McHugh Watch

Predictably, Mr. McHugh voted against the supplemental appropriations bill to fund our troops, Veterans’ care, including VA and military hospitals, farmers’ milk support, the minimum wage, the Center for Disease Control, the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) just to name a few. Here’s a complete listing of programs that he voted against. He’s for the minimum wage, but votes against the minimum wage. He votes for it one time and then against it the next time. He’s for the troops but then won’t fund them. He decries the treatment of our wounded soldiers in our nation’s military hospitals and yet refuses to financially support those hospitals. He’s for the milk income loss program but then votes against it.

There must be a good reason. Here it is verbatim from the final version of HR 1591:

SEC. 1315. REVISION OF UNITED STATES POLICY ON IRAQ.
(a) Findings- Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or have served bravely and honorably in Iraq.
(2) The circumstances referred to in the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243) have changed substantially.
(3) United States troops should not be policing a civil war, and the current conflict in Iraq requires principally a political solution.
(4) United States policy on Iraq must change to emphasize the need for a political solution by Iraqi leaders in order to maximize the chances of success and to more effectively fight the war on terror.

(b) Prompt Commencement of Phased Redeployment of United States Forces From Iraq-

(1) TRANSITION OF MISSION- The President shall promptly transition the mission of United States forces in Iraq to the limited purposes set forth in paragraph (2).
(2) COMMENCEMENT OF PHASED REDEPLOYMENT FROM IRAQ- The President shall commence the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, with the goal of redeploying, by March 31, 2008, all United States combat forces from Iraq except for a limited number that are essential for the following purposes:
(A) Protecting United States and coalition personnel and infrastructure.
(B) Training and equipping Iraqi forces.
(C) Conducting targeted counter-terrorism operations.
(3) COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY- Paragraph (2) shall be implemented as part of a comprehensive diplomatic, political, and economic strategy that includes sustained engagement with Iraq’s neighbors and the international community for the purpose of working collectively to bring stability to Iraq.
(4) REPORTS REQUIRED- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall submit to Congress a report on the progress made in transitioning the mission of the United States forces in Iraq and implementing the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq as required under this subsection, as well as a classified campaign plan for Iraq, including strategic and operational benchmarks and projected redeployment dates of United States forces from Iraq.

Yes, his unflagging support of George Bush and support of a failed foreign policy has let all us down back here in the North Country. He continues to follow, support and parrot a false message that we are fighting al Qaeda. The problem is no matter how often he repeats it, the mantra does not even approach the truth.

It has weakened both his and his party’s position. During the last two campaigns he claimed that his seniority status in the majority party could only benefit us back here. Needless to say, that has all changed. The more he and his party dig in and follow GWB off the cliff, the less likely will his party come back to power. Is there any question as to why the majority of news coverage of the 2008 Presidential campaign is directed towards the Democratic candidates. It’s clear that the American people have grown weary of being ignored by his party and that the next President is going to be a Democrat.

Prior to election he was a willing functionary, now he is forced into that position. He has no power and certainly no influence to bring back the significant pork that he continually claims to do by associating himself with every federal grant that comes back here whether he was responsible for it or not. The only thing standing between him and the electoral pink slip is the lack of insight by the voters. Many in Jefferson and Lewis and St. Lawrence counties still credit him with the Fort Drum expansion and that is where his base lies. The further one gets from Jefferson County, the less impressed the electorate is by him.

So even if he is continually re-elected, he won’t be able to help us. He certainly isn’t helping the American people. So long as he and his party maintain its unpopular support for George Bush and his war, the American people are going to reject them. He may be re-elected again and again by his base in the Western part of the district, but he’ll accomplish very little.

Let’s get it very straight: regardless of what he says, his action of voting against the supplemental appropriations bill does one thing – it lets our troops hang out to dry. He and George Bush will try very hard to obfuscate it and turn it around on the Democrats, but the truth is – the bill fully funds the troops. No if, ands, or buts. He is hanging both the troops and us in the North Country out to dry.

Frankly, I have a hard time waking up in the morning, looking myself in the mirror and saying, “I got nothing accomplished yesterday.” For my money, I want a doer representing me, not a functionary.

As of this evening, I can reliably report to you that our soldiers in Iraq have still not been told of the extension of their tour of duty. To them it is “still a rumor.” They are finding out from their families. This by an administration that has continually treated our soldiers as expendable commodities. The armed forces are stretched to their limit. West Point graduates are leaving the Army at record levels after their five year commitment is completed. It amounts to a brain drain when 46% of the service academies’ graduates leave after a minimum of service. Compare that to the thirty year running average of 25%.
So the Army is being degraded to fight Bush’s personal war that our congressman with whom Mr. McHugh has not broken. After today’s bombing in the Green Zone, the President and those who fall in behind him attribute it to al Qaeda. It is called staying on message. They teach you that, and the most successful politicians are those that can continually bury their heads in the sand and “stay on message.” It is if keep telling the lie over and over again, it will eventually be accepted as the truth. Continue Reading »

This afternoon, I went to a Good Friday service. To Christians, Good Friday commemorates our Lord’s death on the cross. Near to his death he cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” mirroring David’s lament in Psalm 22 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” So Good Friday is a very somber day in the Christian calendar and not a place for humor. Therefore today, the pastor asked the congregation for concerns to lift them to God and the response was to be: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken us.” There were numerous concerns, both personal and global, and of course you could guess that the crisis in the Mideast was among them. As I was listening to the requests, knowing full well what the congregational response would be, I nearly uttered “the President of the United States,” with the inevitable response: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken us.” Certainly the humor did not escape me, but neither did the somber commemoration. I mutely chuckled, my wife nudged me in the ribs, and I did refrain.

But we are facing a very serious crisis in the next few months. The American people want our combat troops out of Iraq. The Congress, representing the vast majority of Americans are now on their way to using their unarguable power of the purse to achieve those ends. The American people have spoken through our electoral process. The President doesn’t get it. England’s Charles I didn’t get it either. He lived - and died - in a transition of change from the divine right of kings to accountability to the people. Continue Reading »