Today, Americans pause to remember the sacrifice of the countless heroes who, through our country's 228 years of existence, took up arms in defense of liberty and our national interest. We mark this Veterans Day embroiled in the longest conflict in American history, one that pits our women and men in uniform against an adaptive, dangerous, and determined enemy. Regardless of one's politics, we ought to honor the sacrifices of those still living, and remember the fallen heroes who are no longer among us.
According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 1,009,041 Americans have died in major combat operations since the first shots sounded at Lexington and Concord in 1775. That number is staggering, especially when one considers the thousands of wounded veterans who returned home, many physically and mentally broken, never to live the life they intended to live. Indeed, the pain and suffering borne by so many families was and continues to be a festering wound that refuses to heal. These heroes sacrificed to secure a permanent peace as precious as it is elusive.
Unlike any other arena of human endeavor, soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen put their lives on the line to defend that which we hold dear. And we, by many measures the most prosperous and free people in the history of humanity, have those warriors to thank for the liberties we continue to enjoy. Yet, as a country, our thanks is too often half hearted. 1/3 of all homeless Americans, a number equal to 260,000 people, are veterans. Nearly two mllion veterans lack access to basic medical care. The greatest thanks we can offer the heroes still among us are the guarantees that they will be cared for in the shadows and twilight of their lives. Thus far, we have failed to honor that simple but profound commitment.
The nature of military conflict may have changed, but that nobility of service and the selfless devotion to one's country remains. For the echoes of Breeds Hill can be heard in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. The bugle call heard at Antietam still summons heroes to our nation's cause. These heroes, along with those who fought at Verdun, Normandy, Khe Sanh, and Anbar, did so that their children might live in a world unaware of the horrors of war. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, as the United States faces security threats from all corners of the world, some may say it was a hope born out of ignorance. Perhaps, however, it was born from the experience of those who saw the most degrading and base aspects of the human condition. War is terrible, unjust, and should be avoided at all costs. Those who wore the uniform at Yorktown knew it then, and those riding convoy duty this very moment know it now.
So today, let us thank our veterans and say a collective prayer that these wars end, expeditiously, and with honor. In the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes,
"Lord, bid war's trumpet cease; Fold the whole earth in peace."
Iraq and Afghanistan: What is the Way Out?
Dahr Jamail speaks at NJ Peace Action 52nd Annual Soup Luncheon
Saturday, November 21st at Columbia High School in Maplewood
For Immediate Release
October 9, 2009
Dahr Jamail will be speaking at NJ Peace Action's 52nd Annual Soup Luncheon on Saturday, November 21st, at Columbia High School in Maplewood. His topic will be "Iraq and Afghanistan: What is the Way Out?" Since the nation just marked the 8th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, this program could not be more timely. The program runs from 11:45am to 4:00pm with Dahr Jamail speaking just after 2:00pm.
Dahr Jamail, a political activist and unembedded journalist from Anchorage, Alaska, first traveled to Iraq in November 2003 to write about the effects of the US occupation on the Iraqi people. After nine weeks covering the occupation, he returned to the US and addressed audiences in Alaska and the Northeast about his experience. As his articles at dahrjamailiraq.com became more widely referenced, his reputation grew quickly as a courageous journalist for whom the pursuit of the truth was worth risking his life. He is the author of Beyond the Green Zone (Haymarket Books, 2007) and The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan (Haymarket Books, 2009).
"Dahr Jamail is one of the few reporters brave and principled enough to report independently on the conflicts, instead of being embedded with military units fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. His presentation could not be any more timely," said Madelyn Hoffman, Director of NJ Peace Action. "President Obama is currently deciding whether to send thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan on the advice of General McChrystal or to pursue an alternative approach to ending the conflict, particularly since public opposition to the on-going war is steadily increasing. It is essential to hear from an independent voice at this critical juncture - as we make the case against an escalation in the number of troops being sent to Afghanistan."
When asked about the decision facing President Obama regarding an increase in troops to Afghanistan, Dahr replied "The US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan violates both international law as well as the US constitution. I feel it is fair to ask this question to the President: given the law, and given that you are a constitutional lawyer yourself, how can you, as President, justify sending more troops into an occupation that violates the UN Charter and the US Constitution?"
"The US is a signatory nation of the UN Charter," continues Dahr Jamail. "According to the UN Charter, there are only two reasons why any country is allowed to go to war. The first is in self-defense and second is only with UN Security Council Ratification. The US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan is not a just war, as it meets neither of these criteria. Given the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution, Article 6 Paragraph 2, which tells us all foreign treaties the US signs become the supreme law of our land, the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan violates both international law as well as the US constitution."
Dahr writes for the Inter Press Service and many other outlets and is a regular guest on the radio show, Democracy Now! His extraordinary reporting talent has earned him numerous awards, including the prestigious 2008 Martha Gellhorn Award for Journalism, The Lannan Foundation Writing Residency Fellowship, the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism, the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage, and four Project Censored awards.
Some of Dahr Jamail's most compelling observations appear below:
- On Journalism:
"Since an informed citizenry is the basis for a healthy democracy, independent, non-corporate media are more crucial today than ever before."
- On Reporting about Iraq:
"I feel it imperative to maintain a solid presence of independent journalists in Iraq, as there are so few. Most of the mainstream media are just parroting the news fed to them by the CPA and military."
- On Veterans:
"It is a painful irony that some of those who volunteered to serve and defend our nation are now left particularly defenseless and vulnerable as a direct consequence of its ill advised foreign adventures."
- On American Ignorance of the occupation:
"I keep wondering how long it can go on; how long so many people in my home country will continue to ignore it, to be complicit, whether they know it or not, in our brutal occupation -- so long after it was proven beyond a shadow of a shadow of a doubt that this war was illegal and based on nothing but lies. "
Reservations for the Soup Luncheon are $25 before November 10th and $30 after that. Reservations can also be made on line, by clicking
here.
For more information contact: Madelyn Hoffman, Executive Director of NJ Peace Action, 973-259-1126 (office), (973)876-1023(cell)
As New Jerseyans, we can intimately recall the events of September 11, 2001 and remember the panic, outrage, and grief that washed over us. Memories of the hole in the Manhattan skyline, the smoke that blanketed our suburban skies and the pain of losing nearly 700 of our neighbors still lingers eight years on.
Like a line of demarcation running through our collective consciousness, the force of our initial reaction may have lessened with time but there is no doubt that our national life is forever changed. In the aftermath of the horrific attacks, determined to prevent terrorism from returning to our shores, we launched two wars and surrendered certain freedoms in the name of homeland security. Eight years later, the consequences of those decisions and the challenges they were intended to overcome remain. Osama bin Laden is at large. Al Qaeda, though its strength is diminished, continues its war of terror against the West. Prisoners still wait at Guantanamo Bay, and American men and women still serve overseas prepared to lay down their lives in defense of our national interest.
Many progressives are reluctant to discuss the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are divided between wanting an immediate end to the conflict and a desire to defeat the agents of terrorism. We are also distracted. Angry town hall meetings, death panels, and in New Jersey, talk of driving records consume our attention. Ours is a country at war, but one would be hard pressed to see that when considering the issues dominating our national and state discourse.
Sure, life goes on. There are pressing domestic concerns that must also be addressed. Health care reform should be enacted. Chris Christie's record should be examined. Yet the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have lasted longer than America's involvement in the Second World War, and as progressives, we have failed to demand our leaders present a path to victory or a plan for peace.
This is the greatest question of our time and our movement is asleep at the wheel. Perhaps we were traumatized by the Bush Administration's politicization of national security, and by no means do I seek a return to 2002, when agreeing with Republican principles was a question of patriotism. What I seek is engagement. We cannot relegate the reality of war to the back of our minds and content ourselves with talk of health care reform when America's sons and daughters are dying for a cause that many in our country no longer deem worthy of their attention.
Victory, much like our war against Nazism, requires that we fully devote ourselves to our present endeavor. We may decide to see this through to the end or we may decide these wars are no longer worth the cost of life and treasure. Nonetheless, we must choose our course. Progressives understand that timidity is the great enemy of success, and the current situation demands more than hanging a flag from the front porch. It demands our engagement.
Years from now, our children will ask us what we did to help our country in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. What we say then will depend on what we do now. History will be the ultimate arbiter of our actions. Let us engage.
So John Adler's office is sending out a triumphant press release that he "supports the troops" by voting for today's war supplemental. I guess we can say that the Republicans, by their previous standards, don't as they all voted against it. Blah blah blah. I just hope President Obama lives up to his commitment to withdraw troops from Iraq, as so far he's switched to plan that involves not actually withdrawing them in 2009. Where is the money for these wars? I'd rather just mail a check to bail out California and any other state, or just not borrow it.
We hear he's turning to vulnerable Republicans and telling them he can get the DCCC to "go easy" on them next year if they vote for the Supplemental tomorrow. And Eric Cantor's office is really pissed.
It's one thing if he makes a deal with Vern Buchanan in Florida or Chris Smith in New Jersey, but we're hearing that he's offering to protect Republicans who have been slated as major DCCC targets, like Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Bill Young (R-FL), Leonard Lance R-NJ) and Charlie Dent (R-PA).
This is not a deal to get universal health care passed, which I could certainly forgive. This is a deal to vote for A. The Iraq War, B. Bailing out European banks via the IMF, and C. Covering up abuse photos. There's not much reason any Democrat should vote for it, much less make a deal to protect Leonard Lance.
Let's hope the rumor is not true, or the DCCC has the guts to tell Rahm he's not their boss.
Now this is pretty cool. The Yellow Ribbon Club is a non-partisan organization that was started in South Jersey and works to support our armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan through shipping care packages, promoting and fostering welcome home events for local veterans and providing monetary assistance to us military hospitals and care facilities. Here is an audio interview with the founder of the organization Leslie Drummond from WPHT, who explained how she started the club in September of 2005 when her son was in Iraq and she began organizing the delivery of care packages. The group has grown from Leslie's efforts.
At one point during the encore, Vedder mentioned a letter he got from a fan that really moved him, in which the writer of the letter talked about the impact Pearl Jam's music had on his life and how he was inspired by Eddie Vedder to begin volunteering for an organization called the Yellow Ribbon Club that raises money to support US troops. As he told the story, he noticed a visibly emotional couple in the front row and discovered that it was the same couple that had written the letter. It was a very touching moment as he hugged them and thanked them for the letter, and announced that he and Pearl Jam would be contributing to the organization. It is moments like this that make you realize the ability music has to bring people together and impact their lives in a powerful way.
The organization has received over 60,000 hits on their website since the concert and article. In full disclosure, I have volunteered with the club for many events including their recent car washes, which were organized by David J. Sliver, the writer of the letter which inspired Vedder's support. They are a fantastic organization that does wondeful work and the families are so dedicated to supporting their own. Below the fold, i'll put a video of a recent welcome home they organized for a soldier coming home from his fifth tour of duty in Iraq. You can learn more about their efforts.
Although they started returning on Memorial day, a parade and ceremonies were held in Trenton yesterday to honor the service of our National Guard troops. The largest deployment since World War II returned with the same number they left to serve. Here is video from the Assembly:And here is some video from the Governor's office where he said:
"Today, we are proud to welcome home our heroes one and all," Governor Corzine said. "You have served our state and our nation with dignity, with honor, and with courage. We can only imagine the adversity you faced and the conditions that made your jobs even more difficult. On behalf of all New Jersey's citizens, we thank you for your patriotism and service and we honor the sacrifices of your families. We are fortunate that you have all returned home safely."
I'll put more comments from elected officials, video and photos from the day below the fold. We're glad to have them all back safe and sound, but just because they've returned safely doesn't mean that everything goes back to normal. Let's hope that our elected officials are as interested in caring for them now that they have returned as they were celebrating their arrival.
A plane carrying nearly 400 members of the Guard's 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is scheduled to arrive Monday morning at McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County.
The soldiers are the first to return from the largest overseas deployment of the New Jersey National Guard since World War II.
This is the first wave to come home since they deployed in what was the largest since World War II. We've had over 2800 members in Iraq since last September and while they won't all come home Monday, they are coming home soon:
They will arrive in groups of 300 to 400, landing every few days. The entire complement should be back in New Jersey by the time a special parade is held in their honor on June 14, officials said.
The first returning group includes men and women from three units: The 250th Brigade Support Battalion, Delta Company out of West Orange; the 114th Infantry Battalion, Delta Company, Woodstown , and the 154th Quartermaster Company, Sea Girt.
The Memorial Day plane troops are expected to arrive at McGuire Air Force Base by late morning, said 1st Sgt. David Moore, a Fort Dix spokesman. They will be bussed to Fort Dix where their families will be waiting at the National Guard training and development center, officials said.
It's fantastic that we are bringing them home safely. Now they will need the care and assistance to help manage the adjustment back to civilian life with their families.
The demobilization is the first step in a $3 million "reintegration program," for New Jersey Guardsman. State adjutant general Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth called it "one of the most comprehensive efforts ever undertaken to support troops as they make the transition from warrior to parent, spouse, student, employee and member of their community."
The program includes employment, financial and marital counseling. There will be job fairs, free tuition, marriage enrichment seminars and special rates on health insurance.
Rieth said a key component of the reintegration program is mental health screening. In the first three months after their return, the troops will be screened at least three times for post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other mental health or emotional issues.
They still have a long road ahead, but the fact that they can begin the next phase of their journey is a huge step.
Now that a Democrat is in the White House, the political dynamics of voting for war funding have changed. Would Republicans vote any spending bill from this President, after so many pro-war votes? Would Democrats who opposed previous supplementals now vote in favor? And would Scott Garrett ever vote with a majority of New Jersey Representatives?
Congressman Rush Holt joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting foreign leaders, military leaders, and troops (including NJ National Guardsmen and women in Iraq) in Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq on a trip that began last Thursday and saw them return home last night:
Yesterday morning in London, Pelosi and Holt met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the international economic crisis, climate change, trade and the United Kingdom's participation in the multinational force in Afghanistan.
This weekend, Pelosi and Holt also met with King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan, the Emir and Sheikha of Jordan, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq, among other leaders.
The Asbury Park Press examined some of the challenges facing veterans as they return from active duty home to civilian life. One of the disturbing pieces of information however is this comment about the lack of knowledge to just how big the problem is:
"Nobody has a handle on who's coming back, or how many, or how it's going to impact on the job market in New Jersey,"
We don't even know what help they will need when they return home. Not to mention they're returning home to a much more difficult job market than when they left. The article says that states across the country are facing this problem. 200 Marine reservists returned from Iraq just last week and some 3,000 National Guardsmen from New Jersey are scheduled to come home in July. The state needs to get a handle on this situation so that they can provide the necessary care and training to facilitate a smooth transition back to civilian life. We don't want to see our returning veterans fall through the cracks.
The House Armed Services Committee will be holding a hearing tomorrow at 10:30am, U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan: Balancing Interests and Resources.
Here's a chance for Rob Andrews to ask some tough questions and show he meant what he said during his primary run, at least regarding his about-face on Iraq.
United for Peace and Justice is asking people to call members of the committee and Committee Chair Ike Skelton with a couple of questions for the panel. UFPJ notes that there is no panelist who clearly opposes the wars.
Rep. Rob Andrews 202-225-6501 or 856-546-5100
Rep. Ike Skelton 202-225-2876
House Armed Services Committee 202-225-4151
1) What do you predict the total dollar costs for Iraq and Afghanistan to be to the U.S. economy? Did Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz underestimate when he calculated three trillion dollars for Iraq alone? How can you justify spending many millions of hard-earned dollars every day in Iraq and Afghanistan when the U.S. economy is suffering and so many of our people are out of work?
2) The Taliban is on the rise again. Living conditions for the average Afghan have not changed much. The U.S. military has killed at least 4,800 civilians in Afghanistan, representing 79% of the total civilian casualties in the war. Is U.S. military action in Afghanistan harming our national interests by turning the people against us? How has U.S. military action in Afghanistan increased the security of the region and the people of our country?
3) A policy of the former Bush administration allowed for drone attacks to occur in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The continued drone attacks are contributing toward anti-American animosity without accomplishing much. Wouldn't it help reduce the tension and improve the quality of life to ban drone attacks entirely?
The panel will be:
Anthony Cordesman, Ph.D
Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Stephen Biddle, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow for Defense Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
The Honorable Zalmay Khalilzad
Counselor, Center for Strategic and International Studies
General Jack Keane (ret.)
Former Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army
Janet St. Laurent
Managing Director, Defense Capabilities and Management Team, GAO
Andrews staff will probably listen more to constituents even though he is our only Rep from NJ on Armed Services, so anyone can call (hint to those who helped him out in the primary).
The other day, we saw the Governor with our troops in Iraq. Here's a video put out by the Corzine's office on his Iraq trip:But going over to support our troops also brought concerns to the Governor about the economy back on the home front:
After greeting troops guarding the Camp Bucca prison in southern Iraq, Corzine said many were anxious about the recession or possibly losing their jobs back home.
"They're fearful about how they will fit back into economic life when they come home in June," Corzine said, speaking on a teleconference with reporters from Baghdad. But he called the troops "extraordinarily professional."
Our troops are protecting their country and dodging fire, but they're concerned about what they will return home to. You would think they already have enough to worry about without the economy at home weighing on their mind.
Even with two of the most actively anti-war councilmen absent, Highland Park Borough Council passed 4 to 0 a resolution supporting Sen. Weinberg's Bill SJR55 calling on Bush and the Secretary of Defense to send the NJ Guard home and for Corzine not to allow them to be sent back to Iraq without a renewed war authorization from Congress.
Councilman Millet, left, Council President Elsie Foster-Dublin middle left, Councilman Minkoff and Morris, right
The bill, which has an Assembly version sponsored by Valerie Vainieri Huttle AJR104, is co-sponsored by Senators Turner and Sweeney.
Urges President and Secretary of Defense to withdraw NJ National Guard from Iraq and withholds consent of Governor and Legislature from further National Guard deployments to Iraq.
A Joint Resolution urging the President and Secretary of Defense to withdraw all New Jersey National Guard troops from Iraq in absence of a valid and subsisting Congressional mandate for such service; urging the Department of Defense to cancel the pending deployment of the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team to Iraq in the absence of such mandate; and withholding the consent of the Governor and State Legislature from any further deployment of the New Jersey National Guard to Iraq in the absence of such mandate.
Whereas, The war in Iraq has entered its sixth year, resulting in the deaths of over 4,000 American service men and women, and the cost of the war now exceeds $1.3 trillion, $16,500 for each American family of four, and continues to rise; and
Whereas, On October 19, 2007, the Department of the Army alerted the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the New Jersey National Guard, based at Fort Dix, to prepare for deployment to Iraq in the autumn of 2008; and
Whereas, The planned deployment of National Guard forces represents roughly 50% of the total strength of the New Jersey National Guard, making this the largest deployment of New Jersey National Guard personnel since World War II; and
Whereas, Governor Corzine has expressed concern that the loss of the National Guard?s heavy trucks and Blackhawk helicopters may impair the State?s ability to respond to an emergency; and
Whereas, Even if such adverse impacts on the New Jersey National Guard were absent, and assuming arguendo that the war was lawful when commenced, the presence of the Guard members in Iraq is not now lawful. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 15 of the United States Constitution, Congress may call forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrection, and repel invasions; and
Whereas, Since 1933, federal law has provided that persons enlisting in a state National Guard unit simultaneously enlist in the National Guard of the United States, part of the U.S. Army. The enlistees retain their status as state guard members unless and until ordered to active federal duty and then revert to state status upon being relieved from federal service; and
Whereas, Under the U.S. Constitution, each state?s National Guard unit is controlled by the governor, but can be called up for federal duty by the President, provided that the President is acting pursuant to the Constitution and laws of the United States; and
Whereas, The War Powers Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-148) specifically limits the power of the President of the United States to wage war without the approval of Congress; and
Whereas, In October 2002, the U.S. Congress authorized military force under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, (Public Law No. 107-243) (AUMF), a law enacted in response to a presidential request under the War Powers Act. The AUMF stated in part that the President is authorized to use the armed forces of United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq and enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq; and
Whereas, The AUMF contained neither a termination date, nor a process or procedure to determine when the authorization should terminate; and
Whereas, U.S forces, including members of the New Jersey National Guard and guard members from other states, have long since addressed the purposes recited under the AUMF, and Iraq does not pose a continuing threat to the national security of the United States, nor is there an extant United Nations Security Council Resolution to be enforced; and
Whereas, The President may not maintain U.S. forces, and in particular members of the New Jersey National Guard, in Iraq other than for the purposes set forth by Congress in the AUMF. Without a specific date for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq in the AUMF or a method or formula for determining the time for withdrawal, and in the absence of Congressional legislation curing these omissions, the President is required to order the withdrawal of troops within a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. The President has taken no such action; and
Whereas, Other than the AUMF, there is no authority under the Constitution or the laws of the United States for the continued presence of New Jersey National Guard members in Iraq; and
Whereas, The maintenance of New Jersey National Guard members in Iraq beyond the time and scope set for the in the AUMF has resulted in significant harm to Guard members and their families, including death and injury, loss of time together, and financial hardships; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Governor and Legislature of the State of New Jersey declare that the Congressional Authorization for the Use of Military Force of October 16, 2002 has expired and no further authorization has issued, and therefore the President is urged to order the return of the New Jersey National Guard?s 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team.
2. The Governor and Legislature resolve that the New Jersey National Guard shall hereafter be limited to service within and on behalf of the State of New Jersey, unless called into federal service pursuant to a declaration of war or a duly enacted and substituting federal statute authorizing the use of military force.
3. The New Jersey Attorney General is authorized to appear in any state or federal court with jurisdiction over the deployment of the New Jersey National Guard to defend any decision to consent, or not consent, to the deployment of the New Jersey National Guard to Iraq; or to file an action on behalf of the State of New Jersey with respect to the same subject matter.
4. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution addresses the limits to the Constitutional and statutory authority of the President and Department of Defense to federalize and deploy the New Jersey National Guard to Iraq, absent a valid and subsisting mandate from Congress. The resolution declares that the authority for the deployment of New Jersey National Guard members to Iraq has terminated and requests that in the absence of valid federal authorization for their deployment to Iraq, the President order the return of New Jersey National Guard members to New Jersey. The President and Secretary of Defense are urged to cancel the pending deployment of the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team to Iraq. The resolution declares that New Jersey National Guard members must hereafter be limited to service within and on behalf of the State of New Jersey, and resolves that consent to further federalization and deployment of New Jersey National Guard members to Iraq must be withheld, unless the New Jersey National Guard is properly and lawfully called into federal service under a valid and subsisting authorization from Congress.
Tom Wyka took the 6:33 a.m. Morris & Essex Train from Dover to Summit on Tuesday to talk to voters about public transit and a green economy. Wyka for Congress volunteers were at the stations to hand out literature to commuters who were waiting for the train. Wyka, a Democrat from Parsippany, is challenging 7-term incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen for New Jersey's 11th district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Diane Burns, of Hanover Township, wore a full-size Wyka for Congress lawn sign hung on a cord around her neck "which caught people's eye. I just said, 'Here is information about Tom Wyka, who is running for Congress in our district. He will be riding on your train this morning introducing himself to people, and answering any questions you may have.' All but one person took the flyer."
Geoffrey Thomas of Madison was handing out literature at the Madison train station. "You can't really expect to have a political discussion with many people before 7 in the morning, especially on a cold rainy day like today, but most people accepted the literature to read on the train. Several people said that they knew about Wyka and are going to vote for him."
Eric Carlson, a Wyka for Congress volunteer from Harding Township who rode the train with Wyka, said, "A few commuters huddled together waiting for the train to New York in the dark, on the cold and rainy morning were asked by Wyka what their biggest worry was, and they answered in chorus 'MONEY!' Tom Wyka cheered some folks up, and received a few smiles, after explaining that they had a choice for a change come November. For some, it was an easy sell once they realized that Tom Wyka was running on the same ticket as Obama."
Public transit development is an important part of the new "green" economy that Wyka advocates. Wyka says, "When it comes to energy efficiency, nothing beats electrified rail transit. This year, a lot more people have wanted to ride the train. But New Jersey Transit has actually been cutting service, because of budget problems. When we can't afford to do the single most effective thing to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and avoid global climate change, it shows that our government hasn't been spending our money on the right kinds of things. So far, the taxpayers in this district are stuck with a bill of $3.2 billion for the Iraq War. Just think of what we could have done locally to reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil for that amount!" According to recent estimates from the National Priorities Project (www.costofwar.com), taxpayers in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District will pay $3.2 billion for total Iraq war spending approved to date.
CONTACT:
Wyka for Congress
P.O. Box 350
Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
973.215.2082
www.tomwyka.com
tomwyka@yahoo.com
Frelinghuysen No Champion of Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
Parsippany, October 7-Representative Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, R-Harding, and Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, were tied for the lowest score in the New Jersey Congressional delegation in a scorecard issued by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Action Fund, an organization representing veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
In the 2008 IAVA Congressional scorecard, four of New Jersey's members of the House of Representatives scored an A+ (a perfect score of 15): Bill Pascrell, (D-8) Steve Rothman (D-9), Rush Holt (D-12), and Albio Sires (D-13). Six others scored an A, which represented a score of 13 or 14: Robert Andrews (D-1), Frank LoBiondo (R-2), Chris Smith (R-4), Frank Pallone (D-6), Michael Ferguson (R-7), and Donald Payne (D-10). Jim Saxton (R-3) got a B for scoring 11 out of 15, and Scott Garrett (R-5) and Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11) each got a B for scoring only 10 out of 15.
Tom Wyka (D, Parsippany), who is running against Rodney Frelinghuysen in the 11th district, explains:
"You might think that a B is good, but it means that Frelinghuysen voted against healthcare and education for veterans."
"The IAVA's grades are generous. Ron Paul got the only F. Only four members got a D, and only 34 members got a C. All of those who got a C, D, or F were Republicans. In contrast, all of the 122 members who got an A+ were Democrats."
"Only one Democrat in the entire House of Representatives scored as low as Frelinghuysen did, but it was because of absences, not hostile votes. In contrast, 100 Republicans scored better than Frelinghuysen did."
"Frelinghuysen and Garrett's scores of 10 out of 15 are an embarrassment for the New Jersey delegation, most of whom got A+ or A. Both Frelinghuysen and Garrett have provided poor support to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. The same can be said of the Republican Party as a whole."
"Not only does Frelinghuysen have a poor voting record on veterans' issues, he seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by major veterans organizations."
"The IAVA is a nonpartisan organization, so we had to put the scores into a spreadsheet and add the data on party affiliation," explains Wyka.
According to the IAVA Action Fund's report, the scorecard for the House of Representatives is based on 13 key votes on veterans' issues. Each of these votes was an opportunity for the Representative to take a stand on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The Representative got one point for each vote that was in line with IAVA Action Fund's position. The Representative didn't get a point if he or she voted against the IAVA position or failed to vote on the issue. Because the fight for the new GI Bill was considered to be so important, Representatives who cosponsored the bill (H.B. 5740) got two additional points in the scorecard. The scorecard included a score for all of the Representatives except those who did not serve a complete term, such as Tom Lantos, who died in office. Nancy Pelosi was also excluded from the scoring, because as Speaker of the House, she votes only in the case of a tie.
WHY FRELINGHUYSEN SCORED POORLY
Cosponsorship of H.B. 5740 Frelinghuysen lost 2 points because he was not among the 302 cosponsors of this bill.
Funding Veterans' Health Care, 2007 January 31, 2007; Roll Call Vote No. 72 IAVA Action supported this legislation, which passed 286 to 140; Frelinghuysen voted against it.
The IAVA scorecard says, "More than five million American veterans rely on the Department of Veterans Affairs for their health care. Although veterans' hospitals provide some of the best health care in the country, the VA has been underfunded for years; for FY2007, the Bush Administration requested almost $4 billion less in VA funding than the amount suggested by major veterans' organizations. In early 2007, Congress made veterans' health care a priority, increasing the funding for veterans' health care by $3.6 billion. The budget passed by a vote of 286-140."
The Post-9/11 GI Bill: Fair Education Benefits for Veterans (first vote) May 15, 2008: Roll Call Vote No. 330 IAVA Action Fund supported this legislation, which passed 256 to 166; Frelinghuysen voted against it.
The IAVA scorecard says, "For the 1.7 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the transition to civilian life can be challenging. Veterans of World War II were aided in their reintegration by the "GI Bill," which paid for the education of eight million combat veterans. The GI Bill changed the lives of millions of American veterans and their families. Sadly, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, still covered by the peacetime Montgomery GI Bill from 1984, received a far smaller benefit. Many new combat veterans were struggling with student loans or dropping out of school altogether. A new GI Bill was the number one priority for IAVA and IAVA Action in 2008.
"The popular and bipartisan 'Post- 9/11 GI Bill,' introduced on the House side by Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-AZ-5), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL-5), and Rep. Peter King (R-NY-3), offered a new future to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The new GI Bill dramatically increases education benefits by providing tuition payments up to the cost of the most expensive public university in the state, a monthly living allowance, and a book stipend. It also creates a new 'Yellow Ribbon' program that matches any scholarship given to a veteran by a school more expensive than the tuition cap. In spring 2008, the new GI Bill was included as part of the domestic spending amendment to the Iraq war funding bill. Because of the concerns of some fiscally conservative 'Blue Dog' Democrats in the House, the cost of the GI Bill was given a budget offset (although the cost of the war funding as a whole was not). The offset chosen was a tax increase on individuals making over $500,000 a year, or couples making over $1 million annually. The offset lead many Republicans to vote against the measure despite their support for the GI Bill. "
A Second-Rate GI Bill May 23, 2008; Roll Call Vote No. 364 IAVA Action opposed this legislation, which failed 186 to 223; Frelinghuysen voted for it.
The IAVA Scorecard says, "For over 18 months, IAVA and IAVA Action worked closely with a bipartisan coalition of Senators and Representatives on a new Post-9/11 GI Bill that would make college affordable to veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. The model for the new legislation was the World War II GI Bill that paid for the education of eight million combat veterans, and helped rebuild America after a half-decade of war. The Post-9/11 GI Bill quickly gained the support of 300 cosponsors in the House, almost 60 cosponsors in the Senate, and all the leading Veterans Service Organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and of course IAVA.
"A small but vocal opposition in Congress argued that the benefit was too generous. In an effort to derail the popular and bipartisan Post-9/11 GI Bill already a part of the war supplemental funding, a motion was made to advance a meager and ill-conceived 'alternate' GI Bill before the Post-9/11 GI Bill had the opportunity to be passed and signed into law. This alternative GI Bill did not meet any of IAVA's requirements for a new GI Bill; it did not cover the cost of college, it did not create fairness for National Guardsmen and Reservists, and because it was not linked to the cost of college, it would lose value every year. It did include a 'transferability' benefit, which offered current service members who agree to remain in the military for ten years the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill benefit to their spouse or children. However, because 75% of those serving in the military get out after their first term of service, this benefit will apply to relatively few Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Moreover, transferability was already possible at the discretion of the Department of Defense service secretaries. The weak 'alternative' GI Bill received the support of no major veterans' service organizations."
OTHER VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS The IAVA Action Fund is not the first organization to point out Frelinghuysen's poor voting record with regard to veterans' issues:
Disabled American Veterans Frelinghuysen voted against everything on the Disabled American Veterans' agenda, except for items that passed unanimously or nearly so.
http://capwiz.com/dav/bio/keyv...
American Legion Frelinghuysen seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by the American Legion:
http://legion.capwiz.com/bio/i...
Veterans of Foreign Wars Frelinghuysen seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
http://vfw.capwiz.com/bio/id/3...
Vietnam Veterans of America Frelinghuysen seldom introduces or cosponsors legislation endorsed by the Vietnam Veterans of America.
http://vva.capwiz.com/bio/id/3...
Congressman Frank Pallone and I hosted a conference call earlier today to discuss what the war in Iraq has cost New Jersey and why New Jersey can?t afford another four years of the failed Bush policies in Iraq that Chris Smith and John McCain want to continue. To see exactly what the war in Iraq has cost New Jersey, go to National Priorities.org.
On the call I emphasized the following:
· I support a responsible end to the war in Iraq so that we can invest in America?s urgent domestic priorities like renewable energy, and break our addiction to foreign oil as well as lower gas and electricity costs.
· Chris Smith and John McCain have supported George Bush every step of the way on Iraq, from believing faulty intelligence, to believing we would be greeted as liberators, to believing the war will pay for itself with Iraqi oil.
· Each month, the United States spends $10 billion a month in Iraq ? money which could be used to address domestic priorities like ensuring affordable health care, rebuilding our infrastructure or hiring more teachers or public safety officers.
· Incredibly, Iraq is right now holding onto $79 billion in excess oil revenues. We?re spending $10 billion a month to rebuild Iraq instead of using that money to create jobs here in America.
· The citizens of the 4th Congressional district have paid $2.2 billion for the war effort. That money could have been used to provide every home in the 4th Congressional District with Renewable Electricity, with enough money left over to help provide affordable health coverage for our residents.
That $2.2 billion could:
· Provide 203,137 People with Health Care for One Year
· Power 3,096,562 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year
· Hire 37,775 Public Safety Officers for One Year
· Provide 724,756 Children with Health Care for One Year
· Provide 28,856 Port Container Inspectors for One Year
· We can?t keep doing what we?re doing. We need change at all levels of government.
· Chris Smith and John McCain have no plan to bring our troops home.
· We need to elect a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress to bring our troops home and invest in our country?s future.
The campaign is entering a critical phase and I need your support. You can contribute at my ActBlue page. If you'd like to volunteer, please contact ian_at_joshzeitz_dot_com. Please visit my website to learn more about what I stand for.
"This is not the sort of struggle where you take a hill, plant the flag and go home to a victory parade... it's not war with a simple slogan," he said.
"We have got to get out of Iraq on our terms and win," Myers said to applause. "I don't want them bombing New Jersey."
He added that if the country didn't win in Iraq, "we will get hit here in the United States. And I don't want terrorists running around in New Jersey."
This however, was in contrast to his previous statements that we don't need to win, we just need to make it look that way:To summarize:
1. Chris Myers won't bring our troops home before we "win".
2. Chris Myers also thinks we don't need to "win", we just need to make it look that way.
3. General David Petraeus, the Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq says this isn't a war where you can declare victory and go home
That leaves me with these questions: What does Chris Myers know that Gen. Petraeus doesn't and then what does winning mean so that we can bring our troops home?
Joshua Casteel will be the keynote speaker at Pax Christi NJ's upcoming spring assembly to be held on March 28, 2009 at Felician College in Lodi. Joshua will also be making himself available for other speaking engagements at the end of March. For more information or to book Joshua contact:
Kathy O'Leary 908-273-0751 kathy-wargo@comcast.net
About Joshua Casteel
Joshua is a former interrogator at Abu Ghraib turned conscientious objector and a recent convert to Catholicism. He gave witness at Winter Soldier and traveled to Rome in March of 2007 with the Catholic Peace Fellowship to meet with Pope Benedict XVI and members of the Vatican to advance the issue of conscientious objection. He is featured along with Camilo Mejia and six other CO's in the documentary Soldiers of Conscience which will air on PBS's P.O.V. on October 16th.
