Veterans
The Vote is Now
Submitted by Wes Clark on May 20, 2008 - 7:05pm.
Veterans | Veterans & Military
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VoteVets has just released a TV ad demanding that John McCain vote for the New GI Bill. |
This week, our veterans are counting on us more than ever.
Senator Jim Webb's New GI Bill, which would give our returning soldiers the education benefits they need, is up for a Senate vote this week. We're so close to reaching that critical 60-vote majority to overcome unprecedented filibusters and the opposition of President Bush and John McCain, but we need your help. That's why VoteVets has just released a TV ad demanding that John McCain do the right thing and vote for the New GI Bill.
The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing an education for returning soldiers and helping to create America's middle class. But today, the standards of the original GI Bill are failing to keep up with rising tuition costs to the point where the average benefit doesn't even pay for half the cost of an in-state student's education at a public college.
The White House has voiced concern about the bill, arguing that if returning troops are offered a good education, they will choose college over extending their service. It's offensive to suggest that we should fix the system so that civilian life is unappealing to service members, thereby forcing them to stay in the military.
Moreover, failing to provide adequate education benefits for our returning soldiers will only dissuade a large number of our best and brightest from choosing military service over other career options. The armed forces will remain strong only if we attract the most talented Americans with a promise of a bright future after they have served our country.
Now is the time. We must come through for our veterans and ensure that they can obtain a quality education after serving our country.
President Bush has led our country into a disastrous foreign policy, and continues to ask our troops to pursue his failing strategy. The least we can do now is honor the service of those who have put their lives on the line and have courageously done everything that has been asked of them.
After you've emailed your Senators, please forward this message to everyone you know.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
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Wes Clark
P.S. Our soldiers have fought hard for our government, and it's time our government started fighting hard for them. Click here to watch VoteVets' new TV ad, and then urge your Senators to vote for the New GI Bill!
Why Won't McCain Support Our Vets?
Submitted by Wes Clark on April 3, 2008 - 1:53pm.
GI Bill | John McCain | Call to Action | Military Families | Veterans
Robert Lopez served 8 years in our military, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a tank commander. He was told he'd get his whole education bill paid for when he got out of the service. Mr. Lopez has fought and sacrificed for our country but like so many others, Mr. Lopez has faced the bleak reality of a government that has turned its back on its veterans.
That is why Senators Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel proposed the new GI Bill, which would bring back WWII-style standards of providing vets with full tuition, room and board. And that is why 51 senators have signed on, including 9 Republicans like John Warner, giving this GI Bill tremendous bi-partisan support.
But it isn't enough. Faced with unprecedented filibusters, the only way to ensure Senate passage of the GI Bill is to get 60 co-sponsors. So far, John McCain has refused. The same McCain who insists he supports our troops. The same McCain who is voting lockstep with the Bush administration (who have also resisted this bill). We need to get John McCain to do the right thing -- to sign now and signal to other Republican leaders that we should be strongly behind our vets.
Sign the petition to John McCain!
The original GI Bill transformed American history, providing education for returning soldiers. Not only was this our nation's moral duty for the unbelievable sacrifices of our World War II veterans, it helped create America's middle class and spurred decades of economic growth for our country.
Why then is John McCain silent on passing a new GI Bill for our "new greatest generation?"
Robert Lopez thinks John McCain ought to stand in his shoes to know how difficult it is to be a vet and have to pay staggering education costs. THIS is your call to arms. Pass the video along and implore your friends to sign the petition.
Click here to watch the video and sign the petition today!
WesPAC, VoteVets.org and Brave New Films feel passionately about giving our veterans the support they rightly deserve. Our government owes our troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan the opportunity to receive full educational benefits. These patriots have fought hard for our government; it's time our government started fighting hard for them.
Sincerely yours,
Wes Clark, Robert Greenwald, and Jon Soltz
Honor the Fallen this Memorial Day
Submitted by Wes Clark on May 26, 2007 - 3:29am.
Call to Action | Military Families | Veterans
On Monday, our nation will observe Memorial Day -- a day which is incredibly solemn and sacred, especially to those of us who served our nation with military service.
For one day, WesPAC and our friends at VoteVets.org and the National Security Network will put politics completely aside, and stand in solidarity with the rest of our nation to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.
Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or of another party or no party at all, we are all still Americans, and on this day, we should solely be focused on honoring those who died in service. We're also asking that people not protest at Memorial Day events; we have 364 other days to argue policy and politics, but this day belongs to the fallen and their memories.
Today, please consider making a donation to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (http://www.fallenheroesfund.org), which is dedicated to helping the families of those who died in service. The Intrepid Fund has already provided $60 million in aid to families, but can only continue to do so with your support.
Above all, take a day to learn more about someone who died in defense of America. If you're at a parade or prayer service and you see a veteran or military family member, ask him or her who they are honoring. Learn more about that hero, so their memory can endure. Too often, we talk about the fallen in terms of numbers. We forget, each of those numbers were real people, with real lives, and real families. The names on the thousands of memorials across America are more than letters etched in stone -- they are lives lost with honor. The best way we can honor those who sacrificed their lives is to ensure that the memory of who they were as human beings is never forgotten.
Please, on Memorial Day, do your part to ensure their memory lives on.
Thank you for your support of our troops and veterans.
Sincerely,
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Wes Clark
Phone Bankers Needed!
Submitted by State Action Te... on November 1, 2006 - 2:11am.
GOTV | Call to Action | Democratic politics | Election Reform | Fighting Dems | Front Page Story | State Teams | Veterans
Calling all Clarkies! We have seven days before we change the country for the better, but we need your help now, and all this next week, to do that. WesPAC needs you to volunteer some time to phone bank for the candidates listed below. We'll be adding more candidates in the days to come too. Whether you can make 10 calls or 100 calls or more - every call counts!
Please contact the state coordintors listed below each candidate, and they will get you set up to phone bank. Thank you for everything you're doing to help General Clark and WesPAC get Democrats elected on November 7th!
Calling all Clarkies! - We're looking for Volunteer Coordinators in Your State
Submitted by State Action Te... on August 10, 2006 - 1:17am.
Volunteer Coordinators | Volunteering | Call to Action | Military Families | State Teams | Veterans | Veterans & Military | Wesley Clark
Calling all Clarkies! WesPAC is actively looking for those who would like to become volunteer coordinators in their state. If you were a volunteer coordinator during the Draft and or the Clark 2004 campaign, or if you think this is something you'd like to do, please let us know by sending an email to 50 State Project Coordinators:
Kelly Flinn kellyflinn@securingamerica.com
We'll follow the Old Man! acknowledging the value of being a Clarkie
Submitted by yellowrose on November 5, 2008 - 3:05pm.
Call to Action | CCN Series Blogs | Current Events | Democratic politics | Economics | Economy | Election Reform | Endorsements | Essays | Feedback | Fighting Dems | Front Page Story | Fundraising | landslide | Media | National Debt | National Security | News and Links | Rapid Response | State Teams | Veterans | Wesley Clark
Wow, it's remarkable that Obama prevailed last night by having made maximum use of the internet for attracting contributors and volunteers. Far more powerful than Howard Dean, and that was no small feat. Gov. Dean's 50-state strategy both two years ago and now are among the prized results of "netroots rising".
VIDEO: Jon Soltz being interviewed about John McCain's foreign policy and votes!
Submitted by Mitch Dworkin on October 3, 2008 - 3:58pm.
Veterans
Hello Everyone:
I really like to help promote Jon Soltz and VoteVets.org for all of the good work that they are doing!
Here is the Rachel Maddow video from last Saturday, September 27 where Jon Soltz was being interviewed after the Presidential debate about John McCain's foreign policy ideas and about his Senate votes on important veterans issues:
BREAKING: Republicans attacking Charlie Rangel!
Submitted by Dan Juma on September 9, 2008 - 9:25pm.
Call to Action | Democratic politics | Rapid Response | Veterans
Some of you may remember that decorated Korean War veteran (Purple Heart, Bronze Star with Valor) Charlie Rangel was one of the first politicians to endorse General Clark for President. Republicans have never forgiven him for being as effective and outspoken a Democrat as he has been, and they are going after him again, this time for allegedly failing to report $100,000 in income from a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic. [Reuters]
WesPAC Endorsees: Please HELP WesPAC Help Democrats Win!
Submitted by kaflinn on June 20, 2008 - 1:41am.
Candidates 2008 | Clark endorsements | Congressional Candidates | vets for Congress | Wesley Clark | WesPAC | Call to Action | Endorsements | Events | Fighting Dems | Fundraising | State Teams | Veterans | Veterans & Military

See? I actually went an extra week without mentioning congressional candidates! Of course, I did that just to see if you all were paying attention ;-)
Reminder of the Tuskegee Experiment - 40 years later - Veterans
Submitted by AlDem13 on June 17, 2008 - 6:05pm.
drug testing | mental health | PTSD | VA administration | Veteran's rights | veterans health care | Children's Mental Health | Health Care | Troops and Vets | Veterans
Did we seriously not learn anything by the Tuskegee Experiment in which poor black males in Tuskegee Alabama were studied for 40 years without informed consent or exact knowledge of their procedure?



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