Eu contraire. I would say that lack of character and integrity is one of the greatest problems confronting our nation.

d bill

Dead on! And honor! And thank you for answering Jamie's question below for me.

Where are the jobs Mr. Boehner?

denver bill and BobW,

Yes!!! Let's keep in mind who the original Stolen Valor Act was written for, those using a false, stolen military career to improve their chance of getting charity, a job through preferential treatment, or election to public office. This was not targeting the WWII supply sargeant who suddenly had all these front-line stories down at the Legion hall. His audience knew that he was lying, or fantasizing, about his war out of shame at his good luck. Almost all the Viet Nam vets that I have known personally took 30yr to talk about their war. The ones who did were "in-country" but away from combat. Ironically, every one has said that the whole thing was a tremendous was of time, money and life.

But, many companies have rear-area "heroes", just like we have seen a fair share of politicians getting their lies exposed.

Gov. John Huntsman told Steven Colbert that the current campaign had revealed not only a truth deficit in American politics, but also a TRUST deficit. If a politician lies about his military experience, how could we possibly trust anything else he says or does.

I'm all for upholding honor for the vets, but this legislation isn't exactly a hot item given the real work out in front of Congress. What's next...naming some more post offices?

What a waste of time and your tax dollars.

Maybe we can just change Daylight Savings Time again like Bush did to avert the energy crisis back in 2005?

who cares. such a nonsense issue.

you guys want to make it a law to have honor? or character? or integrity?

maybe we should instate a integrity commission? we can have a panel of fallible humans judge what THEY believe is honorable.....

Reagan.....? smaller government......? you people need to understand that this desire requires taking the good with the bad.

whether it's a church protesting the funerals of dead soldiers or victims of hate crimes, or someones right to protest abortion clinics. we need to defend the speech, written or spoken that we find the most repugnant.

My Hunt for Osama Bin Laden

Installment One

Reading about the Seal that shot Bin Laden reminded me of my own experience in the Tribal areas of Pakistan. One late September afternoon in 2008 I was walking in the shadows just below the crest of a ridge when I caught the glint of sunlight on metal on the opposite side of the valley. I froze and picked out a lean man with a bushy black beard in the motley dress typical of the Pakistani mountain fighter. A closer look revealed the happy news that the glint wasn’t a high powered rifle pointing at me. I slithered behind a rock and pulled out my binocs – the guy was talking on a cell phone!

Now why would someone talk on a cell phone out here in the middle of nowhere? He had what looked like an AKi over his shoulder – but then, even kids carry them in these parts. I thought maybe he’d been sent to make a phone call for someone who didn’t want to risk making it himself, maybe somebody important. It was a long shot but that’s all you get in the mountains of Pakistan.

Just past dark I made my move. The cell phone talker lay supine on a mat droning the Isha prayers. What I was waiting for. A silent pounce … pressure on the carotid artery … one Mississippi … two Mississippi … three and … he’s out … cold.

I stuff a rag in his mouth and hog-tie him.

On the stalk I considered whether hog tying is a violation of Muslim law –finally, since there was no Imam to provide guidance, I just decided to do what was fun. But Man! What a stench! I’d have to throw the rope away. He was a dirty terrorist.

Installment Two

I poked my prisoner in the chest with my index finger,

“Abdul … you Abdul … I’ll call you, Abdul.”

He struggled with the ropes but when I tie a hog he stays tied

I told him my name,

“I’m 317.”

This quieted him down considerably. He just lay there confused while I took over the mat and did my pre-prayer scrub. I converted to Islam in 2002 – right after I decided I had duties in the Islamic world. Over time, like my distant relative Richard Burton, I came to prefer it to all other religions.

I was halfway into Takbirat Al-ihram when I heard the unmistakable sound of a round being chambered. I look up and there’s a guy with a beard as white and as long Santa Claus but with no bag of presents. Just a long gun pointing straight at me. He gestured with the long gun for me to untie Abdul. I didn’t really want to but didn’t have much choice. First, gag; then, the ropes.

As soon as Abdul is free he does exactly what I would have done to him – a punch to the jaw. For a lightweight it’s a good wallop, though not near as good as I make it out to be. After all, there’s no sense in belittling a guy who’s got a ticket to beat hell out of you. I picked myself up and got knocked down until his arms got tired. He used his feet for a while and after delivering one final kick said two words I’ll never forget,

“Bill Clinton.”

It was my turn to look confused.

Installment Three

My captors conferred quietly in Pashto – a language I’m only passable at. I could make out they were deciding whether to shoot me then and there or take me to see “The Amirs.”

Skinny Claus looked at me repeatedly and shook his head in the negative. He wanted to shoot me and get it over with. Abdul was for taking me with them. He repeated several times “Bill Clinton,” the last repetition apparently clinching the deal. I’d be allowed to live. For awhile, at least.

But what was this about Bill Clinton?

Abdul tied my hands behind my back with my own rope. He was pretty a good knot man; it would take a while to get loose. I was hustled over some pretty tough terrain. I fell down often, trying to give the impression I was old, out-of-shape, and out of my element. At fifty four, you could say I was old, the rest I had to act.

Ol Yellow Dog.....Where are the jobs Mr. Boehner Obama ?"

Mr. Boehner is NOT THE PRESIDENT, Mr. Obama currently sits in that seat and PROMISED to reduce the unemployment rate below 8% and to have it at 5.5% within THREE YEARS in order to pass a "shovel ready" Stimulus package costing the taxpayers about $ 864,000,000,000 (revised by GAO). That is where the JOBS are located, in the toilet along with a PROMISE.

Wait a minute, a Democratic congresswoman from Washington State told me in February 2009 that she was working an issue with President-elect Obama. Of course I immediately corrected her ignorance.

Guess it just runs in the Progressive sphere.....don't know who the sitting President is.

" ... someones right to protest abortion clinics ... "

What about someones right to privacy when they visit a clinic that does abortions. Don't hey have rights too? Like the right to visit ANY clinic that they choose? For whatever "legal" reason that they might have? Or how about their right to choose? Does that not count either?

Oh that's right. They are just women. They have no right. Sorry. I forgot.

ldo

Ol Yellow Dog.....Where are the jobs Mr. Boehner Obama ?"

Is your mind too far gone to remember 2010? "A laser focus on jobs." That's what the repubs promised. Instead it's been anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, and anti Obama.

I think it's a good thing, but perhaps we should apply it to our politiicans as well, Senator Kyle a republican from Nevada said on national TV theat his right to lie to the American people was protected under freedom of speech, I think all politicians should be under oath the entire time they are in office, and that includes when doing interviews on fox news and during election caqmpaigns. If they lie to get elected or anytime thereafter they should be thrown in prison and stipped of all pension and retirement benefits. The dishonesty of our politicians is ruining this country and is setting a very bad example for the sheeple and their children, it seems that lying has become an acceptable form of communication in the 21st century.

wake up2840 - Do you mean that we don't need to strike down any 'decrees' from any other president? What decrees are you referring to, anyway. I don't think presidents get to make decrees. That's reserved for royalty of other nations.

get a grip george..... did you read my post? we're probably in complete agreement on women's rights, this conversation isn't about women's rights. it's about the right of free speech.

i think you need to work on your reading comprehension. seriously. the exact point i was making was that i find ANTI-ABORTIONISTS repugnant (being firmly pro-choice) but they still have the right to protest.

Bob: You just got TRASHED!!!

Adam

That guy that died for your freedom that EARNED that Medal Of Honor? You got his 6? Guess not. How about his families honor? Guess not. How about the fact he died so you could have that Constitution, notice it is capitalized out of reverence and respect, to complain about being violated? You need to get a read on your priorities-the are all screwed up. With out honor you are rutting pig mired in rhetoric that has no substance beyond empty words. Your freedom is worth much more than that, at least to the people that fought and died for it.

And I totally agree with Bob on this. I didn't spend 20 yrs in the Army to heard some POS "brag" about something they didn't do, yet alone use a lie about military service to get a gain (political office, preference, etc).

bob, it's an absurd argument to state that opposing this law is akin to dishonoring military service. keep throwing around the word "honor" it only makes your argument seem more juvenile.

i defend the right of abortion protesters to protest. or god hates fags. in spite of the fact that i disagree with them to the point that they physically make me nauseous.

you are disrespecting the troops by misrepresenting the constitution they've fought for.

Tracey, I have a feeling you can't understand unless you've "walk in their shoes" or should I say "their boots"

So you think it's fine to misrepresent/lie? Let alone lie about serving this great country? Honor is one of the first things any military service installs into it's recruits.

that is true, but it DOESN'T make my comment any less valid.

we can't just defend freedom of speech that we like. actual freedom of speech is defending speech you oppose.

no i think it's @!$%#ty to lie? but creating a law against lying is the exact opposite of freedom of speech.

take the troops out of the equation for argument sake...... do you think it's ok for congress to pass a simple law about lying. not lying about anything specific but just lying in general?

your argument is moronic

Julie-401527....."And I totally agree with Bob on this. I didn't spend 20 yrs in the Army to heard some POS "brag" about something they didn't do, yet alone use a lie about military service to get a gain (political office, preference, etc)."

You got that right. It is time Mrs. Pelosi "Cleaned out the Swamp". Oh, too late and too far over her head.

Maybe they should have included "Stolen Heritage Act" into this bill. Hmmmm, that would tick Elizabeth Warren off.

" ... What has gone RIGHT with the Obama presidency? ... "

Let's see .......

Huh ........

Um .....

One dead terrorist. You know the one. The one that Bush promised to fallow to The Gates of Hell? Then said that he didn't think about him much. You remember that don't you. Guess The Gates of Hell were just to far to chase him huh?

Or the facts that for the vast majority of Obamas term there has been job growth? Sure it has been slow. But when Bush left office this country was loosing about 750 thousand jobs a month.

Romney wanted to let GM and the rest of the auto industry die. Causing the loss of 100's of thousands , to millions more jobs to be lost. And Obama stopped that from happening.

Bushes tax cuts were for the rich. Obamas tax cuts, in the stimulus package, were for everyone else. Which helped to slow, if not end the free fall this country was in.

But what about the debt and deficit? Well let's see shall we? Obama put 2 unpaid for wars on the book for what somewhere near, what, $1 Trillion. Bush didn't. So who does that part of the debt/deficit belong to. Or Medicare Part D, $700+ Billion of unpaid for program. Bush didn't. So who does that part of the debt/deficit belong to?

Now how about the budget. Do you know who's job it is to propose a budget? Nope. Not the President. Nope. Not the Senate either. That would leave ...... the Republican controlled House. According to the Constitution. Which they have. Yes they have. But they are supposed to pass a reasonable one. Not one that they know that they know the Senate will not even consider. Which is what they have done time and time again.

So no budget. Not Obamas fault. The debt/deficit? Both belong to those that hold the purse strings, The House. So not Obamas fault either.

So just what has Obama done wrong? Huh. There are some things. But not enough to account for the hate the Right has for him. So why does the Right hate him so much? Why do you hate him so much?

Heads explode, lies and falsehood start in ....

3 .....

2 .....

1 .....

peruser1,

trolls like yourself provide no value to our society.

I think you don't understand how the laws work, and how free speech works.

AlexG is being too polite. Your statement is idiotic!

Why? Because it contains concepts that appear to be over your head?

You know. Kind of like you, and your understanding of how free speech works? The Constitution ONLY protects OUR right to free speech from the Government. F R O M the Government!

Appears that you can't read either. But that's not surprising. The Right gets their Bible and the Constitution wrong most of the time.

again peruser,

try assembling a cohesive sentence, rather than just inflammatory language. seriously, if you're 18 or under i understand, you're just a dumb teenager. if you're older. yikes. drop what you're doing and get yourself to the nearest community college, take some entry level classes and learn to form a structured argument.

Joe Biden had FIVE differments between 1963 and 1968.

Perhaps you should sign up for service. I believe your opinion would change, once you experience the commitment, and drive that it requires to earn these medals - or any medal.

peruser1,

I did enlist. Then I re-enlisted. Served both, in what was at that time "harms way". So I understand the commitment and the drive. The risk and the price. And I agree. Not with you. But with Mic.

There are more important things they should be working on.

So peruser1 ....

Bite me.

Obama vetoed them. We will take care of that in a couple of weeks.

Oh really?

Obama has vetoed a total of 2 bills.

Were these the Republican jobs savings bills?

December 30, 2009: Vetoed H.J.Res. 64, Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes. Override attempt in the House failed.

October 7, 2010: Vetoed H.R. 3808, the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010. Override attempt in the House failed.

There was a jobs bill, it was called the Stimulus, $867 Billion worth Obama's trickle up policies.

We saw how well that worked out, now you want to throw more money after bad?

OK so the Stimulus actually passed without Republican support.

"...the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report in August that said the stimulus bill has "lowered the unemployment rate by between 0.7 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points" and "increased the number of people employed by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million."

Simply put, more people would be unemployed if not for the stimulus bill."

http://www.factcheck.org/2010/09/did-the-stimulus-create-jobs/

So again, where are the Republican jobs bills?

The ribbons on the uniform tell the story of your time in the military. all of them have a special meaning. if your are looking for valor medals then only look at the top row

smartone

You ever hear, "If I have to explain it you wouldn't understand anyway"?

Unfortunately I think that is what most of these comments are attributed to. Three war vet, 2 purples, 2 bronze vs, I am sure none of it means anything to most of them...unless I do NOT have to explain it, and those, in the end, are why we did it. For each other.

CSM USA RET (27yrs)

John Howell,

What you fail to recognize is that flag-wrapping is an integral part of military culture dating back to the BCE period. Soldiers in the Greek or Roman armies could earn their freedom and citizenship by completing their service (usually twenty years). They received yearly patches to remind them and their superiors when their obligation would be over. Citizen soldiers were eligible for pensions. Later, in the chivalric period, bars might be added to a knight's shield to demonstrate a particularly heroic act. As modern armies emerged, this ribbons and medals came not to represent just time or feats, but shared sacrifice and loss. The Purple Heart, initiated by George Washington, represented the first medal actually given in recognition in suffering wounds in battle in defence of country. Before that, the "reward" was usually a missing limb or a grave.

We take young people, often too young to legally buy a beer, pay them basically minimum wage, ship them around the world while training them in very specific skills, put them in charge of machines and weapons worth $millions or more, and expect them to die for us if needed. And when they get home, they meet with people who treat them poorly, act as they are no longer of value, or maybe someone to be feared. I am ashamed of your attitude. I watched a TV program some time ago about modern aircraft carriers. The commanding admiral talked about the importance of honor and respect in the Navy. Pointing to the helmsman, he said: "Where else will you see a 19 year old steering a $4.6billion ship with over 4600 people aboard?"

" ... unless I do NOT have to explain it, ... "

No Sir, Command Sergeant Major. You do not have to.

I think the legal test for it would be the same as for fraud.

While I appreciate your core skepticism.. tell that to the men and women who stood up against the Imperial Japanese, the Nazi Germans and everyone else we've fought (with the possible exception or North Vietnam) in the unambiguous defense of freedom.

I've never been in the military and I won't unless and until it looks like there's going to be another world war and we're not in the wrong, BUT even I wouldn't be bulletheaded enough to sit here and say every man who's ever fought for his country and earned a distinction doesn't deserve the status and the honor, and if appropriate the few benefits it entitles them to.

Even if I agree about these wars of policy and acquisition that we've been in, I couldn't disagree more with your sweeping generalization of reasons why people are in the service and giving their best.

This law is about making it illegal to reap benefits for something you didn't do. It's the same reason why faking a college degree (which I suppose you'd say is a meaningless paper granted by sponsored institutions that haven't educated you but rather filled you with an opinion and information they approve of.. but for the rest of us.. its a paper that verifies our specialization in a field of study that is not hard but not easy or painless to get) or impersonating a police officer, or impersonating a charitable organization is illegal.

It's not making it illegal to covet honor. It's making it illegal to covet it and collect monetary or other fiscal benefits from the lie.

Joy, I am sorry for you. These things happen all too frequently.

When the NamVets meet at bars or parades or whatever, after we shake we ask: "Where and when?" For us it is very easy to smoke out frauds and I have seen some nasty consequences. We are old but we are rough and we provoke.

I spent nine years in the Marine Corps and ended my time after Vietnam. I went in with my best buddy who got out after four years in 1962, who knew I had done time in country, who was my best man at the wedding after I had returned to the states. He had never been near Vietnam but he told his second wife that he had been a Marine "black jumper" - whatever that is- in Laos and that my mother wrote a congressman to keep me out of combat. I learned this at his funeral three years ago. The people there treated me with contempt. I kept my mouth shut because it was his parade. All that cut me in the heart like a knife and it still hurts worse than all my other memories of that time in Vietnam and adjustment after.

By the way, he had bs-ed his way into the VFW with phoney documents. Their color guard was there with all their doo-dads. I wondered about them also.

God bless you, girl. I am sorry but keep looking for a good man.

Semper Fi

According to Obama there is nothing wrong with the economy.

Bob,

If you served in the military, I honor your service.

However, your jingo-ism here is a waste of time and dishonors your service as you are coming off as a first class liar. Take your above note: Obama has most certainly acknowledged problems with the economy.

Have a respect the Commander in Chief kind of day. You don't need to like him...but you don't need to lie about him either.

Gyortillicus,

I recall a news briefing fairly recently where your beloved President Obama stated, and I quote, "There's nothing wrong with the private sector". Not to mention the entire "You didn't build that" debacle. BobW, I honor your service along with your wish for an honorable government. As you said. Only a few months left of this administration.

ROMNEY/RYAN 2012

There really isn't anything wrong with the private sector. The problems have arisen from frivolous lawsuits and entitlements to luxuries that people have not earned nor can afford. All this is backlash from poor decisions from previous presidents, for example Clinton and his brillant *sarcasm* "everyone deserves to own a home even if they can't afford it crap."

And above all poor decisions from the private citizens who overstepped their abilities to pay and then complain because the companies are calling in their debts, as laid out perfectly legal, in the contract that those citizens signed.

NavyRetired2003Gyortillicus,
I recall a news briefing fairly recently where your beloved President Obama stated, and I quote, "There's nothing wrong with the private sector".

----------------

RECORD PROFITS MEANS THERE'S NOTHING WRONG. The private sector is fine. He didn't say there was nothing wrong with the economy.

The same people who complain about "Hate Crime laws" are the same people supporting this nonsense. Where are the jobs???