Letter from Sen. Jim Webb

(My letter to Sen. Webb (posted on July 21, 2008), included one paragraph about Iraq. It began with a query about Sen Webb's endorsement of FISA and my inability to understand his reasoning for voting for it, and my letter described an entirely different subject, also: my suggestion for a new law, the Airport/Airline Recycling Act. I suppose the letter templates his staff uses only address one subject. What's a body to do when multiple subjects are included? Anyway, Iraq, at least, is "on his mind" (maybe). It's the subject of many letters I have written to Congressional members.)

September 26, 2008

Dear Patricia:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the U.S. presence in Iraq. I believe that we must move forward to end our military involvement there.

The invasion and occupation of Iraq began in the absence of a clearly articulated strategy that should have defined our national objectives as well as the circumstances that would bring about an end point to our military presence in that country. Five years later, the American people are still waiting for the kind of political and diplomatic leadership that will end the occupation, stabilize the region, and allow our country to focus on other, vital strategic challenges around the world.

The U.S. occupation has tied down our military forces on the streets of Iraq's cities while the forces of international terrorism are still at large. Only when our political leadership matches the high quality of our military performance will we be able to resolve our current occupation of Iraq. And it is clear that we are not going to see that kind of leadership from the Bush administration. It is imperative that the next administration place great emphasis on robust diplomacy in the region to a degree that allows us to reduce our presence in Iraq and increase stability in the region.

In the coming months we must guard against allowing this Administration to position the next President into a situation where we have agreed to support a long-term military presence in Iraq. For more than six years, the administration has been less than open with the American public or Congress about its long-term intentions in Iraq. We must ensure that the future military presence in Iraq is decided not behind closed doors, but through the open air of free debate, including congressional consent.

As the debate on U.S. involvement in Iraq continues, Congress must protect the welfare of our troops and their families. For this reason, I introduced an amendment in 2007 to the defense authorization bill to require that active-duty service members and units have at least the same amount of time at home as the length of their previous deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. National Guard and Reserve units and members would have a minimum of three years at home for every year that they are deployed and would not be mobilized for longer than one year. These adjustments in today's rotational cycles would have eased the strain that our service members and families now experience. Repeated deployments with inadequate dwell time are taking their toll. The Army's active-component suicide rates, for example, have doubled from 9.8 per 100,000 in 2001 to 19.7 per 100,000 in 2007-an all-time high.

The Senate voted on my dwell-time amendment in July and September of 2007. Unfortunately, passage of this amendment also was prevented by a filibuster on both occasions, although the amendment was supported by a majority of the Senate.

On June 30, 2008, the President signed the FY 2008 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act into law, which included about $162 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This funding is necessary to provide our troops with essential protection and equipment to carry out their mission. In addition, this law included landmark legislation I introduced to provide post-9/11 veterans with comprehensive educational benefits. This bill properly provides a modern and fair educational benefit to address the needs of those who answered the call of duty to our country, often at great sacrifice.

As a combat veteran and as a member of both the Senate Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Relations, I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns on this important matter. As the Senate continues to debate the United States' involvement in Iraq, be assured that I will continue to pursue responsible policies that are fair to our troops and will ultimately enable American forces to leave Iraq.

Thank you once again for your correspondence on this matter. Please be assured that your views are very helpful to me and my staff. I hope you continue to share your views with us in the years ahead.

I would also invite you to visit my website at www.webb.senate.gov for regular updates about my activities and positions on matters that are important to Virginia and our nation.

Sincerely,

Jim Webb
United States Senator

RFK at Archives

It is impossible for a 60s girl to watch the 30-minute film, ‘Robert Kennedy Remembered’ without shedding tears.

He was a man so different from most of the “leaders” today, especially when contrasted with the greedy so and sos on Wall Street and their representatives.

To hear him beckon his listeners at a impressionable age to stand up and be counted in the public servant’s world is to suddenly realize some of the emotion, history and perhaps, reasoning and understanding behind the urgency and willingness to try and make a difference somewhere, like he did.

At the National Archives recently about 200 gathered to see the film originally created as a tribute to Kennedy for the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, only two months after his assassination in June, 1968.

Part of the evening included a panel discussion about Kennedy led by his close
friend and confidant,John Seigenthaler, le pere, who was joined on stage by Jules Witcover, the columnist, Peter Vogt, the producer and director, and Robert Wykes, the composer for the film.

Like a 60s girl Mr. Seigenthaler was emotional throughout the evening as he said he is whenever viewing the film.

Mr. Witcover called the 1968 Chicago tragedy a “police riot.” Mr. Seigenthaler said there was “war in the streets, stink bombs in every hotel. The convention was disorderly from the first day to the last.”

One panelist said President Lyndon Baines Johnson wanted screening of the film to be withheld until the convention’s end, fearing the adulation and fawning which did indeed happen. A 17 or 18 minute non-stop ovation greeted Teddy Kennedy when he stood at the podium.

Eventual nominee Hubert Humphrey played no role in the film or its screening, a panelist noted.

The occasion at Archives was the Second Annual Charles Guggenheim Tribute Program, named after the famous documentary film creator who was represented at Archives by his business partner and daughter, Grace Guggenheim. According to the program, Mr. Guggenheim, who died in 2002, made more than 100 documentaries and won four Academy Awards, the George Peabody Award and three Emmys and created the RFK tribute film.

Introducing the panel was the U.S. archivist, Allen Weinstein. Has anyone ever attended an event at Archives where Mr. Weinstein did not perfectly capture the moment with his personal anecdotes, of which there are so many, and his brilliant beginning of any presentation? He is another of the thousand thousand Archives' treasures.

Preceding the film were five of RFK’s political advertisements created by Guggenheim for the 1968 campaign, so honest, simple, and poignant, they become poetry compared to the slash and burn content of today’s messages. A viewer could not escape the sincerity and genuineness of Robert Kennedy, a person who sincerely cared about those less fortunate than he. His mission leaped across the stage.

Consider it:

Excluding the calamity wrought by Katrina, when was the last time you saw a picture in a magazine, in a newspaper, on a news channel, on the Internet of poverty-stricken people? In Appalachia? In slums of any large city? Or heard or participated in a conversation about the same? They are the forgotten people whose existence is brought to life by films and words of Robert Francis Kennedy. He lives!

Reelin' and a Rockin' in Falls Church

It's the way it is at Obama's headquarters on South Washington Street.

The buzz grows louder. The hum increases. The smiles and energy balloon. The momentum is getting bigger and louder and moving fast!

Every time I walk in the door I am astonished by the number of volunteers who are working the phones, filling out tally sheets, inputting data, welcoming newcomers, turning in canvass packets at 9 p.m. on a weekday night.

And the food! Never have I seen so much at a campaign office. Plates of cookies and vegetables with dip are placed conveniently on tables where telephone calls are made.

Kyle and Jon, both amazingly still standing, run a focused, energetic, fun-filled office, and that's what it's all about, isn't it, Alfie?

You want fun? You want frolic? You want to contribute to the cause? And be around like-minded individuals, brimming with enthusiasm, laughter, and purpose? It's the place to come, to be, to wake up to a new day and, dare I say, change.

I don't know if Chuck Berry is supporting Barack Obama and Joe Biden or not, but Berry's lyrics surely come in handy, and I'll bet he wouldn't mind if I sang a few verses from his tune:

Well, I looked at my watch it was nine twenty-one
'twas at a campaign office havin' nothin' but fun.
We were rollin' reelin' and a- rockin'.
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn


Well, I looked at my watch, it was nine thirty-two,
There's nothin' I would rather do than politick with you.
We were rollin', reelin' and a-rockin'...
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, it was nine forty-three,
And every time that I would call, the results astounded me.
We were reelin', reelin' and a-rockin',
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, it was nine fifty-fo'
I said, "You've got to dance Obamaman, go, go, go!"
We were rollin, reelin' and a-rockin' ...
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, it was ten o-five,
Man, I didn't know whether I was dead or alive!
But I was rollin', reelin' and a-rockin'....
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, it was ten twenty-six,
I couldn't stop acallin' cuz that's how I got my kicks!
We were reelin', reelin' and a- rockin'
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, it was ten twenty-eight,
I gotta get my calls in before it gets too late!
We were reelin', reelin' and a- rockin'
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, it was ten twenty-nine,
I had to hold him on the line since he was just so fine,
We were reelin', reelin' and a-rockin'
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, and what to my surprise,
The polls were coming in and they were more than twice John's size!
We were reelin', reelin' and a-rockin'
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

Well, I looked at my watch, and it was time to go,
The party leader said, "We ain't callin' no mo'!"
We were reelin', reelin', and a-rockin'
We were callin' and a- rockin' and rollin' till the break of dawn

A Love Song to Robert D. Novak

Dear Bob,

You don't know me

You gave your book to me
And then you said "hello"
And I could hardly speak
The pen was flowing so
And anyone can tell
You know your words so well,
No you don't know me

No you don't know the one
Who respects your every word
Who admires the work you do
And all your stories, too

No, you don't know the one
Who thinks you are the best
Out of all the rest
No, you don't know me.

Oh I'm just a fan
That's all I've ever been
'Cause you don't know me.

No, you don't know me

For I never knew the illness that struck you
Would claim your colummmmmnnnnn, too
Afraid and shy, those words do not apply
To you, or the DC zoo.

You gave your book to me
And then signed it, too,
And so did Geraldine

And I am so proud
To have read it all
To have reminisced
About the things not bliss
For it's you I miss
And your skills upon the Hill,
And your words to read
About all the greed,
I know it's not the same,
The page without your name
No, you don't know me

About a year ago I was lucky to attend one of 26 fundraising dinner parties on Capitol Hill,held to raise money for libraries. Each home featured a different book, and my friend, Claire, and I chose the home highlighting The Prince of Darkness by Robert Novak, a tell all, great book filled with delicious tidbits and real "meat" which I had just completed.

The fundraiser, A Literary Feast, is an annual event sponsored by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. (Upcoming October 25, 2008.)

The announcement for "our" dinner party hinted at a "special guest" at the princely dinner.

The book was so well-written! I carried it back and forth every day on the Metro going to and from work. The weight of it all: 662 pages and filled with details going back for many years, with names, salaries, conversations, events, exchanges all described. Of especial attraction to political junkies like me.

Only a couple of months before, I went to Politics and Prose to hear Mr. Novak tell a SRO crowd about his autobiography which includes description of his cancer bouts. Although he is of a different political persuasion than I, his arguments and life in politics are fascinating, and his book is no less.

As a matter of fact, of all the political books I have read in the past decade, it's on top for autobiography, and all political aficionados are enraptured by political biography, aren't we?

His predictions for outcomes in congressional and presidential races are uncannily, usually, right on target.

Below are comments about the dinner and conversation which I sent to close friends last year:

Robert Novak said he "hated" Rudi Giuliani, and why, he did not say.

He predicted that Mitt Romney might win Iowa, NH, and definitely Michigan, but that Giuliani was growing (in numbers). He said Romney's religion was a real problem for Romney.

He said Fred Thompson might be the Republican VP candidate, but "VPs don't matter in an election." Someone made fun of Thompson's accent. And makeup.

Novak said Obama would never be Hillary's VP mate, and that Hillary could implode at any time. Her running mate "today", which whom the crowd agreed, would be Evah Bayh.

When asked about the effect of Bill Clinton on the race, Novak queried the group of about 18 persons: Where had Bill been the last six years? The loud rejoinder: "In Canada!" (news to me.)

He said that if Hillary lost Iowa, it would be huge news. (The group believed that Hillary's election was far from certain. This group was all political junkies, of course! Why else were we there?)

Rather than the Iraq War, Novak said the 2004 key issue was John Kerry's "electability."

Novak talked about Jimmy Carter's dishonesty (which is mentioned in the book).

Contrary to public opinion, Novak said Congress was not Bush's rubber stamp since Bush's plans for social security overhaul and tax reform had "gone nowhere."

Novak agreed with an assessment that the U.S. Congress was nothing but a cesspool saturated by corruption and greed. Term limits, he said, would be one way to end the morass.

In only one or two cases, he said, did members of Congress actually "get better" after coming to DC, and I did not have the opportunity to ask which one or two they were.

When asked about the paralysis of the "Do Nothing Congress" and the absurdity of Nancy Pelosi and Party taking "credit" for a year of doing nothing (Ed's note: This was Fall, 2007), Novak said Congress was filled with self-adulation, totally unreceptive to criticism of any kind.

He mentioned the insanity of Pelosi and Party spending one month talking about the Armenian Resolution.

Novak said Iraq was a "fiasco" and the way to end it was to "get out."

He said the Democrats would definitely pick up Senate seats next year (2008) and "a few" House seats, but not many.

Mrs. Novak, who figures prominently in his book, also attended: a beautiful, kind woman who is almost shy and does not appear to welcome speaking in groups.

Before dinner Mr. Novak read for about 15 minutes from his book and answered questions. He graciously signed copies and when I asked Mrs. Novak to sign my copies also, she kindly complied.

Hosts were Carol and Bill Press, owners of a gorgeous Capitol Hill home, friends of the Novaks, and wonderful hosts, who had available about 20 copies of the book for guests. Bill Press of MSNBC and CNN fame, and Carol is an artist, a weaver with her own studio.

Menu: red and white wine, miniature crab cake hors d'oeuvres, tomato and lettuce with some kind of special cheese, roast tenderloin (I think that's what it was), mashed potatoes, herbed green beans.

Dessert was served a few blocks away at St. Mark's Episcopal Church where dancing to a jazz band and wine made it an extraordinary night of lovely darkness.

Asleep at 10 p.m.: The Washington Post

Letter sent to the Post's Ombudsman, Deborah Howell, September 18, 2008

Dear Ms. Howell,

Did the Post close early last night which may offer explanation for the reasoning behind placing a feature today on the deaths of two 90-year-olds on the front page and leaving the helicopter crash which killed seven of our soldiers for page 15?

With its placement, lack of coverage and six paragraphs, the Post says to its readers that four nonagenarians out on a date and featured in 33 paragraphs with three pictures are more important than the deaths of seven of our soldiers in Iraq. Astonishing.

Would not this feature of celebration of the couples out having dinner have been more appropriate as the weekly obituary story?

Why are paragraphs devoted to ketchup and chicken more important than a small story in "Around the World" about our soldiers who died giving up their lives for us? I fail to understand.

Yahoo had a lengthy story about the helicopter crash before midnight last night.

Is the Post so immune to the Iraqi conflict and deaths of our troops that it fails to understand the significance and meaning of it all?

Had the editor left post before 10:30 p.m.? The page was already made up? There was no one on hand with the desire or energy to change makeup for another helicopter crash?

I hope you are able to provide me with a reasonable explanation, none of which are listed here.

Sincerely,

Sarah On A Leash

Well, isn’t she?

Why not?

Suppressed.

Muzzled at the mouth by a “chastity belt."

Robotized.

Taught to heel and speak when ordered.

Brought out to parade and prance when called.

Is this not sexism at its worst?

Prithee, I beg you, do come and present your arguments to the contrary.

Thanks, but no thanks.

Hallo! Hallo! This does speaketh of a poem, forsooth to say...

Harken! The words, alas, they flow like oil through an Alaskan pipeline. Forthwith, speaketh or forever hold your tongue, knave!

Johnny had a little dog,
Little dog,
Little dog,
Johnny had a little dog,
Her fur was dark as night.

Everywhere that Johnny went,
Johnny went,
Johnny went,
Everywhere that Johnny went,
The dog was sure to light

Forsooth, come and present your arguments, your songs, your poetry, whatever, to the contrary, alight and enlighten us, Readers!

"Don't Cry For Us, Sarah Palin" Sung by Her Children

(With apologies to Andrew Lloyd Webber and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina")

Don't cry for us Sarah Palin
The truth is you often left us
All through our wild days
Your mad existence
You made us promise
To keep our distance

It won't be easy
You'll think it strange
When we try to explain how we feel
That we still need your presence
After all that we've done
You won't believe us
All you will see
Is the child you once knew
Before you left us
For a new addresstus

Don't cry for us Sarah Palin

You had to let it happen
You had to change
Couldn't stay all your life here with us
Looking out at the mooses
While we're running looses
So you chose freedom
Running around trying everything new
But nothing impressed you at all
Not Cindy's dress or her shoe

As for your fortune and fame
We never invited them in
Though it seemed to the world
They were all you desired
They are illusions
They're not the solutions
They promise to be
The answer was here all the time
I love you and hope you love me

Don't cry for us Sarah Palin
The truth is you often left us
All through our wild days
Your mad existence
You made us promise
To keep our distance

Have we said too much?
There's nothing more we can think of to say to you
But all you have to do
Is look at us to know
That every word is true