"It's Over," He Said

"I told my staff last week it's done.

"For the first time in my life I voted for a Democrat today (Saturday). I voted for Barack Obama."

We struck up a conversation in a Tysons Corner store, and while I nodded to his words trying to keep a lid on my mouth so not to interrupt him, mentally I sprang to the ceiling and screamed, leaping from one light fixture to another before I floated down to the floor, trying to confine exuberance and enthusiasm.

He was 60 years old, more or less, and out shopping with his mother and wife.

"We didn't need that tax break," he said. "I know I didn't need it. No, I am not discouraged, I am totally livid" he exclaimed, before launching into emphatic criticism about the damage to the Republican party by members of the Republican party.

He leaned over and almost whispered: "You know his grandmother took him out of Indonesia and put him in Hawaiian schools. You know most of the people in Indonesia are Muslim, don't you?" Hhmmmnnn, I hmmmnnnnned.

But you know what? Colin Powell said "so what" if folks are Muslim! Who cares? And if it was so much of a big deal, why'd you go off and vote for him, tell me that! I mused to myself, trying to keep volatility behind closed doors. I had already been attacked at Tysons Corner once for critiquing Ms. Sarah Palin in a song to her by her children, and I didn't want to have another brawl right here in the middle of Tysons Corner.

Meanwhile, up in Long Island, two Republican sisters of a Northern Virginia friend of mine (who is canvassing for Barack Obama right now, and my friend was a Hillary supporter) are voting for the first time in their lives for, that's right, sistah, Mr. Barack Obama!

Happy days are almost here again.

Santa Claus at the Washington Post

Is it just me or what's with the Washington Post and the Tysons Corner Santa Claus?

I mean, huh?

Three front page stories (of the Metro section)for three consecutive days, bam, bam, bam about a displaced, fired Santa at the Mall?

What? You've got to be kidding.

Is the Santa, whom the Post "saved" and who now has been rehired due to the publicity, the promotion, the free space, the video, the audio, the negative stories about the mean ole Mall in the newspaper, maybe, the uncle, the father, the brother, the partner of a top staff member at the Post?

Or, is this "happy news" the Post is producing to reduce even more losses of younger readers? You tell me. I mean, really, I thought I was reading a "Parade" edition of an "international" newspaper.

Have interns taken over? The Post's reduction in staff is telling.

What's up, Santa?

Feliz Navidad!

Bailout cartoon idea

(This one has likely been used already, but anyway, for what it's worth):

Scene: The sinking of the Titanic (labeled "The Economy"). Huge waves are filled with Chinese sharks.

A gigantic iceberg named "Sub-Prime Loans" stands nearby.

The "Economy" has already hit the iceberg and is sinking almost at a right angle to the ocean just like you remember from artists' renderings.

On deck at the front of the ship which is tipping: Henry Paulson, Ben Bernanke, George Bush, and white men all dressed alike in suits and ties jumping into lifeboats while Paulson, dressed as Captain Hook, waves his hook around which has a dollar bill punctured by the hook that flaps in the wind.

Capt. Hook shouts: "Jump for your lives, men. We don't have much time!"

Left standing aimlessly on deck, yep, you guessed it: Men, women, and children, shabbily dressed who are, indeed, "The American Taxpayers."

Signs of the Times: Dupont Circle

Time: 12:10 p.m.

Day: Wednesday

Place: Lawson's Gourmet at the Circle

Crowds: None

(Est.) Percentage of Empty Seats: 75 (!)

Why is that? Next door at the more popular Cosi's, seats sat empty, too (though not as many). Rather than lunchtime, it seemed like snack time in mid-afternoon at Lawson's. One of the staffers was even seated eating lunch at one of the vacant tables at 12:15 p.m I guess she had nothing else to do. At lunchtime?

What does this mean? People bringing lunches? In D.C.? Incredible. The day was too blustery and chilly to eat outdoors where the Circle was practically vacant of people.

Despite all you hear and read that the District is not affected too much by worldwide economic conditions, don't believe the hype. Just take a gander around and see the truth. Restaurants (and boats) are the first things to go.

I interrupt this programming to

spend every possible available moment until November 5, 2008 canvassing, calling, cooking, hosting, volunteering, writing, blogging, driving, pollwatching, writing checks for the Democratic cause, namely:

To elect Barack Obama President of the United States

and many other notable Democrats, too, like

1. Mark Warner, candidate for the U.S. Senate (VA)

2. Judy Feder, candidate for the 10th Congressional District (VA)

Please send Judy a check:

Judy Feder for Congress
6816 Tennyson Drive
McLean, VA 22101

3. Jim Martin, candidate for the U.S. Senate (GA) running against the sleeze, Saxby Chambliss who
defeated our own Max Cleland because Max wasn't "patriotic" enough! Max, triple amputee
from Vietnam! That was the Karl Rove - George Buzh duo at work. Let's beat them now! Here's
your chance. Please send a check to:

Martin for Senate
P.O. Box 7219
Atlanta, GA 30357

Thank you. This programming will resume in November, 2008.

Veterans Rally for Obama in Fairfax

About 300 persons came to listen, talk, and eat at the Obama Rally for Veterans and their families on Saturday at the Veterans Amphitheatre in Fairfax, VA on a cool, windy, sunny, but sometimes cloudy, day.

Retired generals, captains, and a congressional candidate blistered the Bush Administration from the pulpit in expounding upon many reasons to support Barack Obama for the presidency.

Retired Colonel Larry Wilkerson who formerly served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell was the harshest Bush critic, calling the administration the most corrupt and incompetent that he has known, “and I am a Republican,” he thundered. The Bush team has torn the Republican Party completely asunder, he said as his words and phrases built to a crescendo.

Torture was a hot topic during the afternoon, and the speakers joined throngs everywhere, including both presidential candidates, wanting to close Guantanamo prison and send a message heard ‘round the world.

A former president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, retired Captain Paul “Bud” Bucha, was so effective a speaker one wondered why he does not run for political office.

“Only” 41% of the soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seek counseling to help them recover from emotional injury, but 100% need it, Capt. Bucha exclaimed. “I’ve only been in counseling six months,“ he shouted to the audience, “and my doctor wanted to know why it took me 40 years!” Capt Bucha served in Vietnam and was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Nixon in 1968.

Gerry Connolly, Congressional candidate from the Eleventh District, was the first speaker. Other retired officers who spoke were Major General James Kelley, Brigadier General David McGinnis, Capt. Wesley Moore, and Capt. Angie Morgan.

Sponsors were the Fairfax County Democratic Committee and several area restaurants which provided food (not pizza !) gratis.

Tents shaded “Seniors for Obama” and “Veterans for Obama” where plentiful bumper stickers, yard signs, sign-up sheets, and political paraphernalia were available. The folding chairs were all filled during the speeches, and attendees stood and listened intently. Several retired veterans asked questions after the speeches ended, and the speakers took turns answering them.

Large and small Obama/Biden signs surrounded the amphitheatre where we initially planned to only stay an hour, but the words and passions of the military speakers hypnotized us, and we departed after the end.

Here are photos of the event taken by David Otto:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwotto/sets/72157608154992786/

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