U.S. Troops Fear Hostile VA, Press as Reforms Are Attempted

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Monday May 03, 2010 · 8:53 AM PDT

2010/05/03 · 08:53

by Michael Leon

Just off the phone with a veteran who told me U.S. soldiers and Marines often take pictures in war zones [such as they are] of enemy dead in violation of various articles of the Geneva Conventions. Guys figure they'll have an easier time with the VA if they have pictures of the dead (if they make it out) that they can file with VA documents.

Veterans' fathers, their grandfathers (and women too) know the story about the U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs (DVA), a predatory and dysfunctional agency that denied their family members' health and lives.

We hope it's changing, but the VA ain't your friend, especially if you're a Vietnam-era veteran: The VA just loves you guys to death.

But the DVA does have it share of defenders: The kindest thing these defenders are called by veterans are "chickenhawks," "house cats," and "pukes."

MAL Contends

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Monday July 27, 2009 · 5:32 AM PDT

2009/07/27 · 05:32

I love Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA).

For a period during the Bush administration, it felt like the only compelling loyal Democratic opposition and oversight were from Waxman, Feingold and Kucinich.

But Waxman has earned the wrath of veterans the nation-over for his bizarre commitment to overseeing appropriating veterans' land in West Los Angeles

Writes Robert L. Rosebrock, director of The Veterans Revolution:

MAL Contends

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Tuesday May 05, 2009 · 7:04 AM PDT

2009/05/05 · 07:04

Update: A few facts have come to light from the insightful comments in a crosspost. There is no occupation, and no walls. Palestinians [who do not exist] are free to move around in the West Bank and Gaza as they wish in accordance with their pursuit of happiness, with Israel cheering them on. There is no Israeli militarism and no PR apparatus in support of Israeli militarism - which does not in any event exist. To deny these facts above is to subscribe to a "world Zionist conspiracy" theory and/or be nonconstructive and/or be drunk/on drugs/off drugs/high and/or hear voices/be insane and/or be a twit and/or be a whack job, and/or an anti-Semite and/or a "Jew hater" and/or a believer in the "decoder ring" [whatever that is; have to admit that last one does seem odd]. Please revise your worldview accordingly and know that when Israel bombs and shoots Palestinians it means well. But I'll say this, these pro-militarist guys can always be counted on to demonstrate your point in the Comments section. :)

MAL Contends

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Sunday May 03, 2009 · 7:09 AM PDT

2009/05/03 · 07:09

Update: See Gary Leupp's piece on AIPAC, Bush neocons and lame-ass Democrats and Pelosi the Hawk (Stephen Zunes in Foreign Policy in Focus). Oh those Arabs; always trying to pass themselves off as human beings, poor dears. On the other hand they are dirty, aren't they?

Andrew O'Hehir's has a lame interview with filmmaker Simone Bitton, director of the documentary Rachel.

Skip the Salon interview, and see the film on the murdered American peace activist Rachel Corrie.

I guess Salon editors think need a pro-militarist, anti-human rights voice on their site so O'Hehir gets 900 words in the introduction to give some balance.

MAL Contends

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Thursday April 30, 2009 · 6:22 AM PDT

2009/04/30 · 06:22

Michael Goodwin's piece in the New York Daily Newsthis morning is a ridiculous knock that Obama is to be feared because the public is behind him and Obama is eloquent and confident.

Typical of rightwingers Goodwin just wants to smear; that it has no grounding in fact or evidence is besides the point. Nor is it important that Goodwin likes to quote from books that he hasn't read. Good enough for the Daily News.

MAL Contends

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Monday April 27, 2009 · 9:48 AM PDT

2009/04/27 · 09:48

The last time the Republicans tried to defeat Gov. Jim Doyle (D-Madison), former U.S. Atty Stephen Biskupic prosecuted an innocent state worker and tried to force her to make up things about our governor.

See Biskupic prosecuted an innocent state worker and tried to force her to say bad things about Gov. Doyle

Now, for some ill-defined reason, many GOP political operatives think Mark Neumann is the best candidate for the GOP nomination as the GOP field for Wisconsin governor is sorted out this week. Neumann, a former congressman, will likely face Milwaukee County Exec Scott Walker.

And the fight is on.

Neumann is running for statewide office with the same rigid anti-gay, anti-Catholic, and anti-Semitic ideology that sent state senator Tom Reynolds packing a few years back.

MAL Contends

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Saturday April 18, 2009 · 10:02 AM PDT

2009/04/18 · 10:02

What's another dead Marine worth?

One hell of a lot.

The 2006 suicide death of Randen Harvey, 24-year-old Marine Corps veteran who served two back-to-back tours in Iraq, is now the focus of a lawsuit brought on behalf of the estate of Randen Harvey by the veteran-activist Fausone Bohm (LLP) firm.

I started writing about veterans about three years ago after a Wisconsin Vietnam-era veteran, Keith Roberts, was unjustly thrown into federal prison (yes) after being diagnosed with PTSD and "tenaciously pursuing a claim for VA benefits" (Harper’s Magazine).

And I haven't stopped.

MAL Contends

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Tuesday March 24, 2009 · 6:31 AM PDT

2009/03/24 · 06:31

As President Obama holds a prime-time news conference to further explain and defend his economic policies, clarity and specifics are now the pressing order of every day. [See also Rescue Plan, With Some Fine Print, Dazzles Wall Street.]

From the Obama White House blog:

MAL Contends

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Wednesday January 14, 2009 · 6:04 AM PST

2009/01/14 · 06:04

Update III: Fond du Lac Police Captain Steve Thiry: "Obviously, people were offended," or we would not have investigated the incident. The Fond du Lac Reporter's lede gets knocked down.

Update: SPLC Maps 12 Racist Groups in Wisconsin

I read with disappointment this morning's report in the Fond du Lac Reporter on the neo-NAZIs leaving their business cards on the car windows of several participants of a Hispanic-Latino event last week.

The "Aryan Wear" group's cards asks if the car-owners had "had enough diversity?" The card is pictured at: http://malcontends.blogspot.com/...

MAL Contends

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Tuesday October 07, 2008 · 10:35 AM PDT

2008/10/07 · 10:35

Update: WisPolitics piece at http://www.wispolitics.com/...

Contradicting his earlier claims that "(there was no discussion with anybody involved in leadership with the Republican Party or the McCain campaign) about this (voting rule) lawsuit before it was brought," as Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has said earlier last month, WisPolitics has uncovered new audio (posted at WisPolitics above) revealing Van Hollen promising action on alleged "voter fraud" during an address at the Republican National Convention held in St. Paul, Minnesota.

MAL Contends

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Wednesday September 24, 2008 · 10:47 AM PDT

2008/09/24 · 10:47

Update: See http://malcontends.blogspot.com/... Van Hollen's Voter Suppression Set to Fail

Voter suppression is a civil rights issue.

As the Wisconsin Republican Party continues its lies about its voter suppression program, the Democratic Party is setting the record straight.

Just released is a fact sheet and timeline demonstrating the ever-changing stories of the duplicitous JB Van Hollen, McCain co-chair and Wisconsin Attorney General, and the GOP as they attempt to prevent as many people as possible from voting this November.

The fact-sheet is worth reproducing in its entirety. We need the record online.

MAL Contends

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Wednesday September 17, 2008 · 7:16 AM PDT

2008/09/17 · 07:16

The Wisconsin Attorney's General's attempt to frustrate and suppress an expected record voter turn-out is drawing the heat from a wide cross section of Wisconsin citizens.

It's not just the bloggers.

Opposition to vote suppression includes the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board (GAB), the Democratic Party and even the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The GOP knows the only way it will win Wisconsin is to frustrate the efforts of voters to: Vote.

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U.S. Troops Fear Hostile VA, Press as Reforms Are Attempted

Halt Grab of Veterans' Land

GIYUS Support Killing Palestinians

Andrew O'Hehir Is Lame in Salon

Obams Is a True Believer, Says Michael Goodwin

From Wisconsin: Mark Neumann

A Dead Marine

Obama Scaring GOP with Candor

Fond du Lac, (Wisc) Police: Neo-NAZI Cards Not "blatantly offensive racially," says report

Audio Shows WI AG Van Hollen Lied About Vote Lawsuit

Wisc GOP/DOJ Lies on Vote Suppression Revealed

WI Hitting Back at DOJ, GOP Voter Suppression