Hallo! Hallo! Is anyone at home at Sen. Mark Warner's?

Have you ever written Senator Warner when the reply was anything but:

Dear Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to share your views and experiences with me.

If you need assistance resolving a specific problem with a federal agency, please contact my office at 703-442-0670 or toll free at 1-877-676-2759. Otherwise, please be assured that we are reading and responding to your comments and opinions as fast as we can.

As the 111th Congress moves forward, please continue to be in touch with your views.

Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

Do you wonder if anyone is actually reading his mail or does the fax machine just dump it into the nearest trash can?

About once a month, sometimes more, I write him (and Senator James Webb) about pulling our men and women out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

(Senator Webb's replies sound like maybe someone in his office is glancing at the subject line, however, the most recent reply included this at the end: Here is some recent news about your topic of interest: and there was nothing there! Just white space. Ho hum. You think their office staffs have got anyone over age 15?)

To date, Senator Warner has never replied with anything but the robo letter, so as a test I sent him the following on December 15, 2010:

Dear Senator Warner,

Since your office always sends the same replies (robo-replies) and no one must read the letters sent to you, I was wondering if you would like for me to send you a contribution for your next race. This is a test, Senator Warner, to see if anyone is reading, and I'll put the reply up on my blog.

Sincerely,
Patricia

Well, the response was, yep! Just as expected: the same. I guess he doesn't need my money, and I'll send it to someone who does.

Question: The 111th Congress was moving forward on December 16, 2010 when the reply came? You think the computer gurus in his office have changed the letter yet to read 112th Congress? I guess I need to send another test letter.

Warner says "responding to your comments...as fast as we can." Well, duh! I haven't received any response other than what's here, and he's been in office two years!

Dear Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to share your views and experiences with me.

If you need assistance resolving a specific problem with a federal agency, please contact my office at 703-442-0670 or toll free at 1-877-676-2759. Otherwise, please be assured that we are reading and responding to your comments and opinions as fast as we can.

As the 111th Congress moves forward, please continue to be in touch with your views.


Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

Warner photo: Flickr/Forward Together PAC http://www.flickr.com/photos/govmarkwarner/191839366/

86% of American troop deaths in Iraq: non-combat related

The names of seven dead soldiers who were stationed in Iraq are listed on page A13 of the October 4, 2010 edition of the Washington Post.

Pictured are Gebrah Noonan in group photo (courtesy, Patrick Jacques, Jr.), John Carillo Jr. (second row, left), John F. Burner III (second row, right) James A. Hansen (third row, left), Brandon Maggart (third row, right) and Marc C. Whisenant (last row).

Why are we still in Iraq? In Afghanistan? Why are we there for our soldiers to die and be maimed and kill each other?

Sgt. Brandon E. Maggart, 24, of Kirksville, Missouri was killed August 22 at Basra.

The remaining six soldiers died of non-combat wounds.

They are:

Sgt. Ryan J. Hopkins, 21, Livermore, California died January 8 of injuries suffered October 4, 2008 in a motor pool accident

Senior Airman James A. Hansen, 25, Athens, Michigan died September 15 of injuries suffered during a controlled (controlled?) detonation

Sgt. John F. Burner III, 32, of Baltimore died September 16 of noncombat injuries

Spec. John Carrillo Jr., 20, of Stockton, CA and Pfc. Gebrah P. Noonan, 26, of Watertown, CT died September 24 of injuries from a noncombat accident. The Associated Press reported that a soldier in their battalion was being held in pre-trial detention after both soldiers were wounded September 23 after an argument, according to another source. A third soldier was also wounded.

Spec. Marc C. Whisenant, 23, of Holly Hill, FL died September 24 of injuries suffered in a vehicle rollover accident, a training exercise.

Pakistan's cows are more important than American troop deaths: Washington Post

In today's WAPO on p. A6, five columns with two color illustrations start at the top of the page and flow below the fold consuming more than a half page. The subject? The drownings and demise of Pakistan's cattle: "Livestock losses compound Pakistan's misery."

WAPO gives the single remaining gutter column to the deaths of seven American troops in Afghanistan.

WAPO sends a reporter to Pakistan to write about cows but is only able to pull up an AP story on deaths of our soldiers. Where are its priorities?

Who's left at the WAPO? All the editors are gone. Are teenagers running the joint now? Do they know where Afghanistan is? Or how to spell it? In Sunday's paper its own ombudsman complains about the paper's continuing decline. Pitiful is what it is.

Letter to Sen. Webb and Sen. Warner re: Afghanistan and a reply

Dear Senator Webb and Senator Warner:

How long, o Lord, how long?

Day after day after day! We read and hear about more deaths and maimings of our troops in Afghanistan. Why are we there? Why are we expending our resources in a nation far away? Oh, so we are to continue our waste for another year so President Obama can then say before the 2012 election that he is bringing the troops home?

Senator Webb, Senator Warner, how are we exiting Iraq when 50,000 troops will remain?

President Obama is rapidly losing progressive support which he will not have in numbers for 2012 like he had in 2008. Contrary to Sen. Carl Levin's statement that there is "solid support" among Democrats to continue this waste! These deaths! For naught! Levin is dead wrong.

Sincerely,
Patricia

Senator Warner replies:

Saturday, July 17, 2010, 12:07 PM

Dear Friend,

Thank you for taking the time to share your views and experiences with me.

If you need assistance resolving a specific problem with a federal agency, please contact my office at 703-442-0670 or toll free at 1-877-676-2759. Otherwise, please be assured that we are reading and responding to your comments and opinions as fast as we can.

As the 111th Congress moves forward, please continue to be in touch with your views.

Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

Almost 67% of American troop deaths in Iraq from non-combat related causes

The Washington Post recently listed the names of soldiers killed in Iraq, now totaling 4,410.

Pfc. Alvaro Regalado Sessarego, 37, of Virginia Beach, VA, had suffered severe burns in a mess hall fire in April in Dahuk, Iraq. He died of his injuries May 30 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He was assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas.

Pvt. Francisco J. Guardado-Ramirez, 21, of Sunland Park, N.M. was in a heavily armored mine resistant ambush protected vehicle when it hit a highway overpass in Baghdad, officials said. He died June 2.

Spc. Christopher W. Opat, 29, of Spencer, Iowa died June 15 in Baquah, Iraq, from injuries in a noncombat incident. Military officials have launched an investigation, but offered no other details.

Sgt. Steve M. Theobald, 53, Goose Creek, S.C. who was a motor transport operator, died June 4 from injuries in a military vehicle rollover accident near Kuwait City.

Sgt. Israel P. O'Bryan, 24 of Newbern, TN, and Spec. William C. Yauch, 23, of Batesville, AR, were killed June 11 in Jalula when a suicide car bomb exploded near their patrol.

More than half of U.S. troops in Iraq die from noncombat injuries

In last week's listing in the Washington Post (May 18, 2010, p. A11), seven of 13 of U.S. military deaths were caused by "noncombat injuries."

Why don't we get out sooner rather than later? Barack Obama has been in office almost 18 months. Why do we have to spend American lives and see our soldiers wounded and maimed to ensure George Bush's "democracy" in a nation not our own, where we try to instill our form of government?

Reverse the nations: Consider the U.S. being bombed, attacked, and occupied for seven years by another country on a hunt for "weapons of mass destruction" and finding none, then changing the goal to "let's git 'em" and after "gittin' him," changing the goal once more to "let's set up a theocracy" or whatever.

The listing of troops who died from non-combat injuries in Iraq and the dates of their deaths were:

Staff Sgt. Richard J. Jordan, 29, Tyler Texas, March 16, 2010
Pfc. Raymond N. Pacleb, 31, Honolulu, March 29
Sgt. Kurt E. Kruize, 35, Hancock, Minn., April 4
Pfc. Charlie C. Antonio, 28, Kahului, Hawaii, April 18
Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Worrell, 35, Virginia Beach, April 22
Staff Sgt. Esau S.A. Gonzales, 30, White Deer, TX, May 3
Sgt. Ralph Mena, 27, Hutchinson, Kansas, May 4

The troops who died from combat-related injuries were:
Spec. Robert M. Rieckhoff, 27, Kenosha, Wis., killed March 18 in Baghdad
Pfc. William A. Blount, 21,Petal, Miss, and 1st Lt. Robert W. Collins, 24 of Tyrone, GA both killed April 7 in Mosul
Staff Sgt. James R. Patton, 23, Fort Benning, GA killed April 18 in Tikrit
Sgt. Keith A. Coe, 30, Auburndale, FL, killed April 27 in Khalis
Sgt. Anthony O. Magee, 29, Hattiesburg, Miss., died April 27 of wounds suffered April 24 in Iskandariyah

Another American soldier died today in Iraq. How long, Mr. President, how long? Are we going to stay in Iraq until no more American troops remain standing?

The number of U.S. troops who have died in Afghanistan has surpassed 1,000, but who is counting?

Mr. President: You are losing your base.

The Post says 4,401 U.S. troops have died in or as a result of the Iraq War including 917 from "non-hostile actions."

When is "too long" long enough?

Message to President Obama and the DNC

Please!

Will the Democrats and all the other causes which bombard us, the faithful, daily with emails (primarily from the DNC) begging for money that we the people are sick and tired of receiving, lay off for a while, already? Really!

How much cash do you think we have anyway? Who do you think reads all those e-mails? Lately, I don’t even open yours, Mr. President.

Please go hammer the doors of the rich! We the people, the grunters, the gofers who do all the down and dirty work: the canvassing, the phone calling, the baking, the making, the driving, the lit drops, the sign installations, the sign pick-ups, the sign recycling, the manning of the polls on E-Day from dark to dark distributing the sample ballots, the reporting, are worn out, and your constant solicitation is aggravating. You don’t believe me? Take a gander at last week.

Please (in case my message is not clear): Lay off for a change. Go lay on the wealthy. Thank you. This word is brought to you from We The People.

And by the way: Please get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately.

From: President Barack Obama [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 1:23 AM
To: Patricia
Subject: Making history

Patricia --

This evening, at 11:15 p.m., the House of Representatives voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. Despite countless attempts over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history.

But you and millions of your fellow Organizing for America supporters didn't just witness history tonight -- you helped make it. Each "yes" vote was a brave stand, backed up by countless hours of knocking on doors, outreach in town halls and town squares, millions of signatures, and hundreds of thousands of calls. You stood up. You spoke up. And you were heard.

So this is a night to celebrate -- but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.

The final Senate bill hasn't even been released yet, but the insurance companies are already pressing hard for a filibuster to bury it. OFA has built a massive neighborhood-by-neighborhood operation to bring people's voices to Congress, and tonight we saw the results. But the coming days will put our efforts to the ultimate test. Winning will require each of us to give everything we can, starting right now.

Please donate $5 or whatever you can afford so we can finish this fight.

Tonight's vote brought every American closer to the secure, affordable care we need. But it was also a watershed moment in how change is made.

Even after last year's election, many insider lobbyists and partisan operatives really thought that the old formula of scare tactics, D.C. back-scratching and special-interest money would still be enough to block any idea they didn't like. Now, they're desperate. Because, tonight, you made it crystal clear: the old rules are changing -- and the people will not be ignored.

In the final phases of last year's election, I often reminded folks, "Don't think for a minute that power concedes without a fight," and it's especially true today. But that's okay -- we're not afraid of a fight. And as you continue to prove, when all of us work together, we have what it takes to win.

Please donate to OFA's campaign to win this fight and ensure that real health reform reaches my desk by the end of this year:

https://donate.barackobama.com/History

Let's keep making history,

President Barack Obama



Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Monetary contributions to the Democratic National Committee are not tax-deductible.