Veterans Day 2010

It's been an interesting week.

Call of Duty:  Black Ops came out 2 days ago.  This installment is a Cold War first person shooter game.  In the first 24 hours it earned more than $120 million.

It made me wonder what $120 million could do to help prevent soldier and Veteran suicide.

It made me wonder about my friends and former soldiers who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan without some of the essential gear to keep them safe.

It made me wonder about a friends dad who just saw his VA benefits reduced, even though he served our nation honorably in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange.

I'm grateful that we celebrate Veterans Day.  It wasn't too long ago that I viewed this as a forgotten holiday.  Iraq and Afghanistan changed all that.

There probably isn't a day that goes by that I don't replay an event in my head or think about some of our finest moments on active duty.  It's honestly tough to specify a singular event as my favorite/most memorable event while on Active Duty.

Here are a couple:

C33:  Our Bradley Fighting Vehicle Crew while in the 3rd Battalion 5th Cavalry.  Matt Maley from Arizona was our driver (and my roommate), I was the gunner, and we had John Shaw and Dave Kuusela as our Bradley Commander.  Lots of fun times with the crew, Matt, Dave and I finished our final gunnery by posting a perfect score on our qualification table, earning Army Commendation Medals.  These were some really fun guys!

Tomahawks, 1st Battalion 23rd Infantry:  Within weeks of my arrival at Fort Lewis I was provided the honor of going to the Bradley Master Gunner Course.  It was a great course, academically one of the toughest in the Army, and defined my 11 year career on Active Duty.  At Lewis, I got to work with other great Master Gunners like Darrin Dreger and "Outback" Bob Prater.  I worked my way from a Platoon "Mike Golf" up to the Battalion level, working with Colonel Bartran and a couple of great S-3's in Major Millet and Major Schenk.

Fort Lewis also introduced me to great folks like John Casebere, a 24th ID GW Vet who worked Long Range Surveillance in Iraq during the first GW.  On our Battalion Staff I got to work with great guys like Shadd Williams and Jason Route.  Major Millet took Williams, Route, myself and our Operations Sergeant SFC Webb to "Right Arm Night" at the Officer Club one Friday.  It was the first and last time I ever made it into an "Officer Club".

Not only did they have free beer and food, they had karaoke too.  After a rousing rendition of Sublime's hit "The Wrong Way", we were never asked back.

Camp Casey South Korea and the 9th Infantry Manchu's:  We a First Sergeant from Puerto Rico that I couldn't understand and a Commander that resembled Mr. Bean.  It was a great unit and a great time!  One year goes fast when you're having fun.  I had a great platoon full of young and energetic warriors.  A month of our tour was spent up near the DMZ between North and South Korea as a Quick Reactionary Force.  Hearing the North Korean propaganda every night while trying to sleep or seeing the world's largest flag flying in the North Korean "propaganda village" was a sight to see.  Even more interesting though was trying to squeeze a 28 ton machine down some of the narrow South Korean roads and the crazy traffic.

Over 11 years I served with some really amazing people and I'm grateful for how they helped shape who I am today.

Thank you!

Senator Thune: Stay in your lane buddy

What's up with Senator John Thune?

"I don’t know what his [Franken's] motivation was for taking us on, but I would hope that we won’t see a lot of Daily Kos-inspired amendments in the future coming from him," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, No. 4 in the Senate Republican leadership. "I think hopefully he’ll settle down and do kind of the serious work of legislating that’s important to Minnesota."

I'll re-state some comments I made nearly a month ago on the "anti rape" amendment.

Senator Franken didn't propose this legislation to "be the poster boy for a hard hitting campaign against the Republican Party".

He proposed it because it was the right thing to do.

So, instead of going after Senator Franken, maybe we should spend more time figuring out why 30 Republican Senators thought that the individuals that raped Jamie Leigh Jones needed protection.

Being an advocate on an issue like this DOES build the base. Being an advocate on an issue like this IS important to Minnesota. It should be important to folks in South Dakota too Senator Thune.

Rape is about power. In this case, KBR employees slipped a date rape drug into Jamie Leigh Jones drink and gang raped her while she was unconscious.

After Jones reported the criminal act committed against her, KBR armed guards placed her in a metal shipping container and denied her access to food, water and medical treatment.

Anyone reading this ever actually been in a metal shipping container? We spend hours loading these things while I was stationed at Fort Hood Texas. Imagine how hot this sealed shipping container could get on a July 2005 day in Iraq.

And yet, 30 United States Senators sought fit that KBR and other defense contractors were the ones needing protection and not people like Jamie Leigh Jones.

Obviously I'm not the only one who sees the absurdity in that.

So, my question to Senator Thune is this.

If your daughters Brittany and Larissa were raped by a defense contractor in Iraq, would it still be a bad idea to seek justice?

Would you still feel that this was a "kos inspired amendment"?

GOP wants Franken to defend them?

30 Republican United States Senators vote against an amendment that would de-fund contractors who prevent their employees from suing if they are raped by co-workers, and they want Senator Franken to defend their vote?

Really?

Do I really think these 30 gutless Senators support rape? Of course not.

They support corporations and the military industrial complex over real people.

To his credit, Senator Franken hasn't gone Bachmann on the bit and appeared on every cable news show known to mankind to hurl accusations.

He's been quiet. He's been professional. He's been a United States Senator.

And importantly, he's right.

Anyone read Army of Dude today?

Alex has an amazingly powerful post up!

Free Advice for the NRSC...

...and Larry Jacobs.

Don't vote against legislation protecting the rights of a rape victim.

Just a thought.

Senator Franken didn't propose this legislation to "be the poster boy for a hard hitting campaign against the Republican Party".

He proposed it because it was the right thing to do.

So, instead of going after Senator Franken, maybe we should spend more time figuring out why 32 Republican Senators thought that the individuals that raped Jamie Leigh Jones needed protection.

Being an advocate on an issue like this does build the base...

Lack of health care killed 2,266 Veterans last year

This just pisses me off...

The number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they lacked health insurance was 14 times higher than the US military death toll in Afghanistan that year, according to a new study.

Veterans Day for me is a time to reflect.

I reflect on the good times and the great times of my 11 years of Active Duty military service.

I remember my friends that are no longer with us.

I think about the men and women who suffered through so much that they felt the only choice they had was to take their own life.

I think about all of those homeless Veterans out there, struggling day to day.

And I realize just how lucky I am...

Maureen Reed's Veterans Day Email

No spin...

Last week, an unspeakable tragedy occurred at the Fort Hood Military Base in Texas, when a gunman opened fire at his fellow servicemen and women. Never before has our nation faced such an action of this scale, and as the details unfold, my hope is that our energy, focus, and sympathy remain on the brave servicemen and women who are recovering from their injuries, as well as honoring the memory of those who sacrificed their lives because they felt the call to serve our nation.

Fort Hood's loss is a loss for all Americans and my campaign staff joins me in expressing our heartfelt sympathy and respect for all of our service men and women and their families at this time.

Veterans Day has always been a special day for me. I am grateful that the nation dedicated one day as a small token of our appreciation for the brave men and women in our military. Like many of you, the military has played a large role in my family, with my father serving in World War II.

He recalled to me that as a 35 year old on December 7th 1941, he heard the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor while standing at the corner of Oak and Washington streets in Minneapolis. Dad knew immediately that he had to answer the call to defend our country and enlist in the military. He served in the Navy as a signalman, using the Morse code to communicate with other ships in his convoy to protect oil tankers all over the globe, from the South Pacific to the North Sea.
In my life, I've worked to ensure that our veterans are taken care of not only when they are wearing their uniforms, but when they return home as well. As part of my internal medicine training, I worked at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis, taking care of veterans with service related injuries from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It was truly an honor to give back to our veterans. When I get to Congress, I will make sure veterans issues will be a top priority of our government.

I have two nephews who are in the military; one who served with the National Guard and is a Veteran of the Iraq War, the other is currently on active duty US Air Force, flying C-17's, ensuring that troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq have the supplies they need.

Today's heroes deserve our respect and gratitude. Stationed across the globe and around the nation, I admire their commitment to protecting our country. We must always remember their contributions long after today passes.

Ensuring that our veterans have quality physical healthcare, superior mental health counseling, tuition assistance and vocational training is a paramount responsibility of our elected officials, and not one I will take lightly. I would like to ask everyone to join me today in taking the time to reflect on the great efforts of the men and women in the military. While we only set aside one specific day a year for their efforts, it is important to keep their tremendous gifts in mind for the rest of the year as well.

Sincerely,

Maureen

Tarryl Clark's Veterans Day Email

No spin here...just the facts.

Veterans’ Day isn’t just another day on the calendar for me. It’s central to who I am, and why I’m in public life.

I was born on the Naval Station at Norfolk, Virginia, while my father was serving in the United States Navy. He was at sea for weeks and months at a time; in fact, he was at sea when my brother, Scott, was born – the news of Scott's birth reached him aboard the ship while near Norway. He returned home, only to be deployed just two days later to take part in President Kennedy’s naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

My parents raised my brothers and me with a clear sense of duty, responsibility, and commitment to service. My brothers, Drew and Jeff, went on to join the Navy; Drew serving across Europe, and Jeff as a sea rescue swimmer stationed in San Diego, CA. I spent my career working in a different kind of public service – starting in community non-profits like Habitat for Humanity and the YWCA.

When I was elected to the State Senate just a few years ago, I made working for Minnesota’s veterans one of my top priorities.

I co-authored a new law providing leaves of absence for family of service members seriously injured or killed, as well as income tax subtraction for military pensions. I helped expand the GI Bill, co-authoring legislation to include access to graduate school and specify a minimum award. I helped write the law providing counseling services for returning soldiers. And I authored legislation allowing veterans to declare their veterans status on their driver’s license or state-issued ID.

It’s not everything we can do. But it’s a start. And this week is a good time to remember that we need to do more.

On Sunday, I was honored to join other military families, veterans and civilians to march in our Saint Cloud-area Veterans parade. I was able to visit with hundreds of people – WWII veterans and their grandchildren, Iraq vets and their young families, and even with National Guard soldiers currently in Basra via live-feed. It was a truly moving experience to see our community come together to honor those who have served our country, and are serving now.

I marched in the parade with the members of Warrior to Citizen – a coalition we’ve formed to support returning veterans and their families, and assist them in putting their new skills and experience to work in our communities.

Warrior to Citizen, along with efforts like Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, are ground-breaking efforts initiated right here in Minnesota. Its homegrown leadership we can take to the national level, as we continue our efforts to ensure our veterans are treated with dignity, respect, and the support they need when they return from their service.

A few weeks ago, an unexpected package arrived on my doorstep. Inside was an American flag, sent by Minnesota National Guard soldiers currently serving in Basra.

The flag is proudly displayed in my home, and every day I take a moment to think about those soldiers who sent it to me, and how I’m grateful for their service to our nation.

And when they return from duty, it’s our turn to serve them.

So for my Dad, my brothers, the Guard soldiers in Basra, and the millions of Americans like them who have served our nation, I hope you will take a moment today to honor our Veterans.

Sincerely,

Tarryl Clark

Happy Veterans Day...

To all my fellow Vets out there...

"A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check to their country for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'"

Obama at Fort Hood

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

What vote did Bachmann miss while getting her crazy on?

I heard the rumor while on "The Hill" about Bachmann, Boehner, Pence, and King missing (ironically, Stupak too) a vote in the House.

Imagine that, Congresswoman Bachmann missing a vote while getting her crazy on...what did she miss?

HR 868

BILL TITLE: Honoring and recognizing the service and achievements of current and former female members of the Armed Forces

H. Res. 868

In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

November 5, 2009.

Whereas women are and have historically been an important part of all United States war efforts, voluntarily serving in every military conflict in United States history since the Revolutionary War;

Whereas 34,000 women served in World War I, 400,000 served in World War II, 120,000 served in the Korean War, over 7,000 served in the Vietnam War, and more than 41,000 served in the first Gulf War;

Whereas more than 185,000 women have been deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and other missions since 2001;

Whereas over 350 servicewomen have given their lives for the Nation in combat zones since World War I, and more than 85 have been held as prisoners of war;

Whereas over 350,000 women serving in the Armed Forces make up approximately 15 percent of active duty personnel, 15 percent of Reserves, and 17 percent of the National Guard;

Whereas women are now playing an increasingly important role in America's military forces; and

Whereas the women of America's military, past and present, have served their Nation in times of peace and war, at great personal sacrifice for both themselves and their families: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) honors and recognizes the service and achievements of current and former female members of the Armed Forces;

(2) encourages all people in the United States to recognize the service and achievements of women in the military and female veterans on Memorial Day;

(3) encourages all people in the United States to learn about the history of service and achievements of women in the military; and

(4) supports groups that raise awareness about the service and achievements of women in the military and female veterans through exhibitions, museums, statues, and other programs and activities.

Attest:

Of course, Congresswoman Bachmann will most likely show up at an event tomorrow, Veterans Day, and go through her typical routine.

Fail to support legislation for said item only to show up and cut a ribbon, hand out a big check, or thank a Veteran.

Pawlenty doesn't like VA Healthcare

Not a good stance to take as a Presidential Candidate...

Over at Think Progress.

CHALIAN: But you would lead a charge in your state to opt out if that was an option available?

PAWLENTY: I think so because I don’t like government run health care.

He doesn't like government run health care, we get it.

Message to Governor Pawlenty:

Forms of government run health care include:

Medicare
Medicaid
SCHIP's
Veterans Administration health care

Stuff like this can't be helping Republican approval ratings, the lowest in 25 years.

Senator Wellstone would be proud!

I humbly admit that I was wrong. I'm proud of Senator Franken and his work on this issue. I wish Senator Coleman had be so thourough when he had oversight on many of these same companies in Iraq.

Calley Apologizes for My Lai

Wow.

Calley owns a pawn shop in Columbus, near Fort Benning Georgia. As a young Army Private, we used to stop by every once in awhile to "take a look".

By Dick McMichael | The Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer

William Calley, the former Army lieutenant convicted on 22 counts of murder in the infamous My Lai Massacre in Vietnam, publicly apologized for the first time this week while speaking in Columbus.

"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai," Calley told members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus on Wednesday. His voice started to break when he added, "I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry."

In March 1968, U.S. soldiers gunned down hundreds of civilians in the Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai. The Army at first denied, then downplayed the event, saying most of the dead were Vietcong. But in November 1969, journalist Seymour Hersh revealed what really happened and Calley was court martialed and convicted of murder.

Calley had long refused to grant interviews about what happened, but on Wednesday he spoke at a Columbus Kiwanis meeting. He made only a brief statement, but agreed to take questions from the audience.

He did not deny what had happened that day, but did repeatedly make the point — which he has made before — that he was following orders.

Calley explained he had been ordered to take out My Lai, adding that he had intelligence that the village was fortified and would be "hot" when he went in. He also said the area was submitted to an artillery barrage and helicopter fire before his troops went in. It turned out that it was not hot and there was no armed resistance. But he had been told, he said, that if he left anyone behind, his troops could be trapped and caught in a crossfire.

MDE HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST

Yesterday, the kids over at MDE decided to attack Veteran Two-Putt Tommy, calling him a hypocrite for calling out Dave Thul's poorly thought out and executed attack on Congressman Walz.

In fact, they titled their right wing hate fest as "HYPOCRISY NOW GOES BY THE NAME OF TOMMY “TWO-PUTT” JOHNSON OF THE SD 42 DFL".

MDE stood up to defend Dave Thul, his hate filled attack on Congressman Walz, and the inappropriate use of official government email.

Remember when Mr. Brodkorb attacked Al Franken on email's that were sent via the U of M's Humphrey Institute.

I'm not attacking the Humphrey Institute, but rather Franken thinking he can use the public/taxpayer resources of the Humphrey Institute like he used the private resources of Harvard University.

Brodkorb also turned his rage towards Secretary of State Mark Ritchie for use of his state email for campaign solicitation.

So, when Dave Thul uses his official us.army.mil email address to take pot shots at President Obama and to launch his tirades against Congressman Walz and other political leaders he opposes, we hear silence from the MDE crowd.

If they feign outrage over the use of email by Franken supporters at the U of M and SOS Ritchie, shouldn't they be equally as outraged over the potential problems faced by Thul's use of his official us.army.mil email address?

A VETERAN ATTACKS MDE FOR ATTACKING A VETERAN, ATTACKING A VETERAN WHO WRONGFULLY ATTACKED A VETERAN

(ALL CAPS HEADLINES ARE RESERVED FOR RIDICULOUS MDE POST RESPONSES)

I'm just curious here...which one of those MDE clowns served a day in our nations military?

So Ryan Flynn (not the Ryan Flynn, just that Ryan Flynn) and his merry men at MDE took a shot at the ole Two Putter...

All in the defense of Dave Thul, an Iraq War Vet. While I appreciate and am grateful for Thul's service to this great nation, I think he's severely misguided and over his head on his recent witch hunt of Congressman Walz.

That said, Thul has some explaining to do.

Why didn't Thul identify himself as the Co-Chair of the Steele County Republican Party? He spent time identifying himself as a blogger, a constituent, a Veteran, but failed to identify himself by his partisan title, Co-Chair of the Steele County Republicans.

In 2006, Walz lost Steele County to Gil Gutenecht 8,166-7,006.

In 2008, Tim Walz PWNED Brian Davis in Steele County 11,994-6,146.

Come to think of it...I wouldn't admit if I were the Steele County Republican Co-Chair either...not after getting beat 2-1 by Walz in my own county.

The premise of Thul's attack on Congressman Walz is that he hasn't been honest. Thul's own omission of his partisan position was an intentional lie, he served to deceive the Walz staffers and try to embarrass them.

He only succeeded in embarrassing himself...

And then there is Thul's abuse of offical military email to disparage The President of the United States and a member of Congress.

As Muse points out, Thul has been asked about his abuse of his @us.army.mil email address, consistently trying to change the subject.

Back in the day, when I was an active duty Infantryman, we had a soldier in our company that was called before our Commander for some President Clinton and oral sex jokes.

Once a Commander allows a soldier, especially a Non-Commissioned Officer like Sergeant Thul, to abuse his power and act in an insubordinate manner towards his Commander in Chief, unit discipline slips, morale and esprit de corps fall apart.

Perhaps Sergeant Thul should take a refresher course of PLDC or maybe spend a few hours remembering his creed, the Creed of the Non-Commissioned Officer.

No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.

Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind -- accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!

These are not merely words...they serve as the backbone of what Sergeant's and NCO's do. In my humble opinion, the 10 most important words of this creed are: "I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage".

Well Mr. Thul...one out of two ain't bad. Right?

Notice to the NARN crowd.

Golf weekend is this weekend (Wed-Sun), so don't expect Blueman to interrupt 18 holes at Sugarbrooke to "appear" on the 10,000 watt flamethrower, 1280 The Patriot...we wouldn't want our favorite NARN folks to have another hissy fit, like in 2007.

On the ridiculous attacks on Congressman Walz

NEWS FLASH: Republican operatives cannot understand what "in support of" means.

The attacks on Congressman Walz have started again. This time, a tool named Thul is attacking the Congressman on his military record, saying that Walz did not serve "in support of" Operation Enduring Freedom.

Yep, we went through this stuff back in 2006 too...and the response is the same.

Congressman Walz has never given the impression that he served in Iraq or Afghanistan. His service "in support of" an important mission was important and the fact that some cannot fully understand the terminology of "in support of" saddens me.

When 3/4 of our Infantry Battalion deployed from Germany to Macedonia for Operation Able Sentry, there were people back in the rear "in support of" our mission in Macedonia. They didn't get to add the fancy UN ribbon to their chest of medals. It didn't devalue their service to the 3rd Battalion 5th Cavalry "Black Knights" either.

Congressman Walz and his unit were called to active duty, sent to Italy "in support of " Operation Enduring Freedom. Their lack of a service ribbon does not diminish the importance of their service.

It's not an exaggeration of one's service record.

So instead of attacking Congressman Walz, who has been nothing short of amazing on Veterans issues, perhaps Thul and his thugs should focus on helping CD 1 GOP candidates understand Veterans issues.

Anyone remember that Walz opponent, Brian Davis (a Mayo Doctor) could not "identify any specific areas where we would improve the educational or healthcare methods for veterans"?

After watching the Thul video, I actually couldn't be happier with Congressman Walz and his staff. It shows the level of constituent outreach and his level of service to the 1st CD.

Stop Loss To End

It's about time!

"Stop-loss," the unpopular U.S. Army practice of forcing soldiers to remain in military service beyond the end of their enlistment period, will be phased out and ended completely by the end of 2012, according to the Department of Defense (DoD).
The first regular (active-duty) Army units to not include stop-loss members will be deployed overseas in January of 2010. Unless required to continue it because of a national emergency, the Army plans to eliminate the stop-loss practice completely during 2012, states the Pentagon.

Soldiers forced to remain in the Army under stop-loss will receive an additional $500 per month until the program is terminated. This payment, says the DoD, “will serve as an interim measure to help mitigate its effects.”

“Stop Loss disrupts the plans of those who have served their intended obligation. As such, it is employed only when necessary to ensure minimal staffing in deploying units, when needed to ensure safe and effective unit performance,” said Bill Carr, deputy under secretary of defense, in a press release. “It is more easily rationalized in the early stages of conflict when events are most dynamic; but tempo changes in this war have frustrated our efforts to end it altogether.”

The growth in the number of troops retained by stop-loss has been attributed to the Iraq war “surge,” which saw an additional 30,000 troops deployed to Iraq during 2007.

According to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, more than 13,000 troops are currently serving under the stop-loss program, or about 6,000 more than when he took over his post in December 2006.

“I felt particularly in these numbers that it [stop-loss] was breaking faith,” Gates is quoted as saying in the Kansas City Star. “To hold them against their will is just not the right thing to do.”

Stop loss creates significant morale problems.

My first team leader ever in the Army, Sergeant Ward, was a victim of stop loss during the first Gulf War. Let's just say that Sergeant Ward was not pleased at all with the fact that he spent an additional year on active duty. I still vividly remember how he's spray paint his boots black every Sunday night and then not touch them for a week.

The fear of stop loss is real and exacerbated by recruiters. Back in 2002 I had a rather aggressive recruiter who kept telling me that if I didn't sign up for Reserve or National Guard duty that I would be stop lossed and sent to Iraq or Afghanistan with some rag tag unit.

Fortunately, I had served 11 years on active duty and could not be stop lossed. It didn't stop the recruiters from trying to intimidate me. I heard from other friends in the Veterans community that they received similar threats.

Without the threat of stop loss, these low life recruiters will have to resort to other methods to deceive recruits.

More GOP fake outrage

Caught this over at the Eagle's Nest.

Republicans are outraged over this cartoon.

Enter Minnesota's sharp tongued House Minority Leader Marty Siefert.

Back in 2006, when a large budget surplus was announced, Seifert took a shot at DFLers with a drunken sailor reference of his own.

MDE loved Seifert's misguided commentary.

I love the hypocrisy here. Virtually zero outrage when Marty Seifert makes a drunken sailor reference but when the Republicans are implicated as a drunken sailors, all the sudden were offended by said reference.

Yawn...

As a Veteran, I don't really get offended by stuff like that. I get more offended when Veterans can't access their benefits or when my friends and former soldiers are put in harms way based on a lie.

But...to each their own...

Army of Dude's Letter to President Obama

As per usual, Alex over at AoD rocks! His letter to President Obama and the use of the Individual Ready Reserve is spot on.

For years, you have spoken extensively about the need for a more robust civil service program in the country. I cannot think of a greater civil service than serving in the military, especially in a time of war. For eight years, soldiers have sacrificed their bodies, minds, and in the most tragic of cases, their lives, to complete the mission. We have stared into the black abyss of war to see an inner reflection of triumph and tragedy. There are pieces of us, physical and otherwise, that are left on the battlefield forever. That is what we gave up for this nation. Now that the war in Iraq is coming to a close, it's time to end the recalls immediately. Every soldier in the military stands ready to report, mobilize and deploy in any corner of the world in 96 hours or less. The abrupt cancellation of the Presidential Reserve Call Up Authority and subsequent orders would seem effortless in comparison to what soldiers stand ready for each and every day.

The issue of the IRR has a direct impact here in Minnesota.

I know one Iraq War Veteran from Dassel who has gotten IRR orders.

Back when this whole clusterf@#k started, I received calls from Army recruiters telling me to join a local National Guard or Army Reserve unit so that I could deploy to Iraq with people I know, and not be subject to the randomness of the IRR. They tried to put the fear of God in me.

The only hitch in their plan was that I had already served more than 8 years and was not subject to IRR call up. It was just another Bush Company ploy to lure folks to fight his bullshit war.

Alex is right.

The IRR madness needs to stop.