Remobilization Of Guard And Reserve Members
Surge Plan Relying On Subversives?
Skelton: Surge Costs Unacceptable
Equipment Shortages Still Plague Troops
Short & Sweet

THE OP/ED HEADLINES

THE ARTICLE SUMMARIES AND LINKS

REMOBILIZATION OF GUARD AND RESERVE MEMBERS
Hundreds of thousands of National Guard and Reserve troops who had previously been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are now subject to recall and being sent back for more tours under President Bush's Iraq troop "surge" plan.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/yvpz8t

SURGE PLAN RELYING ON SUBERSIVES?
President Bush's Iraq troop surge plan may be relying on an Iraqi organization the Iraq Study Group (ISG) described as "incompetent, dysfunctional and subversive."
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/2fbl8n

SKELTON: SURGE COSTS UNACCEPTABLE
The threats to military readiness, increased strategic risks and harm to the troops and their families' morale are costs of President Bush's troop surge plan that are too high to pay, said Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee last week.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/2pnqhj

EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES STILL PLAGUE TROOPS
After nearly four years of war in Iraq troops are still being handicapped by critical equipment shortages according to a recent Defense Department Inspector General's Office audit.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/2rjqlh

SHORT & SWEET

Congressional Vietnam Vets Divided Over Surge

There are 18 Vietnam veterans in the Senate and House and they are pretty much equally divided over the surge and, with two exceptions, the split is along party lines according to a USA Today poll.

Eight Democrats and one Republican oppose the troop increase while seven Republicans and one Democrat support the surge plan while one Republican did not respond to the survey.

The two who broke party ranks were Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska who opposes the surge and Democratic Rep. Jim Marshall of Georgia who supports the troop increase.

Feisty Freshman

Nothing timid about the new crop of freshman Democrats in Congress and they will be no shrinking violets in 2008 when many of the them will be singled out and targeted by the GOP, reports the National Journal.

Most won in districts that had supported Republicans and President Bush in 2004 but they have no intent to "soften" their opposition to Bush's policies.

THE OP/ED SUMMARIES AND LINKS

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS BOB FILNER?
The new House Vets' Chair appears to be "MIA" on Capitol Hill. No Committee hearings, staff firings and lack of communication spur insiders to ask: Is Filner doing the job? Harsher critics ask: Can Filner do the job?
Guest Column By Larry Scott At: http://tinyurl.com/376jmn

JOE WILSON VINDICATED
The Bush/Cheney acolytes keen on smearing Joe Wilson took a couple of gut shots at the Scooter Libby trial today. One of the documents released to the public confirms Wilson's account of how he came to be sent to Niger, what he found, and what he reported to CIA debriefers.
Commentary By Larry C. Johnson At: http://tinyurl.com/yufuzz

MEMBERS OF GUARD, RESERVE NEED NOT APPLY
The drawn out war in Iraq and the resulting reliance on the National Guard and Reserves is contributing to wide-spread employment discrimination against Guard and Reserve members.
Guest Column By Paul Connors At: http://tinyurl.com/2d33de

THE SOUTHERN INSURGENTS
An essay this weekend at The Daily Kos, "Sweeping Jim Webb Under the Rug," brings out what I have been feeling all week: That we crossed a river in this country with Jim Webb's rebuttal of the President's State of the Union. Jim Webb is Pathfinder to a new political country. His speech was very possibly the first important event in the new century.
Commentary By Bernie Quigley At: http://tinyurl.com/2myhzk

ABOUT FIGHTING DEMS NEWS SERVICE
Web: www.fighting-dems.com
Email: contact@fighting-dems.us

Publisher: Noel Schultz
Editor: Randy Risener
Associate Editor: Fred Seamon
Contributing Editor: Brent Budowsky
Contributing Editor: Larry C. Johnson
Contributing Editor: Bernie Quigley
Webmaster: Rich Westcott

The Fighting Dems News Service (FDNS) is published weekly by Fighting Dems at www.fighting-dems.com. Originally begun as a candidate and campaign support service for the Fighting Dem candidates, FDNS has evolved into a rapidly expanding independent circulated news service covering below the network headlines news primarily in the areas of foreign policy, national security, military and veterans affairs. FDNS' circulation is email direct, on the website, through free subscription at the website and through selected listserves and to Democratic party leaders throughout the country. FDNS desks and archives are located at http://tinyurl.com/ydmfp4.

About The Staff & Contributors

Publisher Noel Schultz is an Air Force veteran of the Korean War era who served in Libya and Texas and was one of the original organizers of the Fighting Dems candidates in 2006. His degree is in anthropology and linguistics and he is currently an Associated Professor in the Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literature at National Chi Nan University, Puli in the mountains of central Taiwan.

Editor Randy Risener is a former newspaper and wire service reporter who later worked in private sector intelligence and research in support of companies involved with exporting and foreign operations. He served with the National Security Agency's Army component in Vietnam and East Africa/Middle East.

Associate Editor Fred Seaman is a retired Army Intelligence officer who began his career as a case officer in Germany followed by tours on the faculty of the Army Intelligence School and with special operations in Vietnam. He served on the staffs at U.S. Army Europe Headquarters and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He currently manages a government sponsored program to commercialize technology developed at a nuclear weapons laboratory in the former Soviet Union.

Contributing Editor Brent Budowsky was Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, and worked for the House Democratic Leadership as Legislative Director to Rep. Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Majority Whip. He serves on the International Advisory Committee of the Intelligence Summit, and was a principal author of the CIA Intelligence Identities Act originally sponsored by Senator Bentsen.

Contributing Editor Larry C. Johnson is an internationally recognized counter-terrorism expert who served several years with the CIA's Directorate of Operations and later become deputy director of the State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism. He is CEO and co-founder of BERG Associates, an international business consulting firm which specializes in threat management in areas such as terrorism and money laundering. He is editor of the blog NO QUARTER.

Contributing Editor Bernie Quigley is a prize-winning writer and has worked more than 30 years as a book and magazine editor, political commentator and book, movie, music and art reviewer. He lives in the White Mountains with his wife and four children.

Webmaster Richard Westcott has over fourteen years of Information Systems experience in areas of Clinical Trials, Survey Research, Energy Deregulation and Education. He has served as Director of Informatics for the Allegheny Health Education Research Foundation Clinical Trials Research Center, the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups as well as administrative oversight for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Chairman's office. His Clinical Trials locator is available at The National Cancer Institute.