There are few things that get under my skin more than playing politics with Soldier's lives.  Dave Obey (D-WI) told ABC news that he has no problem with it.

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“The powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Committee has a stark message for President Obama about Afghanistan -- sending more troops would be a mistake that could "wipe out every initiative we have to rebuild our own economy." "There ain't going to be no money for nothing if we pour it all into Afghanistan," House Appropriations Chairman David Obey told ABC News in an exclusive interview. "If they ask for an increased troop commitment in Afghanistan, I am going to ask them to pay for it." Obey, a Democrat from Wisconsin, made it clear that he is absolutely opposed to sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and says if Obama decides to do that, he'll demand a new tax -- what he calls a "war surtax" -- to pay for it.

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  Obey’s strategy is the same as President Obama’s.  They are on a mission to drive down support by making the war as drawn-out and unattractive as possible.  It has been over 3 months since General McChrystal asked for additional troops, yet only now has Obama done anything to act on his request.  Many are now calling Obama the “Ditherer in Chief” for his indecisiveness.  And now Dave Obey has decided to jump on board the Democrat’s anti-war bandwagon and start driving down support for the war even further.  Obey, like many Democrats, is quick to play the Vietnam card in regards to Afghanistan.  Unfortunately Obey uses a very different American history to draw his conclusion (judging by his “ain't going to be no money for nothing” grammar it’s starting to look like he skipped a few grades in school).  

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Via Hotair:

Obey tells ABC that wars always end progressive agendas:Such a high war cost, he warns, will make it impossible to pay for any of Obama’s major domestic initiatives.  “That’s what happened with the Vietnam War, which wiped out [President Lyndon Johnson's social program] the Great Society,” Obey said. “That’s what happened with the Korean War, which wiped out Harry Truman’s Square Deal. That’s what happened with the end of the progressive movement before the ’20s when we went into World War I. In each case, the cost of those wars shut off our ability to pay for anything else.

”There is so much foolishness in this statement that’s almost impossible to unpack it all.  But I’ll try:

-  So far, Obey and his Democratic allies haven’t shown how they will pay for Obama’s domestic initiatives now, even without any further war funding.  Every single program they’ve proposed will add to the deficit, including Obey’s Porkulus bill.
-  The Great Society programs didn’t end with the Vietnam War.  We still have them around, especially Medicare, which has grown massively since LBJ.  We only curtailed LBJ’s welfare program in the mid-90s because of its stultifying effects and runaway costs, and we weren’t in a shooting war when we did it.  What program does Obey think got cut from LBJ’s agenda?
-  We went into World War I in 1917, and came out in 1919.  “Before the ’20s” sounds as though Obey thinks the war was in that decade, but even without that, the progressive agenda had plenty of time (and prosperity) in that decade to succeed if people wanted it.  It died of its own accord, not because of war.
-  And for that matter, did World War II end the New Deal?  We still have FDR’s stamp all over federal government.
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  Let’s be very clear about something: this is not about the money.  Obey has absolutely no problem spending other people’s money on his pet government projects, including steering a couple billion to his own son.  His $787 billion “stimulus” has been an epic failure that will burden generations to come with massive debt.  He had no problem with millions of dollars in pork in his Stimulus Bill.  In fact, as he put it in an interview with NPR (and has Sean Duffy for Congress has been hammering away on him) he simply said “So what?”    He only cares when it fits his politics. Obey’s actions have nothing to do with what is best for America and everything to do with his liberal ideology.

Soldiers are not political pawns Mr. Obey.  Your disregard for our Soldier’s lives and our national defense is absolutely disgusting and irreprehensible.  You are out of touch with needs of Wisconsin and our great nation as a whole. 

I don't like posting the same stuff as everyone else, but this is too good not to.  If there is one video you take time out of your day to watch, make it this one.



This pretty much echoes the same thing I've been asking all along. How do you save money by spending money? It reminds me of the typical college advice for getting rid of a hangover (start drinking again). Any bets CNN will fact-check this SNL skit too?

I meant to post this a few days ago, but didn't get around to it. Apparently the stimulus plan by President Obama and Congressman Dave Obey isn't quite as stimulating for Wisconsin as they let on.  From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

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 Don't count on stimulus job tally

A stimulus job report that says more than 10,000 jobs were saved or created in Wisconsin is rife with errors, double counting and inflated numbers based more on satisfying federal formulas than creating real jobs, a Journal Sentinel review has found.

In one case, five jobs were mistakenly listed as 50 - and then counted twice. In another, pay raises to workers were listed as saving more than 100 jobs. And in another, jobs were listed as saved even though the money had not been received and no work on the project had begun.

The problems mirror those surfacing around the country, as the federal numbers claiming 640,000 jobs created or saved by stimulus money are being scrutinized.

Among the Journal Sentinel's findings:

Double-counted jobs: About $7.3 million of federal money will flow to the Parkland Sanitary District in Douglas County to replace its sewer system, a project listed as creating or saving 100 jobs even though work won't start until this spring, federal recovery data shows.

But that number is inflated by 95 jobs, Parkland Sanitary District treasurer Eric Shaffer admitted.

When reporting to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's online reporting system, Schaffer meant to type "5" but mistakenly added a zero - and that 50-job figure appears twice in the federal data because it was a combined grant and loan. He tried to correct the error, but was told it was too late for the federal reporting deadline.

"We are volunteers, and we made a mistake," Shaffer said. "It was a simple typographical error, and we tried to fix it. Now that we understand the system, it will be much easier."

Meanwhile, three other Wisconsin towns reported jobs on combined federal loans and grants that were counted twice, doubling their totals from 35 to 70 jobs, records show.

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Make sure you read the whole thing. Ed Morrissey from Hotair chimes in:

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You have to love the example of the Parkland Sanitary District data being part of the White House claims.  They took credit for 100 jobs that don’t even exist, at least 95 of which they overstated when the jobs really do begin.  They took a 1900% markup on five phantom jobs — for a sewage project.  If anyone doubted that the White House numbers were crap, this should utterly convince them.

More phantom jobs exist in Wisconsin’s data, all of it from contracts given directly from the federal government.  One contractor claimed to have saved 24 jobs without receiving any money at all for that project, which may be the most efficient use of government funds in US history.  Five low-income housing projects reported saving 38 jobs through renter’s assistance, even though it saved — at best — five jobs.  It turns out that the money came from a HUD grant that had nothing to do with job creation.

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Its a great demonstration of what a giant scam the entire "saved and created" jobs count is.  It's not possible to actually tally how many jobs have been "saved and created" since there is no indicator on the economy to gauge such results. Which is the whole reason why spending cheerleaders like Dave Obey are quick to tout it because they know its nearly impossible to prove otherwise.

It's important not to forget that as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Dave Obey is one of the main individuals responsible for the $787 billion epic disaster:

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Defense and No Apologies From Author of Fiscal Bill

WASHINGTON — When House Republicans look at the $825 billion economic package headed toward a vote this week, they do not see President Obama. To them, the bill personifies Representative David R. Obey, the prickly Wisconsin Democrat who is chairman of the Appropriations Committee and has spent 40 years in Congress as a champion of federal spending.

Included in the package is $30 billion to subsidize health insurance for those who lose their jobs, $20 billion to accelerate new health care information technology, $1 billion to renovate community health centers, $600 million to train health care workers, $15 billion to increase college Pell Grants and $4 billion to help communities buy and improve distressed properties.

Indeed, it was Mr. Obey, the third-most-senior member of the House, who, in large measure, shaped the bill, in concert with other House Democratic leaders. And though Mr. Obama has embraced the bill, not a single House Republican has lent it support. The president himself is scheduled to visit Capitol Hill on Tuesday to try to address Republican concerns that Mr. Obey and others are using the legislation to push vast amounts of money into health care and other favored initiatives.

“It is pretty obvious we are funding the chairman’s priorities,” said Representative Jerry Lewis of California, the senior Republican on the appropriations panel. Mr. Lewis described Mr. Obey as driven by a “pent-up desire to spend money in existing programs.”

But the plan is expected to pass with or without Republican support, and Mr. Obey makes no apologies for its contents. An essential part of responding to any economic crisis, he said, is looking out for those on the receiving end of the turmoil.

“You have to take into account the fact that there are certain people in this society getting crushed by this economy,” said Mr. Obey, whose work on the package left him worn down and struggling to regain his voice. “They lose their jobs, they lose their health insurance, they lose their ability to keep their kids in college.

“If you didn’t have two million additional people out of work, you wouldn’t have to be looking for ways to help them. What the hell do you do if the economy goes to hell and two or three or four million more people are out of work?”

Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, the senior Republican on the Budget Committee, sees it differently. “This is 1936 economics,” Mr. Ryan said. “But it reflects David’s ideology and his economic doctrine. They took everything in their file cabinet that has been piling up for 100 years, threw it in this bill and called it economic stimulus.”

Mr. Obey, 70, the product of a Catholic blue-collar upbringing in Wausau, said that if he had sole ownership, he would have turned out a costlier measure with more health spending.

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Just to put things in perspective, if the $787 billion was divvied up amongst the residents of Wisconsin, each man, woman, and child would receive $139,837.35. That buys a lot of beer and cheese.  Yes, our beloved Congressman Obey is to blame for saddling the entire nation and generations to come with massive high-interest debt that will do absolutely nothing to stimulate the economy.  And no, he doesn't feel the least bit sorry about it.  And why should he?  He managed to funnel $2.25 billion in funds to the National Park Service to reward his own son.  

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OBEY'S PORK

 A top House Republican is demanding an investigation into whether the more than $2 billion for national parks in the House stimulus package is proper in light of the fact that the chief lobbyist for the National Parks Conservation Association is the son of House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey.

NPCA is a major player in advocating for national parks funding, and its senior vice president for government affairs is Craig Obey, son of the Wisconsin Democrat who has long been his party's top Appropriations Committee member.

The money included in the stimulus bill that passed Mr. Obey's committee - $2.25 billion - was about equal to the National Park Service's total yearly budget, and would be a staggering increase and almost three times the $802 million that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved for park spending in its stimulus bill.

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Sounds like it's time to send Dave Obey packing, and I'm not talking about a trip to Green Bay.  Wisconsin needs a better representatitive. 

Medicaid is a means-tested welfare program created in 1965 to provide health care for low income families. Despite the fact that it is one of the most poorly performing of all the federal welfare programs it has become the cornerstone of how health insurance is expanded under Obamacare. The Health care “reform” bills advancing in the House and Senate would expand Medicaid by making this government-run health plan available to all adults with incomes at or below 150% of the poverty line. The change would dramatically multiply eligible recipients, with 46 states seeing increases of at least 20%, including 16 posting jumps of 50% or more. Almost 21% of the entire U.S. population would be eligible for Medicaid and seven states and the District of Columbia would have eligibility rates of at least 25%.

 

Here is a video of me giving PTSD to my occupational therapist at Walter Reed. Rachael Nichols of ESPN is there to witness the trauma I am inflicting. (For reference to this post see here.)

Hey kids, want to play the most realistic war game ever?


Ultra-Realistic Modern Warfare Game Features Awaiting Orders, Repairing Trucks This is by far the most realistic war game I have ever seen. Despite the fact I was trained as an Infantry Soldier, I spent as much time fixing our broken humvees as I did going on patrol. Favorite quote: “The game comes with a 17 pound M-249 SAW that you must carry around with you everywhere you go, but never get to fire.” Sounds pretty damn realistic to me. Hat tip to Hotair.

>
I have been terribly behind in mentioning this. Soldiers Angels is in full swing for their Project Valour IT fundraiser.  For those who are not familiar, Project Valour-IT is a wonderful program where wounded Soldiers with limb impediments are given laptops with voice recognition software that enables them to "type."  From their website:

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. As of October 2009, Valour-IT has distributed over 4100 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country, and is now expanding its mission to include other technology that supports physical and psychological recovery.

I was given a laptop when I was a patient on Ward 57 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in January of 2007.  I use my voice recognition software all the time, otherwise it would take bloody forever to type.  Anyway, every year they get a friendly competition going between the branches to see who can raise more money.  So far the Marines are ahead of the pack with the Army coming in second.  Please give any amount you can.  Every little bit helps, no matter how large or small.  And yes, your donation is tax deductible. Click on the graphic to make a donation.

ESPN is supposed to be doing another followup story on me to piggyback on this one.  The story will air sometime on November 10th, possibly at 6PM (eastern?) on the program E60.  It will be an update on this last summer, where-despite my injuries from Iraq-I won my 7th Log Rolling World Champonship.  I'll warn you though, they did not do a new interview. They decided to reuse the footage from the event where I was interviewed by a local Fox affiliate.  I gave a crappy interview, so be forewarned if I come off sounding like a putz.

Scroll down for an update to this post.

I’m more than a little angry right now.  Yes, I’m irate that some sh-tbag Major (“sh-tbag” is often used as a technical term in the Army) opened fire on a group of his fellow Soldiers killing 12 and wounding 30. But that’s not even what is under my skin right now. What is bothering me is the general reaction of our media and those stupid enough to think this was not an act of terrorism, but was caused by supposed PTSD caused at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

You want to know what PTSD is like? I'll tell you.  You have nightmares that go on for weeks.  Mine would always be the same.  Wherever the window was in the room in which I was sleeping I would see a bright white flash. I would wake up screaming to my wife “Get up! Get the f-ck up! An IED just went off!”  Sometimes I would just wake up screaming in agony as I relived the moment where my right arm was ripped from my body by an Iranian shape charge.  (I may not know what childbirth feels like, but I know what it's like to go an hour with my arm ripped off without painkillers (I'm allergic to morphine).)  PTSD makes you paranoid as hell.  “Why is that person staring at me?  Are they a threat? Where is the nearest exit? Why are these people so close to me?  Why is no one pulling security? What was that noise? Where is the nearest cover?  I need to get out of here.”  You lie wide awake in bed at night wondering if it's safe to go to sleep or if you should get up and start pulling security. When I got home from Walter Reed and started college (a week later, stupid idea) I would often stay up for days at a time without sleeping. Eventually my body would completely shut down from exhaustion and I would sleep for 12 hours or more only to complete the cycle all over again. (I still cannot believe I got all As and Bs.)  Since I was injured in a humvee I am especially susceptible on the road to the effects of my PTSD.  I still get nervous and hold my breath every time I drive by a piece of trash or tire debris on the shoulder or median.  I avoid guardrails and broken down cars on the side of the road.  On a couple different occasions I yelled out “tire!” to warn my wife (who was driving) of a potential IED in the road. There was nothing there (no tire, no nothing).  One late night while driving home completely exhausted on our small two lane country roads at slow speed I locked up all four tires on my car to keep from hitting a cardboard box in the middle of the road.  At that moment I would have bet the contents of my bank account it was an IED.  That's what PTSD is like.  At no point in time have I ever felt the desire or need to grab a weapon and go shoot someone or something up.  At no point in time have I ever grabbed a weapon and broken a law because I felt the need to protect myself.  PTSD urges you mitigate the risk of events that happened in your life.  But if you've never had anything traumatic happen in your life, you can't have PTSD. 

If you can get PTSD from treating soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center then why the hell haven't more people snapped?  Why haven't all the therapists in physical therapy and occupational therapy, and all the staff on Ward 57 ran around shooting up the place?  They have seen far more wounded Soldiers than this POS ever did. My occupational and physical therapists, like many of the civilian personnel at Walter Reed, have been there since the beginning of OEF.  They have taken care of countless (probably hundreds) Soldiers with a variety of different injuries.  Missing arms (like me). Missing legs. Missing both. Missing parts of the face.  Severe burns. Whole chunks of the skull missing. Missing jaws. Ears. Eyes. Severe PTSD.  Severe TBI (traumatic brain injury) to the point that Soldiers would forget where they were going while walking the 50 feet from physical therapy to occupational therapy (they would be found wandering the halls unsure where they were supposed to be going.  I had a buddy who used to do that walking the 20 feet to prosthetics. My TBI is bad, but not that bad).  

So why haven't they gone crazy?  Because you don't get PTSD from sitting on your ass around Walter Reed.  Not only is it not possible to “catch” secondhand PTSD, but it is not that kind of a place.  I would know, I was a patient there for nine months.  The place is simply not that stressful or chaotic.  When I was there my PTSD got better, not worse.  And I would be willing to bet my dog tags that I saw far more wounded Soldiers than sh-t bag Major did during our overlapping time there in 2007.  I regularly visited Ward 57 to give advice to the new wounded. Other Soldiers and amputees did it for me when I was there so I considered my visits “paying it forward”. I had daily physical and occupational therapy with other Soldiers.  I regularly partook in activities in and out of Walter Reed with present and past wounded Soldiers.  To say that this guy got PTSD from being stationed at Walter Reed is an absolute farce.  The people who are making this sh-t up have never set foot on Walter Reed, let alone met a soldier with PTSD.

  In order to actually have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, you have to go through some sort of traumatic event(s) to have “post stress.” Can therapists be emotionally troubled by the things they hear from patients? Yes.  But you cannot catch PTSD from someone.  It's not the f-cking swine flu.

 I cannot tell you how angry I am right now as a former patient of Walter Reed.  It is an absolute slap in the face for people to use his time there as an excuse for what he has done.  It is an absolute slap in the face for all the wonderful people there who help soldiers every single day.  Some of the most kind, caring, and noble people I have ever met in my entire life work at Walter Reed Army Medical Center day in and day out helping wounded Soldiers like me.

 To fallaciously say this guy has PTSD from his time at Walter Reed as an excuse for opening fire on a group of innocent Soldiers is beyond reckless.  It's an absolute slap in the face for every caregiver and every wounded warrior who ever set foot on Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

Update- Nov. 9

First, I would like to thank everyone who has been reading my thoughts and passing them around the web.  When I decided to write this it was not my intention to create something that would go viral.  I was simply blowing off steam and debunking yet another ridiculous claim by our fact-less media.  Second, I feel it is necessary to address my rather colorful language in this post.  A day or so after I wrote this, I went back and reread it and thought “wow… I sure did swear a lot!” As regular readers (all three of them) can attest, I almost never include such expletives in my writing.  So how did they come to be?  It has to do with the way I “type.”  The IED that almost killed me left me with four remaining fingers, only three of which somewhat work (my pinky is just “along for the ride”).  So when I type something long like this blog post, I use my voice recognition software. So I'm not actually “typing,” I'm talking.  When I'm very angry and I talk I tend to throw around an expletive here and there, like any good combat Soldier should to prove his worth with the English language.  Unfortunately, such language tends to turn off much of the general public, and tends to retract from the overall statement being made.  So I decided to clean up the language to a more PG-13 rating so that it will possibly get bit more exposure.  Please realize I am not doing this so that I can get more attention, but rather to protect the good name of my fellow Soldiers and all the hard-working folks at Walter Reed Army Medical Center by debunking some of the BS being perpetuated by our media.  (If you're the kind of guy (or gal) who likes a bit of vulgarity in what you read, you can still view the unedited version right here. Proceed at your own risk.)