Eric Massa

We're hours away from the midnight fundraising deadline.

I've identified three candidates who need your help before tonight's deadline. All three are veterans. All three are in tough districts. And all three will be familiar to you because you helped elect them to Congress.

Please help Eric Massa (NY-29), John Boccieri (OH-16), and Tim Walz (MN-1) before midnight. Contribute to their campaigns today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/becauseofyou

Eric Massa

2008 was a historic election in so many ways. But it was also very personal for me because together we helped elect my dear friend, Eric Massa, to Congress.

Since arriving in the House, Eric has been doing exactly what I thought he would do in Congress -- fighting for those most in need. Eric is fighting for health care reform through his ardent support of a public option. Until all Americans are eligible for similar coverage, Eric will continue to refuse the use of the Congressional health benefits plan.

Eric is fighting for us every day. I need you to help him. Please contribute to Eric before tonight's midnight fundraising deadline!

http://www.actblue.com/page/becauseofyou

John Boccieri

John Boccieri

John Boccieri won his 2008 campaign for Ohio's 16th Congressional district because of the early support from you in the WesPAC community.

John has used his seat on the House Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to help protect our jobs, supporting bills benefiting businesses and taxpayers, promoting domestic production, and improving their energy efficiency.

And as a current member of the Air Force Reserves, John has witnessed up close the impacts of our country's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. He's an important advocate for our troops and for bringing them home in a responsible manner.

This is John's first reelection campaign, and the right wing will go after him with everything they've got. Please help him start his campaign strong and contribute today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/becauseofyou

Tim Walz

Tim Walz

Thanks to the remarkable support of the WesPAC community, Tim Walz was given the opportunity to serve the people of Minnesota's 1st Congressional district.

As a 24-year member of the Army National Guard, Tim understands the need to increase education benefits for our soldiers. He co-sponsored the House version of Senator Jim Webb's GI Bill which was signed into law last year.

Tim was a top target of Karl Rove's last cycle. He was attacked constantly by misleading ads, but with your help, he was able fight back against the attacks. We can expect Tim to be a top target for 2010.

Please stand up for Tim Walz again. Contribute to his campaign before midnight tonight!

http://www.actblue.com/page/becauseofyou

Eric, John, and Tim are some of our finest public servants, and I couldn't be happier that together we helped elect them to Congress.

Thank you for everything.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

Iran and Beyond: An Interview with Gen. Wesley Clark

RealClearWorld recently interviewed Wesley Clark, retired general of the US Army, about the current situation in Iran. General Clark is a fomer Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO (SACEUR) and, in 2004, was a Democratic presidential candidate.

snippets.....

Blanche tells me she needs 200 donors in the next 7 days, and I am proud to do all I can to help her reach her goal. I urge you to take action today.

Click here to contribute!

To face today's challenges and guide our country through a time of crisis, we need more good, hard-working leaders fighting for us in Washington. We need more folks like my fellow Arkansan, Blanche Lincoln.

Every day, Blanche Lincoln is fighting the good fight for all of us in the U.S. Senate, putting Arkansans back to work, fixing this economy, and keeping America safe and strong.

Blanche is up for reelection in 2010, and we've got to do everything we can to keep her in the Senate. With the June 30 quarterly fundraising deadline just around the corner, I hope you'll join me and stand with Blanche right now.

Please contribute $25, $50, or more to Sen. Blanche Lincoln. We need her in the Senate, and your support before June 30 will give Blanche a crucial boost towards victory in 2010:

http://www.actblue.com/page/agoodoffense

Already, the pundits are all chattering about who will run against Blanche. Right now, we know the national Republican Party is searching for a strong, well-funded challenger to take her on.

Well I've always believed the best defense is a good offense. A strong showing of grassroots support at the June 30 quarterly filing deadline -- just days away -- will make these would-be challengers think twice.

Blanche tells me she needs 250 donors in the next 7 days, and I am proud to do all I can to help her reach her goal. I urge you to take action today.

Please contribute $25, $50, or more to Sen. Blanche Lincoln right this minute. We need her in the Senate, and your support before June 30 will give Blanche a critical boost towards victory in 2010:

http://www.actblue.com/page/agoodoffense

When Senator Lincoln's refundable child tax credit first became law, she had to persuade her colleagues that millions of working families who don't earn enough to pay income taxes should not be ignored by a policy intended to end child poverty.

It's obviously a good idea, but it took Blanche's hard work, soft touch, and firm hand to get it done. We need more of that good, common-sense leadership in the U.S. Senate.

Blanche's would-be opponents don't offer alternatives when they criticize the tough choices that she is making for us. They don't promise a new direction, just more of the same Bush-Cheney policies that got us into this mess in the first place.

I am proud to support Blanche Lincoln for the U.S. Senate in 2010 -- but she needs all of our support right now. We're just a few days away from the second quarter FEC deadline, and I need your help to show Blanche's opponents that her campaign has the strength and grassroots energy to win.

Please contribute $25, $50, or more to Sen. Blanche Lincoln right this minute. We need her in the Senate, and your support before June 30 will give Blanche a critical boost towards victory in 2010:

http://www.actblue.com/page/agoodoffense

Whether it's putting Americans back to work, fighting for our children's education, or winning energy independence from Middle Eastern oil, my friend Blanche is the one who always remembers where she came from. She's the one who doesn't forget who she went to Congress to serve.

That's why you should get behind her today. I promise you won't regret it.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

General Clark was appointed today to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.

Washington, DC – Today, President Obama appointed 28 members to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. This accomplished group of citizens representing a broad range of backgrounds, interests, and professions are responsible for recommending a group of exceptional men and women to the President for selection as White House Fellows. The commission will be chaired by John Phillips, a partner at Phillips and Cohen Law Firm. Cheryl Dorsey, President of Echoing Green, will vice-chair the commission. A full list of commissioners and their biographies can be found at the link below.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Announces-Appointments-to-the-Presidents-Commission-on-White-House-Fellowships/

(Academy Awards speech cadence)

Well…. Oh my….First, I’d really like to thank fellow Clarkie LSophia for generously taking it upon herself to inquire of the gang in Lil Rock if they couldn’t please arrange to get me tickets to the UCLA International Institute graduation ceremony with the commencement address by this General Clark dude. What a pleasant surprise! LSophia, you rock--

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2009
12:10 PM

CONTACT: Human Rights First

Brenda Bowser Soder 202-370-3323,
bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org

Each Memorial Day and Veterans Day, many of us take time to recognize the sacrifices of those men and women who have served in uniform.

But around the country, these solemn holidays often end up meaning little more than a chance to buy things on sale.

Yesterday I did an event with Jill Biden for a non-partisan, non-profit group called Beyond Tribute that's launching a campaign this Memorial Day to convince stores to donate a portion of their holiday promotion proceeds to medical treatment and family support for veterans. By Veterans Day, we hope to be able to raise significant money for veterans in need from the very businesses that usually capitalize on these solemn holidays.

But before businesses will sign on, they need to see that people are committed to truly honoring, and actually helping, former service members.

Sign the Memorial Day pledge to shop at Beyond Tribute business partners today and together we can do a lot of good for some people who really need it.

When I was on active duty as a four-star general in the U.S. Army, the soldiers I commanded were serving me, and they were serving the President.

But above all, they were serving America -- all of us.

So we all owe them a debt of gratitude, especially the troops who have sacrificed their health and well-being in the line of duty.

By signing the pledge to shop at Beyond Tribute businesses during the veterans national holidays, you're doing more than making your own personal commitment to help. You're also showing businesses that their customers will reward them if they do the right thing.

Sign the pledge now.

Anyone who has served, or has a loved one who's served, knows how important this help is.

That's why people like Walter Cronkite, philanthropist Jerome Kohlberg, and Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City's Samantha) have joined Beyond Tribute with me and pledged to do their shopping at participating businesses, too.

Join us in signing the pledge to do your Veterans Day shopping at Beyond Tribute businesses, then ask your friends and family to sign the pledge, too.

The troops we honor are real people, many of whom have very real injuries. They and their families need our help to get back on their feet. This is something we can all do that will really help them.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

Thanks to Larry for the heads-up.

http://beyondtribute.org/index.php
Gen. Clark is on the "honorary board of directors."

http://beyondtribute.org/about_us/advisors.php

The pledge is to patronize BeyondTribute businesses for Memorial Day weekend.

See an article about BeyondTribute here.

There have been a number of articles and blogs posted here about this, but not a lot of discussion from any of us about how we would handle this, if it were up to any one of us (and, to some degree, it is). I always thought, and hoped, that part of the purpose of this blog was to work out the solutions to problems - not just state that they exist and scream against the wind.

So here are my questions:

5/12/09 - General Wesley Clark on PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

General Wesley Clark on PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

May 12, 2009

JIM LEHRER: Next tonight, the command shake-up in Afghanistan raises the "What kind of Army?" question, and to Ray Suarez.

RAY SUAREZ: Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he needed new thinking and new approaches from the military when he shuffled Army commanders yesterday in Afghanistan.

Out was General David McKiernan, a one-time tank officer who headed the ground forces during the 2003 Iraq invasion. In were two generals with careers in counterinsurgency warfare, Stanley McChrystal and David Rodriguez.