I'm addressing this to Steve Rothman, because I live in his Congressional District, and to our US (New Jersey) Senators Bob Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.  Also to New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, NJ State Senator Nic Sacco, and NJ Assemblypersons Vincent Prieto and Joan Quigley.  During the party conventions over the last two weeks, we have heard no end to people saying that they "support our troops" and "honor their sacrifice" and all sorts of other trite rhetoric that is falling short.  It's time to stop the talk and start some action.

The Purple Heart is awarded for sustaining an injury in battle.  It was the first medal ever authorized by General George Washington and it remains a mark of respect among veterans.  I believe it is held in the highest of regard among civilians, as well.

The unfortunate fact for far too many veterans is that the wound they take in battle doesn't get noticed.  They get no Purple Heart because the wound can't be seen.  When they come home, they are expected to act as if they've never been wounded.  The gaping, gasping hole in their soul goes unnoticed.  Many times, they deny the wound themselves.

For a long time, the existence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was officially denied.  Thankfully, those days are gone.  But the efforts at preventing, identifying, and treating PTSD remain painfully inadequate.  We have to change that.  Now.

I don't like to make a big deal out of my military service.  I mention it from time to time, of course.  I'm not ashamed of it.  I spent six years in the US Navy as an electriction - four years on board the USS Saipan.  I made two extended deployments - the first ended with OPERATION: Sharp Edge and the second was a part of the wrap-up of OPERATION: Desert Storm.  Among the awards I received for my service are the Kuwait Liberation Medal and the Southwest Asia Service Medal.

I mention it now because I have become part of the news-cycle in the race for New Jersey's Third Congressional District.  It began last Tuesday when GOP candidate Chris Meyers blasted Democratic State Senator John Adler for describing bloggers as "citizen-soldiers".  

For some reason, The Hotline is calling Paul Volker "Reagan's Fed Chair".  They note that he was first appointed by Carter, but still call him "Reagan's".  I'm a bit baffled by this.  Take this explanation of Volker's tenure as Fed Chair:

Little wonder Reagan liked Paul Volker so much. He had already made the unpopular but necessary decisions required to tame out-of-control inflation under Jimmy Carter and the inflation arc that had been building for about a decade before Carter took office was already showing signs of coming under control by the end of Reagans second year in office.

Oh, and, of course, Reagan really liked the idea that he would get the credit for the hard decisions Carter made in choosing the right person for the right job of Fed Chairman at the right time (to his political detriment) while he had to make virtually no unpopular decsions with respect to inflation and interest rates.

X-posted from Xpatriated Texan
The recent revelation of conditions at Walter Reed Hospital has spawned a set of Congressional hearings.  But the problems with Army medical facilities is both long-term and systemic.  You can chop off a few heads, sure, but it isn't going to change anything.  The problems extend far beyond one or two "bad apples" - an excuse which has worn so thin as to be transparent by now.

x-posted from Blue Jersey
Last week, New Jersey General Assemblyman Michael Carroll made Blue Jersey the topic of a blog post.  Juan, in good humor, gave the Assemblyman the honor of the Quote of the Day.  Of course, opposing blogs flaming each other is hardly anything new.  But I wanted to take a moment and thank Assemblyman for actually going on the public record and for embracing blogging as a means of telling the public what he thinks.  By way of thanks, I'd like to give him an answer to some of the questions he raises.

Mr. Carroll writes:

Anyone who unreservedly supports capital punishment needs professional help. That anyone would uncritically support empowering the same government which can’t count votes correctly, deliver mail timely, or provide a decent education economically, with the right to take a life, strikes me as outrageous.

Cross-posted from Blue Jersey - in all it's bloggy goodness!

It's almost as predictable as the scum on the Hudson River - you make a statement advocating equality and freedom and someone will poke up their head and proudly proclaim their narrow-minded bigotry.  Like a New York City trash barge ripening in the August sun, they'll raise a stink about God supporting their hatred for other human beings.  God was invoked to justify the genocide committed against Native Americans when Europeans first came to this continent (and continued unabated for several hundred years).  God was again invoked when the first African was led off the first slave ship in chains (again - and continued for several hundred years).  God was invoked to keep children in the coal mines and factories, to bust the unions, the denigrate the suffragettes, and to build the Jim Crow south.

Why would we think marriage equality would be any different?

Sarah Kleiner Varble of the Abilene Reporter-News tells us:

''Congressman Neugebauer is proud of his voting record to support veterans' interests,'' his office said in a statement. ''He has proven to be an advocate for veterans' rights and benefits and will continue to vote in support of the men and women who so bravely defend our country and our freedom.''

Proud?  From the same article:

Neugebauer received a ''zero'' rating from Disabled American Veterans in 2003, 2004 and 2005 for voting against eight bills championed by the DAV. But this year, he received a score of ''66'' for voting in favor of two of three bills supported by the organization, according to the DAV Web site.

He's proud that in three years he found it within his heart to support veterans twice?  He's proud of that?

Here is a full picture of Neugebauer's support of veterans - in 2003, he was rated "0" by both American Veterans and Disabled American Veterans; in 2004, he was rated "33" by the Retired Enlisted Association and again received a "0" by Disabled American Veterans; in 2005, DAV rated him "0" again; and this year, the DAV gave him a 66 while Iran and Afghanistan Veterans in America gave him a "D".

That isn't a record to be proud of - unless your goal is to demoralize our troops and let them know that you would rather that they die in combat than come back and impose a burden on taxpayers.  

But don't look to Neugebauer to do anything at all - he can't even be bothered to make a new campaign commercial:

Neugebauer didn't produce any new television ads this election season because the campaign is being frugal with contributions and because issues from the 2004 election are pertinent today, Allen said.

What a freaking lie!  Neugebauer has raised $1.2 million dollars and spent $828,476 of it.  That means he's spent almost 70% of the money he's raised.  

Allen encouraged residents of the 19th District to visit www.congress.gov to research Neugebauer's record. However, the campaign declined to provide scripts of the congressman's advertisements to the Reporter-News.

Yeah - the Congressman is suggesting that his constituents search the Library of Congress if they are interested in finding out what he votes for.  How generous!  Why not just tell them to go to a university research library?  Why can't they provide ANY proof of supporting our disabled veterans?

I'm looking for ten people to donate twenty dollars to make sure our veterans are taken care of when they get back home.