Jump the Hump Day Veterans Day Post- Veterans Day 2009

 

HooYah!!
It's Veterans Day!
Time to Jump the Hump with a Veterans Thing.


The Oldest FrogHog on the Web (said only in the nicest way of course) is saluting all our Veterans today!

Thank you so much.

We are a better country because of your service.

Thank you for keeping your oath to support and defend the  Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. You have kept our country safe and free.

It is an honor to salute you today.

Jump the Hump Post Veterans Day-Extra- A Gold Star Mom's Email

 

The Oldest FrogHog on the Web (said only in the nicest way of course) received an awesome email from Debbie Lee today. Debbie is the mother of Marc Lee, the first SEAL KIA in Iraq.  She runs a organization called America Mighty Warriors.

Below is the e-mail
It is with great respect admiration and deep understanding that I write this letter to honor each and every Veteran that has served or is serving our great Country! I understand and appreciate all who have given so much for me so that I could enjoy my daily freedoms.

I was able to sleep well in the safety of my bed last night, because you served.


I was able to pray before my meal this morning in a public place without fearing arrest, because you gave.


I am able to freely speak my mind and voice my opinion without fear of retaliation against me or my family, because you cared.


I am able to stand up for what I believe in and not have a Dictators thoughts and opinions forced down my throat, because you stood up to the call to defend.


I am free to worship the God who created me in His image, because you were selfless in your actions.


To each one of you I speak from the bottom of my heart when I say Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! You are my Heroes and I want to remember and honor you this Veterans Day. Not a single day goes by that I don't think of the sacrifices you and your families have given!


My son Marc Alan Lee was laid to rest on Aug 2nd 2006. I also remember him today as I do everyday and the sacrifice he made. Thank you son! His headstone says "Loved deeply, Deeply loved." The love doesn't go any deeper than that! He loved deeply! He loved his brothers he served with, he loved me, he loved his family, he loved this nation, he loved his freedoms, he loved God, and he gave. He gave it all! "Greater love has no one than this, that he laid down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) That's what a hero does. They are willing to give their lives for others if it's required.

I also think of my son Kris who served in the Marines, my son-in-law Christopher who served in the Army and my brother Jim who is serving in the Air Force! Thank you!


Each one of you have deeply loved this country too! Thank you!


Each one of you were willing to give your life if required for this country. Thank you!


Many of you have given your blood, and been wounded for this country. Thank you!


Many of you have friends, family and brothers at arms who paid the ultimate sacrifice just like my son Marc! Thank you!

I have traveled around this country, to Iraq and Gitmo speaking out in support of you, thanking and honoring you "Our defenders of freedom." I have been blessed to meet many of you and your families, and have been so deeply touched by your stories and your sacrificial service to this nation. I don't take for granted our freedom which isn't' free, it comes at a cost and you willingly paid that for me. So please remember this Veteran's Day that I am your biggest fan and that you are deeply appreciated and loved.

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you and your families and I know I'm not alone. There is a grateful nation who also honors and remembers your sacrifice and knows that our country is what it is today because you selflessly gave. 

I know the price of freedom and I understand the sacrifices that you have given. You have done that for me, and for this nation. You didn't do that for rewards or medals or recognition. 

Please join me today as a grateful nation chooses to collectively remember, thank and celebrate our Vets, who they are and what they have selflessly given. I choose to do that every day because they are my HEROES and I am so grateful!


I am attaching Marc's last letter home that we have called his "Glory" letter. You will be inspired and moved. He challenges us to do random acts of kindness and I would ask you, in his memory, to honor our Vets today by picking up the check for their meal, coffee, groceries or whatever you can. Be as generous as you can. It's a small token of our appreciation for all they have sacrificed. These are my heroes and have given so much not expecting anything in return. Attend a parade, thank them, shake their hands, give them a hug from a grateful nation.


Don't forget those who are deployed. Send a care package, e-mail a card, check on their families. Also please remember the families of the fallen who gave it all and share your gratitude and love with them.

Marc's Last Letter Home
"Glory Letter

Glory is something that some men chase and others find themselves stumbling upon, not expecting it to find them. Either way it is a noble gesture that one finds bestowed upon them. My question is when does glory fade away and become a wrongful crusade, or an unjustified means by which consumes one completely?

I have seen war. I have seen death, the sorrow that encompasses your entire being as a man breathes his last. I can only pray and hope that none of you will ever have to experience some of these things I have seen and felt here.

I have felt fear and have felt adrenaline pump through my veins making me seem invincible. I will be honest and say that some of the things I have seen here are unjustified and uncalled for. However for the most part we are helping this country. It will take more years than most expect, but we will get Iraq to stand on its own feet.
Most of what I have seen here I will never really mention or speak of, only due to the nature of those involved. I have seen a man give his food to a hungry child and family. Today I saw a hospital that most of us would refuse to receive treatment from. The filth and smell would allow most of us to not be able to stand to enter, let alone get medicine from. However you will be relieved to know that coalition forces have started to provide security for and supply medicine and equipment to help aid in the cause.

I have seen amazing things happen here; however I have seen the sad part of war too. I have seen the morals of a man who cares nothing of human life...I have seen hate towards a nation's people who has never committed a wrong, except being born of a third world, ill educated and ignorant to western civilization. It is not everybody who feels this way only a select few but it brings questions to mind. Is it ok for one to consider themselves superior to another race?

Surprising we are not a stranger to this sort of attitude. Meaning that in our own country we discriminate against someone for what nationality they are, their education level, their social status. We distinguish our role models as multimillion dollar sports heroes or talented actors and actress who complain about not getting millions of dollars more then they are currently getting paid.

Our country is a great country, don't get me wrong on this, otherwise none of us would be living there. My point of this is how can we come over here and help a less than fortunate country without holding contempt or hate towards them if we can't do it in our country. I try to do my part over here, but the truth is over there, United States, I do nothing but take.

Ask yourself when was the last time you donated clothes that you hadn't worn out. When was the last time you paid for a random stranger's cup of coffee, meal or maybe even a tank of gas? When was the last time you helped a person with the groceries into or out of their car?

Think to yourself and wonder what it would feel like if when the bill for the meal came and you were told it was already paid for.

More random acts of kindness like this would change our country and our reputation as a country.

It is not unknown to most of us that the rest of the world looks at us with doubt towards our humanity and morals.

I am not here to preach or to say look at me, because I am just as at fault as the next person. I find that being here makes me realize the great country we have and the obligation we have to keep it that way.

The 4th has just come and gone and I received many emails thanking me for helping keep America great and free. I take no credit for the career path I have chosen; I can only give it to those of you who are reading this, because each one of you has contributed to me and who I am.

However what I do over here is only a small percent of what keeps our country great. I think the truth to our greatness is each other. Purity, morals and kindness, passed down to each generation through example. So to all my family and friends, do me a favor and pass on the kindness, the love, the precious gift of human life to each other so that when your children come into contact with a great conflict that we are now faced with here in Iraq, that they are people of humanity, of pure motives, of compassion.

This is our real part to keep America free! HAPPY 4th Love Ya

Marc Lee
P.S. Half way through the deployment can't wait to see all of your faces

Thank you and Happy Veterans Day!

From a grateful Gold Star Mom and Proud American,

Sincerely,

Debbie Lee

One of the Reasons Why the Health Care Bill Passed - the deal on Pro-Life

The bill only won by 2 votes. 

But it's here and here's a little something about some last minute abortion funding- It was dropped- yeah, no funds for abortions except for the exceptions. 

From Jaime Dupree's blog - Link-Pro-Life Win
 
If there was one single reason why the Democrats got a majority for health care legislation in the House this past weekend, it was a deal cut with pro-life Democrats. 

I have been saying for months - sooner or later - Democrats would be faced with a situation where they would have to make a major concession in order to keep the health bill on track, and that is what happened with abortion. 

This compromise involved what is basically an effort to ban any money involved in a new government health care system from paying for abortion services. 

Earlier this month, Speaker Nancy Pelosi frustrated liberals in her party by backtracking a bit on the public health insurance option, when it became clear the plan wouldn't draw enough votes to pass. 

By late last week, Pelosi and her lieutenants had realized a group of anti-abortion Democrats could scuttle the entire health bill over the abortion issue. 

So on Friday night, she dropped a bomb on pro-choice Democrats, by deciding to allow a vote on an amendment from Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), which would make sure any federal dollars from this health bill weren't used to pay for abortions. 

It also would codify the Hyde Amendment, which prohibited federal dollars going to abortions except in the case of rape, incest or if the life of the mother was at risk. That has been renewed on a yearly basis by Congress for over thirty years. 

The thought of doing that was absolutely unacceptable to a number of liberal Democratic women, who argued that the bill already banned money from going to pay for abortions. 

But pro-life lawmakers argued for months that the language in the bill was filled with loopholes, and that it used accounting gimmicks to make sure that federal money wasn't going to abortion services. So the Speaker gave the high sign for a vote on the issue as an amendment to the health bill. 

Friday night, the chair of the powerful House Rules Committee, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), walked out of her own committee when discussions began on the Stupak Amendment, because she was so incensed by Pelosi's move. 

By Saturday morning, nerves were still raw, even though it became more and more clear by the minute, that if Democrats wanted to get this health overhaul bill approved, they would have to add the Stupak language. "If it's not in the bill, I will vote no," said Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) to a group of reporters just before the health debate started on the House floor. (Hill voted yes.) 

It was a line repeated by a number of Democrats over the next ten hours. "A majority of people do not want their taxpayer dollars spent on abortion or abortion coverage," said Stupak.

But some in the GOP were having second thoughts, because adding the Stupak language was actually making it easier for Democrats to gain a major victory on health care. 

On Saturday morning, some Republicans were openly discussing a plan where GOP lawmakers would have voted "Present" on the Stupak amendment, knowing full well that the plan would have been defeated, if just Democratic votes were tallied. 

That, in turn, would have torpedoed the entire bill.
But pro-life lawmakers nixed the idea, as they ended up easily winning the vote 240-194, getting twenty more votes than the 220-215 tally on final passage of the health bill, as 64 Democrats broke off and voted for the abortion restrictions.

"It is probably - at least in my 17 years here - the largest number of Democrats we've ever had vote for a pro-life amendment," said Stupak. 

The obvious hope of liberals is that the provision will be deep-sixed in final negotiations with the Senate. 

But that won't be easy, because it is entirely possible that the Senate could embrace exactly the same language. 

If Democrats really want a health bill out of Congress, they will have to make even more concessions like this one, compromises that cut to the core of their beliefs on certain issues. 

We'll see if they really have the stomach for that in coming weeks in the Senate. 

Many have their doubts. 

If they are ready to deal, then they will get a bill to the President's desk. 

If not, then this health bill still has a lot of time to run aground and fail.

Sunday Funnies?

10% and rising !


It only takes a Little ...
(alright that Bill is BIG Trouble)

TGIF- and here's the E-Newsletter from my US Rep - Judy Biggert Nov 6 2009

Come Monday?

Well the Obamacare vote might come on ...Saturday, or Sunday or Monday.

But if it is Saturday, it will probably just be at midnight when Ms P- jumps on the broom at flies over the heads of the blue dogs. The dogs have been dealing to get stuff that they want and you all know that Ms P will only bring the bill to floor for a vote, if she knows that it will pass.

And this is always an option to get the bill passed-
Maybe Mr O will sweetened the pot for those who will vote for the bill saying "Who cares if you lose your seat next year? Don't worry, I have a nice ambassadorship just waiting for you if you vote yeah. Don't like to travel? Then how about a nice czarship? You name your post and we'll make the real deal. Hey I'm giving you a shout-out so don't screw with me!"-LOL

Yep sounds that sounds about right..

Ok below is the news-

U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) E-Newsletter
November 6, 2009

Dear Friend,

As I write this update, the House leadership is saying that we will vote on the latest version of the healthcare bill, H.R. 3962, on Saturday night.

They're saying that the vote could slip to Sunday, November 8, or even to next Monday or Tuesday.

Will there be any opportunity for us to amend this bill, vote for changes, or defeat it?

More than 200 amendments have been filed, but the Rules Committee is likely to only allow one or two amendments, including one that would replace the bill with the Republican alternative plan. If you have a moment, you may want to read about it here.

So it is highly unlikely that the bill will be changed in any substantive way, and, if it is brought to the floor this weekend, it is likely to pass by the narrowest of margins.

Then it will remain to be seen what the Senate decides to do with its bill, which is very different from H.R. 3962.

Meanwhile, the economy remains the most important issue for most Americans.

This week's news that the national unemployment rate increased to 10.2 percent for the first time in 26 years underscores how important it is that we get this right.

Getting it wrong has huge costs.

For example, as health care took the spotlight this week, another big government proposal began to move under the radar.

Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) scheduled in the House Financial Services Committee consideration of a bill to make taxpayer-funded financial bailouts permanent.

This 379-page bill gives the Federal Reserve more authority to orchestrate government bailouts of any business it deems systemically risky, which promotes risky behavior by creating perverse incentives. A firm's gains are internalized while taxpayers are left with the tab and healthy firms foot the b! ill for their "too big to fail" competitors. We'll continue debate on the bill on November 17th. Stay tuned.

As always, it is an honor to serve you. Please do not hesitate to contact my office in Willowbrook at (630) 655-2052 or in Washington, DC at (202) 225-3515 if I can be of assistance to you.

On The Floor This Week In Washington:

Yesterday, I voted for H.R. 3548, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009. H.R. 3548 would extend unemployment benefits for an additional 20 weeks in Illinois. The bill also extends the important $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers for an extra 5 months. I'm especially pleased that Congress passed this tax credit extension because it is helping to stimulate the ailing housing market.

Today, I voted against H.R. 2868, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009, because it would impose unfair mandates on small businesses, drinking water systems, and wastewater treatment facilities. H.R. 2868 would require unproven technologies and chemical substitutions that would further increase unemployment in the chemical manufacturing sector without effectively keeping our drinking water safe. Unfortunately, the bill passed the House by a partisan vote.

Hitler Rants About Losing VA and NJ- Election Night 2009

Do You Really Think That Hitler is Dead?
No! He Lives!
He Lives to Rant on Everything
And..
He is Funnier Than Letterman.

Video below -
The White House Bunker: Election Night 2009

OMG- Who is This Little 10 Year Old Stranger Talking to Me?

Today, I was shocked by my 10 Year Old DD affectionately known as the AntiChrist.

She said something like this:
AntiChrist: "Mom, are you sending stuff to any soldiers now?"

Me ( aka Mommy Dearest) "No, not right now, cause all my guys are between deployments, having been deployed at least 3-4 times now. Why? Why do you want to know?"

AntiChrist: "Cause I want to send ALL of my Halloween candy to the Troops."

Me (after picking myself up from the floor, where I fell stunned ...OK, just a little exaggeration here) "Wow - what a great idea. I know!! I read in the paper yesterday about a Dentist who is paying $1 a pound for Halloween candy that the kids bring him. He is going to send the all the candy to the troops."

AntiChrst :"Do I get to keep the money if I sell it to the dentist?"

Me: " Well, Yeah."

AntiChrist: "Can we go this week?"

Me: (thinking to myself) "Who is this stranger and where is my child?"

OKay, your saying to yourself here "but Debbie, that's so sweet."

Sweet?
Are you kidding?

It won't have been so shocking a statement if a "normal" kid asked about donating candy to the troops or anyone. But people, this is the AntiChrist!!

She lives and breathes for sugar.

Really, this is no lie.

I am known as the Candy Nazi, cause I allow her to only eat a little candy each day. She is not allowed to eat the whole bucket of Halloween candy at one sitting. ( I am SOOOooooo mean- BraHaaaaHaaa)

This time of year (the weeks after Halloween) is shear torture for her, cause she knows that sugar is just a sneak away and that there is lots of it.

And the Nazi Mom has eyes and spies everywhere (I have trained the puppy to bark, if the AntiChrist gets within 3 feet of the Halloween candy).

So I'll ask again where is My child? -LOL.