Thursday, January 11, 2007
Marine posthumously awarded Medal of Honor
By Jeff Schogol and Leo Shane III, Stars and StripesMideast edition, Friday, January 12, 2007
WASHINGTON — Deb Dunham wished she could have seen her son receive the Medal of Honor, “but we know he’s watching us.”
Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest honor for valor at a ceremony Thursday at the White House.
Dunham, who dived on a live grenade to shield his troops during an ambush in Iraq, is only the second U.S. servicemember to be given the top military honor for actions in that country, and the first Marine.
His mother wiped away tears as her son’s award citation was read. Later, as she accepted the Medal of Honor on behalf of her son, she gave President Bush a kiss on the cheek.
At the ceremony, Bush noted that more than half of the Medal of Honor recipients since World War II have died earning it.
“Cpl. Jason Dunham belongs to this select group,” Bush said. “On a dusty road in western Iraq, Cpl. Dunham gave his own life so that the men under his command might live.”
Dunham, a rifle squad leader for Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, was manning a checkpoint near the Syrian border on April 14, 2004, when his patrol received a report of a nearby convoy under ambush.
When Dunham’s patrol arrived they stopped a group of cars trying to escape the area, officials said. As Dunham moved from vehicle to vehicle looking for insurgents, a man jumped out of his car and grabbed Dunham by the throat.
As the two fought, the Iraqi dropped a grenade with the pin removed. Before his fellow Marines could react, Dunham leapt on it, covering the explosive with his helmet and his body.
The blast destroyed the helmet and sent shrapnel into Dunham’s skull. He died eight days later at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Maj. Trent Gibson, Dunham’s company commander, said those who knew him weren’t surprised to hear he sacrificed his life to save others. “It just seemed perfectly natural for him to do it,” he said. “It’s not a decision; it’s your instinct as a Marine to confront a threat and protect your other Marines.”
Gibson said Dunham had talked with several squad members about such a scenario just days before the attack, wondering if a Kevlar helmet could withstand the explosion and figuring out how quickly someone would have to act to use the headgear as a blast cushion.
“What is so poignant about it is that he had envisioned himself doing that,” he said. “He thought about that, envisioned what he would do, and weeks later he found himself in that exact situation.”
Dunham’s fellow Marines remembered him as a natural leader, someone whose calm demeanor and quick actions inspired respect. “He made an impact on everyone he met, the first day,” said Sgt. Mark Edward Dean, who served under Dunham. “He’s the kind of guy you want to be your best friend, your brother, the guy fighting next to you. “He always put everyone ahead of him. [That day], he made sure that everyone else was all right, even though it took his own life.”
First Lt. Brian Robinson, Dunham’s platoon commander, said Dunham extended his tour before he first stepped foot in Iraq. “He was going to stick it through with his guys,” he said. “He led by example, and he wasn’t going to leave early when those guys weren’t able to.” Gibson said he saw Thursday’s ceremony, attended by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway, Navy Secretary Donald Winter, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz., and past recipients, as an opportunity for resolution. “It’s nice to see him get the recognition that he deserves,” Gibson said. After the ceremony at the White House, Dunham’s mother said her emotional journey hasn’t stopped since she first learned her son had been mortally wounded, but she has been able to get by with the help of Marines such as Gibson. And while the hurting hasn’t stopped, she feels pride in knowing her son did the right thing, she said. “I’ve lost my son, but he became part of history.”
WASHINGTON — Deb Dunham wished she could have seen her son receive the Medal of Honor, “but we know he’s watching us.”
Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest honor for valor at a ceremony Thursday at the White House.
Dunham, who dived on a live grenade to shield his troops during an ambush in Iraq, is only the second U.S. servicemember to be given the top military honor for actions in that country, and the first Marine.
His mother wiped away tears as her son’s award citation was read. Later, as she accepted the Medal of Honor on behalf of her son, she gave President Bush a kiss on the cheek.
At the ceremony, Bush noted that more than half of the Medal of Honor recipients since World War II have died earning it.
“Cpl. Jason Dunham belongs to this select group,” Bush said. “On a dusty road in western Iraq, Cpl. Dunham gave his own life so that the men under his command might live.”
Dunham, a rifle squad leader for Company K, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, was manning a checkpoint near the Syrian border on April 14, 2004, when his patrol received a report of a nearby convoy under ambush.
When Dunham’s patrol arrived they stopped a group of cars trying to escape the area, officials said. As Dunham moved from vehicle to vehicle looking for insurgents, a man jumped out of his car and grabbed Dunham by the throat.
As the two fought, the Iraqi dropped a grenade with the pin removed. Before his fellow Marines could react, Dunham leapt on it, covering the explosive with his helmet and his body.
The blast destroyed the helmet and sent shrapnel into Dunham’s skull. He died eight days later at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Maj. Trent Gibson, Dunham’s company commander, said those who knew him weren’t surprised to hear he sacrificed his life to save others. “It just seemed perfectly natural for him to do it,” he said. “It’s not a decision; it’s your instinct as a Marine to confront a threat and protect your other Marines.”
Gibson said Dunham had talked with several squad members about such a scenario just days before the attack, wondering if a Kevlar helmet could withstand the explosion and figuring out how quickly someone would have to act to use the headgear as a blast cushion.
“What is so poignant about it is that he had envisioned himself doing that,” he said. “He thought about that, envisioned what he would do, and weeks later he found himself in that exact situation.”
Dunham’s fellow Marines remembered him as a natural leader, someone whose calm demeanor and quick actions inspired respect. “He made an impact on everyone he met, the first day,” said Sgt. Mark Edward Dean, who served under Dunham. “He’s the kind of guy you want to be your best friend, your brother, the guy fighting next to you. “He always put everyone ahead of him. [That day], he made sure that everyone else was all right, even though it took his own life.”
First Lt. Brian Robinson, Dunham’s platoon commander, said Dunham extended his tour before he first stepped foot in Iraq. “He was going to stick it through with his guys,” he said. “He led by example, and he wasn’t going to leave early when those guys weren’t able to.” Gibson said he saw Thursday’s ceremony, attended by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway, Navy Secretary Donald Winter, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz., and past recipients, as an opportunity for resolution. “It’s nice to see him get the recognition that he deserves,” Gibson said. After the ceremony at the White House, Dunham’s mother said her emotional journey hasn’t stopped since she first learned her son had been mortally wounded, but she has been able to get by with the help of Marines such as Gibson. And while the hurting hasn’t stopped, she feels pride in knowing her son did the right thing, she said. “I’ve lost my son, but he became part of history.”
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
We Can't Relax Yet!
Well, now that the dust has settled I thought I could throw some commentary on the Huge win for the Dems and especially for the DFV Fantastic Four.
It is definitely good to be back on top in Congress again, and I think all democrats owe themselves a pat on the back for not screwing up an election win that was ours to loose. Even though we won back Congress and even very decisively in the House, we can’t give ourselves too much credit. At times, it looked like the President the Republican Leadership were almost screwing up there chances on purpose. I have been saying, if we can’t win in 2006, there is absolutely no hope of ever winning again.
Well, I certainly have hope now, but we have so much work to do yet. The Democratic Leadership is still taking orders from the same minority group of Moveoners and if we relax now, we and I mean all Democrats will loose the next election and the country will again be thrown into the hands of the Republicans. The most obvious example of this is the rejection of the nomination of John Murtha as Majority Leader of the House. He is a social conservative and economic populist and this is certainly not what the moveoners had in mind, which is a socially liberial, elitist like most of them. What we need to do is keep reminding our Democratic Leaders that we are here and we are not going to lay down and play dead. We have a lot to say about our party and we need to organize ourselves and become a voice that they just can not ignore.
It is definitely good to be back on top in Congress again, and I think all democrats owe themselves a pat on the back for not screwing up an election win that was ours to loose. Even though we won back Congress and even very decisively in the House, we can’t give ourselves too much credit. At times, it looked like the President the Republican Leadership were almost screwing up there chances on purpose. I have been saying, if we can’t win in 2006, there is absolutely no hope of ever winning again.
Well, I certainly have hope now, but we have so much work to do yet. The Democratic Leadership is still taking orders from the same minority group of Moveoners and if we relax now, we and I mean all Democrats will loose the next election and the country will again be thrown into the hands of the Republicans. The most obvious example of this is the rejection of the nomination of John Murtha as Majority Leader of the House. He is a social conservative and economic populist and this is certainly not what the moveoners had in mind, which is a socially liberial, elitist like most of them. What we need to do is keep reminding our Democratic Leaders that we are here and we are not going to lay down and play dead. We have a lot to say about our party and we need to organize ourselves and become a voice that they just can not ignore.
Dems Win, Dems Win!!
Holy Cow, as Harry Carey use to say!
I would just like to say a (belated) Congratulation to Bob Casey, Brad Ellsworth, Baron Hill, Heath Shuler, their families and all their supporters for their efforts and running fantastic campaigns. It was a clean sweep for the DFV Fantastic Four. I could not be prouder that Democrats for Values and our members had a small part in helping them win back Congress.
Congratulations again and Democrats for Values looks forward to working with these elected officials as well as all Democrats to help make the United States a better place to live for all Americans
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
I would just like to say a (belated) Congratulation to Bob Casey, Brad Ellsworth, Baron Hill, Heath Shuler, their families and all their supporters for their efforts and running fantastic campaigns. It was a clean sweep for the DFV Fantastic Four. I could not be prouder that Democrats for Values and our members had a small part in helping them win back Congress.
Congratulations again and Democrats for Values looks forward to working with these elected officials as well as all Democrats to help make the United States a better place to live for all Americans
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Shuler’s Bid in North Carolina Hangs on Drawing in ‘Reagan Democrats’
Shuler’s Bid in North Carolina Hangs on Drawing in ‘Reagan Democrats’
By Jeffrey L. Austin 1:31 PM; Sep. 01, 2006 Email This Article
When Heath Shuler first came to Washington, D.C., to pursue a career, his arena was Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, where he played quarterback for the NFL’s Redskins from 1994 to 1996. If the resident of North Carolina’s 11th District relocates again to Washington next January, it will be about two miles up East Capitol Street — as a member of the U.S. Congress.
Shuler — a native of North Carolina’s mountainous west who was a football star at the University of Tennessee before a less-successful pro career — is staging a serious bid to unseat eight-term Republican Rep. Charles H. Taylor. Now a real estate executive, Shuler also is one of a very few strong Democratic takeover candidates in the South, a one-time party stronghold that has shifted strongly to the Republicans since the 1960s.
With just more than nine weeks to go before the Nov. 7 election, Taylor appears to be maintaining his traditional edge in the Republican-leaning 11th. The district gave 57 percent of its votes to President Bush in 2004, and it has given Taylor, a conservative Republican, at least 55 percent of the vote in all but his first congressional race in 1990.
Taylor’s biggest strength this year is the same one he has touted in fending off vigorous Democratic competition in his recent elections: a senior position on the House Appropriations Committee that helps him steer funds back home. He currently chairs the panel’s subcommittee on interior and environment.
Yet in Shuler, Taylor has drawn a vigorous and unusually well-financed challenger who offsets his lack of previous political experience with lingering name recognition from his gridiron exploits.
And Shuler has taken his well-known name into the district’s rural interior — a conservative-voting area that usually is Republican heartland — invoking his party’s promise of economic relief and trying to neutralize his opponent on social issues with frequent mention of his own “mountain family values.”
Shuler, who returned to his childhood home at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains in 2003, took to the stump last week in Henderson County with another North Carolina Democrat: John Edwards, the former senator (1999-2005) and 2004 vice presidential nominee who is considering a bid for president in 2008.
With his comments punctuated by Appalachian banjo music, Shuler told a crowd of about 300 of his proposed tax credit for homebuyers. Read Entire Article
By Jeffrey L. Austin 1:31 PM; Sep. 01, 2006 Email This Article
When Heath Shuler first came to Washington, D.C., to pursue a career, his arena was Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, where he played quarterback for the NFL’s Redskins from 1994 to 1996. If the resident of North Carolina’s 11th District relocates again to Washington next January, it will be about two miles up East Capitol Street — as a member of the U.S. Congress.
Shuler — a native of North Carolina’s mountainous west who was a football star at the University of Tennessee before a less-successful pro career — is staging a serious bid to unseat eight-term Republican Rep. Charles H. Taylor. Now a real estate executive, Shuler also is one of a very few strong Democratic takeover candidates in the South, a one-time party stronghold that has shifted strongly to the Republicans since the 1960s.
With just more than nine weeks to go before the Nov. 7 election, Taylor appears to be maintaining his traditional edge in the Republican-leaning 11th. The district gave 57 percent of its votes to President Bush in 2004, and it has given Taylor, a conservative Republican, at least 55 percent of the vote in all but his first congressional race in 1990.
Taylor’s biggest strength this year is the same one he has touted in fending off vigorous Democratic competition in his recent elections: a senior position on the House Appropriations Committee that helps him steer funds back home. He currently chairs the panel’s subcommittee on interior and environment.
Yet in Shuler, Taylor has drawn a vigorous and unusually well-financed challenger who offsets his lack of previous political experience with lingering name recognition from his gridiron exploits.
And Shuler has taken his well-known name into the district’s rural interior — a conservative-voting area that usually is Republican heartland — invoking his party’s promise of economic relief and trying to neutralize his opponent on social issues with frequent mention of his own “mountain family values.”
Shuler, who returned to his childhood home at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains in 2003, took to the stump last week in Henderson County with another North Carolina Democrat: John Edwards, the former senator (1999-2005) and 2004 vice presidential nominee who is considering a bid for president in 2008.
With his comments punctuated by Appalachian banjo music, Shuler told a crowd of about 300 of his proposed tax credit for homebuyers. Read Entire Article
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Happy Labor Day
Monday, August 28, 2006
Spreading the word
If you would like to attach the DFV Fantastic Four Gif your site, all you need a space that is 120 x 240 pixcels and you can grap it from the link below or just use it from our server. Here is the address of the DFV Fantastic Four Gif :
http://www.democratsforvalues.com/DFV_dark.gif
Please help us spread the word and help these candidates with their campaigns.
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
Democrats for Values
http://www.democratsforvalues.com/DFV_dark.gif
Please help us spread the word and help these candidates with their campaigns.
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
Democrats for Values
DFV Fantastic Four Announced!
Democrats for Values is pleased to announce the DFV Fantastic Four, four Democratic Candidates we can all be proud of that are running against Republican incumbents in the federal election this November, but we need your help. Please help us take back control of Congress and at the same time send a message to the pro-choice and anti-religion faction calling the shots in the Democratic Party that it is no longer business as usual.
Contribute
Bob Casey is running against the incumbent Rick Santorum, who is a high-ranking Republican in the Senate. Casey has a tough fight on his hands. Even though he leads in the polls, the Republicans have pulled out all stops by actually funding the Greens Party and putting the Greens Party candidate on the ballot, which they hope will take some liberal votes away from Casey. This seat is a must win for the Democratic Party and DFV would love to make sure that happens.
Brad Ellsworth is fighting in the 8th District of Indiana to unseat the incumbent John Hostettler, one of the many mindless Bush drones in the House of Representatives. We would like to see a Democrat like Brad Ellsworth capture this District away from the Republicans and strike in the heart of the so-called “red state” base of the Republican Party.
Baron Hill is running in the 9th District in Indiana, which he previously held until 2004. DFV supports the Bring Back Baron Campaign because of his proven record to protect the values DFV supports as well as the values he is committed to bring back to Congress if elected. We need your help. Let’s Bring Back Baron!
Heath Shuler is fighting an uphill battle against the Republican incumbent Charles Taylor in the 11th District of North Carolina. Even though Shuler has outpaced the incumbent in fundraising, Taylor has very big pockets and will use them at will. If you are like DFV and believe the Democratic Party needs more socially conservative representatives in Congress, you need to let the rest of the party know by supporting Heath Shuler and help him win his election!
DFV is helping these Democratic Leaders get elected to their perspective offices because we feel these Candidates stand for what we believe. A party that promotes acceptance of all its members and strives to protect life whether born or not. The DFV Fantastic Four have a great plan to strengthen working families and secure our nation’s future with affordable healthcare and strong security for our borders.
We are calling on all DFV Members to help these candidates take back the country. We urgently need your help. With only a little over two months left before the election, we need to act fast. This is a critical time, but time has definitely not run out. With your help, we can create a better future for our party and for all of America. Please make a contribution to Democrats for Values Campaign fund on our website and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Contribute
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
Democrats for Values
Bob Casey is running against the incumbent Rick Santorum, who is a high-ranking Republican in the Senate. Casey has a tough fight on his hands. Even though he leads in the polls, the Republicans have pulled out all stops by actually funding the Greens Party and putting the Greens Party candidate on the ballot, which they hope will take some liberal votes away from Casey. This seat is a must win for the Democratic Party and DFV would love to make sure that happens.
Brad Ellsworth is fighting in the 8th District of Indiana to unseat the incumbent John Hostettler, one of the many mindless Bush drones in the House of Representatives. We would like to see a Democrat like Brad Ellsworth capture this District away from the Republicans and strike in the heart of the so-called “red state” base of the Republican Party.
Baron Hill is running in the 9th District in Indiana, which he previously held until 2004. DFV supports the Bring Back Baron Campaign because of his proven record to protect the values DFV supports as well as the values he is committed to bring back to Congress if elected. We need your help. Let’s Bring Back Baron!
Heath Shuler is fighting an uphill battle against the Republican incumbent Charles Taylor in the 11th District of North Carolina. Even though Shuler has outpaced the incumbent in fundraising, Taylor has very big pockets and will use them at will. If you are like DFV and believe the Democratic Party needs more socially conservative representatives in Congress, you need to let the rest of the party know by supporting Heath Shuler and help him win his election!
DFV is helping these Democratic Leaders get elected to their perspective offices because we feel these Candidates stand for what we believe. A party that promotes acceptance of all its members and strives to protect life whether born or not. The DFV Fantastic Four have a great plan to strengthen working families and secure our nation’s future with affordable healthcare and strong security for our borders.
We are calling on all DFV Members to help these candidates take back the country. We urgently need your help. With only a little over two months left before the election, we need to act fast. This is a critical time, but time has definitely not run out. With your help, we can create a better future for our party and for all of America. Please make a contribution to Democrats for Values Campaign fund on our website and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
Democrats for Values
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Fantastic Four
I suppose many of you are wondering why we have not announced the four candidates we will be supporting this fall in our DFV Fantastic Four Campaign. There was a delay with a couple of things involving the web development and making sure DFV can take contributions for candidates. Because of this, it has taken a lot longer than I estimated originally and I apologize to everyone for the delay.
The good news is, we are on the verge of completing the legal requirements as well as the web development that is needed before we could announce the DFV Fantastic Four. Even though time is short, we can still make a huge difference. We will need all DFV members to help support the Fantastic Four as well as spread the word within your own communities and support networks, because we need as many Democrats as possible to help generate support for Candidates that will focus on taking our party back from the radically liberal left that is currently calling all the shots.
So keep an eye out for the announcement and if your not a member yet, please fill out our free registration form so we can keep in contact with you about the DFV Fantastic Four as well as any future campaigns or news that affects you.
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
The good news is, we are on the verge of completing the legal requirements as well as the web development that is needed before we could announce the DFV Fantastic Four. Even though time is short, we can still make a huge difference. We will need all DFV members to help support the Fantastic Four as well as spread the word within your own communities and support networks, because we need as many Democrats as possible to help generate support for Candidates that will focus on taking our party back from the radically liberal left that is currently calling all the shots.
So keep an eye out for the announcement and if your not a member yet, please fill out our free registration form so we can keep in contact with you about the DFV Fantastic Four as well as any future campaigns or news that affects you.
Sincerely,
Leon Stark
Saturday, July 15, 2006
White Catholics may hold key for Democrats
As mid-term elections approach, white Catholics become the key voting bloc that can either hold Congress for the Republicans, or turn it over to the Democrats
Friday, July 14, 2006
by Spero News
White Catholics will decide the upcoming US elections, according to William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former domestic policy adviser to President Clinton.
Galston reviewed the past 50 years of religious and political trends and how they will help researchers predict future elections, which the US faces this November when all seats in the House of Representatives of the US Congress are open.
Galston presented his research in a seminar hosted by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in May at Key West, Florida among journalists and research participants from publications like the New York Times, GQ, Fortune, The Economist, and The Chicago Tribune.
Democrats are planning on re-taking the majority of the House and Senate seats this November. Both chambers of Congress have been controlled by Republicans since 1994 - a mid-term election year when President Clinton, a Democrat, was in office.
Democrats see similarities between 1994 and today with a Republican in the Oval Office who has low approval ratings and in the middle of an unpopular war in Iraq. In 1994, Clinton was in the middle of the Monica Lewinsky scandal when Republicans gained the majority in the House for the first time in forty years.
But William Galston cautions Democrats of overlooking religion among the public which has been strongly captured by Republicans since a tipping point in 1992.
Read More
Friday, July 14, 2006
by Spero News
White Catholics will decide the upcoming US elections, according to William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former domestic policy adviser to President Clinton.
Galston reviewed the past 50 years of religious and political trends and how they will help researchers predict future elections, which the US faces this November when all seats in the House of Representatives of the US Congress are open.
Galston presented his research in a seminar hosted by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in May at Key West, Florida among journalists and research participants from publications like the New York Times, GQ, Fortune, The Economist, and The Chicago Tribune.
Democrats are planning on re-taking the majority of the House and Senate seats this November. Both chambers of Congress have been controlled by Republicans since 1994 - a mid-term election year when President Clinton, a Democrat, was in office.
Democrats see similarities between 1994 and today with a Republican in the Oval Office who has low approval ratings and in the middle of an unpopular war in Iraq. In 1994, Clinton was in the middle of the Monica Lewinsky scandal when Republicans gained the majority in the House for the first time in forty years.
But William Galston cautions Democrats of overlooking religion among the public which has been strongly captured by Republicans since a tipping point in 1992.
Read More
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Thank you Bill Gluba
Bill Gluba is an experienced Democrat, lives and worked for his state and his District all his life. He is a dedicated Democrat that has successfully help thousands of people get out poverty through the policies he has implemented as a state legislator. There is of course one thing that is a negative in the eyes of the Democratic Leadership. He is pro-life and takes his religion seriously. If he were in a "red" state and not a battleground state such as Iowa, that really wouldn't matter either, but it's not. Bill was trying to continue to serve the residents of Iowa in the US Congress, just like he has done for the last 30 years, but because of his "right wing" stances, he was shunned from the DCCC and never giving a fair go in the primary.
Now who's going up against the Republican in November, a Democratic candidate who's only real claim to fame is he is the only Pro-Choice Candidate running for the district, Democrat or Republican. Good for him, way crystallize everything the Democratic Party stands for, the party that is Pro-Choice. Why don't we just call it the Pro-Choice Party. It has more relevance anyway. This is just a travesty that should not have been allowed to happen. Bill has much more experience winning elections hands down and in the contest such as this one, wouldn't it be obvious to back the person with not only the most experience, but the one with a boarder overall base of support?
Apparently not to the DCCC.
Now who's going up against the Republican in November, a Democratic candidate who's only real claim to fame is he is the only Pro-Choice Candidate running for the district, Democrat or Republican. Good for him, way crystallize everything the Democratic Party stands for, the party that is Pro-Choice. Why don't we just call it the Pro-Choice Party. It has more relevance anyway. This is just a travesty that should not have been allowed to happen. Bill has much more experience winning elections hands down and in the contest such as this one, wouldn't it be obvious to back the person with not only the most experience, but the one with a boarder overall base of support?
Apparently not to the DCCC.
