Why do Some Republican Senators Act Like They are Entitled to Make all Decisions for the President?

“It seems to me that trying to speak with one voice — one American voice — seems to have become a quaint thing of the past. I regret that enormously.” Former SecDef Gates

The fault of that lays right on the doorstep of Republicans in Congress especially in the Senate led by Graham, McCain, and Inhofe who cannot seem to comprehend they don't run the Government.  Truly shocking and the Republicans in Congress seem to have forgot the history of how foreign policy used to be handled in this Country.  Shame on them!

What was so amazing to me about this article from David Ignatius was the fact I was talking to someone about this very topic over the weekend after all these broke and the usual suspects went running out to microphones.  Here was Scoop Jackson one of the leading hawks in 1980 recommending prudence.  We needed a lot of that out of LBJ on Vietnam and instead received a micro manager of our military forces on the ground costing many lives.  Poor example of a wartime President. Many bought into the GOP hype that Jimmy Carter was a weak President and that is why the Iranian hostage situation happened. Today the Republicans are using the same mantra on President Obama that he is a weak President which couldn't be farther from the truth.  It is like replaying the late 70's and 80's today in the GOP.

Shame Presidents Reagan, Clinton, and the granddaddy of them all Bush 43 didn't pay attention to what Senator Jackson was saying.  Might have have saved this country a lot of lives, military resources, and our budget if we didn't spend so much on military weapons which far exceeds what the next country spends.  What we are doing is not only upgrading but now those upgrades are keeping big defense companies rolling in dollars when they can pay their CEO 26M+ a year with bonuses.  DoD has turned into a money maker for their companies who depend on war.  How many cruise missiles did Clinton send basically into tents or factories?  They had to be replaced at a fairly high cost.  Made Boeing happy.  Where would we be if those Presidents mentioned above had listened to Jackson?

The year was 1980. The Iranian revolution had toppled the shah’s regime, the Soviet Union had just invaded Afghanistan and the United States’ president, Jimmy Carter, was widely perceived as a weak leader. Looking for a sharp-edged evaluation of the situation, I decided to interview Sen. Henry M. Jackson, a leading hawk. 

What Jackson (D-Wash.) said was surprising, even at a distance of nearly 35 years. Rather than demanding tougher statements or more saber-rattling, he said he worried about “overreaction” to events: “We appear to be going from one crisis to another,” with Washington dispensing “red-hot rhetoric at least once a week about the dire consequences of this or that or something else.” 

“We need to be prudent,” said Jackson, who was perhaps the most prominent Cold Warrior of his day. “There is a need for the U.S. to make careful decisions, stand by those decisions, and avoid sending false or conflicting signals” to U.S. allies or the Russians. David Ignatius (Wash Post)

I purposely left out Bush 41 because the first Iraq War was to free Kuwait who Saddam Hussein had invaded with his forces.  The United Nations was clear that Hussein had to leave Kuwait or he would be thrown back into Iraq.  Bush 41 and General Schwartzkopf and along with their staffs did a excellent job of planning and executing those plans of the coalition to remove Saddam from Kuwait. They planned for the future after he was removed from Kuwait.  In the aftermath, sanctions plus a no-fly zone were instituted against Iraq.  That also meant it was near impossible for Saddam to have the amount of WMD's/chemical weapons touted by the Bush/Cheney Administration when there were also mandatory inspections.

Looking back invading Iraq to remove Saddam had no relation to the Taliban or Al Qaeda in Afghanistan as Saddam did not allow Iraq to become a haven for them to operate out of Iraq.  Why did the US invade with trumped up evidence? M-O-N-E-Y for companies like Halliburton where Cheney came from before becoming the Vice President candidate when he couldn't find anyone else.  How convenient.  SecDef Rumsfeld was part and parcel to the invasion of Iraq and using phony evidence in a presentation to the United Nations.

This time the combination of Cheney/Rumsfeld didn't plan for the peace when Saddam was ousted which cost many more lives then the actual invasion of Iraq.  I do vehemently disagree though with some pundits who compare our going into Iraq with Putin going into Ukraine.  First of all there was a no-fly zone in Iraq along with sanctions that Saddam thumbed his nose at time and time again plus he was a brutal dictator so IMO even with trumped evidence it was no big loss to remove him and his sons from power.  What was a travesty was no plan in place for Iraq following his removal.  I also believe any action against Saddam should have been delayed until we had firmer footing in Afghanistan and more help from the locals.  We had no business fighting two wars at the same time.

In 2001, President made the famous comment that to this day I cringe:

We are talking about Putin who was KGB and frankly I along with others think that Bush 43 was suckered into believing Putin.  Putin may not have an honest bone in his body, he lies openly and when confronted Putin loses it as we saw earlier this week when asked a question.  From New Republic:

Slouching in a fance chair in front of a dozen reporters, Putin squirmed and rambled, and rambled and rambled.  He was a rainbow of emotion:  Serious! angy! bemused! flustered! confused!

Today Putin is on a charm offensive and we are expected to trust this man?  What else was Bush 43 led down the primrose path by Cheney and company?

Yet these same Republicans who supported Bush on Iraq 100% now go after President Obama as being weak?  Former Mayor Rudy Guiliani made a fool of himself on Fox News going after Obama like Rudy is some sort of military guru.  On Fox, Giuliani Praises Putin: He's "What You Call A Leader," In Contrast To Obama.  Found it sickening and disgusting coming out of the grandstander.

Seems the German Chancellor Merkel has a different take on Putin then Rudy when she talked to President Obama:

By Tony Paterson, Berlin1:42PM GMT 03 Mar 2014 

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is reported to have become “really annoyed” about Russian President Vladimir Putin and has questioned whether he “was still in touch with reality.” 

The German mass circulation Bild newspaper wrote on Monday that during a telephone conversation she held with US President Barack Obama to discuss the growing crisis in Ukraine she complained that Mr Putin was “living in another world.” 

“She appears to have become really annoyed,” Bild remarked. The paper said it had gained inside information on the telephone exchange between the US and German leaders from American sources. 

The two leaders roundly criticised Mr Putin in their conversation and agreed that Russia’s military intervention in Crimea was in violation of international law. A German government spokesman said that both stressed that it was important for the international community to respond to the crisis in unison. 

Both were said to be in favour of sending an immediate fact finding mission to Ukraine and backed the idea of setting up of a contact group, possibly overseen by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the aim of ending the crisis through political dialogue.   

Read More at The Telegraph

McCain and Inhofe I have to come to expect BUT and it is a big one I do not understand how Senator Lindsey Graham who is an Air Force Reserve Officer can attack his Commander in Chief as being a weak President and try to undermine him at every turn.  The US Taxpayers pay his salary in the reserves.

IMHO he should be subject to the UCMJ, Section 88, Contempt toward Officers, for his derogatory remarks over and over again against President Obama.  If he wants to speak out against the President who is his boss, then resign his commission today.  He is an affront to the men and women who serve honorably.  For a JAG officer to act like this is even more sickening.  He deserves no respect from anyone.  It is not about the man who is President but the fact he is the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces which Graham does not seem to comprehend.   If that wasn't enough to make you think Graham has lost it, this should do it:

My son sent that to me -- what I said when I saw this I don't use on here.  How stupid can one man get because Graham is approaching the lowest levels of some pretty dumb Republican comments.  He cannot let Benghazi go no matter what which brings into question his teaching any classes in law while in the Reserves to fellow JAG officers.  He doesn't sound like a lawyer but someone who cannot stand anyone but a white guy as President and along with his buddies, McCain, Inhofe, now Rudy, and some others will never give President Obama any credit.  I cannot even fathom how they would treat a woman the way the GOP treats women today.

When I read in the Washington Post about what former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Gates had to say, I couldn't agree more.  Maybe it is time that those GOP jokers decided to put aside their internal feelings to support the Country -- what a novel idea.  Excerpted comments from Ignatius interview with Secretary Gates:

I asked Gates what he thought about the criticism of Obama by McCain and Graham. “They’re egging him on” to take actions that may not be effective, Gates warned. He said he “discounted” their deeper argument that Obama had invited the Ukraine crisis by not taking a firmer stand on Syria or other foreign policy issues. Even if Obama had bombed Syria or kept troops in Iraq or otherwise shown a tougher face, “he still would have the same options in Ukraine. Putin would have the same high cards.” 

Gates, a Republican himself, urged the GOP senators to “tone down” their criticism and “try to be supportive of the president rather than natter at the president.” 

Gates can be an emotional person when he talks about national-security issues, as any reader of his recent memoir, “Duty,” can see. And he showed some of that emotion when he said, near the end of our conversation: “It seems to me that trying to speak with one voice — one American voice — seems to have become a quaint thing of the past. I regret that enormously.”

That sums up what I many of us are thinking that today's Republican Party has lost all sense of decorum and traditions of the past to become grandstanders who do not accept the outcome of elections. What we have witnessed out of Republicans in Congress since January 2009 is driving many of us to leave the Republican Party.  I won't remain in the same party with a bunch of arrogant jerks like Graham, McCain, Inhofe, Rubio, Rudy, and the list goes on and on in the Senate and House as well as Governors and members of state legislatures.

Want to do the Country a huge favor?  Oust the GOP in 2014 from leadership and get some common sense back in the Congress where work will actually get done!

 

What Happened to Foreign Policy Stops at the Water's Edge?

This is what I grew up with that foreign affairs stop at the water's edge:

Senator Arthur Vandenberg (1884-1951) of Michigan delivered a celebrated "speech heard round the world" in the Senate Chamber on January 10, 1945, announcing his conversion from isolationism to internationalism. In 1947, at the start of the Cold War, Vandenberg became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Asserting that we must stop “partisan politics at the water's edge," he cooperated with the Truman administration in forging bipartisan support for the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. As recalled by Francis Wilcox, the first chief of staff  of the Foreign Relations Committee, Vandenberg's Senate career stands as a monument to bipartisanship in American foreign policy. Vandenberg died in 1951, but his legacy continues. (From US Senate)

This past weekend I witnessed in politics something I never thought I would see and which disturbs me with sitting US Senators from the Republican Party McCain, Graham, Inhofe calling President Obama weak on Ukraine when he wants diplomacy and the saber rattlers want more war.  Then there is the Junior Senator from Florida Rubio telling the President what to do.  Throw in former SecDef Rumsfeld and you have five men who are still angry President Obama was reelected and defeated Mitt Romney by fairly large numbers.

The words in this house are not fit to print on here but suffice to say that being mad was mild.  Never in my life have I been so angry at five men who forgot they don't don't run the Country and obviously don't give a moment's thought to the Oaths they took as US Senators.  This is all politics all the time and President Obama is always wrong.  If I had my way, I would throw the four out of the Senate for cause.  I am sure there are more but these five men and their comments stood out:

Sen Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called President Obama weak and indecisive for not already having done something about Russia invading Ukraine 

Sen John McCain, R-Ariz., blamed President Obama's "feckless" foreign policy for inviting the crisis in Ukraine on Monday, telling a pro-Israel group that the president has repeatedly failed to demonstrate American strength in the face of adversaries. 

Sen Jim Inhofe "The arrogant actions of President Putin and Russia in recent days is a direct result of President Obama's disarming of America since the beginning of his Administration." said Inhofe, top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. 

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (may be most hated SecDef ever by troops) on Fox News:  Rumsfeld called America weak. He said, “The U.S. is behaving in a way that tells the world we’re in decline, that we’re in withdrawal. We’ve created a leadership vacuum in the world, and it is being filled by the Putins of the world, by people without our values or our interests.” 

Then there is the Junior Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio, who knows all about the Ukraine and has "8 Steps Obama Must Take to Punish Russia" -- please forgive me while I laugh -- this guy couldn't even get straight when his parents came from Cuba or why. The very fact he lectured the President sent me through the roof.  Rubio is the Senator with no backbone because when things got tough with the Immigration Bill he took off for the hills.  The fact that McConnell was dumb enough to put Rubio on the Senate Intel Committee makes me cringe.  Republicans have a habit today of putting junior people on key committees.  Intel of all committees should be reserved for those who have been in the Senate for more then one term and are known not to leak or grandstand which leaves Rubio out as he is one of the biggest grand standers ever.  He also likes to run out to a microphone at every chance.

Some might ask why I am so irritated but my irritation goes way back when it comes to getting this Country into war.  If we are not there to win, then get out or if we don't have a vested interest in going to war like after our Country was attacked on 9/11 from terrorists harbored by Afhanistan, then use diplomacy not troops.  We had no business going into Iraq on trumped up evidence by Cheney, Rumsfeld and Company that made Halliburton (Cheney's Company) and other defense contractors piles of money.  These same Republican Senators voted against veterans just recently but now want to send our military into another clash?  What is the Republican mantra?  Send our troops to war but don't take care of them when they get home?  Beyond words I can use on here.

I lived through the Vietnam War working at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and witnessed kids I went to school with being killed in Vietnam.  I knew countless Air Force officers who were serving in Southeast Asia a lot of them in Thailand because so many Air Force missions came out of Korat AB Thailand or from the B-52's out of Andersen AFB, Guam.  When military from Wright-Patterson started getting spit on when they went to shop in Dayton, word went out if you were an officer not to wear your uniform after work in downtown Dayton.  We also had the bad luck of being close to Berkley of the East at Antioch College with their band of spoiled rich kids who didn't take baths demonstrating every Saturday outside the main gate which last time I was back at Wright-Patt a few were still there.   Don't know if the same guy with the long white hair is still demonstrating or not but he was there probably 6-7 years ago on a Saturday.

Antioch College closed their door the other year and must admit that this pro-education person thought it was awesome the lowlife college shut down.  Nothing but trouble -- trying to shut down our gates, jumping on the cars, spitting on the military, calling us all kinds of names and to this day I can remember protesters surrounding my car and pounding on my windows.  They were the trashiest/scariest looking people I ever saw with their faces pressed the window which frighted me.  It wasn't just military but civilians working at Wright-Patt they were attacking.  After that incident when they called for protests, the guy I sat in an office with picked me up.

I don't care if they were against Vietnam, my friends had died over there and had people close to me still in the area and here are a bunch of unwashed, dirty long hair people, trying to block cars from going in the gate and pounding on our windows.  It left a really bad taste in my mouth for protesters of any kind that is still there today.

We were told if we had a decal on our car not to drive through Yellow Springs on the way to the Upper Valley Mall in Springfield.  They were not non-violent people -- more like stoned on something and very seldom wandered to class.  On of my friends had a rock thrown at her car in Yellow Springs just driving through which broke a side window.  Very non-violent. (sarcasm)

Had my younger brother with me shopping at the mall and he goes "Look there is a hippy" and guy just glared at us -- out of the mouths of a young boy!  He also went with me to the dedication of the new AF Museum at Area B when President Nixon spoke in 1971.  Protesters were sticking daisy's in the guards gun barrel's and taunting them.  They were arrested, taken on buses, dumped out in the middle of nowhere and had to find their way home.  Worked in the Command Section so I had tickets and remember some snotty girl with long dirty hair making a comment as we walked in and I just looked at her and glared -- no way was I going to answer back.

Still love visiting the Air Force Museum and if we when go back in the Wright-Patt area that is a definite stop -- my three kids grew up visiting the AF Museum.  Seeing the history of aviation and all those planes with the new building additions and then taking in IMAX is well worth a trip.  Makes you so proud to have been part of this Air Force tradition in some small way.

When the War in Vietnam was escalated by President Johnson there wasn't this automatic trashing of Johnson by members of Congress like we saw this weekend by Republicans which I am still having trouble comprehending why they would want us in another war this time on Ukraine against Russia.   My only explanation is like Iraq -- money for defense contractors who are seeing their budgets shrink which is about time.  The Defense budget is so far out of control, I have to laugh at Inhofe and others complaining about cuts.  They want cuts to troops now not defense contractors who are their big donors.

How can these same men who pushed so hard to go into Iraq under false pretenses, which led to fighting two wars at once, want us to get into military action against Russia over the Ukraine?  Look at facts:  Putin is not Saddam - KGB versus dictator, we had a no-fly zone over Iraq after the 1st Gulf War, Russia has a military force of airpower, seapower, and ground while Iraq's military was decimated not to mention Iraq is a lot smaller.  If members of Congress would have stopped to think on Iraq, they would have figured out that Saddam was bluffing and he didn't have new weapons -- there was no way with the 'no fly zone' and weapons inspections he could have pulled that off.

This article from the Washington Post is so true today because politics in today's Republican Party who cannot get over Romney lost to the man in the White House, is still against anything President Obama does no matter what.  I swear if Obama said he was going to use our military to go after Russia instead of diplomacy, this group of hard right would be out there calling him a war monger and we need diplomacy.  Those names of Senators and former Sec Def mentioned above have lost all credibility and deserve not one ounce of respect -- Graham, McCain, Inhofe, Rumsfeld, and Rubio.  Know there are more but these five stood out to me.

Found this article on Foreign Policy stopping at the water's edge interesting from Washington Post.  He is right today that politics doesn't stop at the water's edge but I can remember in the years of President of OU then Senator Boren of OK as head of Intel and Senator Sam Nunn of GA as head of Defense making sure partisan foreign policy stopped at the water's edge back in the 80's and early 90's on the First Gulf War-- people like those two great men who worked across the aisle are few and far between today and almost non-existent in the Republican Party:  

Does polarization in domestic politics affect foreign policy as well? There is a long-standing belief that it should not. A classic statement of that view can be found in the widely cited words of a leading Republican senator in the early days of the Cold War. Speaking in 1947, Sen. Arthur Vandenberg (Mich.), the influential chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, provided key support to Democratic President Harry S. Truman and admonished his colleagues that “we must stop partisan politics at the water’s edge.”  And in practice, when it comes to military intervention, both the urgency of events and rally-round-the-flag effects are often conducive to wider support within Congress and among the general public. Thus Gallup has found that in 10 conflicts over the past two decades, initial public approval averaged 68 percent.   

Eventually, as the memory of recent conflicts recedes, and with new threats and challenges, public opinion will evolve yet again. At the same time, partisan loyalties and presidential politics will continue to manifest themselves. In short, politics does not stop at the water’s edge. 

(ROBERT J. LIEBER, 10 Feb 2014, Professor of government and international affairs at Georgetown University)

Thank God that President Barack Obama is in the White House not Romney or any Republican because America can be assured he is standing for our Country with a backbone of steel no matter what the Republicans say.  You could see it in his face while talking to the Israeli puppet of the hard right Netanyahu -- he was not happy as he wants progress in the Middle East.

A lot of us have your back Mr. President and our Prayers.

Republicans up the Rhetoric on DoD Sequestration Backing Themselves Into a Corner

Do Republicans really believe their own rhetoric?

Republicans on Armed Services are upping the rhetoric about sequestration to make it sound like the end of an era for United States as a Superpower is at hand if the US military is required to take sequestration cuts.  With all their rhetoric, they have backed themselves into a corner as pointed out by Talking Points Memo:

That argument exposes the GOP’s bluff. If the consequences will be as dire as Graham et al claim, then of course it’s worth considering paying down sequestration with some new tax revenues. By contrast if the situation isn’t desperate enough to make Republicans consider higher revenues, then how can they claim it will be a boon to the country’s enemies. If both things are true then the GOP position amounts to prioritizing emboldening Iran and al Qaeda over modestly raising taxes on wealthy Americans. 

The comments of Senators McCain, Graham, and Inhofe leave you shaking your head and asking why do these three men insist that small cuts be made while taxes not be raised on the wealthy?  Cuts will be on the backs of civil service if the GOP has its way.  It doesn't seem like this group feels there are any cuts that can be made at DoD without sacrificing readiness which is a blatant spinning of the truth.  There might not be an organization in the Federal Government that wastes more money then the Defense Department with some of their boondoggles over the years with their attitude of shiny and new for weapons systems over maintaining/upgrading what is already in the inventory.

Once again the three Senators on Senate Armed Services are over the top with their comments in this article:

Armed Service Republicans Reveal Unsustainable GOP Position On Sequestration
Brian Beutler February 7, 2013, 6:00 AM 19101 

Armed Service committee Republicans in both the House and Senate scheduled a Capitol press conference Wednesday to promote legislation to pay down the sequester — deep, across the board cuts to defense and domestic spending — through September without raising any tax revenue. But the assembled members unintentionally revealed a tension just beneath the surface of GOP unity that might ultimately crack the party’s anti-tax absolutism once again.
Several of the members — all party principles on defense issues — described the consequences of sequestration in apocalyptic terms. 

“If it’s implemented it’ll cut every ship, aircraft, tank, truck program, research and development across the board,” said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who until recently was the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services committee. “According to one economic analysis the cost — would cause the loss of 350,000 full time direct jobs, and 650,000 indirect job losses.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) depicted sequestration as a gift to U.S. foes. “Our enemies would love this to happen,” he said. “I’m sure Iran is very supportive of sequestration. I’m sure Al Qaeda training camps all over the world would be pleased with the fact that sequestration will gut the CIA.” 

This raises an obvious question. If the consequences of sequestration are dire — if they might even result in the deaths of innocent people — isn’t it worth sitting down and negotiating with Democrats, who say they’re done hacking away at domestic social programs simply because Republicans refuse to increase revenues? 

Here’s how Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the top armed services Republican, responded. The terrible consequences of sequestration, he said, are “not desperate enough that you can start raising taxes when you can do it without raising taxes.”

The plan the Republicans are proposing would freeze congressional pay and reduce the federal workforce by attrition to pay down the sequester through the end of the fiscal year.

What about next year Senator Inhofe?  Is that another punting the ball down the field to run out the clock instead of taking bold action to work together for sensible cuts/raising taxes.  What does the GOP have against raising taxes on the wealthy including wealthy defense contractors?  Guess they favor the corporate loopholes where you can move profit off shore and yet take expenses off your income tax.

Senator Bernie Sanders submitted a bill today to close those corporation loopholes.  Will any of these three Senators sign on to that. My bet is NO!

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday introduced a bill to stop profitable corporations from sheltering income in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens. The legislation also would end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs and factories overseas.  Sanders’ bill and a companion measure to be introduced in the House by Rep. Jan Schakowsky would yield more than $590 billion in revenue over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. “At a time when we have a $16.5 trillion national debt and an unsustainable federal deficit; at a time when roughly one-quarter of the largest corporations in America are paying no federal income taxes; and at a time when corporate profits are at an all-time high, it is past time for corporate America to contribute significantly to deficit reduction,” said Sanders, a member of the Senate Budget Committee. 

• For a fact sheet on the bill, click here. 
• To read the bill, click here.
• To read a report on corporate tax dodgers, click here. 
• Continue reading End Offshore Tax Havens »

Senator Sanders makes sense on steps to lower the debt and deficit while the Armed Services GOP trio plan is to freeze salaries of Congress and cut the federal workforce by attrition.  I can think of cuts to Congress that should be made as there are too many aide/committee staffer positions which have grown in numbers over the years.  Congress needs to get their own houses in order with cuts first starting with their boondoggle trips and then we will listen.

What does the DoD have planned if sequestering takes place?  Some of the cuts are outlined by Defense Industry Daily:

• House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA), SASC Ranking Member Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and other allied Republican members of Congress introduced the Down Payment to Protect National Security Act of 2013 [PDF] as their way of preventing sequestration. The bill “would pay for one year of defense and non-defense sequestration by requiring a reduction in the federal workforce through attrition and a pay freeze for members of Congress.” The Congressional pay freeze is of course only symbolic. More than anything, this proposal shows no grand bargain is going to happen in the less than 4 weeks remaining before the sequester kicks in: it’s now all about finding a patch that will stick for a little while.
• Meanwhile Continuing Resolution/sequestration planning continues to trickle down through the services. The Air Force memo [PDF] shows $3.4B in FY13 (still tentative) sequestration actions, from potential furloughs to reductions in weapons sustainment and flight hours.
• And here’s the take from Vice Adm. David Dunaway for US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR):

“A year-long CR and sequestration would mean a $3.5 billion cut to NAVAIR in FY13, including $3 billion across investment accounts (research and development, and procurement) and $520 million in OMN.”

• The US Navy also decided to delay the deployment of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG).

AOL Defense has the Army plans if sequestration is implemented including the slides referenced below:

WASHINGTON: Rarely have such pretty slides told such an ugly story. While Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno tries to talk up "The Force of Tomorrow," Army briefing documents obtained today by AOL Defense lay out the near-term impact of sequestration, the Continuing Resolution, and unresolved overseas contingency operations needs: an enormous $18 billion shortfall for the service that will be borne almost entirely by federal workers and military readiness. 

The Army will have money to fully train only a fraction of its total force: The 82nd Airborne's Global Response Force paratrooper brigade, units in Korea, and troops headed for Afghanistan. Everyone else will cancel everything more elaborate than "squad-level training."
As a result, the documents say, "In 1st quarter [of] FY 2014 , 78% of non-deploying, non-forward deployed brigade combat teams (BCTs) are not ready for contingencies without significant preparation." 

Even individual training will suffer in some areas. Helicopter pilots won't be able to fly enough to meet proficiency requirements. Cutbacks at flight schools will leave the Army short about 500 aircrew for its fleet of helicopters. Cancellation of other specialized courses will create a shortfall of about 4,000 military intelligence specialists.

All services will most likely furlough employees for up to 22 days if the sequestration cuts go through.  Are Republicans in the Congress going to be the Party of NO for raising taxes and closing loopholes to keep from sequestration at the DoD?  Or are the members of the Party of NO going to get some common sense and work with President Obama to avoid the cuts.  Republicans bluffs no longer work as it is time to get serious instead of the House wanting to overturn Obamacare again which is not going to happen.  The House is the worst I have seen in my lifetime with getting nothing done and taking more vacations since the GOP took over the House.  Time for House Republican leadership to put Country over Party and get something done.  Compromise is not a dirty word and if they think it is, then time to resign from Congress and allow adults to be in charge.

My suggestion for a cut at DoD:

If Defense contractors want to pay their CEO's and top managers millions, then remove those salaries from overhead in contracts so the cost of manhours reflect the actual cost not the over inflated costs that a $25M salary w/benefits paid to a CEO will bring.  Base the overhead for the CEO and management on what the Government pays their top people including the President and not a penny more.  These same Defense contractors pay their top echelon millions in salaries/benefits/bonus while giving their rank and file employees who do the actual work small raises each year. In the meantime taxpayers are getting ripped off by these people in the defense industry who make demands of Republicans in Congress not to raise their taxes or change the way contracts are awarded or how to calculate their overhead including salaries/bonuses/benefits/golden parachutes.  Their GOP puppets stand tall, salute, and say "Yes Sir!" while the taxpayers of America get shafted once again.

See how easy that was and there are plenty more cuts that can be made without sacrificing our military and our national security but then some members of Congress might not get their perks/donations from the defense industry.  Taxpayers would be the winner.

Brewer, McCain, and Gosar to hold Unity Rally in Prescott on Thursday

Email received this evening:

Please come out and support your Republican ticket on Thursday!

Governor Jan Brewer, Senator John McCain and Dr. Paul Gosar - the Congressional District One Republican Nominee will be in Prescott for a Republican Unity Rally.

Bring your family and friends to meet Governor Brewer, Senator McCain and the next Congressman from CD 1 - Dr. Paul Gosar!

McCain - Brewer Victory Headquarters
117 East Gurley Street
Prescott

9:00 a.m

We hope to see you tomorrow morning!
_____________

This is great to see the Arizona Republican candidates for Governor, Jan Brewer, and Senator, John McCain, join together to help the newly elected Republican candidate in Congressional District 1 - Dr. Paul Gosar. Time for all Republicans to unite behind the Republican candidates chosen in yesterday's primary in Arizona and make Arizona red all across the State.   Arizona Republicans like Dr. Gosar are standing firm against illegal immigration:




A few facts about Dr. Gosar:

Owning his own business, being a family man and always staying connected with the community puts Paul in the unique position to truly understand the values, ideologies and needs of Americans, and even further, Arizonans. From owning his own dental practice, he has gained an understanding of how to make Arizona more attractive to local and outside businesses and how to protect and create jobs. And, like most entrepreneurs (unlike most career politicians), Paul refuses to give up or back down; success is the only option.

Dr. Gosar believes small business is the backbone of our great country and good customer service is paramount.  He is correct that politicians in Washington don't operate on that same philosophy.   The current occupant of AZ CD-1, Ann Kirkpatrick (D) refuses to host live Town Hall meetings.  In Dr. Gosar's own words:

"As a small businessman I am tired of the federal government hindering my efforts to succeed and prosper. Our founders set forth a mandate that in America you can accomplish anything as long as you are willing to work for it. Unfortunately today small businesses have to fight government just to make ends meet.This has to end! In Congress I will work to ensure lower taxes and less government intrusion on small business.

If there is one thing I have learned from owning two small businesses it's that good customer service is paramount. It is time that the politicians in Washington operate under that same philosophy. If elected, I intend to use my experiences to turn our government back to the People.

Please visit Dr. Gosar's campaign site and sign up to volunteer, learn more about where Dr. Gosar stands on issues or make a donation at GosarforCongress.com.

Time to take the 1st District back Red on November 2, 2010!

Senator John McCain Speaks Out on the Misstatements by JD Hayworth

We are so happy to see Senator McCain take off his gloves and tell the truth about J.D. Hayworth who never met pork or an earmark he didn't like.

We are frankly astounded at so-called conservative sites that support Hayworth. When is taking money from tribal entities as part of the Abramoff scandal being a fiscal conservative. On top of that he refused to return the contributions and then wondered why he lost his race.

So why is Hayworth running?

Best guess is that he saw an opportunity to get in thick with the conservative websites with his stand on immigration and figured they would not bother to check out his background or if he was telling the truth which has turned out to be the case. He was counting on them donating money to him so he could retire his debt from his 2006 campaign and he was right. How long would it have taken for anyone on the internet to discover all they need to know about why Hayworth would be bad for the Senate?

No one who is a serious candidate misrepresents their opponent like he has done to Senator McCain or gets history facts like the US didn't issue a formal declaration of war against Germany in WWII so wrong. Then he tries to spin what he meant to say. Sounds more like a Democrat everyday as he spins when caught.

Hayworth has one slight problem -- people of Arizona who vote know him well. The people of Arizona need to send Senator McCain back to the Senate to continue the fight with Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) and others against pork and earmarks. Last thing the Republicans in the US Senate needs is a Senator who loves pork and earmarks.

Excerpts from Senator McCain's own words from his email today:

Unfortunately, instead of finding solutions to our state and nation's many challenges, my primary opponent, former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, would rather spend his time misrepresenting both my record and now, history itself. Congressman Hayworth can't seem to get his facts straight lately. Not only has he launched false attacks on me, but he recently erroneously stated the United States never declared war on Nazi Germany during World War II. We simply cannot afford to send someone to the U.S. Senate who plays loosely with the facts. The American people deserve better.

And we certainly cannot afford to send a failed former Congressman who supported thousands of earmarks worth billions of dollars before voters kicked him out of office. Let me just give you three examples of his outrageous earmark votes when he was in Congress: $5.8 million for Vermont snowmobile trail, $250,000 to control Maui seaweed, and we all remember the infamous $223 million "Bridge to Nowhere."

The Obama Administration and Congressional Democratic leaders have pushed our country farther to the left than anyone could have imagined. We need strong and committed fiscal conservatives to stand up and oppose their out of control spending. I have a record of fighting against pork barrel spending and am not afraid to confront President Obama or any Member of Congress who supports wasting taxpayer funds. Arizona and the nation can't afford JD Hayworth.

I am committed to our shared conservative values and pledge to continue representing and fighting for these if reelected. So I ask you to please renew your commitment to my campaign today with a generous donation of any amount.

"Part of the Problem" -- Earmarks

We have been waiting for Senator McCain to take his gloves off because he has always fought against earmarks and pork. We also knew that Hayworth never met an earmark or pork he didn't like. We cannot afford earmarks or pork for 'nice to have' projects that waste money like the Bridge to Nowhere which Hayworth supported with his vote.

There was an interstate bridge west of San Antonio on SR 90 that was built but had no connecting roads as the road money wasn't appropriated back in the 90's. It was in the middle of nowhere with little traffic so it never would have been necessary to have the bridge but Cong Bustamante, the Democrat crook who ended up in jail, also never met pork he didn't like. First time we saw it, we were asking what it was doing out in the middle of nowhere. Then we discovered that it was pork of Bustamante.



We agree there should be a ban on earmarks and pork added to legislation this year but frankly we think it should be extended permanently. The US Government cannot afford earmarks and pork which are attached to bills that have nothing to do with the earmark and/or pork. If an appropriation cannot stand alone, then it should not be approved.

Time the Federal Government went on a 'Pork and Earmark Free Budget! Actually it is past time!

New TV Ad: “Complete The Danged Fence”

In a new TV ad, Senator John McCain and Sheriff Paul Babeu discuss the McCain / Kyl 10 Point Border Security Plan.



This message from Senator McCain and Sheriff Babeau is right on target -- Obama and his Administration need to get their act together and complete the Border Fence but we are not holding our breath. We don't expect it to happen until Republicans take over control of Congress in 2010. Then they will probably have to override a veto by Obama but we can get it done if we keep pushing. Every last American needs to get behind this push for Border Security.

Bulding the remainder of fence to secure our southern border seems to have no priority from this Administration to get it finished. The border fence at El Paso shows it will work as they are keeping the drug wars in Juarez and not allowing them to cross into El Paso which has become one of the safest large cities in America.

Since a border fence has been shown to work, build it now -- the entire length of the southern border needs the fence like yesterday. Stop the influx of illegals into this Country NOW. Senator McCain is correct about Border Security.

This is another issue where we are hearing next to nothing from Napolitano except there is no money -- instead of wasting money propping up the Euro, we should be building the fence and there would be money left over from the $1 trillion they spent on the euro that failed..

In the meantime before the fence is completed, the National Guard needs activated and assigned to the southern border. The request has been made by Senators McCain, Kyl, and others but all we hear are crickets chirping out of Obama and Napolitano all the while more illegals are entering the United States.

Senator McCain and Kyl 10-Point Plan for Border Security

We keep reading articles that reference the McCain/Kyl 10-Point Plan for Border Security but had not seen the details until we decided to find it today.

This was announced on April 20, 2010, and has received very little comment around the net. Why? Is it because some conservataive blogs don't want to admit that Senators McCain and Kyl have a plan as the blogs push their own agenda against Sen McCain and for his opponent in the primary. We don't understand how any blog could be pushing Sen McCain's opponent, Hayworth, when he was in the back pocket of Abramoff and lost his Congressional seat because of lack of ethics not to mention he is a bully. That seems to be ignored on some blogs and websites.

SENATORS McCAIN AND KYL ANNOUNCE BORDER SECURITY PLAN
10-Point Plan To Better Secure The U.S.-Mexico Border In ArizonaApril 20, 2010

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) were joined today by Arizona Sheriffs Larry Dever, Cochise County and Paul Babeu, Pinal County in introducing a 10-point comprehensive border security plan to combat illegal immigration, drug and alien smuggling, and violent activity along the southwest border.

Senators McCain and Kyl’s Ten Point Border Security Action Plan:

1) Immediately deploy 3,000 National Guard Troops along the Arizona/Mexico border, along with appropriate surveillance platforms, which shall remain in place until the Governor of Arizona certifies, after consulting with state, local and tribal law enforcement, that the Federal Government has achieved operational control of the border. Permanently add 3,000 Custom and Border Protection Agents to the Arizona/Mexico border by 2015.

2) Fully fund and support Operation Streamline in Arizona’s two Border Patrol Sectors to, at a minimum, ensure that repeat illegal border crossers go to jail for 15 to 60 days. Where Operation Streamline has been implemented, the number of illegal crossings has decreased significantly. Require the Obama Administration to complete a required report detailing the justice and enforcement resources needed to fully fund this program. Fully reimburse localities for any related detention costs.

3) Provide $100M, an increase of $40M, for Operation Stonegarden, a program that provides grants and reimbursement to Arizona’s border law enforcement for additional personnel, overtime, travel and other related costs related to illegal immigration and drug smuggling along the border.

4) Offer Hardship Duty Pay to Border Patrol Agents assigned to rural, high-trafficked areas, such as the CBP Willcox and Douglas Stations in the Tucson Sector.

5) Complete the 700 miles of fencing along the border with Mexico and construct double- and triple- layer fencing at appropriate locations along the Arizona-Mexico border.

6) Substantially increase the 25 mobile surveillance systems and three Predator B Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in place today along the Arizona/Mexico border and ensure the border patrol has the resources necessary to operate the UAVs 24 hours a day seven days a week. Send additional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to the Arizona-Mexico Border.

7) Increase funding for vital radio communications and interoperability between CBP and state, local, and tribal law enforcement to assist in apprehensions along the border.

8) Provide funding for additional Border Patrol stations in the Tucson Sector and explore the possibility of an additional Border Patrol sector for Arizona. Create six additional permanent Border Patrol Forward Operating Bases, and provide funding to upgrade the existing bases to include modular buildings, electricity and potable water. Complete construction of the planned permanent checkpoint in Arizona. Deploy additional temporary roving checkpoints and increase horse patrols throughout the Tucson Sector.

9) Require the Federal government to fully reimburse state and local governments for the costs of incarcerating criminal aliens. Start by at least funding the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) at its authorized level of $950 million.

10) Place one full-time Federal Magistrate in Cochise County and provide full funding for and authorization of the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative to reimburse state, county, tribal, and municipal governments for costs associated with the prosecution and pre-trial detention of federally-initiated criminal cases declined by local offices of the United States Attorneys.

We believe it is time the Democrats in Congress and Obama and members of his Administration take their heads out of the sand and pay attention to Border Security to stop the influx of illegals. This 10-Point Plan for Border Security is a great place to start to give states along the border the necessary resources they need to fight the illegals. It is a Federal issue that Obama and the Federal Government are abdicating their responsibility so the states are having to pass individual immigration laws to protect the citizens of their states.

McCain: I won't support Crist if he runs as an Independent candidate

By Molly K. Hooper - 04/20/10 08:48 AM ET

Crist, who helped McCain win Florida in the 2008 presidential GOP primary, has recently indicated he is mulling an Independent bid. McCain has backed
Crist, but made it clear Tuesday that his endorsement will not stand if Crist is not the Republican candidate.

Asked if he will support Crist as an Independent, McCain told The Hill, “No.”


Pressed further, McCain said, “I support Republicans.”



McCain, who is facing a GOP primary challenge this year, added that Crist is “a dear friend. I like him, admire him and respect him, but I’m also a Republican.”


Polls show that GOP candidate Marco Rubio has a significant lead over Crist. However, polls also indicate that as an Independent, Crist has a small lead over Rubio and likely Democratic candidate Rep. Kendrick Meek (Fla.).



Crist has until April 30 to decide whether he wants to run as an Independent. While Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) had to collect signatures to run as an Independent in 2006, Crist merely has to pay a filing fee.

Excerpt: Read More at The Hill

Champion Against Earmarks -- John McCain

Today the Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) announced the 2010 Congressional Pig Book is here! With that announcement, we decided that the John McCain's radio ad concerning earmarks is as timely today as it was when released early this month:



Listen to the ad and remember how J.D. Hayworth was one of the big porkers/spenders when Republicans were in charge of the House. Then ask yourself why his own district turned him out of office in 2006? If his district wouldn't reelect him, why would the State?

We have noticed over the last week something troubling that is beginning to happen. Not only is John McCain being attacked by 'so-called' conservatives but also the same group is after Senator (Dr.) Tom Coburn now for wanting to bring civility back into politics and for conservatives to not blindly follow Fox News.

On some sites Dr. Tom is being called some of the same names we see John McCain called which is beginning to make us question what is happening. The first question that comes to mind is what do they have in common? They are two of the biggest fiscal conservatives in the Congress as both want to do away with pork and earmarks. Makes one wonder just who is behind these attacks on these two honorable men and if ending the practice of pork and earmarks is what these 'so-called' conservatives don't like?

We have to question if some of the attackers are even Republicans with some of their comments. Is JD Hayworth being backed by libertarians, John Birchers, and Democrats up to no good?

Right now Dr. Coburn doesn't have a serious opponent so the rhetoric of the malcontents against Dr. Tom means little when the vast majority are not even from Oklahoma. One of the malcontents called Dr. Tom a Representative so they didn't know he was a Senator? That points at the attacks being orchestrated as the posters are repeating the same mantra.

We believe that the people of Arizona and Oklahoma are smarter then this group of 'so-called' conservatives give us credit, and we will send both Senator McCain and Senator Coburn back to the US Senate to continue the fight against pork and earmarks.

John McCain and Sarah Palin Rally in Phoenix

First Scott Brown came in to campaign for John McCain and now Sarah Palin. The heavy hitters of the Republican Party know how important it is to return John McCain to the Senate.

First is the video with Scott Brown from 6 March, 2010:




Then this past weekend, 27 March 2010, Sarah Palin was in AZ to campaign for Sen McCain:

McCain / Palin Rally Phoenix from John McCain 2010 on Vimeo

Senator Brown and former Governor Palin both recognize that it is vital to American interest to send Sen McCain back to DC. He is one of the protectors of our military along with Senator Inhofe (R-OK) and other Republicans. One thing you don't have to be concerned about with Senator McCain is ethics and honesty.

Senator McCain is one of the leaders of the fight with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) against earmarks and pork. This election is vitally important to the future of America with the Socialists agenda by Obama and leaders in Congress they ramming through. Americans need John McCain returned to the Senate to continue fighting alongside other Sen Coburn and others to protect our Freedoms.

Last person we need in the Senate is someone like Hayworth with flawed ethics who was a big time recipient of Abramoff money, couldn't win his own Congressional seat, and is a bully by all the accounts. He couldn't keep his seat in Congress but now wants to become the AZ Senator? Give us a break! We have enough Democrats for Sale and the last thing we would need would be a big time recipient of Abramoff money on the Republican side elected to the Senate who believes in hiding the details of his association with Abramoff. Having witnessed him speaking at a State GOP function, I would tend to concur he is a bully as he went after a member of our delegation for not being conservative enough when he has a 92 lifetime average. Looks pretty conservative to me.

With Hayworth losing his seat in the House in 2006, we never did get a full accounting of Abramoff trust fund donors to Hayworth.

The Politico Mafioso asks this question on his site:

WHEN WILL JD HAYWORTH RELEASE THE NAMES OF HIS SECRET ABRAMOFF TRUST FUND DONORS?

We would also like the answer to that question. We have seen enough of someone who is not transparent with Obama, and we certainly don't need to see it out of a Republican candidate for Senate in Arizona.

Please join us in supporting Senator John McCain for the AZ Senate seat and send him back to finish the job with Dr. Coburn on earmarks and pork!