Rocky's call to protest Bush makes vets see red

[gldstwmn]

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_2958368

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson called for "the biggest demonstration this state has ever seen" to protest President Bush's appearance Monday before a national veterans convention.
"This administration has been disastrous to the country," Anderson said Friday. "If people could organize and speak out in an effective manner from the reddest state in the country, that would garner a lot of attention."
In an e-mail Wednesday to about 10 activist leaders, the maverick mayor of Utah's capital called for a diverse demonstration to greet Bush when he speaks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The mayor plans to join the protesters.
"There should be a collaboration of health-care-provision advocates, seniors, the [gay, lesbian and bisexual and transsexual] community, anti-Patriot Act advocates and other civil libertarians, anti-war folks, pro-Social Security advocates, environmental advocates, anti-nuclear-testing advocates, and anti-nuclear-waste-shipment-and-storage advocates," the mayor wrote in the e-mail.
The mayor's message drew a howl of outrage from Mike Parkin, senior vice commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Atomic Post 4355 in Salt Lake City.
''Excuse my French, but - that son of a bitch!'' he said. "It makes the mayor look very, very unpatriotic. It makes him look despicable."
Parkin said such demonstrations, particularly against the Iraq war, give comfort to America's enemies and will be particularly offensive to the 13,000 to 14,000 veterans gathering at the convention.
"I voted for the son of a bitch and I'll never vote for him again," said the Vietnam War veteran.
Anderson disagrees with that measure of patriotism.
"Patriotism," the mayor said, "demands that people speak out when we see our government officials acting in such anti-democratic and deceitful ways to the people of our country."
He also said: "I don't understand people simply blindly going along with the sort of deceit and utter cruelty of this administration. It's not just we have the right to speak out, but we have the obligation to speak out when we see misconduct on the part of the government. The most patriotic thing we can do is stand up against the misuse of governmental power."
Craig Axford, co-chairman of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus, said Anderson's encouragement of demonstrations is appropriate.
"I don't think there's anything untoward or radical about that," said Axford, an organizer of a peace rally planned for Pioneer Park, three blocks from the convention center. "For people who appreciate the mayor and appreciate his politics, obviously it will boost our event."
But Joe Cannon, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, said Anderson's encouragement of protests against the president was improper, though typical of the mayor.
"What do you expect? It's Rocky. Clearly it's intended to smack the president. As the mayor of the host city, it's at best untoward."
Cannon thinks the e-mail will only help the Utah Republican Party.
"It's not the worst thing that can happen to remind the people of Utah the kind of things Democrats nationally stand for."
Salt Lake City Councilman Dave Buhler, a Republican, also said the mayor's action was in poor taste.
''I'm disappointed he would do this and use his office to promote his political views, which do not involve the city directly.''
Other city officials can do little, Buhler said, except "apologize for him again, as we are getting pretty good at doing."
Anderson, who is scheduled to make welcoming remarks to the conventioneers, says veterans will understand. "The veterans of foreign wars are heroes in my view. To stand up against government misconduct is in no way expressing a lack of support for those who defend our country."
Even though Utah gave Bush his largest margin of victory of any state in the 2000 and 2004 elections, Anderson, a Democrat, wrote in this e-mail: "Don't let him come to Utah and not see huge opposition, even in the reddest state! This would send such an important message."
"A tepid response will just send a message of apathy and resignation. Let the Bush administration - and the world - hear from Salt Lake City!"
Meanwhile, peace activists already were gearing up for the president's visit. Erin Davis, a veteran who opposes the war in Iraq, predicted at least 1,000 anti-war activists would begin gathering in Pioneer Park early Monday. The demonstration will be joined by a national group of military families who oppose the war.
Anderson plans to participate at Pioneer Park demonstration against the war and is scheduled to speak.
Axford described the rally at Pioneer Park, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., as a "pro-peace rally." It isn't being held near the Salt Palace, where the president will speak, because organizers didn't want to make the convention attendees feel unwelcome, the mayor said.
"We didn't want to invite any kind of confrontation. We wanted to focus on our positive message."
That message, Axford says, is: "We'd just like [the president] to explain and justify this war in light of the fact so much of what we were told we were fighting for clearly we weren't fighting for."

[Nixxxed]

I know another Rocky who doesn't like Bush either...

[Nixxxed]

By the way, did you see this? (The most important bit is underlined at the bottom...)

----------------------------

Republicans Speak Out Against The War
by Michael in New York - 8/18/2005 02:30:00 PM

Thanks to DailyKos for rounding up these devastating quotes on the war:

"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."
--Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
--Sean Hannity, Fox News

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."
--Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

Oh, wait, did I mention these were Republicans denouncing Clinton for committing troops to Bosnia? Every reporter in the country should quote these very words back to those yahoos and force them to comment. (Thanks to threader sans-culotte for pointing us to this.)

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005...ainst-war.html

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

By the way, did you see this?
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005...ainst-war.html

I love americablog! I haven't been over there in a while. :

[irishgrl]

an interesting side note:
in my local paper, a woman wrote on behalf of her VietNam Vet husband who suffers from PTSD and various other conditions based on his service there...apparently our GOVERNMENT has decided NOT to include PTSD etc as deserving of veterans medical benefits....Now we have a new generation of combat vets who will also be denied benefits for PTSD. Wont they be surprised to learn that there will be no help for them once they get home (IF they get home)???????????

I HATE our Administration, and Monkey boy in particular. him and his flight suit and all.

As for Rocky, I think RAMBO would be a better spokesperson (I just want our Country to love us as much as we love it) Truer words were never spoken.
Nuff Said.

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

apparently our GOVERNMENT has decided NOT to include PTSD etc as deserving of veterans medical benefits....Now we have a new generation of combat vets who will also be denied benefits for PTSD. Wont they be surprised to learn that there will be no help for them once they get home (IF they get home)???????????

In addition to stripping care from future cases, I read somewhere (can't remember where now) that they're calling all previously diagnosed PTSD cases to come back in for re-evaluation. Which means they'll basically just change their diagnosis to remove the benefit. Or is this what you meant? Will there be no grandfathering of older cases?

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

I love americablog! I haven't been over there in a while. :

Stephanie Miller often recites these quotes on her morning show during Wheel.Of.Right.Wing.Hypocrites!!

The Delay ones are especially sickening. How does that man sleep at night?

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

an interesting side note:
in my local paper, a woman wrote on behalf of her VietNam Vet husband who suffers from PTSD and various other conditions based on his service there...apparently our GOVERNMENT has decided NOT to include PTSD etc as deserving of veterans medical benefits....Now we have a new generation of combat vets who will also be denied benefits for PTSD. Wont they be surprised to learn that there will be no help for them once they get home (IF they get home)???????????

I HATE our Administration, and Monkey boy in particular. him and his flight suit and all.

As for Rocky, I think RAMBO would be a better spokesperson (I just want our Country to love us as much as we love it) Truer words were never spoken.
Nuff Said.

Laura Flanders was talking about PTSD yesterday and described some things that have happened when vets have returned from Iraq. They've shot themselves, their wives, innocents, because no one in any military place of authority will acknowledge this problem or take any steps to help soldiers who suffer from it. I was so upset by it that I burst into tears, they don't care. Everyone knows PTSD is real and it is debilitating. Rather than treat returning soldiers for it they pretend that it isn't an issue. How can they do this? She says our pres and administration are the see no reality, hear no reality, speak no reality people.

I just learned my cousin is going to Iraq. I hope something changes and he doesn't have to go. If anything happens to him I will flip.

[irishgrl]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

In addition to stripping care from future cases, I read somewhere (can't remember where now) that they're calling all previously diagnosed PTSD cases to come back in for re-evaluation. Which means they'll basically just change their diagnosis to remove the benefit. Or is this what you meant? Will there be no grandfathering of older cases?

that is what I meant. Our young people go over and give their lives and their youth in service to this country, and suffer unimaginable horrors and have lasting effects and yet they wont be treated for them. What a load of CRAP.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

By the way, did you see this? (The most important bit is underlined at the bottom...)

----------------------------

Republicans Speak Out Against The War
by Michael in New York - 8/18/2005 02:30:00 PM

Thanks to DailyKos for rounding up these devastating quotes on the war:

"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."
--Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
--Sean Hannity, Fox News

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."
--Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

Oh, wait, did I mention these were Republicans denouncing Clinton for committing troops to Bosnia? Every reporter in the country should quote these very words back to those yahoos and force them to comment. (Thanks to threader sans-culotte for pointing us to this.)

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005...ainst-war.html

Very interesting I hadnt heard that Delay said that

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

I just learned my cousin is going to Iraq. I hope something changes and he doesn't have to go. If anything happens to him I will flip.

Wow - I'm really sorry to hear that. A very close friend of mine just returned from a year-plus stint in Afghanistan. Thankfully, he came home in March, just before things there started really going downhill again.

It was very hard knowing he was there, and there was basically nothing I could do about it. But, he did have intermittent e-mail and Web access, so he wasn't totally cut off from us. And my Mom and I sent him and his friends HUGE care packages (25+ pounds each time), which really seemed to cheer them up.

I wish your friend (and you) the best.

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

Very interesting I hadnt heard that Delay said that

Which one? This has lit something of a fire, and I'm sure the bloggers will dig up many, many more quotes in the next few weeks.

The most interesting thing I've seen reported about all this is that there wasn't a single combat death in the Bosnian campaign. A few accidents, yes, but no combat deaths. Not even one.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Nixxxed

Which one? This has lit something of a fire, and I'm sure the bloggers will dig up many, many more quotes in the next few weeks.

The most interesting thing I've seen reported about all this is that there wasn't a single combat death in the Bosnian campaign. A few accidents, yes, but no combat deaths. Not even one.

You are correct sir. There was one death due to a car accident, if I remember correctly.

[irishgrl]

they are such hypocrites, they cant sing the praises of THIS "War President" high enuff, and they will stoop to outright LIES to justify his agenda, and our young people are dying or suffering untold mental/physical agonies and no one cares. Cindy Sheehan has caught the mood of quite a few people with her determination to nail that imposter to the cross--all with the simple question of WHY?

Clinton/Bosnia isnt even a blip on the combat radar screen....what a joke.