Veterans Push Back Against Washington

Veterans tour the World War Two Memorial in Washington October 1, 2013. (Reuters / Kevin Lamarque)

Veterans Don’t Want To Be ‘Pawns’ In Shutdown Fight -- McClatchy News

WASHINGTON — As the impact on veterans becomes part of the contentious debate over the government shutdown, the commander of one of the nation’s leading veterans organizations said Friday that they should not become a political “pawn” for warring lawmakers.

In a press conference in front of the barricaded World War II Memorial, American Legion Commander Daniel Dellinger said that the veterans are concerned about the shutdown’s impact on their benefits and services, which he said “transcend politics.”

“You cannot use American veterans or servicemen and -women as pawns in this issue,” Dellinger said. “Veterans earn their benefits through their honorable service, many of them seriously disabled as a result of that service. To threaten suspension of their benefits is not only absurd, it’s cruel.”

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My Comment: Many of these veterans .... if not all of them .... are deeply worried that because of the debt crisis some of their benefits may eventually be cut. This growing realization has resulted in everyone .... veterans included .... in trying their best to position themselves to not be impacted. Sadly .... the money is not there to sustain this entitlement society .... and in the end everyone is going to be impacted .... veterans and visiting their memorials included.

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List Of U.S. Companies Affected By Government Shutdown

Photo: Wikipedia

FACTBOX - U.S. Companies Affected By Government Shutdown -- Reuters

Oct 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. government shutdown, which entered its third day on Thursday, is beginning to hit the factory floor as concerns grow about the economic consequences of a prolonged stalemate in Congress.

The standoff, prompted by Republicans' determination to halt President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms, could affect U.S. companies that rely on federal employees and funding.

Following is a list of companies and financial institutions that have warned of project delays, employee furloughs and other consequences of a prolonged budget impasse:

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My Comment: I think we should be more worried about Main Street .... not Wall Street.

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President Obama Cancels His Asian Trip Because Of The Partial U.S. Government Shutdown

Shutdown Prompts Obama To Skip Asia Trip -- Voice Of America

President Obama has canceled an upcoming trip to Asia because of the partial U.S. government shutdown, which entered its fourth day on Friday.

The White House announced late on Thursday that the president made his decision to cancel visits to Indonesia and Brunei based on the difficulty in moving forward with foreign travel in the face of the shutdown and his plans to continue pressuring Republicans to allow a vote to reopen the government.

The White House said Secretary of State John Kerry will lead U.S. delegations to both countries, as well as to Malaysia and the Philippines. Kerry will attend the APEC summit in Bali in place of the president.

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My Comment: This cancellation was a no brainer. How could he go to Asia and negotiate with the people over-there when he refuses to negotiate in Washington with the Republicans. At least this way .... he can now stay in D.C. and not negotiate on the shutdown.

As to his Asian pivot .... some are now wondering if "his heart" is in it.

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I Cannot Make This Up

Need Health Care Coverage? Just Dial 1-800-FUCKYO To Reach Obamacare’s National Hotline -- Daily Caller

Need health insurance? The Obama administration has you covered. Simply dial 1-800-FUCKYO to reach the next available health-care provider.

Far from being a mistype, that’s the official number that Health and Human Services wants Americans to dial when seeking health care. Obamacare’s national call center really did list its number as 1-800-318-2596, helpfully spelling out President Barack Obama’s tendency to blatantly flip the bird in plain view.

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My Comment: I am not an American nor do I live in the U.S. .... and I try my best to stay away from internal U.S. politics because most of my readers outside of the U.S. do not care on what is happening in the U.S. .... but this 1-800 help line number is just cracking me up.

Here is an easy prediction .... no one is going to forget the number.

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Is A Compromise On The U.S. Government Shutdown In The Works?

Image from CBS

Obama Reaches Out To Congressional Leaders -- Wall Street Journal

Lawmakers From Both Parties Invited for Talks on Budget, Debt Limit.

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama invited congressional leaders from both parties to the White House on Wednesday to discuss the partial government shutdown and looming debt-limit crisis, a White House official said.

Mr. Obama will use the meeting—the first with congressional leaders since the shutdown began Tuesday—to press leaders to reopen the government and reiterate his position that he won't negotiate on the debt limit or under the threat of a continued shutdown, the official said.

House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) received invitations Wednesday morning for the meeting.

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My Comment: President Obama reaches out to Congressional leaders .... you got to be kidding me. This is a total waste of time .... the White House and Senate Democrats have already made it very clear that they will not negotiate .... and the Republicans are already split on what to do next .... this meeting will just be used as optics for the main stream media. The problem has always been the same .... the U.S. has lost control of it's spending and no one is willing to cut entitlement budgets .... in fact .... they want to expand it with programs like Obamacare .... and both political parties are to blame for this. As to my own prediction on the present mess .... the Republicans will cave-in and the U.S. budget deficit catastrophe will be kicked down the road for the next administration and future generations to handle.

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World War Two Veterans Storm WWII Memorial In Washington

WWII Veterans Storm D.C. Memorial Closed By Government Shutdown -- Washington Post

The elderly veterans piled off the chartered buses in front of the World War II Memorial, some in wheelchairs, some using canes, all determined to pay homage to each other and their fallen comrades from more than half a century ago.

Metal barricades and signs announcing a closure due to the shutdown of the federal government awaited them.

The graying and stooped men, wearing blue baseball caps, red T-shirts and garlands of red, white and blue flowers, surged forward, accompanied by members of Congress — the same lawmakers who, hours earlier, had triggered a government shutdown by failing to pass a budget resolution.

A shout went up. The barricades had been moved — it was unclear by whom.

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More News On World War Two Veterans Storming The WWII Memorial In Washington

Veterans pass barriers at closed World War II Memorial with help from members of Congress -- Washington Post/AP
War veterans storm barricades amid US govt shutdown -- AFP
Vets Invade Shuttered WWII Memorial in Shutdown Protest -- Bloomberg Businessweek
WWII veterans storm D.C. memorial closed by government shutdown -- Stars and Stripes
'Greatest generation' veterans sweep past barricades at memorial in their honor -- FOX News
Despite shutdown, WWII veterans cross barrier to visit memorial -- CBS News
World War II Veterans Cross Memorial Barricades Despite Shutdown -- ABC News
Veterans Storm WWII Memorial -- Wall Street Journal
US government shutdown: WWII veterans enter closed memorial -- BBC

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Congressional Politics And Voting For War

Photo: Reuters

When Hawks (Suddenly) Become Doves -- Marin Cogan, National Journal

Republicans who supported the Iraq War but oppose intervention in Syria are walking a very thin—sometimes imperceptible—line.

Eleven years ago, nearly every Republican member of Congress (and many Democrats) voted to authorize President Bush to use force against Iraq. From the reluctant followers to the most-ardent cheerleaders, many of them are now the leading doubters of President Obama’s push for limited strikes against Syria. Some have adopted the rhetoric popular with the libertarian faction of their party; others mimic the skepticism that characterized the Left after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They don’t see the national security benefits and wonder what an American military intervention could accomplish. Some question the intelligence reports of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons; others believe the reports but say the conflict isn’t our problem. None expect Americans to be greeted as liberators.

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My Comment: Marin Cogan is focusing on the Republicans in this post .... but both parties are guilty of playing politics on national security issues .... they always have and I suspect that they always will.

Update: So does Hollywood .... Celebs who blasted Bush on Iraq mum on Syria -- Page Six

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The Pentagon Is Taking The 'Backseat' On Syrian Policy

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Secretary of State John Kerry and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testify at the House Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Sept. 10, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Aaron Hostutler

Pentagon In Back Seat As Kerry Leads Charge -- Tom Shanker, New York Times

WASHINGTON — In the weeks of sometimes bewildering debate in Washington about what to do in Syria, one truth has emerged: President Obama has transformed his relationship with the Pentagon and the military.

The civilian policy makers and generals who led Mr. Obama toward a troop escalation in Afghanistan during his first year in office, a decision that left him deeply distrustful of senior military leaders, have been replaced by a handpicked leadership that includes Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Through battlefield experience — Mr. Hagel as an infantryman in 1967 and 1968 in Vietnam, and General Dempsey as a commander during some of the most violent years in Iraq — both men share Mr. Obama’s reluctance to use American military might overseas. A dozen years after the Pentagon under Donald H. Rumsfeld began aggressively driving national security policy, the two have wholeheartedly endorsed a more restricted Pentagon role.

“Hagel was not hired to be a ‘secretary of war,’ ” said one senior Defense Department official. “That is not a mantle the president wants him to wear.”

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My Comment: The leadership at the Pentagon are just reflecting what their Commander in Chief President Obama  has made very clear in the past few weeks .... as well as (probably) mirroring their own personal opionions .... that the military option is their least favorable option.

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U.S. Senate To Delay Syria Authorization Vote

The Senate's side of the Capitol Building in DC. Wikipedia

Senate Delays Syria Vote As Obama Loses Momentum -- USA Today

Support for President Obama's call for military airstrikes in Syria is sliding on Capitol HIll.

WASHINGTON — Senate majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., delayed a procedural vote on military action in Syria Monday as a series of senators expressed their opposition.

The Senate was scheduled to vote Wednesday on a resolution that would authorize President Obama to launch military strikes against Syria, but Reid announced late Monday that he would delay that vote.

Reid said he believes he has the 60 votes necessary to limit debate and pass the resolution, but said he did not think the Senate should be in a rush.

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Update #1: US Senate delays Syria strike vote over Russian 'chemical handover' proposal -- RT
Update #2: Obama in trouble with Senate Dems on Syria -- Politico

My Comment: This is a major setback for the White House. My guess is that many US senators are now becoming nervous with all polls showing no U.S. public support for a military strike on Syria .... and are now preferring to hear President Obama's Tuesday's speech to the nation before making their decision to vote on the resolution that will give military authorization to the President.

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Congressional Defeat Over Syria Would Cost Obama Moral Authority On War

Top Democrat Says Congressional Defeat Over Syria Would Cost Obama Moral Authority On War -- Washington Times

A top House Democrat said Sunday that President Obama may still legally conduct military strikes in Syria even if Congress denies him the authority, but that the White House will have “morally” lost the ability to do so.

“I think while he has the constitutional authority, I think morally he will have lost the authority to move forward,” Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, the House Democratic Caucus chairman, said on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” program.

Mr. Becerra said, though, that he believes Mr. Obama will win enough support from Congress to pass a resolution authorizing some limited strikes.

A number of newspapers and websites have conducted counts of lawmakers’ stated positions and have found opposition to strikes far outweighs support at this point. But Mr. Becerra discounted those tallies, saying that until the House has a specific piece of legislation in front of it, the count can change.

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My Comment: Many Democrats are clearly feeling uneasy on the outcome of a Congressional vote .... and they should .... after years of being critical of U.S. military operations in other years, they are now voting on pursuing another campaign.

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Top Republicans: President Obama Needs To Sell Syria Strike To America

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Obama Needs to Sell Syria Strike to Americans, Say Boehner, Cantor -- Roll Call

Feeling the pressure of a Congress and a public that appears strongly opposed to a U.S. military strike against Syria, House GOP leaders are calling on President Barack Obama to make his case to the American people.

A spokesman for Speaker John A. Boehner said Friday that the Ohio Republican has “consistently said the president has an obligation to make his case for intervention directly to the American people.” Boehner earlier this week came out in favor of intervention in Syria, in retaliation for that regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons against its own people.

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My Comment: Here is a prediction .... House Speaker John A. Boehner will rue the day when he made the decision to support the White House in going to war against Syria.

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Benghazi Is Clouding The White House's Push On Syria

Shadow Of Benghazi Clouds Obama’s Syria Push On Capitol Hill -- Washington Times

Lingering frustration over the way President Obama handled the attacks in Libya that led to death of a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans has colored the debate over whether to launch military strikes against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Republican lawmakers said in hearings this week that the two situations are linked because the September 2012 attack on the diplomatic post in Benghazi weakened Mr. Obama’s credibility with the public, with the public still seeking answers about what went wrong and why people have not been held accountable for the security shortcomings there.

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My Comment: Next week will be the first anniversary of the Benghazi consulate attack that killed 4 Americans including the US Ambassador .... and many are still waiting (including the families fo those who were killed) for answers to the many questions that were asked on what was happening on the day of the attack .... and after. As a result this inadequate response has created a "bad taste" in Congress .... and more to the point .... a lack of trust. So yes .... the White House's handling of Benghazi has clouded the White House's push on Syria.

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Democrat Congressman: Intelligence 'Manipulated' To Favor War

Rep. Alan Grayson: Syria Intelligence Manipulated -- US News and World Report

Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., who is aggressively lobbying against a military strike on Syria, says the Obama administration has manipulated intelligence to push its case for U.S. involvement in the country's two-year civil war.

Grayson made the accusation in an interview published Wednesday by The Atlantic and offered more detail in a Thursday discussion with U.S. News. He says members of Congress are being given intelligence briefings without any evidence to support administration claims that Syrian leader Bashar Assad ordered the use of chemical weapons.

Grayson said he cannot discuss the classified briefings, but noted details in the administration's public, non-classified report are being contested.

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My Comment: President Obama will need most of his fellow Democrats in Congress to support him en masse to pass his Syrian authorization resolution .... failure to do so will probably mean the end of any U.S. direct military intervention in Syria. Having said that .... it is clear from Rep. Alan Grayson that many on the left in the Democrat Party have grave doubts on what President Obama is doing, and it will not be a surprise to me if a good number of them will decied to vote no against the authorization of using force against the Assad regime.

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President Obama Faces Defeat In The House On His Syrian Military Strike Resolution

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John F. Kerry to support U.S. military intervention in Syria before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., Sept. 4, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sean K. Harp

Obama Making Little Headway With Getting Congress To Support Attack On Syria -- Washington Post

Nearly a week into President Obama’s campaign to convince Congress that airstrikes against Syria are necessary, he has achieved little headway against a wall of skepticism on Capitol Hill.

The president’s challenge is made more difficult by the fact that the two parties are splintered on the issue — and that lawmakers say they are hearing virtually no support for an attack from their constituents at home.

Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), a libertarian who has taken on GOP hawks on National Security Agency surveillance and now Syria, tweeted Thursday: “If you’re voting yes on military action in #Syria, might as well start cleaning out your office. Unprecedented level of public opposition.”

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More News On President Obama Facing Defeat In The House On His Syrian Military Strike Resolution

President Obama could lose big on Syria in House -- Politico
Where Congress stands on Syria (The Numbers) -- Washington Post
CNN vote count: Obama long way from congressional approval on Syria -- CNN
White House lobbied 185 lawmakers to back Syria strike -- USA Today
Obama faces uphill struggle in bid for action on Syria -- Irish Times
Congressional support for military intervention in Syria stalls -- Toronto Star
Obama cancels California trip to focus on Syria -- AP
Obama lobbying lawmakers on Syria from overseas -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Push Intensifies for House Backing on Strikes -- Wall Street Journal
Obama's plan on Syria hinges on undecided U.S. lawmakers -- Reuters
How Congress Can Limit Obama’s War in Syria -- Stephen L. Carter, Bloomberg
News Analysis: Sluggish support in U.S. Congress for Syria strike spells trouble for Obama -- Xinhuanet
Election politics evident in Syria chemical weapons debate -- Tom Cohen, CNN

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President Obama Is Facing Defeat In Congress On His Syria Military Strike Resolution

U.S. President Barack Obama attends the first working session of the G20 Summit in Constantine Palace in Strelna near St. Petersburg, September 5, 2013. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

Pelosi Not Sure House Democrats Will Back Syria Resolution -- Washington Post

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she’s not sure whether a majority of House Democrats will support the use of force in Syria.

“I don’t know,” Pelosi said in an interview with Time magazine. “I think it would be important to get a majority in the Congress. But I don’t know if it’s important how you would break it down. These issues are not really partisan.”

Despite Pelosi’s comments, it has become clear that a strong majority of House Republicans are likely to oppose the resolution, meaning it would need strong support among Democrats to pass in the GOP-controlled House.

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More News On President Obama Facing Defeat In Congress On His Syria Military Strike Resolution

Will Congress Support Military Action In Syria? A ThinkProgress Whip Count [UPDATED] -- Think Progress
Numbers in Congress Show Obama Far From Approval on Syria -- Bloomberg
Democrats defy Barack Obama to oppose Syria strike -- The Australian
Obama calls lawmakers on Syria -- Politico
House Dems proving a tough sell for Obama on Syria -- CNN
Obama Faces Barrier in His Own Party on Syria -- New York Times
Battle royal looms as Obama turns to Congress on Syria -- AFP
Obama cancels trip to California next week to work on Syria vote: White House -- Reuters
Obama may give big speech on Syria -- USA Today
The Stakes in Congress -- New York Times editorial
Why Going to Congress For a Vote on Strikes in Syria Was a Major Risk -- Norm Ornstein, Defense One/National Journal

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The U.S. Senate Rushes To War

Senate Breaks Own Rules in Rush to Vote on Syria War -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

Senate Democratic leadership tossed aside the rules for moving legislation with regard to the resolution authorizing the use of military force against Syria, angering some Republicans and creating confusion on Capitol Hill in the runup to the war vote.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee narrowly approved a modified war resolution Wednesday afternoon by vote of 10-7 with one member, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), voting present. The committee's action allows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to bring the measure to the floor as early as Monday, following a break for the Jewish holidays. That would allow a vote by the full Senate as soon as Wednesday, giving the Senate a chance to pass a war resolution before the House has a chance to craft and pass a resolution of its own.

But some GOP Senate offices are upset with what they see as a rush by Democratic leadership to pass the war authorization outside the rules that govern how legislation goes through the committee process.

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My Comment: The Syrian military strike resolution is becoming more about U.S. politics than U.S. national security.

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U.S. Senate Panel Approves Resolution Authorizing U.S. Strike On Syria

Senate Committee Approves Resolution Authorizing U.S. Strike On Syria -- Washington Post

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution Wednesday granting President Obama limited authority to launch a military strike on Syria in response to its reported use of chemical weapons against civilians.

Acting hours after Obama, during a visit to Sweden, said the credibility of Congress and the international community was also at stake, the committee voted 10 to 7, with one member voting “present,” to approve using force against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The resolution now goes to the full Senate. The House is separately considering a similar resolution.

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More News On The U.S. Senate Panel Approving The Resolution Authorizing A U.S. Strike On Syria

U.S. resolution on Syria strike passes first hurdle in Senate -- Reuters
Split Senate Panel Approves Giving Obama Limited Authority on Syria -- New York Times
Senate Committee Approves Resolution for Syria Strikes -- Bloomberg
US Senate Panel Approves Plan for Syria Strike -- Voice of America
Senate committee authorizes limited military response in Syria -- NBC
Senate panel votes to authorize Syria strike -- FOX News
Senate Committee OKs Resolution for Military Force in Syria -- ABC News
Senate Panel Backs Use of Force Against Syria -- Wall Street Journal
Senate panel backs U.S. strike on Syria -- L.A. Times
Senate committee approves Syria attack resolution -- USA Today
Syria strike: Bid for military action passes first legislative hurdle -- Chicago Tribune
US Senate panel passes vote authorizing use of military force in Syria -- Deutsche Welle
Syria crisis: US Senate committee backs use of force -- BBC
US Senate panel approves Syria strike -- Al Jazeera

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How Can A U.S. Senator Vote 'Present' On A War Resolution?

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey voted “present” on the Syria resolution in the foreign relations committee. (The Washington Post)

Ed Markey's 'Present' Vote On Syria Sets Off Twitter -- USA Today

One of the first major votes of Democrat Ed Markey's Senate career has Twitter all excited — and not in a good way.

The Massachusetts lawmaker, sworn in to office in July after winning a special election, voted "present" on a resolution giving President Obama limited authority to use military force against Syria. Markey, a liberal who often votes with Obama, didn't vote "yes" as 10 of his Senate Foreign Relations Committee colleagues did.

He also didn't vote "no" with seven others, including two Democrats. The "present" vote means Markey was there, but didn't want to state which side he's on. It also makes it hard — at this point — to portray Markey as opposing Obama or siding with Republican hawks.

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My Comment: I thought that Sen. McCain playing poker during the Syria military strike resolution debate was bad .... so he was bored after 3 hours and wanted to do something else instead of listening to a debate that he had no interest to get involved in. But Senator Ed Markey's vote is inexcusable. This is why I have contempt for most politicians .... on a life and death issue you just cannot vote "present". But what makes this story even more bizarre is Senator Ed Markey's explanation on why he voted "present".

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Who Are The 'Dozens Of Countries' Who Are Going To Stand With The U.S. In A Military Strike?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz On Potential Military Action In Syria: "There Are Dozens Of Countries Who Are Going To Stand With U.S." -- CNN

As the Syrian civil war grows more violent with each day, on Monday evening Wolf Blitzer hosted a special Labor Day edition of "Piers Morgan Live," with the entire program dedicated to the situation in the Middle Eastern country.

Filling in for Piers Morgan, Blizter asked Debbie Wasserman Schultz why it seems that the United States is often the only country risking the lives of its own people by engaging militarily.

"There are other countries," revealed the Democratic Congresswoman from Florida. "From the briefings that I've received, there are dozens of countries who are going to stand with the United States, who will engage with us on military action, and also, that back us up."

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Update: Debbie Wasserman Schultz says U.S. has many allies to attack Syria -- Washington Times

My Comment: It is obvious by listening to her that she is lying. Aside from France .... no other country is going to provide military hardware in a strike against Syria. And while there are many countries that will support such a strike .... Saudi Arabia, Turkey, U.K., etc. .... they have already made it very clear that they will not provide any military forces that will be committed to striking Syria.Kudos to Wolf Blitzer for asking the tough questions .... the U.S. may be going to war .... the American public deserves straight answers.

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The U.S. Senate Rushes To War

Senate Breaks Own Rules in Rush to Vote on Syria War -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

Senate Democratic leadership tossed aside the rules for moving legislation with regard to the resolution authorizing the use of military force against Syria, angering some Republicans and creating confusion on Capitol Hill in the runup to the war vote.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee narrowly approved a modified war resolution Wednesday afternoon by vote of 10-7 with one member, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), voting present. The committee's action allows Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to bring the measure to the floor as early as Monday, following a break for the Jewish holidays. That would allow a vote by the full Senate as soon as Wednesday, giving the Senate a chance to pass a war resolution before the House has a chance to craft and pass a resolution of its own.

But some GOP Senate offices are upset with what they see as a rush by Democratic leadership to pass the war authorization outside the rules that govern how legislation goes through the committee process.

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My Comment: The Syrian military strike resolution is becoming more about U.S. politics than U.S. national security.

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