) in this year’s election. A “NO” vote is against limiting the earmarks. A “Yes” vote is in the best interests of the individual taxpayer.
Class II - Senators Whose Terms of Service Expire in 2009
Senators in Class II were elected to office in the November 2002 general election. Their terms run from the beginning of the 108th Congress on January 3, 2003 to the end of the 110th Congress in January 2009. The Yes and NO indicated how they voted on establishing a moratorium on earmarks.

Democrats
Baucus, Max (D-MT) NO
Biden, Joseph R., Jr. (D-DE) NO
Durbin, Richard (D-IL) NO
Harkin, Tom (D-IA) NO
Johnson, Tim (D-SD) NO
Kerry, John F. (D-MA) NO
Landrieu, Mary L. (D-LA) NO
Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ) NO
Levin, Carl (D-MI) NO
Pryor, Mark L. (D-AR) NO
Reed, Jack (D-RI) NO
Rockefeller, John D., IV (D-WV) NO

Republicans
Alexander, Lamar (R-TN) Yes
Allard, Wayne (R-CO) Yes
Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA) Yes
Cochran, Thad (R-MS) NO
Coleman, Norm (R-MN) NO
Collins, Susan M. (R-ME)NO
Cornyn, John (R-TX) Yes
Craig, Larry E. (R-ID) NO
Dole, Elizabeth (R-NC) Yes
Domenici, Pete V. (R-NM)NO
Enzi, Michael B. (R-WY) Yes
Graham, Lindsey (R-SC) Yes
Hagel, Chuck (R-NE) NO
Inhofe, James M. (R-OK) Yes
McConnell, Mitch (R-KY) Yes
Roberts, Pat (R-KS) NO
Sessions, Jeff (R-AL) Yes
Smith, Gordon H. (R-OR) NO
Stevens, Ted (R-AK) NO
Sununu, John E. (R-NH) Yes
Warner, John (R-VA) NO

Quick - Who are These People?

Navy Lt Michael Murphy
Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith
Cpl. Jason Dunham

OK, then. Quick - who are these people?
Britney Spears
Paris Hilton

My guess is you probably knew the latter names because of the incessant media exposure. My further guess is that unless you subscribe to military news, you never heard of the first three.

There is something fundamentally wrong with a media that extols spoiled, rich, substance abusing "celebrities" and neglects true heroes. Oliver North takes them to task in an article titled Real American Heroes.


That's all I have to say at the moment.

Update 11/05/2007. sorry about the broken link to Lt Murphy. It is now fixed.

News From the Front Lines

For whatever reason (probably another topic someday) the mainstream media (aka the alphabet networks and certain newspapers with national distribution) is slow to report any good news from Iraq or Afghanistan. You can go straight to the USCENTCOM home page or subscribe to news feeds from them or from Defense Link and get the official information. Of course, some distrust the government, so you could also go to the military blog site for videos.

If you prefer a non-government view, try Iraq The Model. This site provides commentary and insight on aspects of the conflict that are not reported elsewhere. Since the bloggers are also graduate students, they have begun posting less frequently, but what they say is worth reading. Then there is Michael Yon's excellent photojournalism.

For a lighter look at the war, one of my blogging buddies has posted excerpts from another real buddy currently serving in Iraq. You will enjoy it.

Phony Soldiers

The Democrats are up in arms over Rush Limbaugh saying two words ("phony soldiers") to a caller who was referring to the likes of Jesse MacBeth, Scott Thomas Beauchamp, and others. These people make up things to say about our troops and try to gain credibility by enhancing their military service, much like the Senator from North Vietnam and Tom Harkin. They are, in fact, phony soldiers attempting to steal the valor of our military.

Now, it is interesting to me who is leading this fight. Notice the names of the folks who voted AGAINST condemnation of MoveOn.org (previous article), and then note the names of those on the letter from Senator Reid.

Anybody surprised? Who do YOU think really "supports the troops"?

In case you missed the Congressional Response to the "Betray US" AD

MoveOn.org ran a subsidized ad in the New York times implying that General Petraeus could be called General "Betray Us".

In response, Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex) sponsored an amendment expressing support for the General and condemning the personal attacks.

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110^th Congress - 1^st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On the Amendment (Cornyn Amdt. No. 2934 )
Vote Number:	344	Vote Date:	September 20, 2007, 12:36 PM
Required For Majority:	3/5	Vote Result:	Amendment Agreed to
Amendment Number:	S.Amdt. 2934 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585 (National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008)
Statement of Purpose:	To express the sense of the Senate that General David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq, deserves the full support of the Senate and strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces.

Vote Counts:	YEAs	72
	NAYs	25
	Not Voting	3

You would think that would be a fairly straightforward proposition. The moveOn ad was despicable. Yet, there were 25 who voted against the resolution. Here are the names and votes. (Blue are Democrat or Independents who voted in favor of the resolution. Red are current or former Democrat Presidential candidates or Majority Leader):
Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---72
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Barrasso (R-WY) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC)	Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Dorgan (D-ND) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Feinstein (D-CA) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johnson (D-SD) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Landrieu (D-LA) Leahy (D-VT) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN)	Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) Salazar (D-CO) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Tester (D-MT) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) Webb (D-VA)

NAYs ---25
Akaka (D-HI) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Byrd (D-WV) Clinton (D-NY) Dodd (D-CT) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI)	Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Levin (D-MI) Menendez (D-NJ) Murray (D-WA) Reed (D-RI)	Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Biden (D-DE)	Cantwell (D-WA)	Obama (D-IL)

Notice that two of the current crop decided not to be on record one way or the other. Also notice that the anointed President (Clinton) was just fine with the ad.

Happy Fourth of July

I think it is good to reflect on what it really means to be an American. Some folks have no concept of history beyond their own personal experience. So let me direct you to a few articles that are well worth the read today:

Kenneth Copeland discusses the flag and the anthem that refers to it in The Star Spangled Banner.

Bill Whittle discusses civilization as a whole in Rafts.

The Patriot Post talks about a Nation of Resolve. (Pemanent link).

Cassandra, as always, stands Behind The Flag.

And here is a quote from Ronald reagan:

"The day of our nation's birth in that little hall in Philadelphia, [was] a day on which debate had raged for hours. The men gathered there were honorable men hard-pressed by a king who had flouted the very laws they were willing to obey. Even so, to sign the Declaration of Independence was such an irretrievable act that the walls resounded with the words 'treason, the gallows, the headsman's axe,' and the issue remained in doubt. [On that day] 56 men, a little band so unique we have never seen their like since, had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Some gave their lives in the war that followed, most gave their fortunes, and all preserved their sacred honor... In recent years, however, I've come to think of that day as more than just the birthday of a nation. It also commemorates the only true philosophical revolution in all history. Oh, there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was a revolution that changed the very concept of government. Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should."
—Ronald Reagan

Have a great day.

Ehren Watada

A young Army Officer has decided to throw his lot in with terrorists.

Michele Malkin has been on the case, as well as Blackfive. Even Liberal Larry has written about him, so I am late to the game. Here's my two cents anyway.

Once in a lifetime someone has an experience that marks them from that day forward. Apparently that moment lies in the young LT's future.
I am shocked, SHOCKED, that a young man of his obvious dedication to the highest principles has not investigated the 14 UN resolutions of which Saddam Insane was in violation. Nor, apparently, did he hear or read the President's speech on Sep 20, 2001:

Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.

and

Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (Applause.) From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

Until the rest of the country realizes that we are indeed in a long war that is unlike Vietnam in more ways than I can count, we must keep educating and reminding the feeble-minded.

Employers Who Deserve Our Support

I recently received an eMail touting Sear's stance in providing the difference between active military pay and the employee's salary and continuing to keep health benefits in place for their employees who are fighting the War on Terror. I checked with TruthOrFiction.com and Snopes, both of whom verify the story. It turns out that several other employers (including Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney, and BestBuy) also provide good benefits.

Yes, I said Wal-Mart. You know, that cold-hearted company that keeps prices low and employs many part-time workers. That company vilified by the American left because they don't pay a "living wage".

Go figure.