Kentucky noted in Daily Kos.

The following commentary about Kentucky politics appeared in the Daily Kos blogspot. You can click to view the comments, at the end of the following:
"The People Hate this War
"by mcjoan
"Wed Apr 25, 2007 at 06:20:29 PM PDT
"A new poll from Kentucky should lay to rest any Democrat's fear that standing behind a plan to get U.S. forces out of Iraq by this time next year will hurt them.
"Look at this, from a poll of 600 voters in Kentucky:
"Would you favor or oppose a plan to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq this summer, and have almost all troops out of Iraq by the middle of next year?
"Favor.....64% Oppose.....28% Don't know.....7%
"As you may know, President Bush has proposed an increase of twenty-one thousand additional troops in Iraq. Do you favor or oppose President Bush's troop increase in Iraq?
Strongly favor.....21%
Somewhat favor.....15%
Total favor.....36%

Somewhat oppose.....14%
Strongly oppose.....45%
Total oppose.....59%

Don't know.....4%

How would you rate the job George Bush is doing handling the war in Iraq -- excellent, good, not so good, or poor?
Excellent.....6%
Good.....26%
Total Positive.....32%

Not so good.....27%
Poor.....40%
Total Negative.....67%

Don't know.....1%

This poll gives some pretty bad news to McConnell, with 61% of respondents saying he votes with Bush too often, and just 34% saying he represents their view on Iraq. Remember the Texas polling I wrote about a few days ago? * * *
Update: The House just approved the Iraq supplemental funding bill, 218-208, 2 voting present.
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U.S. Death toll passes 100 for April in Iraq.

U.S. death toll passes 100 for April
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 27 minutes ago

9 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq.

9 U.S. troops killed in Iraq violence
By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 19 minutes ago
"A car bomb exploded Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala as the streets were packed with people heading for evening prayers, killing at least 58 and wounding scores near some of the country's most sacred shrines. Separately, the U.S. military announced the deaths of nine American troops, including three killed Saturday in a single roadside bombing outside Baghdad.
With black smoke clogging the skies above Karbala, angry crowds hurled stones at police and later stormed the provincial governor's house, accusing authorities of failing to protect them from the unrelenting bombings usually blamed on Sunni insurgents. It was the second car bomb to strike the city's central area in two weeks.
"Near the blast site, survivors frantically searched for missing relatives. Iraqi television showed one man carrying the charred body of a small girl above his head as he ran down the street while ambulances rushed to retrieve the wounded and firefighters sprayed water at fires in the wreckage, leaving pools of bloody water.
"The Americans killed in Iraq included five who died in fighting Friday in Anbar province, three killed when a roadside bomb struck their patrol southeast of Baghdad and one killed in a separate roadside bombing south of the capital.
"The deaths raised to 99 the number of members of the U.S. military who have died this month and at least 3,346 who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. * * *
"The radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr launched a strong attack earlier Saturday on President Bush, calling him the "greatest evil" for refusing to withdraw American troops from Iraq.
"Al-Sadr's statement was read during a parliament session by his cousin, Liqaa al-Yassin, after Congress ordered U.S. troops to begin leaving Iraq by Oct. 1. Bush pledged to veto the measure and neither the House nor the Senate had enough votes to override him.
"Here are the Democrats calling you to withdraw or even set a timetable and you are not responding," al-Sadr's statement said. "It is not only them who are calling for this but also Republicans, to whom you belong."
"If you are ignoring your friends and partners, then it is no wonder that you ignore the international and Iraqi points of view," he added.
"Al-Sadr led two armed uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004, and his Mahdi militia is believed responsible for much of Iraq's sectarian killing. The U.S. military says he has fled to Iran, although his followers insist he is hiding in Iraq. Abdul-Al al-Yassiri, the head of the Karbala provincial council, said local authorities had raised fears that militants fleeing the Baghdad security crackdown were infiltrating their area.
"We have contacted the interior minister and asked them to supply us with equipment that can detect explosives," he said.
Ali Mohammed, 31, who sells prayer beads in the area, said he heard the blast and felt himself hurled into the air.
"The next thing I knew I opened my eyes in the hospital with my legs and chest burned," he said. "This is a disaster. What is the guilt of the children and women killed today by this terrorist attack?"
Crowds stormed the provincial government offices and the governor's house, burning part of it along with three cars and scuffling with guards. Security forces detained several armed protesters, said Ghalib al-Daami, a provincial council member.
"Saturday's bombing was the deadliest attack in Iraq since April 18, when 127 people were killed in a car bombing near the Sadriyah market in Baghdad — one of four bombings that killed a total of 183 people in the bloodiest day since a U.S.-Iraq security operation began in the capital more than 10 weeks ago.
"In all, at least 119 people were killed or found dead, including the bodies of 38 people killed execution-style — apparent victims of the so-called sectarian death squads mostly run by Shiite militias.
"In Baghdad, a mortar attack killed two people and wounded seven in the Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, where the U.S. military recently announced it was building a three-mile long, 12-foot high concrete wall despite protests from residents and Sunni politicians that they were being isolated.
"The U.S. military also said Saturday that a suicide truck bomber attacked the home of a city police chief the day before in the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Anbar province, killing nine Iraqi security forces and six civilians. Police chief Hamid Ibrahim al-Numrawi and his family escaped injury after Iraqi forces opened fire on the truck before it reached the concrete barrier outside the home in Hit, 85 miles west of Baghdad."
"Staying the Course" means 3,346 American troops dead in Iraq. A vote for Hal Rogers is a vote for "staying the course." A vote for Mitch McConnell is a vote for "staying the course." Elect more Democrats, and let's bring the troops home from Iraq.

Ditch Mitch.

Senator Mitch McConnell and other GOP leaders have tried like hell to spin the proposed timeline for troop withdrawal into a “cut and run” surrender strategy. You don’t have to look very far for hypocrisy these days, and a commentary by Travis Sharp of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, reports that those same Republican politicians that are criticizing the Democrats’ position on Iraq War funding maneuvered similarly in the 1990s:
In 1993, Robert Byrd (D-WV) introduced an amendment that clarified the U.S. mission in Somalia and cut off funding after March 31, 1994, unless President Clinton obtained specific reauthorization from Congress. Eleven Republicans still serving in the Senate voted to approve the Byrd amendment, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who argued on the Senate floor at the time that “The only issue here tonight is how we leave, and, in my judgment, the Byrd Amendment better defines the proper exit for the United States.”
The only difference between American troops dying in Somalia, and American troops dying in Iraq, is that Bush, Cheney, Hal Rogers and Mitch McConnell all are in favor of American troops dying in Iraq. I understand that Congress cut off the funding for the U.S. war in Somalia in the 1990's and that ended that war. I hope the Democratic Congress will cut off the funding of the U.S. war in Iraq, like the Republican Congress did to end the U.S. war in Somalia. American troops do not belong in combat in Somalia nor Iraq. Let's bring them home. Let's Ditch Mitch. Let's get a more Democratic Congress. Kenneth Stepp.

Pull Mitch's string.

For a good belly laugh, click: Mitch McConnell, Dick Cheney’s Puppet Youtube Video

Fighting Dems Muster Roll Alabama-Michigan

2006 Fighting Dems
Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:02
Muster Roll of Fighting Dem Vet Candidates 2006
Alabama to Michigan
Updated 10/15/2006
No. Candidate Service Website District
1. Vivian Beckerle** Major US Army Website AL-01
2. “Chuck” Dean James** Lt Colonel US Army Website AL-02
3. Gregg Pierce** Sergeant US Army Website AL-03
4. Herb Paine** US Army Website AZ-03
5. Woodrow Anderson** Captain US Army ReservesWebsite AR-03
6. Bill Durston** US Marine Corps Website CA-03
7. Charles Brown**** Lt Colonel US Air Force Website CA-04
8. Jim Brandt*** Captain US Marine Corps Website CA-46
9. John Rinaldi** Officer US Navy Reserves Website CA-52
10. Jay Fawcett**** Lt Colonel US Air Force Website CO-05
11. Bill Winter** Enlisted US Navy Website CO-06
12. Dennis Spivack** Officer US Navy Website DE-AL
13. Joe Roberts** Enlisted US Air Force Reserves Website FL-01
14. Dave Bruderly** Enlisted, US Coast Guard Website FL-06
15. Jack Chagnon** US Marine Corps Website FL-07
16. Dr. Bob Bowman** Lt Colonel US Air Force Website FL-15
17. Dave Patlak** Chief Warrant Officer, US Coast GuardWebsiteFL-18 18. Jim Nelson** Officer US Army Website GA-01
19. Tammy Duckworth*****Major Army National GuardWebsite IL-06
20. John Laesch*** Officer US Navy Website IL-14
21. Dick Auman** US Marine Corps Website IL-16
22. Phil Hare**** Enlisted US Army Reserves Website IL-17
23. Steve Waterworth** Enlisted US Air Force Website IL-18
24. Tom Hayhurst** Enlisted US Air Force Website IN-03
25. Mik e Weaver**** Colonel US Army Website KY-02
26. Ken Lucas***** Officer US Air Force Website KY-04
27. Kenneth Stepp** Officer, US Navy Website KY-05
28. Andrew Duck*** Captain, US Navy Website MD-06
29. Jim Marcinkowski*** US Navy Website MI-08

Muster Roll of Fighting Dem Vets
Minnesota to Virginia
Updated 10/15/2006

Pete McCloskey is now a Democrat!

" McCloskey Leaves Republican Party
" The Contra Costa Times
" Monday 16 April 2007
" Lifelong Republican, Marine veteran and former congressman Pete McCloskey has left the GOP and registered with the Democratic Party.
"McCloskey says he is disgusted with the "succession of ethical scandals, congressmen taking bribes and abuse of power by both the Republican House leadership and the highest appointees of the White House."
"A pox on (Republicans) and their values," he wrote.
"As a Republican, McCloskey served in the House of Representatives from a San Mateo County congressional district from 1967- to 1983. He was a brief presidential hopeful when he ran on an anti-war platform against Richard Nixon in 1972.
" But McCloskey again found himself in the media spotlight last year when he left his rural Northern California farm in Rumsey, rented a house in Lodi and ran in the primary against Richard Pombo, a conservative, seven-term Republican incumbent who later lost the general election to the novice Pleasanton Democrat Jerry McNerney.
"McCloskey may lost the primary but observers say he provided a pivotal voice in the growing, anti-Pombo chorus that eventually led to the incumbent's defeat.
" His party shift will be no surprise to the Republicans who backed Pombo. They called McCloskey a shill for the Democratic Party before he even filed for the office.
" Months before McCloskey entered, he helped formed a group called the "Revolt of the Elders," which made no secret of its search for viable Republicans willing to run against Pombo. When they couldn't find someone, McCloskey filed himself.
" Here's what McCloskey wrote in an e-mail announcement about his decision.
" McCloskeys have been Republicans in California since 1859, the year before Lincoln's election. 'y great grandfather, John Henry McCloskey, orphaned in the great Irish potato famine of 1843, came to California in 1853 as a boy of 16, and joined the party just before the Civil War.
" By 1890 he and my grandfather, both farmers, made up two of the twelve members of the Republican Central Committee of Merced County. My father's most memorable expletive came when I was a boy of 10 or 11: "That damn Roosevelt is trying to pack the Supreme Court!"
" I registered Republican in 1948 after reaching the age of 21. We were the party of civil rights, of free choice for women and fiscal responsibility. Since Teddy Roosevelt, we had favored environmental protection, and most of all we stood for fiscal responsibility, honesty, ethics and limited government intrusion into our personal lives and choices. We accepted that one the duties of wealth was to pay a higher rate of income tax, and that the estates of the wealthy should contribute to the national treasury in reasonable measure.
" I was proud to serve with Republicans like Gerry Ford, the first George Bush and Bob Dole.
" In 1994, however, Newt Gingrich brought a new kind of Republicanism to power, and the election of George W. Bush in 2000 has led to wholly new concept of governance. The bureaucracy has mushroomed in size and power. The budget deficits have become astronomical. Our historical separation of church and state has been blurred. We have seen a succession of ethical scandals, congressmen taking bribes, and abuse of power by both the Republican House leadership and the highest appointees of the White House.
" The single cardinal principle of political science, that power corrupts, has come to apply not only to Republican leaders like Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney and John Doolittle, but to a succession of White House officials and appointees. The stench of Jack Abramoff has permeated much of the Washington Republican establishment.
" The Justice Department, guardian of of our rule of law, has been compromised. It's third ranking official, a graduate of Pat Robertson's dubious law school, has taken the 5th Amendment.
" Men who have never felt the fear of combat, and who largely dodged military service in their youth, have led us into grievous wars in far off places with no thought of the diplomacy, grace and respect for other peoples and their cultures which has been an American trademark for at least the last two thirds of a century. We have lost the respect and affection of most of the world outside our borders. My son, Peter, one of the U.S. prosecutors at The Hague of the war crimes in Serbia and elsewhere, tells me that people of other countries no longer look at the country which countenances torture as a beacon for the world and the rule of law.
" Earth Day, that bi-partisan concept of Gaylord Nelson in 1970, has become the focus of almost hatred by today's Republican leadership. Many still argue that global warming is a hoax, and that Bush has been right to demean and suppress the arguments of scientists at the E.P.A., Fish & Wildlife and U.S.Geological Survey.
" I say a pox on them and their values.
" Until the past few weeks, I had hoped that the party could right itself, returning to the values of the Eisenhowers, Fords and George H. W. Bush.
" What finally turned me to despair, however, was listening to the reports, or watching on C-Span, a whole series of congressional oversight hearings on C-Span, held by old friends and colleagues like Pat Leahy, Henry Waxman, Norm Dicks, Nick Rahall, Danny Akaka and others, trying to learn the truth on the misdeeds and incompetence of the Bush Administration. Time after time I saw Republican Members of the House and Senate. speak out in scorn or derision about these exercises of Congress oversight responsibility being "witch-hunts" or partisan attempts to distort the actions of people like the head of the General Service Administration and the top political appointees in the Justice and Interior Departments. Disagreement turned into disgust.
" I finally concluded that it was a fraud for me to rema'n a member of this modern Republican Party, that there were only a few like Chuck Hegel, Jack Warner, Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins I could respect.
" Two of the best, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, and Jim Leach of Iowa, after years of battling for balance and sanity, were defeated last November, and it seems that every Republican presidential candidate is now vying for the support of the Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells rather than talking about a return to the values of the party I joined nearly 59 years ago. My favorite spokesmen have beome Senators Jim Webb and Barack Obama.
" And so it was, that while at the Woodland courthouse the other day, passing by the registrar's office, I filled out the form to re-register as a Democrat.
" The issues Helen (McCloskey) and I care about most, public financing of elections, a reliable paper ballot trail, independent re-districting to replace gerrymandering, the right of a woman to choose not to bring a child into the world, a reversal of the old Proposition 13 and term limits which have so hurt California's once superb education system and the competence of our Legislature, are now almost universally opposed by California's elected Republicans, and the occasional attempts at reform by our Governor are looked on with grim disdain by most of them.
" From Helen's and my standpoint, being farmers in Yolo County gives us the opportunity to work for purposes which were once Republican, but can no longer be found at Republican conventions and discussions.
" I hope this answers your questions about the party and a government I have served in either civil or military service under ten presidents, five Republican and five Democrat ... I doubt it will be of much interest other than to our friends, but it has been a decision not easily taken.
" Respectfully, Pete McCloskey"
Maybe you ought to come on over to the Democratic Party, too.

Cheney says Democrats will back down on Iraq withdrawal.

"WASHINGTON - Vice President
Dick Cheney says he is "willing to bet" that Democratic lawmakers will back down and approve a war-spending bill that doesn't call for U.S. troops to leave Iraq. Top Democratic leaders shot back that Cheney has lost all public credibility.
"With President Bush and Congress in a stalemate — he plans to veto legislation that orders U.S. troops home, which the House and Senate plan to send him — both sides are looking ahead. In an interview broadcast Sunday, Cheney predicted the Democrats will blink.
"He said Congress will end up passing a "clean" bill that funds the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without any troop withdrawal timetables. Democrats control Congress, but they do not appear to have the votes to override a presidential veto.
"They will not leave the troops in the field without the resources they need," Cheney said of the Democrats.
Asked what would happen if they don't back down, Cheney said: "I'm willing to bet the other way — that, in fact, they will."
"There may be some people who are so irresponsible that they wouldn't support that," Cheney said. But the majority will send Bush the bill he wants "once they've gone through the exercise and it's clear the president will veto the provisions that they want in," he said.
"However, the Senate Armed Services Committee's chairman said Congress won't relent in winding down the war.
"If Bush vetoes a bill calling for troop reductions, Democratic lawmakers would likely come back with a second try that requires the Iraqi government to meet performance benchmarks or face consequences, said Chairman Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich. Iraq's leadership is struggling to make the progress it has promised on political reconciliation, distribution of the country's oil wealth and other vital goals.
"We are very, very serious about what the American people said in November," Levin said, referring to the election that put Democrats in charge of Congress. "They want a change of course."
"Cheney's blistering criticism of Democrats, the latest in a series of recent speeches and interviews, drew harsh words from Levin.
"He has misled the people consistently on Iraq," Levin said. "He has misstated. He has exaggerated. And I don't think he has any credibility left with the American people."
"The uncooperative tone comes just as Bush plans to meet bipartisan leaders of Congress this week at the White House.
"The purpose of that session on Wednesday is to discuss how to get a war-funding bill done, yet no negotiation is expected.
"Meanwhile, in Iraq, four bombs exploded in predominantly Shiite sections of Baghdad on Sunday. They killed at least 37 people in a renewal of sectarian carnage that set back the U.S. push to pacify the capital. "The latest violence came three days after an explosion set off by a suicide bomber ripped through a cafeteria at the Iraqi parliament, a stunning attack inside Baghdad's U.S.-guarded Green Zone.
Cheney, though, said U.S. and Iraqi forces are making progress.
"I do believe we can win in Iraq," he said. "I think it is a worthy cause. I think it's absolutely essential that we prevail."
"The House and Senate are expected to negotiate war spending legislation this week. The Democratic proposal would approve $96 billion in military money, mostly for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and set a timetable for troop withdrawal.
"The American people know that the height of irresponsibility is to put this country at risk by mismanaging a war from day one," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) of Nevada. He, too, said Cheney "has long since lost credibility."
"Attempting to pressure Democrats, the White House publicly counts each day that Congress does not pass the emergency war spending bill. Top military commanders contend the delay will soon begin to weaken troop preparedness and keep some soldiers in combat longer.
"Majority Democrats say it is only a matter of time before they will get their way. Senior Democrats are calculating that if they keep the pressure on, eventually more Republicans will jump ship and challenge the president — or lose their seats to Democratic contenders.
"The Senate bill would require a U.S. troop exit in Iraq to begin within 120 days, with a completion goal of March 31, 2008. The House bill would order all combat troops out by Sept. 1, 2008. Most Republicans stand with Bush on grounds that a timetable is a dangerous war policy.
"Now is the time to pour it on politically, economically and militarily, and build on this momentum," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., who recently visited Iraq. "We're not going to let car bombers define the fate of Iraq."
"Cheney's interview, taped Saturday, was on CBS' "Face the Nation." Levin and Graham spoke on "Fox News Sunday."
Kenneth Stepp says bring the troops home, now.

Sunni Arab King says "illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq by U.S.

"Illegitimate foreign occupation" of Iraq says Arab King.
Now that our chief Arab and chief Sunni ally in the Middle East calls the U.S.military occupation of Iraq an "illegitimate foreign occupation", why do Mitch McConnell and Hal Rogers vote to "stay the course" and keep U.S. troops fighting in the illegitimate foreign occupation of Iraq? Get the U.S. troops out, now.
"Saudis on U.S. in Iraq: 'illegitimate foreign occupation'"POSTED: 12:15 a.m. EDT, March 30, 2007
"04/28/2007";
"RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- King Abdullah's harsh -- and unexpected -- attack on the U.S. military presence in Iraq could be a Saudi attempt to signal to Washington its anger over the situation in Iraq and build credibility among fellow Arabs. * * *"The king made his remarks Wednesday at the opening session of the two-day Arab summit his country hosted in Riyadh. It was believed to be the first time the king publicly expressed that opinion.
"In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war," said Abdullah, whose country is a U.S. ally that quietly aided the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. * * *
"A Saudi official said the king was speaking as the president of the summit and his remarks reflected general frustration with the "patchwork" job the Americans were doing to end violence in Iraq.
"The king also wanted to send a message that Iraq is an issue that Arabs cannot turn their back on, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
"It was not clear what kind of diplomatic fallout could result -- but the comments did nothing to help bring Arab nations closer to the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite.
"The summit has taken a tough line on Iraq, demanding it change its constitution and military to include more Sunnis and end a program of uprooting former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party.
"The Sunni-led governments of the Arab world have long been suspicious of Iraq's Shiite leadership, blaming it for fueling violence by discriminating against Sunni Arabs and accusing it of helping mainly Shiite Iran extend its influence in the region. * * *
"Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal stood by the king's remarks Thursday, implying at some points that Iraq's Shiite-led government doesn't have the legitimacy to approve the U.S. presence.
"If that country had chosen to have those troops, then it's something else. But any military action that is not requested by a specific country -- that is the definition of occupation," al-Faisal told reporters."
Get the U.S. military occupation troops out of Iraq, now.

Joey was our hero.

This news story from the Lexington Herald-Leader April 14, 2007:
"Farewell salute
"Cpl. Joey Cantrell, killed by roadside bomb in Iraq, laid to rest
"ASSOCIATED PRESS
"WESTWOOD --The muffled crackle of seven rifles firing outside broke the silence at Fairview Baptist Church as mourners gathered yesterday to remember a Boyd County soldier killed in Iraq.
"Sobbing rose with the gunfire during funeral services for Cpl. Joey Cantrell, 23, who was killed by a roadside bomb April 4 in Taji, Iraq. The blast also claimed the life of Sgt. Jerry C. Burge of Mississippi. Burge and Cantrell were members of the U.S. Army 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
"Seven soldiers folded the flag that covered Cantrell's casket, and a general handed the triangular bundle to Cantrell's mother, Sondra Adkins, The Ashland Independent reported.
"He was a patriot, and he was brave," said Gen. Philip Hanrahan. "He enlisted knowing our country was at war, and he enlisted knowing he would have to go and fight in that war. I know he had compassion for his fellow soldiers and the citizens of Iraq ... I know he was a leader."
"Bob Morrison, a retired teacher, administrator and coach in the Fairview school district, fought off tears as he talked about the loss of a beloved member of the community.
"We never know why this happens. ... I've watched Joey's mom for six days; I feel so sorry for the family," he said.
"Cantrell was one of three Kentuckians killed in Iraq during the first week of April.
"Army Spec. William G. Bowling, 24, of Beattyville, was killed April 1. A funeral for Naval Chief Petty Officer Gregory J. Billiter will be held today in Crescent Springs. Billiter, 36, of Villa Hills, was killed on April 6.
"Morrison spoke to Cantrell about twice a month while the young soldier was in training, and saw Cantrell about three days before he was deployed to Iraq. He said Cantrell always wanted to know what was going on at the school he loved so much."
"It's hard after you've taught someone and been with him all those years, to see him go like that," Morrison said. "Joey was our hero. He was a friend. He was highly thought of in this community."
Joey was our hero, along with the other Kentuckians who have died in Iraq "staying the course." We salute Joey, and William and Gregory. As long as "staying the course" remains the U.S. policy concerning the U.S. military occupation of Iraq, more of Kentucky's sons and daughters will be shipped home in boxes from Iraq, to be buried in their beloved Kentucky.

Shiites call for U.S. troops to leave Iraq.

"Shiites call for U.S. to leave Iraq
"By LAUREN FRAYER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 4 minutes ago
"BAGHDAD - Tens of thousands of Shiites — a sea of women in black abayas and men waving Iraqi flags — rallied Monday to demand that U.S. forces leave their country. Some ripped apart American flags and tromped across a Stars and Stripes rug.
"The protesters marched about three miles between the holy cities of Kufa and Najaf to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. In the capital, streets were silent and empty under a hastily imposed 24-hour driving ban.
"Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered up the march as a show of strength not only to Washington but to Iraq's establishment Shiite ayatollahs as well.
"Al-Sadr, who disappointed followers hoping he might appear after months in seclusion, has pounded his anti-American theme in a series of written statements. The most recent came on Sunday, when he called on his Mahdi Army militia to redouble efforts to expel American forces and for the police and army to join the struggle against "your archenemy."
"The fiery cleric owes much of his large following to the high esteem in which Shiites hold his father, Ayatollah Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, who was assassinated in 1999 by suspected agents of Saddam Hussein. Al-Sadr dropped from view before the start of the latest Baghdad security operation on Feb. 14. U.S. officials say he is holed up in Iran. His followers insist he's returned to Najaf.
"Fearing suicide attacks, car bombings or other mayhem in the capital, Iraq's generals ordered all vehicles off the streets for 24 hours starting at 5 a.m. Monday, normally a work day. The capital was eerily quiet, shops were shuttered and locked and reports of sectarian violence fell to near zero.
"Police and morgue officials reported finding just seven bodies dumped in the capital, only the second time the number of sectarian assassination and torture victims had dipped that low in the course of the Baghdad security operation. A total of 25 people were killed or found dead in the country Monday, according to police and morgue reports.
"A double line of police cordoned the marchers' route from Kufa to Najaf, sister cities on the west bank of the Euphrates River. The holy places, 100 miles south of Baghdad, are a prime destination for Shiite pilgrims.
"Among the snapping flags and giant banners, leaflets fluttered to earth, exhorting the marchers in chants of "Yes, Yes to Iraq" and "Yes, Yes to Muqtada. Occupiers should leave Iraq."
"Salah al-Obaydi, a senior official in al-Sadr's Najaf organization, called the rally a "call for liberation. We're hoping that by next year's anniversary, we will be an independent and liberated Iraq with full sovereignty."
"And the head of al-Sadr's parliamentary bloc, Nassar al-Rubaie, blasted the U.S. presence as an affront to "the dignity of the Iraqi people. After four years of occupation, we have hundreds of thousands of people dead and wounded."
"A key Washington official saw it differently.
"Iraq, four years on, is now a place where people can freely gather and express their opinions," Gordon Johndroe, the National Security Council spokesman, said aboard Air Force One. "And while we have much more progress ahead of us — the United States, the coalition and Iraqis have much more to do — this is a country that has come a long way from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein."
"Col. Steven Boylan, a U.S. military spokesman and aide to Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, praised the peaceful demonstration and said Iraqis "could not have done this four years ago."
"Iraqi soldiers in uniform joined the crowd of marchers which stretch for at least three miles and was led by a dozen turbaned clerics, a Sunni Muslim among them. Many marchers, especially youngsters, danced as they moved through the streets, littered with balloons.
Brig. Abdul Kerim al-Mayahi, the Najaf police chief, said there were as many as 600,000 in the march, although other estimates were significantly lower. He said 30 lawmakers made the hike and there was no American troop presence except surveillance from helicopters hovering above.
"Monday's demonstration marks four years since U.S. Marines and the Army's 3rd Infantry Division swept into the Iraqi capital 20 days into the American invasion.
"Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari noted that "mistakes were made" after Saddam was ousted, pointing to decisions made by the first U.S. governor of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer.
"The main mistake was a vacuum left in the fields of security and politics, and the second mistake was how liberating forces became occupation forces," Zebari told Al-Arabiyah television.
"Cars were banned from Najaf for 24 hours starting from 8 p.m. Sunday, and buses idled at all city entry points to transport arriving demonstrators or other visitors.
"While al-Sadr had ordered his militia to disarm and stay off the streets during the Baghdad crackdown, he has notched up his anti-American rhetoric in three brief but hostile statements demanding the departure of U.S. troops.
"You, the Iraqi army and police forces, don't walk alongside the occupiers, because they are your archenemy," he wrote, apparently referring to three days of clashes between his Mahdi Army militiamen and U.S.-backed Iraqi troops in Diwaniyah, 80 miles south of Baghdad.
"A U.S. soldier was killed there Sunday, according to Col. Michael Garrett, with the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Division. He spoke to reporters in Diwaniyah as American troops continued operations.
"On Monday night, police officials in Diwaniyah said the toll since the start of the operation Friday was 14 dead and 47 wounded, both figures including civilians and members of the Mahdi Army. The numbers could not be independently confirmed."
How long will America "stay the course"? The Shiites say "get out!" The Sunnis say "get out!" A majority of the American people say "get out!" "Staying the course" means keeping American troops getting killed in Iraq long after it makes any sense for that to keep happening. Kenneth Stepp says bring the U.S. troops home now!

McConnell Must Go!

This just in from Bluegrass Reports:
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
To see the You-Tube video, click here: Anti-War Ad Targets Senate GOP Leader (AP)
Just hitting the AP wire:
A liberal group advocating the withdrawal of troops from Iraq will begin airing an ad Wednesday in Kentucky that criticizes Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for supporting President Bush's war policies.
The $200,000 ad by Americans United for Change will hit the airwaves the day after the Senate sent a signal that it wants combat troops out of Iraq by next March.
McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, helped lead an attempt to remove that nonbinding deadline from a war-spending bill. That effort failed Tuesday, 50-48.
The ad juxtaposes clips of McConnell offering optimistic assessments about the war with scenes of chaos in Iraq.
"Tell Mitch McConnell: Stop blocking change in Iraq," the ad concludes.
McConnel has argued that deadlines for withdrawal of troops will embolden terrorists and insurgents in Iraq.
The ad, which will run through next week's Easter congressional recess, is part of a broader campaign by Americans United for Change to brand McConnell as an obstacle to the Democratic Party agenda.
UPDATE (8:25 pm): Here's the ad:
Posted by Mark Nickolas on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 08:21 PM in 2008 Elections, Campaigns and Elections, Congress, Iraq, Legislation, Senator McConnell Permalink Comments (7) TrackBack (0)

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The answer.

The answer is Ronald Reagan.

53 Kentuckians Dead in Iraq Military Occupation.

This from the Lexington Herald-Leader:
"Protesters mark four years in Iraq
"'FIFTY-THREE KENTUCKY MEN DEAD, ... MANY MORE WITH HORRIBLE WOUNDS'
"By Valarie Honeycutt Spears
"HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER
"Angela Baldridge
"About two dozen protesters took part in an anti-war rally at the Blue Grass Army Depot yesterday, marking the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
"RICHMOND --The war protesters standing along U.S. 25 chanted, "Not one more death. Not one more dollar."
A driver passing by thrust a finger out a car window.
"---- you," he shouted, giving emphasis to his obscene gesture. "I fought that war."
"That exchange marked the only counterprotest seen yesterday as members of the Central Kentucky Council for Peace & Justice rallied outside the gates of Blue Grass Army Depot to observe Tuesday's fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
"Mostly, there was a show of goodwill for the group, whose members maintain they can support the troops and oppose the war at the same time. As many as 100 drivers passing by during the hour-long rally pressed on their horns to comply with a sign that read, "Honk for Peace."
"About two dozen people showed up for yesterday's rally after a three-day, 33-mile "Walk for Peace" from downtown Lexington's Triangle Park to the depot. Only a few walked the whole way; others joined in for parts of the walk.
"Activist Janice SevrŽ-Duszynska said, "I believe we represent thousands who want this war to end."
"On Saturday, a large anti-war rally took center stage in Washington, D.C. The Central Kentucky march and rally mirrored dozens held yesterday in cities from Los Angeles to Hartford, Conn.
"Our main message is to (U.S. Senate Republican leader) Mitch McConnell, who needs to tell his president, 'This is wrong,'" said Richard Mitchell, a group member who walked much of the 33-mile route.
"We ask Senator McConnell to be a statesman," SevrŽ-Duszynska said. "At this moment, we need a national leader, not a party hack."
"Staffers from McConnell's office could not be reached for comment last night.
"But on Thursday, McConnell spoke on the Senate floor regarding the latest Democratic proposal to set a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq.
"This legislation is dangerous. It is constitutionally dubious," McConnell said. "And it would authorize a scattered band of U.S. senators to tie the hands of the commander in chief at a moment of decisive importance in the fight against terrorism in Iraq."
"The protesters said yesterday that the war has never been about freedom for the Iraqis. Or about weapons of mass destruction, stopping terrorism in the United States or maintaining freedom here.
"What it is about is blood for oil," SevrŽ-Duszynska said. "Fifty-three Kentucky men dead. There are many more with horrible wounds. Their blood has been exchanged for oil."
"SevrŽ-Duszynska is a former Lexington teacher who served a federal prison sentence for trespassing after a protest at the former School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Ga. The Defense Department school, now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, trains Latin American military and law-enforcement personnel.
"The protesters carried signs that attempted to tally the cost of the war so far: $500 billion spent, 3,207 Americans dead, and more than 23,000 wounded. Estimates of Iraqi casualties range from 50,000 to 600,000.
"Craig Williams, who deals regularly with depot officials as director of the Berea-based Chemical Weapons Working Group, told the peace group that he fought in Vietnam. When Williams came home, he protested the war in support of the troops and veterans of Vietnam.
"Now, Williams says, he is not only protesting the U.S. invasion of Iraq but also the substandard treatment some wounded soldiers receive once they return home.
"It's sinful," he said, "and disgraceful."
Kenneth Stepp stands against the U.S. military occupation of Iraq. Let's bring the American troops home, this week.