corrente

No, that's not an ironic jab at the fact that the "War" on terror "soldiers" onward with few discernible positive results, and a lot of discernible horror.

There's no irony to be found in the unending mendacity and negligence this White House has lavished on the men and women called by it to do the actual fighting in its war on terror. Is there anything this President touches he doesn't break? He's certainly come close to breaking what it took two decades to create - an all-volunteer Armed Forces that worked.

Do you have a rough idea of how many National Guard and Reservists have thus far been called up to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. Try 400,000 plus. Is that not an astonishing figure?

Here's some selections from what the President had to say today, standing on ground more hallowed than it is possible for a man of his limited moral perception to understand:

Mr. Secretary, thank you for your kind introduction, and thank you for your strong leadership in making sure our veterans have got the very best care possible. Secretary Principi has done a fantastic job for the American veteran. (Applause.)

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Some of our veterans are young men and women with recent memories of battle in mountains and in deserts. In Afghanistan, these brave Americans helped sweep away a vicious tyranny allied with terror and prepared the way for a free people to elect its own leaders. In Iraq, our men and women fought a ruthless enemy of America, setting the people free from a tyrant who now sits in a prison cell. (Applause.)

All who have served in this cause are liberators in the best tradition of America. Their actions have made our nation safer in a world full of new dangers. Their actions have also upheld the ideals of America's founding, which defines us still. Our nation values freedom -- not just for ourselves, but for all. And because Americans are willing to serve and sacrifice for this cause, our nation remains the greatest force for good among all the nations on the Earth. (Applause.)

Some of tomorrow's veterans are in combat in Iraq at this hour. They have a clear mission: to defeat the terrorists and aid the rise of a free government that can defend itself. They are performing that mission with skill and with honor. They are making us proud. They are winning. (Applause.)

Our men and women in the military have superb training and the best equipment and able commanders. And they have another great advantage -- they have the example of American veterans who came before. From the very day George Washington took command, the uniform of the United States has always stood for courage and decency and shining hope in a world of darkness. And all who have worn that uniform have won the thanks of the American people.

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The security of America depends on our active leadership in the world to oppose emerging threats and to spread freedom that leads to the peace we all want. And our leadership ultimately depends on the commitment and character of the Armed Forces.

America has needed these qualities in every generation, and every generation has stepped forward to provide them. What veterans have given our country is beyond our power to fully repay, yet, today we recognize our debt to their honor. And on this national holiday, our hearts are filled with respect and gratitude for the veterans of the United States of America. (Applause.)

This is what was reported in the Washington Post today.

On this Veterans Day, about 180,000 members of the National Guard and reserves are serving on active military duty. Surveys show that 40 percent of them make less money while mobilized than they earn in their civilian jobs.

Congress has been wrangling over how to address the "pay gap" for 18 months, mostly without success. A number of proposals that would require the government and other employers to make up the difference between civilian and military pay have been blocked or stripped out of defense bills, apparently because of their cost.

But the compensation issue probably will come up again next week when Congress flies in for its lame-duck session. A coalition of 35 military and veterans organizations is pressing the House for prompt action on legislation that would permit Guard and reserve members to make penalty-free withdrawals from their employer-sponsored retirement plans to help them cope with any financial squeeze.

More than 410,000 members of the National Guard and reserves have been activated for duty in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere since Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists slammed hijacked jetliners into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.

Of the 120,000 federal employees in the reserves, about 21,000 will serve on active duty in fiscal 2005, according to a congressional estimate.

No data indicate how many federal employees called to active duty suffer a reduction in pay. Surveys of all Guard and reserve personnel found that among mobilized troops whose pay was cut, the average reduction was $3,000, although some took pay cuts in the tens of thousands.

"These citizen-soldiers and their employers need and deserve some financial relief from the disruption of active military service," the Military Coalition, which represents more than 5.5 million current and former service members and families, said this week in a letter to House leaders urging approval of the bill that would allow activated troops to avoid tax penalties if they tap their retirement funds.

The coalition urged House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to schedule a quick vote on the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-Colo.) and amended by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

You can find out here what meager relief this Republican dominated congress, under the leadership of a President so dedicated to the uniformed heros he was extolling this morning, has yet to be able to put into practice. Be aware, however, of this ignored alternative:

Critics, however, say the legislation falls short of providing the financial relief that numerous Guard and reserve members need. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), who has pushed legislation that would require federal agencies to make up the difference between civil service pay and military pay for activated employees, probably will speak out again next week on the financial woes facing many members of the Guard and reserves, an aide said.

The most recent attempt to address the pay gap fell apart last month, when House and Senate negotiators for the fiscal 2005 defense authorization bill removed provisions that would have replaced income for certain reservists and would have required federal agencies to pay any difference between military and civil service compensation for federal employees called to active duty.

This is exactly the kind of issue that Democrats in the future need to propose their own solutions for and find a way to force the media to cover them. Once their proposal is voted down, then fine, on an issue like this, work with Republicans to get something passed.

Since this is Veteran's Day, let's hear from a real one, the great Democratic Veteran, who posted on his epynomous blog yesterday, these brilliant observations about the blood lust of chickenhawks.