| |
 |
| |
|
GOOD NEWS
In a 220 to 208 vote, the House yesterday ignored
a veto threat from President Bush and "demanded that the
administration develop a plan to transfer
detainees from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."
STATE WATCH
KANSAS:
Kansas plans to increase transparency of spending by placing state
records online.
CALIFORNIA:
While slashing spending on social services, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's (R) staff's salaries are "among the fastest
growing in state government."
IMMIGRATION:
Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) and Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) write a
letter to President Bush criticizing him for sending their Border
Patrol agents to Iraq.
BLOG WATCH
THINK
PROGRESS: Gen. Petraeus: September report on escalation will not
say "anything definitive."
MEDIA MATTERS:
ABC and CBS have not yet reported on Deputy Attorney General James
Comey's revelations about the Bush administration's warrantless
wiretapping.
TAPPED:
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's legal concepts are "at war with
the best traditions of American constitutionalism."
ENOUGH:
"Why is the Bush administration afraid to punish those responsible for
what it calls genocide?"
DAILY GRILL
"We must keep our word, defeat our enemies, and stand behind the
American military in its vital mission."
-- President Bush, 1/31/06
VERSUS
"Bush budget officials said the administration 'strongly opposes' both
the 3.5 percent raise for 2008 and the follow-on increases, calling
extra pay increases 'unnecessary.'"
-- Army Times, 5/16/07
ARCHIVES
Progress Report
STUDENTS
Apply for Iraq Action Camp to meet other activists, learn how to organize, and tell Congress that it's time to bring our troops home. |
|
|
|
by Faiz Shakir, Nico Pitney, Amanda Terkel,
Satyam Khanna, and Matt Corley
MILITARY
Soldiers Get Stiffed
Yesterday, the House passed a comprehensive $646 billion defense
spending bill by an overwhelming vote of 397-27.
The bill authorizes "more than $100 billion in military procurement.
That includes money to buy new protective vehicles and body armor for
troops, and an additional $142 billion for the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan." But the White House is threatening
to veto the bill because it objects to, among other things, a
recommended 3.5
percent military pay raise for 2008, with further increases in 2009
through 2012. The increases are "intended to reduce the gap between
military and civilian pay that stands at about 3.9 percent today." Even
after the proposed increases, the gap will still remain at 1.4 percent.
In a statement
of administration policy released Wednesday, White House budget
officials said the administration "strongly opposes" the pay raise
provision because, according to them, extra pay increases are
"unnecessary." The White House is also objecting to a $40
monthly
allowance for military survivors, additional benefits for surviving
family members of civilian employees, and price controls for
prescription drugs under Tricare, the military's health care plan for
military personnel and their dependents. Bush's veto threat is holding
captive all the funding contained in the bill.
VETO IS AN 'OUTRAGE': "This is
a strong bill that addresses our military's critical readiness needs,
supports our troops in the field and at home and protects the American
people," said Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), the chairman of the House Armed
Services Committee. Veterans groups and members of Congress are rightly
outraged at the administration's callous veto threat. "The president
just vetoed
legislation so he would be able to send more troops into the middle
of the Iraqi...civil war -- without end, mind you -- but is against
increasing benefits to the spouses of those lost, or a pay increase for
those who are serving," wrote Jon Soltz, the co-founder of
VoteVets.org, yesterday. "If
there's a more fitting definition of 'outrage,' I'd love to see it."
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) said, "The President is a lot of talk when it
comes to supporting the troops and their families. ... But actions
matter and when it comes to the treatment of our troops and their
families, our resources
must match our rhetoric."
INCREASING
STRAINS: In April, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
announced that he was "extending the tours of duty for active duty Army
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan from 12
to 15 months." To no surprise, many soldiers reacted to the forced
extensions with "anger,"
"frustration," and a "collective groan." The White House is
now facing increased pressure "to ease the strain on the lives of military
families suffering as a result of the extended tours of duty in
Iraq and Afghanistan and frequent redeployment." Estrangement from
family back home is one of the more significant problems for soldiers
facing extended tours. The divorce rate of active-duty soldiers has
risen sharply with increased deployments. In 2004, 7,152 enlisted
personnel's marriages ended in divorce, up
28 percent from 2003 and 53 percent from 2000; the rate is still
increasing. A recent Pentagon report also found that the more soldiers
are deployed, the more likely they are to "suffer
mental health problems such as combat trauma, anxiety and
depression," contributing to increased problems at home. A provision in
the defense bill passed by the House yesterday, aimed at helping
soldiers struggling with divorce at home, preventing them from "permanently
losing custody of their children because of the absence." But with
Bush's veto threat, that legal relief is now in jeopardy.
LACKING PROTECTION: The
Army began the Iraq war with an
estimated $56 billion equipment shortage. Since then, soldiers and
their families have been complaining that troops on the ground have not
been provided with the protective gear and equipment they need. In
2004, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was famously confronted
at a townhall discussion by an active-duty soldier in Kuwait, who asked
him, "Why do we soldiers have to dig
through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised
ballistic glass to uparmor our vehicles?" As recently as
February, U.S. Army units in Iraq and Afghanistan lacked
more than 4,000 of "the latest Humvee armor kit, known as the FRAG
Kit 5," which is specifically "designed to reduce U.S. troop deaths
from roadside bombs...that are now inflicting 70 percent of the
American casualties" in Iraq. Shortages in body armor for troops have
also been a constant problem, forcing
many families to buy the armor on their own, "despite assurances
from the military that the gear will be in hand before they're in
harm's way." A Defense Department audit released in January found that
many soldiers have been sent to Iraq "without
enough guns, ammunition, and other necessary supplies to
'effectively complete their missions' and have had to cancel and
postpone some assignments while waiting for the proper gear." Even the
Army's so-called "ready brigade" has found that with the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan sapping resources, they are no longer quite so ready.
For decades, a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division has been ready to
respond to a crisis anywhere in 18 to 72 hours, but now, its
soldiers are not fully trained and much of it's equipment,
including the cargo aircraft that is supposed to carry it to emergency,
is disbursed elsewhere.
RUMSFELD REDUX: The Bush
administration's military priorities were clear the moment former
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld took control of the Pentagon.
Barely six months into their Department of Defense tenure, Rumsfeld and
his aides sought "deep
personnel cuts to the Army, Navy and Air Force in order to pay for
new high-tech weaponry and missile defenses." The belief in technology
over manpower has resulted in policies that ignore the real human
concerns of those who wear the uniform. In Aug. 2003, just six months
after the invasion of Iraq, the Pentagon sought to
deny the 157,000 troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan a promised
pay increase of "$75 a month in 'imminent danger pay' and $150 a month
in 'family separation allowances.'" The Defense Department at the
time defended cutting the added benefits, "saying its budget can't
sustain the higher payments amid a host of other priorities." The
proposed cuts angered military families and veterans' groups and even
received an
editorial attack in the Army Times. The editorial noted that
"Bush's tax cuts have left little elbow room" in the federal budget
"and the squeeze is on across the board." Though Congress ultimately
approved of the pay increase and the Bush administration backpedaled in its opposition.
|
Under the Radar
ADMINISTRATION -- WHITE HOUSE
USES GEN. PETRAEUS AS PR FLACK TO PROMOTE WAR CZAR: Ever since
President Bush announced his escalation policy, war supporters have
relied on the credibility of Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in
Iraq, to deflect criticism. Earlier this month, Bush mentioned
Petraeus by name no fewer than 12 times in a speech arguing for his
strategy in Iraq, at one point saying that "the
best messenger, by the way, for us is David Petraeus." But the
manner in which the administration has rolled out Petraeus to help sell
its war policy at home is threatening that credibility. In a
fact sheet released to reporters yesterday about Bush's new war
czar, both Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are quoted
in a manner more suited for use on a book jacket. "Doug Lute knows
Iraq, the region, and Washington, and he'll be a great addition to the
team that is striving to achieve success in Iraq. He is also a
doer," the fact sheet quotes Petraeus as saying. "I look
forward to working closely with LTG Doug Lute in the coming months. His
knowledge and experience will make him a valuable partner to our
efforts in Iraq," adds Crocker. Yesterday, ABC's Martha
Raddatz asked White House spokesman Tony Snow if his press office had
solicited quotes from a uniformed military officer, and, if so, whether
that was appropriate. Snow dodged both questions, instead offering a
sarcastic remark. "[I]t's clearly a burning issue so we'll look into it
for you" (see the video HERE).
The Lute press release is another example of Rep. John Murtha's (D-PA)
contention that the White House has been using Petraeus
as a political prop for their failing Iraq policy.
ENVIRONMENT -- HURRICANE CHIEF SAYS ADMINISTRATION IS WASTING MILLIONS
ON PR CAMPAIGN: National Hurricane Center director Bill Proenza
said yesterday that the Bush administration is "spending millions of
dollars on a publicity
campaign that could be used to plug budget
shortfalls hurricane forecasters are struggling with." The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is spending up
to $4 million to publicize a 200th anniversary celebration while the
agency has cut $700,000 from hurricane research, Proenza said. He
told reporters, "No question about it, it is not justified. ... It is
using appropriated funds for self promotion." An NOAA spokesman
defended the publicity campaign. "It's part of our responsibility to
tell the American people what we do," the spokesman said. "It's
inaccurate and unfair to just characterize this as some sort of
self-celebration." USA Today reports, "The six-month hurricane
season begins June 1 and private forecasters are predicting it will
be busy, with 17 named storms -- five of them major hurricanes --
expected to form over the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico."
ETHICS -- GONZALES ALLOWS KARL ROVE-PROTEGE TO REMAIN AS U.S. ATTORNEY,
EVEN THOUGH HIS TERM HAS EXPIRED: On Jan. 18, Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee, under oath, that
he never
intended to take advantage of a Patriot Act provision that allows the President to appoint
"interim" U.S. attorneys for an indefinite period of time, without
Senate confirmation. He promised that "with respect to every United
States attorney position in this country, we will have a presidentially
appointed, Senate-confirmed United States attorney." Similarly, on Dec.
15, 2006, Gonzales
personally assured Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) that Karl Rove-protege
Tim Griffin would face Senate confirmation. Before the Patriot Act was
changed in 2005, the Attorney General could appoint interim U.S.
attorneys to serve for a maximum
of 120 days.
After that time period, they needed to receive Senate confirmation or
the federal district court in the vacant office's district would name a
replacement. Griffin's
120 days were up on April 20, yet the Bush administration has not
named a
replacement candidate. In early March, Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) said
that he was "interviewing candidates to recommend
as replacements for Griffin." The Progress Report spoke with
Boozman's office, which confirmed that on March 30, the
congressman submitted three names to the White House to replace Griffin. His office said that it has not
heard from the administration on the state of the process. Griffin
remains as the U.S. attorney in Arkansas and has stated that he is ready
and willing to serve until the end of President Bush's term.
If Gonzales had been serious about installing "a presidentially
appointed,
Senate-confirmed United States attorney," he would have replaced
Griffin by now. Evidently, he instead plans to "gum to
death" the process.
|
|
Think Fast
The search for three missing Americans taken during
Saturday's ambush enters its seventh
day. "Thousands of soldiers" sifting through the tips from Iraqis
"has
become the hub of the manhunt." Most have led nowhere -- "deliberately
so in some cases, many Americans suspect." The false alarms "highlight
the challenge American troops face...in a Sunni stronghold where many residents
resent the American presence."
"Sources yesterday identified four additional prosecutors who were considered for termination, bringing to 30 the number of
prosecutors who were placed on Justice Department firing lists between
February 2005 and December 2006. That accounts for about
a third of the nation's 93 U.S. attorney positions. Nine were fired
last year."
68: Percentage of Americans who support
federal hate crime legislation for gays and lesbians, according to
a Gallup poll, including 60 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of
weekly churchgoers.
Several senators have urged President Bush to withdraw his
nomination of Michael Baroody -- a corporate lobbyist picked
to lead the Consumer Product Safety
Commission -- "saying the candidate was unqualified and the appointment posed
insurmountable conflicts of interest."
"YouTube's co-founders on Thursday challenged
the Pentagon's assertion that soldiers overseas were sapping too much bandwidth by watching
online videos." Chief Executive Chad Hurley "expressed doubt that soldiers'
use of YouTube could have any real effect on the military's
massive network."
The House Judiciary Committee passed a controversial
lobbying reform bill,
but were forced to strip "a two-year moratorium on lobbying by former
lawmakers and staff" over bipartisan opposition. The panel also "sidestepped
or rejected several other proposals meant to beef up the bill,
including a hotly disputed call to force lobbyists conducting
grass-roots campaigns to register."
Speaking of Paul Wolfowitz's resignation from the World Bank,
a "former colleague who served with Wolfowitz in four administrations
said that 'the kinds of problems he got into were predictable for
anybody who really knew Paul.'" The source "voiced admiration for his
intellect but said Wolfowitz 'couldn't
run a two-car funeral.'"
"A bipartisan group of senators is pushing legislation that would
force the CIA to release an inspector general's report on the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001." The CIA is the only
federal agency to not
make a version of such a report public.
And finally: While moving around office furniture, Sen. Jon
Tester's (D-MT) staff found an "old document." The document, "a citizens' petition in favor of women's suffrage" that
dated back to 1910, was turned over to the National Archives. Tester's
staffers were a bit bummed when they found out it will remain at the
Archives. "We had no idea -- we thought we could just
hang it up on the wall," says Tester spokesman Matt McKenna.
|
|
Topic Cloud
Archives