WEEK 6 ... "Cost of Defeat" Call-in Campaign
In the past two weeks, Vets for Freedom has released television advertisements in 5 states (read about them here & here) and stood up State Chapters in 26 states. We plan to release 5 more TV ads this week, and formally announce 5 additional State Chapters.
And every day, our membership numbers expand rapidly.Without question, we are on the offensive throughout America -- communicating to members of Congress and the American people a very clear message: give General Petraeus, and his counter-insurgency strategy, the time, troops, and resources necessary to succeed in Iraq.
But rest assured, Washington DC-based, anti-war radicals are also active, and they plan to make their next political statement on Thursday, August 16th. According to a MoveOn.org strategy memo, they will "release a hard-hitting report to local media on what the war has cost your congressional district. This will happen on August 16th."
MoveOn.org will send out press releases in every congressional district stating how much the Iraq War is costing American taxpayers. But, of course, they fail to ask a more fundamental question: what is the cost of defeat in Iraq? And what will it ultimately cost America -- in lives, treasure, and reputation -- if we declare defeat at the hands of Al Qaeda & Company?
What You Can Do This Week!
On Thursday, August 16th, as a direct response to MoveOn.org's crass attempts to politicize the Iraq War, Vets for Freedom is asking all of its members to participate in our "Cost of Defeat" Call-in Campaign. And we are not alone in this effort. We are proud to be partnering with Families United for the Troops and Their Mission, a grassroots coalition of thousands of Gold Star and Blue Star families including some with loved ones currently in harm's way. Both the troops -- and their families -- will be making calls this Thursday!
So mark your calendar and call your members of Congress to explain the "Cost of Defeat" in Iraq. Tell them that defeat in Iraq would mean the following things:
* A bloodbath in Iraq, costing hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives and possibly destabilize the entire Middle East region.
* A failed state in Iraq and a safe haven for Al Qaeda to plan future attacks against America and her allies.
* An emboldened Iran in pursuit of nuclear weapons and a victorious Al Qaeda in pursuit of new ways to kill Americans at home and around the world.
For more tips and information about what to say when you call, please read the "Call Tips" section below. We have provided a word-for-word script.
Call Instructions:
On Thursday, call your 2 Senators and 1 Representative. Call their offices in your home state and remind them of the "Cost of Defeat" in Iraq. Use the links below to find the phone numbers for your members of Congress:
Senator John Warner (R-Virginia) -- 540-857-2676
Senator Jim Webb (R-Virginia) -- 540-772-4236
Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia 6th District) -- 540-885-3861
After you have called your members of Congress, call the following 10 Senators and remind them what the "Cost of Defeat" would look like if they vote to undercut General Petraeus and the mission in Iraq in September. Phone numbers are provided below for phone numbers in their home state:
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) -- 515-288-1145
Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) -- 785-233-2503
Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) -- 785-295-2745
Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) -- 402-391-3411
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) -- 502-582-6304
Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) -- 651-645-0323
Senator John Sununu (R-New Hampshire) -- 603-647-7500
Senator Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire) -- 603-622-7979
[Senator John Warner (R-Virginia) -- 540-857-2676]
Senator Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) -- 501-324-6336
When you're done with the calls on Thursday, please shoot a quick email to info@vetsforfreedom.org and let us know. And if you had any particularly interesting exchanges, we'd love to hear about it.
What Else Can You Do This Week?
Attend Your Senator's Town Hall Meetings. We need pro-mission veterans and citizens at every single town hall meeting in August, encouraging members of Congress to support the mission in Iraq. If you find out about a Town Hall meeting in your state, do two things: 1) Attend! 2) Let us know at joel@vetsforfreedom.org.
Sign Up to Show Up in September.
We still need more veterans to sign up early and join us on September 17 & 18 at our nation's capitol. Just send an email to events@vetsforfreedom.org with your name, military bio, your home state, and contact information. Once we receive this information we can start the process of arranging your travel and scheduling your appointments in Washington, DC.
Visit out "Live From Iraq" Blog.
Check daily for updates from Jeff Emanuel, Iraq war veteran and Vets for Freedom member, who is reporting from the front lines in Iraq. He will provide daily "on the ground" updates from inside the surge. Our comrades in Iraq have Al Qaeda on the run-and it's up to us to keep radical anti-war groups on the defensive for their ill-informed and partisan viewpoints.
Move out and draw fire!
Regards, Pete Hegseth
Iraq War Veteran 2005-2006
Executive Director, Vets for Freedom
Click here for more information on Vets for Freedom's "10 Weeks to Testimony."
Call Tips When you call the senators, a few important things to remember:
1) Always be courteous. The person answering the phone is likely a young staffer.
If you are calling a Senator who represents your home state, say "I am from [City, State] and am a member of Vets for Freedom. I recently returned from Iraq [or insert relevant experience] and I respectfully request to speak with Senator [name]." When they ask to take a message, say "I'm calling to tell Senator [name] that I oppose MoveOn.org’s attempts to undermine the mission in Iraq and to remind the Senator what the "cost of defeat" in Iraq would be. Defeat in Iraq would mean [cite three reasons above]... Please pass along this message to the Senator."
If you are calling a Senator who is not from your state, say "I am a veteran of the Iraq War [or insert relevant experience] who served with [insert unit] in [insert location] from [insert dates]. I am a member of Vets for Freedom and I'm calling to tell Senator [name] that I oppose MoveOn.org’s attempts to undermine the mission in Iraq and to remind the Senator what the "cost of defeat" in Iraq would be. Defeat in Iraq would mean [cite three reasons above]... Please pass along this message to the Senator."
Our comrades in Iraq have Al Qaeda on the run-and it's up to us to keep radical anti-war groups on the defensive for their ill-informed and partisan viewpoints.
Move out and draw fire!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Thank You, Karl Rove
The libs are gleeful that Karl Rove is resigning from the White House the end of this month. He is finally going to escape the knife-stabbing, shark-infested cess pool that is Washington, D.C. politics. He has stayed there longer than most can stand it ... and has done a good job for the President.
The libs can't drag his name through the mud enough. They are beside themselves with delight, offering up slams on his character, his job, and his influence.
Heh. Karl Rove was effective ... and that's what the libs didn't like. He took their game ... and perfected it. And they can't stand it.
He was with the Governor in Texas, he stayed with him when he went to D.C. as President, he stayed into the second term ... he's been a loyal and valuable ally.
I met Karl once, in the airport in Austin when my sister, also on the Bush campaign, introduced me to him. It was the 2000 election ... and everyone was in limbo. They were later to move to D.C. to work with this man they admired. But Karl stuck it out longer than most of the others.
Thank you, Karl. You will be missed.
Top 10 Lies of the Left ... # 1: "Bush Is Stupid"
George W. Bush scored a 1206 on his SAT. He graduated from Yale and earned a 3.6 GPA at Harvard Business School, flew fighter jets in the Texas Air National Guard during Viet Nam, was a successful business owner, became Governor of Texas twice in landslide victories, and became President of the United States twice, the second time getting more votes than any president in the history of the United States.
He also scored higher on military intelligence tests than John Kerry. It was Al Gore who received mostly C's at Harvard, dropped out of Vanderbilt law school and failed out of divinity school. It was Ted Kennedy who was kicked out of Harvard for cheating.
By the way, why is it, do you suppose, that Hillary still refuses to release her transcripts from Wellesley and Yale?
Gregg Jackson is the nationally best selling author of "Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies: Issue by Issue Responses to the Most Common Claims of the Left from A to Z" (JAJ Publishing Aug 2006) and talk radio show host heard on Boston's Talk Station WRKO.
To be continued....
He also scored higher on military intelligence tests than John Kerry. It was Al Gore who received mostly C's at Harvard, dropped out of Vanderbilt law school and failed out of divinity school. It was Ted Kennedy who was kicked out of Harvard for cheating.
By the way, why is it, do you suppose, that Hillary still refuses to release her transcripts from Wellesley and Yale?
Gregg Jackson is the nationally best selling author of "Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies: Issue by Issue Responses to the Most Common Claims of the Left from A to Z" (JAJ Publishing Aug 2006) and talk radio show host heard on Boston's Talk Station WRKO.
To be continued....
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
"Four One Element" - MP Unit served in Baghdad
For all my dear friends at S.W.A.C.
[signed] SSG Herb Harman, Commander
"Four One Element"
Military Police Unit - Baghdad
[signed] SSG Herb Harman, Commander
"Four One Element"
Military Police Unit - Baghdad
SSG Herb Harman, Army National Guard, from Augusta County in the Shenandoah Valley, returned from Iraq in January 2007 after being away for 15 months. Many from the SWAC area had remembered him and his family while he was away and he was grateful. The frame above includes a photo of his Unit, the "Four One Element," in front of a Virginia state flag hanging on the wall of a former presidential palace, and old Iraqi currency featuring the likeness of Saddam Hussein. Thanks for your service, Herb.
See related stories about SSG Herb Harman:
- 654th MP Company Home From Iraq
- Toto, We're Not In Iraq Anymore
- Welcome Back From Iraq
- Victory in Iraq! Conversation with a Soldier, Part 1
- Victory in Iraq! Conversation with a Soldier, Part 2
- Victory in Iraq! Conversation with a Soldier, Part 3
See related stories about SSG Herb Harman:
- 654th MP Company Home From Iraq
- Toto, We're Not In Iraq Anymore
- Welcome Back From Iraq
- Victory in Iraq! Conversation with a Soldier, Part 1
- Victory in Iraq! Conversation with a Soldier, Part 2
- Victory in Iraq! Conversation with a Soldier, Part 3
Time for a change to Jeff Evans in the 20th
State Senator Roscoe Reynolds shows little regard for voters ... tells caller, "That's none of your business!"
Has State Senator Roscoe Reynolds (D - 20th District) lost touch with the little guy? Has he perfected the art of dodge and deflect when responding to voter questions? Check out these YouTube video clips of Reynolds on a call-in show and judge for yourself....
* Clip 1
* Clip 2
* Clip 3
It's time for a change in the 20th District ... it's time for Jeff Evans.
Check out related posts:
- Jerry at From On High: How Dare We Interfere In His Public Life!
- Leslie Carbone: Bill Clinton Without the Charm
- Jim Riley at Virginia Virtucon: Roscoe Reynolds Talk of the Town
- Scott at Scott's Morning Brew: Roscoe Reynolds on ... anger management ... dismissing questions and constituents ... question deflection
- Jason at J's Notes: VA Senate 20 -- See Roscoe Dodge
-Carl at Spark It Up!!!: Sen. Roscoe Reynolds Is Causing a Stir!
- Alton at I'm Not Emeril: Roscoe Reynolds Authored Senate Version of Civil Remedial Fees
- Conservative V.O.I.C.E.: Campaign Lessons from Roscoe Reynolds
H/T: Alton
Has State Senator Roscoe Reynolds (D - 20th District) lost touch with the little guy? Has he perfected the art of dodge and deflect when responding to voter questions? Check out these YouTube video clips of Reynolds on a call-in show and judge for yourself....
* Clip 1
* Clip 2
* Clip 3
It's time for a change in the 20th District ... it's time for Jeff Evans.
Check out related posts:
- Jerry at From On High: How Dare We Interfere In His Public Life!
- Leslie Carbone: Bill Clinton Without the Charm
- Jim Riley at Virginia Virtucon: Roscoe Reynolds Talk of the Town
- Scott at Scott's Morning Brew: Roscoe Reynolds on ... anger management ... dismissing questions and constituents ... question deflection
- Jason at J's Notes: VA Senate 20 -- See Roscoe Dodge
-Carl at Spark It Up!!!: Sen. Roscoe Reynolds Is Causing a Stir!
- Alton at I'm Not Emeril: Roscoe Reynolds Authored Senate Version of Civil Remedial Fees
- Conservative V.O.I.C.E.: Campaign Lessons from Roscoe Reynolds
H/T: Alton
LG Bill Bolling supports concealed carry firearms on campus
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling has traveled throughout the state listening to concerns as he builds his "100 ideas for the future of Virginia" ... and one concern he has heard over and over is the need to allow students and staff at universities to carry firearms on campus.
With students at over 60 university campuses working through Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, carrying firearms at college is an idea that is growing. Some feel by not allowing students and staff to defend themselves, they are left as sitting ducks for tragedies such as the Virginia Tech shooting in April that left 32 people dead before the gunman killed himself.
Bill Bolling, a staunch supporter of the second amendment, said, "... I don't know the answer to whether or not if someone had had a weapon with them on campus if it would have made a difference. I don't know that anyone in Norris Hall on the day of this shooting had a concealed carry permit, but you know what we're looking at is do the prohibitions make sense?"
Virginia law allows individual colleges and universities to decide whether to allow weapons on the premises. Currently they are banned at all state campuses except one, Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave.
Check out Chris' post ... LG Bolling Backs Virginians' Right to Bear Arms on Campus.
With students at over 60 university campuses working through Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, carrying firearms at college is an idea that is growing. Some feel by not allowing students and staff to defend themselves, they are left as sitting ducks for tragedies such as the Virginia Tech shooting in April that left 32 people dead before the gunman killed himself.
Bill Bolling, a staunch supporter of the second amendment, said, "... I don't know the answer to whether or not if someone had had a weapon with them on campus if it would have made a difference. I don't know that anyone in Norris Hall on the day of this shooting had a concealed carry permit, but you know what we're looking at is do the prohibitions make sense?"
Virginia law allows individual colleges and universities to decide whether to allow weapons on the premises. Currently they are banned at all state campuses except one, Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave.
Check out Chris' post ... LG Bolling Backs Virginians' Right to Bear Arms on Campus.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Road trip to C-ville....
Met a friend from the Richmond area in Charlottesville for lunch today. Driving over and back there were things that caught my attention....
Driving I-64 west the right lane was closed at the Rt. 834 overpass due to construction/cleaning/painting or whatever is going on with that bridge. I believe that's Long Meadow Road....
American flags were waving on beyond there as I noticed the large flag on top of Home Depot on the left (north) side and a large flag on top of Intelos on the right (south) side near the old Outlet Mall. The wind was blowing which made them stand out against the mountains....
The Blue Ridge Mountains are always beautiful. Period. Summer, fall, winter, spring ... I never tire of looking at them. Today they certainly earned their name -- Blue Ridge -- because they were hazy on this hot summer day. As I drove up and over Afton I took in the lush green of the trees and was thankful to live in such a beautiful place....
Going down the eastern side of Afton was windy as my vehicle was buffeted around a bit. It was a clear sky, sunny day ... but the winds were kicking up on that side of the mountain....
The interstate between Afton and Ivy is lush. Trees, bamboo, pines, oaks grow right up to the edge of the highway right-of-way; some even provide a bit of shade for the interstate. It's almost like a green tunnel....
It's still summer as was evident with all the license plates on vehicles on the road. Maine and NY were the farthest north I saw; Florida the farthest south, and Texas, Ohio, and Tennessee were about as far west....
We had a great lunch in Charlottesville talking politics and life with someone who has a child in Iraq. Some people sacrifice more than others....
Driving back home late in the afternoon I again admired the mountains as I drove over Afton and back down into the Valley....
Stopped to refuel in Staunton when a vehicle pulled in beside me. With engine still running and cell phone to his ear, a guy got out and started pumping gas, all the while talking on his phone. I was annoyed ... maybe a spark from his engine would blow us all up. About that time the attendant, a young man in his 20s, approached the gentleman to tell him he needed to turn off his engine and his cell phone. Do you think the guy listened? Heck, no! He kept on fueling, kept on talking, and never made an attempt to turn off his motor and, when finished, walked over, paid, walked back and climbed in his vehicle -- still talking on the phone.
Why is it some people think the rules don't apply to them? I thanked the attendant for at least trying....
Driving I-64 west the right lane was closed at the Rt. 834 overpass due to construction/cleaning/painting or whatever is going on with that bridge. I believe that's Long Meadow Road....
American flags were waving on beyond there as I noticed the large flag on top of Home Depot on the left (north) side and a large flag on top of Intelos on the right (south) side near the old Outlet Mall. The wind was blowing which made them stand out against the mountains....
The Blue Ridge Mountains are always beautiful. Period. Summer, fall, winter, spring ... I never tire of looking at them. Today they certainly earned their name -- Blue Ridge -- because they were hazy on this hot summer day. As I drove up and over Afton I took in the lush green of the trees and was thankful to live in such a beautiful place....
Going down the eastern side of Afton was windy as my vehicle was buffeted around a bit. It was a clear sky, sunny day ... but the winds were kicking up on that side of the mountain....
The interstate between Afton and Ivy is lush. Trees, bamboo, pines, oaks grow right up to the edge of the highway right-of-way; some even provide a bit of shade for the interstate. It's almost like a green tunnel....
It's still summer as was evident with all the license plates on vehicles on the road. Maine and NY were the farthest north I saw; Florida the farthest south, and Texas, Ohio, and Tennessee were about as far west....
We had a great lunch in Charlottesville talking politics and life with someone who has a child in Iraq. Some people sacrifice more than others....
Driving back home late in the afternoon I again admired the mountains as I drove over Afton and back down into the Valley....
Stopped to refuel in Staunton when a vehicle pulled in beside me. With engine still running and cell phone to his ear, a guy got out and started pumping gas, all the while talking on his phone. I was annoyed ... maybe a spark from his engine would blow us all up. About that time the attendant, a young man in his 20s, approached the gentleman to tell him he needed to turn off his engine and his cell phone. Do you think the guy listened? Heck, no! He kept on fueling, kept on talking, and never made an attempt to turn off his motor and, when finished, walked over, paid, walked back and climbed in his vehicle -- still talking on the phone.
Why is it some people think the rules don't apply to them? I thanked the attendant for at least trying....
"War is never a straight line" ...
Win the War has a post by Jack from The World's Ruined that begins:
War is never a straight line kind of operation. There are advances. There are pullbacks. There are periods of losing and periods of pressing forward to victory. ... the losses sustained in the first several years of World War II were massive and intensely discouraging. One could easily have assessed by the end of 1942 that the Allied forces were not only losing against Germany and Japan but they could very well actually go down in defeat.Jack ends by saying:
But our military has been learning and adjusting. And al Qaeda is on the defensive. The tide is turning.Read the entire post here.
VA Tech tragedy opens discussion about guns on campus....
"In a sense [students] don't have the same rights to self-defense on campus as the generatl public. It's really lopsided the way it works." --George Mason University student and Marine veteran Andrew Dysart
Because of gun restrictions on school properties, some say our students are sitting ducks at the mercy of deranged gunmen like Virginia Tech's Cho Seung-Hui whose rampage in April killed 32 people before he turned the gun on himself.
However, students like Andrew Dysart, a Marine veteran, disagree with those laws and would like to see changes. He is one of the Students for Concealed Carry On Campus members on over 60 campuses nationwide working toward allowing students with proper permits to carry on campus.
"They [VA Tech students] should have had the chance to defend themselves if it came down to that," he said of the tragedy.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch has the story here.
Also check out Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.
Waynesboro's Peck's BBQ closes ... promises to reopen in Staunton
That icon of eateries on the corner of Lew DeWitt Boulevard and Rt. 250 in Waynesboro has closed its doors. After 25 years of serving BBQ and slaw, the owner of Peck's Bar-B-Que sold his valuable lot to CVS Pharmacy and plans to move to a location near Staunton Mall. Peck's also operates a catering service that has been used for political events including a 2005 Jerry Kilgore fundraiser in Andre Viette's garden in Fishersville. The Waynesboro News Virginian has an article here.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Gathering of Eagles in D.C. September 15th
Gathering of Eagles, Vets for Freedom, and many other pro-victory groups are gathering in Washington, D.C., on September 15th to show support for the troops and support for victory in Iraq.This will counter the anti-war protesters headed up by MoveOn.org groups that plan to be in D.C. the same day to march on the White House. Let's join fellow pro-victory, pro-America patriots by swelling their ranks to overwhelm the anti-war protesters.
A message from Eagles Up and Gathering of Eagles:
It's freedom we're about, ensuring the security of America, not debating the right or wrong of Iraq but looking at the longer term threat America faces of which Iraq is a part.Let's do it! Let's be in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, September 15, 2007.
It's about messages being sent to a barbaric, ruthless, bunch of butchers that are encouraged when they see elements in America that suggest "surrender," demeaning our troops, and allowing the Islamic killers to use foolishness of a few private citizens and politicians as ammunition for propaganda purposes.
We cannot allow a repeat of the 60s when America abandoned our troops in Southeast Asia.
Folks it is not easy to make a trip to Washington, DC ... be sure that this is not about some individual getting his/her ego stroked or some organization bolstering it's agenda. What it's about is the survival of our nation, our way of life is being moved perilously close to a repeat of the 60s ... this time, as we have already experienced, the enemy is attacking us on the continental United States soil.
If we do not hold the line and move with offensive action to rally in support of America and our troops, and recognize the sacrifice of our fallen and missing, the blood bath will continue in America with a force that will dwarf 9-11-2001. We can make a move now without bloodshed at home if we act ... think about it.
Many organizations such as Eagles Landing, Move America Forward, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Gathering of Eagles, Rolling Thunder, and others are engaged in preparation and urging American patriots to sacrifice, if necessary, to be present for duty, "boots on the ground" in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2007.
The goal is to fill the streets and totally overwhelm those that would tear America down, abandon our troops again, and dishonor our fallen and missing and their families.
America needs each one of us desperately to stand up for her ... our troops, the very sons and daughters, sacrificing blood, body parts, and lives deserve nothing less ... use our web site www.eaglesup.us and tell us you'll be in DC ... click on the forum and sign up or hit the "contact button" at the top of the page and tell America you're on the way....
God willing our presence in DC will shake the political establishment and our national media into some sense of reality of where America stands.
H/T: Concrete Bob at United Conservatives of Virginia
Waynesboro News Virginian covers John Hager's visit to SWAC....
RPV Chairman John Hager's visit yesterday to the SWAC area Republicans is the front page top-of-the-fold story in today's Waynesboro News Virginian. In GOP chairman wants unity, reporter Alicia Petska did a great job highlighting the issues that were discussed along with Chairman Hager's plans to bring the Party back together after a contentious Primary season.
Even though we were in Staunton -- in the home territory of the News Leader -- there was no representative from them but, then, that's not anything unusual. They were MIA when 120 people turned out in November 2006 to see George Allen at Rowe's just before the election ... it was covered by Waynesboro but Staunton ignored it. Typical.
Even though we were in Staunton -- in the home territory of the News Leader -- there was no representative from them but, then, that's not anything unusual. They were MIA when 120 people turned out in November 2006 to see George Allen at Rowe's just before the election ... it was covered by Waynesboro but Staunton ignored it. Typical.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Staunton National Guard Armory's Family Night
It was family night at the Staunton Armory where the famous 116th "Stonewall Brigade" was based out of before deploying to Iraq in May. I was invited to join my friend and neighbor Jan whose husband, Herb, and son, Dan, returned from Iraq a few months ago.Family night is for the families left behind -- the mothers, fathers, spouses, children -- of those who have gone to war ... and some whose loved ones have returned from war ... and some who have lost loved ones in the war. Over 50 adults attended as well as 25 children.
The parking lot was filled with vehicles, many with National Guard license plates. Most had bumper stickers ... "Proud Wife of Iraqi Freedom Fighter," "My Husband Is a Marine," "Proud Member VA National Guard," "Support Our Troops," "God Bless America," and more.
Held monthly, the family nights start with a potluck dinner and offer an opportunity for everyone to spend time together. Babysitting is provided for the children who play in the gym while the parents talk and spend some "adult time" together.
Robin and Maurice are the family coordinators who pull it all together, keeping in touch with families while a loved one is overseas, helping those who are about to deploy, untying red tape for families when necessary. They take care of their "family."
For anyone who may like to help support the troops you may want to consider adopting a military family who has a loved one deployed to war. There are numerous jobs that need to be done ... mowing the grass, repairing a screen door, helping in some small way to make their lives easier.
May God bless our military ... and may God bless their families.
SWAC welcomes RPV's John Hager & Shaun Kenney
John Hager addresses SWAC-GOP Breakfast as Sixth District Chairman Fred Anderson (foreground) listens.A Republican Unity breakfast was held this morning at Rowe's Restaurant in Staunton with over 50 local Republicans coming out to hear from the new Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, John Hager. Accompanying Lt. Gov. Hager was RPV's Director of Communications Shaun Kenney.
Elected officials in the crowd included Delgate Steve Landes, Delegate Chris Saxman, and Delegate Ben Cline as well as many local electeds and candidates running for the Augusta County Board of Supervisors.
All the grassroots leaders were in attendance including the Chairs of SWAC -- Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County's Kurt Michael -- as well as Mike Meredith, Chair of Rockingham County and Fred Anderson, Sixth District Chairman.
Elected officials in the crowd included Delgate Steve Landes, Delegate Chris Saxman, and Delegate Ben Cline as well as many local electeds and candidates running for the Augusta County Board of Supervisors.
All the grassroots leaders were in attendance including the Chairs of SWAC -- Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County's Kurt Michael -- as well as Mike Meredith, Chair of Rockingham County and Fred Anderson, Sixth District Chairman.
Kurt Michael and Shaun Kenney listen to a question.
Lt. Gov. Hager had rousing remarks about the Party, the direction we're going, how we're rebuilding, and articulating our message to the voters by showing the differences between the democrats and us. He answered questions that ranged from the need for closed primaries to fairness (or lack of) in the media.
He was followed by Chairman Kurt Michael who emphasized what he stood for -- pro-life, pro-family, pro-Second Amendment, anti-tax -- and said that was what he was working toward as a Republican volunteer in the SWAC area.
It was a good event and sets local Republicans up to head off into the fall campaign season ready to go! Our thanks to John Hager and Shaun Kenney for attending the event.
Shaun Kenney & Delegate Chris Saxman hanging around the parking lot of Rowe's after breakfast.
Photos by SWAC Girl
Friday, August 10, 2007
Home schoolers outscore public school students for 10th year in row
Some still question whether home education works.
It does.
After 16 years teaching my two children at home, I can attest that it works. My oldest graduated from James Madison University in May after being home schooled in grades 2-12; my youngest now attends Blue Ridge Community College in the transfer program after being home schooled in grades K-12.
For those who need more solid proof, here it is: For the tenth year in a row the composite score on the 2006 ACT college entrance exam for home educated students was higher than the national average.
From World Net Daily comes this report from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA):
It's a school choice that offers parents another educational outlet for their children.
It does.
After 16 years teaching my two children at home, I can attest that it works. My oldest graduated from James Madison University in May after being home schooled in grades 2-12; my youngest now attends Blue Ridge Community College in the transfer program after being home schooled in grades K-12.
For those who need more solid proof, here it is: For the tenth year in a row the composite score on the 2006 ACT college entrance exam for home educated students was higher than the national average.
From World Net Daily comes this report from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA):
The Home School Legal Defense Association said the 2006 scores for homeschooled students averaged 22.4, compared to the national average composite of 21.1.The report went on to offer more in-depth information:
A year earlier, the average for homeschoolers was 22.5, compared to the national average that includes public and private school students of 20.9.
"Now homeschoolers have an unbroken record for the last 10 years – since 1996, when testing officials started tracking them – of scoring higher on the ACT than the national average," the world's premiere home-school advocacy group said.
According to the 1998 ACT High School Profile Report, 2,610 homeschoolers took the ACT and scored an average of 22.8 out of a possible 36 points. This score was just slightly higher than the 1997 report on 1,926 homeschoolers, who averaged 22.5 in scores compared to the national average of 21.0 for both 1997 and 1998.Many home schooling parents hold their students and themselves to a high standard which may result in higher testing scores for students. Perhaps they also benefit from the one-on-one attention and the ability to tailor a curriculum to each child's learning interests and capabilities. A "visual learner" will need a different curriculum than an "audio learner."
Just four years ago, Iowa State University's admissions department data showed that homeschoolers had a 26.1 mean ACT composite score, as compared to a 24.6 mean score for all entering freshman. The cumulative admissions data from the University of Northern Iowa revealed that the average ACT score for homeschoolers was nearly two points higher than that for regular freshmen, 25 versus 23.5, the HSLDA said.
Since 1985, research consistently shows that homeschoolers on average do better than the national average on standardized achievement tests for the elementary and secondary grade levels, the HSLDA said.
It's a school choice that offers parents another educational outlet for their children.
Anti-war activist John Soltz ... Captain Hypocrite
At Yearly Kos last weekend Capt. John Soltz blasted Sgt. David Aguina for speaking up to set the record straight about the number of civilian casualities lessening in Iraq. From Melanie Morgan at World Net Daily:
Melanie Morgan is chairman of the conservative, pro-troop non-profit organization Move America Forward and is co-host of the "Lee Rodgeters & Melanie Morgan Show" on KSFO 560 AM in San Francisco. Morgan is co-author of "American Mourning," which tells the stories of American heroism in Operation Iraq Freedom. Her personal website is www.MelanieMorgan.com.
Also:
This is how the libs support the troops?
The Baghdad Fabulist by Charles Krauthammer
Soltz is co-founder of the group VoteVets.org which works with MoveOn.org as part of the umbrella network known as Americans Against Escalation in Iraq.Ms. Morgan goes on to show a photo of John Soltz on the anti-war website VoteVets.org. She says:
This weekend Soltz was a panelist at the left-wing "Yearly Kos" convention where he launched into a tirade against U.S. Army Sgt. David Aguina of the 733rd maintenance company. Sgt. Aguina made the "mistake" of noting the progress being made with "the surge" of U.S. troops in Iraq. He did not express any political opinions; he merely challenged the panel to prove him wrong that civilian casualties in Iraq had dropped.
Left-wing activist Jon Soltz apparently considers citing any evidence of success from Iraq a "political act" because Sgt. Aguina was soon subjected to a verbal attack from Soltz who threatened to have him punished by the military.
Here's what Soltz said as captured by the great people at Pajamas Media who videotaped the incident:
"For the sergeant I want to see you outside, I want the name of your commander, your first sergeant, you never ever use my uniform again in the name of political purposes."
As Soltz bolted from the stage, the Pajamas Media cameras were still rolling and asked Soltz why he was so worked up. "Well look, you don't use the military uniform to talk politics…. I don’t appreciate people using military uniforms in politics," Soltz said.
One problem, Mr. Soltz – you're a hypocrite and a liar.
Our nation is at war, and we have boots on the ground overseas fighting in a war that Islamic jihadists declared against us. Have the anti-war activists stopped to think about what would happen if our troops leave the battlefield prematurely?But then John Soltz got busted by one of his own ... Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson (USAF, Ret.).
I have. The entire region would be in chaos. Al-Qaida would rule from Syria, through Lebanon, into Pakistan, and Iran. America needs to win. Victory isn't hard to imagine. Iraq will be stable, a young democracy at work, and American interests in the region would be represented.
Yet, left-wing activists have been engaged in a fierce campaign to undermine the war effort. No news there, but what is alarming is the degree to which they are organized, funded, and orchestrated. Jon Soltz has emerged to become the front man in their campaign to betray our troops and force them to declare defeat in Iraq.
On Wednesday, Move America Forward Vice Chairman, Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson (USAF, Ret.) confronted Soltz on his political activism at the same time he is serving in the reserves – a violation of the U.S. Military's Uniform Code of Military Justice.Busted!
As captured in a video from MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, Soltz screamed, yelled and literally stuck his tongue in the side of his cheek in discomfort as he realized that Colonel Patterson had busted Soltz for improper conduct.
Melanie Morgan is chairman of the conservative, pro-troop non-profit organization Move America Forward and is co-host of the "Lee Rodgeters & Melanie Morgan Show" on KSFO 560 AM in San Francisco. Morgan is co-author of "American Mourning," which tells the stories of American heroism in Operation Iraq Freedom. Her personal website is www.MelanieMorgan.com.
Also:
This is how the libs support the troops?
The Baghdad Fabulist by Charles Krauthammer
Thursday, August 09, 2007
This is the future of the Republican Party....
Have a house full of young people tonight for a cookout and bonfire (yes, I know, it is hot out there but it's the ambiance). They're still at it as I type ... roasting marshmallows around the fire and laughing and enjoying being together before the ones attending universities out of the area head back to school.
Out of the 20, many of them home school alumni, every single one is conservative and voted Republican.
One, transferring back from Tulane and always interested in politics in the past, talked with me a long time about the necessity to keep Virginia from turning "blue." I told him we were there working against the dems ... and he wanted to be sure I called on him to help in whatever way necessary during the fall campaign. This is the same young man who, during high school, volunteered at the polls in my District, worked headquarters, and attended Board of Supervisor meetings.
This is the future of the Republican Party. Things look good.
On a similar note, a new CNN.com poll shows Republicans are swinging back to supporting President Bush. The report on August 9 from CNN's Political Ticker said:
Out of the 20, many of them home school alumni, every single one is conservative and voted Republican.
One, transferring back from Tulane and always interested in politics in the past, talked with me a long time about the necessity to keep Virginia from turning "blue." I told him we were there working against the dems ... and he wanted to be sure I called on him to help in whatever way necessary during the fall campaign. This is the same young man who, during high school, volunteered at the polls in my District, worked headquarters, and attended Board of Supervisor meetings.
This is the future of the Republican Party. Things look good.
On a similar note, a new CNN.com poll shows Republicans are swinging back to supporting President Bush. The report on August 9 from CNN's Political Ticker said:
"The gain in Bush’s approval is due entirely to Republicans coming home,” Holland said. “There was no change in the approval rating among Democrats or Independents between this poll and the last one, but Bush’s approval rating went up 16 points among Republicans since June.”Things look good, indeed.
Video of Cindy Sheehan rally in Charlottesville
Video of the Cindy Sheehan rally in Charlottesville on July 20, 2007. Thanks to Albemarle County Chairman Keith Drake for passing it along.
Thank a soldier or Marine ... we're winning in Iraq!
The recent op-ed piece printed in The New York Times by Brookings Institute analysts Michael O'Hanlon and Ken Pollack made a point that needed to be publicized about this war: this is a war we can win! But to do so we need to practice patience, allow the military to do its job and stay in Iraq while that happens, and support our men and women in uniform as they go about their business.
And we need to keep politics out of war. Not that I'm nieve enough to think that would happen ... but it's a nice thought.
The dems are the Party of defeatism whether it's the war, health care, infrastructure, or a Republican President. They pound the negatives on a daily continuous basis -- it's enough to give anyone a headache....
I prefer the Ronald Reagan approach. "It's morning in America" ... a hopeful, optimistic outlook at the most wonderful country in the world. I don't consider that bragging; I consider that to be realistic. Why else would we have a problem with illegal aliens crossing our borders in hoardes to try and better their lives in the Land of the Free?
To those who want to end this war right now without a victory ... we cannot do that and remain a viable leader in the world's eye. A leader does not tuck tail and run nor does he go whichever way the wind blows. A leader is a leader precisely because he has to make the tough decisions and, though it may not make him the most popular person, he has to do what is right for the country as a whole, not a small vocal minority.
Too many anti-war proponents have a pre-9/11 mentality. Perhaps they need to review the tapes and watch those Twin Towers falling again, see the gaping hole in the side of the Pentagon, look at the charred hole in the ground in a Pennsylvania field ... because the reality is they appear to have forgotten the horror felt that day by a grieving and stricken nation.
Where are the American flags that everyone had on their vehicles immediately after 9/11?
Where are the American flags that flew from the front of houses and office buildings?
Where are the American flag lapel pins that many wore in the months following the 9/11 tragedy?
Yes, many Americans do remember and they still fly those American flags.
But to a very vocal group, including Cindy Sheehan, they appear to have forgotten exactly why we are at war. George W. Bush didn't just wake up one day and decide to take this country, our young men and women, to war. "Oh boy -- let's drop some bombs!"
George W. Bush made a difficult decision to send our military into harm's way. Just because he isn't seen on the news in some Kodak moment for all to see his grief doesn't mean he doesn't grieve with the families who have lost loved ones. And he also grieves with the families who lost loved ones on 9/11.
I, for one, am sick and tired of the "me first" group of yelling, screaming, anti-war "peace"-niks who, for the most part, have no idea the complexity of the issue. Yes, some do. And, yes, before you shout at me, "We're patriotic too and we have every right to question this war" ... you do have that first amendment right.
But I have that first amendment right, too, to say I believe you are wrong in what you are doing. And I am more interested in the safety of my family and my town and my country in the face of an emeny that is waiting out there to kill us all. The more the anti-war protesters and democrats in Congress tear down our president and our country the more they are aiding and abetting our enemies.
There are two battle fronts: the one in Iraq ... and the one here at home. During Vietnam the democrats divided and conquered here at home. They have now pulled out the old Vietnam playbook and are trying that tactic again ... but we are not going to stand by and let that happen. There are too many Vietnam veterans who were treated badly by the 1960s/70s generation of anti-war protesters -- and they will not stand by and watch it happen to this generation of military.
There are those of us from the Baby Boom generation who grew up during Vietnam who watched the treatment of those vets ... we are determined it will not happen again ... not on our watch. We can win this war ... in Iraq and here at home.
There is no peace without war. It's as simple as that. We did not attack those people. They attacked us. Why is that so difficult for the anti-war crew to understand?
Thank a soldier or Marine when you see them in uniform. They are winning this war for us. They are keeping us safe at home from terrorism. They are heroes even though they don't think they are.
And while you're at it you may want to stop your angry tirade and thank our President. You've not had a bomb on your head since 9/11, you're been able to go about your business in peace and safety the past six years, and you've had a President quietly working in the background during that time to continue that safety.
We are not privvy nor should we be about national security issues they deal with on a daily basis. Wire tapping? If it keeps my family safe I say wire tap the heck out of me ... I have nothing to hide. It just may help the CIA or FBI or local police agencies uncover a Muslim cell group before they can execute their plan.
Red House, Virginia, is southeast of Lynchburg. There's a Muslim compound there that's connected to others nationwide with a leader in Pakistan, as reported recently by Fox News. In June there were terror bombs in Great Britain. Other plots in America have been discovered and stopped before they did any harm. We have no idea how much is going on.
It saddens me to hear democrats in D.C. plotting and planning and stonewalling anything that has to do with the war, the troops, the safety of this country ... all in the name of politics.
If we all don't pay attention, those politics are going to get us all killed.
Check out Perceptions Of Iraq War Are Starting To ShiftFrom Real Clear Politics by Michael Barone.
And we need to keep politics out of war. Not that I'm nieve enough to think that would happen ... but it's a nice thought.
The dems are the Party of defeatism whether it's the war, health care, infrastructure, or a Republican President. They pound the negatives on a daily continuous basis -- it's enough to give anyone a headache....
I prefer the Ronald Reagan approach. "It's morning in America" ... a hopeful, optimistic outlook at the most wonderful country in the world. I don't consider that bragging; I consider that to be realistic. Why else would we have a problem with illegal aliens crossing our borders in hoardes to try and better their lives in the Land of the Free?
To those who want to end this war right now without a victory ... we cannot do that and remain a viable leader in the world's eye. A leader does not tuck tail and run nor does he go whichever way the wind blows. A leader is a leader precisely because he has to make the tough decisions and, though it may not make him the most popular person, he has to do what is right for the country as a whole, not a small vocal minority.
Too many anti-war proponents have a pre-9/11 mentality. Perhaps they need to review the tapes and watch those Twin Towers falling again, see the gaping hole in the side of the Pentagon, look at the charred hole in the ground in a Pennsylvania field ... because the reality is they appear to have forgotten the horror felt that day by a grieving and stricken nation.
Where are the American flags that everyone had on their vehicles immediately after 9/11?
Where are the American flags that flew from the front of houses and office buildings?
Where are the American flag lapel pins that many wore in the months following the 9/11 tragedy?
Yes, many Americans do remember and they still fly those American flags.
But to a very vocal group, including Cindy Sheehan, they appear to have forgotten exactly why we are at war. George W. Bush didn't just wake up one day and decide to take this country, our young men and women, to war. "Oh boy -- let's drop some bombs!"
George W. Bush made a difficult decision to send our military into harm's way. Just because he isn't seen on the news in some Kodak moment for all to see his grief doesn't mean he doesn't grieve with the families who have lost loved ones. And he also grieves with the families who lost loved ones on 9/11.
I, for one, am sick and tired of the "me first" group of yelling, screaming, anti-war "peace"-niks who, for the most part, have no idea the complexity of the issue. Yes, some do. And, yes, before you shout at me, "We're patriotic too and we have every right to question this war" ... you do have that first amendment right.
But I have that first amendment right, too, to say I believe you are wrong in what you are doing. And I am more interested in the safety of my family and my town and my country in the face of an emeny that is waiting out there to kill us all. The more the anti-war protesters and democrats in Congress tear down our president and our country the more they are aiding and abetting our enemies.
There are two battle fronts: the one in Iraq ... and the one here at home. During Vietnam the democrats divided and conquered here at home. They have now pulled out the old Vietnam playbook and are trying that tactic again ... but we are not going to stand by and let that happen. There are too many Vietnam veterans who were treated badly by the 1960s/70s generation of anti-war protesters -- and they will not stand by and watch it happen to this generation of military.
There are those of us from the Baby Boom generation who grew up during Vietnam who watched the treatment of those vets ... we are determined it will not happen again ... not on our watch. We can win this war ... in Iraq and here at home.
There is no peace without war. It's as simple as that. We did not attack those people. They attacked us. Why is that so difficult for the anti-war crew to understand?
Thank a soldier or Marine when you see them in uniform. They are winning this war for us. They are keeping us safe at home from terrorism. They are heroes even though they don't think they are.
And while you're at it you may want to stop your angry tirade and thank our President. You've not had a bomb on your head since 9/11, you're been able to go about your business in peace and safety the past six years, and you've had a President quietly working in the background during that time to continue that safety.
We are not privvy nor should we be about national security issues they deal with on a daily basis. Wire tapping? If it keeps my family safe I say wire tap the heck out of me ... I have nothing to hide. It just may help the CIA or FBI or local police agencies uncover a Muslim cell group before they can execute their plan.
Red House, Virginia, is southeast of Lynchburg. There's a Muslim compound there that's connected to others nationwide with a leader in Pakistan, as reported recently by Fox News. In June there were terror bombs in Great Britain. Other plots in America have been discovered and stopped before they did any harm. We have no idea how much is going on.
It saddens me to hear democrats in D.C. plotting and planning and stonewalling anything that has to do with the war, the troops, the safety of this country ... all in the name of politics.
If we all don't pay attention, those politics are going to get us all killed.
Check out Perceptions Of Iraq War Are Starting To ShiftFrom Real Clear Politics by Michael Barone.
102 degrees in Shenandoah Valley ... heat advisory continues
It's the third day of heat in the Shenandoah Valley with yet another heat advisory from the National Weather Service. By 1:00 it was 102 degrees west of Staunton in Augusta County with big thunderheads forming over the western mountains. Stay cool out there....
LTE: Situation in Iraq Calls for Patience
Hear, hear! From today's Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Without President George Bush's bold and effective leadership of the cause of democratic freedom, the worldwide aggression of fanatic Islamic terrorism would have seized control of the entire Middle East, leaving Israel vulnerable to total annihilation. Only the presence of U.S. armed forces in Iraq has prevented the occupation of all the Middle East by Islamic terrorism.
The current call for the withdrawal of our troops from Iraq by Democrats is insane. Not only have terrorists struck the U.S. several times already at home and abroad, they have also launched attacks against Spain and Britain.
The Iranians have already threatened to wipe Israel off the map. What choice will Israel have when Iran acquires nuclear capability -- but to take it out? An American withdrawal from Iraq would provide the terrorists with a great victory that would undoubtedly be followed by many more attacks in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Substantial progress is now being made toward an effective government in Iraq that will reasonably soon be able to maintain its freedom and democracy.
Horace E. Henderson
Lynchburg
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
Without President George Bush's bold and effective leadership of the cause of democratic freedom, the worldwide aggression of fanatic Islamic terrorism would have seized control of the entire Middle East, leaving Israel vulnerable to total annihilation. Only the presence of U.S. armed forces in Iraq has prevented the occupation of all the Middle East by Islamic terrorism.
The current call for the withdrawal of our troops from Iraq by Democrats is insane. Not only have terrorists struck the U.S. several times already at home and abroad, they have also launched attacks against Spain and Britain.
The Iranians have already threatened to wipe Israel off the map. What choice will Israel have when Iran acquires nuclear capability -- but to take it out? An American withdrawal from Iraq would provide the terrorists with a great victory that would undoubtedly be followed by many more attacks in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Substantial progress is now being made toward an effective government in Iraq that will reasonably soon be able to maintain its freedom and democracy.
Horace E. Henderson
Lynchburg
Team Spirit
Today's Richmond Times-Dispatch offers thoughts about Democrat House majority whip James Clyburn's recent comments concerning the war in Iraq. Team spirit?
The TD goes on to say that, while bloggers were all over Clyburn's comments, they were practically ignored by the mainstream media, and ends by saying:Several days ago James Clyburn, the Democratic majority whip in the House, told The Washington Post that if Gen. David Petraeus presents a positive report about progress in Iraq to Congress next month, it could be "a real big problem for us, no question about that."
While conceding "none of us wants to see a bad result in Iraq," Clyburn lamented that good news from the war front might lead some Democrats to want to "stay the course." And that would be bad for Democratic unity.
Bad news from Iraq, then, would be good news for Democrats.
It's a no-no to impugn anyone's patriotism, of course. Mustn't do that. But we will say Clyburn seems to be a little short on, um, team spirit.Indeed.
Fox News visits Muslim compound south of Lynchburg
Greg at Black Velvet Bruce Li passes along alarming information about an apparent Muslim enclave southeast of Lynchburg in Red House, Virginia. As reported by Greg:
Ever heard of Jamaat ul-Fuqra? Neither did I, until BVBL reader “Patriot” brought them up in one of the comment threads. Apparently, in the sleepy little town of Red House, Virginia there’s a little Muslim compound which was recently visited by Fox News. Fox was drawn to this little enclave of rural ethnic diversity because of persistent rumors that this organization had terrorist ties.The blog Gates Of Vienna has been following this story since 2005 and reports:
The compound in Red House is about 44 acres, 22 trailer homes, with about 100 people living there at any given time. Two men on the compound told Fox that there are Muslims from all over the US as well as Mexico, Puerto Rico and Europe. They say their spiritual leader, or imam, lives in Lahore, Pakistan. They identify him as Sheikh Mubarak Gilani. The sheikh received a lot of attention back in 2002 when Wall Street Journal Reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted.This is a developing story that should be written about and followed.
Vets for Freedom ... Get active in your State
WEEK 5: Get Active in Your State!
This week, and for the entire month of August, members of Congress will return home to hear from constituents ... and Vets for Freedom will be there to meet them. As we announced 2 weeks ago, we are mobilizing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to engage members of Congress during the entire month of August and tell them that General Petraeus needs adequate troops, time, and resources to complete the mission in Iraq.
We already have "State Captains" in over 25 states -- and the number is growing every day. State Captains will organize local veterans to attend town hall meetings, write letters-to-the-editor, appear on talk radio, and host Vets for Freedom events. Why, you ask, is this necessary?
Because MoveOn.org, and their paid anti-war protestors, plan to descend upon our local communities to impose their will by shouting, chanting, and intimidating members of Congress.
We need local Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, as well as those who support them, to stand up to these political operatives and tell members of Congress that we believe in the mission in Iraq and that we cannot afford to surrender to Al Qaeda. America has been waiting three years for a winning strategy in Iraq, and we finally have one in General Petraeus's counter-insurgency strategy; Al Qaeda in Iraq is on the run, and rouge militias are being marginalized. We must do everything we can to make sure Congress doesn't surrender in Iraq, just as we are turning the corner there.
What You Can Do This Week!
Below is a very simple list of tangible ways you can get involved in your local community, city, & state. We need your help, and more importantly, the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan need your help.
* Be on the lookout for Town Hall Meetings. We need pro-mission veterans and citizens at every single town hall meeting in August, encouraging members of Congress to support the mission in Iraq. If you find out about a Town Hall meeting in your state, do two things: 1) Attend! 2) Let us know at joel@vetsforfreedom.org.
* Call your Senators and Representatives. Call their offices in your home state and ask them about any events being held in your area in August. Also, tell them you support the mission in Iraq . Use the links below to find the phone numbers for your members of Congress: Contacting your U.S. Senators
Contacting your U.S. Representatives.
When you call, the following 3 points should be emphasized:
1) General Petraeus deserves enough time to implement a winning counter-insurgency strategy in Iraq.
2) Retreat means a failed state in Iraq and a safe haven for Al Qaeda to plan future attacks against America and her allies.
3) Decisions about Iraq should be made by military commanders and generals on the ground-not politicians in Washington, DC.
* Volunteer to be a State Captain. We currently have a strong slate of State Captains, including some states with multiple Captains! Please help us add to this list. If you are interested, or know somebody who should be, email joel@vetsforfreedom.org.
* Volunteer in your state. Even if you can't commit to being a State Captain, let us know if we can count on you to get involved. Veteran or non-veteran, we appreciate your support. Let us know at joel@vetsforfreedom.org.
* Sign Up to Show Up in September. We still need more veterans to sign up early and join us on September 17 & 18 at our nation's capitol.
Just send an email to events@vetsforfreedom.org with your name, military bio, your home state, and contact information. Once we receive this information we can start the process of arranging your travel and scheduling your appointments in Washington, DC.
The way I see it, in military terms, we are "prepping the battlefield" in August to ensure that Congress votes the right way in September when the Iraq debate is raging.
Move out and draw fire!
Regards,
Pete Hegseth
Iraq War Veteran 2005-2006
Executive Director, Vets for Freedom
Click here for more information on Vets for Freedom's "10 Weeks to Testimony."
Vets for Freedom
PO Box 314
Woodstock, VA 22664
This week, and for the entire month of August, members of Congress will return home to hear from constituents ... and Vets for Freedom will be there to meet them. As we announced 2 weeks ago, we are mobilizing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to engage members of Congress during the entire month of August and tell them that General Petraeus needs adequate troops, time, and resources to complete the mission in Iraq.
We already have "State Captains" in over 25 states -- and the number is growing every day. State Captains will organize local veterans to attend town hall meetings, write letters-to-the-editor, appear on talk radio, and host Vets for Freedom events. Why, you ask, is this necessary?
Because MoveOn.org, and their paid anti-war protestors, plan to descend upon our local communities to impose their will by shouting, chanting, and intimidating members of Congress.
We need local Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, as well as those who support them, to stand up to these political operatives and tell members of Congress that we believe in the mission in Iraq and that we cannot afford to surrender to Al Qaeda. America has been waiting three years for a winning strategy in Iraq, and we finally have one in General Petraeus's counter-insurgency strategy; Al Qaeda in Iraq is on the run, and rouge militias are being marginalized. We must do everything we can to make sure Congress doesn't surrender in Iraq, just as we are turning the corner there.
What You Can Do This Week!
Below is a very simple list of tangible ways you can get involved in your local community, city, & state. We need your help, and more importantly, the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan need your help.
* Be on the lookout for Town Hall Meetings. We need pro-mission veterans and citizens at every single town hall meeting in August, encouraging members of Congress to support the mission in Iraq. If you find out about a Town Hall meeting in your state, do two things: 1) Attend! 2) Let us know at joel@vetsforfreedom.org.
* Call your Senators and Representatives. Call their offices in your home state and ask them about any events being held in your area in August. Also, tell them you support the mission in Iraq . Use the links below to find the phone numbers for your members of Congress: Contacting your U.S. Senators
Contacting your U.S. Representatives.
When you call, the following 3 points should be emphasized:
1) General Petraeus deserves enough time to implement a winning counter-insurgency strategy in Iraq.
2) Retreat means a failed state in Iraq and a safe haven for Al Qaeda to plan future attacks against America and her allies.
3) Decisions about Iraq should be made by military commanders and generals on the ground-not politicians in Washington, DC.
* Volunteer to be a State Captain. We currently have a strong slate of State Captains, including some states with multiple Captains! Please help us add to this list. If you are interested, or know somebody who should be, email joel@vetsforfreedom.org.
* Volunteer in your state. Even if you can't commit to being a State Captain, let us know if we can count on you to get involved. Veteran or non-veteran, we appreciate your support. Let us know at joel@vetsforfreedom.org.
* Sign Up to Show Up in September. We still need more veterans to sign up early and join us on September 17 & 18 at our nation's capitol.
Just send an email to events@vetsforfreedom.org with your name, military bio, your home state, and contact information. Once we receive this information we can start the process of arranging your travel and scheduling your appointments in Washington, DC.
The way I see it, in military terms, we are "prepping the battlefield" in August to ensure that Congress votes the right way in September when the Iraq debate is raging.
Move out and draw fire!
Regards,
Pete Hegseth
Iraq War Veteran 2005-2006
Executive Director, Vets for Freedom
Click here for more information on Vets for Freedom's "10 Weeks to Testimony."
Vets for Freedom
PO Box 314
Woodstock, VA 22664
Honor
The Sunday Richmond Times-Dispatch covered the topic of honor in their Commentary section with articles by history author James Bowman, W&L professor Lad Sessions, and university students Jonathan Burk (Hampden-Sydney Honor Court member), Benjamin Cooper (UVa Honor Committee Chairman), Brian Whitaker (Va Tech Honor Court), and Stephen Gregg (Mary Washington Honor Council President), offering an excellent discussion on the topic.
Professor Lad Sessions teaches "The Concept of Honor" at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. He defined the categories of honor:
Professor Lad Sessions teaches "The Concept of Honor" at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. He defined the categories of honor:
* Conferred honor: Where someone bestows praise and gifts on another; it's mostly reputation.Interesting read.
* Positional honor: Where one has elite status or achievement; it's mostly social "success."
* Recognition honor: Where one publicly recognizes excellence.
*Commitment honor: Where one is devoted to a principle.
* Personal honor: Where one has a certain virtue, a character trait. It involves reliably following the principles (the "honor code") of a group of similarly committed persons (the "honor group") and being loyal and trustworthy to those persons.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Global warming denial machine according to Newsweek?
Newsweek's cover story this week is on global warming and the "denial machine," those who question the myth of global warming. Donald Douglas offers a well thought-out response to the article, beginning with:
I have a problem with this week's cover story over at Newsweek. The piece is an expose of a purported "global warming denial machine," which refers to a hypothesized high-powered and well-financed "doubters' campaign" to paint climate change environmentalism as a hoax.Read it all here, and be sure to check out the comments.
UPDATE: Valley hits 100 degrees at 2 pm ... heat advisory for 2nd day
It's hot out there folks, and for the second day in a row a heat advisory has been issued in the Shenandoah Valley until 8:00 p.m. At noon it was 99 degrees west of Staunton....Update: The thermometer topped out at 100 degrees at 2 p.m.
A cat and mouse game? China and the U.S. and the poison-contaminated dog food....
This is a little Westie named Olivia who lived in Roanoke. She died after eating poison-contamined dog food imported from China. China has sold American consumers poison-contamined pet food, toothpaste, and mouthwash as well as children's toys containing lead-based paint, suspect seafood ... what is going on?
Is China toying with us?
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
A cat and mouse game? China and the U.S....
Is China toying with us? A mass of Chinese-made product recalls have headlined the news of late ... poison-contaminated pet food, poison-contaminated toothpaste, children's toys with lead-based paint ... what's going on?
Are prominent American companies risking their reputations by outsourcing to China? Will Mattel and Fisher-Price be trusted by consumers in the future? Now that practically every product we purchase is made in China or some other overseas manufacturer, does the U.S. have adequate quality control to ensure the safety of American consumers? These are questions Americans are beginning to ask....
Are prominent American companies risking their reputations by outsourcing to China? Will Mattel and Fisher-Price be trusted by consumers in the future? Now that practically every product we purchase is made in China or some other overseas manufacturer, does the U.S. have adequate quality control to ensure the safety of American consumers? These are questions Americans are beginning to ask....
Heat advisory for the Valley....
It's hot out there, folks. Thank goodness for the blustery breeze but temps are supposed to top out around 97 degrees in the Valley today ... and 100 tomorrow ... the weather service has issued a heat advisory. The wash is drying quickly on the clothesline; veggies have been picked from the garden, flowers have been watered, and I'm in the cool now. It's a great day to be in a pool, at the lake, on the river, in the air conditioning.It's hot out there. Take it easy....
Monday, August 06, 2007
Waynesboro News Virginian fastest growing community newspaper in Virginia
Seventh-fastest growing in America
There's good news for one of our local news outlets in the SWAC area. The Waynesboro News Virginian is the fastest growing newspaper of its size in Virginia, as ranked recently by Editor & Publisher and advertised in the NV. They are also the seventh-fastest growing community newspaper in America.
The News Virginian is owned by Media General, an independent, publicly owned communications company in the Southeast with ownership in over 100 newspapers, 23 television stations, and more than 75 online enterprises.
Good news, indeed. Congrats!
There's good news for one of our local news outlets in the SWAC area. The Waynesboro News Virginian is the fastest growing newspaper of its size in Virginia, as ranked recently by Editor & Publisher and advertised in the NV. They are also the seventh-fastest growing community newspaper in America.
The News Virginian is owned by Media General, an independent, publicly owned communications company in the Southeast with ownership in over 100 newspapers, 23 television stations, and more than 75 online enterprises.
Good news, indeed. Congrats!
Augusta County's Rt. 608 resurfaced
Finally! They resurfaced Rt. 608 in Augusta County from I-64 through Stuarts Draft. The section between I-64 and Rt. 340 was downright dangerous with patching over the painted lane lines making it especially difficult to see them on rainy nights, and the patchwork blacktop had resulted in an uneven road surface. It's smooth sailing now!
Word of warning to conservatives: ignore netroots at your own peril....
Rick Moran covered the just-completed Yearly Kos convention for Pajamas Media over the weekend. In his Rightwing Nuthouse follow-up post he wrote:
You need look no further than the Shenandoah Valley for examples of how these extremists are moving in.
We have a MoveOn.org democrat running for Augusta County Board of Supervisors, a woman who moved here three years ago, a woman who has demonstrated in local anti-war rallies and was photographed holding a sign with the number of dead Americans in Iraq. We have another MoveOn.org sympathizer as part of the Augusta County Democrat Party.
We had MoveOn.org activists standing on the street in downtown Staunton last summer to greet Senator George Allen when he was campaigning in this area. We had local extremists filming Congressman Bob Goodlatte's most recent townhall meeting in Staunton included staged anti-war questions.
The Republican Party had better wake up. Instead of fighting each other it's time to turn our attention to the real enemy ... the lefty liberal democrats.
Ignore or make sport of the netroots at your own peril. Underestimate them and you will get the holy living crap kicked out of you in 2008. These people are organizing far beyond blogs and blog readers. And that organization extends almost down to the precinct level as I’m sure next year’s Netroots Convention will show (they’ve decided to rename the shindig in order to move it away from one guy’s blog).Are Republican electeds listening? Is the Republican Party listening?
They are determined, well funded, optimistic, committed, and excited. The GOP is uncertain, underfunded, hopeful but pessimistic, dispirited, and seemingly leaderless, rudderless, and without an agenda.
Who do you think is in better shape going into next year’s contest?
You need look no further than the Shenandoah Valley for examples of how these extremists are moving in.
We have a MoveOn.org democrat running for Augusta County Board of Supervisors, a woman who moved here three years ago, a woman who has demonstrated in local anti-war rallies and was photographed holding a sign with the number of dead Americans in Iraq. We have another MoveOn.org sympathizer as part of the Augusta County Democrat Party.
We had MoveOn.org activists standing on the street in downtown Staunton last summer to greet Senator George Allen when he was campaigning in this area. We had local extremists filming Congressman Bob Goodlatte's most recent townhall meeting in Staunton included staged anti-war questions.
The Republican Party had better wake up. Instead of fighting each other it's time to turn our attention to the real enemy ... the lefty liberal democrats.
This is how the libs respect the troops? --UPDATED
On Saturday I posted a Pajamas Media link about the controversial removal of a uniformed military member (now identified as Sgt. David D. Aguina) who stood up at the Yearly Kos convention in Chicago and questioned the panel discussing "The Military and Progressives: Are They Really That Different?" He challenged their facts but was removed from the premises. Little Green Footballs posted Kos diaries questioning the left's handling of the incident.
Today the Kossacks are arguing the military member was not permitted to speak while in uniform and that Kos had actually done him a favor by removing him before he "got in trouble" with his higher-ups. To refute his right to speak out in uniform is this post from Carolyn:
Frank J. over at IMAO wrote the following after the scuffle at Yearly Kos when the military member questioned the anti-war rhetoric and was removed from the premises:
Reminds me of an incident in the SWAC area two years ago when the Augusta Coalition for Peace and Justice, an umbrella group under MoveOn.org, had an anti-war booth set up at the African-American Festival in Staunton. When I mentioned that the photos they displayed of American soldiers and Marines killed in Iraq was not always appreciated by the families of those soldiers and Marines I was told it was just a war for oil and that those men had died for oil. I replied it was a war against terrorism, that Iraq was in possession of its oil and we paid for oil for America ... and then the hypocrisy of the "war for oil" statement made me wonder about something.
I looked at the woman who was old enough to be my mother and asked, "How did you get here today ... walk?" A younger woman working the booth immediately shouted, "I'm going to ask you to leave or I'll have someone remove you."
I had asked a simple question. The response proved freedom of speech and tolerance were just talking points for the lefty liberals.
Hypocrisy continues to reign in the liberal camp. The military member speaking up at YKos to counter one-sided propaganda would have been hailed as a hero by those same minions if he had been against President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. In uniform? It wouldn't have mattered. However, he dared to speak up in defense of a war he participated and believed in.
Perhaps the panel could have listened to a counter-discussion? Instead, this incident makes Yearly Kos appear to be an indoctrination ceremony for hundreds of young impressionable minds by shutting down dissent in a very unceremonious way.
It's the same with Fox News Channel where pros and cons of issues are discussed with representatives who present the merits of both sides. However, libs in general and Daily Kos in particular targeted Fox News as "right wing" and, therefore, intimidated the democrat presidential candidates to cancel a planned debate on the network.
Are the liberals afraid of fair and balanced discussion?
On the Daily Kos website the diarists who were appalled at the disrespect shown to a soldier were treated to the same behavior the libs have used on conservatives.
Profanity-laced diatribes and threats will accomplish nothing. Screaming at each other only undermines the morale of our country and sets us up for ridicule in the eyes of the world.
Today the Kossacks are arguing the military member was not permitted to speak while in uniform and that Kos had actually done him a favor by removing him before he "got in trouble" with his higher-ups. To refute his right to speak out in uniform is this post from Carolyn:
As a retired military attorney who advised members on whether they could participate in political activities in the past, I can tell you that the soldier could attend the convention in uniform. The Kos convention (although to the left) is not a "political activity" like one in which a participant endorses a candidate's campaign or participates in a protest. I would agree that the people attending, and their leftist opinions, could be described as political, but this does not make the event political in a legal determination for whether an active duty member could attend while in uniform.Check out Michelle Malkin's take on the Kossacks.
Frank J. over at IMAO wrote the following after the scuffle at Yearly Kos when the military member questioned the anti-war rhetoric and was removed from the premises:
So here is how liberals avoid debate on the war for those keeping score:That about sums it up.
* You’ve Never Served: You’re a chickenhawk so they ignore the merits of your argument.
* You Did Serve: You’re still a chickenhawk for not serving now so they ignore the merits of your argument.
* You Are Serving: It’s illegal for you to speak about the war so they ignore the merits of your argument.
Reminds me of an incident in the SWAC area two years ago when the Augusta Coalition for Peace and Justice, an umbrella group under MoveOn.org, had an anti-war booth set up at the African-American Festival in Staunton. When I mentioned that the photos they displayed of American soldiers and Marines killed in Iraq was not always appreciated by the families of those soldiers and Marines I was told it was just a war for oil and that those men had died for oil. I replied it was a war against terrorism, that Iraq was in possession of its oil and we paid for oil for America ... and then the hypocrisy of the "war for oil" statement made me wonder about something.
I looked at the woman who was old enough to be my mother and asked, "How did you get here today ... walk?" A younger woman working the booth immediately shouted, "I'm going to ask you to leave or I'll have someone remove you."
I had asked a simple question. The response proved freedom of speech and tolerance were just talking points for the lefty liberals.
Hypocrisy continues to reign in the liberal camp. The military member speaking up at YKos to counter one-sided propaganda would have been hailed as a hero by those same minions if he had been against President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. In uniform? It wouldn't have mattered. However, he dared to speak up in defense of a war he participated and believed in.
Perhaps the panel could have listened to a counter-discussion? Instead, this incident makes Yearly Kos appear to be an indoctrination ceremony for hundreds of young impressionable minds by shutting down dissent in a very unceremonious way.
It's the same with Fox News Channel where pros and cons of issues are discussed with representatives who present the merits of both sides. However, libs in general and Daily Kos in particular targeted Fox News as "right wing" and, therefore, intimidated the democrat presidential candidates to cancel a planned debate on the network.
Are the liberals afraid of fair and balanced discussion?
On the Daily Kos website the diarists who were appalled at the disrespect shown to a soldier were treated to the same behavior the libs have used on conservatives.
Profanity-laced diatribes and threats will accomplish nothing. Screaming at each other only undermines the morale of our country and sets us up for ridicule in the eyes of the world.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
A tribute to a dog named Freedom....
Ross Mackenzie is my newspaper hero, editor of my hometown Richmond Times-Dispatch during my growing-up years ... a media person I admired because of his writing ... and one I admired because of his conservative leanings in a sea of liberalism. I met him for the first time in 2005 while attending the TD Correspondents Day luncheon and it was a great honor ... this man with his reading glasses parked on his forehead, crisp dress shirt and bow tie ... and what a wordsmith. His knowledge of the English language is beyond just about any I've seen in anyone else.
In today's TD he wrote "... And, as I Write, the Memory Is Very Sweet" ... a loving remembrance of his long-time yellow lab companion, Freedom. His words are hauntingly sweet, the mental pictures he paints are vivid of Freedom as a pup, as a full-grown dog, and then an aging shadow of his former self.
I am not a warm-fuzzy when it comes to animals but I read every word of Mr. Mackenzie's tribute to his friend. When I reached the final part, my eyes brimmed with tears:
The night before, hardly able to walk, he and I went up to the field and shared a beer under a full moon. We pledged and cried, fortifying as best we could for what was to come.Even typing it brings tears to my eyes again.
The next day his foreleg took the anaesthesia, she and I holding him. He licked once more to taste my hand, then dropped his head upon his paws and -- his spirit having flown -- turned to dust.
Free at last.
Everyone should be so lucky as to have their own Freedom. Thanks for sharing the sweet memories, Mr. Mackenzie.
Happy 80th Birthday, Mom!
She was born in 1927 during the Great Depression ... grew up during World War II ... met and married a young sailor after the war ... and became a businesswoman in Richmond. She's my mom ... and she turned 80 years old today.We took her on a journey to the small rural town outside Richmond where she was born ... where her family had arrived by train from a cabin in southwestern Virginia to find a better life and jobs. She was the last of 10 children, the one born in the flatlands instead of the mountains.
We all had lunch together and celebrated with cheese cake and strawberries, and with gifts. I had taken Warfel Chocolates from the Dayton Farmer's Market -- her favorites.
As we visited she recalled the story of her uncle who was the town cop way back when ... and how he had a shootout one night with a perpetrator ... they both were killed in the shooting. We drove by his house now owned by others, then went outside of town and looked for traces of the farm where she was born ... the house is gone but much still looks the same.
And we celebrated this woman who is in remarkably good health for someone her age who has worked hard all her life, who taught us to not whine about what we don't have but to instead work hard to achieve it, who instilled a strong work ethic in her three daughters ... my mom.
It was a good day with family. Happy birthday, Mom!
Rain!
It's a foggy, rainy evening in the Valley ... nice! It has been dry so we needed the rain. Coming over Afton Mountain a short while ago it poured ... vision was obscured on I-64 as vehicles pulled to the shoulder in the downpour. Hope it keeps up all night....
Smith Mountain Lake yields body after tragic boating accident
Four months after a tragic boating accident, Smith Mountain Lake gave up the body of David Reynolds, 44, of Grottoes. A boater contacted authorities after the body was seen floating on the lake, and dental records confirmed the identity. A memorial service was held by the family of David Reynolds in May.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
This is how the libs respect the troops?
Pajamas Media Video. One commenter said, "This is a perfect example of freedom of speech according to liberals: You can say anything you want as long as you agree with me! Disgusting but not surprising."
H/T: Kilo - Yearly KOS Amazing Video
Update: Little Green Footballs - Daily Kos Playing Whack-a-Mole. This is a must-read. Even some of the Daily Kos liberals are shaking their heads at how a military member was treated at the YKos convention. Double H/T to Kilo for passing it along.
H/T: Kilo - Yearly KOS Amazing Video
Update: Little Green Footballs - Daily Kos Playing Whack-a-Mole. This is a must-read. Even some of the Daily Kos liberals are shaking their heads at how a military member was treated at the YKos convention. Double H/T to Kilo for passing it along.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Riley: "Congress in full meltdown mode"....
Riley has one of the best accounts of what occurred last night and today in Congress. Reading about it is one thing ... watching it unfold on the TV screen is another....
Happy Birthday, Nate!
It was Nate's birthday on Tuesday. Last year he was in California with his Marine Corps Reserve Unit on his birthday preparing to deploy to Iraq. This year it was nice to have him home preparing to return to VMI ... and a number of home school families and their alumni children got together this evening in Gypsy Hill Park to celebrate his birthday, grateful for his safe return from Iraq. Volleyball, ice cream, and fellowship was followed up with the young folks going to a late movie....
Happy birthday, Nate!
Semper Fi.
"America is not at war ... America is at the mall."
"America is not at war.The Marine Corps is at war;
America is at the mall."
Encore post....
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Driver abuse fees struck down ... are we happy now?
Today a Henrico County judge declared the new abuser driver fees unconstitutional. Anthony Price, 23, was in court for his sixth time on a charge of driving on a suspended license.
Anthony Price ... 23 years old ... sixth charge of driving on a suspended license.... This was exactly who that law was directed at. It is interesting that it was struck down on a case that proved the point.
House Majority Leader William Howell issued the following statement:
“Members of the General Assembly will continue to monitor closely the legal proceedings surrounding any litigation of the Governor’s Amendment and consider legislative remedies so the law is applied evenly to in-state and out-of-state drivers, as we always intended, and fulfills our intent to deter and punish the most dangerous and repeat abusers of Virginia roads.”
Anthony Price ... 23 years old ... sixth charge of driving on a suspended license.... This was exactly who that law was directed at. It is interesting that it was struck down on a case that proved the point.
House Majority Leader William Howell issued the following statement:
“Members of the General Assembly will continue to monitor closely the legal proceedings surrounding any litigation of the Governor’s Amendment and consider legislative remedies so the law is applied evenly to in-state and out-of-state drivers, as we always intended, and fulfills our intent to deter and punish the most dangerous and repeat abusers of Virginia roads.”
Will winning in Iraq split the Democrat Party?
From Kilo at Spark It Up:
We now have the truth on record. The WAPO reports that House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) went on the record that a positive report from Iraq would be "a real big problem for us." Read the WAPO article here. This is not hate spew from Colbalt6, but the Majority Whip talking. You see what we have here is Democrats caring more about politicizing the war than victory. God forbid success in Iraq because it hurts the Democratic party.Go here for more from Kilo and to read the RPV press release.
VictoryCaucus.com -- Win the War!
"If I could only have one [thing] at this point in Iraq, it would be more time." -- General David Petraeus July 10, 2007
A wonderful web site called VictoryCaucus.com offers a smorgasboard of information for those researching the war in Iraq, providing one-stop shopping when looking for:
* Integrated maps and charts. Check the metrics page, or the Major Operations Map , which shows information on the significant offensive operations that have kicked off recently.
* Automatic aggregation of official US news sources, including MNF-Iraq , Centcom , and DoD .
* Exerpts and links to the latest blog posts from key new media sources like Michael Yon, Michael Totten, Bill Roggio and Blackfive.net
* Document library including documents such as the latest status reports from DoD and the State Department
* A full-text search engine that includes all content on the site --- including PDF's in the document library
VictoryCaucus.com joins others who want to see victory in Iraq including Appeal for Courage, Gathering of Eagles, Families United, Fisher House , Move America Forward, Semper Fi Fund, Soldiers Angels, Spirit of America, and Vets for Freedom.
H/T: Kilo at Spark It Up!! and Charlie at Good Sense
A wonderful web site called VictoryCaucus.com offers a smorgasboard of information for those researching the war in Iraq, providing one-stop shopping when looking for:
* Integrated maps and charts. Check the metrics page, or the Major Operations Map , which shows information on the significant offensive operations that have kicked off recently.
* Automatic aggregation of official US news sources, including MNF-Iraq , Centcom , and DoD .
* Exerpts and links to the latest blog posts from key new media sources like Michael Yon, Michael Totten, Bill Roggio and Blackfive.net
* Document library including documents such as the latest status reports from DoD and the State Department
* A full-text search engine that includes all content on the site --- including PDF's in the document library
VictoryCaucus.com joins others who want to see victory in Iraq including Appeal for Courage, Gathering of Eagles, Families United, Fisher House , Move America Forward, Semper Fi Fund, Soldiers Angels, Spirit of America, and Vets for Freedom.
H/T: Kilo at Spark It Up!! and Charlie at Good Sense
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
UPDATED: Twin Cities' Mississippi River bridge collapsed late today ... dozens of vehicles involved
News footage coming in from Fox News is showing huge slabs of the Mississippi River bridge have collapsed between the Twin Cities, falling onto vehicles, roadways, and into the river. Injuries include multiple trauma and cuts and much bleeding; fatalities have already been reported with more expected. It was rush hour in Minneapolis-St. Paul and traffic was bumper-to-bumper on the bridge. Witnesses heard a large roar just before the collapse began. Developing....
Updated news: FoxNews.com, CNN.com, michellemalkin.com, Digg News, AM 1500 KSTP Minneapolis/St. Paul Radio
Updated news: FoxNews.com, CNN.com, michellemalkin.com, Digg News, AM 1500 KSTP Minneapolis/St. Paul Radio
Dems better be careful what they wish for....
The liberal blogs have been almost beside themselves today gleefully reporting DPVA's newest tool to highlight what they consider "gotchas" against the Republican candidates. Following is a fund raising letter sent to dem donors telling what they hope to accomplish. Please note they have specifically targeted Lt. Governor Bill Bolling's townhall meetings this week.
Dear [insert name],
Do you remember the George Allen "macaca" video?
That piece of coverage played an instrumental role in the election of Senator Jim Webb-- and winning back the United States Senate last year. But that turning point in Senator Webb's campaign would not have been possible without his dedicated staff members following George Allen's every move.
That's the kind of work we're doing here at the Democratic Party of Virginia. As the Research Director, I'm working to build a Party apparatus that can immediately respond to the missteps and lies told by the Republicans who are trying to maintain control of the General Assembly.
Today, we launched a new website dedicated to shining a spotlight on just how far out of touch Republicans are in this state. TheyDontGetVA.com is a new project for tracking the often strange, sometimes corrupt behavior of Virginia's more extreme candidates for office.
But this kind of tracking and research takes money. So I'm asking you to help us support your Democratic candidates by making a donation.
Hold them accountable by visiting our secure contribution page today.
We need your support to make sure voters know exactly what our opponents are saying. How else would we have caught George Allen in his "macaca" moment?
This week alone, Bill Bolling is holding two town hall meetings where he'll claim he wants to improve public education - then he's off to raise money for a state Senate candidate who wants to eliminate public education altogether!
This is the kind of extremist ideology we need to fight. It's the kind of extremist ideology we want to make sure isn't turned into Virginia policy. And it's exactly that extremist ideology that is out of step with Virginians. They just don't get Virginia!
And that's why we've launched this new website. Help us set up a state-of-the-art operation to bypass the media and take the story of their lies, flip-flops, and out-of-whack priorities directly to you.
I spend my days going through Republican documents, speeches, and video archives -- finding discrepancies in their speeches, holding them accountable for their shameless pandering, fact-checking their statements, and establishing a larger narrative to frame our opponents. We need your help to make sure we have the resources to get the job done right.
This is the information we need to know -- and we need your help to make it happen. That's how we'll win in November! So please donate today.
See you in the field!
Sincerely,
Greg Scanlon
Research Director, DPVA
Dear [insert name],
Do you remember the George Allen "macaca" video?
That piece of coverage played an instrumental role in the election of Senator Jim Webb-- and winning back the United States Senate last year. But that turning point in Senator Webb's campaign would not have been possible without his dedicated staff members following George Allen's every move.
That's the kind of work we're doing here at the Democratic Party of Virginia. As the Research Director, I'm working to build a Party apparatus that can immediately respond to the missteps and lies told by the Republicans who are trying to maintain control of the General Assembly.
Today, we launched a new website dedicated to shining a spotlight on just how far out of touch Republicans are in this state. TheyDontGetVA.com is a new project for tracking the often strange, sometimes corrupt behavior of Virginia's more extreme candidates for office.
But this kind of tracking and research takes money. So I'm asking you to help us support your Democratic candidates by making a donation.
Hold them accountable by visiting our secure contribution page today.
We need your support to make sure voters know exactly what our opponents are saying. How else would we have caught George Allen in his "macaca" moment?
This week alone, Bill Bolling is holding two town hall meetings where he'll claim he wants to improve public education - then he's off to raise money for a state Senate candidate who wants to eliminate public education altogether!
This is the kind of extremist ideology we need to fight. It's the kind of extremist ideology we want to make sure isn't turned into Virginia policy. And it's exactly that extremist ideology that is out of step with Virginians. They just don't get Virginia!
And that's why we've launched this new website. Help us set up a state-of-the-art operation to bypass the media and take the story of their lies, flip-flops, and out-of-whack priorities directly to you.
I spend my days going through Republican documents, speeches, and video archives -- finding discrepancies in their speeches, holding them accountable for their shameless pandering, fact-checking their statements, and establishing a larger narrative to frame our opponents. We need your help to make sure we have the resources to get the job done right.
This is the information we need to know -- and we need your help to make it happen. That's how we'll win in November! So please donate today.
See you in the field!
Sincerely,
Greg Scanlon
Research Director, DPVA
Lowes, Home Depot ... and Fox News
The politics of intimidation continues in the liberal camp. After reading for the second time on a lib blog (RK) that Lowe's Home Improvement had pulled ads from Fox News -- and the libs were urging their minions to contact Home Depot to do the same -- I decided to find out if it was true.
It's only partially true.
RK's blog said, "With word that Home Depot is following Lowe's in pulling ads from Fox News, the pressure is working."
I called Lowe's corporate office in Wilkesboro, NC, where I was told Lowe's ads had been removed from the O'Reilly "Factor" program but they had not been pulled from any other Fox News shows. I expressed my disappointment. It takes two minutes to contact and add your voice to those who disagree with Lowe's decision: 1-800-445-6937 or go to website to send an email.
I then called Home Depot's corporate office in Atlanta and received contact information for those who would like to urge them to continue advertising on Fox News. Another two minutes to ask they not pull ads: 1-800-654-0688 or (770) 384-4646 or email.
Please counter the libs' politics of intimidation.
It's only partially true.
RK's blog said, "With word that Home Depot is following Lowe's in pulling ads from Fox News, the pressure is working."
I called Lowe's corporate office in Wilkesboro, NC, where I was told Lowe's ads had been removed from the O'Reilly "Factor" program but they had not been pulled from any other Fox News shows. I expressed my disappointment. It takes two minutes to contact and add your voice to those who disagree with Lowe's decision: 1-800-445-6937 or go to website to send an email.
I then called Home Depot's corporate office in Atlanta and received contact information for those who would like to urge them to continue advertising on Fox News. Another two minutes to ask they not pull ads: 1-800-654-0688 or (770) 384-4646 or email.
Please counter the libs' politics of intimidation.
Could positive war report split House Dems?
If the war in Iraq is going successfully, and General Petraeus turns in a positive report about the surge, what will be the reaction from House Democrats in D.C.?
On Monday House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) suggested a positive report could split the Democrats making it more difficult to enact "cut-and-run" legislation, according to The Washington Times, which reported:
On Monday House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) suggested a positive report could split the Democrats making it more difficult to enact "cut-and-run" legislation, according to The Washington Times, which reported:
Clyburn noted that Petraeus carries significant weight among the 47 members of the Blue Dog caucus in the House, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats. Without their support, he said, Democratic leaders would find it virtually impossible to pass legislation setting a timetable for withdrawal.Then Clyburn commented:
"People feel good about the Democratic Party, they just don't feel real good about the Congress itself."Just exactly who does Clyburn think is Congress?
"Shut up and dance."
Did you hear the one where the TV dance contest judge wore the Marine dress blue uniform with an upside-down insignia on the sleeve, and the other judge had choreographed an antiwar-themed dance number? And now they can't understand the uproar they've caused? Michelle Malkin has the story here.
H/T: Connie
H/T: Connie
From On High: "Why I Became Conservative"
Jerry Fuhrman ... Why I Became Conservative. I concur. See "give a man a fish" quote under "About Me."
Staunton's Guardian Angel Catholic School to close
After struggling financially for years, Guardian Angel Catholic School, located on Churchville Avenue across from Gypsy Hill Park in Staunton, is closing. A minimum goal of 150 students needed to be enrolled for the upcoming school year but only 96 had signed up.
The school had been a part of the community for 12 years and, in 2004, moved to the old Robert E. Lee High School building on Greenville Avenue. It offered education for grades K-12 and sports programs.
The local home school community's sports teams often competed against Guardian Angel soccer and basketball teams.
Two of my neighboring families have children who attend Guardian Angel so it will be an adjustment for them to relocate their kids into another school.
School's out forever, a more indepth article by Bob Stuart can be found in today's Waynesboro News Virginian including interviews with Principal Dan Dolan and Guardian Angel parent John Wirth.
The school had been a part of the community for 12 years and, in 2004, moved to the old Robert E. Lee High School building on Greenville Avenue. It offered education for grades K-12 and sports programs.
The local home school community's sports teams often competed against Guardian Angel soccer and basketball teams.
Two of my neighboring families have children who attend Guardian Angel so it will be an adjustment for them to relocate their kids into another school.
School's out forever, a more indepth article by Bob Stuart can be found in today's Waynesboro News Virginian including interviews with Principal Dan Dolan and Guardian Angel parent John Wirth.
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