Today is Veteran's Day... Our conservative friends show their true colors

[Ian David]

Today is Veteran's Day... So our conservative friends can show their true colors. And, apparently they do:

Veterans Day Outrage: Conservatives End 55-Year-Old
Practice of Hearings for Vet Groups
by Nico, Think Progress blog
November 10, 2005
http://tinyurl.com/9xhfw

Bush Forcefully Attacks Iraq Critics
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press
11/11/05
http://tinyurl.com/djj2k

Veterans Day Open Thread
by Armando, Daily Kos
Fri Nov 11, 2005
http://tinyurl.com/b63z3

Democratic leader fires back at Bush speech: We must change the course
RAW STORY
11/11/05
http://tinyurl.com/dc78y

FROM THE HARRY REID RELEASE: President Bush said today
that Democrats in Congress "had access to the same
intelligence" as he did in deciding to go to war in
Iraq.

Fact: Congress did not have access to the same
intelligence the Bush Administration did. And
intelligence passed through the White House before
getting to Congress.

According to Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack:
The Bush Administration showed Saudi Prince Bandar
more intelligence than was shown to Congress. (p. 264.)


** THOUGHTS **

So instead of honoring our brave soldiers, past and present, the right-wing in Congress show veterans' groups the door (it seems to be closed) and our
conservative president decides to continue campaigning for an ill-conceived war of his own making, while ignoring the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier and having his #2 complete historically presidential duties at Arlington... All while both the conservative-controlled Congress and White House make a routine of cutting the benefits that our honorable men and women in uniform have sacrificed mightily to earn.

This is how the rabid right 'honors' our troops?!?

** ACTION **

Are these matters in your local news? If not, ask your editors and TV/radio producers why not?

Also, add your two cents by writing to your local papers with your thoughts and reactions to this news.

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Action Item
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Poll: Most Americans Doubt Bush's Honesty
By WILL LESTER, Associated Press
11/11/05
http://tinyurl.com/ap6q6

** THOUGHTS **

Are the scales finally falling off people's eyes?

** ACTION **

Keep an eye on our friends in the conservative-owned corporate media... Bad news for the conservative president seems to often be overlooked by the news orgs; fancy that.

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OF INTEREST
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House Budget Measure Is Pulled
Moderates Buck GOP Leadership In Both Chambers
By Jonathan Weisman and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, November 11, 2005
http://tinyurl.com/d77qk

GOP to Strike Arctic Drilling From House Bill
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 10, 2005
http://tinyurl.com/7a9vg

** THOUGHTS **

The far-right-wing is having trouble with moderate conservatives.... What started with a bit of a row against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge boiled over into a full on walk out on the cuts uber-conservatives wanted to make to health, children's, and educational programs that help provide some semblance of opportunity for all Americans, including the ones unlucky enough to have not inherited billions of dollars in trust funds.

** ACTION **

Keep the pressure on your local media to present the full facts and ramifications of the conservatives' budget cutting plans.

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FOLLOW-UP
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After yesterday's alert, several folks were interested in learning more about the left's proposals and agenda items. So RR has listed links to several progressive groups' takes on issue items below. Keep in mind, the progressive party (parties if you include the Greens and others) are not in power and thus it is highly unlikely their initiatives will be enacted ... thus big media tends to ignore the ideas ... thus we must work our tails off to ensure balance in our media (Rapid Response's reason for existing). Also keep in mind that America is a big country with a lot of citizens: you may or may not agree with the ideas listed in these links, that's your right.

Here you go:

Progressive Democrats of America
Policy Positions, Task Forces and White Papers
http://pdamerica.org/policy/

Democratic National Committee (Democratic Party)
Security, Opportunity, and Responsibility
http://www.dnc.org/agenda.html

Yes, Democrats DO too have ideas!
by stumpy, Daily Kos
(A report on a Meet The Press appearance by Rahm
Emmanuel, head of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee)
Tue Oct 04, 2005
http://tinyurl.com/csghx

Our own Contract with America
by kos, Daily Kos
Tue Oct 11, 2005
(A report on a Roll Call article detailing agenda
plans of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid)
http://tinyurl.com/9vv8z

(** The Legalese: These links are presented for
informational purposes only and are not intended as an
endorsement of the material and opinions presented...)

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FYI
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**
Are you a veteran, on active-duty now, or simply interested in our armed forces? You may want to join military.com, an independent service run by
Monster.com (believe it or not). To my knowledge it's not affiliated with the Pentagon. There are several links to news articles in their alerts as well as
message boards: feel free to join and ensure thematerial presented is balanced and honest.
http://tinyurl.com/bz2fr

**
Televangelist Robertson warns town of God's wrath
By Alan Elsner, Reuters
Thu Nov 10
http://tinyurl.com/b587a

++ Residents of Dover, PA may want to invest in some bullet-proof vests lest Christian Coalition Assassins come a-callin. Either that, or they best be
hurricane-proofing their homes, since Rev Robertson also seems to think election results he doesn't like cause natural disasters. (Forget that global warming
stuff, that's just a theory; kinda like intelligent design is just a theory, right?)

**
Honor Vetrans by Ending the War Now
VETERANS DAY 2005
Honor Those Who Have Served
Mourn Those Who Have Fallen
http://www.ivaw.net/

++ Iraq Veterans Against the War is just what its name indicates. You may wish to learn about them by reading their information.

**
A Post-Election Day Ritual
By Chris Cillizza, Washington Post
Thursday, November 10, 2005
(scroll down to last blurb to find this headline)
http://tinyurl.com/7h3gu

++ Seems your friend and mine GOP Chair Ken Mehlman was asked if he thought Satan was taking over America as a result of last Tuesday's state elections... all for national reporters to hear loud and clear via a journalists' conference call. Drat those pranksters and their funny stuff.

**
Big thanks to Tom, Mark, Calvin, D, Steve, Liz, Lynn and many, many other Rapid Response volunteers for all their help with this alert and all our alerts!!!

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