Today's News

Jerusalem:  Barkat, who takes Michael Bloomberg as his role model, will be the next mayor of the Holy City.  New York City is his ideal town.  Barkat aspires to make Jerusalem an international metropolis as the eternal capital of the Jewish people.  Having spent a lot of time there, I have a hard time imagining that.  It would be a very different place.  Jerusalem is perched high on the Judean ridge looking east into hard desert and west down the slope to the sea.  The only part of the city that has any real charm or tourist value is the tiny Old City with its winding cobblestone streets and its burden of history.  What does he want to do, tear some of that down for redevelopment?  Will we see the Holy Sepulchre Spa, Casino and Convention Center?  Are we going to see massive development on the Mount of Olives?   Many Americans think that New York City is of doubtful national identity.  Is that what he wants for Jerusalem?

Lieberman:  An interesting "Kabuki Drama" is being played out within the nascent Obama Administration concerning Good Old Joe.   Lieberman votes liberal on nearly everything.  The exceptions are things that his neocon buddies at AEI want concerning the Middle East.  He has been a BIG backer of the Iraq War.  Obama has been a staunch opponent of that war.  Lieberman endorsed McCain, spoke for him at the GOP convention, campaigned with him everywhere and was short listed as among the choices to be McCain's VP running mate.  Now, the Chicago crowd want Harry Reid to allow him to retain chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee?  Why?  I say again, why?  I gave Joe a thousand dollars once for one of his senate campaigns.  That was a long time ago.  He can send it back.

Stolen Valor:  The FBI is now investigating violations of the "Stolen Valor Act" of 2006.  Good.  Try reading the book, "Stolen Valor."  It is about all the little pukes who have awarded themselves decorations for valor or have falsely claimed to have served.   Former personnel clerks who simply drew up orders giving themselves the medals, people who never served who claim to own the Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, etc.  Other people who simply claim to have served in units that would have scorned them.  Special Forces, the Airborne force and the US Marines are the usual claimed identities.  Over the years I have had many, many men tell me that they were Green Berets.  I always ask them a few questions abut that service.  This is a revealing process.  Famous people make such claims.  The actor Brian Dennehy is an example.  He falsely claimed to have served in Vietnam.  Hang'em high!   pl

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

First, BARAK is trying to avoid the first Islamic WMD going off in his city. Second, the DEMS will need every last vote in the Senate before the tumult of the 112th (or is it the 111th?) Congress ends. I expect dramatic, farreaching, and permanent legislative approaches to economic stabilization of the domestic economy to occur during OBAMA first term. Finally as to those wearing medals that do NOT deserve them the active armed forces should not be overlooked. I repeatedly see active members that I wonder if that CIB was really earned and other decorations! Also I thought the unauthorized sale of medals was illegal?

[J]

Colonel,

On the 'Stolen Valor', you don't just hang em high, you hang em high by their gonads. That way it makes a statement.

[lina]

"Will we see the Holy Sepulchre Spa, Casino and Convention Center?"

I have long advocated moving the entire state of Israel to Wyoming. Disney could come in and build a theme park called "The Holy Land." Dick Cheney could be CEO as his retirement job.

Re Lieberman: I'm not at all surprised Obama wants to bring him back into the fold. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

[Cato]

I served in the Army for over four years. Never heard a shot fired in anger, never got anything snazzier than a Good Conduct Medal. Having said that, it is a complete mystery to me why anyone would want to steal someone else's thunder. Are they schizophrenic on some level so that they actually convince themselves that they really did earn these medals? Don't they worry about their frauds being exposed? How do they live with being frauds in the first place? It's just another aspect of human behavior that I just don't understand.

[par4]

Hat trick Col.

[zanzibar]

How the Democrats deal with Joe Lieberman will be very instructive.

If they buy into the "bi-partisan" shtick that the Beltway pundits thrive on its going to be real easy for the Republican rump contingent in Congress to make the Democrats look partisan and wimpy at the same time.

And Joe Lieberman will screw the Democrats again.

[Pan]

I really don't understand these people who feel the need to inflate their egos by falsely claiming membership in military units or awards they didn't earn. Most of us who served in the military tend to be reticent about our service. Yes, we like to tell war stories, but those tend to be along the lines of how screwed up the military was. Frankly, I feel pretty embarassed to talk about my pretty uneventful military experience.

[Duncan Kinder]

Now, the Chicago crowd want Harry Reid to allow him to retain chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee? Why? I say again, why?

This is a truly strange episode. But then, the Democrats, since at least 2000, have been downright peculiar.

I have previously argued that conservatives should junk the Republican party and form a new Tory Party.

I now am beginning to believe that liberals should likewise junk the Democrats and form a new Whig party ( the 18th Century British variety, not the 19th century American one. )

Of course, both would have to be jazzed up to meet the 21st century; but - still - the litmus test would be that neoTories would prefer Bach while neoWhigs would prefer Mozart.

[Todd]

I'll second the hanging. About ten years ago, I ran across the website of some fine veteran who was tracking these pukes (can't remember the name). Some of the ones he had found were simply ludicrous in their embellishments. The FBI could start there.

This also makes me think about a questionable medal being the precipitating factor in Adm. Boorda's suicide a decade ago. And these lying sacks are still walking around.

I've never understood the mentality. I served four years in the infantry, 11C, some days a stud, but never a dud. I was proud to serve, but have not felt the need to make it more than it was. Others do, apparently.

[Matthew]

The stolen value comments are very powerful. Why would these people think that the Real Deal would not know--or find out about their fakery? Very bizarre.

[Will]

I was reading the Jerusalem Post. It mentioned the MN senate contest-the article said it was b/n two Jewish Americans. The comment by a reader said Coleman was "pro-Israel" b/ Franken was "pro-Peace."

Without that little piece of statistical knowlede about the IQ spread that even though American Jews are about 2% of the population, one of every American w/ an IQ over 140 is a Jewish American, one would be a loss to explain such things. A senator in Vermont, both senators from CA, a senator and Gov. from PN- 13 U.S. senators in all.

The only hope for Peace is when the Frankens outnumber the Colemans (?) & Liebermans. When more Jewish Americans of good heart start having an "Olmert moment."

[Bill W, NH, USA]

I had a very lucky/good day today. My son landed back at Ft. Campbell today after about a 10-11 month tour in Iraq, he lost one of his guys and had two with minor injuries over the course of the year.

And, I took my girlfriend to the hospital today for an endoscopy to look for pancreatic cancer, there was none, whew!!!

I'm going to have a few tonight!!!

Being retired Air Force and not too too familiar with the Army, I have a question. My son's an artillery officer but spent his whole time in Iraq on patrol. Would that likely qualify him for the CIB? TIA

Now, a reverse story from the topic. Sorry about the length but it needs explanation to get to the ironic point. I was sent to DaNang in Dec '72 and the Paris Peace Accords were signed I think on Jan 18, '73. I don't remember exactly when the cease fire went into effect but it was shortly thereafter the accords were signed. I stayed till the last day, Mar 29 '73 and shipped out to NKP Thailand. I spent 3 years there and then onto the Philippines. As I wasn't in Vietnam long enough I never received a performance report but my first performance report in Thailand made brief mention of the fact. I was also awarded the VSM and RVCM, Thailand was part of the time factor needed for one of those medals.

At some point in my Philippines tour I was on "Mobility Alert" duty and got to talking with this new Lt who was buddies with my Captain. They were both prior service enlisted and knew each other fairly well from a past assignment. Well, the talk got around to Vietnam and he was interested in my thoughts as I told him I had been there. It was a pretty lively conversation, he was very interested, he had been (to make later matters worse) a VA hospital medic and worked extensively with that war's wounded.

Well, my Captain and this Lt had a later conversation about our conversation and my Captain (I won't tell you what I thought of that boss of mine) told this Lt that I was a liar and had never been in Vietnam. I found out the hard way while waiting for a meeting in the Chief's (E9) outer office to the Colonel's office. The Lt in question showed up and in front of about 8 folks he tore me a new one, sarcasm, a disgrace to the memory of the real men he had helped at the VA, and whatnot. It went on for a few before the Chief spoke up and said, "whoa,hold on there second Lt, I know W. and I know he was at DaNang and then went onto NKP. This Lt turned beet red and apologized profusely. I accepted it and told him not to worry about it, he was pretty worried and, unknown to him, the Capt at DaNang I worked for (and who liked me immensley) was now the exec to the AF Chief of Staff who I had also previously worked for, I could have made some real trouble for him but didn't, we all make mistakes.

There's a guy who frequents the American Legion that I hang out at once in a while who told me he had been in the Marine Corp. He doesn't mention it anymore, he's knows I'm not stupid.

[peg]

Lieberman needs to go (& I voted for Obama!).
and so does the influence of AIPAC in our government

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A62438-2004Sep4?language=printer

[Mark Logan]

The Leiberman thing struck me as quite peculiar as well. But then there is still the possibility they could pick up two more from
Minnisota and Alaska, whose races are not decided yet. They might be very close to the brink of 60. That is, with Leiberman. One never knows if a health condition or some other calamity might tip them over during the next two years.

Looks to me they are trying to sweet-talk him out of that tower. Probably floating him options right now. As long as it's a position where he can't
work any foreign policy mischief, why not? Avoid shooting him down if they can.

[Andy]

Well, hopefully the Dems have learned from the Jim Jeffords experience. Leiberman could have caucused with the GoP which would have split the Senate and given Darth Cheney the deciding vote.

Both parties, in my view, have moved away from the center and sought to punish those that don't meet certain litmus tests. The GoP has been much worse and look where it's gotten them - there's no such thing as a libertarian wing of the GoP anymore and some GoP affiliate groups have actually run ads against moderates like Olympia Snowe. The Dems would be well advised not to follow the same path. But hey, they've already forced Lieberman out of the party, why not try to finish him off?

Neither party can succeed through complete reliance on its base - each much allow room for dissidents - otherwise they are just the factions that Madison warned of in Federalist ten.

[Lorell]

Re: Lieberman

Lieberman carries heavy water for AIPAC. Obama doesn't want to be on the wrong side of them.

[dSmith]

Damn. I always liked Brian Dennehy.

[John Minnerath]

Re. Wyoming,Israel, and wild shot Dickie. Puleez, we ain't all raging neocons out here!
Stolen valor? Yeah, there's a lot of phony jerks around, I know a few. I was in the 1stSF. Col. Lang and I even crossed paths briefly at one time. Otherwise I performed my duty honorably but uneventfully.

[Peter]

Excuse for straining at gnats, but might you consider explaining why you think "many Americans" believe New York City is of "doubtful national identity"? I'm sure this is a harmless comment, but I don't quite get it.

[Tom S]

Call me prejudiced--I am a proud New Yorker--but the United States would not be the United States without New York.

[DCA]

Since Lieberman votes liberal on domestic issues, it seems useful to keep him for the purpose of getting that vote, despite the urge to engage in payback. I think this is realpoltik not anything to do with looking bipartisan. I too would love to see some payback, but....

[trstone]

i.e. Joe Liberman, when your political party has no principles other than getting elected, why do you you expect them to take a stand on a party representitive who asked for the support of the party leader, and got it, then turned around and stated that that leader was not ready to lead!
In the real world of business or personnal interaction, Joe would be toast! What is all this hand-wringing about? If the legislation has merits, the 60 votes will come!

[Patrick Lang]

John Minnerath

Where/when was that? pl

[Curious]

Price of everything is dropping fast due to no demand. Pretty soon, nobody can make money.

2009 seems to quickly becoming a brutal year.

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/11/lobster-prices-collapse.html

Bloomberg is reporting Cattle Fall as Slowing Economy May Cut Beef Demand; Hogs Steady.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCC6PiuEDvxs&refer=home

TPG Founder Bonderman Sees `L-Shape' Global Recession, More Housing Pain

[John Minnerath]

April/May of 64, during Aumee III. I was just a young dumb demo guy, hardly a blip on your radar probably, but it was an incident that's stuck with me.