Scalia Born To Hand Jive! or Something Like That!

Following up on the Scalia hand-jive incident, it seems the church photog found himself fored after releasing the pic.

The Boston Herlad Reports and has picture:

Church fires photog over Scalia picture: Freelancer pays for ‘right thing’
By Jessica Heslam
Friday, March 31, 2006 - Updated: 01:24 PM EST

A freelance photographer has been fired by the Archdiocese of Boston’s newspaper for releasing a picture of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia making a controversial gesture in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday.
Peter Smith, who had freelanced for The Pilot newspaper for a decade, lost the job yesterday after the Herald ran his photo on its front page. Smith said he has no regrets about releasing it.
“I did the right thing. I did the ethical thing,” said Smith, 51, an assistant photojournalism professor at Boston University.
Smith snapped the photo of Scalia flicking his hand under his chin after a Herald reporter asked the conservative jurist his response to people who question his impartiality on matters of church and state.
Smith wouldn’t give up the photo earlier this week but chose to release it when he learned Scalia said his gesture had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald. Smith, who was standing in front of the judge, said the Herald “got the story right.”

Who would expect such behavior from the son of a good italian Catholic fascist(see A. Desrhowitz quote) family. Yeah, who am I kidding? Like Vince Bugliosi, said:

"Having Justice Antonin Scalia speak on ethics is like having a prostitute speak on sexual abstinence"
.

This obviously extends to decorum, manners, taste......

Quote Of The Day

"There are three critical ingredients to democratic renewal and progressive change in America: good public policy, grassroots organizing and electoral politics."
Paul Wellstone (1944-2002)
Senator, Educator, Activist

Links
Wellstone Action!
Sheila Wellstone Institute

Kooky Kaloogian The Gift That Just Keeps On Giving

Well it seems that Kaloogian just can't seem to get out of the picture flap. Following typical GOP procedure he blames someone else. Joshua Micah Marshall has a great editorial on this over at TPM.

The San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci, article serves as a fitting post-mortem for this disgraceful, and tasteless so called "mistake". Some highlights or lowlights your choice:

First we start with the contrite apology:

"It was wrong. We're sorry,

Good confession is good for the soul, and of course lemon is great with sole, but does our Koogie stop there? NOPE! NOW SPIN BABY! SPIN! Could someone cue up "You Spin Me (Right) 'Round". Thank You!

Kaloogian and his campaign strategist, Sal Russo, confirmed Wednesday what the bloggers alleged -- that the photo was taken in Turkey -- though they insisted it was an honest mistake.

The candidate said he hadn't recognized the error because "the military asked us to use our discretion and put things on the Internet that were nondescriptive ... (because) if we posted something that was easily identifiable, it could be a target."

Soooo... Koogie, baby we understand its the military's fault, right? The very troops you supposedly went to Iraq to support. Nice.

And of course his deception:

"doesn't change (his) message ... that good things are happening in Baghdad that you're not reading about in the daily papers.''

Who do we thank for helping to expose this?

Markos Moulitsas, the Berkeley-based founder of the Daily Kos, wrote in an e-mail to The Chronicle: "That this photo was recognized as a fake was amazing. That someone actually tracked down another photo of that very street corner in an obscure suburb of Istanbul, Turkey, is downright mind-boggling.

"The political landscape changes dramatically when you have hundreds of thousands of people doing real-time research into campaigns and candidates,'' Moulitsas said. "In years past, people would've taken Kaloogian at his word that the photo in an e-mail was from Baghdad."

Hey California 50, HAD ENOUGH? Fellow Progressives, and any American who cares about honest government, lets put our time and money where our mouth is support Francine Busby!

YOU CAN DO THAT HERE!

SI,SE, PUEDE!

8th Annual Cesar Chavez Walk LA

Historic Olvera Street
125 Paseo de la Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
323-722-0118

Date: 4/1/2006 from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm (Pacific Time)

Hosted By: United Farm Workers & UFW Foundation
For more information call: 323-722-0118 or go to: http://www.ufw.org/la.htm
RSVP by: April 1, 2006 at 7:00 am (Pacific Time)

Get Out The Vote And The Wallets For Busby!

Oh the twists and turns of a political campaign. Thanks to Duke Cunningham using the US taxpayer like an ATM California's 50th Congressional District is up for grabs and it is a seat we can WIN!!

This pie chart of a recent SurveyUSA poll shows, Democrat, Francine Busby far ahead of any of her Republicans rivals AND even if we took the percentages for all the Republican candidates, making a kind of Frankepublican they would only poll 46% to Busby's 45%.

You can contribute through our ACT BLUE page or go directly to Francine Busby's official website!

Side note Republican Favorite Howard Kaloogian, made a complete jackass out of himself by posting, on his website pictures, he claims are from Iraq.






These photos are of course not from Baghdad but from ROTFLMAO a suburb of ISTANBUL, TURKEY!

This is probably the reason for this occurrence at Kooky Kaloogian's website:











Yep! Server overload, or how fast can we fix this disaster now that the entire FREAKING INTERNET has seen it. Of course the contribute button still seems to work!


Read Kos's article, for more details at, where else, The Daily KOS

Is Half-Assed Good Enough?

The passage of the new lobby bill is definitely a step in the right direction, but still leaves the other foot dragging behind.

WaPo reports:
Senate Passes Lobbying Bill
Legislation Stresses More Disclosure; Critics Had Sought Tougher Ethics Rules
Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 30, 2006; Page A01

The Senate voted yesterday to require lobbyists to provide far more information about their dealings with lawmakers, responding to the Jack Abramoff political corruption scandal with a plan for more disclosure rather than tougher enforcement of ethics laws.

By a vote of 90 to 8, the Senate approved a bill that would also force the disclosure for the first time of indirect lobbying, such as grass-roots activities, and prevent registered lobbyists from paying for lawmakers' meals or giving them gifts such as sports tickets. Congressional leaders had promised far-ranging revisions of lobbying activities after Abramoff pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to bribe public officials. But the legislation that emerged yesterday is less sweeping than GOP leaders envisioned.

Two points to make here, first while members of the Senate may have payed lip service to this bill, very few wanted it passed. Remember, Trent Lott's McDonald's comment not too long ago.

McCain who along with Democrat Russ Feingold have been battering at Frist's door to pass their much more comprehensive proposal. Supposedly Dr. Feelgood has promised to put it before the full Senate, but it must be laying under the mystical diagnosis he did on Terry Schiavo oh so many moons ago.

McCain, took a few moments to pull his lips off of Shrub's ass had this to say:

"It's extremely weak," said Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), whose lobbying and ethics plan had been hailed by Senate Republican leaders in January as the model for future legislation. He voted against the bill yesterday.

What really cheeses me off about the Senate's version of the bill is that once again the is no OVERSIGHT. That part of the bill, although supported by members on both sides of the aisle was blown out of the water, leaving members like Senators Obama (D-Ill.), McCain (R-Az) and Feingold (D-Ws) to vote conscientiously but fruitlessly against the bill.

However given the choice between this and the House version, I would rather see the finished product resemble the upper house's proposal. The House version is simply put a piece of ineffectual crap that will not bar members of Congress from receiving meals and other gifts from lobbyists.

So what is the good here? One of the chief additions to current Senate Rules specifically to Paragraph 1(a)(2) of rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate:

RULE XXXV
(note: Original Rules text in GREEN. amends portions in RED)

1. (a)(1) No Member, officer, or employee of the Senate shall knowingly accept a gift except as provided in this rule.

(2) (A)A Member, officer, or employee may accept a gift (other than cash or cash equivalent) which the Member, officer, or employee reasonably and in good faith believes to have a value of less than $50, and a cumulative value from one source during a calendar year of less than $100. No gift with a value below $10 shall count toward the $100 annual limit. No formal recordkeeping is required by this paragraph, but a Member, officer, or employee shall make a good faith effort to comply with this paragraph.

(b)(1) For the purpose of this rule, the term `gift' means any gratuity, favor, discount, entertainment, hospitality, loan, forbearance, or other item having monetary value. The term includes gifts of services, training, transportation, lodging, and meals, whether provided in kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred.

(B)(i) This clause shall not apply to a gift from a registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal.

(ii) Notwithstanding division (i), a Member, officer, or employee may accept a meal or refreshment from a registered lobbyist or an agent of a foreign principal subject to the monetary limits in this clause. A Member shall list on the Member's official website the value of any meals or refreshments permitted by this division to the Member or employee of the Member and the name of the person who paid for such items not later than 15 days after such meals or refreshments are received.'.

Co-Queen of Maine Senator Susan Collins (R-Me), said of the bill:

the bill goes a long way toward restoring "the bonds of trust with our constituents [that have been] frayed."

Its a nice thought and may, big maybe here, curb the activities of lobbyists. However restoring the public's trust in the Congress will take more than plopping a .pdf on the Congressional webservers.

Additional Reading:
The text of S.2349
The text of S.2128
The Standing Rules of The Senate

For The House Version
The text of HR.4575
The text of HR.4667
The text of HR.4975

Ironic Quote Of The Day

"I can tell you this: If I'm ever in a position to call the shots, I'm not going to rush to send somebody else's kids into a war."
George H. W. Bush(1924-)
41st President, Senator, CIA Director

Links:
Biography at The White House Website
Wikipedia Entry
George H.W. Bush Presidential Library
Biography at White House.org (Not THE Official WH site)
Guardian Article On Prescott Bush, GWH's Daddy

Notes From The Hill: Abramoff's Conviction

Recieved this from The Hill. Its a pretty straight foward article but a couple of conclsions, especially the main one, drawn by Hearn bother me. They are in bold:

Abramoff sentenced to five years, 10 months
By Josephine Hearn
Former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced to 70 months in prison today forfraud stemming from his attempted acquisition of a Florida casino boat chain in
2000.

Abramoff appeared before U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck in Miami to receive the
first of two expected federal sentences. He faces another sentencing later in Washington for bribing public officials.

Huck selected a sentence at the low end of a range of 70 to 87 months, which Abramoff agreed to in a plea deal with prosecutors.

The judge may have been swayed by more than 250 letters from Abramoff supporters, including one from longtime ally Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) pressing for leniency and citing Abramoff’s good works, strong religious faith and commitment to his family.

Abramoff pled guilty to the charges in January. He is not expected to serve his
time until after he finishes cooperating with the government, which could take years,
and at that point his sentence may be reduced depending on the quality of his assistance to prosecutors.

Somehow I doubt that a judge would be swayed by a person's strong faith and good works, when the actions that caused his conviction show neither. It gets me to wondering just WHO and HOW MANY mini-DeLay's did Abramoff serve up to federal prosecutors.

TOO COOL!!!!

OH THIS ROCKS!!!!
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THEIR WEBSITE!

And So It Goes.

Read Current Fatality Announcements. (Click Here)

At The Time of This Posting:
US Military Deaths in Iraq: 2325
Since "Mission Accomplished: 2188
Official US Military Wounded: 17269 (Est 18,000- 48,100)
Other Coalition Troops: 355
US Military Deaths Afghanistan: 284
Iraqi Civilian Body Count: 33773- 37895

Ways You Can Help The Survivors:
Share The Sacrifice (also helps Vietnam Vets- Thanks Samurai Sam)
Operation Truth
Fisher House (Vets of All Wars)
Wounded Warrior Project
Any Soldier
The USO
United Spinal Association (aka Eastern Paralyzed Veterans)

Casualty Lists and numbers from: The US DOD via Antiwar.com, & Iraq Body Count, & ICasualities.org

Petition Pimpin' Again! Protect Your Cell Phone Records!

Petition from the:

You’d think that YOUR cell phone records would be considered privy information for only you and your cell phone company to access. Think again. Now there’s a fast emerging business that sells your information to anyone willing to pay a quick $100.

How? Crooked companies have taken to calling your cell phone companies, pretending to be you in order to glean information about your account. It’s called “pretexting” and there are no strong laws in place to protect you from it.

For just 100 bucks, these companies will provide to anyone a report of all the incoming and outgoing calls from your cell phone, or toll calls from your regular phone. Anyone, without your permission, can view a list of people you talk to, their phone numbers, and the length and time of the call.

This information is deeply private for most of us - but can be used by stalkers, nosey neighbors, and political or business opponents to do us harm.
While cell phone companies have no legal incentive to stop this practice, Consumer’s Union is leading the charge to demand that Congress take action to protect consumers like you and me.

Join them now to call for laws that will make it illegal for anyone to buy or sell your phone records, or to pretend to be you in order to get them.

STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PRIVACY! READ AND SIGN THE PETITION!
Click Here

May I Have A Reciept, With My Vote

Sweet Flying Spaghetti Monster! When we go to Wendy McBurger for our heart attack on a bun or faux health food salad with a Diet Phosporus we get a receipt. We expect a reciept in the mail from our credit card and utility companies. In fact we demand a reciept whenever we expend something of value for a product or service, so why don't we demand one when we vote. The single most valuable thing we own, tangeable or intangeable. is our right to be heard as free citizens. It is the one legacy that we can leave to our children that NO one: no party, no president, no Congress can be allowed to take away.

This is one of those issues I really like to push, because it is a cause any American shoud DEMAND. Whether you are a democrat or republican, liberal or conservative, a rabid elitest atheist snob or a fundie whack job (see I can be bi-partisan) this is an issue that concerns the single most important weapon in our country's arsenal; our vote.

Below is a excerpt from an excerpt I recieved fro the organization ICOUNT.org:

TELL YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE TO PASS H.R. 550 AS WRITTEN

In the next two weeks there will be a final push to get H.R. 550, a bill introduced by Rep. Holt of New Jersey, on the House floor. H.R. 550 would protect the integrity of our elections b requiring a voter verified paper record of every vote, requiring mandatory random hand counted audits to verify the accuracy of electronic tallies, which is the only way to ever conduct an audit we can trust. It will also prohibit the use of secret software and wireless communication devices in voting machines.

1)CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION URGING THE HOUSE ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE TO PASS HR 550 AS WRITTEN ASAP
2)IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ARRANGE TO MEET LOBBY IN YOUR HOME DISTRICT, CLICK HERE
3)IF YOU CAN COME TO WASHINGTON DC ON APRIL 6 & 7 TO LOBBY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS CLICK HERE.

Before you do any thing you will probably want to:
READ THE TEXT OF HR550
See if your Rep is a co-sponser, the bill currently has 168 co-sponsers.
If not ask them why: Click this link to go to the House web Page and their e-mail form

Or Call the

Congressional Switchboard TOLL FREE: 877-SOB-USOB (877-762-8762)

Quote Of The Day

"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center."

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-)
Author, Essayist, Activist

Links
The Official Kurt Vonnegut Webpage
Kurt Vonnegut Wikipedia Entry
Essays Written About The Life And Works of Kurt
Kurt Vonnegut At Amazon

IAVA's Paul Rieckoff Puts In On Paper

I am so pre-ordering this:

Dear Friend,

On May 10^th in New York City, we will be hosting the second annual IAVA Spring Benefit Party. Please save the date. There will be excellent music, guest hosts and lots of surprises. The event will also celebrate the launch of Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff's powerful new memoir, Chasing Ghosts. Every ticket holder will receive a signed copy of the book. More details, and info about reserving your ticket, coming soon. So be sure to keep the night of May 10^th open!
Paul Rieckhoff's Chasing Ghosts

NYC Book Launch Event
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Canal Room
285 West Broadway
7 p.m.

"No book since Catch-22 has depicted this gruesome subject so compellingly. Rieckhoff should make room on his mantel for the Pulitzer Prize." --Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club.

Sincerely,

IAVA Staff
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
www.iava.org

Must Have Missed This Lesson In Sunday School...

From The Boston Herald

Minutes after receiving the Eucharist at a special Mass for lawyers and politicians at Cathedral of the Holy Cross, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had a special blessing of his own for those who question his impartiality when it comes to matters of church and state.
“You know what I say to those people?” Scalia, 70, replied, making an obscene gesture under his chin when asked by a Herald reporter if he fends off a lot of flak for publicly celebrating his conservative Roman Catholic beliefs.
“That’s Sicilian,” the Italian jurist said, interpreting for the “Sopranos” challenged.
“It’s none of their business,” continued Scalia, who was the keynote speaker at yesterday’s Catholic Lawyers’ Guild luncheon. “This is my spiritual life. I shall lead it the way I like.”
The conduct unbecoming a 20-year veteran of the country’s highest court - and just feet from the Mother Church’s altar - was captured by a photographer for the Archdiocese of Boston newspaper The Pilot, whose publisher is newly minted Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
Although one of his sworn duties is to uphold the freedom of the press, a jocular Scalia told the shutterbug, “Don’t publish that.”

Well Right back at ya tubby!

Quote Of The Day

"The Internet treats censorship as a malfunction and routes around it."

John Perry Barlow (1947-)
Poet, Essayist, Retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and Former lyricist for the Grateful Dead

Links:
Barlow's Internet Declaration of Independence
Visit the Barlow Homestead
Wikipedia Entry
Barlow And Friends Blog

Britain To Witness First Crucifixion In Almost 2,000 Years!

A soon to be released Online -RPG Roma Victor, has a unique way of dealing with cheaters. Some games ban you for a few days, but not this self-proclaimed historically accurate video game. In the time honored Roman tradition, they crucified him. Too funny.

Join in the public humiliation by clicking here.

Because They Have Names

The Department of Defense announced today the death of.... And so it goes....

March 18,2006
They died in Ar Ramadi, Iraq when they came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations.Both solidiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash. Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Ricardo Barraza, 24, of Shafter, Calif.
Sgt. Dale G. Brehm, 23, of Turlock, Calif.

March 16, 2006
Cpl. Nyle Yates III, 22, of Lake Odessa, Mich., died in Bayji, Iraq, on Mar. 16, when he came under small arms fire by enemy forces during combat operations. Yates was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

They died in Tikrit, Iraq when a mortar round detonated.

Killed were:

Sgt. Amanda N. Pinson, 21, of St. Louis, Mo.

Read Sgt. Pinson's Obituary from St. Louis Today

Spc. Carlos M. Gonzalez, 22, of Middletown, N.Y.
Read Spc. Gonzalez's Obituary at the Times Herald Record
Pinson and Gonzalez were assigned to the 101st Military Intelligence Detachment, 501st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

March 15, 2006
Pfc. Angelo A. Zawaydeh, 19, of San Bruno, Calif., died in Baghdad, Iraq when his traffic control point came under mortar attack during combat operations. Zawaydeh was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Read Pfc Zawaydeh's Obituary at the San Francisco Chronicle

March 13, 2006
Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Lewis, 32, of Bunkie, La., died north of Rustamiyah, Iraq when an improvised device detonated near his HMMWV during a convoy operations. Lewis was assigned to the 519th Military Police Battalion, 49th Military Police Brigade, Fort Polk La.

Staff Sgt. Marco, A. Silva, 27, of Alva, Fla, from small arms fire and IED. Silva was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Sgt. Corey A. Dan, 22, of Norway, Maine,from small arms fire and IED Dan was assigned the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Many of the above link (text in white) were gained from legacy.com, The Department of Defense and, Iraq Casulaties.org. Photos, sign in books, and news articles about these brave men and women will pe posted as they become available.

WTF, Happened to Chris "Gunga Din" Matthews?

This morning on Imus, Chris Matthews apparently missed his daiy dose of Kool-Aid. One of the biggest water carriers for Shrub has gone off the farm. I mean damn, as recently as TWO DAYS AGO he was spewing these classics:

March 16,2006
MATTHEWS: Take a look at this very unpleasant bit of polling here. In a recent Pew Research Center poll, the one word descriptions of President Bush have turned incredibly negative with 48 percent -- I checked this twice, this, I couldn't believe it, but it's true -- 48 percent of the people responding to this poll used such words as "incompetent," "idiot," and "liar" to describe our president. Kate O'Beirne, what happened to respect?

MARCH 22, 2006
McMAHON: His approval ratings have dropped to a level you haven't seen since Richard Nixon. People don't believe this president, they don't trust this president, and it's moved over in to character issues.

MATTHEWS: How can you not trust a man who says "I won't be able to win this war in my presidency; I'm leaving it up to other presidents in the future"? You're basically taking a real -- what do they call it? Not an umbrella defense. A prevent defense. You're saying basically, "OK, I'm not going to win this war."

OOOOKAY, ready here is what he said on Imus: (paragraphs and bold added by me for emphasis)

MSNBC's Chris Matthews: "Well I am just going to stick to this point that the president led us in there with the background music of American culture. Everybody was led to believe that we were getting payback, we were avenging what happened on 9/11 and that we are going to get them.
Vice President Cheney said we are going to attack terrorism at its base. Over and over the language was, this is where it came from, in fact most recently the President suggested that it was always the hot pursuit, like a new York police chase, we chased them back into their country. We pursued the terrorists back to Iraq and it's all nonsense.

The reason there are terrorists in Iraq today like Zarqawi is we created the opening by blowing the country apart. From the beginning it's been not true. Now you can't prove motive and you can't prove somebody lies, but from the beginning everything about how they've got WMD's, they are a threat to us, they are going to bomb us with a nuclear weapon, this country is going to be an easy liberate, it's going to be a cake walk. As Cheney said as recently as ten months ago the insurgents are in their last throws. Everything that is said is not true. And right to the end here, here we are now and it's not a civil war and when Allawi the prime Minster is saying it is a civil war and here is the president quoting his own people that it's not a civil war. I mean the denial has been continuous. So you really can't count on the administration to tell you what is going on.

That is just the fact. You've got to check it out. By the way, the president said this week that he wants the whole truth about what is going on in Iraq, the whole truth and that the media isn't telling the whole story. I'll tell you what we are not telling. We are not showing pictures of the twenty five hundred bodies coming back because they won't let us show the pictures. They don't want the whole truth out and that's the fact."

'Nuff said

Quote of the day

“Americans have different ways of saying things. They say "elevator", we say "lift"... they say "President", we say "stupid psychopathic git.”

Alexai Sayle

Sniff...So Proud!

My uncle, one Mr. Jack Mulcahy (of the Brothers McMullan fame) just shot a new ad for the AD council (of smokey the bear fame) about global warming...see it here

Or go direct by clicking here

Quote Of The Day

"Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself out of those values."
Ralph Waldo Ellison (1913-1994)
Author, Essayist, Civil Rights Activist

Links For Further Study:
Wikipedia Entry for Ralph Ellison
Short Webliography
The 1952 "The Nation" Review of "Invisible Man" by Irving Howe
PBS's American Masters
Ralph W. Ellison At Amazon.com

An Objective Secured!

Dear Friend,

You did it! Thanks to your tremendous generosity, IAVA raised $20,000 in ten days.

On Monday, we sent all our supporters an email asking you to help IAVA meet our goal on the last day of our fundraising drive -- and you really stepped up to the plate. In only a few short hours, IAVA supporters from all over the country helped us raise more than $3,000 dollars online. Thanks to everyone who took the time to support IAVA.

And this wasn't one big check -- the average donation size was $40, and 90% of our donations were for $50 or less. But these donations really added up. We'll be sure to put every dollar to good use.

Where are your donations going?

A Bigger Impact in DC: We've had great success getting our message out in DC, and holding politicians responsible for their choices regarding the Troops. With your help, we'll be expanding our efforts. Stay tuned for updates about a new DC Office.

More Local Events, More Ways for You to Get Involved: IAVA is working on increasing our local activism, so more people can meet veterans face-to-face and find out how they can really support the Troops. Your donations will help us set up more of these local events and spread the word in communities across the country.

More Outreach to Veterans: With your help, we'll be able to do an even bigger push, to make sure as many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans as possible know about our work, and are able to get involved here at IAVA.

Keeping the Lights On: Sometimes it's easy to overlook the small but crucial things that keep an organization running. Your donations will also pay to keep our website online and secure, reimburse our vets for travel to speaking events, and keep the lights on here in the office.

Your support has made this possible. If you haven't donated yet, donations are always welcome. Thanks again for all your support. Big things to come!

Sincerely,
Paul Rieckhoff
OIF Veteran
Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
www.iava.org

The 2006 Midterm Senate Elections

The DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign Comittee), has postwed a handy map of current Senate Races. The short version, 14 Dems are up and so are 15 Republicans, plus there are FOUR count em FOUR open seats. Check out the interactive map (click here.).

To see who potential Democratic PRIMARY candidates are Ned Lamont (CT) kick out Leiberman..... Act Blue. Remember one dollar early on is worth 5 at the end.

To see who we here at LHC support check out LHC's: ACT BLUE PAGE

UPDATE: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Needs YOU!!

Dear IAVA Supporter,

On this, the third anniversary of the Iraq War, please take the time to support the Troops by supporting IAVA. With your help, we’ve made it more than halfway to our goal of $20,000 by March 20^th. We've got just hours left to make it the rest of the way.

For many of the politicians in Washington, the third war anniversary was an opportunity for more spin and shot-taking. But rose-tinted rhetoric and partisan name-calling won't get Troops and Veterans the support they need.

You can help IAVA continue to be a voice for the Troops. For almost two years now, IAVA has made sure politicians put their money where their mouth is -- by increasing VA funding, and providing Troops in the field with the best possible equipment. When Washington has failed to support the Troops, IAVA holds the politicians accountable.

You can help us tell Washington that we need an honest assessment of the war, a genuine commitment to care for Veterans, and a real plan for the future. If you believe in our mission, please support IAVA.

Sincerely,

Paul Rieckhoff
OIF Veteran
Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
www.iava.org