Representative John Murtha is going to introduce a radical plan to military funding: the Pentagon must follow its own rules. That is the sum and substance of what Rep, Murtha is proposing to write into law. Deployments limited to one year with a two-year break for the Army, and seven months in theater followed by fourteen months at their home base for the Marines. No more “Stop-Loss” orders, when your enlistment is up, you get to leave. You will be fully trained and equipped before being deployed to the combat zone.

Jack Murtha is going to force the government to abide by the contract and rules they agreed to when people enlisted. The government must keep its half of the bargain and stop screwing the troops.

The Republicans are going to have to explain what is so radical about requiring the government to abide by a contract, because that is all Murtha is proposing.

Why do Americans insist on electing people to Congress who can’t conceive of the concept of linear time, i.e. things could only be used or owned after they had been invented?

How long is it going to be before Congress understands that you need to weigh your words before making them part of the Congressional record?

Via Bark Bark Woof Woof you can see the latest Doonesbury cartoon, which is reason enough to visit, but below the cartoon is the “Say What?” feature that today is this gem:

“Could you picture Davy Crockett at the Alamo looking at his BlackBerry, getting a message from Congress? ‘Davy Crockett, we support you. The only thing is we are not going to send any troops.’ I am sure that would really be impressive to Davy Crockett.”

Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo.

David Crockett of Tennessee resigned in a snit after not being assured of re-election to Congress and with a group of 12 friends rode to the Mexican province of Texas to participate in a revolution. A group of 12 constitutes a squad in military terms, which would make Crockett a corporal, sergeant at most. He went to San Antonio where Lieutenant Colonel Travis was ignoring the order of his commander, Sam Houston, to destroy the fortifications of the Alamo. Houston knew he didn’t have the men or materiel to defend the site and was attempting to mass his forces for a major battle.

The Congress may have supported Crockett’s action, but as they were taking place in foreign country, the Congress was not about to send troops the US did not have to become involved in a battle that wasn’t supposed to happen.

While I will assume that Congressman Akin was aware that Blackberries didn’t exist at the time, it may come as a shock that Congress is not in the habit of sending messages to junior non-commissioned-officers in other people’s armies.

Florida License Plates

Beneficiary

A weekend feature of Why Now.

Year of the Red Pig

Ding Hai

Chinese New Year
[Spring Festival]