.
There’s just no way around it, no polite way to put it: If you live in Orange County and you’re not in Loretta’s district, then your Congressman is a chickenhawk* (that is, a politician who loves to send others off to war but avoided service when his country called him) who has voted and continues to vote in favor of continuing the war in Iraq while also voting against veterans’ needs.
Or to be more specific, last week Gary Miller, John Campbell, Ed Royce and Dana Rohrabacher (pictured above) voted against the long-overdue expansion of veterans’ educational benefits known as the GI Bill of 2008. [Campbell actually skipped the vote, but look below at his record on vets’ issues and guess how he would have voted.] The bill still passed, 266-166, but not by enough votes to overcome a promised veto from the King of All Chickenhawks, President George W. Bush; and, barring some sudden unheard-of midlife discovery of a conscience, your chickenhawk Congressmen will not be helping to override that veto (even though the Senate has just passed the same bill by a much larger margin.)
The GI Bill of 2008
This admirable and necessary bill will enable our brave veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to attend a 4-year college for free, something the current GI Bill, signed into law by FDR 68 years ago, no longer manages at today’s tuition costs. After all the dangers, horrors and abuse our government has put these young men and women through, and given how hard it has been for veterans of harrowing guerrilla wars to re-adjust to society, the least America owes them is a four-year education, wouldn’t you say? The website devoted to this bill makes some other excellent points:
…Today’s veterans deserve a real reintegration program to help adjust to the civilian world. At the same time, a renewed GI Bill is a practical answer to the military’s troop shortage. Despite investing $4 billion in recruiting annually, the military has had serious problems recruiting high-caliber personnel. The Pentagon has responded by lowering age, education, and aptitude standards for new recruits, as well as upping the number of recruiters and increasing enlistment bonuses. These stopgap measures will not address long-term problems with recruiting, especially as the overall size of the armed forces is expanded.
Rather than continuing to spend billions in bonuses for lower-standard enlistees, increasing GI Bill benefits would encourage high-aptitude young people to join the military. The GI Bill is the military’s single most effective recruitment tool: the number-one reason civilians join the military is to get money for college. As our military recovers and resets in the coming years, an expanded GI Bill will play a crucial role in ensuring that our military remains the strongest and most advanced in the world.
But your Chickenhawk Congressmen don’t see it the same way. For one thing it is “too expensive” – as in 52 billion over ten years – this from guys who have been signing over blank checks for over five years to Bush and Cheney for unimaginable war profiteering, for an unnecessary war which at this point is going to cost us 3 TRILLION. That is, Three Thousand Billion. Also they fear troop levels will decline further as soldiers and marines learn they can leave after one tour, go home and get a decent education. Well hey, I say, that’s okay! We’re going to end this war next year anyway. Aw, shucks, where are my manners!? It’s time to meet your Chickenhawk Congressmen who love the war and hate the troops:
Ed Royce, 40th District (Fullerton…)
MILITARY SERVICE: Born in 1951, Royce’s bio lists no military service; we are still researching how he avoided Vietnam and will update when we find out.
SUPPORT OF IRAQ WAR: Cautiously critical of it now, but voted to start it and has consistently voted to continue it; 14% rating from Peace Action and 7% rating from Council for a Livable World.
SUPPORT OF VETERANS: mediocre; the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave him a “C” for his votes in 2006, and Disabled American Veterans gave him an average 22% voting record in the last three years they have listed.
HIS OPPONENT: The quiet anti-war progressive Christina Avalos.
Dana Rohrabacher, 46th District (Huntington Beach…)
MILITARY SERVICE: Well, everybody knows that Dana avoided the draft with a “bad hip,” and spent the 70’s surfing! Still he thought the Vietnam War was a great idea and we should have stayed there longer.
SUPPORT OF IRAQ WAR: As I’ve shown earlier, he was one of the war’s earliest and shrillest cheerleaders, has voted consistently to continue it, and is only now, in terror of Debbie Cook and looking like a little boy trying to hide the mess he made, trying to pose as a war critic.
SUPPORT OF VETERANS: Pretty halfhearted. His low ratings are based on his votes against increases in VA funding; in his typical cockamamie “libertarian” way, his solution is to privatize more and more of the system, When we locals think of Dana and vets we think of his ill-tempered Irish aide Kathleen Hollingsworth (with whom many of us from every party have had unpleasant dealings) and her unsuccessful charge of assault against elderly PTSD Navy Seal Jack Frost for grabbing his files from her hands and trying to leave the office. Since that day they keep Dana’s office locked, and answer visitors tremulously through an intercom.
HIS OPPONENT: The marvelous Debbie Cook, who has signed on to the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, which contains generous provisions for veterans; Debbie’s two brothers served in the military. (Also notable: Green Party challenger and anti-war stalwart Tom Lash was a Navy corpsman.)
John Campbell, 48th District (Irvine…)
MILITARY SERVICE: Campbell graduated from high school in 1972, three years before the Vietnam draft ended. Was he just lucky or did he do something to avoid it? Again, we are looking into that. He sure didn’t volunteer though.
SUPPORT OF IRAQ WAR: Constant, since slithering into Chris Cox’s seat in ’06 and leaving his state senate seat for slimy Tom Harman to slither into. Support of this disastrous war goes hand-in-hand with denial and dishonesty, and last year Campbell claimed that “Iraq is safer than Washington DC.”
SUPPORT OF VETERANS: Abysmal. The vet groups that gave Ed and Gary a C gave John an F, and last year he notoriously defended his vote against veterans’ health benefits by claiming “Veterans commit fraud!”
HIS OPPONENT: The mighty Steve Young, whose constant hammering on Campbell for his abuse of veterans may have driven him to avoid the vote on this bill. Still no cookie, John.
Gary Miller, 42nd District (Brea, Mission Viejo…)
MILITARY SERVICE: * Asterisk here: We may not be able to call Dirty Gary a chickenhawk, as some of his online bios claim that he was in the Army in 1967, although other bios do not make that claim. On reflection, this seemed odd and suspicious – only one year or less would be highly unusual during Vietnam, and he has never spoken about his time in the military that we can determine. His military record is now being researched by both the Shepston and Chau camps, and I CALL DIBS on that bombshell! Dishonorable discharge? Or pure fabrication? Either way, could be the final blow for old Dirty Gary! Keep checking back here.
SUPPORT OF IRAQ WAR: Constant. Quote from last year’s “surge”-fest: “As we cannot – and must not – turn back, we need a fresh approach to move forward. The President’s plan… is the only plan that provides for a way forward in Iraq. While the majority party proposes to stand still and do nothing, the President’s plan aims to allow American forces to stand down as the Iraqi people stand up. For us in Congress, it is not our job to become involved in the tactical decisions that will lead to success in our mission…”
SUPPORT OF VETERANS: Similar to Royce, mediocre (C’s, 20%’s, etc.)
HIS OPPONENT: Either the estimable Ed Chau, or my friend Ron Shepston who manned missile sites for the Air Force during four long years of the 60’s, who has also signed onto the same Responsible Plan as Debbie Cook.
**************************
As you can see this post will be subject to frequent interesting updates in the near future, but we needed to get it out today so you could enjoy the wonderful Photoshop by my mystery Photoshop wizard friend, and have a Great Memorial Day! Let’s bring the troops home!
Great post Vern! And what a classic Photoshop picture…shame on these OC GOP chickenhawks! (I wonder how you say that in Spanish? Something about aguilas de los pollos maybe?).
Great expose Vern! It’s high time the emperor’s were shown to have no clothes. I’m so damn tired of chickenhawks exempting themselves and their children from military service, treating themselves and their families to excellent medical care, and lining their pockets with contributions from war profiteers I could strangle them.
Its time to throw all these bums out and put the government back into the hands of responsible Americans who regardless of political affiliation will address all the problems our country faces and treat Americans who sacrifice with dignity and respect.
This could have waited until tommorrow.
On this day in which we remember and pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom and safety, I think is a little tacky.
Vern. While I can’t speak for you at least our Congressman, Gary Miller, attended and addressed our veterans and residents at Mission Viejo’s annual Memorial Day Service. In Marine Corps Lt. Col. Chad Hedleston’s remarks he commended Congress for providing over $100 million in additional aid for military families. Lt. Col. Hedleston is the Commanding Officer, HQ Battalion, First Marine Div. USMC Camp Pendleton.
As to those whom you list I do not know whether or not they were between wars which may explain their non-military service participation. You know, people like a former president named Bill Clinton.
Juice-brother Larry, it’s apples and oranges with Clinton because he vociferously opposed the Vietnam war. And this $100 million – I’m assuming Miller voted in favor of it? – it’s still dwarfed by the vets’ needs, and the billions he has voted against, not to mention the insane costs of this war.
Sorry you feel that way Juice-brother Thomas. I feel that I am supporting the troops when I help expose the powerful men who should be supporting them but aren’t.
I agree with Thomas Gordon. Just as your comment on Arts thread was out of line, this could have waited for another day. Chickenhawks have been famous for sending kids to war as far back as I can remember. It’s not exactly news.
Thomas,
I think it is tacky for GOP Congressmen, and Bush, to talk like they support the military while their actions prove otherwise.
Vern’s message is a tough one, and the timing may not be perfect, but it is a message that needs to get out.
That said, I salute our men and women who have given their all, and those who are still doing so. They serve even when their leaders leave much to be desired. They die even when the wars they die in are fraudulent. And they deserve our thanks.
Ditto to Art’s last paragraph. And I feel like today is a very appropriate day for us to question and discuss how 1) to bring LESS troops home to Dover Air Force Base in coffins, and 2) how to best help our returning heroes re-adjust to civilized life. This is the real patriotism, not the “scoundrel-refuge” sentimentality that passes for patriotism these days. If you wanted that you could go to any other blog, but you-all come to the OJ to exercise your freedom to get exercised!
Course it would be disingenuous of me to complain about folks getting offended when I purposely use offensive titles and photoshops I suppose. It just seems like extreme times, like these, demand extreme froms of communication.
Happy Memorial Day, and big appreciative props to all who have given life and limb for our great country ever since we first kicked British butt out of the colonies!
Vern- your timing is perfect. While our troops are risking their lives everyday, we have these hypocritical talking heads having the nerve to come out of their caves and speak in public on days like this- Memorial Day of all days. As a military mom whose son served two tours in Iraq and who will probably be sent again, I find their actions deplorable. Who cares what they have to say anyway? They give nothing of their time. They make speeches right above the graves of the fallen to look like they are patriotic just to gain some political ground for the upcoming elections. If they really cared about the troops they would use the only power that the constitution gave them,(for misguided wars that beg for the check and balance of Congress just like we have now in Iraq),they would vote to stop funding the war. Today, hundreds of disenfrachised people who really support the troops dropped banners over freeways all over the country calling for an end to this mindless war and chose Memorial Day to do it. Why? Because if you really want to honor the fallen you will work to bring the rest of the troops home alive so that we can finally go about the important business of taking care of them when they get home. People with courage do not take a holiday from doing the right thing. This is precisely why Congress,(many dems too), were so anxious to railroad this past funding bill right before Memorial Day so they could use the old excuse, “Well we can’t abandon our troops out in the field”. So they not only vote to fund the war but give madman Bush more money than he asked for to continue this war. Thank you, Vern. You are a real patriot.
In my world, “chickenhawk” has a different meaning.
A chickenhawk is an older, often closeted, gay man who stalks younger men in a predatory way.
At least two of OC’s congressmen appear to qualify under this definition as well.
I understand your pain, with all the inspirational war movies playing on the TV today, you feel “left out”.
Well, enjoy your free speech, paid for by the blood and sacrifice from the few who had the courage to stand and be counted as part of the US Armed Forces.
A group that was not permitted to participate in the parade has erected a memorial:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eajr/2522862738/in/set-72157604230081683/
Cook, I think I have you figured out. Apart from being a great Santa Ana neighborhood activist and a generally smart and funny guy, you are also a Vietnam vet who harbors bitterness about how that war turned out and about how some vets were treated. Am I right? If so, thanks for your service.
Whenever I write critically about the current conflict, you seem not to really hear what I say. My post and subsequent comments are extremely respectful of the troops, as is my outrage over the pointless war they’ve been sent to by the current administration. How does the Iraq Occupation have anything to do with defending our free speech?
I’ve been away from the TV all day. I was at a Memorial Day celebration at the HB Pier where both your namesake Mayor Debbie Cook and her opponent Dana Rohrabacher spoke; before that I was helping friends with some Memorial Day anti-war freeway blogging in Fountain Valley, and before that I was busy researchin and writing this post. But I’ll be ready to kick back in front of a TV very soon! Any recommendations this evening? I love WWII films…
PS. You folks who are outraged by this post, I hope you remember to thank Art for re-posting his old “anonymous posting” instructions so that the Chickenhawks are no longer at the top of the page! Who says he’s not a sensitive guy!?
Vern,
I only did that because a fellow posted today on one of our other stories that he would no longer read our blog because you cannot post anon. So I had to set the record straight.
I remain proud of your terrific post! And the funny picture.
Vern,
The Longest Day is on at 5pm as well as The Bridges at Toko-Ri.
I remember in Jr. High we could go to the school and for $.25 we could watch a movie on the weekend. Oddly enough Toko-Ri is the only movie I ever remember going to see even though I went almost every week. Strange how Korea has been overlooked in passing years when it was the beginning of what is now called a “police action”.
Republicans voted against this bill because it contained provisions to end the war in Iraq and bring home the troops.
Additionally, it was designed to discourage re-enlistment of troops – so that the armed services would not make their re-enlistment quotas.
It was intentionally designed to fail. It was a cynical attempt to make Republicans look bad. It was a bill which had no hope of passage in the Senate, much less be signed into law.
This bill was an abuse of very troops it pretended to be helping. The American people are much smarter than you or the Democrats in congress give them credit for Vern.
Even if they do not know the specific reasons Republicans voted against this sham of a bill, the citizens of this country know that the Republicans in congress are true supporters of the troops.
Remember Memorial Day
Vern –
To hell with the naysayers. On a day of remembrance we should also remember how so many fallen soldiers are duped into giving their lives for causes that those who vote to sacrifice them never would.
As far as timing, I think the story is very appropriate. The photoshop, while well done and humorous, is perhaps slightly distasteful (I believe the word was ‘tacky’) for a day such as this.
All in all though, great job as usual!
Oh, and Larry. Please tell me that you’re not defending Gary Miller. ‘Mr. Scandal’ knows it’s an election year so I don’t think we should be giving him kudos for behaving in a manner consistent with his position.
SMS
Number 17 has every fact wrong you can get wrong.
GI Bill was part of the war funding bill. F-U-N-D-I-N-G.
And wouldn’t expanded rights including tuition to a four year college, ENCOURAGE people to sign up????
Crawl back under your rock, Troglodyte, until Bill O’Reilly gives you your next set of fallacious marching orders.
Not to mention, #17, as my Citizen was to polite to point out, IT PASSED THE SENATE WITH FLYING COLORS. As I did mention in my post. So what’s this “It was a bill which had no hope of passage in the Senate, much less be signed into law” BS?
Oh, you’re not there any more? Off “setting the record straight” somewhere else I suppose. Leaving others to clean up your sticky residue of untruth.
Thanks Vern. As a Viet Nam era vet I didn’t go to Nam but I figure I still have a right to say “thanks” for sticking up for the guys who don’t have the freedom to say “no” to an occupation that was wrong from the start.
I hear the argument that it’s a volunteer force in Iraq and Afghanistan but I’m sure there are thousands who didn’t sign up to be targets in the cross fire of a civil war which has NO military solution. There are thousands who didn’t sign up for stop lose or multiple tours while their families disintegrate.
I am in awe of guys like Cook who do serve in combat. That service deserves our respect which Vern gives in abundance. We disagree on the value of the current occupation but we don’t disagree on the value of the service.
Thanks Cook from someone who served my country in my non-combat service when called.
This was an extremely distasteful post on Memorial Day but exactly what I would expect from a progressive…always “concerned” for the troops when fits into pulling down a Rep. I see no reference to any Dems. Wow what a shock. When was the last time you had a lunch homeless vet or sent supplies to our current men and women overseas? I thought so! Sorry “Juicers”, you just lost another moderate reader today.
Wow, that’s too bad, TWP. With all the readers we lose over this and that, it’s a miracle we can stay in the top three California blogs as often as we do!
Thanks for reading the OJ.
Uh TWP, this was the last time some of us directly helped the troops – http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/26/172525/580/569/523196
Have you also helped?
Oh my Gods! Ron speaks! Thank you so much for commenting on our blog. I’m really excited now. 🙂 Welcome aboard!
SMS
Art,
You have it wrong. John Campbell did service as a civil war reenactor.
… as did Gary Miller. 🙂 I believe he was in ‘Master and Commander’ with Robert Duvall. Can someone verify this?
SMS
Thanks Sarah. I wish I could do more. I do go pretty far back blogging so I put in bursts of comments here and there.
I don’t want to be a talking head candidate so I use the blogs as my news and analysis source. My schedule makes that somewhat difficult at times but it is a priority for me even if I don’t comment as much as I used to.
Not that fast Vern,
From the Washington Post (5/23/08):
“Senators stripped the package of all language that mandated troop withdrawals and sought to govern the conduct of the Iraq war, which had been in a previous version approved by the House.”
The bill which passed the Senate was NOT the same bill that passed the House. Perhaps in conference committee the two versions of the bill will be melded into something the Republicans would be happy to vote in favor of to support the troops.
And perhaps many dems will find that version unacceptable. Will you condemn those dems for not supporting the troops? I doubt it.
PS: You would do well to remove the arrogant tone from your posts and comments.
Vern, I do enjoy your stuff, keep shaking things up.
Me a activist, maybe, I like the term resident or citizen better.
Bitterness about how Vietnam war turned out? I was there when peace broke out in January 1973, the US military left and South Vietnam was a free country. I bet you did not know that.
War movies to watch, I like “Victory at Sea” a set of compilation documentaries.
cook:
Thank you for your service. It is because of men and women like you who have served in the armed services that we are free to speak according to our beliefs.
You mention that South Vietnam was a free country in 1973. Does that mean that they were free to fail to protect their own freedom and be defeated by the communists with thousands of people killed and thrown into reeducation camps?
Was this “freedom” gained for South Vietnam by a Democratic congress removing funding for the Vietnam War after the US had won every battle, including Tet, and were on the verge of victory – according to our enemy the communists?
SMS says: “On a day of remembrance we should also remember how so many fallen soldiers are duped into giving their lives …”
Sarah – Are you saying that the men and women who serve in the armed services are stupid? Sounds like that.
Yes Hal, they were free to succeed or fail, more so than they even knew.
Many blame the “Democratic party” who controlled congress for the fall of South Vietnam in April 1975.
Shallow Hal, grasping at straws. Of course Sarah didn’t say the troops are “stupid.” Comb thru some more comments, see what else you can distort.
And I don’t want to argue about the denouement of the tragic Vietnam War with Cook because i realize now that he has way too personal a connection to it. But I think Hal just grew up at the teat of “stabbed in the back” propaganda, and really thinks that the Vietnam War was a good war, that we could have won it even with most of the population against us, and that it was just the traitorous media and congress that wouldn’t let us bomb them all the way back to the Stone Age. Common wisdom and hindsight are against you Hal. And Iraq is the same.
“Setting the Record Straight,” thanks for coming back, I had pegged you for a hit-and-run troll. I’ll respond to you later but I’m on a deadline. Not sure if I can turn off my “arrogant tone” though, when you started by accusing me of not supporting the troops and treating the American people like they’re stupid.
Vern says:
“Not sure if I can turn off my “arrogant tone” though, when you started by accusing me of not supporting the troops and treating the American people like they’re stupid.”
You nailed it Vern, that is EXACTLY what I am saying.
Vern said:
“Happy Memorial Day! Your Chickenhawk Congressman Loves the War & Hates the Troops.”
“Your … congressman … hates the troops” – Wow what a statement.
That type of over the top hyperbole adds nothing to your arguement Vern. It makes you appear to be a shrieking partisan hack. You can do much better than that type of ad hominem attack.
Yup. Hyperbole. Polemic. Flamethrower. Provocateur. I stand guilty as charged. But I do try to back it up with substance.
I’ll get back to you later tonight brother, still working on an article that’s overdue.
Vern – You left out “shrieking partisan hack.”
Hey! Stop harassing me when I’m busy. No i don’t accept “partisan hack” because I criticize Dems frequently, and am always looking for Republicans to compliment (tho’ that’s difficult these days .. but I did bring Ron St John to this blog!)
Shrieking though? If you say so. If my prose shrieks out to you like a mangrove or banshee it might be the projection of your troubled soul.
Vern – What the heck is a mangrove?
Do you mean “man grove”?
I got my “man grove” on – no problem there.
And yes – your headline shrieks.
Vern – reset required:
I got my “man groove on”.
strs
Vern,
Thank you for all you do. You are not only an accomplished musician but your activism gives me hope.
I was a Navy corpsman, not an Army medic…same thing, just different branches of the service. I spent my four plus years with the Marines.
There is someone running against Dana that has been speaking out agaist the war since before it started; me. It would be such a great idea if folks would support those of us who have been in the streets fighting for real change instead of placing false hope in party loyalty.
The democrats continue to vote for funding of the war and continue to take money from the very corporations that profit from the blood of our fallen brothers and sisters. I stopped supporting that branch of our corporate fascist government in 2000 when I switched from the democratic party to the green party. I feel clean now.
Please, we need your help. Vote for those that have your own best interests at heart. Debbie refused to use her postion as city council memeber time and again to do anything to help end this war. She will do no more when the pressure is even greater on the hill.
For a sane, safe and sustainable future vote green.
Tom will bring them home.
Tom will stop the offshore drilling for oil.
Tom will fight to give all Americans healthcare and an education through the professional level.
The revolution is ongoing and is not being televised. Get involved. Time is running short.
Tom Lash
http://www.tomlashforcongress.com
Hi Tom! Fun freeway blogging yesterday and thanks for bringing your lovely family to Baci Saturday night.
“Set the Record Straight” I’ve changed my mind. I’m not going to respond to you. Wank on, bro!
PS Tom WHere did I get Army medic? I gotta go change that.
BTW I DO NOT support Debbie Cook because of “party loyalty.” I support her over the other decent candidates because:
1. She actually has a chance of winning and getting rid of Dana – a first in 20 years; and
2. She has EXPERIENCE – experience in elected office, experience with legislation and budgets, and experience working with people of other philosophies to really solve problems. (Plus she’s almost perfect on the issues, and has a lot more political courage than you give her credit for.)
I know you hate to hear it but I’ve told you the same thing I’ve told Dan Kalmick and even Richard Lara back when I thought he was sane: Why can’t you guys start smaller like Debbie did years ago? We need good councilmen, school board people, state assemblymen to vote for SB840…
Talkin to you too St John (if you don’t win this primary)
I guess everybody just wants to be Ahab when they look at Moby Dana!
very weak Vern – you disappoint me
Art – this dude (Vern)put up a “response” to my arguement – his “response” was to post, verbatum, a NY Times article. That was a lame move and I called him on it in a comment – and then he took his lame response down from your site. And of course he did not post my comment.
Talk about a chicken hawk – Vern gives new meaning to the term.
Vern can dish it out, but he can’t take a punch. What a sissy!
Has this blog gone soft?
#46/47,
We kept Vern up late last night. He attended the DPOC emergency meeting, then hung out with a few friends at a local watering hole in Santa Ana. I would imagine he got home late. I am sure he will get back to you at some point. Vern is not one to dodge any battles, unlike the GOP Congressmen he referenced in his post…
Dunno what STRS is talking about Art, I neither posted nor romved any NYT Article, and have posted every lame comment of his so far. I did decide that responding this fellow STRS (also posting elsewhere as EZ and a few other brave pseudonyms) was turning into a waste of time.
A quick perusal of comments 17, 29, 35, 36, 38, 40, 41, 45, 46, 47 may demonstrate why. It’s too bad our generous policies of posting everyone’s anonymous comments forces our readers to scroll through all that. (And this.)
Mommy, mommy, Vern Nelson won’t pay attention to me any more! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH