And so it continues

4000 Americans have died in Iraq. As well as nearly 90,000 Iraqis.

Better than I could've said it- drunken sailor edition

This is from Eugene Robinson's Friday column in the Washington Post, which my paper got around to printing today:

To say that George W. Bush spends money like a drunken sailor is to insult every gin-soaked patron of every dockside dive in every dubious port of call. If Bush gets his way, the cost of his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will soon reach a mind-blowing $600 billion. Despite turning a budget surplus into a huge deficit, the man still hasn't met a tax cut he doesn't like. And when the Republicans were in charge of Congress, Bush might as well have signed their pork-stuffed spending bills with a one-word rubber stamp: "Whatever."

So for Bush to get religion on fiscal responsibility at this late date is, well, a joke. And for him to make his stand on a measure that would have provided health insurance to needy children is a punch line that hasn't left many Republicans laughing.

Hasn't left many voters laughing either. Certainly not any parents or children.

Bush's veto Wednesday of a bipartisan bill reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program was infuriatingly bad policy. An estimated 9 million children in this country are not covered by health insurance -- a circumstance that should shock the consciences of every American. Democrats and Republicans worked together to craft an expansion of an existing state-run program that would have provided coverage for about 4 million children who currently don't have it.

It was one of those art-of-the-possible compromises designed to advance the ball toward what has become a national goal. Health care is arguably the biggest domestic issue in the presidential contest and, while the candidates and the country may be all over the map in terms of comprehensive solutions, there's a pretty broad consensus that some way has to be found to ensure that children, at least, are covered.

Make that an extremely broad consensus: According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week, 72 percent of Americans supported the bill Bush vetoed.

72%. Wow.

Head stuck firmly where no information or sunlight will reach it- that's Teflon W! (Along with Rep. Jim Saxton, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Rep. Scott Garrett- Our Fair State's own who voted against the bill.)

Out of touch Jim Saxton- again

Today's Times of Trenton had a nice juxtaposition on pg. A7. At the top of the page is an article about Jim Saxton voting against children's health insurance and the Democrats targeting him to change his vote: ( I can't find the article on NJ.com, but since it's an AP piece, here it is at the Home News Tribune.)

Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd Dist., cast one of 159 nay votes in the House on the bipartisan bill subsidizing health care for children and families. Though the measure passed with 265 votes, it's still 15 votes shy to override a presidential veto.
President Bush vetoed the bill Wednesday. A veto-override vote has not been scheduled.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee began running radio ads Monday targeting Saxton and seven others they view as vulnerable in the next election, hoping to spark voter ire and, ultimately, change their votes, said committee spokeswoman Carrie James.
...
"The Democrats are clearly using children and children's health care as a political tool as they gear up toward an election," (Saxton spokesperson Jeff) Hollendonner said. "It has been well-known for months President Bush would not accept something with such high spending."

Well, Bush wouldn't accept something that helps American children with such high spending; he's willing to shovel money at Iraq, though.

Oh, sorry, went off subject there. Anyway, back to my morning paper: at the bottom of pg. A7 is a Newhouse article about a survey done by the Rutgers Center for State Heatlth Policy: (here, from the Star Ledger:)

Concern about the availability of health insurance runs so deep that a majority of New Jerseyans would support a tax increase to guarantee benefits, a new survey revealed yesterday. Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), who is preparing legislation to provide universal health care coverage in the state, said he was greatly encouraged by the poll.
...
While it isn't clear Vitale's legislation will require tax increases, the Rutgers survey showed 57.1 percent would support some tax increase to ensure that everyone has health insurance they can't lose. It found 47.9 percent said they would accept an increase larger than $500 annually to fix the nagging social problem.

So, Rep. Jim Saxton, and Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Rep. Scott Garrett, your constituents here in Our Fair State are so concerned about health insurance they'd be willing to accept a tax increase to pay for it. Did'ja see that? Do you care about what Our Fair State's residents actually want before you vote, or are you just willing to fall into Bush Lockstep?

Cross-posted at Bluejersey

Six years ago today

It was a clear, sunny, beautiful day. I was taking my oldest to the second day of preschool when I heard the news of a plane hitting the first tower on the radio. I went home and turned on the TV, just in time to see the second plane hit.

I remember having to explain to my three-year-old, walking that fine line between truth and too much information. When she asked if we were going to be ok, her father and I reasured her over and over that we would be fine- the whole time having no idea if we would be fine, or if the country would ever be "ok" again.

That whole, awful day, I wondered what the survivors told the three-year-old kids of the victims. They would never be fine again.

Every time George Bush whips out his 9/11 card for partisan political gain, I think of three thousand people who he dishonors... and their now nine-year-old kids.

Mercer County Supports Our Troops

I forgot to post this last week, sorry! The donation drive continues through Memorial Day:

"The small comforts of home have become luxury items for our military personnel serving overseas," said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, who announced the supply drive on Friday (5/11). The project is part of Operation Open Arms, which is run by the non-profit American Recreational Military Services.
...
The county government will accept supplies at several locations, including the Mercer County McDade Administration Building, 640 South Broad St., Trenton; the Mercer County Connection office, 953 Route 33, Hamilton; the county clerk's office, Mercer County Criminal Courthouse, 175 South Broad St., Trenton; and all 10 branches of the Mercer County Library System.
The items needed most include: insect repellent and wipes; lip balm; small packs of cotton swabs; razors; eye drops; powdered drink mixes; white or green socks; protein bars; mouthwash; granola and cereal bars; sugar-free items; hard candies, chewing gum and mints; batteries; tissues; baby powder; shaving cream; toilet paper; deodorant; feminine products; cookies; microwave popcorn; coffee and tea packets; over-the-counter medications; small cereal boxes; snack foods; and nuts.
The drive will end on Memorial Day, May 28. For more information, call Sharyse Porter at (609) 278-7193.

ARMS has other drop-off sites throughout Central NJ, if these aren't local to you.

We should end this war now. But since we can't, at least we can support our men and women fighting it. Please help out if you can.

More NJ soldiers killed in Iraq

Army Sgt. Sameer A.M. Rateb, 22, of Brigantine

Staff Sgt. Vincenzo Romeo, 23, from Lodi

Why I like Chistopher Titus

(If you're not impressed, hold on for the last 30 seconds- it's the best part.)

Dissecting comedy is never the best way to keep laughing, but I can't help but notice how he keeps both his red state and blue state fans in on the joke. Well done.

I saw this while flipping channels the other night, but hat tip to Professor Kim for reminding me of it.

Thank you, Senator Menendez

I've been away from the computer for several days, so I'm late in printing this (sorry if you've already seen it.) But today, Senator Bob Menendez is my hero:

"The president this morning made a feeble attempt to lecture the Congress on our 'responsibilities' regarding the war in Iraq," Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said in a written statement. "With all due respect, Mr. President, you had a responsibility to use sound intelligence in formulating foreign policy. You had a responsibility to provide our deploying troops the equipment, body armor and support they needed."
"Instead of declaring 'mission accomplished' on a flight deck," Menendez said, "you had the responsibility of foreseeing a subsequent insurgency and civil war that find us escalating the war after four years in Iraq."

Teflon W's never been one for taking responsibility, has he?

Extended duty

New Jersey National Guard members face extended tours in Iraq:

The Pentagon yesterday also announced policy changes that would allow for National Guard and Reserve troops to be involuntarily recalled to the combat zone more readily and add three divisions to the active-duty Army and one to the Marine Corps over the next five years.
New Jersey officials said the expected homecoming for a reconnaissance unit and a combat support unit will be pushed back from March until at least July. The units, the 2nd Battalion of the 102nd RSTA and the 250th Brigade Support Battalion, drill from armories in West Orange, Vineland and Bordentown.
(Gov.) Corzine, a Democrat who voted against the war as a member of the U.S. Senate, visited the soldiers at their base in Balad, just north of Baghdad, in November.
"People were ready to come home. They are stressed out," he said.

Corzine said last night about this that he's "mad as hell" about the extention for 159 of New Jersey's Army National Guard. He's not alone:

Army National Guard Spc. Tony Musgrave, will be staying in Iraq until at least the end of the summer -- one of 21,500 more troops President Bush is calling into the increasingly violent, shattered country.
...
"I'm not too happy," Dawn Musgrave said from her Hamilton home. "I think someone else needs to take over. I don't think Bush knows what he's doing at this point."
Musgrave said servicemen like her husband haven't even been told that they will be staying -- the official who called her yesterday said soldiers in Iraq won't get the news until the week's end.

Good luck to the Musgraves, and to all our folks in uniform.

Gov. Corzine came to the funeral

Gov. Corzine came to the funeral today of Army Pfc. Eric R. Wilkus, a Hamilton firefighter who died on Christmas Day of injuries sustained in Iraq.

Though there's nothing Corzine could say to make the family's pain go away, he expressed his gravest sympathies and told them he is ready to do whatever he can -- anything that may help.
"He was so young, and it breaks my heart," he said as he left the Kingston & Kemp Funeral Home. "I try to attend as many of these services as I can. They've all made such a commitment to their towns and their country."

George Bush has not come to the funerals. 3000+ American soldiers have died in this conflict.

Better than I could've said it- blind followers edition

Fixer at Alternate Brain is sick of armchair generals and sheep.

Hamilton soldier lost in Iraq

Eric R. Wilkus, military police and Hamilton Twp. fire fighter, died on 12/25/06. He was 20 years old.

"But if you could really get to know Eric, you'd see that he was loud, boisterous and made his point clear," said Ryan Kingston, a friend and fellow firefighter. "He was dependable and so easy to get along with."
The memories, tinged by tears, flooded Wilkus' friends yesterday as they absorbed the news that his name was on the latest casualty lists from the war in Iraq. Wilkus, 20, died Christmas Day in Landstuhl, Germany, from a noncombat-related injury he sustained three days earlier in Baghdad.
Wilkus was a private first class with the Army's 57th Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, and had been stationed in Korea until he was deployed to Iraq in June.
Military officials yesterday would not release further information about the cause of Wilkus' death, saying the incident is being investigated. According to the Department of Defense, he is one of nearly 3,000 Americans who have died supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the 66th soldier with ties to New Jersey to lose his life in the conflict.

How much more of this must go on?