Why did no one object to the “Pentagon mosque”?
[Salon.com]
Muslims have been praying inside the Pentagon since Sept. 11 but right-wingers have been strangely silent
[Separation of Church and State in a Military Complex like the Pentagon? What's wrong with this picture?]
Navy imam Chaplain Abuhena M. Saifulislam lifted his voice to God as he called to prayer more than 100 Department of Defense employees Monday at a celebration of Ramadan at the Pentagon.
God is most great, sang the lieutenant commander and Islamic leader, in Arabic, as iftar — the end of the daily fast began.
Uniformed military personnel, civilians and family members faced Mecca and knelt on adorned prayer rugs chanting their prayers in quiet invocation to Allah.
The “ground zero mosque” story seems to be dying down, but nothing lays bare the absurdity of what we’ve just lived through quite so much as this Washington Times story, quoted above, from 2007.
Yes, Muslims have infiltrated the Pentagon for their nefarious, prayerful purposes — daring to practice their religion inside the building where 184 people died on Sept. 11, 2001. They haven’t even had the sensitivity to move two blocks, let alone a mile, away from that sacred site.
The “desecration” began shockingly soon after the attacks. Cox reported in October 2001:
Justin Elliott is a reporter for ProPublica. You can follow him on Twitter @ElliottJustin More Justin Elliott.
Contempt of Obama
[TeaPartyNation.com]
August 4, 2012
Posted by Judson Phillips on August 4, 2012 at 8:17am in Tea Party Nation Forum
Barack Obama is many things. He is an arrogant elitist. He is an anti-American Marxist and holds many people who would probably be described as red-blooded Americans in contempt.
There is one group of Americans Obama has shown nothing but absolute contempt for.
Who are they and why is it so important?
The people that Obama holds in contempt are the patriotic Americans who make up our military.
From day one, Obama has done nothing but show his contempt and even hatred for the American military. Not only has he cut the budget for the military, but he is making them waste what money they have on useless and fraudulent programs like the biofuels program.
Obama’s contempt for the American military shows no limits. His campaign and the Democrat Party are now suing to block early voting for military personnel in the crucial swing state of Ohio.
Valour-IT 2012 — Saluting all United States Military Personnel; Happy 4th of July!
[FloppingAces.net]
As America celebrates her independence, Soldiers’ Angels Project Valour-IT is fighting to save a program that gives a bit of independence to severely-wounded veterans.
In the last seven years, Project Valour-IT has supplied over 6,000 voice-controlled and other adaptive laptops to severely wounded American troops, but that work could soon come to an end. Every week brings more wounded heroes home from the battlefield, but donations are not keeping pace with their needs. Over 70 wounded warriors are currently waiting for a Valour-IT laptop, with 10 new requests coming in each week.
To address this growing need, military support nonprofit Soldiers’ Angels is conducting a summer-long fundraising drive. The goal is to provide 250 more laptops to help wounded warriors stay connected while they recover or build a new life as they transition out of the military.
From July 4 through Labor Day, patriotic Americans across the country are donating and spreading the word through Social Media and good-old-fashioned word of mouth. Divided among four “virtual teams” named in honor of U.S. military service branches, they are relying on friendly inter-service rivalries to spur them on to at least $100,000 in fundraising.
It’s hard to overstate the impact Project Valour-IT has on those wounded warriors lucky enough to receive a laptop. “This project changes lives,” says Soldiers’ Angels Founder Patti Patton-Bader. “Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, whose experience as a wounded Soldier inspired the project says receiving a voice-controlled laptop said it was ‘the first time I felt whole. ‘”
U.S. MILITARY RELEASES RESULTS OF 13,000 MPH AIRCRAFT TEST FLIGHT OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN
[LibertyNewsOnline.com]
By: W.J. Hennigan – Los Angeles Times
Posted: April 24, 2012
The results are in from last summer’s attempt to test new technology that would provide the Pentagon with a lightning-fast vehicle, capable of delivering a military strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour.
In August the Pentagon’s research arm, known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, carried out a test flight of an experimental aircraft capable of traveling at 20 times the speed of sound.
The arrowhead-shaped unmanned aircraft, dubbed Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2, blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, northwest of Santa Barbara, into the upper reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere aboard an eight-story Minotaur IV rocket made by Orbital Sciences Corp.
After reaching an undisclosed altitude, the aircraft jettisoned from its protective cover atop the rocket, then nose-dived back toward Earth, leveled out and glided above the Pacific at 20 times the speed of sound, or Mach 20.
The plan was for the Falcon to speed westward for about 30 minutes before plunging into the ocean near Kwajalein Atoll, about 4,000 miles from Vandenberg.
Archbishop to US Troops: Obamacare Reg ‘Is a Blow to a Freedom for Which You Have Seen Battle Buddies Fall’
[CNSNews.com]
U.S. Army Capt. Carl Subler, a Catholic chaplain, celebrates Mass with soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment at the helicopter loading zone at Forward Operating Base Wolverine, Zabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christine Jones)(CNSNews.com) – Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who leads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, wrote a letter to be read at all Sunday Masses for U.S. military personnel around the world that said that a regulation issued by the Obama Administration under the new federal health care law was “a blow” to a freedom that U.S. troops have not only fought to defend but for which some have recently died in battle.
“It is a blow to a freedom that you have fought to defend and for which you have seen your buddies fall in battle,” the archbishop wrote.
Another line in his letter said: “We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law.”
Panetta Says Drone Campaign Over Iran Will Continue
[FoxNews.com]
By Justin Fishel & Jennifer Griffin
Published December 13, 2011
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, in an exclusive interview with Fox News, said that the stealth drone campaign along the Iran-Afghanistan border will “absolutely” continue despite the loss of a valuable and sophisticated drone to Iran.The mysterious loss of the RQ-170 Sentinel drone has revealed not only that the U.S. was spying on Iran, but also that the program was being run from Shindad Air Base in western Afghanistan.
Panetta would not comment directly on what that drone was doing over Iran, but he said the U.S. military has no plans to halt the drone operation out of western Afghanistan.
“Those operations have to be protected in order to do the job and the mission that they’re involved with,” he said.
When asked if he would continue those missions as they have been conducted out of Afghanistan, he responded with one word: “Absolutely.”
The Unspoken Reality
FloppingAces.net
September 7, 2011
Hi, everyone. I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ve been busy here in Afghanistan and focused more on my personal blogs, but wanted to give everyone a quick update. Additionally, I want to write something that’s been bouncing around in my head too long because it’s a hard reality. I want to put here for a few reasons: 1) I don’t think I want my wife reading this yet, 2) this is a different audience that I think would more receptive (only because you don’t know me as well), and 3) I think there is as larger, more active audience here to get the information to.
I’ve been here in Kandahar, Afghanistan about a month now. I hit the ground running and haven’t stopped yet. I was able to take a day off last week, but since there really isn’t much more to do, I just work 7 days per week. I figure I’ll take a day off every two weeks or as I need it. The days are long as well, starting at 0800 and usually getting back to my bunk around 2300.
Air Force guilty of religious bigotry – bans Scripture in class
AFA.net
American Family Association
August 9, 2011
The Air Force has banned a class on the Christian-based “Just War Theory” because the class used verses from the Bible.
“Just War Theory” has been a part of Western civilization since the days of St. Augustine in the 5th century A.D. It uses the abiding standards of the word of God to help members of the military determine when the use of lethal force against an enemy of this country is morally legitimate and helps them to know how to use that force in a morally just way.
The class has been taught for more than two decades at Vandenberg Air Force base, and has been an important source of perspective for those who have their fingers on the missile launchers that protect our liberties.
Navy to Cut Jobs Amid Recession-Driven Sailor Surplus
FoxNews.com
Published July 08, 2011
AP – U.S. sailors of the USS Monterey stand next to their vessel in the Black Sea port of Constanta, Romania, Tuesday, June 7, 2011.
With more sailors staying in the military amid a slumping economic recovery, the U.S. Navy is taking the unprecedented step of firing low-ranking petty officers to help rein in spending.
The Navy plans to let go of 3,000 young sailors after economic uncertainty put the service in the unusual position of having a manpower surplus.
The move comes as a new government report shows that the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.2 percent — marking 29 straight months that number has been over 8 percent and a record streak since the Great Depression.
Chicago newspaper calls out Congress over Obama defiance of War Powers Act
HotAir.com
If the War Powers Act becomes moot, don’t blame Barack Obama, say the editors of the Chicago Tribune today. In order to curtail abuses of power from the executive, the legislature not only has to pass laws but also enforce them. And thus far, they’re not impressed with the Washington Way in Chi-town:
Obama is on the horns of a dilemma. As a candidate, he said the president does not have the power to go to war on his own except in cases of actual or likely attack. But if he were to ask Congress to authorize the Libyan intervention, he would probably be rebuffed. So he’s chosen to simply ignore the law.
But ignoring laws is not what presidents promise to do when they are sworn in. Unless Obama wants to make the case that it’s unconstitutional, as some experts think, he should act (belatedly) to follow it or explain why the Libya operations don’t qualify. The latter would be a stretch, but maybe Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to elaborate on his theory that Libya is merely a “limited kinetic action,” not a war.
Still, the fault here is not all Obama’s. He has reason to think a president can get away with taking unilateral military action, since Congress is usually reluctant to object. It’s easier for lawmakers to carp than to take action that involves shouldering responsibility for the ensuing outcome.
General Petraeus’ Joke of the Day
FloppingAces.net
Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 15, 2011, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the situation in Afghanistan. At left is Defense Undersecretary for Policy Michele Flournoy. / (AP Photo)
How do you define “importance”? Here’s how General Petraeus explains it:
“This was about 20 years ago when I was the aide to the Army Chief of Staff in the Pentagon and Colin Powell was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“One of my fellow aides overheard the joint chiefs killing time before they were waiting for the arrival of a foreign dignitary. And the topic of conversation turned to examples of true importance. And what it really meant to be truly important.
“And after a bit of banter, one of the chiefs offered what seemed to be quite a good opinion on this.
Bill Gates Supports Socialized Medicine: ‘I’d Take Any Rich Country’s Medical System Over Ours’
BigGovernment.com
Posted Mar 20th 2011 at 1:50 pm
[Editor: Either Bill Gates got a bad diagnosis from a U. S. doctor he didn't like, or Mr. Macrohard has been drinking some of that Socialist cool aid! If he like Germany or Swiss medicine, he should move there. As for me and my family, we're optimistic about American Health Care; not socialist or single payer, but GOOD AMERICAN HEALTH CARE.]
Bill Gates of Microsoft fame (or infamy) visited the Claremont Colleges this past week. You can watch that visit here. What follows is a transcript typed by one of my associates of that event.
Gates, after discussing his foundation’s work, had harsh words for America’s health care system.
Our health care system has huge problems. It’s got equity problems where the poorest in the country of all the rich countries our poorest quarter get the worst health care so the accessibility is a huge problem.
Military to Unveil Homosexual Indoctrination Plan
OneNewsNow.com
Updated: 1/27/2011 9:40 AM (Central)
WASHINGTON – Officials say Pentagon leaders will roll out a plan Friday that is expected to give the military services about three months to train their forces on the new law allowing “gays” to serve openly.
The plan, they said, will outline the personnel, recruiting and other regulations that must be changed. It will describe three levels of training for the troops, their commanders and the key administrators, recruiters and other leaders who will have to help implement the changes.
Under that training schedule, full implementation of the law could begin later this summer. Once the training is complete, the president and his top military advisers must certify that lifting the ban won’t hurt troops’ ability to fight. Sixty days after certification, the law would take effect.
Wicker: What’s the emergency on repealing the ban?
OneNewsNow
The House plans to vote today on a stand-alone bill to repeal the military’s ban on homosexuals. A former member of the House, now a U.S. senator, admits he’s worried House Democrats may be successful this time around.
The repeal has twice been included in a Defense Authorization Bill that Senate Republicans managed to keep from coming up for a floor vote. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) vows there will be a vote today (Wednesday) on a new bill to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), who served in the House for almost 13 years, says he is “very much opposed” to the concept of homosexuals serving openly in the military. But he says House Democrats figure they have a much better chance of getting a bill passed now with Pelosi in the speaker’s chair than they will next year with Republican John Boehner.
“This may actually work for them. I have to be frank with you, it worries me,” says Wicker, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “And as opposed as I am to repealing ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ it seems that they may be able to push it through with a big vote led by Nancy Pelosi in the House and two or three Republicans joining most Democrats in the Senate.”
On the Pearl Harbor Anniversary, Oliver North Talks About American Heroes
BigGovernment.com
Posted Dec 7th 2010 at 8:13 am
Download Podcast | iTunes | Podcast Feed
On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Lt. Col. Oliver North to discuss his time at the Naval Academy, media on the frontline, and stories from his new book, American Heroes in Special Operations.
We’re brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show.
Related Links:
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GOP Gains Traction Among Gay Voters By Focusing on Economy, Analyst Says
FoxNews.com
Published November 06, 2010
In this Tuesday, April 16, 2010 picture, from left, Petty Officer Autumn Sandeen, Lt. Dan Choi, Cpl. Evelyn Thomas, Capt. Jim Pietrangelo II, Cadet Mara Boyd and Petty Officer Larry Whitt, stand together after they handcuffed themselves to the fence outside the White House in Washington during a protest for gay rights. (AP)
The Republican Party drew more gay voters in Tuesday’s midterm elections than it has in 10 years, according to Fox News national exit polls.
The data shows that 31 percent of self-identified gays voted for the GOP, an uptick from 19 percent in 2008 and 24 percent in 2006 and 2004.
The 12-point uptick could be a reflection of the gay community’s disappointment in President Obama’s record on gay rights. While Obama says he supports ending the ban on gays openly serving in the military, his administration is challenging attempts by a federal judge to impose an end to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
Democrats have also failed to pass a law making it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and to repeal a 1996 law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
But one prominent gay conservative told FoxNews.com that the increase shows that issues among gay voters aren’t just social.
Economics is at the “forefront” of everyone’s mind, said Jimmy LaSalvia, executive director of GOProud, a conservative gay advocacy group.
He argued that Republicans repelled gay voters in past election cycles by running on divisive social issues.
Proposal to End Military Abortion Ban Complicates Defense Budget Bill
FoxNews.com
Published September 20, 2010
AP
Jan. 5, 2009: Roland Burris talks with the media after arriving at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Linthicum, Md.
Add abortion to the list of hot-button social issues that could derail a sweeping budget blueprint for the nation’s military.
An amendment from Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., to end a longstanding ban on abortions at U.S. military hospitals overseas is attached to the defense authorization bill set to come up for a vote in the Senate.
The move has been widely opposed by social conservatives and only further complicates the debate over the defense spending package. Senate Democrats already have drawn the ire of Republicans by trying to add to the bill measures to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy banning gays from serving openly in the military and provide young illegal immigrants who attend college or join the military a pathway to citizenship.
The Senate will meet Monday to resume consideration of the defense bill, with a vote to start formal debate set for the following day. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated that even if the Senate clears that hurdle, which requires 60 votes, the defense bill likely will not come up for a final vote until after the November election.
At DOJ, Military Voting Rights Hang in the Balance
PajamasMedia.com
Decisions by Washington bureaucrats over the next four weeks will have a profound impact on the upcoming November elections. These bureaucrats will decide whether or not those serving in the military from twelve states will have a full and effective opportunity to participate. If they choose to do anything other than aggressively enforce federal laws protecting military voters, many of those serving our nation won’t have a voice.
Every American can do something about it.
As I have written about before, the MOVE Act — signed into law in October 2009 — set a mandatory minimum time of 45 days before any federal election to mail ballots to overseas voters. MOVE was a rebuke to the bureaucrats who were stuck on a non-statutory 30-day standard used as a minimum in previous elections.
Blind bureaucratic reliance on the 30-day standard resulted in 17,000 overseas ballots not being counted in the 2008 election. The military postal service says 60 days is needed to get ballots to our troops and back again, but a law is only as good as the people enforcing it.
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