American Defender

New Letter to Senators

2007-05-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Senator,

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070527/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_memorial_day

I would just like to say that these losses are unacceptable. These costs are unacceptable and undermine the security of our country far more than a handful of extremists could do.
Please continue to fight this misguided President's aims as he continues to lead us into financial ruin. Bring our troops home - do not fund this failed Presidency any further.

Impeach Bush.

Sincerely,

Jason E. Harness

Letter to Senators . . .

2007-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Senator,
How are you working to stop this Bush administration from ruining our country's fiscal health and long-term stability? Can we afford to throw good money after bad in Iraq year after year? Don't you have grandchildren that you worry about having to pay for this lunacy - this Quixotic quest that Mr. Bush is on?
Please work to stop this grave misadventure. Say no to Bush and stop him from wasting the lives of American soldiers.

Thank you,
Jason
I'm trying guys - please write your congressional representatives and senators . . . together we can stop this train wreck known as the Bush plan for Iraq.

Life Gets in the way . . .

2007-01-17T11:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the dearth of new submissions . . . sometimes life gets in the way. I promise to continue with more articles in March. More troops to Iraq? How about more troops where they are needed?

Stop Bush!!

MORE DECEIT FROM BUSH

2006-10-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Republicans are distancing themselves from George Bush for fear of the upcoming elections. Thankfully, for the country - it should prove to be too little - too late. A change is coming in the national government, but unfortunately a change of president won't be coming for two more years. The good part of that is the Republicans stand to lose possibly both the House and Senate if the elections go as I surmise. While George Bush doesn't want the election to be cast in the light of America's view on the war. It should be and will be. America is tired of the unnecessary deaths of American soldiers in Iraq. America is tired of wasting billions of dollars monthly on this foolish war, which has only weakened America's strategic capabilities while strengthening the groups the war was designed to destroy. America has grown exceedingly weary of the foolish rhetoric coming from the White House.

Bush recently criticized the Democrats for criticizing his failed Iraq policy, "Calling the Democrats the party of "cut and run," Bush said: "The voters out there need to ask the question, `Which political party will support the brave men and women who wear our uniform when they do their job of protecting America? Which political party is willing to give our professionals the tools necessary to protect the American people? Which political party has a strategy for victory in this war on terror?' "

Since the President is so good at characterizing the Democrats, I would like to offer my characterization of the Republicans. They should be called the, "I'm with Stupid" party. In the above quote by our esteemed President, I can't possibly think to which party he is referring - I know it isn't the Republicans. I support the brave women and men in uniform - I am a veteran. I support them so much, that I want to bring them home from Iraq so they can continue to protect American interests. It is a winless situation created by George Bush, Jr. Since we can't hold it and should have no desire to do so, we should stop throwing billions of dollars at this problem. NO AMOUNT OF BLOOD WILL ERASE YOUR FAILURES MR. PRESIDENT.

Protecting the American people and fighting the war on terror? What about Afghanistan Mr. President? Where are we on that issue? How is North Korea Mr. President? What is going on in Iran? I feel that the real "Axis of Evil" is Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, and George Bush.

But wait, George Bush has more to add on Iraq:

"One of the reasons you're seeing more casualties is the enemy is active and so are our troops, along with Iraqis," Bush said in a brief interview with The Associated Press. Hmm. . . well, that makes a lot of sense. How did we survive 200 years without this man? I keep asking myself that. I also keep asking myself why we couldn't have gone 200 more years without him. That is a brilliant analysis. This type of well-reasoned thinking might be the very reason we are in Iraq and why we are not winning the war on terror. Also, I'd just like to add that America did win the war in Iraq. We are not winning the occupation and reconstruction. There is a distinct difference.

Bush continued further in the interview, "We are constantly adjusting our tactics so we can achieve the objectives and right now, it's tough," the president said. "It's tough on the families who've lost a loved one. It's tough for our citizens who look at it on TV. It's hard on the Iraqis. They've lost a lot of life."

This President doesn't know what tough is. He doesn't care about lost American lives, American families, or innocent Iraqi citizens. What is tough, is that he is our president. Hard on Iraqis? I would say that 600,000 plus civilian casualties is not only hard, it should be considered a war crime. The deaths in Darfur are not that high. As a good friend of mine commented, where are the marches for this genocide? That is being accountable Mr. President. The vote in November will be a direct reflection of America's dissatisfaction with the Republicans with George Bush at the helm of this ship of fools.

In sum, all this misinformation and "doublespeak" coming out of the White House is designed to distract the American people. They are just trying to get through the elections as unscathed as they can. The comments are only meant to suggest a softening on the war in Iraq. The Iraq Prime Minister has even denied that there is a timetable or whether there even should be a timetable for American withdrawals. It is just more blustering from this administration. They have no intention of relenting on the Iraq issue. They mean to expend more American lives and waste billions and billions of more dollars without result. Make no mistake, the real battle is on election day. Do not allow their gross failures to persist.

Make America great again - Vote Democrat - Impeach Bush

jeh
http://freedomwalk.blogspot.com/

Republican Family Values? What America really needs!

2006-10-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yet again, the Republicans have been exposed as the frauds that they are with the latest scandal involving soon to be gone Congressman Foley from Florida. The Republicans are only out for themselves and their own lust, whether that lust focuses on money, oil, power, or in this case - the desire for sex with underage boys.

America has had enough of these hypocritical fat cats. Even if the Republican coffers are overflowing - a wave of Democrats are coming and we are going to undue the damage of these injudicious self-servants.

America needs to pull out of Iraq and quit wasting the billions of dollars every month on a people who do not share our vision of democracy. We should put that money into our own growth, infrastructure, and prosperity.

America needs to finish the job in Afghanistan. Why are we allowing the real source of the September 11th attack and a big part of the terrorist equation to continue to fester like an untreated boil, while we flounder for some solution to the Iraq question? The invasion of Iraq was founded on lies by this treacherous administration. End the war in Iraq. Bring our troops home after we clean up Afghanistan and those caves in Pakistan.

America also needs to balance the budget. Ultimately, we must reverse most of the myopic policies of the failed Bush administration. We need to build a surplus and not operate on a deficit. It should be the same for American households and the American government. Right now, foreign governments are underwriting the debt of the United States. That cannot continue indefinitely. We need to reverse that trend before it has a dire impact on our economy.

Vote Democrat - protect our freedoms and ensure our children's' future.

jeh

MISSING IN ACTION???

2006-08-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for my absence once again. This baby stuff is hard. :)

There is a rumor that Geoge Bush has gone on vacation. Please, please, please tell me this is just a horrible lie. How could the President who values human life so much (see his commentary regarding his veto on government supported stem cell research) leave his post at this dark hour in the Middle East?

George Bush is an ideologue. He values life - possibly American lives for the sake of the present argument, although even that stretches plausibility. I've noticed American lives being wasted daily in Iraq without regard, but I digress.

When our esteemed leader suggested that a cease-fire would do no good in Lebanon without laying the groundwork for a lasting peace, I would suggest that it would have done a great deal of good for the 57 dead in the city of Qana, who were recently bombed by the Israeli Army. These are mostly women and children that are bearing the brunt of the Israeli assault. These are actual lives being taken. It isn't theoretical lives that could potentially exist someday. Aren't these the same lives that our President so values? George Bush should demand a cessation of hostilities and an immediate pullback by Israel. This would also give Israel a way out of this costly endeavor without losing too much face in the region. America is losing credibility in the region by the hour, while the "bad guys" that we are trying to weaken such as Syria and Iran - gain prestige due to our leader's myopic views on how the Middle East works.

It is complete foolishness, but the good news is that we only have two and 1/2 more years of his costly foreign policy snafus. Unfortunately, that will mean many more lives wasted due to his poor judgment and dim grasp of regional politics. My only hope is that George forgets to apply his sunscreen if he is truly on vacation.

A BETTER LIFE

2006-06-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'd like to apologize for being away from the American Defender Blog recently. My wife and I had a son three weeks ago, so we've all been adjusting to that. That brings me to this week's topic: “A Better Life” or alternatively, “Why the Immigration Bill Will Fail”. It is human nature to want a better life for yourself and for your children. It is the ultimate reason why people continue to leave their home country, including Mexico and come to the United States. There is an opportunity here for a better life. This is still a country where hard work and dedication can result in big dividends. It is also the reason that any wall will fail. It is why all walls have failed in the past. People will find ways around the wall. I believe history will bear me out on this one. Anyone hear of Hadrian's Wall? What about the Great Wall of China? Did these walls forestall for all time the influx of invaders or the migration of peoples? I think not. The Senate Bill on Immigration approves a 370 mile wall along the Mexican border. They should also make it 370 miles high while they are at it. It would prove equally foolish.

The great strength of the United States is the assimilation of different cultures and different ideas from all of over the world. If you doubt this fact, review the names of our Olympic athletes or the names of our Nobel Prize winners. Throughout our history, we have taken in people from all over the world and fused that into what is truly unique about America. It is this same openness to ideas which continues to make this country great.

We need leaders of vision. A xenophobic wall shows no vision. It does show a mind-boggling disregard for history's great lessons. Our esteemed leaders would do well to remember the Statue of Liberty when drafting new immigration legislation. The same thing that brought their ancestors to America is the same thing that drives today's immigrants – illegal or otherwise. Our leaders would be wise to review it.

The New Colossus
Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)
"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame..."

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
with silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

One final thought, if you want to stop the flood of illegal immigrants into the United States, one need only look to Ireland for possible solutions. The number of young people leaving for distant shores has dwindled. Why? It is because there is now opportunity in Ireland. It is what Mexico will need to have before people stop leaving their borders and no wall will stop them from trying to obtain a better life for themselves and their families. It is human nature.

jeh

A ROAST BY ANY OTHER NAME

2006-05-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

There has been quite a bit of chatter about whether comedian Stephen Colbert went too far at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. He certainly provided a smart, albeit scathing monologue for the President's bemusement (and, hopefully, his later reflection). Apparently, the norm for these dinners in past years was to keep it light so the relationship between the President and the press could remain cordial.

I feel that for a president like Gerald Ford - that might have been warranted. He certainly was a klutz and that is a mainstay of comedy. Who didn't like Lucille Ball? However, in light of how bad George Bush has been as president, I think the monologue Stephen Colbert delivered was right on target. He touched on many of this administration's failures: the war in Iraq, illegal wire tapping, and Valerie "she who shall not be named" Plame among others.

It was a terrific roast, although calling it a "roast" is sort of like calling a witch burning a bon fire. Stephen Colbert was a brilliant 1st Amendment warrior that night, pointing out the fallacies to the very face of arguably the worst American president in history. George Bush has been insolated in the warm embryonic waters of his Republican handlers for far too long. We need more people like Stephen Colbert to call out politicians who pander to the special interests and who pursue their own private agendas above the needs of the country and the American people. I think we need more roasts exactly in this vein. Light fare shouldn't be on the menu when we have a growing list of American war casualties, out of control deficits, and an administration that feels it is above the law. Well done Mr. Colbert!

If you didn't get to see it, check out the sites below:

http://www.thankyoustephencolbert.org/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-durang/ignoring-colbert-part-tw_b_20130.html
http://movies.crooksandliars.com/WH-Dinner-Colber.mov

A LACK OF VISION

2006-04-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

This was the letter I sent to my senators regarding the Republican measure to give $100.00 to every American for high gas prices:

Dear Senator,
Please vote no on the ridiculous measure that would award every American $100.00 because of increased gas prices. This shows an incredible lack of vision. We need solutions to our energy problems such as alternative energy sources like nuclear, solar and other potential sources. This action is like giving a cancer patient a lollipop. The disease remains. It is the disease that must be treated.

This measure doesn't solve the problem. It just continues to burden the American children of tomorrow with additional debt. A debt that America cannot afford. It is a waste of resources. Why not put a cap on the amount of oil companies can make in profits due to the rise in oil futures? Exxon doesn't need to make 8 billion dollars in profit per quarter. Exxon's president doesn't need to walk away with 340 million dollars in "retirement money". It comes to a point where it is a national interest and not a private interest.
This money could be spent in far better ways. Revamp social security (where it can't be accessed by our public servants), retooling infrastructure like the archaic power grids (remember the black outs of a few years ago?). It is time for our leaders to make tough decisions and not be swayed by special interests. Do what is best for America. We need fiscal responsibility if we are to remain a global power. Have vision or step aside and allow someone who has vision to lead this country.

Thank you,

jeh

Please contact your senators if you feel as I do.

The War We Should Be Fighting

2006-04-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

There is certainly enough to discuss regarding the Republicans lately. I would rather focus this week's update on the war we should be fighting. . . the war against genocide. Please contact your representatives and senators and let them know that you want the killing to stop. There is a rally in D.C. next weekend that might be of interest to you.

The website is: http://www.savedarfur.org/rally/

Another wonderful organization can be found at www.unight.org, which seeks to stop the killing of innocent children in Uganda.

Both of these campaigns need your support and should be where our battles are taking place. These are situations where we can actually win the hearts and minds.

Another President's Problem??

2006-03-26T06:37:00.000-08:00

This week President Bush remarked on the continued U.S. presence in Iraq:

Asked if he could envision a day when no U.S. troops would be in Iraq, Bush said that is a goal, but it "will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq".

Translation, maybe someday when a president with vision and integrity is elected, those troops may come home. It also conjures up in my mind all the people who had to come in and clean up his business messes when he would leave an organization in financial ruin. At least he is consistent. The MLB's Texas Rangers still haven't recovered. I hope the United States can. Meanwhile, the costs continue to mount and our soldiers' lives continue to be wasted. The truth of the matter is that this man has no regard for America's safety or future. He only cares about his interests and those of his handlers. We can't afford him or his foolish war.

A couple of side notes. I saw "Bush is Bad" the musical in New York City this weekend. It was great. The only troubling part was how many of the songs weren't parody or crafted for effect, but taken directly from our esteemed leader's mouth. It is truly frightening that this man will be in office three more years (unless he is impeached, which he's working on - thankfully). We are not safer. Our economy is not stronger. Please work with me to stop this administration from damaging our country for generations. If you feel the way I do, please sign the referendum at this site.

http://www.impeachbush.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Referendum

Finally, I also saw "V is for Vendetta". Go see it. It was great. It has a good deal of not so subtle references regarding the Bush administration. It is time for a change.

A woman's petition to Bush on Darfur

2006-03-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

Below is a personal comment accompanying a woman's petition to George Bush. I thought it was illustrative on the general level of frustration that myself and others feel towards this administration. I also found it to be humorous, which is why I included it and sent it to friends.

In her comment she writes to Mr.
Bush:

Mr.Bush redeem yourself & do something respectable for
a change. Your ratings are plummeting! You can't keep
hiding behind the lies. Many people are waking up to
the corruption & greed that is rampant in your
dictatorship. You have a lot of work to do to make up
for the mistakes you keep making & remain in office
with any minute shred of dignity. Here in Darfur Sudan
is an excellent, worth-while & URGENT opportunity for
you to globally prove that your goals & missions
really are PEACEFUL/Christ-like ones! HA! What a
pitiful joke. That empty sinister grin of yours
doesn't conceal the truth behind your shifty eyes. I
just get such an unsettling chill down my spine when I
look at you, Cheney & your clan. Get your priorities
straight & be the hero that you should be, as our
so-called leader. Who is really pulling your strings?
hmmmmmmmmmmm...........


Good one - right?? :)

Bush Failures

2006-02-25T06:43:00.001-08:00

This is a blurb I took from Senator Lautenberg's website:

The Bush Administration is predicting a $423 billion deficit this year,
the largest in history. President
Bush has presided over the largest fiscal reversal of
our country, from a ten-year
surplus of $5.6trillion to a ten-year deficit of $3.9
trillion.   (End blurb)


This isn't counting the off the books billions for the war that
"The Evil Empire" released recently.  Yes, deceiving the American public,
the House and Senate yet again.

When Bush stole the first election, I tried to console
myself with the thought
that maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I thought
it would be.  I was wrong.
It was worse.  This fiscal irresponsibility has to be stopped.
The fool on the hill is still spending our money like
there is no tomorrow.
If he keeps it up, maybe there won't be.  Why should
we be burdened for decades
with his incompetence?  Stop Bush.
Contact your senators and representatives.