Third Estate Sunday Review

The Third Estate Sunday Review focuses on politics and culture. We're an online magazine. We don't play nice and we don't kiss butt. In the words of Tuesday Weld: "I do not ever want to be a huge star. Do you think I want a success? I refused "Bonnie and Clyde" because I was nursing at the time but also because deep down I knew that it was going to be a huge success. The same was true of "Bob and Carol and Fred and Sue" or whatever it was called. It reeked of success."

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Votes Against Effort to Undermine Net Neutrality

041016 Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Honors 442nd (1)

US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard's office issued the following last week:

: April 15, 2016

Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) released the following statement today after voting against H.R. 2666, the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act:

“For over 20 years, the Internet has broken down information barriers, expanded access to critical information and services, fueled innovation, and redefined our country and our world. In today’s digital age, free, open, and equal access to the internet is not only essential to upholding our democratic principles, it is critical to healthcare, education, employment, and so much more. I strongly oppose H.R. 2666, and any legislation that undermines the principles of universal, affordable, and nondiscriminatory internet access. If signed in to law, H.R. 2666 would limit the ability of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate attempted breaches of net neutrality and weaken their authority to enforce free and open internet access. While I am disappointed that this legislation passed in the House today, I will continue to do all that I can to protect American consumers from attempts to create special treatment for a privileged few.”

H.R. 2666 passed in the House today by a vote of 241-173.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has strongly supported net neutrality, and has cosponsored legislation like H.R. 196, the Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act of 2015, which would prohibit multi-tiered pricing agreements between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and content providers.

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Beto O'Rourke DAV Outstanding House Legislator of the Year

DAV Recognizes Outstanding Veterans’ Advocates in Washington

posted on February 22, 2016

WASHINGTON—DAV (Disabled American Veterans) announced today the names of eight dedicated veterans’ advocates being honored for their outstanding efforts and achievements on behalf of the men and women who served. Federal executives, senators, representatives and congressional staffers are eligible for the honors that recognize commitment and excellence in service to veterans, their families and survivors.

“The recipients of this year’s advocacy awards have shown a true commitment to fighting for the best interests of veterans and their families. The past few years are a clear reminder that veterans deserve strong leaders who will go above and beyond in fulfilling the nation’s promise to them,” said DAV National Commander Moses A. McIntosh Jr. “It is a great honor to present these individuals with awards that recognize their critical contributions in the areas of veterans health care, benefits, policy and legislation.”

WHO:

DAV Veterans Champion Award: The Honorable Patty Murray, Senate Committee on
Veterans’ Affairs, for her extraordinary leadership, commitment and accomplishments that meaningfully contributed to fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served, and their families and survivors.

Outstanding Federal Executive of the Year: The Honorable Carolyn M. Clancy, Department of Veterans Affairs, Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Organizational Excellence, for her efforts to strengthen and improve access to the VA health care system.

Outstanding House Legislator of the Year: Congressman Beto O’Rourke, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for his efforts to enact innovative legislation to improve the appeals process for veterans seeking earned benefits.

Outstanding Senate Legislator of the Year: The Honorable Mark Kirk, Chairman of the Senate MilCon-VA Appropriations Subcommittee for his efforts to ensure sufficient funding for veterans programs, benefits and services.

DAV Special Recognition Awards: Ms. Amanda L. Meredith, Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for her longtime efforts to ensure veterans receive all the benefits they have earned; Mr. Ryan C. Pettit, Senior Advisor to Senator Patty Murray, for his efforts to advance legislation supporting caregivers and women veterans; Ms. Patricia M. Hayes, Ph.D., VHA Chief Consultant, Women’s Health Services, for her career efforts to improve health care services for women veterans; and Mrs. Margaret B. Kabat, National Director, VHA Caregiver Support Program, for her outstanding efforts to improve the benefits and services for caregivers.

ABOUT DAV: DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; assisting them with employment; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a non-profit organization with nearly 1.3 million members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932.

Leading post-9/11 vets group holds Congress accountable to veterans

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issued the following last week:

WASHINGTON (April 14, 2016) — Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), its members and other veteran service organization partners joined Reps. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Brad Ashford (D-Neb.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), Gwen Graham (D-Fla.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) and Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) at the U.S. Capitol to urge Congress to defend the Post-9/11 GI Bill from funding cuts. The greatest education investment in our veterans since WWII has recently come under attack with the House passage of H.R.3016, which calls for a 50 percent cut to the housing allowance that children receive if their military or veteran parent transfers the benefit to them. A similar bill (S.425) is making its way to the Senate floor and IAVA is calling on all Members of Congress to pledge to defend the Post-9/11 GI Bill from this and any future cuts to the vital program. IAVA will oppose the omnibus as a whole and call on the president to veto the bill if it is passed with the cuts intact.

“It is embarrassing that we have to come here and beg our elected officials not to steal from the pockets of our military, veterans and their families,” said IAVA Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff. “As we stand in front of the U.S. Capitol, men and women are fighting in a prolonged war in Afghanistan and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, earning this very benefit. We are once again seeing the impact of a growing civilian-military divide in this country. It is national disgrace that some Members of Congress are willing to use veterans benefits as a piggy bank to pay for other programs. Congress must defend the promise made to our veterans. IAVA’s members — some still in harm’s way — kept their promise to our country; Congress needs to keep theirs to our vets.”

IAVA was joined at the press conference by veteran and military service organizations representing a diverse cross section of community of those who have served, including Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA), Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) and Commissioned Officers Association (COA).

“Vietnam Veterans of America has long held that government should never pay for a program for one group of veterans by cutting funding and taking away from any other group of veterans. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, no matter how important or vital Paul might be, goes against one of VVA’s core principles,” said Rick Weidman, VVA Executive Director for Policy and Government Affairs.

“Officers in the U.S. Public Health Service fought hard to be allowed to transfer GI Bill benefits to their dependents. Because these officers have one or more college degrees when they join the USPHS, they don’t tend to use the bill’s provisions for themselves as much as do members of other services. Transferability means everything to them, and this proposed legislation would take some of that benefit from them,” said Col. (ret.) James T. Currie, Executive Director for Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Since IAVA launched the #DefendTheGIBill campaign in March 2016, IAVA members have sent nearly 14,000 letters to Congress asking representatives to oppose any cuts to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. In addition, every Member of Congress has been challenged to take the pledge to defend the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

IAVA led the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008 and in championing upgrades in 2010 and 2014. These upgrades simplified and improved tuition benefits, expanded eligibility to the National Guard, included vocational programs, and made nationwide in-state tuition rates a possibility for new veterans beginning this year.

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.

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.

Ashford Calls on Congress to Keep Promises to our Veterans and Military Families

US House Rep Brad Ashford's office issued the following last week:

Ashford Calls on Congress to Keep Promises to our Veterans and Military Families

April 15, 2016

Press Release

WASHINGTON – Congressman Brad Ashford (NE- 02) joined colleagues in staunchly opposing cuts to veteran’s benefits currently being considered by Congress.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is one of the most significant bills Congress has passed in a generation, and it promises our veterans access to education benefits, including housing allowances that can be transferred to family members. Proposed cuts would reduce these benefits by half if a veteran parent transfers them to their children.

“We are asking our military to do incredible things since 9/11. I do not understand why we are talking about restricting; we need to be expanding these benefits,” said Rep. Ashford. “There should be no question that when someone comes back from service they have a job, seamless healthcare and education benefits”

Ashford says not funding these benefits breaks a sacred promise our nation has made to our service members and their families.

Congressman Brad Ashford addressing reporters in front of the Capitol

Ashford was joined at the press conference outside the U.S. Capitol by Representatives Tim Walz (MN-01), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), Tammy Duckworth (IL-08), Beto O’Rourke (TX-16), Kathleen Rice (NY-04), Gwen Graham (FL-02) along with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff and representatives from the Air Force Sergeants Association, the Association of the United States Navy, Commissioned Officers Association, Vietnam Veterans of America and other Veterans advocates and supporters.

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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.

"The laughable and long delayed Chilcot report" -- most requested highlight by readers of this site.

"Kat's Korner: Graham Nash Breaks Your Heart Again" -- Kat reviews Graham Nash's latest release.

"MARVEL AGENTS OF SHIELD," "oh, shonda," "The Originals," "THE GOOD WIFE done wrong" and "You are (still) watching MADTV" -- Mike, Rebecca, Marcia and Stan cover TV.

"Diana Ross THE BOSS," "Graham Nash has a new album coming out" and "Graham Nash" -- Elaine and Kat cover music.

"BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT" and "A DANGEROUS WOMAN comes to NETFLIX" -- Stan goes to the movies.

"Wag The Kennel" -- Isaiah dips into the archives.

"A news outlet finally gets it right!!," "Her not so good resume," "She lies," "What did she tell Wall Street," "Where are her speeches?," "THIS JUST IN! CRANKY DOESN'T KISS AND TELL!," "Cranky believes some secrets must be kept," "The Clintons racism is so in your face," "Idiots of the week?," "Glen Ford calls out the racism," "Hillary's War Crimes and the liars who ignore them,"

"That classless Debra Messing," "Hillary War Hawk Clinton," "npr skews for hillary," "Those Crackers at Blue Nation Review," "THIS JUST IN! THE OLD DRUNK IN A STUPOR!," "When you drink too much . . .," "Hillary the nightmare of Haiti," "That Clinton way," "Honduras haunts Hillary," "She is not one of us," "Blood thirsty Hillary's Honduran rampage," "Brave Cher," "Will the FBI save America?," "Why De Blasio's apology won't suffice," "hillary's latest non-excuse," "THIS JUST IN! SHE SURVIVED THE 90S GANG WARS!," "Cranky responds to criticism," "Iraq and more," "Hillary just suggested Barack's run the country on CPT?," "hillary steps in it again," "Hillary owes the country an apology," "Again with the racism, Hillary?," "You have to wonder," "Jerry White tells the uncomfortable truth," "THIS JUST IN! HILLARY DICE CLINTON!!!!" and "She's got jokes" -- political coverage in the community.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Truest statement of the week

Clinton is a rather typical sort of politician, the kind who tells people what they want to hear if that will get them the votes they want or the donations they need. And that’s the problem. People start to accept this as the norm and adopt the values of the cynical politicians they support. During the Bush era Democratic partisans were constantly denouncing the Iraq War, calling Bush and Cheney war criminals, referring to it as the worst American policy decision in decades if not longer and yet– a few years later, it doesn’t seem to be all that important to some. It’s “moral purity” to think it matters. It was fine to use as a club with which to beat Republicans, but who cares about hundreds of thousands of Iraqi dead if people point to them as a reason why someone should not be running for the White House?

This isn’t just about Clinton or big name pundits like Paul Krugman. It’s everyone who thinks it is illegitimate to bring up the Iraq War during a political campaign. It’s everyone who thinks Hillary can be excused by claiming she was the innocent victim of Bush deception. Last I looked, the most popular comment under Krugman’s column at the NYT was by a self-described former Sanders supporter who was outraged that Clinton’s credentials were questioned. Of course she is qualified to be President! Credentials and experience, what you put on your resume - this is everything.

-- Donald Johnson, "Why Clinton’s Iraq decision matters" (MONDOWEISS).

Truest statement of the week II

His Friday column, entitled “Sanders Over the Edge,” follows a blog he posted on the Times web site last Sunday accusing Sanders of being a fifth columnist for the Republicans. Krugman wrote: “Engaging in innuendo suggesting, without evidence, that Clinton is corrupt is, at this point, basically campaigning on behalf of the RNC (Republican National Committee).” [Emphasis added]
Without evidence?! The entire political history of Bill and Hillary Clinton has been steeped in hypocrisy and corruption. Extending back to their days in Arkansas, the Clintons perfected the art of combining “I feel your pain” rhetoric with deal-making with various business interests to advance their political careers. This included Bill Clinton’s connections with Frank Perdue of the poultry empire and Hillary Clinton’s six-year stint on the board of directors of Wal-Mart during her husband’s term as Arkansas governor.
During their years in the White House, the Clintons shifted the Democratic Party further to the right, repudiating any program of social reform or redistribution of wealth from the top to the bottom in favor of traditional Republican nostrums. Their strategy of “triangulation” included new draconian prison sentencing laws and the termination of the sixty-year-old federal welfare program called Aid to Families with Dependent Children, driving millions of the poorest Americans into destitution.
At the same time, the Clintons oversaw the final dismantling of any serious banking regulation, marked by the repeal of the 1930s Glass-Steagall Act and its separation of commercial and investment banking.
Since the end of the Clinton presidency, Hillary and Bill have parlayed their White House tenure into a personal fortune in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The two have collected over $140 million in the 15 years since the end of the Clinton administration, while workers were losing their jobs, retirement savings and homes. A major part of this windfall has come in the form of speaking fees from big corporations and banks. In the first 15 months after she left her post as Obama’s secretary of state in 2012, Hillary Clinton took in $5 million in such rewards for services rendered.

In an earlier period, Krugman staked out a position by criticizing the Clinton administration for its adoption of right-wing positions previously associated with the Republican Party. In August 2006, to cite one example, he complained that “in practice Mr. Clinton governed well to the right of both Eisenhower and Nixon.”

-- Barry Grey, "Paul Krugman smears Bernie Sanders" (WSWS).

A note to our readers

Hey --

A Monday.

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 K itchen,
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

Donald Johnson gets a truest.

Truest statement of the week II

As does Barry Grey.

Editorial: John Kerry's continual failure

What will John Kerry's legacy be? Not real much.

TV: FOX NEWS SUNDAY, corrupt and shameless

Ava and C.I. take on Fox News Sunday and Barack and Chris. And they wrote this Sunday and said they weren't in the mood to go in and change "today" to "yesterday" or any such thing.