Friday May 23rd, I appeared in a television advertisement on behalf of Vets for Freedom PAC, an organization committed to winning the war on terror. On Sunday, Senator Dick Durbin responded to the advertisement on CBS News by attacking both the organization and me with outright falsehoods that I believe need to be corrected.

While in Iraq, I lost my right arm and received multiple shrapnel wounds to my head and face. Since returning home, I have been steadily recovering while learning to use my new prosthetic arm. Unfortunately, I was having difficulty securing my benefits through the VA. So I turned to my state politicians, including Senator Barack Obama for assistance. But Senator Obama did not respond to my letters or offer his assistance until after my claim had been successfully resolved…and Senator Durbin should know this, because it was through his own staff that I was finally able to receive my benefits.

I have always been very vocal about Senator Durbin’s efforts made on my behalf and the fact that he and his office worked very diligently to ensure that the VA treated me fairly in reviewing my claim for disability benefits. Senator Durbin was correct that there was a second Illinois politician who worked very hard to see that I received a favorable outcome; however, that politician was State Representative Tim Johnson. I am very disappointed that Senator Durbin provided credit to Senator Obama, stating that they both worked very hard on my claim, when in fact, Senator Obama was never involved in resolving my claim with the VA. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, the House voted to restore public access to the names of graduates and instructors at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly known as the School of the Americas, as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Bill. This is a good amendment for a couple of reasons.

First, it restores the status quo in existence up to 2006, when Congress voted to classify the names of the institute’s graduates and instructors for the first time in history. Up until then, those names were available to civil-society organizations, either through the school itself or through the Freedom of Information Act.

Second, the amendment restores the principle of transparency that needs to be at the center of U.S. security cooperation with Latin America. WHINSEC, based in Columbus, Ga., has been widely criticized for its past history of training Latin American officers who were later implicated in serious human rights abuses in their home countries. This is a shameful history for which the United States, through its military training programs, shares responsibility. The institute maintains that it has long since added human rights and respect for the rule of law to its curriculum. But by keeping the names of its personnel and students secret, Congress undermined WHINSEC’s claims to transparency and accountability and added a cloak of secrecy.

WOLA has long felt that the U.S. government can play an important role in cooperating with Latin American governments to develop professional, rights-respecting security forces. This bill goes in that direction. We congratulate Congressmen McGovern (D-MA), Sestak (D-PA) and Bishop (D-GA) and Chairman Skelton for making it happen.

Roger Atwood is communications director for the Washington Office on Latin America.

Sen. John McCain showed political courage and personal principle when as a presidential candidate eight years ago he denounced Pat Robertson and Rev. Jerry Falwell as “agents of intolerance.” But the senator seemed to have a revelation on the road to the White House this year when he courted the political blessing of Texas televangelist John Hagee, who has called the Catholic Church “the Great Whore” and a “false cult system.” Rev. Hagee’s extremist views have also offended Jews, women and most Americans who recognize that religion’s vital role in our democracy is betrayed by bigotry and ignorance.

Despite months of heavy pressure from Catholic groups to reject Rev. Hagee, Sen. McCain dithered and danced until last week when more of the pastor’s bizarre theological musings came to light. After learning that the pastor had once preached that God allowed the rise of Adolf Hitler because it helped return Israel to the Jewish people, Sen. McCain finally did the right thing and rejected the endorsement. He also rejected the support of Rod Parsley, an Ohio pastor whose anti-Muslim sermons are deeply offensive. Read the rest of this entry »

A growing corporate scam is quietly eroding the foundation of America’s middle-class.

Corporations are embracing a sly technique called “misclassification.” They shift the costs of doing business onto their employees – and the taxpayers – by improperly classifying them as “independent contractors.”

The employers think it’s great. They tell employees when, where and how to work, what tools to use and where to buy supplies. And in the process they evade nearly all overhead costs like tax withholding, federally mandated leave and employee discrimination liabilities. Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier today, I joined Representative Mike Castle (R-DE) in requesting investigations by the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Education’s Inspector General into whether federal education funds are being misused.  With a number of recent instances of waste, fraud, or abuse alleged at the state and local level, it’s important that we examine just how effective our financial controls are.  We have a duty to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars, and we owe it to students, teachers, and schools to ensure that funds intended for them are actually being used for their benefit.  I look forward to hearing back from investigators and learning more about whether the safeguards we have in place are working, and what else can be done to ensure federal education programs are protected.

As local organizations start mobilizing their troops to the front lines of marriage in California, the Family Research Council is launching a national effort to educate the public to the damage this ruling may do to democracy, the family, and religious freedom. Together with a broad coalition of pro-family allies, FRC has planned a strategic series of panel discussions on the implications of the California Supreme Court decision for the nation.

Tomorrow, we’ll kick off the event at the National Press Club with legal and policy experts such as Glen Lavy of the Alliance Defense Fund, Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel, FRC’s own Ken Blackwell, and more. More people must recognize that this epidemic of judicial activism has sweeping consequences for children, businesses, the legal system, and every other facet of society. If you live or work in the nation’s capital, we encourage you to join us at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at 529 14th Street, NW for “California Same-Sex Marriage: Answering the Assault on Family and Society.” To RSVP, call 1-800-225-4008 or visit our website at www.frc.org. If you cannot attend, please log onto our site Thursday afternoon for video of the panel discussion.

Dear Chair Herman and Chair Roosevelt:

I have read a summary of Jon Ausman’s appeals to be heard by your committee on May 31, 2008. Although I agree with most of Mr. Ausman’s statements, I must respectfully disagree with a few of Mr. Ausman’s comments. I also believe that you have not been given accurate information as to what occurred in Florida. I am asking you to review this letter, and distribute this letter prior to the May 31, 2008 committee meeting to your other committee members.

I have known and have been friends with Mr. Ausman for over twenty-five (25) years. I know him to be a good Democrat, with an excellent knowledge of the rules. I must point out, however, that Mr. Ausman is clearly not speaking on behalf of the elected Democratic legislative leadership. Please note that I am Senate Minority Leader of the Florida Senate and the duly elected Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Where I would disagree with Mr. Ausman is his statement where he appears to acknowledge that the elected Democratic legislative leadership and Party leadership did not do everything which we could to prevent non-compliance with the DNC Delegate Selection Rules. Despite any inaccurate information which you may have received, we did, in fact, do everything which we could to attempt to comply with the DNC Rules. That is one of the reasons that there is such great anger in Florida about the sanctions which have been taken against us. Read the rest of this entry »

Last Friday, Vets for Freedom PAC launched its first internet advertisement, which asks Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) why he is willing to meet, unconditionally, with foreign dictators, but has yet to meet with General David Petraeus and hasn’t visited Iraq in over 2 years. The ad features retired Iraq war veteran Sergeant Garrett Anderson and can be viewed here. Sergeant Anderson served in Iraq with the Illinois Army National Guard, and was severely wounded when his patrol was hit by an IED. The facts are the facts, and the ad speaks for itself.

Predictably, the ad sparked fierce opposition that reported incorrect information, accusing Vets for Freedom PAC of being a ‘right-wing 527 attack organization’. Vets for Freedom is not a 527, nor a right wing attack organization. Our 24,000 members and 50 state chapters comprise a cross-section of America’s veterans—Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, and liberals—all of which are interested in one thing: victory in Iraq, Afghanistan, and overall the War on Terrorism. Read the rest of this entry »

The high cost of gas is the number one issue that I am hearing about right now. Just today, the price per gallon in my District is teetering under $4.00 and we are all feeling the pinch. For those who were already struggling financially, the increase in gas prices is causing them to make tough choices about basic necessities for their families. It is hard to keep a job, if you can’t afford to drive to work.

In the short term, I expect many of my constituents to seek out other ways to get around. However, most of the communities in my District are small and lack public transportation, so the alternatives for many are simply not available.

For truck drivers, trucking companies, and our businesses and farmers that need to move their products around the country, the situation is even more dire. The rising price of diesel fuel should be a concern for all Americans and I have joined with my counterparts in the Arkansas delegation to ask for hearings on this issue. Rail lines are at capacity, so if diesel prices increase further, we will all be faced with enormous costs for food and other goods to continue to be hauled over the road.

Although there are many opinions on how to ease the immediate burden, I believe we in Congress need to focus on the long-term solution. The global demand for fuel is outstripping supply. In the United States, we have to find a way to either increase the amount of fuel that is available or decrease our use of it. We are the only developed country in the world that refuses to use its natural resources. Congress needs to take common sense steps that will increase our energy supply and make us more energy independent.

If we cannot ease the demand for the future through expanded production and alternative energy, we are going to live with the consequences.

Providing adequate funding for the Legal Services Corporation is essential to providing access to legal representation and to the American system of justice for all.

The ABA believes that the American system of justice must be accessible to every citizen regardless of income level. We also believe that ensuring access is financially prudent because legal services can prevent more serious, costlier problems from developing. For example, every dollar spent increasing representation for victims of domestic violence saves governments about $9 that they would have to spend to deal with the consequences of ongoing abuse.

Right now, this country is meeting the needs of only 20 percent of its poor through a combination of Legal Services programs and pro bono efforts by the private bar. As a society that considers itself just, we cannot afford to shortchange our fellow citizens by failing to increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation.

We urge the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to recommend an increase in funding for the Legal Services Corporation.