Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Truest statement of the week

Bernie Sanders did not lie to his followers; they deceived themselves, just as most of them – the ones that were old enough – had fooled themselves into believing that Barack Obama was a peace candidate and a political progressive back in 2008, although Obama’s actual record and policy pronouncements showed him clearly to be a corporate imperialist warmonger – a political twin of his principal primary election opponent, Hillary Clinton and her philandering, huckster husband.
Back then, phony leftists like Bill Fletcher and Tom Hayden swore on their mothers’ honor that Obama’s campaign was really a people’s movement, a prelude to revolution – as if the Democrats, a militarist corporate political party, could give birth to an anti-corporate, anti-militarist people’s revolution.


-- Glen Ford, "Bernie Sanders Endorses the World’s Greatest (Presumptive) Evil" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).







A note to our readers

Hey --


Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday Weld?


This almost made it up Tuesday morning.

But that's when I (Jim) asked C.I. to type up a transcript to the roundtable.

At which point she told me she might do that Tuesday night but there was no way in hell she was going to do it in the next hour.

Okay then.


Let's 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?



Glen Ford gets another.  And what a truest.
We had no idea on the editorial.  It's the last thing we wrote and we wrote it tonight (Tuesday night).  At some point, C.I. came up with the idea.  And once we had that, it fell into place.
Ava and C.I. wrote their TV piece on Sunday.  They were ready, as they like to point out.

It was time for another roundtable.
Short feature.
We begged Ava and C.I. for a second piece and this is what they wrote.  They're considering doing a Hillary piece each week.  If they do one next week, you won't want to miss it.  They bring up something, bring it back into the public record.  Poor little innocent Hillary?  Not quite.

Oh that wacky War Hawk.
You kept asking about this and we had sampled this back in June so here's another test kitchen.
What we listened to.
A special PBS NEWSHOUR.
IAVA press release.
DAV press release.
IAVA press release.
And Mike and the gang wrote this and we thank them for it.






Peace.




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









EDITORIAL: And now back to us

Iraq briefly got attention.

It just took approximately 300 deaths for it to get write ups and coverage in the western media.

A little bit of coverage.

And then it was all back to us.

The shootings.

Of civilians.

Of police.

Here in America, in the US.

And suddenly it's all about us again.

But here's some scary reality -- that Iraq War?

That's about us too.

The US government started that war and continues that war and we do not even turn out the streets to protest.

We do not call out Barack Obama for breaking his promise to end it.

We do not call out the precious at all.

And then as we embrace violence with our silence, we are shocked -- shocked -- that the world becomes a little more violent.

We're shocked that the violence comes home to the US.

Oh, we believe in cause and effect . . .

in a laboratory setting.


We just won't recognize how two never-ending wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) have embraced violence and moved our world into a more violent place.

But for a brief, tiny moment, we were almost able to focus on the victims in Iraq.


TV: NETFLIX's next great program

WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S hit US screens in 1989, PORKY'S in March 1982 and ANNIE in June 1982.  Lionel Richie's hit single "Hello" was released February 13, 1984.  Why does it matter?


abtv


In the episode "Lainey Loves Lionel," first aired Feburary 10th, THE GOLDBERGS name checks all, more than name checks.  After discussing WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S, they have Adam and his friend buy tickets to ANNIE while planning to sneak into PORKY'S as Barry tries to devise the perfect Valentine's Day gift for Lainey with help from the video for Lionel's "Hello."

This episode's events were all supposed to take place in the same week.

See the problem?

Fortunately, STRANGER THINGS is more firmly rooted in the 80s.

What's that?

The latest must-stream NETFLIX series.

For eight strong episodes, a sci-fi story set in the 80s unfold and involves like nothing since HOUSE OF CARDS.

A group of young boys finish playing a round of Dungeon and Dragons and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) heads home only to encounter some sort of faceless creature.

The next morning his mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) is telling her son Charlie (Jonathan Byers) to wake up his brother Will.

With Will missing, Joyce refuses to give up looking or accept easy answers.

And his friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) head off on their own search helped by Elle (Millie Bobby Brown).

Add in a haunted and wrecked chief of police Jim (David Harbour) and a government conspiracy of some form and the intrigue doesn't let up.

Even at the end of the eight episode run, when it appears everything has been tied up, a new loose end emerges.

Sci-fi is very hard to do -- look at all the crash and burns on SYFY, for example.

But NETFLIX has pulled it off.

A huge deal of credit goes to show runners Matt and Ross Duffer as well as to Chris Trujillo, William G. Davis and Jess Royal who've done an amazing job with the look of the show.

But you can't forget the cast.

One natural and real performance after another.

Topped off by Winona Ryder and David Harbour.

Harbour's been dwelling in supporting roles for some time.  Chief Jim Hopper is his first chance to run with a lead and he more than delivers.  We're talking Emmy quality work here.

Winona?


Her acting choices in scene after scene are inspired and surprising, reminding one and all why she became a star to begin with.


And STRANGER THINGS is a strong reminder that NETFLIX -- with DAREDEVIL, HOUSE OF CARDS, JESSICA JONES, SENSE8, GRACE & FRANKIE, FULLER HOUSE and more -- is beginning the 'channel' you need.




























Roundtable

 Jim: It's roundtable time again.   Remember our e-mail address is thethirdestatesundayreview@yahoo.com.  Participating in our roundtable are  The Third Estate Sunday Review's Dona, Ty, Jess,   and me, Jim; Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude; Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man;  Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills); Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix; Mike of Mikey Likes It!; Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz); Ruth of Ruth's Report; Trina of Trina's Kitchen; Wally of The Daily Jot; Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ; Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends;  and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub. Betty's kids did the illustration. You are reading a rush transcript.




Roundtable


Jim (Con't): First off, blogging.  Reader Jose asks why those of you with websites are blogging less these days?


Trina: I don't know.  I just don't have that kind of time.  I wish I did.  And the thing is, after I blog, I suddenly have some idea like, "That's what I should have blogged on instead."

Kat: Me too.  In fact, I've been meaning to blog about the vocal layers on Nick Jonas' new album.  The more I listen to that with headphones, the more I discover.  But it's time to blog, I'm looking through the news and trying to find a topic.

Elaine: Like Trina, I just don't know that I have the time or, more importantly, the desire.  I marvel at C.I.'s ability to cover Iraq every day.  Every day.  No day off.  Every day since November 2004.  I marvel.  But I'm just not there myself.  Now calling out the liars who are suddenly concerned with peace -- the Ron Jacobs who kept their mouths shut throughout Barack's terms -- I can always write about that.  And will.

Betty: I loved that Glen Ford at BLACK AGENDA REPORT called out Tom Hayden this week.  That's good to see.  For the longest, it seemed like it was C.I. and only her.  And Tom deserves to be called out.

Mike: Exactly.  He's such an embarrassment and such a whore.  I mean he loathed Hillary in 2008, have we forgotten?  And now he was telling people to vote for her and not Bernie Sanders?

Ruth: Right.  And, to speak only of me, in 2008 I was telling people to vote for Hillary Clinton.  And if you want to know what changed, it was documented at my website.  I could give her the benefit of the doubt on Iraq in 2008 because what else did I have to judge by?  But then she becomes Secretary of State and is calling for a no fly zone over Syria -- which will require troops -- and she is calling for the destruction of Libya and do not forget Benghazi.

Jim: Now you guys knew early on that it was a CIA Annex.  I remember you talking about that right after the attack.  How?

Ruth: Not right after.  It was probably a month after.  But we were at the first House hearing on Benghazi and the issue was being talked around and Jason Chavetz was saying that they needed to be careful and that this needed to go to special session and I looked at Wally and said something like, "What are they talking about?"  And C.I. looks at us and says, "It's CIA."

Wally: Yeah.   And Ruth's right, she's speaking for a lot of us.  About Hillary and the change.  I mean, I dropped out of college in January 2008 to campaign for her.  But now? No way, no how.  She has a paper trail -- if not an e-mail trail.

Jess: "I'm sick of talking about those damn e-mails!"

Rebecca: Stupidest thing Bernie Sanders ever said.

Marcia: Amen.


Jim: Bernie had some supporters here.

Ann: Well clarify that because Bernie had supporters in the race against Hillary and Bernie also had supporters regardless of Hillary.

Mike: Marcia and I were supporters regardless.

Marcia: Right.  We believed.  And then he sold us out.  I still get angry.

Jim: He sold you out by --

Marcia: Telling us to support Hillary.  If we wanted to support her, we would have.  His campaign was about how she was the wrong candidate.  And then he's all 'let's stand together.'  Uh, no.  In fact, don't stand next to me, Bernie.  I don't trust you.

Mike: Yeah, like he might try to pick our pockets.  I am so disillusioned.  I can't believe it.  And my mother was telling me all along that he was going to do this and that I was putting too much faith in him.  You were right!

Trina: Thank you.  And I think Ann made a good point.  I was a Bernie over Hillary type.  I was not a Bernie is the salvation coming for to carry me home.  A lot of that is due to the lousy job he did as Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

Kat: He was awful.

Dona: I found it interesting that Hillary never hit him there.  But then, if you think about it, she wasn't exactly a champion of veterans in the Senate herself.

Jess: She didn't do much of anything in the Senate.

Jim: So what if Donald Trump gets to the White House instead of Hillary?

Cedric: You want us to make predictions?

Jim: Sure.

Cedric: Hillary's war for sure.

Betty: Mmm-hmmm.

Cedric: Trump probably is as well.  Probably.  So maybe a little less than Hillary, less of a chance.

Ty: Some say Trump is an outsider.  There's something about him that panics the GOP establishment.  Whether that's reason to vote for him or not, I have no idea.

Jim: And?

Ty: Well Andrew Garfield, to name another GOP-er, he was considered an outsider.

Betty: But President Garfield was shot his first year in office and died weeks later.

Rebecca: From infection, most likely.

Betty: Correct.

Stan: Well I'm with Cedric on this, predictions?  Let's go with something of more value.

Dona: Okay, there was a question regarding last week's edition ignoring Jill Stein.  Anybody?

Stan: I don't need Black Lives Matter from Jill Stein.  In fact, as Ann pointed out at her site, it actually angers me from her.  Because I see no sign that she's going to select a running mate who is African-American.  She didn't in 2012.  So I was among those last week saying take a pass on Jill.

Ann: If Black Lives Matter, maybe you pick an African-American running mate?  Otherwise, you're just flapping your gums to get points for being so 'caring.'


Cedric: She could easily name Cornel West as her running mate or, for that matter, Bruce Dixon.

Betty: Or how about Majora Carter?  Or Lisa Jackson?  Or Dr. Marsha Coleman?


Marcia: I am most likely voting Jill Stein.  But I do not want to see a repeat of her 2012 all White ticket.  Sorry.

Ann: Don't be sorry, we agree with you.

Jim: So that's one issue, any others?

Rebecca: Where's the concern for Iraq?  Both in terms of the amount of US tax dollars wasted as well as the ongoing crime against the Iraqi people?  I'm not seeing it.  If you can't formulate a foreign policy, I don't know that you can get my vote.  I am very pro-Palestinian and my vote very much depends upon someone's foreign outlook.

Elaine:  Yeah, we need to see serious talk about peace from anyone who's going to win my vote.  Remember in the 2008 primaries, I voted for Mike Gravel and he was a peace candidate.

Jim: Any other issues?

Mike: I will give her credit and applause for her stance on student loan debt -- we do need to see a bailout on that.

Trina: I was just going to say that.

Jim: Anything else?

Ruth: I will say if you're going to Tweet on every event, you need to Tweet on every event.  Meaning you cannot just focus on this killing or that killing getting massive press coverage. I will leave it at that.

Jim: Okay, then, so will we. You are reading a rush transcript.  We'll try to do a roundtable again real soon.


















Clutch the pearls?




ctp








Hillary just said what? (Ava and C.I.)


Last week, War Hawk Hillary Clinton had a new point to make in a commercial.

It's actually the same point:  Donald Trump is awful.

She makes that point over and over because she's awful.

The winner of the two of them will apparently be the one who convinces the most people that they themselves are the least awful.


hillcranky

But there was Hillary's commercial quoting Donald saying this and Donald saying that.

And here was the kicker:  The children.

The children.

What is this teaching our children?

What is this saying to our children?


What?

Were we having an acid flashback or was Hillary?

Because we remember that whole children argument.

What is this doing to our children?

How do we explain this to our children?

Only those questions, in the 90s, weren't being asked about what Donald Trump was saying.

No, they were being asked about where then-President Bill Clinton was sticking his penis.


Apparently uninterested in sharing the 'magic wand' with his wife Hillary, he'd taken up with Monica Lewinsky while president.

And he was exposed.

And the nation had to endure talk of blow jobs and sticking cigars in places and so much more because of Bill's tawdry behavior.


So since Hillary's bring up the tired 'what will we tell the children' topic, it must be time for Bill to do some sit downs and for Hillary and him to explain how they're going to ensure that his behavior, if she's elected, is not going to once again subject 'the children' to topics that 'concerned' adults like Hillary want to shield the children from.

Again, she's the one going to the well on this topic.

Donald said some dumb things?

Well most children -- in any country -- are well aware that people say dumb things.

But most children aren't subjected to details about semen on dresses, or blow jobs in the Oval Office or cigars put in places they really aren't intended for.

So, since Hillary's raised her concern for the children, let's follow that up.  Let's get serious.

How are we supposed to believe that Bill will keep it in his pants this time?

Is he going to promise the country?

If so, is he going to offer that should he be caught in yet another affair, he will move out of the White House?

Let's have the conversation now.

Once a cheater . . . .

Hillary Clinton again targeted by that vast right-wing conspiracy!

hillaryexplains


With Hillary Clinton the target of yet another investigation, she needs someone to blame it on.

Too bad she can't call the US State Department "GOP-controlled."  Oh well, she'll think of something else.


Illustration is Isaiah's  THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Hillary explains the latest investigation into her actions."











From The TESR Test Kitchen

blackbean






Gardein calls their Black Bean Sliders a "meatless wonder."

We call it a lot of names too but none of them are positive.

First off, cooked in the oven or the microwave, they are a soggy mess.

With buns or without, it's also a stinky mess.

It smells, it's soggy and it's tasteless.

Even worse, if you cook it in the microwave, that stench will not leave your microwave for weeks.

We finally cooked four orange slices in the microwave and that drove away the smell.






This edition's playlist


nickjonas



1) Nick Jonas' LAST YEAR WAS COMPLICATED.


2) Ben Harper's CALL IT WHAT IT IS.





4) Tori Amos'  UNREPENTANT GERALDINES.






9) The Mamas & The Papas' DELIVER.



10)  Tina Turner's Private Dancer.





PBS NewsHour Special: America in Black and Blue















Victory Declared as Vets Block Cuts to GI Bill


Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issued the following on Friday:




Post-9/11 Veterans group activates 31,000+ activists to stop Congress

PRESS CONTACT
Tel: 212-982-9699

press@iava.org

Washington, D.C. (July 15, 2016) – Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) has cleared a major hurdle in their campaign to #DefendtheGIBill stalling the top priority bill for the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) leadership as the Senate leaves for summer recess. Yesterday U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) stood up for veterans in blocking the bill, heralding success for the veterans advocacy organization and its 425,000 members. For the past six months veterans have voiced their opposition to the so-called “Veterans First Act”. This legislation would have included $3.4 billion in cuts over the next five years to the the Post-9/11 GI Bill hurting military recruiting, retention and morale.

“From the start of this campaign, IAVA members were clear: our benefits will not be used as a piggy bank for other programs,” said Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and CEO of IAVA. “Leaders in Congress cannot claim they take care of all veterans while in the same breath breaking their promise to our New Greatest Generation. Over the past six months, through an aggressive campaign on the hill and across the country IAVA members have made their voices heard on this issue. The message is clear — veterans will not be robbed of their benefits to pay for other government initiatives.”
IAVA’s progress has shown the strength of the 12 year old institution as a leading voice for veterans:


  • Since February 2016, IAVA members have sent over 31,729 letters to Congress asking representatives to oppose any cuts to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
  • IAVA staff and members have held meetings with 81 senate offices and lobbied over 80 percent of the Senate on the campaign to #DefendTheGIBill.
  • After tremendous pressure from IAVA, including testimony in March by IAVA Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff in front of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees, IAVA celebrated the Senate decision to cancel plans to increase the number of years of service required in order for service members to transfer their benefit to dependents.
  • In May, IAVA halted a House bill that included a 50 percent cut to the housing allowance provided to children who will have their parent’s Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits transferred to them.
  • In June, during a rapid response advocacy blitz reacting to SVAC members promoting the bill on the Senate floor, IAVA members made 139 calls constituent calls to Senator Isakson and Senator Blumenthal.
  • In July, IAVA successfully hindered the SVAC attempt to bend the rules and garner a hasty vote on the Veterans First Act ahead of their Independence Day break.
  • And, on Wednesday, IAVA escalated its defense of the GI Bill by launching an ad campaign in Connecticut and Georgia targeting the leaders of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.


“IAVA fought hard nine years ago to get the Post-9/11 GI Bill passed and we will continue fighting when Congress returns from summer recess to make sure they are permanently eliminated from this bill,” concluded Rieckhoff.

Secretary Hillary Clinton has pledged to oppose proposed congressional cuts to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and are calling on Mr. Donald Trump, to make the same pledge. IAVA continues to call on President Obama and members of Congress to take a stand and #DefendTheGIBill and oppose this unprecedented attempt to cut the landmark education program.


The Post-9/11 GI Bill has been used by nearly one million veterans and their family members to accomplish educational goals and chart new career paths. IAVA continues to call on Congress to take a stand and pledge to #DefendTheGIBill and oppose any cuts to the benefits our veterans rely on. See a full list of Members of Congress in opposition to the cuts here.

Note to media: Email press@iava.org or call 212-982-9699 to speak with IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff or IAVA leadership.


Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the leading post-9/11 veteran empowerment organization (VEO) with the most diverse and rapidly growing membership in America. As a non-profit founded in 2004, IAVA’s mission is to connect, unite and empower post-9/11 veterans. Celebrating its 11th year anniversary, IAVA has connected more than 1.2 million veterans with resources and community, and provided more than 5,800 veterans with personalized support from IAVA’s Master’s level social workers.


DAV’s response to Donald Trump’s veterans health care speech


Disabled America Veterans issued the following last week:


Statement of Garry J. Augustine, DAV Washington Executive Director

Garry-Augustine_PhotoWe appreciate the passion and focus of Mr. Trump to improve the health and well-being of America’s veterans and agree with some elements of his plan.  However, while his proposal to give every veteran a card to purchase private sector medical care may be well-intentioned, it would be disastrous for the men and women who served.


Encouraging all veterans to seek care in the private sector which lacks the expertise to treat military and combat injuries and illnesses, and which does not typically provide integrated or coordinated care, would lead to worse health outcomes for many veterans.


In addition, economists estimate such a plan would be at least two to three times more expensive than the current VA health care budget; between $1 – $2 trillion dollars more in the first ten years.  This proposal would bust the federal budget, bankrupt the VA health care system and could lead to significant new costs on veterans for care they have already paid for with their blood, sweat and sacrifice.


Just last week, a Congressionally-created Commission rejected the idea of giving veterans a plastic card to buy private sector care, citing both the enormous costs as well as a decline in the quality of care.  Instead, the Commission recommended building upon the high quality of care provided by the VA in order to create integrated networks utilizing community providers to expand access for veterans.


DAV, other veterans organizations, many veterans leaders in Congress, the VA and now the Commission have all come to the same conclusion: the best way to expand access to high-quality, veteran-focused care is by integrating community providers into networks coordinated by VA, not by sending more veterans out into the private sector.



We hope to have the opportunity to discuss our concerns with Mr. Trump in order to find common ground on how best to fulfill the promises to the men and women who served.  We look forward to working with the next President and Congress to strengthen, reform and sustain the VA health care system for the millions of veterans who choose and rely on VA for their care, particularly those injured and ill from their service.


Ayotte Blocks Cuts to New GI Bill


portions



From November 11, 2011, that's Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Portions." November 10, 2011 at the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Kelly Ayotte has an exchange with Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen Norton Schwartz. Ayotte observes, "I'm deeply troubled by the reports about what happened at the mortuary at the Dover Air Force Base. And I'm sure you would agree with me this is outrageous that remains of our soldiers would be put in a landfill and not treated with the appropriate dignity and honor which they deserve." The weasely Gen Schwartz feels the need to 'clarify,' "Let me clarify the allegation about putting remains in a landfill. These were portions."
Ayotte's been a strong advocate for veterans throughout her Senate career and, Thursday, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issued the following:










New Hampshire leader stands for post-9/11 vets


PRESS CONTACT
Tel: 212-982-9699

press@iava.org


WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 14, 2016) — Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the leading voice for post-9/11 veterans and their families, celebrates the courage of U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) to block attempts on the Senate floor to pass the so-called “Veterans First” Act. The proposed Act includes $3.4 billion in cuts to the Post-9/11 GI Bill over the next five years, hurting military recruiting, retention and morale.


“Today, Senator Ayotte stood up for our veterans. By blocking these outrageous cuts, she has shown her dedication to over 113,000 New Hampshire veterans,” said IAVA Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff. “As the wife of an Iraq war veteran currently serving in the Air National Guard, she understands firsthand the sacrifice made by IAVA members and their military families. We issued a call to the entire Senate and one courageous voice answered. Senator Ayotte has single-handedly assured that these cuts will not happen before the Congressional summer recess begins tomorrow. IAVA is proud to work with elected officials on both sides of the aisle on issues that most impact vets, and we call on the rest of the Senate to follow Senator Ayotte’s lead and block these cuts.”


IAVA, which led the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008, has focused national attention on congressional attempts to cut the earned veteran benefit. Since IAVA launched the #DefendTheGIBill campaign in February 2016, IAVA members have sent more than 31,000 messages to Congress asking them to take a stand and opposed any cuts to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and promise to never use veterans’ benefits as a piggy bank. We call on the rest of our US Senators, the President and Mr. Trump to stand with us to block these cuts.


“When our country was attacked, our men and women in uniform voluntarily stepped up to defend this nation, and we should not be cutting the post-9/11 GI Bill benefits they have earned. Unfortunately, while there are worthy aspects to this legislation, the Veterans First Act will make cuts to our veterans’ housing allowance, so I strongly oppose the bill moving forward in its current form,” said Senator Kelly Ayotte.


On Wednesday, IAVA escalated its defense of the GI Bill by launching an ad campaign in Connecticut and Georgia targeting Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), leaders of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Today is a victory in a key battle to defend the GI Bill, but IAVA’s fight won’t over and our members won’t be satisfied until

Chairman Isakson announces the cuts have been removed entirely.


The Post-9/11 GI Bill has been used by nearly one million veterans and their family members to accomplish educational goals and chart new career paths. For more information about IAVA’s campaign to defend the GI Bill, visit: DefendTheGIBill.org.



Note to media: Email press@iava.org or call 212-982-9699 to speak with IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff or IAVA leadership.


Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the leading post-9/11 veteran empowerment organization (VEO) with the most diverse and rapidly growing membership in America. As a non-profit founded in 2004, IAVA’s mission is to connect, unite and empower post-9/11 veterans. Celebrating its 11th year anniversary, IAVA has connected more than 1.2 million veterans with resources and community, and provided more than 5,800 veterans with personalized support from IAVA’s Master’s level social workers.

Highlights


This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ, Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends, Ann of Ann's Mega Dub, Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.


"Media propaganda never ends" and "Protesting, requesting ammo (and the Emmys)" -- most requested highlights by readers of this site.



"Oprah shares with the BBC" -- Isaiah dips into the archives.



"The real problem with GHOSTBUSTERS" -- Stan and Rebecca go to the movies.


"The mediocrity of Julia Louis-Dreyfus" and "Is it the Emmys of The Julia-Louis Dreyfus Show?" -- Betty and Trina on White privilege Dreyfus.

 


 
 
 
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
 
Poll1 { display:none; }