Truest statement of the week

In April, I visited some of the almost 5,000 troops that President Obama has put back in Iraq, and I witnessed a recurring theme: We have a military plan to defeat the Islamic State — and, as initial gains in Fallujah this week demonstrate, it’s going well in many respects — but we have yet to articulate a political plan to ensure Iraq’s long-term stability.

Sometimes it’s impossible to tell whether it’s 2007 or 2016. The battle plans I hear from our commanders in Iraq today are the same ones I heard at the beginning of the surge, down to the same cities and tribal alliances. My question is: How will this time be different? The silence is deafening.


-- US House Rep. Seth Moulton, "Get Ready For Another Iraq War" (THE WASHINGTON POST).

A note to our readers

Hey -- 

 A Tuesday.
 

As C.I. explained this morning:

Where's Third?

Everything's done but the editorial.

Ava and I finished our TV piece on Sunday.

I am not working Mondays on Third, I have no problem taking the blame for that.

I'm tired and I'm tired of it not being finished on Sunday.

So I've stopped working on Mondays on Third.

We've been working this morning and everything's done but the editorial.

I've got to speak at 9:00 (EST) so my time is gone.

And if I hadn't bailed a few minutes ago, we wouldn't have anything up here.

It is what it is.

We'll try to get our content up on Sunday this weekend.


First, we thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:





The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.



And what did we come up with:

• Truest statement of the week
• Editorial: That do nothing Congress
• TV: What it can say about humanity
• Congress and Veterans
• We told you Hillary was packing on the pounds
• Tweet of the week
• So that just leaves Jill?
• But what about HOMELAND?
• Filipovic Lusts After Hillary
• This edition's playlist
• Jill Stein Twitter
• Senate VA Committee: Senate Must Act on Veterans F...
• DEATH WITH DIGNITY ADVOCATE DR. LAWRENCE EGBERT DI...

Peace.




-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.

Editorial: That do nothing Congress

Last week, Nancy Pelosi and other useless members of the House of Representatives were congratulating themselves on their stunt: a sit-in.

Nancy Pelosi ‏@NancyPelosi  Jun 22

Sit or stand but we cannot be silent for victims of gun violence - we need to take action. #NoBillNoBreak

1,959 retweets4,315 likes

Glenn Greenwald made a solid point.

Glenn Greenwald ‏@ggreenwald  4h4 hours ago

Glenn Greenwald Retweeted The Intercept

Of all things Dems could've but didn't do a sit-in for (end Iraq War, punish Wall St & torturers), they choose this:

Glenn Greenwald added,

The Intercept @theintercept

House Democrats sit-in on gun control to expand the use of a flawed anti-terror watchlist. http://interc.pt/28OzfYQ 

424 retweets466 likes

The sit-in was for a racist watch list.

That is nothing on Democrat should have gotten behind.

Others pointed out that the House Dems were doing a sit-in for this when they had avoided sitting in on so many issues.

1. Max Blumenthal ‏@MaxBlumenthal  2h2 hours ago

   #DemsNeverSat against Israel's 2014 Gaza slaughter. @SenWarren, @alfranken and @SenSherrodBrown voted for it. http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/dead_gazans_missing_from_senate_endorsement_of_israeli_invasion_20140720 …

   37 retweets42 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
2. Anoa J. Changa, Esq. ‏@MsNonoESQ  3h3 hours ago

   Anoa J. Changa, Esq. Retweeted AC Uhuru

   #DemsNeverSat against systemic disinvestment, poverty, school closures, health care access, etc

   Anoa J. Changa, Esq. added,

   
   

   AC Uhuru @AcUhuru
   

   @msnonoesq no the only thing that will reduce gun violence in Baltimore is building up the community.But the #DemsNeverSat for urban blight

   51 retweets67 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
3. Esha ‏@eshaLegal  3h3 hours ago

   Esha Retweeted إسماعيل المحطوري

   #DemsNeverSat against crimes against humanity. In fact, they championed the weapons sales.

   Esha added,

   
   

   إسماعيل المحطوري @ismailm2022
   

   .@Amnesty: US-Saudi coalition dropped banned #USA-made munitions in #Yemen #Yemeni_Children_Donations_to_UN http://amn.st/6012BkXIM 

   24 retweets15 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
4. Mira #BernieOrBust ‏@trustcurrency  3h3 hours ago

   #DemsNeverSat to protest the most corrupt presidential candidate in US history.

   60 retweets72 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
5. #BernieOrBust ‏@ZBanshee  4h4 hours ago

   #DemsNeverSat #NoBillNoBreak Glad ppl r as disgusted w/ @TheDemocrats dog & pony show as I am & see it 4 what it is

   23 retweets52 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
6. Alan Smithee ‏@ActualFlatticus  4h4 hours ago

   #DemsNeverSat to stop the Iraq War. Or apologized for never trying.

   90 retweets111 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
7. Joanne Leon ‏@joanneleon  5h5 hours ago

   #DemsNeverSat to stop Hillary making arms deals w/ countries who donated $$$ to her Foundation

   152 retweets113 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
8. GAPeach ‏@PoliticsPeach  5h5 hours ago

   #DemsNeverSat as black children were disproportionately expelled in schools on pipeline 2 prison .@repjohnlewis

   124 retweets135 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
9. Ketori_BernieOrGreen ‏@KetoriSaidSo  5h5 hours ago

   #DemsNeverSat when Flint kids were drinking what looks like sewerage

   205 retweets195 likes

   
   

   
   

   
   
10. #BERNIEFACTS ‏@Bernie_Facts  5h5 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat for any other cause when it wasn't an election year #NoBillNoBreak

    138 retweets168 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
11. D ‏@Delo_Taylor  5h5 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat in protest of the drone war's extrajudicial executions of suspects without due process or a trial. #NoBillNoBreak

    View conversation
    

    141 retweets139 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
12. D ‏@Delo_Taylor  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat in protest of poverty, the war on drugs, racist policing & mass incarceration of black/brown communities. #NoBillNoBreak

    View conversation
    

    174 retweets169 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
13. #Bernieorbust ‏@joavargas_1220  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat when someone under FBI investigation ran for president

    141 retweets173 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
14. Ratchet of the Earth ‏@BlackAutonomist  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat against the use of sanctions on Iraq which killed hundreds of thousands of women & children.

    137 retweets164 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
15. Pinko.Snob ‏@pinko_snob  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat to oppose the terror watch list, which they're pretty much embracing right now.

    70 retweets83 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
16. تیاررا ‏@MarxiFarsi  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat to demand a new water system in flint.

    166 retweets164 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
17. تیاررا ‏@MarxiFarsi  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat to stop the Obama administration from deporting 2.5+ million people.

    165 retweets160 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
18. charlie ‏@STLeftist  6h6 hours ago

    charlie Retweeted charlie

    #DemsNeverSat

    charlie added,

    
    

    charlie @STLeftist
    

    Never a "sit in" for a living wage... #NoBillNoBreak

    24 retweets32 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
19. Ratchet of the Earth ‏@BlackAutonomist  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat while private prison corporations were cutting backdoor deals with state & municipal govt's encouraging more incarceration.

    40 retweets52 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
20. Sean  ♠️ ‏@Seanismoney  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat for extended unemployment benefits

    20 retweets34 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
21. daniel sieradski ‏@selfagency  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat against Wall Street bailouts

    74 retweets84 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
22. Ratchet of the Earth ‏@BlackAutonomist  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat while racist police forces were getting surplus military hardware to use in communities of color in the US.

    134 retweets124 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
23. Carli Stevenson ‏@gardengn0me  6h6 hours ago

    And for some tough but fair criticism, check out #DemsNeverSat

    14 retweets23 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
24. Ratchet of the Earth ‏@BlackAutonomist  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat while Israel was slaughtering civilians in Gaza. Decided to give them more military aid.

    87 retweets101 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
25. daniel sieradski ‏@selfagency  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat against the repeal of the Voting Rights Act

    93 retweets88 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
26. Mike Isaacson ‏@VulgarEconomics  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat for universal healthcare

    View conversation
    

    67 retweets70 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
27. daniel sieradski ‏@selfagency  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat in opposition to NSA collecting data on U.S. citizens and sharing with local law enforcement

    22 retweets25 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
28. Sean  ♠️ ‏@Seanismoney  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat for mandatory paid maternity leave

    41 retweets46 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
29. Mike Isaacson ‏@VulgarEconomics  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat to raise the minimum wage

    View conversation
    

    57 retweets61 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    
30. Mike Isaacson ‏@VulgarEconomics  6h6 hours ago

    #DemsNeverSat to stop the War in Iraq

    69 retweets81 likes

    
    

    
    

    
    

That's also a valid argument.

Our argument?

Sit-ins are for the powerless.

Sit-ins are for the people.

How dare members of Congress act as though they're powerless when they are most definitely not.

This was a publicity stunt.

Equally true, speak to Medea Benjamin.

Ask her what happens these days when she only raises a sign in a Congressional hearing.

In other words, House Dems won't support the people's right to protest but they will gladly stage a (useless) sit-in on their own.

It's embarrassing.

And shameful when you grasp that Congress has failed to provide proper oversight to the still ongoing Iraq