There are efforts by the press to get Marcia Cross cast as Amanda Clarke's mother on ABC's "Revenge." I can think of nothing worse.
Cross played Kimberly to perfection on "Melrose Place" and Kimberly was a delicious psycho. On "Desperate Housewives," she played the Stepford Mom and her distance from reality helped put the role over. But there is nothing that indicates she would be good as a likeable character. Maybe Amanda Clarke's mother isn't likeable?
Possible.
But I still say no. Among the names the press is listing, I would go for either Diane Lane or Renee Russo. Sharon Stone's being mentioned but I just don't see her doing the role. (Unlike with Cross, I'm not saying that Stone can't act the role -- I think she could and that she'd be great in it -- I just do not see her signing on to a TV series. She was supposed to do that with "Law and Order" and then didn't.)
I am guessing that the character is hiding a great deal. For example, she's not dead. Okay. Well what prevented her from coming forward? Especially from coming forward when David Clarke went to prison and Amanda was put in foster care?
Is she an unfeeling person? Was she incapacitated? If it's the latter, was she in a mental institution?
I think there are going to be a lot of dramatic possibilities with the role and that Lane or Russo or Stone could nail those possibilities and have you rooting for them.
Marcia Cross not only looks wrong for the part, I don't see her in the role.
Here's another thing I don't understand: Lily Tomlin's new sitcom.
For years, Lily refused to return to TV in anything but specials. She had many offers to do her own show. Then she's Kay on the last two seasons of "Murphy Brown." Okay, she was good in the role and the show was a very funny show. Then she ended up doing two episodes of "Will & Grace" and I wish she'd done more but was glad she took part in the show because it was both hysterical and groundbreaking. Then came the awful "West Wing." She was in 34 episodes in a minor role that wasn't that funny and wasn't that important and now Lily Tomlin was being squandered.
This continued with the bad decision to do a season of "Desperate Housewives" (six episodes) in another role that meant nothing.
But she switched it up by doing Glenn Close's "Damages." That's an amazing show and for ten episodes, Lily got to be amazing. More recently, she was hilarious on Lisa Kudrow's "Web Therapy" (as Fiona's mother).
But now comes another puzzler that I hope will not also be a squanderer. Lily will play Reba McEntire's mother in a new ABC sitcom this fall entitled "Malibu Country." I hope this is a solid effort that's deserving of Lily.
But I have to wonder, why didn't she do her own sitcom all those years ago when she had the offers?
I don't get it. I think a Lily Tomlin sitcom could have changed television and certainly could have had the whole nation laughing.
Friday,
May 25, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, the Russian bikers tortured
by Nouri's forces are released, Nouri's brown shirts take to downtown
Baghdad as they've done so many Fridays before to stage a faux protest,
the US prepares to arm Nouri, Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and more.
Starting in Russia. Yesterday
it was learned that four Russian bikers were grabbed in central Iraq by
Nouri's security forces, imprisoned and beaten. The four are: Oleg
Kapkayev of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Vardanyants and Maxim Ignatyev
of Vladimir and Oleg Maximov of Tula. Russian Legal Information Agency reports that the wife Oleg Maximo spoke to her husband and he told her they were being moved to another location.
Dmitry Rogozin is the Deputy Premier of Russian Government tasked with the defense and space industry.
Задержанные в Ираке байкеры уже находятся в Посольстве РФ. Мотоциклы пока не отдали. Спасибо всем, кто помогал
That
Tweet reads: 'The Russian bikers detained in Iraq are at the Embassy of
the Russian Federation [in Baghdad]. Motorcylces have not been
returned yet. Thanks to everyone who helped.' The Moscow Times notes,
"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has been forging good relations
with the biker community in the past two years, riding motorcycles
and attending biker events." RIA Novosti adds,
"The four men will leave for Russia on Saturday morning, the bikers'
lawyer Alexander Orlov, also a member of the Moscow-based motorcycle
club Rolling Anarchy MCC (RAMCC), told RIA Novosti."
As
many are noticing, the US press has ignored the story completely. That
may be due to the fact that there's a detail that's inconsistent -- not
on-message -- with Barack Obama's current campaign for a second term as
US President. Ekaterina Saviba (Gazeta) reports it today:
They
came to Iraq on May 17 and were detained by the Iraqi military on May
20. "Our attempt to go towards Baghdad failed because of Yanks in
Hummers – they didn't let us in. Our guys decided to go round the
American checkpoints and pass north of them," report motorcyclists'
friends on the Russian motorcycling forum Ruriders.ru. "They managed to
ride several dozen kilometers a day, while having long heartfelt
conversations with local authorities, all while the outside temperature
was 42 Celsius."
Again, that was also in yesterday's
reports. The Russian bikers, en route to Baghdad, were unable to
enter the city and had to go around due to Americans blocking them in
Hummers, due to American checkpoints. The 20th was Sunday and the US
may have activated some branch still in Iraq (there are many) to put up
checkpoints in advance of the meet-up in Baghdad. They may have pulled
the units stationed outside of Iraq -- in Kuwait for example -- back in
to set up those checkpoints.
Along
with the usual Russian contingent which staffs the country's Baghdad
embassy, other Russian officials were in the country this week as
Nouri's Iraq hosted talks with Iran about the nuclear program. Ali Arouzi (NECN News -- link is text and video) reports,
"International nuclear talks being held in Baghdad this week with Iran
ended inconclusively with both sides at a stalemate." A stalemate grows
in Nouri's Baghdad? What a complete lack of surprise?
The
ongoing political stalemate in Iraq could see Nouri al-Maliki face a
no-confidence vote that, if successful, would remove him as prime
minister. Alsumaria reports
that the 'Badr brigade' says this would be the worst thing that could
happen. The Badr brigade only split or 'split' from the Islamic Supreme
Council of Iraq when it had to (or risk ISCI being outlawed). They
still take their orders from Ammar al-Hakim and the US has been very
successful in buying al-Hakim's support for Nouri. al-Hakim has already
made statements like those made similar statements out of his own
mouth. Now he uses the Badr brigade as a megaphone in the hopes that
this will give the (false) appearance of a wave of support for Nouri
surfacing.
How did things get to this point?
Iraq's
currently in Political Stalemate II. Political Stalemate I followed
the March 7, 2010 elections in which Iraiqya -- headed by Ayad Allawi --
came in first and Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law came in second.
Despite herculean efforts on Nouri's part -- some legal but most
questionable or outright illegal -- to walk away with the election, he
was runner up. But Nouri wanted to be Miss Iraq, he wanted the crown and
felt he did very well in the swimsuit competition. He had the backing
of the White House and the Iranian government. for his desired second
term as prime minister. The Iraqi Constitution, the election results
and the will of the Iraqi people were all against Nouri; however, Barack
Obama doesn't care about rule of law or democracy. He wants what he
wants when he wants it. And like Bully Boy Bush before him, Barack
packed a chubby for Nouri.
So
for over eight months things were at a standstill. Then in November
2010, the US brokered an agreement among the political blocs. This is
known as the Erbil Agreement (because it was signed off in Erbil). In
exchange for giving Nouri a second term, the US insisted, the blocs
would receive concessions that they wanted. This is the agreement that
was agreed to.
The
Erbil Agreement wasn't about all the political blocs saying, "We don't
want anything. Give Nouri a second term!" To get the blocs on board it
was necessary for them to be offered arrangements that would benefit
them. And with everyone agreeing to the deal -- including Nouri -- and
with the US government brokering it and insisting it was sound, the
political blocs fel tthey deal was solid.
Nouri
used it to become prime minister-designate and then, in December 2010,
beging his second term as prime minister. But that's all that
happened. He refused to implement the agreement. He offered one excuse
after another as is his way. He distracts and stalls and hopes the
other side gives up. He's done that over and over.
By
last summer, the Kurds had enough of the stalling. They publicly
demanded that the Erbil Agreement be implemented. Their call was
quickly joined by Iraqiya and Moqtada al-Sadr. And it wasn't
implemented. And it's still not implemented. April 28th, there was
another Erbil meet-up and among those participating were Moqtada, KRG
President Massoud Barzani, Allawi and Iraqi president Jalal Talabani.
In their meeting they agreed that Nouri needed to implement the
agreement or face a no-confidence vote. They also agreed that Moqtada
al-Sadr's 18-point plan needed to be implemented. Moqtada delivered the
message, implement the Erbil Agreement or face a vote of
no-confidence. As the end of the month gets closer, the number of MPs
reportedly willing to vote out Nouri grows. This week alone, it's
grown from over 163 to 200.
A
list of potential replacements has been named. All on the list come
from the National Alliance (a Shi'ite group which ISCI, State of Law,
Moqtada's bloc and others belong to). Kitabat reminds
that the National Alliance is supposed to be naming a single choice of
who should be Nouri's replacement. But through it all, Moqtada has
repeatedly noted publicly that Nouri can stop this at any point prior to
the vote. All he has to do is implement the Erbil Agreement.
Not
only does he refuse to, the White House refuses to call that out. They
brokered the agreement, they gave the political blocs their word that
the agreement was legal and would hold. The White House brokered the
agreement and swore it would be upheld. They have betrayed the Iraqi
people. These are the betrayals that lead people to stop trusting the
US. These are the type of betrayals the people of Iran spent decades
living with. It's not smart to betray people, it's not smart to make a
promise and not keep it.
And all those promises
That you made me from the start
Were filled with emptiness
From the desert of your heart
Every sweet caress
Was just your second best
Broken promises
-- "All Those Promises," written by Janis Ian, first appears on her Folk Is The New Black
And
now the White House thinks they can act like they're not involved? Now
they want to pretend like they have to stand on the sidelines?
And
they're not on the sidelines, they're repeatedly pimping for Nouri.
For example, the US State Dept issued this readout of the meeting
between William Rurns, Deupty Secretary of State, and "Iraqi Acting
Minister of Defense" Saadoun al-Dulaymi:
Today,
Deputy Secretary Burns met with Iraqi Acting Minister of Defense
Saadoun al-Dulaymi, at the Department of State to discuss issues of
mutual interest and our shared commitment towards a long-term
partnership under the Strategic Framework Agreement. Minister Dulaymi
is in Washington as lead of the Iraqi delegation for inaugural meetings
of the Defense and Security Joint Coordinating Committee between the
United States and the Government of Iraq. Deputy Secretary Burns noted
the importance of these meetings as an excellent mechanism to build our
mutual commitment to an enduring security partnership under a
civilian-led process.
The meeting also
covered bilateral issues on the security and political fronts and the
Deputy Secretary offered our continued support as Iraq strengthens its
democratic institutions and enhances the capacity of its security forces
to bring greater stability and prosperity to its people. On Iraqi
political issues, the two discussed the importance of resolving
differences through dialogue and compromise and in a democratic fashion
in accordance with the Iraqi constitution.
The
Deputy Secretary expressed appreciation to Minister Dulaymi for Iraq's
willingness to host the E3+3 meetings in Baghdad and noted that,
following the successful hosting of the Arab Summit in March, it is
another sign of Iraq taking a constructive role in the region and with
the international community to reach shared goals of greater regional
stability. Deputy Secretary Burns assured Minister Dulaymi that the
United States would continue to support Iraq in its effort to strengthen
ties with its regional neighbors.
And the Defense Dept issued this American Forces Press Service story
about Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta meeting with al-Dulaymi.
There's no "acting defense minister." Not per the Iraqi Constitution.
The prime minister nominates someone to be Minister of Defense and
Parliament says yes or no via a vote. That's how it's supposed to work
per the Constitution. But Nouri's never put a name to the Parliament.
The minute he does, he doesn't control the Defense Ministry, the
Minister does. Why are US public servants wasting time and tax payer
money meeting with these non-ministers? If they hadn't lied so much --
the White House -- $500 million wouldn't have already been wasted on the
police training program this year. Most Americans don't realize that
the Iraqi police are under the Ministry of the Interior and even more
aren't aware that Nouri has never named a nominee for that position
either.
How
do you waste $500 million US tax payer dollars on a training program
for a ministry that has no minister? That's your first clue that the
money's going to be wasted. Nouri was supposed to have named a full
Cabinet before he was moved from prime minister-designate to prime
minister. It's a power-grab and the US government enables and endorses
it.
Doubt that?
The Defense Dept issued the following late yesterday:
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 420-12 May 24, 2012
Joint Statement of the U.S. - Iraq Defense and Security Cooperation Joint Coordinating Committee
The Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of
Iraq reaffirmed their commitment to a strong and long-term security
partnership between the two countries at the inaugural meeting of the
Defense and Security Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) of the Strategic
Framework Agreement (SFA), from May 22-24, 2012.
The meetings, held at the U.S. Department of Defense following a
meeting with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Acting Iraqi Minister
of Defense Saadoun Al-Dlimi, were co-chaired by the Iraqi acting
minister of defense and by the U.S. Acting Under Secretary of State for
Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller, and Acting
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Miller. Defense and
security is one of the eight areas of cooperation agreed upon by Iraq
and the United States under the 2008 SFA to strengthen cooperation in
areas of critical interest to both countries. The establishment of the
Defense and Security Joint Coordinating Committee signifies both
countries' commitment to strengthen the U.S.-Iraqi strategic partnership
and continue coordination and cooperation on these vital issues.
During three days of meetings, discussions were held on a number of
items of mutual interest, including future sales of military equipment,
joint military exercises, and Iraq's strategy to ensure its future
stability and security. In support of an enduring partnership, the
United States and the Government of Iraq expanded dialogue on ways of
increasing strategic cooperation that would promote stability within
Iraq as well as throughout the region. The United States also
reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Iraq's stability through the
training, equipping, and enhancing the capacity of Iraq's armed forces
for defense against external threats and for counterterrorism.
Both sides discussed ongoing and future security assistance. In
addition to an initial purchase of 18 F-16 aircraft in September 2011,
during the meetings the Government of Iraq reconfirmed its interest in
purchasing a second set of 18 F-16s and the United States reconfirmed
its commitment to the sale. The F-16s and other military equipment will
help protect Iraq's sovereignty, meet legitimate defense needs and
symbolize the long-term security partnership envisioned by both
countries. The United States commends the Iraqi
security forces for their demonstrated capability to protect the Iraqi
people and recognizes the continued sacrifice being made to ensure
Iraq's security. The Iraqi security forces have made great strides in
stabilizing the security situation in Iraq and in facilitating Iraq's
emergence as a strategic partner that promotes and contributes to
regional security. The United States and the
Government of Iraq agreed that the next meeting of the Defense and
Security Joint Coordinating Committee will be hosted by Iraq in Baghdad
this fall. The purpose of the second meeting will be to build upon the
foundation laid out this week, and continue discussions on strengthening
defense and security cooperation as part of the multifaceted
relationship developed between the United States and the Government of
Iraq.
I
seem to remeber, a few years back, a US Senator talking about the
danger that we would arm Nouri with the weapons he could use on his own
people. Maybe that observation doesn't matter because the man is no
longer a US Senator -- now he's Vice President of the United States.
Joe Biden knew this was a problem in 2008. I'm failing to see how
anything's changed to make Nouri less at risk of attacking the Iraqi
people.
During
the year the most significant human rights developments were continuing
abuses by sectarian and ethnic armed groups and violations by
government-affiliated forces. Divisions between Shia and Sunni and
between Arab and Kurd empowered sectarian militant organizations. These
militants, purporting to defend one group through acts of intimidation
and revenge against another, influenced political outcomes. Terrorist
attacks designed to weaken the government and deepen societal divisions
occurred during the year.
The three most important
human rights problems in the country were governmental and societal
violence reflecting a precarious security situation, a fractionalized
population mirroring deep divisions exacerbated by Saddam Hussein's
legacy, and rampant corruption at all levels of government and society.
That doesn't qualify as a ringing endorsement of Nouri al-Maliki.
Today the US puppet sent his little cult into the streets of downtown Baghad. Alsumaria reports
that the thug's thugs were out in full force, carrying signs supproting
Nouri and insisting that anyone not supproting Thug Nouri was
influenced by foreign countries. They also threatened violence if Nouri
was subjected to a no-confidence vote. Ayad Allawi, leader of Iraqiya,
noticed what took place this morning. Alsumaria reports
that he charges Nouri with attempting to take the political crisis into
the Iraqi street and to scare people into silence. Allawi says that if
there is any bloodshed, Nouri will be responsible.
"We
were preparing a party for her birthday, which was May 11, a party she
was not able to enjoy. She was going to be 26 years old when she
died." That's Ramon Rubalcava speaking about the 2004 death of his
daughter Isela Rubalcava. Spain's wire service EFE notes
Isela Rubalcava was born in El Paso to Maria Isela and Ramon Rubalcava
and she was killed in a Mosul mortar attack on May 8, 2004 becoming "the
third woman of Mexican descent to die on the Iraq war front and the
first woman from El Paso to die in combat." She is one of at least 4488 US service members to die in the Iraq War. Monday is Memorial Day. At Huffington Post, Jim Downs offers the origins and history of Memorial Day. Dora Robles Hernandez (Detroit Free Press) notes that Saturday through Monday will see the Detroit area host 20 different Memorial Day parades. Though not all metro areas will see that many events -- for example, the states of New Hampshire and Maine will have about that many events this weekend combined
-- there will be observations throughout the US. And because it's
Memorial Day, the Sunday chat and chews finally find veterans issues and
the Chair of a veterans committee. Sunday on CNN's State of the
Union, Senator Patty Murray (Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs
Committe) will be among the guests which also include Iraq War veteran
Paul Rieckhoff of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the American
Legion's Tim Tetz and Peter Chiarelli who is now a retired general and
who has carved out a role for himself advocating on behalf of those with
Post-Traumatic Stress and coming up with proposals to allow the stigma
attached to PTS to be removed. It should be a very interesting
broadcast. (I was asked to note this by a friend who endorses
Chiarelli's PTS work.)
To
address veterans issues in a meaningful way that actually helps,
bi-partisanship is needed in the Congress -- a point Senator Mike
Johanns made Wednesday in a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing
entitled "Seamless Transition: Review of the Integrated Disability
Evaluation System." Senator Patty Murray is the Chair of the Committee,
Senator Richard Burr is the Ranking Member. There Committee heard from
one panel of witnesses: DoD's Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, GAO's Daniel Bertoni
and the VA's John Gingrich. We covered Chair Murray's questions and
some of the report entitled Interim Committee Staff Report:
Investigation of Joint Disability Evaluation System in Wednesday's snapshot, Ava covered Senator Jon Tester's questioning in "How to keep the witness focused (Ava)," Kat reported on Ranking Member Richard Burr's participation with "Senator Burr: I've had too many of these hearings" and Wally
focused on how the VA claiming next year they'll fix things or the next
year or the next never does anything but waste the Committee's time and
the taxpayers' money with "It's your money (Wally)." Ava, Kat and Wally covered important aspects of the hearing so please read their reports. From Kat's, we'll note this:
Ranking
Member Richard Burr: So we're all in agreement that we're just south of
400 days in the cycle of an applicant being processed? 395, I think,
394. In May 2011, the Secretary of the Defense and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs committed to revising the IDES [Integrated Disability
Evaluation System] so that it could be completed in 150 days and went
further and agreed to explore options for it to be 75 days. Now I-I --
I've had too many of these hearings. We have them every year. And we
hear the same thing: "Oh, gosh, look at what we're doing." Now I've
heard the most glowing progress report from both of you and then I get
the realities of the days haven't changed. You have met some
improvements in certain areas. I commend you on that. The timeliness
goals in areas have been better. But the reality is that we've got a
broken system and we're five years into it and I hear testimony where
'we're starting to begin to review our business processes.' Well, you
know, why did it take five years to get to this? What -- What can you
convey to me today that's concrete, that tells me a year from now, we're
not going to be at 393 days. When you [Dr. Jo Ann Rooney] said
earlier, "We're instituting IT changes this summer that will improve our
times by thirty or forty," I thought you were going to say "percent."
And you said "days." So now my expectations are that if we implement
what you just said, we're going to be down to 360 days which exceeds the
DES [Disability Evaluating System] and Secretary of the VA by the 110
days over what their goal was for today.
At
its most basic, the VA and the Defense Dept are attempting to make the
transition from service member (DoD's role) to veterans (VA's role)
seamless and timely. That's not happening currently. with respect to
Integrated Disability Evaluation System, this is supposed to determine
whether or not a service member is able to continue serving. If the
answer is no, the service member then becomes a veteran and VA needs to
have a disability claim. The disability rating will determine the
benefits. So it matters. And the Interim Committee Staff Report noted
examples including, "A servicemember with a lung condition who was being
treated with steroids and immunosuppressive drugs was incorrectly rated
at 0% rather than 100%."
Not
only are there problems with the disability ratings, there's the
problem with the length of time they take. This isn't minor if you're
the veteran and you're waiting for a disability check that you've more
than earned to come but it's not in the mail. Committee Chair Patty
Murray noted 27,000 have waited over 100 days to go through the system.
As
he questioned the witnesses, Senator Mike Johanns observed, "I don't
hear anything that makes me feel 'Gosh, we're going to turn the corner
here.' In fact, I must admit, quite the opposite, I'm going to walk
away from this hearing very, very worried that the system is
imploding." Even the issue of supervision was a question mark. Senator
John Boozman wanted to know who was in charge of overseeing the
joint-DoD and VA effort? The best answer he received was that John
Gingrich was the point-person for the DoD side; however, he stated he
does not oversee the VA effort.
Who is responsible for overseeing the full project and not components or pieces?
No answer was ever provided.
Senator
Boozman declared, "I guess I would like to see somebody accountable for
the whole system. And you may be that person but it's not fair to you
if you don't really have authority to see it through. So I personally
think that the two Secretaries need to designate somebody that's got the
authority." Possibly if there was one person responsible for
overseeing it, the process would be moving along more smoothly and much
quicker. That was the argument Boozman made and it sounds reasonable.
But did anybody listen? Will a single person be named to be responsible
for overseeing the entire project?
Senator Johanns
wanted to know much longer it is going to take -- "1 year, 2 years, 5
years?" -- for the goals to be met? No one could provide an answer. "I
can't give you a specific time frame," Daniel Bertoni told him. But he
did note that enrollments continue to rise -- 19,000 just last year --
and that this adds to to the delays.
We'll close with this from Senate Veterans Committee Chair Patty Murray's office:
VETERANS: Murray, Collins, Michaud Applaud Veterans Homes Fix in Military Construction Spending Bill
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), members of the Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee,
along with U.S. Representative Mike Michaud (D-ME), Ranking Member of
the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, applauded the
inclusion of an amendment in the Senate Military Construction and
Veterans Affairs spending bill which would modify the way State
Veterans' Homes are reimbursed for nursing home care provided to
veterans. The Senate
Committee on Appropriations approved the bill on Tuesday by a vote of
30-0. The amendment, authored by Senator Murray, would result in
more flexibility in determining reimbursement rates by requiring VA and
the State Veterans' Homes to collaborate in setting rates that
accurately reflect the level of care provided. Washington and Maine are
home to State Veterans' Homes which require a high level of skilled
nursing due to requirements by Medicare and Medicaid. However, currently
the VA payments do not cover this level of care.
"This
amendment is a critical step to ensuring Washington State Veterans'
Homes will not lose out on millions of dollars they need to keep
operating," said Senator Murray.
"Thankfully we were finally able to move forward to provide this
flexibility -- preventing staff layoffs which would have dramatically
reduced the number of Washington veterans they serve. I am grateful to
Senator Collins and Representative Michaud for their leadership on this
issue."
"By
granting the Department of Veterans Affairs increased flexibility in
reimbursement rates, our goal is to recognize the high-quality of care
State Veterans' Homes provide disabled veterans and ensure they never
have to turn away any of our veterans because of inadequate
reimbursement from the VA," said Senator Collins.
"The men and women cared for by State Veterans' Homes defended our
freedom, many of them in combat. We must defend their right to the care
they deserve."
"Our
severely disabled and elderly veterans deserve access to the best
possible care and Congress cannot wait any longer to address the
shortfalls our State Veterans' Homes are facing," said Representative Michaud.
"I am grateful for Sen. Patty Murray's collaboration and leadership on
this issue and I look forward to continuing to work with her to ensure
that this issue is resolved before the end of the year."
What if you were a wife and your husband did something that was really embarrassing?
What if you forgave him and now you were getting your chance to shine when he did something that -- even though he may be innocent -- is going to have everyone thinking 'he's still cheating' or 'he never stopped cheating on her'?
The
two porn starlets who caught the attention of former President Bill
Clinton at a swanky Monaco soiree - and shared their friendly photo-op
via Twitter - told TMZ on Thursday that Bubba made a point to meet them.
Even if the women are lying (and they're probably telling the truth, it would be stupid to lie about it), this just doesn't look or feel right.
I like Bill Clinton. He was the last president the country had who gave a damn.
But whether he's done something wrong or not or wanted to or whatever, he owes Hillary an apology because this was her time for a victory lap and now he's just stirred up all the past all over again.
I feel very sorry for her. (I also feel sorry for him because I believe he's been faithful in recent years. His idiotic move, however, means everyone will stop and self-check for themselves on what they think of him.)
It shouldn't be that way. It was just a photo. But they're ex-porn actresses and he's an ex-president.
Thursday,
May 24, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, heavily protected Baghdad
sees a mortar attack, the summit with Iran wraps up, a new US report
offers a very chilling view of life in Iraq, there are claims of enough
votes existing to oust Nouri as prime minister, and more.
Violence has not ended in Iraq. Yesterday alone, Iraq Body Count notes
14 violent deaths and, through yesterday, 173 violent deaths for the
month of May thus far. The hot spots yesterday were Ramadi (3 deaths),
Hamam al-Aleel (4 deaths), Abu Saida (2 deaths) Mkhesi (2 deaths),
Kirkuk (1 death) and Rawah (1 death). Not on the list? Baghdad.
RTE reports, "Around 15,000 Iraqi police and troops will protect the venue inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone." In addition, James Reynolds (BBC News) explains,
"Outside the International Zone (formerly known as the Green Zone),
Iraqi soldiers wearing balaclavas stand up on the turrets of armoured
jeeps." AFP offers,
"Thousands of additional Iraqi security personnel have been deployed in
areas north, west and south of Baghdad to try to prevent the firing of
mortars and rockets into the capital, a security official said. The
official also said without providing figures that additional forces have
been deployed at checkpoints in the Iraqi capital, and that searches
have been increased. "
All
of those precautions were for yesterday and today's meeting that
Baghdad was hosting. The UN Security Council permanent members --
Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and Germany are
in Iraq for talks with Iran. Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
that it appears the six nations "were dropping demands that Iran
completely halt the enrichment of uranium. Instead, the six powers
formally asked Iran to halt enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity, a
proposal that would allow it to continue enriching uranium to the 5
percent level Iran says it needs for electrical power generation." Last night on The NewsHour (PBS -- link is audio, text and video), the New York Times' Steven Erlanger told
Judy Woodruff, "Well, we're hearing that they're not going wonderfully
well. The six powers put down a proposal for the Iranians which they
claimed would be a set of concrete agenda to really get to the heart of
the most urgent problem with Iran, which is their enrichment to 20
percent of uranium." Earlier today, Steve Inskeep (NPR's Morning Edition -- link is audio and transcript) discussed the summit with journalist Peter Kenyon.
Steve
Inskeep: OK. So the shape of some kind of a deal here would be freezing
enrichment at some level in exchange for a loosening of sanctions, but
that's turning out to be difficult for both sides to do, both sides to
obtain. Now, do the Iranians expect to have a little more leverage here,
a little more leeway, because they are reported to be on the verge of
agreeing to let UN nuclear inspectors have more access to the country?
Peter
Kenyon: I'd say that did appear to be the case. That was their hope.
The international side, on the other hand, was quick to distinguish
these talks from the nuclear inspector's work. Western officials also
say, you know, this agreement, if it comes between Iran and the
International Atomic Energy Agency, won't be real until it's signed. And
so there's still a possibility that this was some kind of a maneuver by
which Tehran would hope to see what it could get out of these talks.
The IAEA, though, I should say, does seem confident that an agreement
will be reached soon. And I think we need to point out that these
inspections are about alleged experiments that happened years ago.
There's no clear and convincing evidence that Tehran is right now
actively seeking a weapon. What experts are worried about is that Iran
wants the knowledge and the capability to do so should it choose to
build one.
Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) reports
that Saeed Jalili who is representing Iran in the talks held a press
conference with Catherine Ashton of the European Union and he declared,
"We emphasized that having peaceful nuclear energy, especially uranium
enrichment, is our people's inalienable right." Today on All Things Considered (NPR -- audio -- text will be posted by Friday morning), Peter Kenyon reported,
"After two days of what she called for intense and detailed
discussions, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said the talks had
established a new level of seriousness to grapple with the
international community's longstanding concerns about Iran's nuclear
activities." From the joint-press conference, we'll note this.
High
Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy Catherine Ashton: First of all, I would like ot thank the Iraqi
government, and in particular Foreign Minister [Hoshyar] Zebari, for the
excellent hospitality and organisation of these talks. The E3=3 remain
firm, clear and united in seeking a swift diplomatic resolution of the
international community's concerns on the exclusively peaceful nature of
Iran's nuclear program, based on the NPT, and the full implementation
of UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors Resolutions. We
expect Iran to take concrete and practical steps to urgently meet the
concerns of the international community, to build confidence and to meet
its international obligations. We have met with our Iranian
counterparts over the last two days in very intense and detailed
discussions. In line with our agreement in Istanbul, the E3+3 laid out
clear proposals to address the Iranian nuclear issue and, in
particular, all aspects of 20% enrichment. We also put ideas on the
table on reciprocal steps we would be prepared to take. Iran declares
its readiness to address the issue of 20% enrichment and came with its
own five-point plan, including their assertion that we recognie their
right to enrichment. Having held in-depth discussions with our Iranian
counterparts over two days -- both in full plenary sessions and
bilaterals -- it is clear that we both want to make progress and that
there is some common ground. However, significant differences remain.
Nonetheless, we do agree on the need for further discussion to expand
that common ground. We will go back to our respective capitals and
consult. We will maintain intensive contacts with our Iranian
counterparts to prepare a further meeting in Moscow with arrival on 17th
June with talks on 18th and 19th June. As we have already agreed,
the talks will be based on a step-by-step approach and reciprocity. We
remain determined to resolve this problem in the near term through
negotiations and will continue to make every effort to that end.
While
Jalili and Ashton were holding their press conference, US State Dept
spokesperson hid behind that to avoid answering questions at today's
State Dept press breifing.
Victoria
Nuland: Well, as you said, Arshad, she [Catherine Ashton] is speaking
even as we are speaking, and so I think it's probably not appropriate
for me to comment on top of her. Why don't we let her conclude her
remarks? I'm sure there will be U.S. officials out in Baghdad who will
be commenting to the press, and we'll continue this tomorrow.
And:
Victoria
Nuland: Again, Arshad, she's in the middle of characterizing the round
on behalf of the EU3+3, so I really think it would be highly
inappropriate for me in the same time and space to jump on top of her,
much as you would like me to.
Jamal Hashim (Xinhua) quotes
China's Assistant Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and he states, "Based on a
step-by-step approach and reciprocity, all sides, during the meeting,
declared their willingness to address the issue through dialogue." One
of the few concrete outcomes was the decision to meet in Moscow next
month and continue the dialogue.
Russia? Today another nail was driven in the coffin of Iraq's tourism industry. RIA Novosti reports
Alexander Orlov has revealed to them that 4 members "of the
Moscow-based mororcyle club RAMCC" were arrested in Iraq at the start of
the week: Oleg Kapkayev, Alexander Vardanyants, Oleg Maksimov and Maxim
Ignatyev. The charges? The four bikers, Baghdad insists, are spies.
Remember that depiste the Iraqi Constitution putting into writing that
all are innocent until proven guilty, judges and officials haven't
familiarized themselves with that principle yet. And it's Thug Nouri's
Iraq, remember. So you don't just get booked, you get printed -- finger
printed, fist printed, etc -- you get beaten in custody:
According
to Orlov, the men, who have been severely beaten, are accused of
espionage, visa forgery, and are being threatened with the death
penalty. "They are one of the most experienced moto-tourists in Russia.
They have crossed the whole world…the speculations that they had forged
the visas is mere nonsense."
RT adds,
"Their text messages suggest they were finally taken to a military
prison at a base in Baghdad, handcuffed, and that all their belongings
were taken away except for one hidden mobile phone. Suddenly at night
they texted they were being beaten, accused of espionage and visa
forgery and threatened with the death penalty." Orlov tells the Russian Legal Information Agency,
"They had another 20 kilometers to go before reaching Bagdad. They were
detained by individuals in military uniform, who did not introduce
themselves. They were delivered to an Iraqi military base and their
documents were taken away from them." The Voice of Russia notes
that Russian Embassy spokesperson Sergei Cherkasov has confirmed that
the four are being held and on charges of being spies. Of Cherkasov, The Moscow Times adds,
"But in a separate interview with NTV television he said the embassy's
efforts had been complicated by Iraqi authorities' distraction with
international talks on Iran's disputed nuclear program, which are being
held in Baghdad this week." A relative of one of the bikers spoke with The Voice of Russia and stated that the four had "been transferred to a prison cell containing over 100 people." Today in Russia, RIA Novosti reports,
over "300 people, including 200 bikers, gathered near the Iraqi Embassy
in Moscow, protesting against the arrest of four Russian nationals". The Moscow Times reports
that both Iraq's President Jalal Talabani and Foreign Minister Hoshyar
Zebari have declared that the bikers will be freed shortly. AFP quotes
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich declared
of those promises, "We hope that this is exactly what happens."
Meanwhile The Moscow Times also reports
that Oleg Kapkayeve texted that he and the other three were being
threatened by Iraqi forces with 10 years in prison or the death
penalty.
Meanwhile Fars News Agency reports
that, as the summit ended, Nouri's spokesperson Ali al-Dabbaq declared,
"My country is prepared to host future negotiations between Iran and
the Group 5+1." But they were done with Iraq. Not that there wasn't a
parting gift.
During the year
the most significant human rights developments were continuing abuses by
sectarian and ethnic armed groups and violations by
government-affiliated forces. Divisions between Shia and Sunni and
between Arab and Kurd empowered sectarian militant organizations. These
militants, purporting to defend one group through acts of intimidation
and revenge against another, influenced political outcomes. Terrorist
attacks designed to weaken the government and deepen societal divisions
occurred during the year.
The three most important human
rights problems in the country were governmental and societal violence
reflecting a precarious security situation, a fractionalized population
mirroring deep divisions exacerbated by Saddam Hussein's legacy, and
rampant corruption at all levels of government and society.
That's about Iraq and it's not from a newspaper or a human rights group, it's from the US State Dept's 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices just released today. Of the report, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared today (link is text -- video should be added by tomorrow),
"As Secretary, I have worked with my superb team on advancing human
rights in a 21st century landscape, focusing on new frontiers even as we
stand up against age-old abuses. Where women have been and continue to
be marginalized, we're helping them become full partners in their
governments and economies. Where LGBT people are mistreated and
discriminated against, we're working to bring them into full
participation in their socieites. We're expanding access to
technology and defending internet freedom because people deserve the
same rights online as off. And we know that in the 21st century, human
rights are not only a question of civil and political liberties, it's
about the fundamental question of whether people everywhere have the
chance to make the most of their God-given potential." One of the State
Dept's Assistant Secretaries, Michael Posner, had some strong opening
remarks but that press briefing was a joke -- due to Victoria Nuland
trying not only to field questions (Posner can handle a press briefing
all by himself) but also to tell jokes (while the topic is human rights
abuses -- she is so tonally deaf) and the general appalling questions
offered by the press. The main message from the press briefing was that
the press covering the State Dept doesn't give a damn about Iraq or the
people of that country. All the US taxpayer money spent, all the
Iraqi lives, all the US lives, all the British lives, all of it, none of
it matters one damn bit. The Iraq War was nothing but a summer popcorn
movie for the US press. They've already forgotten it and wet their
pants with excitement over the next possible war.
Here's more from the opening of the report's Iraq section:
During
the year the following significant human rights problems were also
reported: arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life; extremist and
terrorist bombings and executions; disappearances; torture and other
cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; poor conditions in
pretrial detention and prison facilities; arbitrary arrest and
detention; denial of fair public trials; delays in resolving property
restitution claims; insufficient judicial institutional capacity;
arbitrary interference with privacy and home; limits on freedoms of
speech, press, and assembly; extremist threats and violence; limits on
religious freedom due to extremist threats and violence; restrictions on
freedom of movement; large numbers of internally displaced persons
(IDPs) and refugees; lack of transparency and significant constraints on
international organizations and nongovernmental organizations' (NGOs)
investigations of alleged violations of human rights; discrimination
against and societal abuses of women and ethnic, religious, and racial
minorities; trafficking in persons; societal discrimination and violence
against individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity;
and limited exercise of labor rights.
A
culture of impunity has largely protected members of the security
services, as well as those elsewhere in the government, from
investigation and successful prosecution of human rights violations.
Terrorist
groups such as al-Qaida in Iraq committed attacks against a wide swath
of society, including Sunnis, Shia, and members of other sects or
ethnicities, security forces, places of worship, religious pilgrims,
economic infrastructure, and government officials. Their means were
suicide bombings, attacks with improvised explosive devices, drive-by
shootings, and other acts of violence aimed at weakening the government
and deepening ethnosectarian divisions. Certain militant organizations,
such as those influenced by Iran, also committed numerous terrorist
attacks, primarily against foreign embassies and foreign military
forces.
It didn't prompt one damn
question about Iraq at the press briefing. But one reporter wanted the
US 'to talk about' balancing human rights issues with security issues
because, goodness, Amnesty International had a few bad things to say
about the US' own record on human rights. That's called lackey or boot
licker, it doesn't really say "reporter" -- or "CNN producer" to be more
specific.
The US press largely ignored the targeting of Iraqi youth -- especially those thought to be Emo and/or LGBT. Did the report?
No. So we'll make room for this section of the report:
There
was no law specifically prohibiting consensual same-sex sexual
activity, although the penal code prohibits sodomy, irrespective of
gender. There were no data on prosecutions for sodomy. Due to social
conventions and retribution against both victim and perpetrator of
nonconsensual same-sex sexual conduct and persecution against
participants in consensual same-sex sexual conduct, this activity was
generally unreported.
In light of the law,
the authorities relied on public indecency charges or confessions of
monetary exchange, (i.e., prostitution, which is illegal) to prosecute
same-sex sexual activity. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
persons often faced abuse and violence from family and nongovernmental
actors. UNAMI reported that at least six individuals were killed because
of their perceived sexual orientation and that an NGO relocated a
17-year-old boy after his family attempted to kill him because they
thought he was gay. The procedures used to arrest LGBT persons also were
used to arrest heterosexual persons involved in sexual relations with
persons other than their spouses.
Due to
social conventions and potential persecution, including violent attacks,
LGBT organizations did not operate openly, nor were gay pride marches
or gay rights advocacy events held. Societal discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, occupation, and
housing was common. Information was not available regarding
discrimination in access to education or health care due to sexual
orientation or gender identity. There were no government efforts to
address this discrimination.
At year's end authorities had not announced any arrests or prosecutions of any persons for violence against LGBT individuals.
The
report does not paint a pretty picture of Iraq today. The US
government launched an illegal war and now wants to ignore the reality
of what that illegal war has produced. There were a lot of
self-righteous reporters in 2002 and 2003 insisting that the Iraqi
people needed to be remembered and that the impending war would be for
the good of the Iraqi people. I guess the reason the US press is so
silent on Iraq today is because talking about Iraq right now means
choking on their lies.
On to the
political crisis, the never-ending political crisis in Iraq. In
another major blow to Nouri al-Maliki's already fragile public image (in
addition to the State Dept's today there is a damning report that came
out last week -- click here for Human Rights Watch's report on his torture prison), Alsumaria reports
that it is said that there are now 200 MPs ready to vote to withdraw
confidence in him -- and 20 of those votes would come from Nouri's own
State of Law political slate.
March 7, 2010, Iraq held
parliamentary elections. Nouri is the head of Dawa, a political party.
He didn't want to run with Dawa and wasn't crazy about the Shi'ite
groupings that existed. So he ran on his own political slate, State of
Law. Despite using the Justice and Accountability Commission to force
various rival politicians (such as members of Iraqiya, such as Saleh
al-Mutlaq) out of the election, despite tarring and feathering the other
new political slate Iraqiya as "terrorists," Ba'athists and
controlled by foriegners, despite suddenly taking an interest (as he
does two months before every election) in 'public works' project such as
water -- no, not improving the infrastructure so people can have
potable water, instead he sends a water truck to the area to try to make
the residents feel they owe him -- and so much more, State of Law
still came in second to Iraqiya.
Because he is the US puppet, the
White House backed him over the Iraqi people and the notions of
democracy and the process outlined in Iraq's Constitution. Because he
had the backing of both the White House and Tehran, he could bring the
country to a standstill and did. For eight months following the
election, Iraq suffered from gridlock. That means one, brief
embarrassing session of Parliament and nothing else. Nouri refused to
step aside and let the country move forward. Finally, in November 2010
(over eight months later), the US brokered a contract known as the Erbil
Agreement. Nouri was given his second term as prime minister. The
political blocs agreed to that provided Nouri met their demands such as
finally implementing Articel 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, such as
creating an independent security body headed by Ayad Allawi (leader of
Iraqiya). Every one of the blocs gave up something and did so to try to
end Political Stalemate I. The day after the agreement was signed by
all parties, Nouri was named prime minister-designate (Jalal Talabani,
president of Iraq, would 'officially' name him that days later to give
him more time than the Constitution allowed to create a Cabinet).
Iraqiya
wanted to discuss the independent security council, Nouri and State of
Law said "too soon." Allawi led many members of Iraqiya in a walk-out.
The US worked over time to get Allawi and his MPs back into that
session. They told him that the agreement would be honored but that
Allawi had to give it time.
In December, having failed to name a
full Cabinet (a Constitutional requirement), Nouri was illegal moved
from prime minister-designate to prime minister. And still people
waited for the implementation of the Erbil Agreement. Last summer, the
Kurdish bloc was tired of being put off and ignored and declared
publicly that Nouri needed to return to and honor the Erbil
Agreement. They were quickly joined in that call by Iraqiya and Moqtada
al-Sadr.
Political Stalemate II has gone on for over a year.
This is the ongoing political crisis. Nouri's decision to target Sunnis
and Iraqiya in the fall of last year didn't help. His attacks on
provinces who wanted to -- as they are allowed in the Constitution --
move towards semi-autonomy went along with his arrests of various
innocent Sunnis (such as elderly college professors) in an attempt to
destroy their lives and then, in December, he went after Deputy Prime
Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq and Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi -- both
Sunni, both members of Iraiqya.
A real leader would have
resolved the political crisis long ago. Not just because it's good for
Iraq but because it's good for the leader's own image and legacy.
Nouri's not a leader. Puppets so rarely are. April 28th, there was
another Erbil meet-up and among those attending were Allawi, Moqtada,
KRG President Massoud Barzani, Iraqi President Jalal Talabni. At the
meeting, it was decided that the Erbil Agreement needed to be
implemented and so did Moqtada's 18-point plan. Moqtada al-Sadr then
informed Nouri that if this did not take place, they would pursue a
no-confidence vote against him. If unsuccessful, it still leaves him
wounded image wise. If successful, it leaves him out of a job. So
you'd think a real leader would say, "Sure, I promised to abide by the
Erbil Agreement, let me implement it right now and stop all this
fighting." But Nouri's no leader.
And now there are supposed
to be 200 votes against him. Moqtada al-Sadr has repeatedly stated
that Nouri still has time so you'd think, before the deadline got here,
Nouri would implement the agreement. Dar Addustour reports
that Jalal Talabani met with Nouri yesterday and urged him to resolve
the crisis by implementing the agreement but Nouri refused.
Nouri's sometime political ally, sometime political foe, Ahmed Chalabi is in the news today. Alsumaria reports
he has stated that the National Alliance (a political slate of various
Shi'ite groups including Moqtada's and Nouri's) to determine what their
plan of action will be and how to best resolve the political crisis.
Ibrahim al-Jaafari is said to have called the meet-up. Chalaib also
insisted that the supposed move to have a vote of no-confidence on
Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi (a member of Iraqiya) was not a
National alliance plan, did not originate with the National Alliance and
that the alliance has received no request for such an action.
Remember
how Nouri was illegally moved from prime minister-designate to prime
minister at the end of December 2010? He had not filled a Cabinet.
That's nominating them, that's getting the Parliament to vote for them.
The security ministries were left vacant. Iraqiya stated Nouri was
doing that intentionally because it would allow him to control them.
Because Iraq's system's different than the US, let's explain that.
If
Barack Obama wants Noam Chomsky to be Secretary of Education, he
nominates him and the Senate votes on whether or not to confirm him.
If he's confirmed, he begins serving. Barack might decide Chomsky's not
doing a good job or that he's a liability to his election campaign or
that he just wants someone else in the job. So he would convey that to
Chomsky who would offer his resignation and depart. Then Barack could
name someone else to the post.
That's not the way it works in
Iraq. Nouri nominates. The Parliament votes. If the Parliament votes
someone into the Cabinet, only the Parliament can remove them. So if
Nouri nominates Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers journalist) to be
Minister of Defense and the Parliament approves that nomination, Laith
is in place and running things and has a great deal of power including
that he can't be forced out of the post by anyone but the Parliament.
Nouri
has 'named' 'acting ministers' to the security posts. Acting ministers
are not real ministers. They are not approved by Parliament. They
have no independence and no powers. (The notion of them doesn't even
exist in the Constitution.) Nouri can name Ahmed Chalabi acting
Minister of the Interior tomorrow and fire him three days later for no
reason other than Nouri had gas the night before. Because it's not a
real position and it doesn't require a vote from Parliament. These are
people Nouri puts in place and that Nouri controls. As his first term
established, Nouri does not control the Cabinet. He is a member of it,
the alleged head of it but he has to work with these members he can't
fire or risk more gridlock.
Dar Addustour reports
today that Nouri is nixing names for Minister of Defense. There is
no Minister of Defense. All this time later. None. Nouri was supposed
to have nominated and seen one confirmed before he could move to prime
minister (from prime minister-designate). The Constitution gives the
designate 30 days to form that Cabinet. It's two years later and Nouri
still doesn't have a Minister of Defense. Or Interior. Or National
Security.
And turning to the
United States where US Senator Patty Murray led on the Hire Heroes Act
and is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Her office
notes an important speech she gave. I'd love to include it in full but
we've had to edit the top part of the snapshot and aren't even including
Al Rafidayn's report
that Jalal Talabani wrote his resignation, gave it to KRG President
Massoud Barzani and wants Barzani to hold it -- it's an apparent effort
by Talabni to demonstrate that his goals are the goals of Kurds in the
KRG. So we're going to include a large portion of it but we can't
include the speech in full today.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Murray Press Office
(202) 224-2834
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
VETERANS: Senator Murray Discusses Progress in Veterans Hiring, Importance of Working with the Private Sector
With
Memorial Day approaching, author of VOW to Hire Heroes Act discussed 5
important steps private companies should take to bring veterans on
board, debunked stigma many employers have attached to the invisible
wounds of war, and cited success stories
(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate
Veterans' Affairs Committee, delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S.
Senate on the state of efforts to hire veterans. The speech focused on
what steps private businesses are taking that are improving veterans
hiring and what challenges veterans still face in the job market. The
speech comes after extensive discussions Murray has had with private
employers, veterans, and employment experts on what's working and what
isn't in the effort to hire veterans. Recent labor statistics show that
unemployment, particularly among young veterans, remains unacceptably
high.
Full text of Senator Murray's speech:
"Next
week Americans will spend time honoring and commemorating the men and
women who died fighting for our great country. Memorial Day is a day to
reflect on and give thanks for the sacrifices made by those who made the
ultimate sacrifice—but it is also a day to look forward and to think
about what we all can do to help our veterans who have also sacrificed
so much -- and who deserve our support when they come home. So, I come
to the floor today to discuss an issue that, quite frankly, defies
common sense.
"The
high rate of unemployment among recently separated veterans is an issue
that continues to make the transition home for veterans harder than
ever. Despite the fact that our veterans have the leadership ability,
discipline, and technical skills to not only find work, but to excel in
the workforce of the 21st century. Our veterans continue to struggle.
"Despite
the skill, talent and training of our veterans, statistics have
continued to paint a grim picture. According to the Department of Labor,
young veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 have an unemployment rate
that is nearly 20%. That is one in five of our nation's heroes who can't
find a job to support their family, don't have an income that provides
stability, and don't have work that provides them with the self-esteem
and pride that is so critical to their transition home.
"We
know this shouldn't be the case. We shouldn't let the skills and
training our nation's veterans have attained go to waste. And that's why
we all joined together to overwhelmingly pass my VOW to Hire Heroes Act
here in the Senate late last year. Among many other things, this law
provides tax incentives to encourage businesses to hire veterans, makes
participation in the Transition Assistance Program mandatory for most
separating servicemembers, and expands the education and training we
provide transitioning servicemembers.
"Thanks
to this legislation we have been able to take a real, concrete step
toward putting our veterans to work. The tax credit is working. And VA
is set to begin accepting applications for a retraining program that
will benefit unemployed veterans ages 35-60 and help get them back to
work. This bill is only that, a first step.
"Today,
I'd like to talk about the next step. And that step is to build
partnerships with private businesses large and small – all across the
country – to hire our nation's heroes.
"Just
recently I was in New York where I participated in a lively roundtable
discussion hosted by the Robin Hood Foundation. This discussion on
veterans' employment was moderated by Tom Brokaw on the USS Intrepid and
brought together people of various backgrounds – including former
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen and Housing and Urban
Development Secretary Shaun Donovan – to talk about this important
issue. What is very apparent is that there is momentum to build public/private partnerships. What is also apparent is that there
is a lot of room for improvement in this area.
"Now,
I want to first make it clear that a lot of companies across the
country are far ahead of the curve on this. In fact, many private sector
companies have already joined our efforts in addressing this critical
issue. For example, JC Penney, one of America's largest retailers, and
Joseph Abboud, a men's clothing company, partnered with Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America to launch the Welcome Home Joe – Thanks a
Million Program. To prepare veterans for job interviews, this program
has provided 5,000 veterans with certificates to purchase business
attire.
"For
the last decade we have expected our brave men and women in uniform to
prepare for the battlefield. In the process, they have become accustomed
to wearing combat boots and battle dress uniforms. Now they are
expected wear a suit and tie for job interviews - something that
sometimes seems foreign to them. But thanks to this program, thousands
of transitioning veterans can now hang-up their battle dress uniforms
and dress for their next challenge.
"Other
companies like, Schneider National, one of America's largest trucking
companies, are realizing that the skills our veterans have gained over
the last decade of war are directly applicable to their businesses.
Schneider National recognizes that a veteran who has driven a seven-ton
truck across Afghanistan's dangerous and rugged terrain is more than
qualified to drive a freight truck across our nation's roads. And in
addition to providing many veterans with new jobs, Schneider National
also provides newly separated veterans with on-the-job training through
their Military Apprenticeship Program. As part of the program, veteran
employees are eligible to earn a monthly educational benefit check from
the VA in addition to a paycheck. Schneider National serves as an
example of how companies can hire veterans that have proven they can
perform the job, but lack proper certifications for civilian
employment.
"The
US Chamber of Commerce also must be commended for launching its Hiring
Our Heroes initiative which has sponsored 150 hiring fairs in 48 states.
At one of these recent hiring fairs, General Electric, the employer of
10,000 veterans
launched
its Veterans Network Transition Assistance Program. As part of this
program General Electric has vowed to hire 1,000 additional veterans
every year
for
the next five years and will provide job-seeking veterans with
one-on-one mentoring sessions. These sessions help transitioning
veterans improve resume writing and interviewing techniques so they can
capitalize on the skills they've developed during military service.
"This
is just a fraction of the work being done at our nations employers.
There are many other success stories at big companies like Home Depot,
and at small companies like General Plastics in my home state - which
has created a pipeline to hire veterans at its aerospace composites
factory. All of these companies are not only examples of success stories
– they have also created a roadmap for how best to find, hire, and
train veterans. And it's our job to make sure those lessons are being
heard. So today I want to lay out a few things that all businesses –
large and small – can do to bring our nation's heroes into their
companies.
"First,
please help to get the word out to companies to educate their human
resources teams about the benefits of hiring veterans and how skills
learned in the military translate to the work a company does. I can't
tell you how often I hear from veterans who tell me that the terms they
use in interviews and on resumes fail to get through to interviewers.
"Second,
please help companies provide job training and resources for
transitioning servicemembers. This is something I've seen done at large
organizations like
Amazon
and Microsoft but also at smaller companies in conjunction with local
colleges. In fact, the most successful of these programs capitalize on
skills
developed during military service but also utilize on-the-job training.
"Third,
let business leaders know how important it is to publicize job openings
with Veterans Service Organizations, at local military bases to help
connect veterans
with jobs, and to work with local One-Stop Career Centers.
"Fourth, develop an internal veterans group within your company to mentor recently discharged veterans,
"And
finally, if you can, please reach out to local community colleges and
universities to help develop a pipeline of the many, many veterans that
are using GI bill benefits to gain employment in your particular area.
Dmitry Rogozin 
jane arraf