Town Halls Gone Wild

Screaming constituents, protesters dragged out by the cops, congressmen fearful for their safety — welcome to the new town-hall-style meeting, the once-staid forum that is rapidly turning into a house of horrors for members of Congress.

On the eve of the August recess, members are reporting meetings that have gone terribly awry, marked by angry, sign-carrying mobs and disruptive behavior. In at least one case, a congressman has stopped holding town hall events because the situation has spiraled so far out of control.

News – Rep. Tim Bishop, D-NY. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

In Bishop’s case, his decision came on the heels of a June 22 event he held in Setauket, N.Y., in which protesters dominated the meeting by shouting criticisms at the congressman for his positions on energy policy, health care and the bailout of the auto industry.

Within an hour of the disruption, police were called in to escort the 59-year-old Democrat — who has held more than 100 town hall meetings since he was elected in 2002 — to his car safely.

“I have no problem with someone disagreeing with positions I hold,” Bishop said, noting that, for the time being, he was using other platforms to communicate with his constituents. “But I also believe no one is served if you can’t talk through differences.”

Bishop isn’t the only one confronted by boiling anger and rising incivility. At a health care town hall event in Syracuse, N.Y., earlier this month, police were called in to restore order, and at least one heckler was taken away by local police. Close to 100 sign-carrying protesters greeted Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) at a late June community college small-business development forum in Panama City, Fla. Last week, Danville, Va., anti-tax tea party activists claimed they were “refused an opportunity” to ask Rep. Thomas Perriello (D-Va.) a question at a town hall event and instructed by a plainclothes police officer to leave the property after they attempted to hold up protest signs.

The targets in most cases are House Democrats, who over the past few months have tackled controversial legislation including a $787 billion economic stimulus package, a landmark energy proposal and an overhaul of the nation’s health care system.

Democrats, acknowledging the increasing unruliness of the town-hall-style events, say the hot-button issues they are taking on have a lot to do with it.

“I think it’s just the fact that we are dealing with some of the most important public policy issues in a generation,” said Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), who was confronted by a protester angry about his position on health care reform at a town hall event several weeks ago.

“I think in general what is going on is we are tackling issues that have been ignored for a long time, and I think that is disruptive to a lot of people,” said Bishop, a four-term congressman. “We are trying, one by one, to deal with a set of issues that can’t be ignored, and I think that’s unsettling to a lot of people.”

Freshman Rep. Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.), whose event at a Syracuse middle school was disrupted, said that he still planned to hold additional town halls but that he was also thinking about other options.

“I think you’ve got to communicate through a variety of different ways. You should do the telephone town hall meetings. You should do the town hall meetings. You should do the smaller group meetings,” said Maffei. “It’s important to do things in a variety of ways, so you don’t have one mode of communication.”

“You’re going to have people of varying views, and in this case, you’ve got the two extremes who were the most vocal,” Maffei said of the flare-up at his July 12 event.

On Tuesday, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who handles incumbent retention duties for House Democrats in addition to chairing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, met with freshman members to discuss their plans for the monthlong August recess. While the specific issue of town hall protesters never came up, according to sources familiar with the meeting, he urged them not to back away from opponents.

“He said, ‘Go on offense. Stay on the offense. It’s really important that your constituents hear directly from you. You shouldn’t let a day go by [that] your constituents don’t hear from you,’” said one House Democratic leadership aide familiar with the meeting.

Some members profess to enjoy the give-and-take of the town halls, even if lately it’s become more take than give.

“Town halls are a favorite part of my job,” said Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.), a third-term congressman from St. Louis who noted that a “handful” of disruptions had taken place at his meetings. “It’s what I do. It’s what I will continue to do.”

“People have gotten fired up and all that, but I think that’s what makes town halls fun,” said Perriello, a freshman who is among the most vulnerable Democrats in 2010. “I think that most of the time when we get out there, it’s a good chance for people to vent and offer their thoughts. It’s been good.”

“I enjoy it, and people have a chance to speak their mind,” he said.

Both Carnahan and Perriello said they were plunging forward with plans to hold more town hall meetings.

Republicans, with an eye toward 2010, are keeping close track of the climate at Democratic events.

“We’ve seen Russ Carnahan, we’ve seen Tim Bishop, we’ve seen some other people face some very different crowds back home,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas). “The days of you having a town hall meeting where maybe 15 or 20 of your friends show up — they’re over. You’ve now got real people who are showing up — and that’s going to be a factor.”

Asked later how or whether the GOP would use the confrontations against Democrats, Sessions responded: “Wait till next year.”

But Democrats are quick to point out they’re not the only ones facing hostile audiences. They single out Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), who found himself in a confrontation earlier this month with a “birther” protester, and insist that Republicans face a backlash of their own if it appears the party is too closely aligned with tea party activists or other conservative-oriented protesters.

“It’s a risk that they align themselves with such a small minority in the party,” said Brian Smoot, who served as political director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the past election cycle. “They risk alienating moderates.”

Alex Isenstadt
July 31, 2009

(Politico)

San Diego- As the San Diego Sheriff’s race heats up, local contender, Jay LaSuer gets an official endorsement from Arizona’s Top Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

LaSuer announced his endorsement on local radio station 1170 KCBQ with Rick Amato. Arpaio’s endorsement comes as the race for the Sheriff’s office is just getting underway.

“Joe is the foremost Sheriff in the country and the person I admire most in law enforcement. His support is very humbling to me,” LaSuer said.

The premier Sheriff in America said he would be willing to help LaSuer with fund raising efforts as well as advertisements, says LaSuer. “He is a living legend and well respected.”

Many think this endorsement might just push LaSuer over the finish line first as Arpaio is well respected. Despite negative press from left wing organizations, Sheriff Joe continues to win reelections in landslide manners.

The bottom line for LaSuer is straight talk. “I want to make San Diego County the safest county in the country.”

July 30, 2009
Kimberly Dvorak

(The Examiner)

Honduran Interim Leaders: Zeyala Can’t Be Restored 

 
Jul 31 02:37 PM US/Eastern
By FREDDY CUEVAS and ALEXANDRA OLSON
Associated Press Writers 
 

Roberto Micheletti, installed by Congress after Zelaya was flown into exile, has sent mixed signals throughout the week on whether he might permit Zelaya’s return as part of a deal. On Thursday, a confidante told The Associated Press that Micheletti was open to the compromise.

But Micheletti told reporters Thursday night that Zelaya could return to Honduras only to face trial for abuse of power and other charges.

“Under no circumstances will we let him take possession of the government,” he said.

Arias said Micheletti had asked him to send an envoy to Honduras to jump-start negotiations. Arias said he was considering the proposal and indicated that Zelaya’s return to power would be part of any talks the envoy held.

He said the envoy would have to meet with several sectors, “especially businessmen … who have been very reluctant to consider the possibility that Zelaya be reinstated.”

A former Honduran government official told AP that Micheletti also told Arias he was open to restoring Zelaya but was seeking concessions to mollify the reluctant businessmen.

The concessions would be aimed at guaranteeing that Zelaya would not resume efforts to change the constitution, an initiative that led to his June 28 ouster, according to the ex-official, who is in regular contact with Micheletti and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was divulging details of a private conversation.

But late Thursday, Micheletti denied indicating to Arias he would back off his opposition to Zelaya’s return to power, saying he was “a man of character who maintains his positions.”

Zelaya had been trying to organize a referendum to gauge popular support for the constitutional overhaul, defying court orders declaring the vote illegal. Opponents say he was trying to change the constitution to extend his presidential term, which ends Jan. 27, but Zelaya denies any such intentions.

Further complicating the situation, Congress put off until Monday consideration of a bill granting both sides amnesty from prosecution—an important part of Arias’ plan to end the standoff. Congress had originally been scheduled to take up the matter this week.

The interim government has long said it hopes to resist international pressure until November elections, which it hopes will weaken calls to restore Zelaya.

Zelaya supporters are doing their best to see that doesn’t happen: Thousands of protesters who want him reinstated marched peacefully in the Honduran capital and four other cities Friday, a day after riot police used tear gas and night sticks to break up a pro-Zelaya blockade of a main artery leading into Tegucigalpa. Police said 25 people were injured and 88 arrested in Thursday’s clashes.

“We’re in the streets and we’ll stay here until Zelaya returns and the dictatorship falls,” said Cesar Ham, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Unification Party, a small left-leaning party that supports Zelaya.

The United States has suspended millions of dollars in military and development aid to Honduras to protest Zelaya’s ouster. It stepped up the pressure this week, revoking the diplomatic visas of four Honduran officials and warning it was reviewing the visas of all officials in the interim government.

Zelaya adviser Milton Jimenez said a proposal would be floated in the Organization of American States for other countries to extend visa cancellations to a broader range of those involved in the coup, as well as freezing their bank accounts.

On Thursday, Zelaya met with the U.S. ambassador to Honduras in Nicaragua, where the ousted president has set up his government in exile.

Zelaya told reporters after the three-hour meeting that he asked for Washington to apply pressure on the interim government “with more energy, more strength and greater decisiveness.” He will also ask for “immediate action” from the U.N. and Organization of American States.

But his foreign minister, Patricia Rodas, told the Telesur television network that “it has been a meeting of repetitions, of positions that can’t be negotiated. They (the U.S. diplomats) didn’t come with a change, nor any new proposal.”

Micheletti called the meeting an “interference,” and said “Ambassador Llorens has committed a serious mistake by meeting with Zelaya.”

___

Alexandra Olson reported from Mexico City. Associated Press writers Morgan Lee in Tegucigalpa, Filadelfo Aleman in Ocotal, Nicaragua, and Marianela Jimenez in San Jose, Costa Rica, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 
Senator Asks Clinton to Explain Honduran Policy

Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:19pm EDT
By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A key U.S. senator asked the Obama administration on Thursday to explain in detail its policy on the Honduran political crisis, warning that otherwise Senate confirmation may be delayed for a U.S. diplomatic nominee for Latin America.

“The complexity of events that led up to the Honduran crisis has given rise to questions regarding U.S. policy,” Senator Richard Lugar, one of the Senate’s most respected voices on foreign policy, wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The United States has refused to recognize the Honduran government led by Roberto Micheletti, which took over the Central American nation after President Manuel Zelaya was ousted by the Honduran military on June 28.

Lugar told Clinton he shared her support for mediation by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias in the month-old dispute over whether Zelaya should be allowed to return to his post.

But he also appealed to the State Department to provide a detailed clarification of U.S. policy to “interested Members” — an apparent reference to several of his fellow Republicans, who charge Washington is trying to reinstate a left-wing government in Honduras.

Because of U.S. support for Zelaya, conservative Republican Senator Jim DeMint has threatened to delay a Senate vote on the nomination of Arturo Valenzuela to be assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, the senior diplomat in charge of Latin America at the State Department.

“I request that the Department provide interested Members a detailed clarification of the steps that it has taken, and intends to take, in response to the events that transpired in the run-up to and period after the forced removal of President Manuel Zelaya from Honduras,” Lugar wrote to Clinton.

The letter was provided to Reuters by Lugar’s office.

“Your explanation of U.S. policy toward Honduras and your outreach to the Senate can improve the prospects of confirming Mr. Valenzuela before the Congress recesses in August,” Lugar wrote. The Senate is scheduled to go on recess August 8.

Lugar also encouraged Clinton to work with the Senate to confirm two other nominees, Thomas Shannon as ambassador to Brazil, and Carlos Pascual as ambassador to Mexico.

“Recent events in Honduras only heighten the urgency of assembling President Obama’s diplomatic team for the region,” he said.

Washington has cut $16.5 million in aid to Honduras and this week revoked diplomatic visas for four members of Micheletti’s administration to pressure it to reverse the coup.

Micheletti on Wednesday night released a statement calling for new efforts to resolve the country’s political crisis.

But Zelaya’s representative in Washington, Eduardo Enrique Reina, told Reuters he thought Micheletti was simply trying to gain time with the statement, noting that Micheletti’s aides in Honduras are still vowing not to let Zelaya return.

“We will ask the U.S. government to step up the pressure on Micheletti,” Zelaya’s ambassador told Reuters.
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Fed Reserve Sends Our Money To Europe!

The disgusting part of this story is that this obvious hatred of white people is not illegal, thank God. If the House version of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, H.R. 1913, doesn’t even make this type of speech illegal UNTIL violence is perpetrated because of this speech.

Freedom of Speech is FREEDOM OF SPEECH!….even if we disagree with what is said. Hate is not illegal, just socially repugnant. This man deserves to be socially criticized the same way a white person writing trash about black people should.

Violence in the name of hate is already illegal….so why the need for Hate Crimes legislation?

The Department of Justice recently dropped the conviction of Jerry Jackson member of the “New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense” (NBPP). The Washington Times has covered the Black Panther reversal at the Department of Justice revealing,

“Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perelli, No.3 official in the Obama Justice Department, was consulted and ultimately approved a decision in May to reverse course and drop a civil complaint accusing three members of the New Black Panther Party of intimidating voters in Philadelphia during November’s election, according to interviews.”

It all began when Mr. Jackson stood outside a Philadelphia polling area with Malik Zulu Shabazz and another New Black Panther member during the 2008 presidential election. They later faced charges for intimidating voters on November 4th, 2008. Appointed to be a poll watcher in 2008 for the Democratic Party and the Obama campaign, Mr. Jackson is also an elected member of Philadelphia’s 14th Ward Democratic Committee.

The NBPP member has not stayed away from expressing his views on a social media site like MySpace. Mr. Jackson’s(WARNING DISTURBING CONTENT) MySpace site is chock full of disturbing images with explicit racial overtones. A sample of some of the phrases and images on his MySpace page include:

• “BLACK POWER,BLACK LOVE,BLACK UNITY,BLACK MINDS,KILLIN CRAKKKAS”

• “F*** Whitey’s Christmas”

• An image of an execution scene from the cult hit film “Pulp Fiction”

• A photo of a man holding a sign saying, “DEPORT WHITE PEOPLE”

• A derogatory anti-cop poster titled “BEWARE OF PIG”

• An image of Saddam Hussein before his execution

• A photo of a cop sitting next to a black child in a toy car. Beneath the image the phrase “Racial Profiling: It Starts Early”

• A photo-shopped movie poster of the “Bourne Supremacy” is re-worded to say “The Bourne White Supremacy” A swastika is added to Matt Damon’s cheek, and the scope of his firearm is photo-shopped to look as if he is about to shoot a black man. The “n” word is used to describe who “Matt Damon hates” in this movie poster. The phrase, “They should have just stayed in Africa” is photo-shopped at the top of the image.

It is hard to believe such web content is coming from an elected party official in Philadelphia, yet Mr. Jackson has been appointed again to be a poll watcher for the upcoming Democratic Primary in Philadelphia’s municipal election. Mr. Obama may think a White House “beer summit” will help smooth over racial ills, but his justice department is doing the country no favors when they give Jerry Jackson and Malik Zulu Shabazz a free pass.

Update 10:00pm: Mr. Jackson’s MySpace page has been removed. A cached version is available through the link now.

Update 11:00pm: description of The Bourne Supremacy poster has been re-worded to show further detail.

Update July 31, 2009 10:30 am: The Washington Times Editorial page has come out with new information about the Justice Department’s cover up in the New Black Panther Case, and Washington Times reporter Jerry Seper is writing that lawmakers on the Hill are wanting to take a second look into the panther case.

By Kerry Picket on July 30, 2009 into Water Cooler

(Washington Times)

The call came two days after George Amundson finished the 2004 Ford Ironman World Championship. Amundson, then 65, was standing in a parking lot outside a supermarket off Palani Road, his body still tired and sore, his spirits still high.

Amundson’s son, Bill, was on the phone. The news was tragic. George’s grandson and Bill’s son had been killed in Afghanistan. Army Ranger Corporal William Amundson, a turret gunner, had been killed when the Humvee in which he was riding toppled over. George knows no other details about the accident.

William Amundson was 21.

George Amundson By Ironman.com

About two weeks later, Amundson attended his grandson’s funeral at the Arlington National Cemetery and spoke to William’s unit commander.

“Oh, you’re the Ironman,” the Army officer said to George. “Bill was so proud of you. You Amundsons are tough guys.”

Recalling that day, George says, “I knew at that moment I had to do (Ironman Hawaii) again, and I had to do it for Bill.”

Five years after his grandson’s death, George Amundson, who turns 70 in August, is headed back to Kona for the Ford Ironman World Championship. His reaction upon learning he won a lottery slot?

“Jubilation,” he says.

George Amundson was not even 5-feet tall when he entered Missouri’s Crystal City High. He was 5-foot-7 inches when he graduated. He didn’t play sports in high school.

He began running in his mid-30s for the most basic of reasons.

“To get into shape,” says Amundson, who lives in Plano, Texas, and is retired after working in the semiconductor industry.

While being small limited Amundson’s athletic opportunities as a child, it proved beneficial as an adult. Didn’t hurt his love life either. He met his wife, Karen, while working out at the Plano High School track.

Amundson ran his first marathon in 1982. The next year, George and Karen ran a 26.2-miler together, coming across the finish line hand in hand in 4 hours, 22 minutes. That proved to be his personal best. Karen, 51, went on to run a 3:57 and qualify for the Boston Marathon.

“I started slowing down and she started speeding up,” he jokes.

In 1999, Amundson sampled triathlon for the first time. The man had a difficult hurdle to overcome in the swim-bike-run. Amundson didn’t learn to swim until he was 59.

“I’m still afraid of the water,” he admits.

Amundson’s mother and grandmother never learned to swim. He didn’t see a swimming pool until he was 14. Some kids swam in stock tanks that served as drinking water for cattle, but being infested by water moccasins, they weren’t exactly inviting.

A veteran triathlete George met while jogging in a park helped him overcome his fear of the water. In exchange for running with George, she taught him how to swim. When George dogpaddled across the pool for his introductory lesson, her first words were, “You’re right, you don’t know how to swim.”

His first triathlon, a sprint, took place in a 25-meter pool. Amundson went out with the first wave and he was still the last person out of the water. He remembers getting trampled, people swimming over the top of him. Did we mention he has battled asthma since he was 21? With about 50 meters to go in that first triathlon, he remembers friends encouraging him, yelling, “C’mon George, you can make it.”

There’s a saying that goes something like, “It isn’t the size of the man in the fight that counts, but rather the size of the fight in the man.” Like a true Texan, Amundson is stocked with some grit.

His swimming phobia aside, he has finished the Ford Ironman World Championship twice and completed eight total Ironmans. He will not swim in a large body of water by himself, but come race day he feels secure. “There’s so many people around, on surfboards and kayaks, they watch you like a hawk,” he says. “I know I’m not going to drown during a race, but if I’m out there by myself, I might panic.”

He’s not afraid to poke fun at himself. Like when describing his Hawaii honeymoon with Karen when they went on a snorkeling adventure.

“She was the first one in and the last one out of the water. Me?” he says. “I’d be the last one in the water, holding onto a boogeyboard.”

Amundson used to own “a couple hundred” acres in East Texas where he raised registered black angus cattle. His grandson, Bill, would visit and stay for weeks during the summer in his youth. He’d ride on the tractor with his grandfather, help put ear tags on the cattle, help administer shots or brand the cattle.

When Bill was younger, he’d ride a pony and climb on hay bales in the barn. On Saturday nights, they’d head into town and see who could eat the most. Bill’s favorite food: spaghetti.

Bill had already served multiple trips to Iraq and Afghanistan when he died. He was supposed to be coming home soon.

When he thinks of his grandson, Amundson says, “I still get choked up.”

To honor Bill during Ironman Hawaii, Amundson would like to wear a cycling jersey with an Army Ranger logo. He wants his grandson’s name printed on the jersey.

George admits that as he nears 70, his fascination with running and triathlon helps fill an athletic void he didn’t experience as a child when he was so small.

“The Good Lord willing,” says Amundson, “I would love to do an Ironman, one a year, every year, for the rest of my life.”

He pauses just for a moment, thinks about his grandson’s sacrifice, thinks about his blessings, thinks about triathlon and says, “It’s a lifestyle. It’s not just a race.”

Thu May 28, 2009
By Ironman.com

(Universal Sports)

WASHINGTON (AP) – Congressional officials say the government plans to suspend the popular “cash for clunkers” program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases.

The Transportation Department called congressional offices late Thursday to alert them to the decision to halt the program, which offered owners of old cars and trucks $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle.

The congressional officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Through late Wednesday, 22,782 vehicles had been purchased through the program and nearly $96 million had been spent. But dealers raised concerns of large backlogs in the system, prompting the suspension.

Jul 30 07:39 PM US/Eastern
By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

(Breitbart.com)

Washington D.C. (CW) – America’s top prosecutor insisted Thursday that freedom of expression in America “must be limited” and proposed legislation that would slap additional restrictions on talk radio and certain of the country’s news media.

The new law would punish the owners of radio stations, television channels and newspapers that have attempted to “cause panic” and “disturb social justice,” DOJ Secretary Eric Holder said.

It also would punish media owners who “manipulate the news with the purpose of transmitting a false perception of the facts” as deemed by the Obama Administration.

“Freedom of expression must be limited,” Holder said.

Holder urged lawmakers to consider his suggestions as they debate a bill that would punish as-yet-undefined “media crimes.” The House of Representatives, which is controlled by allies of President Barak Obama, is expected to approve the measure in coming months.

Peter Pack, Chairman of Amnesty International, warned the proposed legislation “would be a terrible regression for freedom of expression.”

“They are trying to increase the penalties for expressions that could be considered offensive for authorities,” Pack said in an interview broadcast by Chandler’s Watch on the Grizzly Groundswell Radio Network in America.

Carlos Lauria of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists called the bill “reminiscent of the dark days of Communist Russian polotburos with its archaic provisions for so-called media crimes.”

Obama’s administration is slowly tightening its grip over the news media, raising concerns among watchdog and human rights groups that accuse the government of trying to stifle dissent.

America’s Federal Communications Commission notified 50 radio stations earlier this week that their broadcast licenses could be revoked because they failed to update their registrations. FCC Chairman Michael J Copps said a final determination on the licenses will be made following investigations. He said authorities might also seize broadcasting equipment.

Nearly 200 other broadcasters that did not meet a June deadline to register also will be investigated, but have not yet been formally notified, Copps said

Broadcast regulators have also opened a series of investigations into Fox News Channel, the only strongly anti-Obama channel remaining on the open airwaves.

Fox News CEO Roger Ailes accused the FCC on Thursday of “deciding to shut down Fox News.”

“He’s just looking for the way to diminish the political cost,” Ailes said at a forum in Washington organized by the libertarian Cato Institute.

Obama denies that he intends to silence critics, saying his administration fully respects freedom of expression.

The scariest part of this article is that you have read this far and actually thought that it could be real.  The story is real but the names have been changed to expose the guilty!  Go to Breitbart.com to read the real story.

CAMP AL TAQADDUM, Iraq — Being a high school teacher, a professional soccer player and a firefighter in one’s local town are all great accomplishments. For one woman who has been all three, there was still something more she desired to pursue.

The majority of active-duty second lieutenants serving in the Marine Corps are right out of college or already have prior-enlisted service before deciding to become commissioned officers. But at 31 and having lived through more real-life experiences than the majority of her peers, 2nd Lt. Suzie McKinley has finally found her calling as a Marine Corps officer.

She is currently serving her first deployment to Iraq as the G-6 communications operations officer for the 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq. However, just a few years ago, she found herself within the confines of a classroom teaching at the Winchendon School in Winchendon, Mass. The school was not your typical high school. It held classes from 9th grade through postgraduate school, and students enrolled ranged anywhere from your star athlete destined to be drafted to the National Basketball Association, to international students who would return to their native country to serve a number of years in their nation’s military.

Nonetheless, McKinley loved teaching. She loved the impact she made on the students and the remarkable progress she would see in their academic abilities over the course of only several months. But then there came a point where she felt like she was coming up short.

“I needed to be able to do more,” McKinley said. “I owed my students more; I wanted to get out and get [credibility] … I felt like I hadn’t lived.”

In hopes of finding that ”something more,” McKinley left the Winchendon School in 2003 to pursue her master’s degree in English literature at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt., assuming that furthering her education was the answer. However, in an unexpected, but welcomed turn of events, she found an opportunity to play on a female professional soccer team, the Vermont Voltage, where she competed against teams from Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts and Canada.

Having played soccer since she was old enough to walk, McKinley remembers the offer as an opportunity she could not pass up. Unfortunately, she did it for the love of the game and not the money, so she had to hold a few jobs to make ends meet. She coached soccer at the local high school, managed a backcountry ski center, and if that wasn’t enough, she also became a firefighter in her town’s local fire department in Ripton, Vt.

“It was a once in a lifetime shot to train and play at that level,” McKinley said. “The best part of it was to have all the young kids come out to the games and see us play, and to see a light in their eyes because they know there are opportunities out there.”

As much as she loved to play soccer, it was the rush and adrenaline in being a firefighter and being part of an organization where she would be able to possibly take part in saving someone’s life that started to draw her into firefighting.

Unfortunately, the day came when McKinley and her squad couldn’t get to a victim in time. She still vividly remembers when she and a fellow member of her squad went into the building to retrieve the body. She had trained for something like this, but when they got to the scene, they found that there was a second victim. The woman’s pet Rottweiler never left his owner’s side. That was the tipping point that caused her to search for a way where she would be able to firefight full time.

“Once you experience something like that, you can’t just do it part time … I wanted all of it,” she said. “When the pager goes off, everything stops. The world stops spinning and someone needs help. The only thing that matters is to get from A to B to get to that person.”

Her first step was to attempt to enter the Air National Guard Crash Fire Rescue, where she would be able to make firefighting a career. But after beginning the process and going through the physical, she was placed on a waiting list.

Discouraged by the waiting process, McKinley was talked into going to see a Marine Corps officer selection officer. After the OSO discussed the training regiment, what she would be tested to do, combined with the leadership, physical training and the opportunity to serve her country, she knew she was hooked.

“This is what I was meant to do,” she said as she serves on her first deployment overseas as one of the officers-in-charge of a section of 19 Marines. “This is it, because I still have those kids looking at me, but they’re not in my English class, they’re Marines.”

McKinley finds that many of the attributes that gained her success as a teacher in the classroom are transferrable over to her new role as a Marine officer. She says there’s a requirement to be patient, honest and you have to be okay with not being liked all of the time. But most importantly, you have to be willing to listen.

She has the utmost respect for each of the Marines with whom she has the pleasure of serving.

“The utter gratitude I have for them at their age to make the sacrifice,” she said. “I can’t imagine at 18, 19 joining the Marine Corps, but here these Marines are doing such an enormous service for themselves and their country.”

Although there is no definite plan for what her future looks like, McKinley does know she eventually plans to return to teaching now that she has earned the knowledge and credibility she yearned for back when she was teaching in that 9th grade classroom.

July 29, 2009
Marine Corps News
by 1st Lt. Michele Perez

(Military.com)

Britain ended its troop presence in Iraq today, concluding six years of military involvement in the country that began with the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.

The British exit comes one day after Australian forces wrapped up their own mission and left Iraq, the Australian Associated Press reported.

Photo by Michael Yon.

A small contingent of naval trainers currently de-camped in Kuwait could return once Iraq’s parliament has considered a new agreement between London and Baghdad. Parliament will reconvene in September.

Most of Britain’s troops were based in the predominantly Shiite southern port city of Basra.

Under then-prime minister Tony Blair, Britain was a key ally of the United States when president George W. Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 to topple Saddam.

London’s troop numbers in the campaign were the second largest, peaking at 46,000 in March and April 2003 at the height of combat operations that resulted in the dictator’s overthrow and eventual execution for crimes against humanity.

Baghdad and London signed a deal last year that said all British soldiers in Iraq would complete their mission, which in recent months focused on training the Iraqi army, by June, before withdrawing completely by the end of July.

July 31, 2009
Agence France-Presse

(Military.com)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday ramped up her criticism of insurance companies, accusing them of unethical behavior and working to kill a plan to create a new government-run health plan.

“It’s almost immoral what they are doing,” Pelosi said to reporters, referring to insurance companies. “Of course they’ve been immoral all along in how they have treated the people that they insure,” she said, adding, “They are the villains. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening.”

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Editing by Sandra Maler)

July 30, 2009

(Reuters)

If you ask me, “almost immoral” and “immoral” are two totally separate things!

Helmand Province Governor Visits Local Leaders, Marines in Nawa District 

7/30/2009 
By Staff Sgt. William Greeson,

Regimental Combat Team 3

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan-Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commander of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, addresses local Nawa men and key officials of the Nawa District during a shura July 23. The purpose of the shura is for Helmand Provincial governor Gulav Mangal to address the reestablishing of the Afghan National Government in the Nawa District. Marines with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 3, are deployed in support of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and will participate in counter insurgency operations and training and mentoring the Afghan National Security Forces to improve security and stability in Afghanistan., Lance Cpl. James Purschwitz, 7/23/2009 6:29 AM

NAWA DISTRICT, HELMAND PROVINCE, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan  — More than 200 local Afghans gathered for a shura here with July 23, 2009.  A shura serves as a meeting for locals to voice their opinions and concerns to leaders who have the power to change things. 

The provincial governor attended along with the district governor, district administrator and high-ranking officials from the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and U.S. Marine Corps.

“The fact that he (the provincial governor) was interested to come to Nawa is a big deal,” said Capt. Frank Biggio, the civil affairs team leader for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and a 38-year-old, Washington D.C. native.  “It shows that it’s safe enough for him to come here and that people from all around this area with different backgrounds and views are interested to hear what he has to say.”

Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Afghanistan commanding general, also attended the shura and addressed the local Afghans.

“Things are getting better, and we’re seeing more progress.  It’s been a pretty incredible turn around,” said Nicholson.  “The ANA is having success wherever they go.  I think if we work together, we could be more effective.”

Lt. Col. William McCollough, commanding officer of 1/5, also addressed the crowd, commenting on the positive changes that have taken place in Nawa District.

“Less than a month ago, we could not have flown a helicopter in during the day.  This base and this district center were subject to fire,” McCollough said.  “If we tried to hold a meeting, maybe one or two elders would come.  It’s been a striking difference that we hope to continue.”

With enemy contact almost nonexistent, IEDs are the enemy’s weapon of choice for disrupting the battalion’s efforts.

“The enemy is being driven out of the area, and as they go, they are leaving IEDs behind.  It’s mostly affecting the people. It’s not really affecting us,” Nicholson explained.  “Three children died this week because of this threat.  Using all our assets, I think we can eliminate the problem.”

Members of the Taliban continue to intimidate and sometimes harm the local citizens.

“The Taliban have killed 25 people in this area.  They are killing their own,” Nicholson said. 

Nawa District is preparing to hold elections.  This will be a major step in extending the authority of the legitimate government in the region.  Many locals might think Marines will leave once the elections are over.

“They will be very surprised after the election to see that we’re still here,” Nicholson said.  “The next 30 days is going to be very interesting.”

With positive changes already taking place, 1/5 believes they will be closer to completely securing Nawa District in the coming months.

Tonight we are going to talk to Brian Iglesias, a former Marine Infantry Platoon Commander with two tours in Iraq. Brian is the producer/director of a new documentary film project called “The Chosin Few”.

The Chosin Few is a feature length documentary film about the Korean War veterans who survived the Chosin Reservoir Campaign. The film will feature members of the Chosin Few recalling their experiences at Chosin Reservoir and speaking about their lives afterward. Interview footage will be compiled along with archival video footage to produce the final product. This is similar to The War by Ken Burns on PBS and the Band of Brothers and Alive Day documentaries from HBO.

You can see some footage from the film and photos of the crew at work on their website at Frozen Chosin.com.

You can listen to the show at 7pm Pacific time today by clicking here.

July 31, 2009

Clashes and Arrests Reported at Tehran Mourning Ceremony

By ROBERT F. WORTH and NAZILA FATHI
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranian riot police used tear gas and wooden batons to disperse thousands of opposition supporters in central Tehran on Thursday as they massed to commemorate those killed in the unrest after the disputed June 12 presidential election, witnesses said.

The authorities had denied permission to hold any formal mourning ceremonies, but in what appeared to be the most serious street challenge by the opposition in weeks, the witnesses said, demonstrators gathered around a large prayer venue, the Grand Mosala, as well as in central Vali Asr square, where tens of thousands had gathered in the street demonstration in the days following the election.

Earlier Thursday, police and demonstrators clashed at a cemetery in the city’s southern outskirts where some of those killed in the postelection violence were buried, including Neda Agha-Soltan, a young woman who was shot and whose bloodied image, circulated widely on the Internet, has become an icon of the post-election crackdown.

The opposition leader, Mir Hussein Moussavi, who has asserted that the election was stolen from him in a massive fraud, was among the thousands who arrived at the cemetery, but the police surrounded him and forced him to return to his car before he could offer prayers, news reports said.

Some in the crowd chanted Mr. Moussavi’s name and “death to the dictator!” according to videos posted on the Internet and witness accounts reported by The Associated Press. When another opposition leader, reformist cleric Mehdi Karroubi, attempted to give a speech, the police moved in, firing tear gas and swinging wooden batons at the mourners, news reports said.

Thursday was a day of symbolic importance, in that it was the 40th day since the deaths of Ms. Agha-Soltan and an uncertain number of other protesters, the time for an important Shiite mourning ritual. Thirty years ago, it was commemorations for dead protesters against the shah that fueled demonstrations that led to the Islamic Revolution.

The treatment of detained protesters, some of whom have died in prison, has become one of the most explosive issues facing the Iranian authorities as they seek to quell challenges to their control. They have ordered the release of many of those held but have charged some with serious crimes and continued making arrests.

Mohammed Khatami, a former president and reformist, and an ally of Mr. Moussavi, made fierce comments on Thursday in a meeting with reformist members of Parliament, his Web site reported.

“Crimes have taken place and people have died,” he said. “Our people, young, women and men have been treated in ways that if it had taken place in foreign prisons everyone was screaming that it should be confronted. Such behavior is harmful for the revolution and society.”

Earlier Thursday, the police arrested two prominent Iranian filmmakers when they tried to lay flowers at Ms. Agha-Soltan’s grave. One was Jafar Panahi, known internationally for his film, “The Circle,” which was critical of the treatment of women under the Islamist government and was banned in Iran. The other was a documentary maker, Mahnaz Mohammadi.

At the late afternoon protests in downtown Tehran, arrests and tear gas failed to sap the crowd’s defiance, a witness said.

“The crowd is still as large as it was weeks ago, and you see people from all classes and ages,” said the witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety. “When will the rulers see this? They cannot rule by killing and arresting people.”

On Wednesday, the police arrested two prominent reformists, Saeed Shariati and Shayesteh Amiri, opposition Web sites reported. Separately, state-run Press TV reported arrests of people who had helped sent photographs and video of unrest.

On Tuesday, the authorities released 140 detainees, amid accusations over the torture and killing of jailed protesters. Prominent conservatives and senior clerics joined the opposition in denouncing the abuses.

Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri, a dissident and one of Iran’s most senior clerics, issued a harsh statement on Wednesday on his Web site, saying the government’s closing of one notorious detention center was not enough. “Was the shah able to resist the protests by jailing, torturing, extracting confessions and lying?” he said, referring to the fall of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in the 1979 revolution.

There were some conciliatory gestures from the government on Wednesday, with Iran’s top police official, Brig. Gen. Ismail Ahmadi-Moqaddam, saying some officers “went to extremes” and caused damage during the post-election protests, Press TV reported. The prosecutor general of Iran, Ayatollah Qorban-Ali Dorri-Najafabadi, said that more detainees would soon be released and that a “serious judicial inquiry” was being conducted into prison deaths after the election, Iranian news agencies reported.

But the authorities have also said that their clemency is limited, and that protesters who crossed the line will be punished. On Wednesday, the authorities said that 20 protesters charged with serious crimes would be put on trial for charges including “attacking military units and universities, sending pictures to enemy media, carrying firearms and explosives, organizing thugs and rioters, and vandalizing public property,” state television reported.

Robert F. Worth reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Nazila Fathi from Toronto. Alan Cowell contributed reporting from Paris, and Sharon Otterman from New York.

This is why medical doctors don’t run Fortune 500 companies….They are awesome at curing people, not running business.

President Obama’s former doctor, David Scheiner, is calling for a single-payer health care system, arguing that it would reduce costs by cutting out administrative costs.

Opposition to President Obama’s plan to overhaul the health care system is getting personal.

Obama’s former doctor, David Scheiner, is among the growing number of opponents to the president’s health care plan, he says because it doesn’t go far enough in having government run the system.

Scheiner, who treated Obama for more than two decades in Chicago, is calling for a government-run program like Medicare, arguing that it would reduce costs by cutting out administrative costs.

He treated President Obama — a “beloved” patient — for 20-plus years. The White House plan doesn’t reflect the president’s ideals, he says. Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

Scheiner was among the scheduled featured speakers at a rally Thursday in Washington, D.C., to urge Congress to pass legislation that includes a single-payer health care system.

A coalition of a couple of dozen of health care advocacy groups called “Healthcare–NOW” organized the event. Several liberal members of Congress are expected to attend, including Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Obama has hit the road in an effort to win public support and pressure Congress to pass his top domestic priority. While Obama has said a government-run “single-payer” health care system works well in some countries, he doesn’t believe it would be appropriate in the United States because so many people get insurance through their employers working with private companies.

Lawmakers facing a hesitant public, also note that support is slim for a program that denies any competition. Seventy percent of those with coverage now rate it as good or excellent, according to a recent poll.

“We’ve got to make certain at the end of the day, that we allow people to choose their own doctors and their own hospitals, and their own health insurance plans and to keep the health insurance plan they have if they want too,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Obama does support a government-run “public option” to compete with private insurers, a plan that most Republicans strongly oppose.

At the National Press Club, Scheiner criticized Obama’s health care plan as too weak and argued that as long as health care reform includes private insurers, it will not work.

“I think no bill is better than this bill,” he said.

Scheiner took on those who say they don’t want the government interfering with their health care.

“People don’t know what they’re actually paying. Even people who don’t have any health insurance are paying a lot of money to the health care system and they’re not getting their money’s worth,” he said, noting that the United States is ranked 35th in the world. “I mean that’s an abomination.”

Scheiner said he hasn’t spoken to Obama about his opposition to health care plan and the only effort he has made to let him know is through an e-mail he sent to the White House that was never answered. Scheiner said he didn’t want to misuse his prior relationship with Obama to get his message to him.

Democratic leaders in Congress hope to pass health care legislation by the end of the year. Obama had to extend a deadline to get it passed by the August recess when conservative Democrats slowed the process down with their concerns over the cost. Of the five congressional committees working on the legislation, three have passed versions of it.

July 30, 2009

(Fox News)

Americans should pay closer attention to California’s ongoing — albeit temporarily resolved — fiscal crisis. What is happening in California may well forecast our nation’s fiscal future if we don’t act to prevent the same effects resulting from the same fiscal irresponsibility.

For years, California has overextended itself by spending taxpayer dollars on social service and other state-run programs without exercising any restraint. Now, as a result of this poor budgeting and government excess, California faces — at best — an uncertain fiscal future.

Everyone who’s read a newspaper in the last ten years knows we’ve been heading in that same direction for too many years. Medicare and Social Security benefits alone may be enough to put us all on Skid Row, but in just the past few months we’ve added trillions more to the federal deficit. Right now, federal debt levels are growing much faster than the economy and, just as California did for years, we are spending far more than we can afford.

At the same time California is being forced to cut Medicaid services and other programs state-wide, the federal government is moving in the complete opposite direction, this time with a costly universal health care plan. This plan is wrong on many levels, not the least being its projected cost of more than $1 trillion upfront and increasing rate of at least 6 percent annually.

When adding the cost of the economic stimulus, the omnibus spending bill passed earlier this year at nearly $500 billion, the bailouts and other expenditures, there is no question that the federal budget is on an unsustainable path. This year alone, the federal budget deficit is expected to reach a record level $1.8 trillion as the national debt — already at $12 trillion — continues to grow.

Unless we change our ways, California offers a telling snapshot of where our nation might eventually end up in the not too distant future. With an economy that is bigger than most other industrialized countries in the world, the ripple effect of California’s problems are being felt everywhere. Most notably, California’s situation illustrates the ever-present danger of fiscal recklessness for even the strongest economies.

Also on display are the problems created by over-indulgent tax policies and burdensome environmental regulations. California’s manufacturing sector continues to deteriorate against the backdrop of an 11 percent state-wide unemployment rate. While today’s economy is partly to blame, California’s environmental regulatory framework continues to push businesses and jobs elsewhere, especially in the evaporating manufacturing sector.

Still, the Obama Administration and Democratic Congress continue to push “cap and trade” legislation to create an artificial energy market that regulates carbon emissions. Most experts, including some in the Obama Administration, acknowledge this approach will kill at least one million jobs on the low end and force more manufacturers overseas. As if this were not enough, it also imposes new energy costs on families and businesses in what is clearly the worst recession in over a decade.

There are also striking similarities when it comes to taxes on workers and businesses. At the federal level, the top one percent of wage earners already pay a disproportionate share of the overall tax burden. This is true too in California, where state taxes are some of the most disproportionate and highest in the nation. Nonetheless, costs continue to exceed revenue and, just as California issued bonds to make up the difference, the U.S. government continues to borrow from China and other countries to bridge these shortfalls.

After months of impasse, California’s elected leadership finally agreed to reconfigure or cut certain state services to close its $26 billion budget deficit. The state school system and community colleges suffered severe cuts, with billions of dollars in reductions. Other savings originated by limiting specific health care services to the poor and elderly, and through several budget gimmicks. All the while, there has not been any effort or interest to address the massive strain that illegal immigration puts on California’s annual budget. Services for illegal aliens, including health care and incarceration, are estimated to cost state taxpayers between $7 and $10 billion a year. This too would have been – and still is — a good place to look for immediate and future cost savings.

While California’s budget agreement is good news and definitely a step in the right direction, it is only temporary. Next year, the state’s elected leadership will find itself at the starting line once again and, when that happens, it should continue acting in the best interests of taxpayers by reducing costs wherever possible.

The federal government needs to look closely at California and learn from its experience. We too cannot keep spending without restraint, compounding debt and weakening our economic security. Otherwise, we will head down the same path as California. Hopefully, Congress and this Administration are paying close attention and recognize the apparent consequences of fiscal recklessness.

Congressman Duncan D. Hunter represents California’s 52nd Congressional District consisting of East and Northern County San Diego. In 2008, Hunter was elected to his first term in the House of Representatives, succeeding his father, Duncan L. Hunter, who retired after serving 14 consecutive terms in Congress.

by Rep. Duncan D. Hunter
07/29/2009

(Human Events)

U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle ordered the release of Mohammed Jawad, one of the youngest Gitmo detainees, ruling that he was held illegally.

WASHINGTON — A judge ruled Thursday that one of the youngest detainees brought to Guantanamo Bay is being held illegally and must be released.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle’s order does not end the case of Mohammed Jawad, however. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ian Gershengorn told the judge that as the United States negotiates with the detainee’s home country of Afghanistan for his return next month, the Justice Department also is pursuing a criminal investigation.

Gershengorn said Attorney General Eric Holder has not yet decided whether to indict Jawad, who allegedly threw a grenade that wounded two U.S. soldiers and their interpreter in December 2002. That means it’s possible he could be brought to the United States for a criminal trial.

Huvelle said she had no authority to prevent an indictment, but she encouraged prosecutors to think hard about problems with the case, including Jawad’s mental competency to stand trial and the fact that he’s already been incarcerated for 6 1/2 years.

“After this horrible, long, tortured history, I hope the government will succeed in getting him back home,” she said. “Enough has been imposed on this young man to date.”

Huvelle gave the government three weeks to fulfill legal requirements to report to Congress about any national security risks and diplomatic agreements for Jawad’s release. She ordered the government to report back to her by Aug. 24 and said she hoped by then he was on a trans-Atlantic flight.

Jawad’s attorneys say he was only about 12 years old when he was arrested in December 2002, although there aren’t records of his birth in a refugee camp in Pakistan, so his age is uncertain. The Pentagon says a bone scan shows Jawad was older, about 17, when he was arrested.

Jawad’s attorneys argue he only confessed to throwing the grenade after Afghan officials threatened to kill him and his family. A military judge agreed that he was tortured and ruled in October that the confession couldn’t be used in military tribunals at Guantanamo. The Justice Department agreed earlier this month not to use any of Jawad’s statements during interrogations by Afghan or U.S. officials in the case in the Washington courtroom, either.

The Justice Department said Friday it would no longer hold Jawad as a wartime prisoner. But officials wanted to keep him at Guantanamo while conducting a criminal investigation, saying the government had new eyewitness evidence and would speed up a grand jury investigation.

Jawad’s attorneys responded that the United States has no authority to continue holding him at Guantanamo Bay and asked Huvelle to allow him to return to Afghanistan immediately.

AP
July 30, 2009

(Fox News.com)

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Marines are kicking off their boots and breaking out the yoga mats.

Through integrative restoration — iRest — veterans are able to combat post traumatic stress disorder, depression, chronic pain and insomnia following deployments, according to information about the program.

The program is “a guided meditative form of self-inquiry,” said instructor Cheryl LeClair, who teaches iRest to Marines aboard Camp Lejeune.

Through the program, Marines are given an “opportunity to relax” their bodies and minds, she said.

Marine Lt. Alan Zarracina does a backbend during yoga class in Pensacola, Fla. Mari Darr~welch / AP

“(While in iRest) you’re not what happened to you; you’re not your thoughts,” she said.

Last week, four Marines gathered in a classroom at the Lejeune Learning Center where they spread their yoga mats out at the front of the cold room.

There LeClair spoke softly, talking them through the steps that would lead them to relaxation. The Marines, who were unable to be interviewed due to confidentiality issues, appeared to be sleeping within minutes, which LeClair said is common.

Developed by clinical psychologist, author and cofounder of the International Association of Yoga Therapy Dr. Richard Miller, iRest is based on Yoga Nidra, an ancient meditation practice that supports psychological and physical healing, according to the iRest Web site. The program is currently being used across the country in Veterans Affairs hospitals.

Miller was unable to be reached for comment.

The yoga-based relaxation program is one segment of “Back on Track,” a two-week outpatient program that uses clinical psychology, psychiatry, nursing, social work, substance abuse counseling, chaplains and corpsmen to serve Marines and sailors diagnosed with combat stress reactions, including PTSD, according to information on the program.

In order to be considered for iRest and Back on Track, the Marine or sailor must be referred by a mental health professional, must have deployed and have a diagnosis related to the deployment. The referral would be sent to Back on Track staff, who will determine whether or not the candidate meets the criteria to be enrolled.

July 30, 2009
Daily News

(Military.com)

Armed with the latest study from the Institute of Medicine, Vietnam Veterans of America is petitioning Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki to add three illnesses — including high blood pressure — to the long list of deadly or debilitating ailments that have been linked to Agent Orange exposure.

The outreach is the latest in a long fight between some Vietnam veterans’ organizations and the U.S. government to connect a wider range of ailments to the chemical defoliant used throughout the conflict to strip away the enemy’s jungle sanctuaries.

“With the body of scientific evidence that currently exists, as well as [your] authority to take immediate action through administrative rulemaking, VVA believes that there is now no factual or legal impediment to presumptive service connection for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and Parkinson’s disease,” wrote John Rowan, national president of VVA, in a July 27 letter to Shinseki.

A VA spokesman said the agency has formed a working group to review the Institute’s findings and will make recommendations to Shinseki when it is finished.

“VA is committed to pursuing all research efforts that improve our understanding of various factors that can potentially support presumption of service-connected disability determinations,” spokesman Jim Benson said in an email to Military.com.

And to Rowan, that’s at least a good start.

“This is a big deal,” Rowan said in a phone interview July 28 from Louisville, Ky., where the organization is this week holding its 14th biennial meeting. “We sent Shinseki a letter requesting that he listen to the IOM report and add Parkinson’s disease, ischemic heart disease and hypertension [high blood pressure] to the list.”

A Vietnam vet who contracts any of the illnesses on the VA’s list can seek treatment at VA medical centers and apply for disability compensation.

Benson said the VA working group looking into the institute’s findings is being led by the Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards, and includes representatives from Veterans Benefits Administration and from VA’s general counsel, research and development, patient care services and policy and planning offices.

“Recommendations for policy changes, if any, will be made to [Shinseki], who will decide and announce any policy changes that result. We anticipate this process will take several months to changes,” Benson said.

Rowan’s organization is also asking Shinseki to reverse past VA decisions to not include hypertension on the list, despite the Institute’s conclusion two years ago of a connection between Agent Orange and high blood pressure.

In 2006 the Institute — which by law conducts the Agent Orange studies every two years – found “limited or suggestive evidence” of an association between high blood pressure and Agent Orange exposure. But the VA did not include the condition on the list of disease presumed to be caused by exposure to the defoliant, however.

The military sprayed the herbicide throughout Vietnam during the war to bare huge areas of jungle where communist forces were thought to be operating. The chemical also was used to clear areas around military bases. It was also sprayed along the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea in the late 1960s, said Rowan.

For many years after the war the U.S. denied any links between Agent Orange exposure and the various illnesses and cancers developing in veterans. Today, diseases in Vietnam vets that are presumed to be linked to their exposure to the defoliant include cancer of the bronchus, cancer of the larynx, lung cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of the trachea, Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The list also includes more than 30 types of soft tissue sarcoma, or tumors, as well as Type II diabetes and other illnesses.

Rowan said the previous VA leadership never adequately explained why it would not include hypertension on the list of related conditions, even though the Institute made its case for doing so.

In his petition to Shinseki, Rowan explained that his organization withheld pushing the VA to add hypertension to the list until the new administration got spun up on the issues and solidified its new team at VA.

But with the release of the institute’s latest findings, he wrote, the organization felt it could wait no longer.

In a statement VVA issued immediately following the Institute’s findings, Rowan said his organization continues “to get far too many calls from the children of veterans who wonder if their father’s experiences in Vietnam – and along the [DMZ] in Korea in 1968 and 1969 – has any connection with their health issues and now those of their children.”

July 30, 2009
by Bryant Jordan

(Military.com)

You Paid For It: Ambulance Rides, Health Care Reform

If it’s a medical emergency, Erie County 911 will respond, but there is one address many of its dispatchers know by heart.

They find Scott Graham usually waiting at that Buffalo address for his ambulance several times a week.

“Sometimes two times a day,” Graham told 2 On Your Side. He suffers from Sickle Cell Anemia, a blood disorder. If left untreated, it can block blood flow to limbs and organs.

“It feels like somebody shooting me with battery acid, and I’m stepping on razor blades, and I’m having a heart attack at once,” he said talking about the pain the disorder causes.

Graham doesn’t have a job, insurance or car. So, when he feels bad, he doesn’t call a cab. He calls 911 to have an ambulance drive him to the hospital.

A 2 On Your Side investigation found that from January 2006 to May of this year, Rural Metro Ambulance picked him up 603 times.

Medicaid picked up the tab for each ride, costing taxpayers at least $118,158.

Graham estimates he’s requested even more rides. “I’d say about a thousand times.”

Rural Metro and Erie County chose not to respond on camera about Graham’s case. The county follows the same rules most emergency systems follow across the country. If you call, they must haul you to the hospital, no matter what your call is about.

Graham says he requests an ambulance because he can’t see his doctor as much as he needs. He also says he gets help quicker by arriving in an ambulance rather than by cab.

2 On Your Side contacted Medicaid to have them look into the number of times Graham used an ambulance. Medicaid appeared more interested in how we got the information, rather than how much it cost taxpayers to pick him up.

Medicaid fraud and abuse costs $60 billion each year nationwide.

2 On Your Side contacted our lawmakers to discuss how to lower that number.

“As we look at health care reform,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said, “we should also look at oversight and accountability for those programs to make sure that people aren’t abusing the system.”

Gillibrand says cracking down on abuse should be part of the major health care reform going through Congress to force more oversight.

Take Mr. Graham’s case. His trips cost Medicaid $118,000, but the government reimbursements are low. In fact, most ambulance companies lose money, up to 30% or more, when they transport Medicaid patients, because the government simply does not pay the full cost. Therefore, Mr. Graham’s actual cost to the ambulance company and to the health care system in general, is much more, as high as $360,000.

Erie County Executive Chris Collins, a republican, says government is not the answer to limiting that type of alleged abuse and waste.

“Fundamentally, inherently I think the private sector is better able to do anything and everything compared to government,” Collins said.

Instead, Collins said the solution is insurance that is private and not public.

“Would the type of reform that you’re suggesting here be able to crack down more on this type of fraud?” asked 2 On Your Side’s Michael Wooten.

“I’m actually talking about the basic design of the program in New York,” Collins said. “where fraud is something we have to look at everyday. But the actual larger cost is the actual design of the program and the fact that we took the entire menu and said we’ll provide it all.”

Gillibrand disagrees.

“Bottom line then, expanded government-run health care can be efficient you believe?” 2 On Your Side’s Michael Wooten asked Gillibrand. “Absolutely,” she responded. “Talk to your mother. Talk to your father. Talk to someone who has medicare. They’re pretty happy.” Because they get it for free on our backs…of course they are happy! Pay your fair share, that is all we ask. That is how you limit abuse.

Currently, New York has a dubious distinction of having the highest Medicaid costs in the entire country, about $2,300 per person. Collins said if we had a system similar the one in California, which does not provide as much care, we would save enough money to completely eliminate the county property tax.

By Andrew Pierrotti & Michael Wooten
July 30th, 2009

(wgrz.com)