Honor Our Troops by Bringing Them Home

John Nichols

The Nation - by John Nichols - It is unfortunate but true that on this Memorial Day -- when we pause to honor those Americans who have fought the good fights against British colonialism, the sin of slavery and the menace of fascism -- U.S. troops are currently bogged down in a quagmire of George Bush's creation in Afghanistan and an continuing mission of Bush's creation in Iraq. Appallingly, Barack Obama has maintained Bush's undeclared wars of occupation. And he has now steered the United States into another fight with Libya.

Aftermath of a Roadside Bomb in Afghanistan

Everything about these undeclared and open-ended conflicts is at odds with the vision of the founders of the American experiment -- who generally shared James Madison's view that "permanent war" posed the greatest threat to liberty -- and the serious intent of wars against kings, slaveholders and fascists. Soldiers fight wars because of a sense of duty. And the soldiers involved in America's current conflicts are good men and women. But these are not good fights. Nor are their necessary fights for the U.S. military. Read full column here: News New Mexico

Honor Our Troops by Bringing Them Home

"Unexpectedly?"



Michael Barone

Townhall - "How many times in a row can something happen unexpectedly before the experts start to, you know, expect it? At some point, shouldn't they be required to state the foundation for their expectations?" One answer is that many in the mainstream media have been cheerleading for Barack Obama. They and he both naturally hope for a strong economic recovery. After all, Obama can't keep blaming the economic doldrums on George W. Bush forever. Unexpectedly! As megablogger Glenn Reynolds, aka Instapundit, has noted with amusement, the word "unexpectedly" or variants thereon keep cropping up in mainstream media stories about the economy. "New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly climbed," reported cnbc.com May 25. "Personal consumption fell," Business Insider reported the same day, "when it was expected to rise." "Durable goods declined 3.6 percent last month," Reuters reported May 25, "worse than economists' expectations." "Previously owned home sales unexpectedly fall," headlined Bloomberg News May 19. "U.S. home construction fell unexpectedly in April," wrote The Wall Street Journal May 18. Those examples are all from the last two weeks. Reynolds has been linking to similar items since October 2009. Read full story here: News New Mexico

"Unexpectedly?"

Rawson: We've Got an Agency That's Running Loose

Lee Rawson

Capitol Report New Mexico - A month ago, we wrote about the New Mexico Small Business Corporation (NMSBIC), which has absorbed some $9 million in losses and asked in a headline: “Is this a big deal?” Apparently it’s a big enough deal for the entity that funds the NMSBIC to pass a series of recommendations aimed at changing how the agency is run. Some background: The NMSBIC was created 10 years ago by the state legislature as a way to encourage and grow small and start-up businesses across the state. It’s funded by the State Investment Council (SIC), which is mandated to send 1 percent of the state’s Severance Tax Permanent Fund the NMSBIC’s way. One percent may not seem like much but when you consider that the Severance Tax Permanent Fund is currently worth $3.9 billion — well, we’re talking about some real money here. So what’s the problem? Read full story here: News New Mexico

Rawson: We've Got an Agency That's Running Loose

Los Alamos National Labs: Target of Job Killers

KOB - TV - It's a familiar scene in New Mexico: Peace activists, aging hippies, environmentalists and scientists lining up to oppose expansions of the military and nuclear facilities that are a major economic engine for the state. They were back in force this week, this time to oppose a $5.8 billion nuclear lab being designed to replace the 60-year-old lab at Los Alamos National Laboratories. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Los Alamos National Labs: Target of Job Killers

Memorializing the Week

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

Why watch sitcoms or reality television when you have politics? Not long ago DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was supportive of the autoworker's union bailout. She suggested if it were up to those damned Republicans, we’d all be driving foreign cars. It turns out she already is driving a foreign car. Only in American politics is it not necessary to remember what make of car you drive, before pointing the finger at others you want to accuse of not helping the domestic auto industry. God Bless America. The evolution of the union movement is accelerating. Over the last five decades union demands on private employers have chased millions of competition-sensitive jobs overseas. Not long ago union bosses realized future union growth was going to be easier in the public sector where bankruptcy was unthinkable. Union bosses are now doing to taxpayers supporting municipal and state governments what they used to do to the likes of Eastern Airlines, Bethlehem Steel and hundreds of other union-plagued and bankrupt companies. Unfortunately, state and municipal bankruptcies are now no longer unthinkable, and in some entire nations (Greece, Portugal, Spain) the public union's abilities to extort unrealistic wage and benefit concessions from their federal governments has taken several to the brink of bankruptcy.

This week MSNBC host Ed Schultz was suspended for a week without pay for calling someone he disagreed with (Laura Ingraham) a right-wing "slut." And this weekend The Nation columnist John Nichols characterized the subsequent apology from Schultz as “classy.” This leaves me wondering. Once we dumb down the idea of "classy" is there anything left?

Benjamin Netanyahu

The Nation hit the daily double this week. Columnist Robert Dreyfuss let us know that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went over the top in reminding us that one million Arabs living inside the borders of Israel have what those causing unrest all over the Middle East are purportedly fighting for……freedom. Pointing out the existence of human rights is over the top? How can we reconcile the Dreyfuss contradiction? Easy. Those fighting for human rights are noble, but those who simply remind us they are providing human rights are...“boorish.” It would seem that The Nation engages in a pitched battle almost every week with The Progressive for the “defying all logic” prize. This week The Nation gets the nod. Kudos to Nichols and Drefuss.

Finally, we come to the carefully crafted messages coming from Senator Tom Udall’s office. Udall posted a video on his website this week explaining why he voted against Paul Ryan’s “Path to Prosperity” budget plan. However, he offered no ideas whatsoever for spending cuts nor did he provide any explanation for why no Democrat in the Senate voted YES for either Ryan’s budget or……..President Obama’s budget which went down by a vote count of 97-0. It is also worth noting that like Udall, not a single Senate Democrat submitted an alternative to President Obama's budget or Ryan's budget.

Tom Udall

Hmmmm. Correct me if I am wrong but that is a lot of “no” votes. Now, some might accuse Udall of being nothing more than a cynical demagogue for pointing fingers at the other side, voting against the president, and not even bothering to attempt a pitiful fakeout regarding his own responsibilities of leadership. However, it is important to realize that while Tom Udall is no leader, he is also no political dummy. He has surveyed the mood landscape in this state and in this country. Seasoned lawyers do have skills and Udall's skills help him exploit both the selfish and the uninformed. He is pretty sure he can look the other way while America borrows $4 billion a day and not get fired. All he has to do is blast those detestable “rich” people and keep voting “no” on any and all budget proposals for the foreseeable future. Good call Tom. Can't wait for your next "no" vote video.

Memorializing the Week

A Nightmare in Las Cruces

Charlie Minn

The nationwide DVD release of "A Nightmare in Las Cruces," the story of an unsolved bowling alley massacre that occurred in Las Cruces, New Mexico in 1990 is coming on Tuesday, May 31st. Filmaker Charlie Minn (Cruces Divided, 8 Murders a Day) will be at the Barnes and Noble at 2:00pm in Cruces to introduce the dvd with some of the victims. The public is invited.

A Nightmare in Las Cruces

Brown: 5 Simple Truths About the Middle East

Michael Brown

Townhall - There is no such thing as a historic “Palestinian people” living in the Middle East. To be sure, there have been Arabs living in the land of Palestine for centuries. (The land of Israel was derisively renamed “Palestine” by the Romans in the second century A.D.). And it is true that some of these families have lived in Palestine without interruption for many generations. But at no time before 1967 did these Arabs identify themselves as “Palestinians,” nor did they seek to achieve any kind of statehood there. As expressed by former terrorist Walid Shoebat, “Why is it that on June 4th 1967 I was a Jordanian and overnight I became a Palestinian?” Read full column here: News New Mexico

Brown: 5 Simple Truths About the Middle East

Amazing: Obama Budget Fails in Senate 97 - 0

NewsNM note (Spence) We received another form letter via email from Senator Tom Udall this morning. He went to great lengths to explain why he did NOT vote for Paul Ryan's "Path to Prosperity." Though the Ryan budget proposal did get 40 votes in the Senate, there were 57 votes against it. Senator Udall did not offer any explanations on his vote or the final vote count on Presdient Obama's budget which was defeated 97-0.

Politico - The budget proposal released by the White House back in February didn’t win a single vote in the Senate on Wednesday— the final tally was 0-97. Senate Republicans pushed for the vote as a counterpoint to the defeat of Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan. POLITICO’s David Rogers reports: “The vote on the president’s plan turned into a rout, with neither Republicans nor Democrats voting in favor of taking it up. At one level, the 97-0 vote showed how out-of-date the February requests can seem after so much has changed in the spending debate already this year. But for Democrats, it also proved a convenient way to mask their substantial internal differences over how to proceed” on addressing the government’s fiscal problems. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Amazing: Obama Budget Fails in Senate 97 - 0

Debbie Does Hypocrisy

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has some explaining to do. The new Democratic National Committee chairwoman was heard in front of a microphone blasting the Republicans who opposed President Obama's decision to bailout the the American automakers. "If it were up to the candidates for president on the Republican side," said Wasserman-Schultz, "we would be driving foreign cars. They would have let the auto industry in America go down the tubes." Somebody in Florida decided to track down the brand of the Congresswoman's own automobile. Yep, you could see this one coming. Debbie drives an "Infinity," and Infinity is a Japanese brand. Apparently, Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz could not find a domestic car worthy of her purchase, however she found plenty of autoworkers unions worthy of taxpayer subsidies. This sums up the economic philosophy of the DNC Chair. She will use her own money to buy foreign and use the taxpayer's money to subsidize domestic unions. Infinity is a good brand for Wasserman-Schultz, it describes her capacity for hypocrisy.

Debbie Does Hypocrisy

Harbison: Memorial Day is not for Phony Veterans

Jim Harbison

As we approach another Memorial Day honoring those military service members who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their Country we are unfortunately also reminded of those who try to capitalize on the honorable and faithful service of others. Far too often we read in the paper or hear on the news of an individual falsely claiming to be a veteran, a former member of the Navy SEALs, Special Forces or some other elite military force to gain some favor or honor. America has an outrageous number of phony heroes who would steal the respect and dignity of our true military heroes and their families. These despicable individuals come from all walks of life; laborers, civic leaders, college students, Congressmen, veteran organization members, lawyers, business executives and even US military General Officers. Each has worn military decorations they did not earn and were not entitled. Among other things they are guilty of the crime of “stolen valor”. This is now epidemic and unfortunately the raid on Osama Bin Laden has brought out a fresh crop of these phony heroes that want public recognition for the bravery of others.

Navy Seals

The common thread with all of these insecure under achievers is that they lack the character, courage, fortitude, and integrity necessary to serve in these very special units. These elite units require hard work, dedication, commitment and an unswerving loyalty and fidelity to each other. They unselfishly sacrifice their lives to protect their team mates and comrades in arms. Never thinking about themselves they exhibited the unique courage and character that defines our military heritage.

Richard Blumenthal

Laws have been passed than make “stolen valor” a punishable offense. Unfortunately, our liberal judicial establishment consistently disregards the will of the people and the laws and either fails to prosecute these offenses or makes a plea bargain that results in nothing more than minimal community service. I consider this to be an offense against the character of all the men and women who honorably served in our military service.

Today’s military is an all volunteer force but military service used to be a burden shared by all men ages 18 to 26 via the draft. One’s former station in life became unimportant and once they put on the uniform they developed a common bond with each other. Dutifully, each one performed his or her service and most returned to civilian life.

Military service is a life changing experience and most servicemen are aware of the potential consequences of combat tours. Many combat veterans experience traumatic events that change their lives forever. Not everyone views their service the same but it does have a profound and lasting effect as evidenced by a Marine belief that “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Many successful individuals received their initial career training in the military or got the motivation to do something else when their term of service expired. Many have made significant contributions to the success of this nation and have remained proud of their military service. Monday will be Memorial Day and I encourage everyone to remember those who died in the service to this Nation.

There are plenty of people in society who did not serve but want to associate with those who did and falsely share in their respect. I would encourage you to be vigilant around those who want to exchange “war stories” that extol their courage or build up their character. Memorial Day is not about boasting about your deeds but about reverently honoring those who gave their lives for this Nation. Honor their commitment, service and sacrifice and remember them on Memorial Day.

Harbison: Memorial Day is not for Phony Veterans