SWAC volunteer's GOP signs stolen from yard

Just got a call from a Republican volunteer who woke this morning to an empty front yard ... a yard where four signs had been the day before: McCain-Palin, Gilmore, Goodlatte, and Win the War.

Someone had stolen them during the night, something that had never happened to her before especially since she lives in a Stuarts Draft neighborhood and is not on a main thoroughfare. Her husband noted that all Republican yard signs along their (very long) street had been stolen last night.

The sign that hurt the most to lose, she said, was the Win the War sign, one I had given her in 2007 and that had been proudly displayed in her yard since that time.

This campaign seems to have more shenanigans at the local level than any election I've worked the past nine years. It was first noticed in the 2001 Mark Earley-Mark Warner gubernatorial campaign and has escalated in the years since ... but this year the amount of stolen signs is more than I ever remember hearing about as volunteers call in with information from throughout Augusta County.

Dirty tricks from the opposition ... brace yourself for Election Day.

Photo by SWAC Girl

National POW / MIA Recognition Day

From Atty. General Bob McDonnell....

You may have noticed a unique flag flying above your local post office today. That flag is the official POW/MIA flag created to honor the brave Americans who have given their all in defense of our nation and our freedoms. It is flying proudly over a number of federal buildings because on the third Friday of every September our nation pauses to remember the sacrifices of these brave men and women with National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

88,000 American service members are still officially listed as missing since the beginning of World War II. During that same period over 138,000 Americans have been taken as prisoners of war. Sadly, we may never know the fate of many of these heroes still listed as missing. Thankfully, many of these former prisoners of war have returned to our shores to live in the freedom and peace that their heroic service secured.

All Americans are rightly familiar with the courageous story of Senator John McCain. Here in Virginia we also have heroes in our midst. One individual is Paul Galanti, who was held by the North Vietnamese for nearly seven years, enduring the kind of hardships and pain that most of us cannot even imagine. Paul's example rightly reminds us that we live free because others stood strong. We can never forget this.

Today, as you go about the daily activities of work and home, I hope you will pause for a moment. Stop to remember that throughout this country there are heroes. Americans who in the forests of Northern Europe, the hills of Korea, the jungles of Vietnam, and the sands of the Middle East sacrificed for this nation. Some were tortured, beaten and isolated for years. Others were never seen again. All deserve a debt of gratitude that our nation can never truly repay.

We must never forget our heroes.

Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com

"Dear Mr. Obama ... Iraq was not a mistake" -- Updated

"The day we lose our will to fight ... is the day we lose our freedom."

UPDATED BACKGROUND ON JOE COOK: Army Specialist Joe Cook was wounded in Iraq. He was the middle son of Bob and Melissa Cook of Wauconda, Illinois. On the front door of the Cook's house is a 3-star flag, for Joe and his older and younger brothers. Their father, Bob Cook, is on the Lake County Republican Central Committee.

Joe and his two brothers enlisted in the Army within 6 months of each other and all volunteered to serve in Iraq. Joe was captain of his high school cross-country team but he now walks and runs with a prosthesis because he lost his leg when the vehicle in which he was riding in Baghdad was hit by a roadside bomb. The blast crushed Joe's left leg below the knee. Five times before, he had felt the concussion of the IEDs, but this time it was more powerful.

The Village of Wauconda, where the Cooks live, has made it a habit to welcome every combat veteran back home - so when Joe returned home, after many months of rehabilitation, the people gave him the hero's welcome he so richly deserved.

It only takes 60 seconds to watch this moving video from Army Specialist Joe Cook, an Iraq war veteran who was wounded in May 2007 by an IED. He lost his left foot and leg six inches below the knee.

Video

Text of Video:

Dear Mr. Obama, having spent 12 months in the Iraq theater, I can promise you, this was not a mistake. I witnessed firsthand the many sacrifices made by the people of Iraq. Those sacrifices were not mistakes. Iraqi people are just like us. They want a chance to live in a secure world, free from tyranny, free from terrorism, free to prosper, free to raise their children and pass on a future. Are they better off today than they were in 2002? You bet. I've seen many men sacrifice their lives for the Iraqi people. They died for a purpose, not a mistake. They died giving hope, they died promoting freedom. Do you rescue a fireman just as he's about to save a child? When you call the Iraqi war a mistake, you disrespect the service and the sacrifice of everyone who has died promoting freedom. Freedom carries with it a price. Because you do not understand, nor appreciate these principles, sir, I am supporting John McCain for president. He, too, made a huge sacrifice promoting freedom, because he understands the fundamental truth, freedom is always worth the price. (playing of God Bless the USA)

H/T Rush Limbaugh

Troop reductions in Iraq ... Marines diverted to Afghanistan

Lance Cpl. Nate Salatin, USMC, has been notified his unit is deploying in November but I now wonder if he will be going to Afghanistan. He was in Iraq in 2006-07.

President Bush announced in a live news conference on Fox News Tuesday morning that he would divert Marines to Afghanistan in November.

According to Fox News:

President Bush announced Tuesday that the Marine battalion that had been scheduled to deploy to Iraq in November will instead go to Afghanistan instead of Iraq.

The battalion, roughly 1,000 Marines, will be followed in January by an Army combat brigade. A brigade is 3,500-4,000 troops.

The president said he also plans to order 8,000 more combat and support troops out of Iraq by February, but plans to keep the bulk of U.S. force strength in Iraq largely intact until the next president takes over. No more combat brigades will come home from Iraq for the rest of this year.

Bush said the mission of the forces headed to Afghanistan will be to work with "Afghan forces to provide security for the Afghan people, protect Afghanistan's infrastructure and democratic institutions and help insure access to services like education and health care.

Wherever he goes, our prayers will go with him.

NLS: "That will appeal to middle America...."

I almost fell off my chair laughing....

Fox News personnel ... safe in Denver?

When I saw the Fox News anchors reporting live at the Denver Democrat Convention last night, I wondered if there were any safety issues since they are so reviled by liberals on the left. Reviled ... not just "not liked" ... in an atmosphere where protesters are threatening to "Recreate '68," a duplication of the disastrous Democrat Convention of 1968 in Chicago.

Where was John McCain in 1968? He was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Apparently there are safety issues in Denver, as pointed out by Yankee Phil. First Amendment rights? Freedom of speech? Kum-ba-ya? Not for these anti-war protesters.

Fox News reported on the anti-war march that began at the Capitol in Denver:

About 1,000 anti-war protesters marched to the site of the Democratic National Convention Sunday in Denver, in the first of at least five such rallies planned this week by the group Recreate 68.

The rally began with just a couple hundred demonstrators Sunday morning outside the Colorado State Capitol building, but swiftly grew as they began their trek toward the Pepsi Center, which is under heavy security with the convention set to begin Monday.

Activists like Cindy Sheehan kicked off the event with more than two hours of speeches.

“We’re out here to speak out about the. . .destruction of society and the impact on our own society as we have fewer and fewer resources,” Denver local Jane Cahn told FOXNews.com.

Yee-ow. Glad I'm not in Denver this week.

John McCain for President 2008

Chesterfield GOP Veterans Appreciation Picnic

The mighty James River is seen in the background looking out from the American Legion pavilion where the Huguenot Republican Women's Club members honored Chesterfield veterans with a special appreciation picnic.
Special guest speaker Paul Galanti, former Vietnam War POW.
Sen. Steve Martin enjoys Brock's BBQ lunch with members of my family.

Catching the senator's ear....

SWAC Daughter looking out over the James River.... These are my growing-up stomping grounds ... Chesterfield is where I was born and raised. The James River was center to boating, swimming, rock-hopping, and a general magnet for teens of the 1970s.

American Legion's grounds along the James River include volleyball court.

David Thomas with his dad, RPV's State Central Committee Vice Chair Mike Thomas. David was home schooled, graduated from high school in 2007, and just completed his basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, on July 31, 2008, with his speciality being Military Police.

Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, Republican candidate for Attorney General in 2009. A home school dad and conservative leader in the Virginia State Senate, he was at Saturday's picnic.

Group photo of all the veterans.

Chesterfield State Senator Steve Martin, another conservative voice in the Virginia State Senate.

On a warm late-summer afternoon on a knoll overlooking the placid James River, over 200 people gathered for a Veterans Appreciation Picnic hosted by the Huguenot Republican Women's Club and Chesterfield County Republican Committee at the American Legion Post in Chesterfield County.

The setting was gorgeous, the day was sunny, and the fellowship was warm and entertaining as the program unrolled and the day progressed ... silent auction, food, speakers, tributes, music. The occasion was an opportunity for the ladies in the women's club to invite and honor veterans in their families and, for me, it was almost like a family reunion. My mother, a member of those groups, had invited my husband, brother-in-law, three cousins, and a cousin's husband as well as my step-dad ... all veterans from various branches of the military.

The ceremony began with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance as we gathered around the flag pole, and then a bugler began playing the National Anthem. When the wind blew his sheet music and he stumbled and stopped, there was a momentary pause ... and then the crowd began singing, picking up at the place where the bugler paused ... first a few voices, then more, then the entire crowd was loudly singing the National Anthem, hands over hearts, and the bugler fell in with them and did not miss another note. It was one of those patriotic moments....

Special guest speaker Paul Galanti was soft-spoken and witty as he cracked one-liners and kept the crowd laughing. His blue shirt accented his twinkly blue eyes as he connected with fellow veterans spanning decades of wars from World War II to Korea to Vietnam to Desert Storm to Operation Iraqi Freedom ... and even one young recruit who just returned from basic training. As small children played outside the picnic shelter and the lazy James River flowed by, Commander Galanti tended to keep the mood light. After the ceremony, while everyone was visiting and eating lunch, he talked and posed for photos with those in the crowd the entire time, barely finding time to eat.

Others who spoke ... and all were inspirational ... were the son of Rev. Benni Singleton (WW II), the mother of Sgt. Alison Foster (Afghanistan) who had unexpected received orders last week and flew out Saturday morning to Korea, and CSM Doris Wollett (Iraq). Mrs. Wollett, who was there with her veteran husband, was interesting as she related experiences of her year in Iraq.

The roll call of the names of all veterans attending was called, and then all stood and were applauded and recognzied with certificates as thanks for their service.

A group photo had all veterans, from 18-year-old David Thomas to World War II vets in their 80s, lined up for a memory of the day. And then it was time for Brock's BBQ and time to visit with others in attendance.

It was evident by the faces of the vets that they were moved ... I watched my cousin, who served during the Vietnam War years, almost moved to tears -- a man who is the comic of the family but it was obvious he had received an honor that had not been forthcoming during those turbulent years of the 1960s. We can never thank those who protect our freedoms enough for what they lay on the line to protect those freedoms.

To them all ... thank you for your service.

Thanks to all who made this possible with their hard work, and to those who donated funds for the event. More photos in follow-up post....

Photos by SWAC Girl

Gathering of Eagles NY successfully defends Times Square recruiting station

Dan Maloney, NY Gathering of Eagles Coordinator, has a write-up about their encounter with the anti-war protesters at the Times Square recruiting station. It was a good day for Patriots. In part, he says:

At two minutes to Noon, just as I had collected the last stragglers I saw, the skies opened with a torrential downpour just as the moonbats were beginning their rally. Conveniently, the area our folks were situated in had a nice wide overhang where we could stay mostly dry. The poor moonbats had no such cover and the wails and anguish that could be heard over their close encounter with that foreign substance H2O was almost pitiful to hear.

When the rain abated we rendezvoused with the rest of the Patriots just as a truck giving out free Monster Power Drinks pulled up and supplied us all with free refreshments! So by the time we were allowed to move in close proximity to the moonbats we were fired up! It should come across in some of the video but we were belting out our chants with extra relish today!

After describing what happened during the rally, Dan ended by saying:

All in all it was an absolutely great day for the Patriots! We had passersby thanking us for being there, active duty personnel stopping by (in one case posing with one of our service branch flags to commemorate their visit), even one lady shouting at the police that she had seen the Islamist starting the whole incident that was partially captured on film.

Go here to read all his report and for photos. Thanks to Dan and all the Gathering of Eagles Patriots for standing up for the rest of us when we couldn't be there.

Watch LIVE: NY Gathering of Eagles supporting the troops

Times Square recruiting station to be protested by anti-war "peace"niks

[Dan Maloney, NY Coordinator of the Gathering of Eagles, sent this latest information for today's Support the Troops rally against the anti-war protesters at the Time Square (NY) military recruiting station. Please keep these freedom warriors in your thoughts and prayers today.]

From Dan Maloney....

I've learned that the Evangelical concert at Times Square today is going to be broadcast list on the web. This link should be live between 10am and 1pm EST. The link is here.

In addition there are the standard Times Square webcams which are here.

Cam 2 shows the W. 44th St. area where the Arab group Adalah is supposed to congregate at 11:30 am before marching down Broadway to join the rest of the moonbats at 42nd St.

Cam 4 shows the southeast corner of W.44 St. and 7th Ave.

Cam 7 shows the recruiting station at the bottom center of the screen. (It has a video screen on it's roof). You can see the sound stage for today's concert just in front of it. The view is south down 7th Avenue. Broadway branches to the left.

So folks at home around the country may still get a chance to view some of the action.

NL prints my response about "Win the War" signs

The Staunton News Leader ran a column on the 4th of July by Seth Lovell questioning if people who put out "Win the War" signs and bumper stickers were doing anything more for the troops.

My response is printed in today's paper. Following it in the online version are the usual anti-war protester/liberal responses that appear when anyone conservative writes anything to the Staunton paper.

Sign effort spurred by duty to U.S., our troops
Lynn Mitchell • July 10, 2008

The column in the July 4 edition from Seth Lovell chastising those who display "Win the War" signs or "Support the Troops" bumper stickers raised some interesting questions.

As one of the people who helped distribute "Win the war" signs and bumper stickers, I feel he missed something in the message and has missed the good deeds many in this community have done for the military. Mixing politics and support for the troops? They are inseparable.

As a child of the Vietnam War era, I well remember when this nation did NOT support our troops. Young men would put on the uniform only to be ridiculed by those who did not agree with the war. The silent majority remained silent — and thus the troops felt unappreciated. When they returned home from service in far-off lands, they were not welcomed home as the heroes they were. They were, instead, spit upon and insulted. Superiors cautioned them that it was too dangerous to travel in uniform — in America. There is something terribly wrong with that.

When the War on Terror began almost seven years ago, the anti-war protesters came out in force. Democrat and Republican elected officials voted together to go to war to protect a nation that had been viciously attacked, losing almost 3,000 innocents who were killed by terrorists. That is politics. That is the military.

Should Americans have sat at home and let our men and women in uniform halfway around the world see only dissent coming from America? Or was it better to stand up and let them know we supported them and were grateful that they were willing to sacrifice and put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms we enjoyed?

Just because someone has a "Win the war" bumper sticker or yard sign does not mean they have not done more to support the troops. We have sent care packages by the hundreds, written letters and cards and helped families while their loved ones are away at war. We have been at the Thomas D. Howie Memorial Armory to support them when they left for war, and we have been there to joyously welcome them home when they returned. We have stood up to the anti-war protesters on the streets of Staunton, Augusta County, Richmond, D.C., and beyond. We have grieved with families who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

On the Fourth of July, National Guardsmen stopped by the Republican booth in Gypsy Hill Park to thank us for our support and to ask where to find "Win the War" signs. They left with the signs and our eternal gratitude for their service to our country.

If someone is not able to help in other ways but is able to "slap a sticker on a car," as Mr. Lovell put it, to show support, then we welcome it. At least our soldiers can see it and know they are thought of and loved.

We are grateful to our community for being willing to publicly show support because we remember the days of Vietnam when that support was not shown. My Vietnam-era Air Force husband would have been happy to see a "Support the Troops" rally or "Win the War" bumper sticker.

Those who have been to Iraq and those who support the mission know that to "win the war" means to leave a stable Iraq in the hands of her own people complete with their own constitution, police force, and military. After years of dictatorship, having a stable country takes time but it is being accomplished, and American forces will begin to withdraw when Iraq is ready.

We thank Mr. Lovell for his service to our country, and encourage him to contact us if he has suggestions on other ways we can help the military in our community.

Lynn Mitchell is vice chairwoman of the Augusta County Republican Committee and its Support the Troops coordinator.

Correction: I am not the "Support the Troops" coordinator for the Augusta County Republican Committee. That is something I do on my own in conjunction with the Gathering of Eagles and other pro-troops organizations. More Republicans are involved than Democrats but it is not part of the Republican Party.

My thanks to Cindy Corell and Roger Watson at the News Leader for allowing me to respond in more than the usual 350-word LTE limit.

America should show public support for the troops

A letter to the editor on the 4th of July appeared in the Staunton Newsleader from Seth Lovell questioning why people have "Support the Troops" bumper stickers and "Win the War" signs, suggesting they have done nothing else for the troops.

Here is my response....

To the Editor:

The letter to the editor on July 4 from Seth Lovell chastising those who display "Win the War" signs or "Support the Troops" bumper stickers was interesting.

As one of the people who helped distribute "Win the War" signs and bumper stickers, I feel he missed something in the message and has missed the good deeds many in this community have done for the military. Mixing politics and support for the troops? They are inseparable.

As a child of the Vietnam War era, I well remember when this nation did NOT support our troops. Young men would put on the uniform only to be ridiculed by those who did not agree with the war. The silent majority remained silent ... and thus the troops felt unappreciated. When they returned home from service in far-off lands they were not welcomed home as the heroes they were but were, instead, spit upon and insulted. Superiors cautioned them that it was too dangerous to travel in uniform ... in America. There is something terribly wrong with that.

When the war in Afghanistan and Iraq began six years ago, the anti-war protesters came out in force. Democrat and Republican elected officials together voted to go to war to protect a nation that had been viciously attacked, losing almost 3,000 innocents who were killed by terrorists. That is politics ... that is the military.

Should America have sat at home and let our men and women in uniform halfway around the world see only dissent coming from America? Or was it better to stand up for them and let them know we supported them and were grateful that they were willing to sacrifice and put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms we enjoyed?

Just because someone has a "Win the War" bumper sticker or yard sign does not mean they have not done more to support the troops. We have sent care packages by the hundreds, written letters and cards, helped families while their loved ones are away at war. We have been at the Staunton Armory to support them when they left for war ... and we have been there to joyously welcome them home when they returned. We have stood up to the anti-war protesters on the streets of Staunton, Augusta County, Richmond, DC, and beyond ... we have grieved with families who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

On the 4th of July, National Guardsmen stopped by the Republican booth in Gypsy Hill Park to thank us for our support and to ask where to find "Win the War" signs. They left with the signs and our eternal gratitude for their service to our country.

If someone is not able to help in other ways but is able to "slap a sticker on a car," as Mr. Lovell put it, to show support then we welcome it. At least our soldiers can see it and know they are thought of and loved.

We are grateful to our community for being willing to publicly show support because we remember the days of Vietnam when that support was not shown. My Vietnam era Air Force husband would have been happy to see a "Support the Troops" rally or "Win the War" bumper sticker.

We thank Mr. Lovell for his service to our country, and encourage him to contact us if he has suggestions on other ways we can help the military in our community.

With best regards,

Lynn Mitchell
Vice Chairman/Augusta County Republican Committee
Support the Troops Coordinator

Welcome to Charlottesville, President Bush!

President George W. Bush will participate in the 4th of July naturalization ceremony at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello ... and the "Coalition for Peace and Justice" is making plans to disrupt it.

In Staunton and Augusta County we are very familiar with this particular group. We have gone up against them many times over the past six years as they protest the war and we SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.

Now they have put out a call to all for anti-war protesters to protest at the Monticello event.

That is unacceptable.

A new blog has just been formed to rally patriots to counter the leftists. Check out Welcome to Charlottesville President Bush. Please spread the word and please check out the blog. It is chocked full of information including a THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH placard that can be printed out for use on the 4th. Check back often this week for updates.

We have dealt with the lefty socialists for seven years as they have disrupted every event the President has attended. The 4th of July is a celebration of the birth of America ... and yet they plan to disrupt what should be a non-partisan event.

Please help. Go to Welcome to Charlottesville President Bush and please spread the word.

Care package telethon raises over $1 million

World Net Daily reports on Thursday's historic effort to help U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan:

A fundraiser organized to collect sponsorships for care packages for the tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan for this 4th of July has generated more than $1 million – the final total could even reach $1.2 million, according to organizers.

WND columnist Melanie Morgan and commentator Michelle Malkin of Move America Forward, the nation's largest grassroots pro-troop organization, assembled the sponsorship campaign and aired a "From the Front Lines" Web-a-thon at Ustream.tv this week.

On her website, Morgan confirmed, "The telethon exceeded my wildest expectations. I thought that if we were really lucky, really good, caught some major breaks – we might raise $400,000 – tops.

"Instead, the final tally on the electronic tote board was $1,055,719," she wrote.

"The response was so overwhelming that our website could not keep up with the orders. When all is said and done, I am guessing that Move America Forward will have collected about $1.2 million. People are still donating because UStream.tv re-broadcast the stream, and radio stations across the country were broadcasting or re-broadcasting in various markets," she said.

"Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham personally donated $15,000 each, and Rush Limbaugh pledged a personal check, Mark Levin donated, Michelle Malkin and Coulter cash flowed into our account. Mark Williams from WROR in Albany, New York, flew into California to be our 'relief pitcher' and his wife Holly ran the sound board and produced while we were on-the-air," Morgan wrote.

"Thank you America, and the good Lord above. Thank you Michelle Malkin, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Dr. Laura, Monica Crowley and so many more, including the awesome John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting, and the fabulous comedian and serious patriot Jackie Mason," she wrote. "Thank you to the entire blogging community and folks at HotAir.com, Michelle Malkin.com, the Media Research Center, Human Events, WorldNetDaily, NewsMax and all the others in the on-line publishing world," she said.

Of course, the real story is that hundreds of thousands of generous Americans participated in a New Media venture that has never before been done. They did it for one reason: love and support for the United States military, our troops and our heroes," she said.
...
The care packages are including cookies, coffee, Gatorade, beef jerky and other items in the on-going effort also supported by Nancy Reagan, Gen. Petraeus, Lt. Col. Oliver North and Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

Read the rest of the article here.

Move America Forward Thursday ... HUGE telethon for troops

Tomorrow, Thursday, June 26, 2008 ... tune in for Move America Forward's eight-hour telethon. The nation's largest pro-troop organization, their goal is to ship the largest single shipment of care packages in U.S. history to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan ... half a million dollars' worth of care packages for our Armed Forces.

The grand finale to this effort will be a Jerry Lewis style 8-hour Internet Telethon ("From the Frontlines") on June 26th (from 4:00pm - Midnight - Eastern). This cutting edge production “From The Frontlines” will be broadcast live by UStream.tv and hosted by Melanie Morgan & Michelle Malkin. Live and taped reports will be broadcast from our troops serving in Iraq & Afghanistan during the historic 8-hour event. We are also deeply honored that Former First Lady Nancy Reagan has also signed on to support the "Candy Diplomacy" portion of this effort! CLICK HERE for complete details regarding the "From the Frontlines" 8-hour telethon that takes place on June 26th.

Many well-known conservatives have joined in the effort and are promoting it. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Lt. Colonel Oliver North (Ret.), Monica Crowley, Michelle Malkin, and Melanie Morgan are all part of this historic broadcast.

- On Tuesday, Rush Limbaugh promoted the effort on his nationally syndicated radio show.
- The San Francisco Chronicle wrote about it.
- The Sacramento Union has printed two stories about the broader effort.
- Also check out Wake Up America.
- Another article is avaiable at DigitalJournal.com.

Contribute, tune in, help our men and women in uniform who do so much to preserve our freedoms. God bless them all!

Military wife responds to MoveOn.org's anti-military ad

Ania Egland, who grew up under communism and who is now the mother of two boys and the wife of Major Eric Egland, responds to MoveOn.org's recent anti-military (and nonsensical) ad in this YouTube clip.


H/T WTW

Vets for Freedom....

"You want to know who wants you to come home more than anybody? Al Qaeda because you're kicking their ass."

--Sen. Lindsay Graham to Vets for Freedom on Capitol Hill
April 10, 2008

Marine considers suing Murtha over Haditha accusation

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, USMC: American hero, devout Christian, husband, and dad of six home schooled children

American Marines. Doing their jobs ... or cold-blooded killers? Democrat Rep. John Murtha and some media outlets were too quick to declare wrong-doing when they charged that the men had killed "in cold blood."

World Net Daily reported:

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers.

Their names have been dragged through the mud in a country that declares criminals are "innocent until proven guilty." Yet the same consideration was not given our Marines fighting to protect our freedoms ... their own freedoms were compromised.

World Net Daily goes on to write:

In an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk host Michael Savage, the lead attorney for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani said he and his client will look into suing Murtha and the Time magazine reporter, Tim McGuirk, who first published the accusations by Iraqi insurgents.

But the attorney, Brian Rooney, said nothing will happen immediately because he wants Chessani, described as a devout Christian and the father of six home schooled children, completely "out of the woods" legally before any action is taken. The government, through Lt. Col. S.M. Sullivan, today filed a notice that it would appeal the case to the next judicial level.

Not only has the case been hard on the Marines involved but on the entire Marine Corps:

... the Haditha case has taken a toll on the Marine Corps.

"There's no doubt it's affected recruiting," he told Savage. "How could you have your sons or daughters join the Marine Corps when you're not sure the government will protect them?"

Rooney was asked by Savage why he thought Murtha, a former Marine himself, accused the officers and enlisted men.

"In my opinion, it's clear it was done during the election cycle, it was done to bolster himself in the party," the attorney said. "He was vying for a leadership position, and if he had to throw some Marines under the bus to do so, that was the cost of power for him."

He hopes soon politicians will weigh in on the case in support of Chessani and the others. "I would think all politicians, especially politicians that have military records, should say something about this case," he said.

"In a horrible and very complex environment, when you have an enemy that's using women and children as shields, you should always give the benefit of the doubt to the Marine or soldier," said Rooney. "You should never bring him back and put him in front of a court martial."

That should be emphasized: You should always give the benefit of the doubt to the Marine or soldier.

Goal: Largest shipment ever of care packages to U.S. troops

Join in this push to send the largest shipment ever of care packages to U.S. troops in Iraq.

Scheduled to go out days before the 4th of July, the packages are a gift from Americans on America's birthday ... a thank you for all that our fighting men and women are doing in the war on terrorism to keep America safe.

Please join Move America Forward for this huge endeavor.

Ann Coulter: "Bush's America - 100% al-Qaida free since 2001"

Ann Coulter doesn't mince words ... and that is one reason I admire her. In a world where Americans are encouraged to be mush-spined whimps, Ann tells it like it is.

And so she writes in "Bush's America - 100% al-Quaida free since 2001":

In a conversation recently, I mentioned as an aside what a great president George Bush has been and my friend was surprised. I was surprised that he was surprised.

I generally don't write columns about the manifestly obvious, but, yes, the man responsible for keeping Americans safe from another terrorist attack on American soil for nearly seven years now will go down in history as one of America's greatest presidents.

In a different media climate all Americans would realize what a strong leader President Bush has been. However, with a media that is hostile to anything remotely resembling Republicanism, the good news is kept suppressed and the bad news is blasted from the front pages.

To drive the fact home, she continues:

But unlike liberals, who are so anxious to send American troops to Rwanda or Darfur, Republicans oppose deploying U.S. troops for purely humanitarian purposes. We invaded Iraq to protect America.

It is unquestionable that Bush has made this country safe by keeping Islamic lunatics pinned down fighting our troops in Iraq. In the past few years, our brave troops have killed more than 20,000 al-Qaida and other Islamic militants in Iraq alone. That's 20,000 terrorists who will never board a plane headed for JFK -- or a landmark building, for that matter.

Ann wraps up her article with this:

We begin to forget what it was like to turn on the TV, see a tornado, a car chase or another Pamela Anderson marriage and think: Good -- another day without a terrorist attack.

But liberals have only blind hatred for Bush -- and for those brute American interrogators who do not supply extra helpings of béarnaise sauce to the little darlings at Guantanamo with sufficient alacrity.

The sheer repetition of lies about Bush is wearing people down. There is not a liberal in this country worthy of kissing Bush's rear end, but the weakest members of the herd run from Bush. Compared to the lickspittles denying and attacking him, Bush is a moral giant -- if that's not damning with faint praise. John McCain should be so lucky as to be running for Bush's third term. Then he might have a chance.

I concur.

We are winning the war in Iraq

Monday's New York Post's op-ed by Arthur Herman laid it on the line: America is winning the war in Iraq. Herman wrote:

America has won, or is about to win, the Iraq war.

The latest proof came last month, as the Iraqi army - just a few months ago the target of scorn and abuse from Democratic politicians and journalists - forcefully reoccupied three cities that had served as key insurgency bases (Basra, Sadr City and Mosul).

Sunnis and Shias alike applauded as their nation's army compelled insurgent militias to lay down their arms. The country's leading opposition newspaper, Azzaman, led the applause for the move into Mosul - a sign that national reconciliation in Iraq is under way and probably irreversible. ...

In a Washington Post interview, CIA Director Michael Hayden said we're witnessing the "near strategic defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq." ...

Now the strategy, which our nation's "best and brightest" regularly dismissed as a failure, has cleared the way for the establishment of a secure democracy in Iraq and a lasting peace. ...

In wars, however, trends have their own momentum. And the trend is running away from al Qaeda and its jihadist allies - not only in Iraq but also across the Middle East. ...

And al Qaeda's fugitive leadership is learning that its former safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border is no longer so safe. Thanks to cooperation with Pakistan's new government, unmanned US Predator drones recently killed two top al Qaeda leaders there.

Once Gen. David Petraeus is confirmed as commander of US forces in the Middle East in July, he'll be able to apply the same strategy for victory learned in the Iraq surge to the war in Afghanistan.

In short, the larger War on Terror may be reaching a tipping point similar to that of the Iraq war. ...

It's not mere coincidence that our success against al Qaeda globally comes along with success in Iraq. For all its setbacks and frustrations, the Iraq war drew jihadists into a battle they thought they could win, because it would be fought on their home turf - but which they're now losing disastrously. ...

Check out the NY Post to read the entire op-ed.