Support For Chuck Hagel

Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole has endorsed Chuck Hagel to be the next Defense Secretary.

Chuck Hagel has spent his entire life in service to his country. He volunteered to fight in Vietnam and did so bravely, side-by-side with his brother and earning two Purple Hearts. He served as Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration for President Ronald Reagan and was President & Chief Executive Officer of the World USO.

He represented the people of Nebraska in the Senate with honor for twelve years and was a coauthor of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Hagel's wisdom and courage make him uniquely qualified to be Secretary of Defense and lead the men and women of our armed forces. Chuck Hagel will be an exceptional leader at an important time.

Retired Maj. Gen. Roger Blunt has also endorsed Hagel.

Among seasoned security professionals, there is little question Hagel is the right man for the job. He has received broad support from leaders on both sides of the political spectrum, including more than 50 U.S. ambassadors and numerous former national security advisers, including Brent Scowcroft, Zbigniew Brzezinski, James Jones and Frank Carlucci. Retired Gen. Colin Powell noted that he’s “a guy who knows veterans, knows the troops.”

This is not idle praise. Hagel’s understanding of the military is informed by his service to this country. He earned two Purple Hearts as a volunteer infantry squad leader in the Vietnam War. When a land mine exploded and nearly killed his younger brother, Hagel dragged him to safety, suffering blown eardrums and severe burns. Reflecting on that experience, he noted, “I’m not a pacifist. I believe in using force, but only after a very careful decision-making process.” Contrary to some of his critics, Hagel will not shoot first and ask questions later on issues of war and peace.

Sen. John McCain admitted that holding up Hagel's confirmation was political payback for Hagel's criticism of President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Senate Republicans are now using an alleged Hagel link to the terrorist group Friends of Hamas. The only problem is Friends of Hamas doesn't exist. It is a bogus organization created by Andrew Breitbart lackey Ben Shapiro. Dave Weigel fact-checked Shapiro's story and could find no proof that the organization actually exists. That didn't stop right-wing media and bloggers from once again being suckered by the people at Andrew Breitbart's blog empire.

Republicans are so obsessed with blocking Hagel's confirmation that they are resorting to conspiracy theories. Hagel is likely going to get confirmed. Republicans made fools out of themselves for nothing.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

I am glad that military defense spending is being used to answer such important questions as "Did Jesus die for Klingons, too."

The 100-Year Starship Project: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has spent more than $1 million to "foster a rebirth of wonder" and to make space travel to other solar systems feasible in the next century. To that end, the agency paid $100,000 to sponsor a strategy workshop in September featuring a session called "Did Jesus die for Klingons, too?" on the theological threat to Christianity that the discovery of life on other planets might pose. A related conference devoted to the future of space travel included a workshop on "what intersteller explorers might wear." (Hint: Not polos and khakis.) The event featured an "intergalatic gala" for which attendees were asked to come in "starship cocktail attire."

Sen. Tom Coburn released a report titled "The Department of Everything". In the report, Coburn identifies $70 billion in wasteful defense spending. The report is worth reading for some of the sheer bizarre things that tax dollars were spent on in the name of defending America.

Rep. Michael Scionti Moves to Pentagon

Florida House Rep. Michael Scionti has accepted the position of deputy assistant secretary of defense. His official job title is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intergovernmental Affairs and Homeland Defense. Scionti will organize homeland security between the Defense Department and local governments.

“I am very excited. It’s a little bittersweet,” Scionti said. “I thoroughly have enjoyed representing District 58, and my constituency, their support and confidence in me, fills me with pride. And I know that this is another level of responsibility that I have been working toward, through my military career. This is a nice way of dovetailing both public service and military service for the betterment of our country, and for the betterment of our men and women serving in harm’s way.”

Scionti is an Army veteran and served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Is This Change?

Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner has funneled repaid bailout through AIG to pay Goldman Sach's naked credit default swaps. Repaid bailout money was suppose to be given to community banks to loan out to small businesses.

The President increased the Defense Department budget by 4 percent.

The White House has been against Sen. Chris Dodd's attempts to reform the Federal Reserve. The current administration desperately wants to protect the status quo of the financial and insurance sectors that caused the recession.

So must for "change." I know we are in a economic crisi but it would be nice if Obama pretended to care about spending. Actual caring is another matter.

Franken Amendment for Jamie Leigh Jones

Al Franken's Amendment 2588, to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, passed 68 to 30. The amendment was written in tribute to Jamie Leigh Jones. She was drugged and raped by several men at Camp Hope, Baghdad, Iraq. The Defense Department would be forbidden from having contracts with companies that settled sexual assault and harassment cases in arbitration.

To prohibit the use of funds for any Federal contract with Halliburton Company, KBR, Inc., any of their subsidiaries or affiliates, or any other contracting party if such contractor or a subcontractor at any tier under such contract requires that employees or independent contractors sign mandatory arbitration clauses regarding certain claims.

Technically, Jones's former companies KBR and Halliburton were contracted under the State Department. At the time, CPA Order 17 gave contractors immunity from crimes committed in Iraq. The men that raped Jones had a free get out of jail ticket. Scott Horton explained how messed up the legal process was during his House Judiciary committee testimony.

(1) The Justice Department is effectively not present on the scene, does not have personnel deployed charged with conducting investigations, collecting evidence and making preliminary decisions as to whether incidents are suitable for prosecution. This would require a team of FBI agents with appropriate training, including access to forensic labs and personnel.

(2) The case when first alleged seems to have been treated as an issue related to administration of a contract, rather than a criminal justice matter, triggering only a State Department investigation. But the State Department does not have authority to conduct criminal inquiries or to bring charges.

(3) The Department of Defense was called upon to provide medical expertise, which was a reasonable step. But no guidelines appear to have been available as to how this was done. The alleged surrender of the rape kit by military medical personnel to Kellogg Brown & Root was grossly improper, producing a serious lapse in the chain of custody—and in this case, loss of evidence which cannot be reproduced. It reflects an attitude which I hear constantly when interviewing State Department and Defense Department personnel—namely, that the problem is the contractor’s. Of course, the contractor has an interest in performing its contract and maintaining a good relationship with the contracting agency. The contractor does not have any interest per se in law enforcement. It might well decide to terminate employees it believes are involved in a crime, but beyond that the contractor will, very appropriately, believe that the responsibility for law enforcement lies with law enforcement agencies.

Jones still has not had her day in court. The Franken amendment was a major moral victory for her.

Jones said the amendment's passage "means the world to me."

"It means that every tear shed to go public and repeat my story over and over again to make a difference for other women was worth it," she said. Jones testified about the alleged assault before Congress and other women employed by contractors have made similar allegations.

Rep. Jeff Sessions proved the GOP's true base is the business community. Sessions gave his reasoning for voting against the Franken amendment.

"The Congress should not be involved in writing or rewriting contracts," Sessions said.

The Franken amendment doesn't rewrite abitration contracts. It simply says the federal government will not do business with corporations that use arbitration to restrict employees from taking sexual assault cases to court. Sessions is placing the interests corporate profits above civil rights. Would he hold a female member member to the same standard as Jones. I don't buy it for a second. Does Sessions believe he his staking out a morally courageous stand for Halliburton's honor?

Nay votes for Franken's amendment.

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

Obama Has No Plans To End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Pentagon spokesperson Geoff Morrell confirms President Barack Obama has no plans to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

"I do not believe there are any plans under way in this building for some expected, but not articulated, anticipation that don’t ask-don’t tell will be repealed."

Morrell told the media the Obama administration has not asked the Pentagon to scrap "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The President has discussed the policy with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen.

"They're aware of where the president wants to go on this issue, but I don't think that there is any sense of any immediate developments in the offing on efforts to repeal don't ask-don't tell," Morrell said.

General David H. Petraeus ducked a question on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" during a public Q & A session.

The question was for the well-known "surge architect's" opinion on whether service personnel should be allowed to be openly gay, questioning whether the current "don’t ask, don’t tell” policy negatively affects unit cohesion.

“First of all, I’ve spent most of my career stepping around minefields, not into them,” he said, to general laughter. “We have an awful lot on our plate right now (with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). I’m not sure we want to add something else to our plate right now.”

Integration of the military was achieved by Harry Truman signing Executive Order 9981.

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. This policy shall be put into effect as rapidly as possible, having due regard to the time required to effectuate any necessary changes without impairing efficiency or morale.

Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara issued Defense Directive 5120.36 The directive ended racial discrimation in the military illegal. Congress was not responsible for ending military racial discrimation. Obama has two legal precedents. The Commander-in-Chief has the power to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The issue is the President's lack of political courage. Personally, I don't think Obama cares about gay rights.

Related: Joel Award: Robert Gibbs

Conpassionate Conservatism: Bushies Say Go Pound Sand To KBR Victims

Senator Bill Nelson sent letters to Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice and Attorney General Michael Mukasey about new rape allegations against Kellogg Brown and Root. KBR has come under intense scrutiny after Jamie Leigh Jones went public about her rape. Nelson's website states that a Tampa, Florida woman and two Houston, Texas women have accused KBR employees of raping them. Nelson wrote letters to Rice and Mukasey asked what investigations have the State Department and the Pentagon done. He has yet to receive a response.

Nelson gave Rice a Dec. 21 deadline to respond. Rice missed the deadline and didn't even bother asking for and extention. That takes serious Chutzpah, even more shameless was a State Department spokesman's spin: "If the senator has asked questions, I’m quite sure we will provide answers. But it’s not something I could discuss with you." Or with Nelson.

The only course of action is issuing subpoenas. Nelson is better known for taking his own party to court than standing up to the Bush administration.

The Justice Department has already decided not to press charges in the Jones case. All American citizens in Iraqare exempt from prosecution. A Blackwater contractor literally got away with murdering the bodyguard of Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi. It is unlikely the State Department, DoJ and Pentagon will budge an inch for the new women whom came forward. What makes matters worse is that the story is fading from the political landscape. It is hard to force the Bush administration to move contractors under the Department of Defense (which would make contractor liable under military law) and retroactively change the State Department's Iraq contracting law if there is no outrage from the public.

The Iraq War, the Pentagon and Your Tax Dollars

The Congressional Budget Office did a study to figure out how much the Iraq war will cost if it continues until 2017. The answer is 2.4 trillion. Nicole Belle did the math. The cost would be $8,000 for every man, woman and child in the US. A possible way to fund a 2017 Iraq war is an increase in interest payments. The Federal Reserve would have to figure out many ways to squeeze banks and foreign lenders if the war is going to be paid for without tax increases.

The CBO was lowballing the costs because the Pentagon (surprise) does horrible bookkeeping. CBO is projecting that President Bush would make significant cuts in the amount of troops in Iraq. No one believes that.

On the basis of the two scenarios specified by Chairman Spratt, CBO projected the costs of activities associated with operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism through 2017. Because DoD does not report detailed operational statistics, those projections—which CBO derived by calculating the ratio between current force levels and funding requested by the Administration for 2008—are rough approximations.3

In the first scenario, the number of personnel deployed on the ground for the war on terrorism would be reduced from an average of about 200,000 in fiscal year 2008 to 30,000 by the beginning of fiscal year 2010 and then remain at that level through 2017. CBO estimates that costs to the U.S. government under this scenario would total $570 billion over the 2008–2017 period (see Table 1).

In the second scenario, the number of personnel deployed to Iraq and other locations associated with the war on terrorism would decline more gradually, from an average of about 200,000 in fiscal year 2008 to 75,000 by the start of fiscal year 2013 and then remain at that level through 2017. CBO estimates that costs to the government under this scenario would total $1,055 billion over the 2008–2017 period.

In addition to estimating the costs of the two scenarios over the next decade, CBO recently estimated the potential costs of maintaining a longer-term U.S. military presence in Iraq. The budgetary implications of maintaining such a presence are discussed in Box 1.

The answer is the Iraq war, to run to 2017, would cost much more than the CBO estimate. Republicans would just say it could be paid for with tax cuts.

The study shows that the Pentagon needs serious reform. The reports states "determining how much has actually been spent is difficult." The taypayers don't even know what the DoD is doing with their money. In 2002, the DoD didn't know where 25 percent of their funds went.

"According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions," said Former Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Nothing has changed since then.

Follow the Parsons Corp Money Train

Meet Earnest O. Robbins II. He is a former Air Force Major General. He was appointed as Vice-President of the infrastructure and technology group of Parsons Corp. Robbins was placed of a $75 million contract to build a police academy in Baghdad. He ended up building (literally) a house of shit.

In a report released yesterday, inspectors found that the Baghdad Police College posed a health risk after feces and urine leaked through the ceilings of student barracks. The facility, part of which will need to be demolished, also featured floors that heaved inches off the ground and a room where water dripped so heavily that it was known as "the rain forest."

The academy was intended as a showcase for U.S. efforts to train Iraqi recruits who eventually are expected to take control of the nation's security from the U.S. military. But lawmakers said yesterday they feared it will become a symbol of a different sort.

Robbins is paid on a cost-plus contract. Meaning the more tax dollars he can suck out of the federal government for Parsons the more he makes. Congressman Chris Van Hollen posed this question to Parsons about his shitty contract work. Will Parsons Corp reinsurse the government?

Van Hollen is mumbling, "and say, given what has happened in this project . . . "

"No, sir, I will not," you snap.

". . . 'We will return the profits.' . . ."

"No, sir, I will not," you repeat.

Van Hollen said, "It just shows the contempt they have for us, for the taxpayer, for everything."

Parsons Corp only completed 20 of the 142 health centers they were contracted to build in Iraq. The government ran out of money to continue funding the project. The original contract was for $200 million. Their contracts with the Pentagon totaled $4 billion.

Maj. Gen. William H. McCoy Jr., commander of the corps' Gulf Region Division, said that the "loss of business for Parsons in Iraq may not be over [as] a broad review of Parsons' work in Iraq had turned up problems in sector after sector. According to news releases on the Parsons Web site, the company has received contracts worth as much as $4 billion in Iraq ... for building and refurbishing scores of police stations, border forts, fire stations, courthouses, prisons and Iraqi government buildings. 'We found overruns in almost every case,' General McCoy said.

Under the Bush administration, private contractors view the federal government as a free ATM machine. They take money out and never have to put any in.

Iraq Insanity

The Government Accountability Office issued a report that the Pentagon lost track of 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and 80,000 pistols given to Iraq security forces.

The report from the Government Accountability Office indicates that U.S. military officials do not know what happened to 30 percent of the weapons the United States distributed to Iraqi forces from 2004 through early this year as part of an effort to train and equip the troops. The highest previous estimate of unaccounted-for weapons was 14,000, in a report issued last year by the inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

The Pentagon isn't even going to attempt to dispute the report. They have started an investigation into the missing rifles. The question is how many of these weapons were sold to insurgents and terrorists. "It likely means that the United States is unintentionally providing weapons to bad actors," said Rachel Stohl of Center for Defense Information.

In a galaxy far, far away known as the Republican presidential debate...

“They are making progress, and we are winning on the ground,” said Senator John McCain of Arizona. “We must win. And we will not set a date for surrender, as the Democrats want us to do.”

Senator McCain's track record is less-than-steller on Iraq. His appearance on The Situation Room was the moment that sank his campaign and credibility.

SEN. JOHN McCAIN (R-AZ): I mean that there are neighborhoods safe in Iraq and he does go out into Baghdad and the fact is there has been significant progress and people are stuck in a time warp of three months ago. Of course, it’s still dangerous. Of course it’s still very dangerous. We only have two of the five brigades there and we are already seeing significant progress.

Rudy Giuliani does his usual tough guy spiel.

But over all, the candidates were adamant about continuing the fight. “The reality is that you do not achieve peace through weakness and appeasement,” said Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York.

Guiliani is doing a combination of Bill Kristol and professional wrestler trash talk. I have yet to hear him talk seriously about policy. Healthcare wonk Ezra Klein breaks down Giuliani's healthcare plan.

I'm supposed to be writing about Rudy Giuliani's health care plan today. And I would, if Rudy Giuliani had a health care plan. But Rudy Giuliani doesn't have a health care plan. What he has is a pretext with which to attack the Democrats. Indeed, just about all you need to know about Giuliani's thoughtfulness on the issue can be summed up by the following: In the speech introducing and detailing his new health care proposal, Giuliani refers to the "Democrats" six times. "Single-payer" is said eight times. "Socialized medicine," or some variant thereof, makes nine appearances. "Uninsured" is never uttered -- not once.

I was amazed by how horrible Giuliani was on Larry King Live. He advocates staying in Iraq, but will not go on-the-record to guarantee success.

KING: Let's get to some issues.

A leading industrialist, a friend of mine, said if the United States were a corporation, based on the Iraq War, everyone at the top would be fired.

How would you comment on that? And that -- in other words meaning it ain't going right.

GIULIANI: Yes, but that would have been true -- he would have said the same thing about the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln would have been fired. And he might have said the same thing at the Battle of the Bulge and Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Marshall -- all would have been fired. And...

KING: So you're confident this is all going to turn around?

GIULIANI: Oh, no. No.

Giuliani makes McCain look credible on Iraq. The former is posturing. The latter knows he is sinking his presidential aspirations. I certainly don't want John McCain to be President, but he is sticking to his guns. Partly, because he has a delusional idea about the ground situation in Iraq. GOP candidates either back Bush's policy cynically or foolishly. Hardly reassuring.

There are now 3,669 U.S. military casualies from the Iraq war.

Fratricide

Now this is interesting. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has summoned Donald Rumsfeld to testify tomorrow. Rumfeld will speak under oath about his knowledge of the Pentagon investigation into Pat Tillman's death.

Here is a list of people who will testify.

The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense

Gen. John P. Abizaid (Retired), Former Commander, U.S. Central Command

Gen. Richard B. Myers (Retired), Former Chair, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown (Retired), Former Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command

Lt. Gen. Philip R. Kensinger, Jr. (Retired), Former Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command

The Pentagon originally stated that Tillman was killed by enemy fire. Tillman and his fellow Rangers never engaged enemy combatants. The firefight started because an unmanned explosive went off. Tillman was awarded a Silver Star was a fictitious battle.

What is baffling is how Tillman was killed with three well-placed bullits to his forehead. The shots were fired from within ten yards. An autopsy was buried until the Associated Press got the documents through the Freedom of Information Act.

"The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described," a doctor who examined Tillman's body after he was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2004 told investigators.

Soldiers in Tillman's untit burned Tillman's body armor and uniform. The White House invoked executive privilege to internal documents relating to Tillman.

In related news: you can donate to the Pat Tillman foundation. The foundation's mission is to educate high school students local, national, and global issues.

Miltitary Censoring Soldiers' Internet Access

Via Sine.Que.Non: The U.S. military is keeping soldiers safe from Youtube and Myspace.

The US Department of Defense issued a memo last week that states it intended to begin blocking network access -- including that of soldiers serving overseas -- to several popular "Internet entertainment sites" from yesterday.

The 12 sites to be blocked, according to a story in the Associated Press, include several large social networking and media sharing sites like MySpace, YouTube, MTV, Pandora, and Photobucket.

The Department of Defense cite security reasons. So does China with what their citizens can see on the World Wide Web. I doubt these soldiers and marines want al-Qaeda to know their movements. It's most likely to stop the negative PR from graphic images of dead Iraqis.

Update: a reader pointed out that the DoD official reason for not allowing access to Myspace and Youtube is bandwidth. Not security reasons.