Iraq war

Most Americans have never heard of Section 60, let alone visited it.

I want to re-emphasize something I wrote before: my enthusiastic endorsement of Diane Benson for Congress in the August 26th primary and on to the general election. This is a repeat of a diary I wrote back in March. My support for Diane Benson has only grown since then.

I met Diane Benson, Congressional Candidate in Alaska, about a month ago and was very impressed. But I only got to hear her speak as a candidate tonight. Again I was impressed. Diane is a genuine American who has worked hard all her life to get an education and to better the life of her son. Often she and her son have worked hard for our country and for their community. She has the confidence of someone who worked their way through school driving trucks while raising her son. She has the confidence of a woman who worked in the male dominated workers camp on the Alaskan pipeline. She has the confidence of someone who has had to work for everything, being given nothing easily. The contrast with the spoiled brat who inhabits the White House is about as striking as you can get.

As has been widely noted, this past week marked the fifth anniversary of the Bush administration's unethical, immoral, and unwinnable war in Iraq. As the war enters its sixth bloody year, no end appears in sight. The fragile, fractious political situation in Iraq is no better now than it ever was. The public infrastructure is still shattered, with such basic necessities as electricity and potable water still widely unavailable in many regions of the country for more than a few hours a day. The so-called surge is stalled and its tenuous successes are failing to take hold. Everyday violence is still omnipresent, and the 3,000-year-old civilization of Iraq is still in shattered ruins. By any measure, George Bush's ill-advised Iraq adventure is an unqualified disaster.

Numerous comparisons have been made between the untenable situation in Iraq today and the equally untenable situation in Vietnam back in the 1960's. Not all of those comparisons are apt or accurate, but many of them are. America in the spring of 1968 was a very different place than it is in the spring of 2008, even though it's fundamentally unchanged in many ways today. Racial and political tensions were far higher then than they are today, with riots in the streets still in the news and bombings of banks and other public institutions still far too common for comfort. The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were raw wounds in the shared psyche of America in 1968. And overseas, an endless war against amorphous insurgents continued to drain the hearts and minds and blood and treasure of our nation's best and brightest for the sake of a cause that no one could satisfactorily explain at home.

Hey Iraq,

What's up? It's me, America. I'm sorry I didn't really plan anything for our five-year anniversary Wednesday. You know I was never good with dates, or making plans, or remembering anything, especially when it comes to your needs. I mean I could barely keep your family members straight, you know like your Shia/ Sunni thing? That was really confusing!  Wow, five years is a long time. You know, when I brought you democracy five years ago, I was really into you. In fact, I had had my eye on you for a long time. I was just waiting for some excuse to pursue you. So when that whole 9/11 thing happened, it seemed like the perfect ice-breaker. And I made a move.

But I think I was maybe into you for the wrong reasons. I've been doing a lot of processing lately. Remember how I used to tell you how badly I wanted to "invade you" and "liberate you" from that abusive dictator? Well I did. And after I freed you from Saddam, I ravished you; I ravished your oil fields, and I privatized your industries and and I drilled you long and hard until you didn't have any oil left to give me... and it was great.

As oil and wheat prices skyrocket, banks quite literally teeter on the brink of collapse, our soldiers keep dying, and the US deficit keeps on climbing, we may sometimes forget the monumental blunder that got us into this mess: the invasion of Iraq.

This is the number one drain on our economy, the number one reason for high prices and the number one reason the international alliance that supported American after 9/11 now barely speaks to us.

The Iraq Blunder is one of the biggest blunders ever in American History...and yet the George Bush/John McCain/Joe Lieberman axis of blunders STILL thinks we should be occupying Iraq for eternity.

But the one, single question that no Republican has ever been able to answer is just why did we ever invade in the first place. Why did we invade, what are our goals, what is our exit strategy? No answer from Bush. No answer from McCain. No answer from Lieberman.

No answer because there IS no answer. Every single excuse they ever gave us for invading Iraq proved to be a lie. I was one of those who, at the time they were making their case to the world for invasion, was dead certain they were lying. My knowledge of history and politics, everything I knew about the Middle East and Islam told me their excuses were lies. Those of us who saw through their lies were proven right. This morning I was reminded of this, on the eve of the 5th year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq Blunder, that I was right.

I have recently covered Republican corruption in Alaska, focusing first on the VECO scandal that seems to involve a big chunk of the Republican Party in Alaska, then on Don Young, the corrupt Republican Congressman from Alaska. Don Young may be one of the most endangered Republicans in Congress today, dogged by the FBI, a Republican Primary...and Diane Benson: (video and much of the below info compiled from her website)

Diane Benson is very strong on important and progressive issues such as ending the Iraq War, veteran's benefits, developing and conserving the environment and extending quality health care and insurance to all. She is also a staunch supporter of the SCHIP program and of legislation to control the pharmaceutical industry. She would be a kick ass addition to the Democratic Congress and does not represent business as usual.

I have volunteered to be on the Host Committee for a fundraiser for one of the most amazing women I have ever met: Diane Benson running for Congress in Alaska. And she has been outraising her Republican opponent! Yes, folks, we have a real shot at getting rid of yet another corrupt Bush/Abramoff Republican and replacing him with a true working class American patriot.

Join me on March 18th for a fundraiser to benefit Alaska Congressional candidate Diane Benson. The event will be held at the home of Barbara and Morris Pearl, 1020 Park Avenue (corner of 85th Street) from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM.

Our special guest speakers for the evening will be our local Congresswoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and Jon Soltz, Co-Founder and Chairman of VoteVets.Org and a veteran of the Iraq War.

Diane Benson is a true American from a working class background, a former teamster and commercial fisherman, whose son lost both his legs serving in Iraq.

Diane Benson is very strong on important and progressive issues such as ending the Iraq War, veteran's benefits, developing and conserving the environment and extending quality health care and insurance to all. She is also a staunch supporter of the SCHIP program and of legislation to control the pharmaceutical industry.

Today are two important special elections for Congress: VA-1 and OH-5. Both used to be safe republican districts, but the Iraq Quagmire and Bush's staggering unpopularity have turned them into hotly contested districts. The Republican Party is so spooked over these that they are actually going deep into debt to try and win them. They are pouring money they don't have into these distircts, yet going into election day both seats are still up in the air.

VIRGINIA's 5th Congressional District:

Philip Forgit is aIraq War Vet and a Bronze Star recipient . He served with a Naval Special Warfare Unit as an advisor to the Iraqi Army in 2005-2006. Prior to being called up Forgit was a 4th grade teacher at Rawls Byrd Elementary, winning the 2005 National Education Association (NEA) Award for Teaching Excellence. Bronze Star AND NEA award for Teaching Excellence. Seems like an excellent candidate.

Phil Forgit has been endorsed by Teamsters Local 95, Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, Captain Ted Hontz USN (Ret) Former Commanding Officer, Aegis Training Center, Chap Petersen, State Senator-Elect, 34th District (and someone I have pushed for before!), Sheriff Gerald S. Holt, and many others.

Forgit has a shot at winning, albeit a long shot. What he needs is a high voter turn out. So, if you live in that district VOTE. And if you want to help (from within or outside the district) please contact Forgit's campaign NOW.