Joe Sonka August 8th, 2008

(crossposted at Barefoot and Progressive)

We all expected Mitch McConnell to make Vencor an issue his campaign against Bruce Lunsford, but he should have known this was coming. Throwing Vencor at Bruce necessitates also throwing his wife, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, under the bus.

Elaine Chao was on the Vencor Board of Directors during its period of turmoil, and as Lusford CD Cary Stemle said today, she was an active member of the board as it made unanimous decisions during this period.

Also of note is that Mitch McConnell played a key role in that time in the Senate when nursing homes around the country were going under because of the draconian cuts in Medicare.

If Mitch is really intent on going down this road, he better watch his back, because the road heads right back to the McConnell family, as well.

• Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , U.S. Senate
• Comments(0)

Jim Pence July 17th, 2008

PFC James Burmeister’s Court Martial was held yesterday at the Pike Hall (the Legal Offices) building #1310 court room in Fort Knox, Kentucky. This was my first time to attend a Court Martial and now I understand why Court Martial’s are seldom covered by the press. If you’re a member of the press you have to be escorted to the court sight and and off of the military post, when the trial is over, by Government Personnel. No cameras, camcorders, cell phones, audio recording devices, etc. were allowed in the court room. Our government escorts were very nice with the exception of one and I will assume, this time, that she was just having a bad day. To tell the truth I felt like I was in another country where freedom of speech and transparency were not very high on the agenda.
The court room was very small with 3 rows of church like pews. The first row had three 6 ft. pews reserved for witness’s. The second row had two 6ft. pews for the public and press and the third row had one 6 ft. pew for the public and press. We were told when the few seats available were full no one else would be allowed in the court room and if we left the court room our seats could not be guaranteed when we returned. Members of the press attending the court martial were, WHAS TV , The Louisville Courier Journal , The Hardin County News Enterprise and yours truly James Pence a video blogger. If you do the math and add up the available seats, it’s easy to conclude that the government didn’t want many folks at this Court Martial.
PFC James Burmeister pleaded guilty to AWOL and stated his reason for going AWOL while on R&R in Germany. He said could no longer participate in the "Bait and Kill" and "Small Kill Teams". PFC James Burmeister’s defense said James had reported the "Bait and Kill" and "Small Kill Teams" to his chain of command and he was told to keep it quite and it was then that James decided to go AWOL and expose the "Bait and Kill" and "Small Kill Teams" to the press and when James found out through and email, of which he has a screen shot of, in late February, 2008 from a soldier in his Company that the "Bait and Kill" and "Small Kill Teams" practices had been stopped he turned himself in to the Military in early March, 2008, because his mission had been accomplished. PFC James Burmeister also agreed to allow the Military Judge hear the case and render the sentence.
The prosecution called several witness one of them brought up this PBS transcript . The prosecution also brought up the web site Courage To Resist .
PFC James Burmeister’s parents testified on PFC James Burmeister’s behalf and their testimony was very moving.
The judge listened to all the evidence and left the court room to to make his decision. The judge retuned about 45 min. later with a verdict of 6 months confinement with 21 days of pre trial confinement to be considered as time served and a Bad Conduct Discharge. When the sentence was announced James’ didn’t flinch, but his father fell to his knees in disbelief and shock! PFC James Burmeister and his parents were allowed a few minutes together after the Court Martial and they will be going back to Oregon to await their son’s release.
I’ve wrote this article to the best of my ability with my notes and my memory and I suggest if the US Government doesn’t agree with my account of the events they should have allowed the Court Martial to have been video taped!!!
I took a few photos outside, prior and after the Court Martial, click here to view them.
The video below is PFC James Burmeister’s father directly after the Court Martial

• Fort Knox , Iraq War , James Burmeister , Mitch McConnell , Video , War , Youtube , bait and kill , court martial
• Comments(6)

Jim Pence July 5th, 2008

Remember the article we posted about PFC James Burmeister, June 21, 2008. Yesterday July, 4 2008 WHAS picked it up and it was their top news story at 5:30pm.
Kudos to WHAS for airing this on the 4th of July.
The video of the story is below.

• Iraq War , James Burmeister , Video , Youtube
• Comments(4)

Jim Pence June 21st, 2008

A press conference was held today just outside of Fort Knox Kentucky for PFC James Burmeister, but the press didn’t show up, just a lowly blogger with a video camera. The Hardin County News Enterprise, for what ever reason didn’t bother to attend the press conference, who knows maybe the don’t work on Saturdays, or could it be they just don’t give a shit about folks like PFC James Burmeister? The Louisville Courier-Journal didn’t attend the press conference, but to their credit they did have an article about PFC James Burmeister today.
The local TV stations WHAS, WLKY and WAVE were noticeably absent.
PFC James Burmeister, I was told upon the advice of his attorney, didn’t attend the press conference, but his mother Helen Burmeister traveled all the way from Oregon to speak and stand up for her son.
James Burmeister was injured in Baghdad when his humvee was caught in an IED explosion. Along with the physical wounds from this attack, James suffers from PTSD as a result of his combat missions, which included providing cover fire for “bait and kill“ teams. After being diagnosed with PTSD and possible traumatic brain injury, James went AWOL, moving to Canada rather than face another deployment. In March of 2008, he decided to return to the US and turned himself in to the Army at Fort Knox.
Last week the Army decided to charge PCF James Burmeister with desertion. James will face a Special Court-Martial, a bad conduct discharge (which would prohibit him from having access to any medical benefits or otherwise for the rest of his life), and up to 12 months of prison. The date of James’ court martial is expected to be set next week.

• Iraq War , James Burmeister , James Pence , Video , War , Youtube
• Comments(8)

Joe Sonka May 26th, 2008

(crossposted at Barefoot and Progressive)

Hey there. I know we provide this little political “entertainment” of sorts for free on this little blog, so if you wouldn’t mind throwing a few bucks to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Operation Helmet, that would be quite sporty of you.

A couple of links that you should check out today:

CBS had a report this morning on the incredible sacrifices from Ft. Hood in Texas, which has lost 400 soldiers alone, leaving approximately 200 widows.

(See the video here (trouble embedding it))

The Herald Leader has a story on the toll the war has taken on families at Ft. Campbell, as well.

Also, the San Francisco Chronicle has a must-read story on the under-reported tragedy of the war in Iraq:

Thousands of Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans are returning home only to become casualties of war - at their own hands. Suffering from psychiatric injuries, 1,000 veterans under Veterans Administration care are attempting suicide each month. Almost 40 percent of the young men and women returning from combat almost have proven mental health injuries that include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, major depression and traumatic brain injury.

But when they seek help, disabled veterans face a claims system so mismanaged and inefficient that they often must wait more than five years for any assistance. The Department of Veterans Affairs is choking on a backlog of some 600,000 unresolved benefits claims. Even after their eligibility has been established, thousands of veterans cannot obtain adequate mental health treatment. While they wait for the care they are owed, veterans are dying. About 126 veterans per week commit suicide. Vast numbers of veterans are living with mental illness, sometimes so severe that they are unable to work. Nationally, about 154,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and twice that many are homeless at some time during the year.

But as people like Senator Mitch McConnell would say:

“Nobody is happy about losing lives, but remember, these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers“

And folks like Mitch McConnell think it is worth filibustering popular bi-partisan legislation to restore proper troop rotation and rest between tours, an ugly fact which many blame for the horrific suicide rates in the Army, reaching high levels that haven’t been seen since Vietnam.

And folks like Mitch also say that expanding the GI Bill so that these soldiers are able to actually pay for college expenses in the 21st century isn’t necessary.

So let’s remember not just today, but for the next 6 months, who really supports the troops.

• Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Veterans
• Comments(3)

Jim Pence May 22nd, 2008

Senator John McCain was a no show. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning cut and ran from the troops and voted against the 21st Century G.I. Bill!!! These 3 senators have terrible ratings when it comes to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

According to Time Magazine:
This is not the first time McCain, who has a proud history of opposing what he views as excessive government spending, has found himself at odds with his fellow veterans on legislation. He’s voted for veterans funding bills only 30% of the time, according to a scorecard of roll-call votes put out by the nonpartisan Disabled Americans for America. Under the same system Obama has a 90% rating — though, of course, he has spent a much shorter time in Washington.
“Senator McCain clearly needs to be recognized for his military service and in some respects that will play to his advantage, but when it actually comes to delivering health care and benefits during war, Senator McCain’s going to have some explaining to do,” said Paul Sullivan, director of the nonpartisan Veterans for Common Sense.

Project Vote Smart Ratings Of Senators John McCain, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning.
“The mission of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is to ensure the enactment of policies that properly provide for our Troops & Veterans, keep our military strong, and guarantee our national security for the purpose of a stronger America. We uniquely empower Iraq & Afghanistan combat veterans to use their credibility and experiences to speak truth to power, shape public opinion, and place a priority on these issues.”

Name John McCain Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Mitch McConnell Jim Bunning

Rating D B+ A- D D-

• 2008 Presidential Campaign , 21st Century G.I. Bill , Barack Obama , Hillary Clinton , Iraq War , Jim Bunning , John McCain
• Comments(8)

Jim Pence April 18th, 2008

(Cross posted at Hillbilly Report)

By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 300,000 U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, but about half receive no care, an independent study said on Thursday.
The study by the RAND Corp. also estimated that another 320,000 troops have sustained a possible traumatic brain injury during deployment. But researchers could not say how many of those cases were serious or required treatment.
Billed as the first large-scale nongovernmental survey of its kind, the study found that stress disorder and depression afflict 18.5 percent of the more than 1.5 million U.S. forces who have deployed to the two war zones.

Army Col. Loree Sutton, director of the U.S. Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, welcomed the study.
She was concerned at the finding that only about half of those who sought help received “minimally adequate” treatment and said it would spur the military to try harder to recruit more mental health specialists.
The Army wants to hire 275 civilian mental health professionals but a tight labor market and difficulties getting civilians into war zones has slowed the effort, officials say.
RAND, a private research organization, estimated that stress and depression among returning soldiers cost $6.2 billion in the two years following deployment, mainly due to lost productivity, medical costs and a higher risk of suicide. (Additional reporting by Andrew Gray; Editing by Alan Elsner and Will Dunham)
Read more.

• Afganistan , Iraq War , RAND Corp.
• Comments(1)

Terri Whitehouse March 25th, 2008

First there was this gem from Sen. Mitch McConnell:

Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers.

Now there’s this charming statement from VP Dick Cheney:

He’s the one who has to make the decision to commit young Americans, but we are fortunate to have a group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the uniform and go in harm’s way for the rest of us.

Stay classy, draft-dodgers!

• Dick Cheney , Draft Dodgers , Iraq War , Military Service , Mitch McConnell
• Comments(6)

Jim Pence March 24th, 2008

(Cross posted at Hillbilly Report)

• Iraq War , Video , War , Youtube
• Comments(5)

Jim Pence March 24th, 2008

4000 of our troops have given their all in the ill advised, ill conceived Iraq conflict that was engineered by George W. Bush and was and is being supported by Congress and folks like Senator Mitch McConnell.
Where is the Outrage? There is none!! It seems to me that most folks are satisfied to put their little magnetized ribbons, made in China, on their vehicles and go shopping and that’s a shame!

• Iraq War , Mitch McConnell
• Comments(10)

Jim Pence March 20th, 2008

(Cross posted at Hillbilly Report)
March 19, 2008
LPAC and MoveOn held Iraq war protest and vigils today, on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war, in Louisville, Kentucky. The LPAC commemoration was in downtown Louisville and lasted from 10am until 5:30pm. The weather was wet and cold. I wasn’t able to get much video because of the rain, but I did manage to get a few clips. It was really heart warming to see young folks attending the event, from different parts of Kentucky.
The MoveOn commemoration was held across the street from Senator Mitch McConnell’s house at 7pm. This event didn’t last as long but was very well organized.
I have been videotaping and taking photos of protest here in Kentucky for several years and I tell you from experience that the young people are getting more involved with each protest and my vocabulary isn’t sufficient enough to explain how that warms my heart.
The local media covered both events along with local blogger Jacob Payne of Page One.
Special thanks to Judy Munro-Leighton, James McMillin and Johanna Camenisch, thank you Johanna for the pizza!
The video clips of the events are below.

• Iraq War
• Comments(8)

Jim Pence March 18th, 2008

September 10, 2002 as George W. Bush was firing up the United States of America to invade Iraq I wrote the following letter to the the editor and it was published in the News Enterprise.
Now I believe it’s time to hold the whole bunch, Democrats and Republicans, accountable!!!!!!
I was right then and I believe I’m right now.

My September 10, 2002 Letter To The Editor
Don’t trample the Constitution
The Constitution of the United States of America: Article 1 Section 8. The Congress shall have power to declare war, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; To make rules for the Government and regulation of the land and naval forces.

Congress has the power to declare war. If a president of the United States invades another country, without war being declared by Congress, I feel the president would be in violation of his or her oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and, in the opinion of this writer, should subject to impeachment. If Congress allows the president to invade another country, without declaring war, and continues to finance the effort, in the opinion of this writer, the members of Congress would be in violation of their oaths to uphold the constitution and should be dealt with accordingly.

Our country is debating whether to invade Iraq or not to invade Iraq. I really don’t have enough information to have an opinion one way or another, but I do know what the Constitution requires. If we invade another country, it requires Congress to declare war. To do anything less would be a violation of our constitution and a violation of the law. It’s really very simple: if another country invaded us, we would consider it an act of war. Therefore, if we invade another country we should have the guts to call it what it is, an act of war, and to call it anything less would be shameful and a lie. Is it possible Congress will let the president do whatever he wants concerning Iraq, including invasion, without declaring war, and violate their oaths to uphold the one thing that keeps us bound together as a nation, our Constitution? I am here to predict they will and I further predict they will get away with it and they may even give themselves a raise for doing such a good job! Ho-hum, so what’s new? After all, it is just the Constitution.
James L. Pence
Glendale

• Congress , George W. Bush , Iraq War , War
• Comments(2)

Terri Whitehouse March 14th, 2008

Listen, folks. I know you probably think I’m a big mouth who would never dream of censoring myself, but, really, I do. All the time. Usually, when I write my posts, I have a lot more words under my hat, about half of which are expletives. And it’s hard to reign them in sometimes.

So when President Silver Spoon says this kind of shit, know that I’m biting my tongue so damn hard, it’s a wonder how I’m not tasting blood. Because while President Coke Sniffer was getting drunk and skipping out on his guard duty, some people of his generation were actually “confronting danger.” And while President Dry Drunk was granting permission for Junior Silver Spoon to marry his daughter, some people of my generation were actually “confronting danger.”

And speaking of cowards, well, my opinion of Sen. Mitch McConnell isn’t much different. I’m aghast that some people are so out of touch with reality, living the bourgie life inside the beltway, that they’d have the audacity to udder “war is peace”, without so much as a hint of irony.

These are the assholes that are running this country. Can you even believe it? All that, and only three cuss words. Amazing.

• Chickenhawks , Ditch Mitch , Draft Dodgers , George W. Bush , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Vietnam War
• Comments(8)

Joe Sonka February 4th, 2008

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

McConnell's done it again.

In an appearance at Elizabethtown this weekend, Mitch McConnell showed how deeply out of touch he is with the sacrifice our armed forces have given in Bush's folly of the Iraq War. Who are the real victims and "casualties" of the Iraq War? His poor little Republican friends who lost their office.

Describing the party’s 2006 loss of Congressional District Rep. Anne Northup and last year’s loss of Republican Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher as casualties of the Iraq war, McConnell said he’s optimistic Republicans will hold the 2nd congressional district seat left up for grabs with the announcement of Rep. Ron Lewis’, R-Cecilia, retirement.

Yes, poor Anne Northup, one of Bush's biggest enablers in the House, is a casualty of the Iraq War.

This is the same Mitch McConnell who had this to say about other "casualties" of the Iraq War last year:

"Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."

Gee, if only we had a decorated veteran of the Iraq War to stand up to Mitch and call him out on this in the Senate race this year.

Oh, yea, we do. Just don't tell $teve Be$hear and Chuck $chumer. 

• Iraq War , Mitch McConnell
• Comments(6)

Terri Whitehouse February 2nd, 2008

There is an excellent editorial in today’s Courier-Journal about Sen. Mitch McConnell titled, appropriately enough, “The Back Of His Hand“:

Millions of Americans are in economic trouble, while the Big Energy friends of George W. Bush and Mitch McConnell wallow in historic profits. Yesterday, Exxon Mobil Corp. posted the largest annual gain ever by a U.S. company — $40.6 billion. The rest of us are left to cower at the gasoline pumps.

Mitch McConnell feels he deserves re-election because he “does so much for Kentucky.” Never mind what he and his friend have done to America.

For real, though! Go read the whole shebang.

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Ditch Mitch , Economy , Energy Industry , General Knowledge , Iraq War , Kentucky , Mitch McConnell , Money-Grubbing , Obstructionism , Opinion , Pork Spending , Rural America , Senate Minority Leader
• Comments(8)

Terri Whitehouse January 23rd, 2008

The AP is reporting that the Bush administration issued nearly 1,000 false statements about national security in the two years after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001:

The study concluded that the statements “were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses.”

As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another statement of the bleeding obvious. But still, it gives me a massive headache this morning. Doesn’t Sen. Mitch McConnell know that ignoring something doesn’t make it go away? Time to send him packing so he and his BFF George W. Bush can have more free time together next year.

• Ditch Mitch , GOP , General Knowledge , George W. Bush , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Republican Party Decline
• Comments(2)

Terri Whitehouse January 12th, 2008

A recent poll conducted by Voter/Consumer Research is being trotted out as proof that Sen. Mitch McConnell is invincible in 2008’s general election. I think some people are believing that “defeatocrat” nonsense way too much, that somehow a supposed 61% approval will doom any bids to defeat McConnell this fall. Well, as a few commenters at Bluegrass Report point out, this poll was commissioned by McConnell himself, and one has to wonder about the methodology.

While I’m sure that the general public is a bit gun-shy about pollsters, particularly after being so far off base in New Hampshire, the new SUSA poll shows McConnell’s approval at under 50%, which is more in-line with recent trends in his approval rating. We don’t doubt that beating a career incumbent politician with a lot of name recognition and a history of pork barrel spending will be a difficult task. But as the death toll in Iraq continues to rise with no end in sight, and as Kentuckians tighten their purse strings in preparation for a recession, Sen. McConnell has made it clear over and over again that he is completely out-of-touch with the majority of Kentuckians. We’re up to the fight. Is he?

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Economy , Health Care , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Opinion Polls , Pork Spending , SCHIP
• Comments(4)

Terri Whitehouse January 9th, 2008

A pentagon official gave the U.S. a 50/50 (or less) chance of success in Iraq for 2008. Mmm hmm. A Bush appointee said that. I wonder what on earth that could mean.

UPDATE: If that isn’t enough to make you wretch, then this might be. Ugh.

• Iraq War , Vietnam War
• Comments(0)

Joe Sonka December 11th, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

Mitch McPorky, the villain of the Club for Growth and fiscally responsible conservatives, is out to load up the pork in his proposal to reach a budget deal that funds the Iraq war and earmarks for his sugar daddies filling the GOP warchest.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel issued the following press release/smackdown of Sen. McPorky McFilibuster(I think he's been reading Ditch Mitch, but he forgot to add, "Calling Senator Forgy!")

"First Mitch McConnell sides with the White House and insists on a blank check for Iraq.  Now he's fighting for earmarks over funding for cancer cures, the veterans' health care crisis, and 50,000 new American teachers.  Under Senator McConnell's budget proposal, Iraq and his own re-election campaign would come first, while America's health care and education needs would come last.  When the American people called for change in 2006, it was not to maintain the status quo in Iraq and the status quo in Washington."

Thumpin'! 

UPDATE:

I totally missed this yesterday, but uber-conservative Bob "Prince of Darkness" Novak also slammed Mitch for his Pork Play.

That fork offers choices not only for current government spending but also for the Republican future. One way pressed by conservative reformers would either block an omnibus bill or stop it by sustaining a presidential veto, insisting on a continuing resolution that would save taxpayers $30 billion a year. The other course makes a deal with an omnibus bill $8 billion to $11 billion over Bush's guidelines, virtually forcing him to sign it by inserting troop money, further depressing the demoralized Republican voter base. That was the course McConnell clearly indicated last week.

Launching his 2008 campaign in Kentucky — he has warned this may be his most difficult reelection — McConnell in an ad stressed his performance as an appropriator delivering earmarks (highlighted by $280 million for his state's universities). His office regularly issues statements bragging about how much bacon he brings home to Kentucky in appropriations bills. But to actually put bacon on the table, McConnell needs something like the Democratic-drafted omnibus bill that contains 11,932 earmarks. A continuing resolution would add no new earmarks.

**************

These seasoned purveyors of pork outgun and outnumber GOP reformers such as Sen. Jim DeMint, a first-termer from South Carolina who told me: "A CR is the only way to keep spending at any sensible level. An omnibus bill would be a defeat for the Republicans. I don't see any reason to cave in on our principles. The Republicans have no discipline when it comes to appropriations." DeMint was careful not to mention McConnell and the other Republican appropriators by name, but there was no doubt whom he was talking about.

"The Republicans have no discipline when it comes to appropriations"

I like that quote, Sen. DeMint. Just go ahead and include Mitch's name next time, because we know who you were talking about.

CALLING SENATOR FORGY!!!!

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Pork Spending
• Comments(1)

Joe Sonka December 10th, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots and DailyKos)

In light of Mitch McConnell's despicable comments last week about our military deaths, its worth noting this story from the LA Times last Friday on how Republicans are hemorrhaging support from the military. Check out these numbers from the Bloomberg/LA Times poll conducted Nov. 30th to Dec. 3rd of active military, veterans and their family:

Was it worth going to war in Iraq?- only 36% yes, 57% no (was 64% yes in 2004)

Should we withdraw our troops now or within the next year? Or should we stay as long as it takes?- 58% withdraw, 35% stay

Do you approve of the way that Bush is handling the needs of active duty troops, veterans and military families?- 35% approve, 53% disapprove

What party do you trust to do a better job of handling issues relating to military families?- 39% Democrats, 35% Republicans

And military families in KY are quite aware of the fact that Mitch McConnell has rubber-stamped Bush's failed policies every step of the way. And let us not forget, it was Mitch McConnell that TWICE filibustered Sen Jim Webb's amendments to restore proper troop rotation and rest between tours, which both had broad bipartisan support and 58 votes. I noted back in July the LHL story on the shift in attitudes towards Bush/McConnell/Iraq in Ft. Campbell, where the strain on military families has reached the breaking point.  

A few days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bo Ward put these words on the sign at his 12-chair barbershop near the main gate at Fort Campbell: "President Bush, show no mercy. Kick their ass!"

But almost six years later, and after more than four years of war in Iraq, Ward's no longer so sure.

"Soldiers are tired; wives are tired; families are getting worn down," Ward said. "I know these boys can't just pick up and come home from Iraq, but we need some kind of exit plan."

**************

Kentucky has given heavily to the war effort. Fort Campbell's latest round of deployments will push to 23,000 the number of soldiers from the post serving in the Middle East conflict.

At Fort Campbell, the place Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, once called home, feelings about ongoing efforts in the Middle East and Republican leadership during the war are mixed.

On any given weekday, Ward's barbershop, the fort's largest, is a place where privates and senior officers sit side by side waiting for a trim. Ward chats with these soldiers as he snips away. And he says he thinks many of them now would be happy to see Washington set a date for leaving Iraq.

"Right now, you've got first sergeants and sergeant majors and E-7s and E-8s that are getting out of the army right and left," Ward said. "They're saying 'I've been deployed three times, I'm pressing my luck, I'm not going to give up my life and my family for something where there's no end to it.'"

Karla Tucker works at a furniture store just down the street where many military families shop. She also says that many soldiers, exhausted by repeated deployments, are deciding not to "re-up" as their enlistments end.

"These young men and women are coming back with all kinds of problems; some of them are on anti-depressants; their marriages are in trouble," Tucker said. "There are families right and left that are deciding not to hang around; they're leaving here and going home. I personally have not heard anyone say they're going to re-enlist. It's sad."

It is sad, and this war's tragedy goes far beyond even the high number of deaths and serious injuries. The effects of the war have taken a deep psychological toll on many soldiers returning, breaking up families and even leading to a 26-year high in the suicide rate among the Army's active duty.  Below is the video of Lt. Col. Andrew Horne on MSNBC, explaining the strain on families from the extended tours that Mitch McConnell filibustered in order to maintain.

Military families know the role that Mitch McConnell has played in being Bush's lapdog in respects to Iraq, and what once helped him will now be an anchor around his neck as they turn on Bush. Just look at McConnell's recent poll numbers among those in Western KY (where Ft. Campbell is located). In just 2 months, McConnell's approval/disapproval rating went from 66/23% to 49/36%. Western KY is usually where Mitch pulls in his biggest amount of support, but if a candidate is able to significantly cut into this, Mitch could seriously be in trouble next year.

As I mentioned back in July:

Meanwhile, Marine vet Jim Webb shows how you deal with a repetitive talking point regurgitator and Bush enabler on Meet the Press.

Can you imagine Mitch McConnell having to debate a tough Marine veteran like this in his Senate race next year? Someone that actually has a distinguished military record and can speak for the veterans and their families that have paid such a heavy price for their sacrifice to their country in Iraq?

Perhaps we can make that happen, eh?

Perhaps we can, indeed.

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Andrew Horne , Filibuster , GOP , Iraq War , Jim Webb , Mitch McConnell , Opinion Polls , Republican Party Decline
• Comments(1)

Joe Sonka December 7th, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots)

Says the one and only Keith Olbermann:

"Senator, you need to resign. And then you need to go look for a soul, so you can have it implanted in your body."

You never know about resignations. Sometimes, they just come out of nowhere.

• Iraq War , Keith Olbermann , Mitch McConnell
• Comments(4)

Matt Gunterman December 7th, 2007

Senator Mitch McConnell’s (R) calculus of dying soldiers: some are more tragic than others.

Of course, what McConnell wants to distract people from is the fact that even if the soldiers were all draftees, the deaths would still be for a war built on the lies of Pres. George W. Bush (R) and McConnell himself to the American people.

All men and women who die in service to their country in whatever capacity do so in great honor. It’s simply a shame that a wicked commander-in-chief ordered them into harm’s way for a mission he knew to be a lie.

Here’s a powerful installment from Senate2008Guru:

Mitch McConnell Doesn’t Know Sacrifice

Kentucky: By now, we’ve all heard about Mitch McConnell’s abhorrent comment on courageous soldiers dying in Iraq:

Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers.

Well, somebody who knows something about military service and sacrifice, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Horne, has responded to McConnell’s repugnant comment:

“I would say that Mitch McConnell owes every member of our service and the families of the fallen an apology, but no apology from him can take back the venom he has spewed at our troops, this time. For anyone to believe that casualties of war are somehow more acceptable because they were not draftees is disgusting. For the Republican leader in the United States Senate to say that is beyond repugnant.”

“This is just Mitch McConnell once again demonstrating that he has no idea of - and has no interest in learning - what our troops have sacrificed. Whether it is filibustering a bill that would give proper time at home for our overextended troops, or voting against increased funds to take care of veterans who have come home, Mitch McConnell has shown nothing more than complete ignorance about our military and those who serve our nation in it.”

“To my fellow service members and veterans, let me apologize on behalf of Kentucky for Senator McConnell’s putrid comments. He most certainly does not represent our views, nor the high regard in which we hold you and your families.”

The next time Mitch McConnell goes to Fort Campbell for a photo op, maybe he’ll think of some of these names.

# 9/10/07: Pfc. Sammie E. Phillips, 19, of Cecilia, Ky., died Sept. 10 in Rustamiyah, Iraq, of injuries suffered from a vehicle rollover. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, Kentucky Army National Guard, Carlisle, Ky.

# 9/2/07: Staff Sgt. Delmar White, 37, of Wallins, Ky., died Sept. 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery, Kentucky Army National Guard, Carrollton, Ky.

# 7/24/07: Lance Cpl. Robert A. Lynch, 20, of Louisville, Ky., died July 24 while conducting combat operations in Diyala province, Iraq. Lynch was assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

# 6/19/07: Sgt. 1st Class William A. Zapfe, 35, of Muldraugh, Ky., died June 19 in Muhammad al Ali, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. Zapfe was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

# 5/30/07: Pfc. Joshua M. Moore, 20, of Russellville, Ky., died May 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when the vehicle he was in struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

# 5/4/07: Staff Sgt. Christopher N. Hamlin, 24, of London, Ky., died May 4 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations May 4 in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

# 4/6/07: Chief Petty Officer Gregory J. Billiter, 36, of Villa Hills, Ky., died April 6 from enemy action while conducting combat operations near Kirkuk, Iraq.

# 4/4/07: Cpl. Joseph H. Cantrell IV, 23, of Ashland, Ky., died from wounds suffered Apr. 4 in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

# 4/1/07: Spc. William G. Bowling, 24, of Beattyville, Ky., died April 1 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

# 1/15/07: Sgt. John E. Cooper, 29, of Ewing, Ky., died Jan 15 in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

# 1/5/07: Maj. Michael L. Mundell, 47, of Brandenburg, Ky., died Jan. 5 in Fallujah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Mundell was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 108th Division (Institutional Training), Spartanburg, S.C.

# 12/10/06: Staff Sgt. Thomas W. Clemons, 37, of Leitchfield, Ky., died Dec. 10 in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, from a non-combat health-related incident. Clemons was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 123rd Armor, Leitchfield, Ky.

# 12/4/06: Lance Cpl. Thomas P. Echols, 20, of Shepherdsville, Ky., died Dec. 4 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

# 10/25/06: Lance Cpl. Jonathan B. Thornsberry, 22, of McDowell, Ky., died Oct. 25 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Johnson City, Tenn.

# 10/17/06: Staff Sgt. Garth D. Sizemore, 31, of Mount Sterling, Ky., died Oct. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries suffered when his patrol came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Sizemore was assigned to 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

# 10/8/06: Spec. Timothy A. Fulkerson, 20, of Utica, Ky., who died Oct. 8 in Tikrit, Iraq, when a landmine detonated near his vehicle during combat operations. Fulkerson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 82nd Aviation Reconnaissance Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

# 9/23/06: Spc. Windell J. Simmons, 20, of Hopkinsville, Ky., died of injuries suffered in Taji, Iraq, on Sept.23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Simmons was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

# 8/29/06: Cpl. Christopher T. Warndorf, 21, of Burlington, Ky., died Aug. 29 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

# 5/16/06: Staff Sgt. Santiago M. Halsel, 32, of Bowling Green, Ky., died of injuries sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 16, when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was conducting a dismounted clearance mission during combat operations. Halsel was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

# 4/23/06: Sgt. Robert W. Ehney, 26, of Lexington, Ky., died of injuries sustained in Taji, Iraq, on April 23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. He was assigned to the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

# 4/19/06: Pfc. Robert J. Settle, 25, of Owensboro, Ky., died in Taji, Iraq, on April 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Settle was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

# 4/16/06: Master Sgt. Clinton W. Cubert, 38, of Lawrenceburg, Ky., died on April 16, in the Lexington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, Ky., of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq, on Sept. 11, 2005. Cubert was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 2113th Transportation Company, Paducah, Ky.

# 4/15/06: Lance Cpl. Justin D. Sims, 22, of Covington, Ky., died April 15 when his HMMWV struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Sims was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

# 4/10/06: Spc. James W. Gardner, 22, of Glasgow, Ky., died in Tal Afar, Iraq, on April 10, from a non-combat related cause. Gardner was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

# 2/3/06: Sgt. 1st Class Lance S. Cornett, 33, of London, Ky., died in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on Feb. 3, of injuries sustained earlier that day while engaging enemy forces. Cornett was assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

# 2/2/06: Pfc. Scott A. Messer, 26, of Ashland, Ky., died in Ashraf, Iraq, on Feb. 2, when his HMMWV accidentally rolled over during convoy operations. Messer was assigned to the Army’s 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

# 1/1/06: Sgt. 1st Class Jason L. Bishop, 31, ofWilliamstown, Ky., died in As Siniyah, Iraq, on Jan. 1, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Bishop was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

# 9/20/05: Staff Sgt. William A. Allers III, 28, of Leitchfield, Ky., died in the vicinity of Khalis, north of Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 20 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle. Allers was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 198th Military Police Battalion, 75th Troop Command, Louisville, Ky.

# 9/16/05: Sgt. Matthew L. Deckard, 29, of Elizabethtown, Ky., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 16, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A1 Abrams tank during patrol operations. Deckard was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

# 8/31/05: Spc. Jason E. Ames, 21, of Cerulean, Ky., died on Aug. 31, 2005, in Mosul, Iraq, from non-combat related injuries. Ames was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.

# 8/6/05: Lance Cpl. Chase J. Comley, 21, of Lexington, Ky., died Aug. 6 as a result of an explosion from a suicide, vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Al Amiriyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

# 8/5/05: Sgt. 1st Class Robert V. Derenda, 42, of Ledbetter, Ky., died on August 5, 2005, in Rubiah, Iraq, when a civilian fuel truck collided with his HMMWV while performing a convoy mission. Derenda was assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve’s 1st Brigade, 98th Division, Rochester, N.Y.

# 7/17/05: Spc. Ronnie D. Williams, 26, of Erlanger, Ky., died on July 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained on July 16 in Baghdad, Iraq, when his M1A2 Abrams tank left the road and entered a canal during patrol operations. Williams was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

# 7/3/05: Spc. Ryan J. Montgomery, 22, of Greensburg, Ky., died July 3 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV while his unit was conducting convoy operations. Montgomery was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, Campbellsville, Ky.

# 6/23/05: Sgt. Joseph M. Tackett, 22, of Whitehouse, Ky., died June 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat related injury. Tackett was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

# 6/23/05: Sgt. 1st Class Christopher W. Phelps, 39, of Louisville, Ky., died June 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Phelps was assigned to the Army’s 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

# 6/14/05: Pfc. Michael R. Hayes, 29, of Morgantown, Ky., died June 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, where a rocket-propelled grenade hit his HMMWV while he was providing security cordon for an improvised explosive device found earlier. Hayes was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 617th Military Police Company, Richmond, Ky.

# 5/25/05: Sgt. David N. Wimberg, 24, of Louisville, Ky., died May 25 from wounds received as a result of small-arms fire from enemy forces while conducting combat operations in Hadithah, Iraq. Wimberg was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Columbus, Ohio. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

# 5/7/05: Petty Officer Third Class Jeffery L. Wiener, 32, of Louisville, Ky., died May 7, in a combat related incident. Weiner was a Navy hospital corpsman assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF).

# 4/3/05: Sgt. James A. Sherrill, 27, of Ekron, Ky., died April 3, in Bayji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle. Sherrill was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 2113th Transportation Company, Paducah, Ky.

# 3/30/05: Spc. Eric L. Toth, 21, of Edmonton, Ky., died March 30 on a supply route when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Toth was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, Tompkinsville, Ky.

# 3/19/05: Spc. Jonathan A. Hughes, 21, of Lebanon, Ky., died March 19 in Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Hughes was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, Campbellsville, Ky.

# 11/16/04: Sgt. Christopher T. Heflin, 26, of Paducah, Ky., died Nov. 16 as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Heflin was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.

# 11/7/04: Lance Cpl. Sean M. Langley, 20, of Lexington, Ky., died Nov. 7 from injuries received as a result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Langley was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

# 10/28/04: Pfc. Stephen P. Downing II, 30, of Burkesville, Ky., died Oct. 28 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, from small arms fire while conducting combat operations. Downing was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, Camp Hovey, Korea.

# 9/29/04: Pfc. Joshua K. Titcomb, 20, of Somerset, Ky., died Sept. 29 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries sustained on September 28 when an improvised explosive device exploded near his military vehicle. Titcomb was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 72nd Armor Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Camp Casey, Korea.

# 6/21/04: Lance Cpl. Deshon E. Otey, 24, of Hardin, Ky., died June 21 from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

# 5/14/04: Sgt. James W. Harlan, 44, of Owensboro, Ky., died May 14 at Camp Anaconda, Iraq, when a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb next to his vehicle. Harlan was assigned to the Army Reserve’s 660th Transportation Company, 88th Regional Readiness Command, Zanesville, Ohio.

# 4/17/04: 1st Lt. Robert L. Henderson, II, 33, of Alvaton, Ky., died April 17, in, Diwaniyah, Iraq, when his convoy tried to avoid an overturned trailer and came under small arms attack. 1st Lt. Henderson was assigned to the Army National Guard’s Detachment 1, 2123rd Transportation Company, Owensboro, Ky.

# 4/8/04: Cpl. Nicholas J. Dieruf, 21, of Versailles, Ky., died April 8 due to injuries received from enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

# 4/7/04: Staff Sgt. George S. Rentschler, 31, of Louisville, Ky., died, April 7, in Baghdad, Iraq, when his military vehicle was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade. Rentschler was assigned to the Army’s 1st Battalion, 35th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.

# 2/19/04: 2nd Lt. Jeffrey C. Graham, 24, of Elizabethtown, Ky., died of injuries sustained from small arms fire and an improvised explosive device attack.

# 1/27/04: Sgt. 1st Class James T. Hoffman, 41, of Whitesburg, Ky., was killed on Jan. 27 in an improvised explosive device attack in Khalidiyah, just east of Ar Ramadi, Iraq.

# 11/21/03: Cpl. Gary B. Coleman, 24, of Pikeville, Ky., was killed on Nov. 21 in Balad, Iraq. Coleman was on patrol when the vehicle he was driving flipped over into a canal trapping him inside the vehicle. Coleman was assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (Mech), based in Fort Carson, Colo.

# 11/15/03: Sgt. Michael D. Acklin II, 25, of Louisville, Ky., was killed on Nov. 15 when two 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Mosul, Iraq. Acklin was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

# 10/12/03: Spc. James E. Powell, 26, of Radcliff, Ky., was killed on October 12 in Baji, Iraq. Powell was killed when his M2/A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck an enemy anti-tank mine. He died as a result of his injuries.

# 9/29/03: Sgt. Darrin K. Potter, 24, of Louisville, Ky., was killed on Sept. 29 near Abu Ghraib Prison, Iraq. Potter was a member of a military police team searching the prison area. During the search, his vehicle left the road and went into a canal. SGT Potter died in the vehicle. Two other soldiers escaped.

• Andrew Horne , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell
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Matt Gunterman December 7th, 2007

Yeah. Read what TalkingPointsMemo has on Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) below from the Grayson County News Gazette

Let’s follow the crazy logic of Sen. McConnell here. So, if you are a laborer for a construction company and the CEO of that company decides to borrow unimaginable sums of money to build a skyscraper in the middle of the desert and that CEO doesn’t provide you the proper tools and materials you need to do the job and all around you are hostile natives who are killing your fellow laborers because they don’t want the skyscraper there, is it your fault as an employee that you’re in the middle of such a mess or is it the CEOs? I’d say it’s the CEO because he’s obviously lost his marbles?

But the CEO’s defenders would likely argue that the employee ultimately bears the responsibility because he or she could simply walk away from the job. Of course, it’s not so simple in the military, but the CEO’s defenders would counter that soldiers knew the terms of their contract when they signed on for duty.

So, in the end, we have soldiers being put in danger by a crazy president. Who’s responsibility is it to protect the soldiers from the actions of a crazy president? I’d say that the responsibility rests with Congress. The voters themselves can’t do anything directly about it until the next presidential election, and they did what they could in 2006 by putting Democrats in control of both the House and Senate.

And Mitch McConnell’s right there to stop the Democrats’s efforts to protect our troops every step of the way in the effort. And how does he rationalize his actions?

He essentially says to the soldiers: Hey, you guys, you should have thought about the possibility of a nut-case president before you signed on the dotted line; now die for your naivety!

GOP Senate Leader McConnell Appears To Belittle Deaths Of American Troops
By Greg Sargen

Uh oh — looks like GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell has got a problem on his hands. Check out what he said about the death of American troops in Iraq in a meeting with constituents this week, according to Kentucky’s Grayson County News-Gazette:

“Unfortunately, most of our friends on the other isle are having a hard time admitting things are getting better; some days I almost think the critics of this war don’t want us to win. Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers.”

It’s hard to read this as anything but belittling the importance of the deaths of troops because they’re “professional soldiers.” What McConnell is basically saying here is, “hey, they signed up for this.”

Maybe someone should get clarification from McConnell on this.

• Iraq War , Mitch McConnell
• Comments(3)

Joe Sonka December 4th, 2007

(crossposted at BlueGrassRoots and DailyKos, go recommend it!)

Mitch McConnell is currently employing the most cynical and selfish of tactics within the Senate. Mitch finds himself faced with a minority in the House and Senate, where much progressive legislation has passed in the House and been supported by 50+% in the Senate.

But this would certainly make Democrats look good, as they promised to raise the minimum wage, expand health care and shift course in Iraq. And they have had the votes to pass such legislation.

So what's Mitch McConnell's strategy? Block everything. Filibuster everything. And then, accuse Democrats as being a "do-nothing" Congress. Then, hope that the American people are stupid enough not to realize that it is the Republicans that are blocking legislation from passing. The strategy was laid out in public by Trent Lott when he said, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail … and so far it’s working for us." Working for the American people is a far different matter.

And these filibusters have come at a record-shattering pace. In July, the 110th Senate was already on pace to almost triple the record number of filibusters, as you can see in this handy little graphic: (and an incredibly thorough run down here)

And they're still on pace to shatter this record. From the New York Times, we learn that Mitch and his Republican buddies continue to obstruct on an unprecedented level:

So far in this first year of the 110th Congress, there have been 72 motions to stop filibusters, most on the Iraq war but also on routine issues like reauthorizing Amtrak funding. There were 68 such motions in the full two years of the previous Congress, 53 in 1987-88 and 23 in 1977-78. In 1967-68, there were 5 such votes, one of them on a plan to amend cloture itself, which failed.

For policy making, this is the legislative equivalent of gum on a shoe.

It has produced a numbing cycle of Washington futility: House Democrats pass a bill, but Senate Democrats, facing a filibuster by the Republican minority, fail to get the 60 votes needed to end debate. Little wonder that approval ratings of Congress stink these days.

But is this strategy working for McConnell? Are the American people duped by this obstruct and blame strategy?

While it is true that Congress' approvals are abysmal, a look at the numbers shows that Americans are not blaming the Democrats at this point. A recent USA Today/Gallup showed that 54% have a favorable view of Democrats, 37% unfavorable. The Republicans? 40% approve, 50% disapprove. And a recent Washington Post/ABC polled showed similar numbers as the Democrats had a 51% favorable rating to the Republicans 39%.

Want further proof that this cynical strategy is not working? Take a look at Mitch McConnell's plummeting approval ratings, which are an all-time low of 44/47%. Furthermore, his numbers among moderates and Independents in KY are particularly god-awful and continuing a steep downward spiral. People are sick of McConnell's allegiance to Bush and his corrupt party.

But Mitch and his Republican friends in the Senate are going to stick by this strategy: 1.) Block every piece of popular legislation which will help our country move forward. 2.) Blame Democrats for nothing passing and "doing nothing". Forget the negative consequences of blocking such important legislation, just think about driving down Democrats' approvals by dishonestly blaming them.

Too bad for them, people aren't getting fooled and Republicans will have no shelter when the great Democratic tidal wave of 2008 hits. 

Especially the "Grim Reaper" of the Senate. 

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Filibuster , Iraq War , Mitch McConnell , Republican Party Decline , Senate Minority Leader , U.S. Senate
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Matt Gunterman November 28th, 2007

WHAS’s Mark Hebert spoke with Metro Councilman Jim King (D) about his appearance at the fund raiser of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) last night. King’s defense of himself rings true, especially considering that he admits that his presence there was “dumb” and “politically naive”. You don’t hear politicians admitting that about their actions too often, even when what they’ve done is blatantly so.

UPDATE (1.21am): As Judy notes from the comments, the war protest was a success. I thank all the people who were there protesting and making all our voices heard by doing it. I thank you for your message and I thank you for your time. And, furthermore, without you there, we wouldn’t have known about Councilman King.

PageOneKentucky has a post up on the King incident and it has an email statement from him. I think we’re all in agreement here that King’s biggest mistake was not taking the time when he was first identified by the protesters to explain the situation. That would have saved him a lot of trouble and grief, and there wouldn’t be questions today about whether he can ever be mayor. In short, if he was willing to go through all that trouble to speak to Mitch McConnell, then he should have been just as willing to speak to his constituents outside.

From Hebert:

Demo. Councilman King at McConnell Fundraiser

Oops. A democratic Metro Council member who wants to someday run for Louisville Mayor was spotted at a fundraiser for republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell last night.

According to Louisville realtor Gregg Wagner, Jim King was at the McConnell fundraiser with three other gentleman. Wagner was one of about 20 war protestors who gathered outside the fundraiser which was held at the Cherokee Place home of republican businessman Larry Bisig. According to Wagner, when King left the fundraiser he walked past the protestors refusing to answer their question “what are you doing here Jim.” Wagner says he and the other protestors were “livid” that a democratic Metro Council member would attend a fundraiser for McConnell then ignore the mostly democratic crowd of protestors out front.

Wagner says he called King today and King returned it. According to Wagner, King said he’d been trying to get a meeting with McConnell for more than two years. King told Wagner he wanted to discuss an “FAA issue” with the senator but couldn’t get his ear. King claimed he rode along with a few friends who were going to the fundraiser so he might get a chance to finally talk to McConnell. King told Wagner he did not donate to McConnell’s campaign.

I’ve placed a call to King’s cell phone to hear the rest of the story.

UPDATE: Just talked to King. He admits is was “dumb” and “politically naive” on his part to walk into a McConnell fundraiser with a bunch of Iraq war protestors out front. King says he talked to McConnell about pressing the FAA to change the main runway at Louisville Int’l Airport from the east runway to the west runway so planes would fly over industrial areas, not the Audobon Park and Germantown neighborhoods in King’s Metro Council district. McConnell told King he wasn’t aware of the issue but would now look into it. King says he didn’t contribute any money to McConnell and plans to back the democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in ‘08. He also says he’s an opponent of the war in Iraq and didn’t realize how his appearance at the republican fundraiser would look like a snub to the protestors.

• 2008 KY U.S. Senate Race , Iraq War , Jim King , Mitch McConnell , fundraising
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