There's a buzz about the blogosphere and the twittersphere about a new, supposedly grass-roots organization called "The Tea Party is Over" whose mission is.."To prevent the Tea Party's dangerous ideas from gaining legislative traction." They call the Tea Party Movement (which was more than likely responsible for the democrat loss of Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts)a 'fad' and their ideas, 'dangerous.'
This movement is a fad. Some of their ideas include the belief that programs like Social Security and Medicare are socialistic and should never have been created in the first place and that President Obama is a Socialist.
...And?
They also target key elected representatives who agree with those 'dangerous ideas'
David McAloon
McAloon has a history of supporting extreme anti-Obama, pro-life, pro-gun positions, while advocating lucrative tax breaks for the wealthy. He claims that the "abortion industry" is "after blood money" and is intent on "victimizing women." Call David at xxx-xxx-xxxx and tell him to reject the dangerous ideas of the Tea Party.
Yeah... gotta get those dangerous ideas, like saving the lives of children, and defending the rights of citizens to protect themselves out of the public discussion.
Arie Friedman
Friedman actually advocates eliminating Medicaid. And he publicly doubts the proven science of global warming, even despite national security warnings that climate change threatens America’s economy.
Yes, I know that the force behind this mind-numbed, bromide-filled site is just a grass roots movement called "The American Public Policy Committee." Just a group of well-meaning citizens, right?
Well, it turns out that only two groups donated to the APCC: Patriot Majority, and Patriot Majority West.
Patriot Majority, running ads against Dole, Wicker and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), just reported a $1.65 million haul from AFSCME, in addition to $1.5 million from the union earlier in the month, not to mention even more before October.
Yeah.. Some grass-roots movement you got there. When it comes to Astroturfing, the neo-socialists are the professionals. We conservatives are pikers.
But I guess I'm not surprised. The ideas coming out of the real grass-roots Tea Party movement are indeed a danger to the advancement of socialism and lining the pockets of union goons.
The White House ordered the Justice Department to consider other places to try the 9/11 terror suspects after a wave of opposition to holding the trial in lower Manhattan.
The White House took the action hours after Mayor Bloomberg called Attorney General Eric Holder to say he would "prefer that they did it elsewhere."
"It would be an inconvenience at the least, and probably that's too mild a word for people that live in the neighborhood and businesses in the neighborhood," Bloomberg told reporters.
"There are places that would be less expensive for the taxpayers and less disruptive for New York City."
State leaders have railed against a plan to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in Manhattan federal court since Holder proposed it last month.
The order to consider new venues does not change the White House's position that Mohammed should be tried in civilian court.
Hey Barry--here's a novel idea--try the scumbag in Gitmo, where he belongs! You have it in for big banks and for the rich, fellow citizens of the U.S.--yet you want to extend this creepy-crawlie Constitutional rights?
Lech Walesa, the Polish Cold War hero who is coming to Illinois to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski, will join Andrzejewski tomorrow afternoon at a Tea Party rally at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago.
It was in Chicago, of course, that the Tea Party movement began last February when CNBC's Rick Santelli delivered "The Rant Heard 'Round the World." No word yet on whether Santelli will be at Friday's event.
It's no accident that Andrzejewski got Lech Walesa to stump for him. Having grown up in the Chicago area, I know that Chicago has the highest Polish ethnic population in the world, outside of Warsaw itself--right in the middle of Obama territory.
And if it's anyone who understands the sweet taste of freedom, what it's like not to have it, and what it's like to fight for it, it's Lech Walesa.
Is this doctored, or is this a rare glimpse of lucidity from "The One?"
Truth be told, I'm still trying to figure it out...I mean.. this is the first time I've ever heard Obama speak the truth. Even if it is a fictional Obama.
Specialist Brandon K. Steffy 23 years old from Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan 178th Military Police Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, III Corps October 29, 2009
He came into to this world a rather large baby, so big the doctor thought that he’d just walk home with his mother. Brandon was well mannered, polite, and tough with a contagious laugh that lit up those around him. In 2005 he graduated from Brimley High School and in 2006 enlisted in the United States Army, following a tradition of family military service.
He served in Iraq as a gunner from May 2007 until July 2008 and was deployed to Afghanistan in June 2009 where he was a canine tracker handler for Forward operating Base Fenty Kennel in the Laghman Province. He and his K-9 dog Maci were inseparable, working on tracking terrorists; Maci specialized in tracking the scents of IED making materials.
Spc. Brandon Steffy was killed when the vehicle he was riding in was attacked. His decorations and awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Spc. Steffy is survived by his wife, daughter, parents and his sister.
Brandon made people laugh and he made them cry. There was not one dry eye at his funeral, from every day townsfolk, to big construction workers to police officers; they all recalled Brandon, this "Gentle Giant." They want everyone to know that if you never knew Brandon, then you really missed out.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
We've hit some serious bumps in the road recently in our march toward change. We always knew it would be difficult, but this past week has definitely been a hard one, for all of us. (Awwwwww---Ed)
But this movement didn't come so far without making it through some challenging times. It's at moments like these when we need you most. People are hurting. Our country is at a crossroads, and in communities like yours all across America we must all fight for the progress our families and businesses need to thrive.
The President's resolve has never been stronger to keep fighting for health insurance reform, for lasting job creation, and to rein in the big banks and fight the undue influence of lobbyists. Wednesday's speech will be a pivotal moment for us all to get on the same page and continue the fight together.
In just two days, OFA supporters like you will be gathering at State of the Union Watch Parties in living rooms and community centers across the country. You can share ideas and experiences -- and I'll be joining on the phone for a special strategy huddle before the speech.
Find and RSVP for a State of the Union Watch Party near you:
Awwww... now ain't that sweet? My heart bleeds for him
And I got this one the other day, again, from Organizing for America... (Cue the music above)
Leo --
Yesterday's disappointing election results show deep discontent with the pace of change. I know the OFA community and the President share that frustration.
We also saw what we knew to be true all along: Any change worth making is hard and will be fought at every turn. While it doesn't take away the sting of this loss, there is no road to real change without setbacks along the way.
We could have simply sought to do things that were easy, that wouldn't stir up controversy. But changes that aren't controversial rarely solve the problem.
Our country continues to face the same fundamental challenges it faced yesterday. Our health care system still needs reform. Wall Street still needs to be held accountable. We still need to create good jobs. And we still need to continue building a clean energy economy.
The President isn't walking away from these challenges. In fact, his determination and resolve are only stronger. We must match that commitment with our own.
But it won't be easy. Real change never is. For that reason, I am grateful you're part of this fight with us.
Thank you,
Mitch
Mitch Stewart Director Organizing for America
Just wondering...should I hand Mr. Stewart a tissue?
Regarding the Islamic Cartoons posted in St. Cloud recently,
Luke Tripp, a professor of community studies, said the same "conservative white" mind-set led to the election of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater.
Tripp cited a history of racially motivated high school fights as evidence of the animosity that Somalis encounter here.
"There has been a series of hateful attacks against the growing Somali community since they began arriving here," Tripp said.
I have nothing against Somali Immigrants. Immigrants (legal ones) are always welcome, as far as I'm concerned. But I DO have problems with a blockhead college perfesser who is so intellectually vacuous and vapid as to paint those who disagree with him and don't vote for the candidate of his choice as RAAAACIIIIIISTS!If I was a student of Tripp's, I'd immediately demand my tuition money back, and call for his firing. Not for what he said, but because an imbecile such as Tripp has no business teaching college-level courses.
Additionally, if I were to equate any political ideology with racism, it would have to be the neo-socialist ideology that brought us the New Deal, racial quotas, and other such nonsense that are designed in such a way as to not uplift minorities, but keep them in an endless cycle of squalor. The endless cycle of inner-city poverty, the breaking up of once strong poor families and the encouragement of the absence of the father in poor families is an unconscionable and direct result of the liberal/neo-socialist agenda.
I don't know... titles can only go so far when deeds speak volumes more... In some twisted display of Stockholm syndrome on steroids, Barack Insane Obama goes and tries to placate our sworn enemies...
For all that our boys have fought and died for, we’re now giving legitimacy to the same enemy we went there to defeat? Imagine how our troops overseas must be feeling about the news that their Commander in Chief wants to legitimize the very enemy they’re trying to defeat. Sad…
NY Times - The United States recognizes that the Taliban are now part of the political fabric of Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here on Friday, but the group must be prepared to play a legitimate role before it can reconcile with the Afghan government.
That means, Mr. Gates said, that the Taliban must participate in elections, not oppose education and not assassinate local officials. (yea good luck with that! -Ed)
“The question is whether the Taliban at some point in this process are ready to help build a 21st-century Afghanistan or whether they still just want to kill people,” Mr. Gates said. (That question is, frankly, above Obama’s pay grade-Ed)
While at the same time, he is hellbent on villifying and personally destroying his fellow citizens.
We have gone from, "We will not negotiate with terrorists," to, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
Actually, the election last night of Scott Brown, along with the concommitant derailing of Obamacare, may have had the net effect of saving the democrats from themselves; and pulling our nation back from the brink of politburo-style tyranny in the process.
One year ago, on my 49th birthday, I bemoaned the wholesale adoption of statist government as Barack Hussein Obama took his oath of office.
Today, on my 50th birthday, I'm feeling a bit more optimistic.
There are times when I feel God gave us Barack Obama to wake us up.
The evil intentions of men are no match for Divine Providence.
Have Dr. Martin Luther King's dreams been realized?
Some may say that the coronation inaugaration of "The One" tomorrow may be the embodiment and realization of that dream. While in a way that may be so, in so many other ways Dr. Martin Luther King's dream has yet to be realized.
I was only three years old on that fateful day in August of 1963; the day that Dr. King delivered his "I have a dream" speech; so I was certainly too young to have understood and or appreciated the beauty and content of what would be contained in that oratorical masterpiece. I would, however, in my youth witness firsthand the effects of the Black man casting off one slavemaster and embracing another, namely, the "Great" Society and the Welfare state.
Forty five years and change later, are we really any closer to Dr. Martin Luther King's dream? Closer, perhaps. There? Not by a longshot. There are still racepimpsamong us, of every race, creed and color who, as cheap opportunists refuse to embrace the color-blind society that Dr. King envisioned.
Dr. King's dream will not be realized until there is no longer a need to have a Congressional Black Caucus. Dr. King's dream will not be realized until there is no longer a need to have the NAACP. Dr. King's dream will not be realized until race is taken totally out of the equation with regard to getting into college or getting a job, and affirmative action quotas are totally done away with. Dr. King's dream will not be realized until democrats cease and desist their fearmongering that black people cannot get along without the meager crumbs of government largesse that are thrown their way. Dr. King's dream will not be realized until there is color-blind opportunity coupled with color-blind accountability. Dr. King's dream will not be realized until all people are truly judged not by the color of their skin, but of the content of their character.
Today, I ask you to read well, heed well, and reflect upon these words:
"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”¹
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
ST. CLOUD (KNSI) - The aftermath of last month's posting on anit-Muslim cartoons will be the topic during a town-hall meeting in St. Cloud. Organizers says the meeting will be attended by Mayor Dave Kleis, St. Cloud State President Earl H. Potter III and a representative of the city attorney’s office. The meeting is sponsored by the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the mayor’s office and more than 10 other local organizations. The meeting will be in the council chambers at St. Cloud City Hall January 26th from from 6-8.
Mayor Kleis, may I respectfully ask that you do not attend this town hall meeting.
First of all, although I respect freedom of speech, it was a boneheaded thing to do for the guy to post sexually-explicit Islamic cartoons around town. But at the same time, if someone is going to say something or do something stupid, I have always been a proponent of getting out of the way and letting it happen. Freedom of speech demands it.
But at the same time, freedom of speech does not demand a podium.
You see, Your Honor, there is one glaring rhinoceros on the dining room table in this town meeting. And that, Mr. Mayor, is that the event is being co-sponsored by the Minnesota chapter of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations).
While the anti-American, pro-Islamic terrorism exploits of CAIR should be common knowledge by now, Mr. Mayor, I'm guessing that the desire for political correctness has in this instance too expediently overridden the boundaries of common sense and decency.
Need I remind you, Mayor Kleis, that CAIR has has a relatively short, though prolific history of siding with terrorist factions. As a matter of fact, CAIR was set up as a public relations faction of the pro-terrorist, anti-Israeli group Hamas, which has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people and for whom suicide bombing is an act of deep religious significance and is encouraged.
Need I likewise remind you, Mr. Mayor, that CAIR was a principle in the lawsuit leveled by the "Flying Imams," who purposefully terrorized the passengers of Flight 300 in November of 2006, in which six Islamists appeared to purposefully engage in suspicious behavior in a stunt apparently aimed at keeping Americans off-balance in the aftermath of 9/11, and to utilize the fallout to place themselves in a victim role.
In sum, Mayor Kleis, attending a meeting co-sponsored by CAIR for the purpose of achieving a level of peace, love and understanding between Muslims and other Americans is a bit like meeting with officials of the Aryan nation in hopes of achieving a meaningful dialogue and appreciation of Judaism.
Mayor Kleis, as you know, I have been a staunch supporter of the manner in which you have managed the stewardship of our fine city.
Please don't let an overriding quest for political correctness lead you on a dance with the devil.
I have no qualms about establishing a meaningful dialogue with our fellow citizens of Islamic heritage.
But your office's choice of the organization to allegedly represent a major faction of the population in question has been found wanting.
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama told banks Thursday they should pay a new tax to recoup the cost of bailing out foundering firms at the height of the financial crisis. "We want our money back," he said.
In a brief appearance with advisers at the White House, Obama branded the latest round of bank bonuses as "obscene." But he said his goal was to prevent such excesses in the future, not to punish banks for past behavior.
The tax, which would require congressional approval, would last at least 10 years and generate about $90 billion over the decade, according to administration estimates. "If these companies are in good enough shape to afford massive bonuses, they are surely in good enough shape to afford paying back every penny to taxpayers," Obama said.
Oh, Barry the Beneficent, thank you oh so very much for looking out for we, the taxpayers. Under your watch I know you have done everything you can to ensure a debt-free future for our children. You have been such a great steward of our hard-earned money that we have dutifully entrusted into your loving hands. .
Oh, Dear Leader, whatever would we do without you?
/SARC
Hey, Barry--by the way, while you're asking for "our" money back from those evil bankers a la your mentor Saul Alinsky (which you will no doubt pass along to unions and others to buy your re-election campaign), may we, the great unwashed, kindly ask for our freedom and our COUNTRY back?
From the "Sunshine State", from, of all places, "Frostproof, Florida":
FROSTPROOF, Fla. - Here's something you don't often see in this town at the heart of the state's $9 billion citrus industry: a sign at the public library that says, "ICE! On sidewalk. Be careful!"
Growers were scrambling Monday to assess damage and pick as many oranges as possible from thousands of acres of citrus groves. Trucks filled with fruit rumbled through the center of town all day as their drivers rushed them to juice plants.
Freezing temperatures that swept in on an Arctic front from Canada have been plaguing the state for a week, with several areas approaching or breaking records on Monday.
Actor Danny Glover says the earthquake in Haiti is a result of global warming. Glover told GRITtv that it could have happened to any of the Caribbean island nations: "They are all in peril because of global warming."
Then, he lamented the failure of the climate summit in Copenhagen. As a result of that failure, he says, "this is what happened."
Moonbattery on parade.
I stubbed my toe this morning. No doubt, a result of the failed talks at Copenhagen, as well.
Culinary Specialist 1st Class Tremayne Brown, from Tulsa, Okla., receives stores for the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56). John S. McCain is one of seven ships assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and is permanently forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.
Photo By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Mike Mulcare Courtesy of Navy.mil
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Cpl. Carlos E. Gil Orozco 23 years old from San Jose, California 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force September 10, 2007
Carlos Gil Orozco wasn’t a great student, but one goal pushed him to hit the books: becoming a Marine.
"He was kind of a troublemaker, you know, he got bad grades and wouldn't do his homework," said his sister, Myriam Johanna Gil Orozco. "But he wanted to be a Marine. So he studied real hard, especially algebra. He'd stay up all night studying.
Cpl. Orozco's parents moved the family from Colombia to the U.S. when he was 8 years old, hoping to give their children a better education. They became frustrated when their son didn't do well in school and thought the Marines would be good for him.
"My dad was actually happy," Myriam said. "He'd rather have him be a Marine than out on the streets being in gangs or doing drugs."
Cpl. Carlos Orozco was killed while conducting combat operations in Ashraf, Iraq when the tank he was riding in encountered an IED. Also killed in the blast was Lance Cpl. Jon T. Hicks Jr. of Atco, New Jersey.
Cpl. Orozco leaves behind his sister, his parents, his wife and two sons.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero. We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Despite "Jihad Jack" Murtha's treasonous betrayal of the Haditha Marines (for which he has yet to apologize); despite numerous sweetheart deals with cronies who continually line his campaign coffers; despite documented corruption going all the way back to Abscam in the early 1980s; despite all this and more, PA-12 voters have somehow found it within themselves to hold their collective noses at the polling place and re-elect Murtha, time and time-again. All because of Murtha's reputation of "bringing home the pork" for PA-12.
Yes, PA-12 again and again sold their souls elected a self-serving, traitorous politician in the grand tradition of Huey Long and other kings of corruption, because of the millions upon millions of dollars in booty that the corpulent political pirate brought home for his district.
So, what have the voters of PA-12 received in return for selling their souls?
The Post analysis illustrates the fleeting success of some of the companies backed by earmarks. Some of the jobs generated by Murtha's earmarks cost about $2 million each, and scores disappeared as soon as projects were completed.
Peter Fiske, a former defense executive in Murtha's district, said awarding earmarks to fledgling companies often backfires, a problem that might be avoided with a more rigorous assessment of project risks. Fiske helped found RAPT Industries, a company that Murtha forecast would generate 45 new jobs. It shuttered its four-person office this year.
"If you looked at Congressman Murtha's efforts in the same way you look at an investor's efforts, it's easy to see that the business model originally conceived hasn't really panned out in terms of its rate of return, " Fiske said.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, of course. Murtha's self-named monument, the airport to nowhere, despite its hefty price tag, still has few flights. An 8-million dollar radar system continues to go un-utilized, due to the fact that there is no one around who is qualified to operate it.
So, PA-12... what did your 30 pieces of silver you deposit at the polling place every two years get you?
The question remains: In 2010, will you continue to pay your tribute to your faux provider-god, or will you finally come to your senses and do yourself (and your nation) a favor and elect an honest man, for once.
