CrackerDogHowling at the Moon

These are serious people, doing serious things

2011-05-03T12:42:00.001-05:00

Can you, for even a minute, imagine Sarah Palin or Donald Trump in this room?

This is funny...

2008-08-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

I'm Retired

2008-05-10T16:41:00.004-05:00

It's been real.

Oblivion

2008-05-07T06:46:00.000-05:00

Looks like it won't be a very happy Mother's Day for Hillary. Too bad. She ran such a classy campaign...

LOL!

2008-04-18T22:49:00.001-05:00

NICE effort!

2008-03-25T12:14:00.001-05:00

Endorsed - Is it time for Clinton to give up?

2008-03-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

Liar!

2008-03-23T19:30:00.001-05:00

The Republicans or The Clintons?

2008-03-21T08:40:00.006-05:00

Sad, but I can't tell the difference anymore. At least as to tactics. Last night the story about Obama's passport file broke and my immediate reaction was to consider whether this was something the Republicans or the Clintons were doing. Last night Keith Olbermann reported the office in question was being run by a former Clinton ambassador. Who knows? That isn't what I'm talking about here.

This morning I see Richardson is going to endorse Obama. This news is literally less than a few hours old but now I see a Clinton supporter talking down Richardson. This is something straight out of the Karl Rove playbook! Things didn't go their way on something...

Swift Boat time!

The 3 AM ad is pure slime, innuendo and dirty race-baiting politics.

Releasing the Obama photo that makes him look like a Muslim was just the tip of the iceberg. These folk truly will do ANYTHING to get elected. It doesn't matter if playing the race card is contrary to everything they've ever stood for in their political lives. Nope, they need to "blacken" up Obama so everything is fair game to them.

Clinton has already made the claim that Fox news is being more fair to her than MSNBC. I wonder why? She's using their script.

A More Perfect Union

2008-03-18T11:57:00.005-05:00

Here's the speech. If it doesn't do it for you, I'm not sure what to say.

Andrew Sullivan, my favorite conservative, had this to say about it...

I do want to say that this searing, nuanced, gut-wrenching, loyal, and deeply, deeply Christian speech is the most honest speech on race in America in my adult lifetime. It is a speech we have all been waiting for for a generation. Its ability to embrace both the legitimate fears and resentments of whites and the understandable anger and dashed hopes of many blacks was, in my view, unique in recent American history.

And it was a reflection of faith - deep, hopeful, transcending faith in the promises of the Gospels. And it was about America - its unique promise, its historic purpose, and our duty to take up the burden to perfect this union - today, in our time, in our way.

I have never felt more convinced that this man's candidacy - not this man, his candidacy - and what he can bring us to achieve - is an historic opportunity. This was a testing; and he did not merely pass it by uttering safe bromides. He addressed the intimate, painful love he has for an imperfect and sometimes embittered man. And how that love enables him to see that man's faults and pain as well as his promise. This is what my faith is about. It is what the Gospels are about. This is a candidate who does not merely speak as a Christian. He acts like a Christian.

Bill Clinton once said that everything bad in America can be rectified by what is good in America. He was right - and Obama takes that to a new level. And does it with the deepest darkest wound in this country's history.

I love this country. I don't remember loving it or hoping more from it than today.

Racism in Politics

2008-03-12T15:48:00.004-05:00

Racism... Not just a Republican thing anymore.

Update: Here is a "Special Comment" I couldn't agree with more. Even if Ferraro isn't a racist, which I'm unsure of right now, I'm positive the Clinton Campaign and Ferraro are conspiring to use race to divide the Democratic Party in hopes she can somehow pull out a miracle win. For this and for her otherwise dirty campaign tactics, I want to go on record right now... I will NEVER vote for Hillary in November. I'll vote green, McCain, or None of the Above before I give her my support. And I've talked to many "Twenty Somethings" who feel exactly the same way. I myself, being 40 Something, understand that the evaporation of the energetic support for Clinton among younger voters will mean McCain is our next President. That prospect isn't a good one so I hope Obama is able to survive the primary. Regardless, I'm disgusted by what I've seen from Team Hillary and she's lost me forever. And now, the "Special Comment"...

Some Free Advice for Obama

2008-03-03T12:45:00.001-06:00

OK, I'm no genius when it comes to running for elected office. However, with as much an issue as:

A. Republicans are making of his not wearing a Flag lapel pin and
B. The Clintons are making of his being a Muslim (untrue)

Might I suggest one of these...

It can be purchased here real cheap. Do us all a favor, Mr. Obama, and kill two birds with one stone. Thanks.

So WHAT!

2008-02-26T11:53:00.001-06:00

Please, somebody tell me why it matters that a prominent politician had a picture taken of him in a turban. This shouldn't change anyone's position as to whether they support him or not. Please, let's act like grownups here!

Low Class Fox "News"

2008-02-23T12:24:00.003-06:00

Odd thing is, years ago, I was actually a fan of Bill O'Reilly. He's gone off the deep end further and further over the years. Here's an example. First the video from his own show that basically depicts him being a complete asshole. Then some footage of an interview with the Obama staffer talking about the incident. As Bill says on his show, "You Decide." This one is easy for me.

YES WE CAN

2008-02-12T11:59:00.000-06:00

For Super Tuesday...

2008-01-29T11:56:00.000-06:00

I also endorse the distinguished gentleman from Illinois!

GO BARACK!

YEAH BABY!!!

2007-10-07T23:47:00.000-05:00

Obviously...

2007-10-04T17:50:00.000-05:00

I'm busy with something else important in life right now and haven't had time to keep this site updated. There's still plenty to be said but not enough time in my day to say it here. I hope to be able to return to form in the near future.

Peace.

Separated at Birth?

2007-07-23T14:46:00.000-05:00

BEST PHOTO EVER!

2007-07-15T14:01:00.000-05:00

With Bears training camp opening in less than 2 weeks I thought I'd share a little photo I just found on the "internets."

So many captions... So little time!

Impeach? YES!

2007-07-15T09:18:00.000-05:00

I'm all for it since Congress is constitutionally bound to be a check on the President and because this President is clearly guilty of high crimes. Now it seems the American People (45% favor impeachment hearings for President Bush and more than half favor impeachment for Vice President Cheney) are starting to agree in large numbers. See the discussion here held on PBS with Bill Moyer. This is a calm dissection of the issue. For the benefit of future generations, this President must be held accountable for his unconstitutional actions.

Change Course

2007-07-15T08:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Bush gave a typical "we need to win at all costs" radio address. I liked the Democratic Party response to his drivel so much I'm reprinting it here.

Transcript of Radio Address:

Good morning. My name is Brandon Friedman and I served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborn Division. In 2002, I led a platoon into Afghanistan to engage Taliban and al Qaeda forces. Barely a year later, I commanded troops during the invasion of Iraq and in the insurgency that followed.

Like many in the military, I stayed away from politics while I was in the service--and I deliberately maintained my independence from either political party. But now I can no longer remain silent as our Commander-in-Chief continually mismanages and degrades the military I have come to love.

I had the privilege of serving with many courageous men and women in uniform. And from the beginning, they have done their jobs admirably. But no matter what they do, they cannot solve the political problems in Iraq.

I traveled to Washington, D.C. this week on behalf of my fellow veterans and delivered a clear-cut message to our representatives in Congress: The escalation of the Iraq war is failing and now the mission must change.

President Bush is keeping our already overextended troops in the middle of a civil war instead of deferring to military leaders who agree that we need to transition the mission to focus on a political solution--not a military one.

His administration hasn't listened to the advice of experienced leaders from the outset. In 2003, it was General Shinseki. In 2006, it was General Abizaid. And this year, Generals Batiste and Eaton explained to Americans that the President and his supporters in Congress didn't listen to the military brass when it counted. And in turn, the generals both left the military to warn that the staggering toll these repeated deployments have taken on our military readiness--and that this represents a dangerous threat to our national security.

Since the escalation began six months ago, nearly 600 of our brave soldiers have been killed and it has cost Americans more than $60 billion. But despite these facts, Iraqis have not come to a political reconciliation. According to the latest report on the surge, the Iraqi government has met none of the critical political or economic benchmarks they set for themselves.

It's past time for the transition to diplomatic efforts in Iraq that Democrats have long demanded. The fact is, the Iraq war has kept us from devoting assets we need to fight terrorists worldwide--as evidenced by the fact that Osama bin Laden is still on the loose and al Qaeda has been able to rebuild. We need an effective offensive strategy that takes the fight to our real enemies abroad. And the best way to do that is to get our troops out of the middle of this civil war in Iraq.

I commend the Democrats for standing up to President Bush on Iraq. Since they took charge of Congress in January, the debate has gone from if we should get out of Iraq to when we should do so. Although some Senate Republicans have said they agree with Democrats that we need to change course in Iraq, words are not enough. They need to vote with the Majority and follow the lead of the House of Representatives which voted on Thursday to responsibly redeploy our troops.

On my flight home this week, I sat next to an Army sergeant. She was a flight medic--charged with saving lives on the battlefield. She told me that she was on her way back to Iraq after taking her two weeks of leave. She had spent the past ten months there, and was returning to complete her last five. When I asked her how she felt about it, she explained that she had a young son at home who will now spend a second Christmas in a row without his mother. She said she was tired of watching her fellow soldiers die in front of her. And she said that no matter what she or anyone else did, nothing was changing in Iraq. Then she just looked at me, as if no other explanation was needed, as if I understood. And I did. Because I've been there.

It is time for the President and those in his party, including those running to be the next Commander-in-Chief, to support changing the mission in Iraq. For the sake of our national security, we must begin bringing the troops back home.

This is Brandon Friedman, a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Thank you for listening.

Feel Good, Inc.

2007-07-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

On Scooter

2007-07-04T09:32:00.001-05:00

It can't be said any better than this...

9 Minutes on Global Warming

2007-06-16T10:26:00.000-05:00

http://view.break.com/311805 - Watch more free videos

Bush Lacks Credibility on Democracy

2007-06-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

This is a great article. Bush has completely struck out in promoting Democracy in the world. We've actually lost ground due to his efforts. And in Iraq:

In Iraq, Khouri said, the country's vote in January 2005 produced the "much-ballyhooed purple ink-stained finger" but cannot be equated with credible democratic transformation.

"What we thought would provide democratic choices ended up as an expression of demographic preferences" that deepened the sectarian and ethnic divide, Malley added.

Just a Thought

2007-06-09T08:02:00.000-05:00

Friday Funny

2007-06-01T12:21:00.000-05:00

Bush (Charlie Brown) introduces his Global Warming
plan to the rest of the world (Snoopy).

I Still Really Like Al

2007-05-28T20:14:00.000-05:00

The pursuit of "dominance" in foreign policy led the Bush administration to ignore the UN, to do serious damage to our most important alliances, to violate international law, and to cultivate the hatred and contempt of many in the rest of the world. The seductive appeal of exercising unconstrained unilateral power led this president to interpret his powers under the constitution in a way that brought to life the worst nightmare of the founders. Any policy based on domination of the rest of the world not only creates enemies for the US and recruits for al-Qaida, but also undermines the international cooperation that is essential to defeating terrorists who wish to harm and intimidate America. - Al Gore

Want to Know?

2007-05-26T08:13:00.001-05:00

If you have the intellectual curiosity click here to see what living in Iraq is like these days. This is a blog written by a local dentist. If you think you know... think again.

We Need Reagan or Clinton NOW!

2007-05-20T12:44:00.000-05:00

Say what you want but those two gentlemen, as different as they were, could get us all feeling pretty good about being Americans. They could get us to believe. They could convince us that things were getting better and that they cared and wanted us all to commit to working together to get it done. They had very different ways of doing it but they were both successful. Our current leader...

Only 25 percent of those surveyed say things in the U.S. are going in the right direction, according to an AP-Ipsos poll this month.

Rarely have longer-running polls found such a rate since the even gloomier days of 1992 ahead of the first President Bush's re-election loss to Democrat Bill Clinton.

The current glumness is widely blamed on public discontent with the war in Iraq and with President Bush.

Nine percent faulted the economy, 8 percent a loss of moral values and 5 percent gasoline prices.

Falwell May Die is Dead

2007-05-15T12:21:00.000-05:00

Let's hope the right wing sees this and the recent demise of the Republican Party as a sign that they've lost their way. Falwell mixing politics with religion led directly to the major problems we have today. I'm not saying the religious shouldn't have a right to their opinion but rather that the direct subversion of the separation of church and state is un-American. It ultimately gave us George W. Bush and for that I hope Falwell burns in hell.

UPDATE: He's dead.

Some of Falwell's greatest hits can be found here.

Mother Earth

2007-05-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

Birds and butterflies
Rivers and mountains she creates
But you'll never know
The next move she'll make
You can try
But it is useless to ask why
Cannot control her
She goes her own way

She rules until the end of time
She gives and she takes
She rules until the end of time
She goes her way

With every breath
And all the choices that we make
We are only passing through on her way
I find my strength
Believing that their soul lives on
Until the end of time
I'll carry them with me

she rules until the end of time
she gives and she takes
she rules until the end of time
she goes her way

Once you will know my dear
You dont have to fear
A new beginning
Always starts at the end
Once you will know my dear
You dont have to fear ...
Until the end of time x3
She goes her way

she rules until the end of time
she gives and she takes
she rules until the end of time
until the end of time
until the end of time
she goes her way.

My Advice to Congressional Democrats

2007-05-11T07:51:00.000-05:00

Not

Give

The Cost of the Iraq War

2007-05-07T07:14:00.000-05:00

In addition to the obvious, we now need to add:

The governor said the state's response was limited by the shifting of emergency equipment, such as tents, trucks and semitrailers, to the war in Iraq.

"Not having the National Guard equipment, which used to be positioned in various parts of the state, to bring in immediately is really going to handicap this effort to rebuild," Sebelius said.

Do You Believe in Evolution?

2007-05-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

30% of the Republican Presidential field doesn't.

I'm stunned.

Not Under the Influence

2007-05-03T07:45:00.000-05:00

No Bush! Morons aren't influential, I guess. Even if they are President. Here are the people Time feels are more influential than the Commander Guy...

Al Gore, environmental activist
Alan Stern, planetary scientist, NASA
Alber Elbaz, creative director, Lanvin
America Ferrera, actress
Amr Khaled, Egyptian televangelist
Angela Merkel, chancellor, Germany
Anna Netrebko, opera singer
Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor, California
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader, Iran
Barack Obama, U.S. senator from Illinois
Bernard Arnault, French businessman
Brad Pitt, actor
Brian Grazer, producer
Brian Williams, anchor, NBC Nightly News
Cate Blanchett, actress
Chien-ming Wang, pitcher, New York Yankees
Chris Anderson, author, Long Tail
Clare Furse, chief executive, London Stock Exchange
Condoleezza Rice, U.S. secretary of state
Craig Venter, founder, Institute for Genomic Research
Cyril Ramaphosa, South African union leader
David Mitchell, author
David Petraeus, commanding general, U.S. Army
Douglas Melton, stem cell researcher, Harvard University
Drew Gilpin Faust, newly appointed president, Harvard University
Elizabeth Blackburn, researcher, UCSF
Elizabeth Edwards, cancer activist
Erik Lie, finance professor, University of Iowa
Frans de Waal, chimpanzee researcher
Garry Kasparov, Russian chessmaster
George Clooney, actor, director and activist
Hillary Clinton, U.S. senator from New York
Ho Ching, chief executive, Temasek
Hu Jintao, president, China
Indra Nooyi, ceo, PepsiCo
John Mather, Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist
John Mayer, musician
John Roberts, Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
Judith McKay, anti-tobacco activist, World Health Organization
Justin Timberlake, musician
Kara Walker, artist
Kari Stefansson, genomics researcher
Kate Moss, fashion model
Katsuaki Watanabe, president and ceo, Toyota
Ken Lewis, ceo, Bank of America
King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia
Klaus Schwab, founder, World Economic Forum
Lakshmi Mittal, ceo, Arcelor Steel
Leonardo DiCaprio, actor
Lisa Randall, string theorist, Harvard University
Liu Qi, chief, Beijing Olympic Committee
Maher Arar, rendition survivor
Martin Scorsese, director
Michael Bloomberg, mayor, New York City
Michael J. Fox, actor and stem cell advocate
Michael Moritz, investor, Sequoia Capital
Mohamed Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, president, Sudan
Monty Jones, agricultural researcher
Nancy Pelosi, speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director, Hayden Planetarium
Nora Roberts, romance novelist
Nora Volkow, director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
Oprah Winfrey, talk show host and philanthropist
Osama bin Laden
Paul Allen, scientific philanthropist and co-founder, Microsoft
Peter Akinola, archbishiop, Nigeria
Philip Rosedale, founder, Second Life
Pony Ma, founder and ceo, Tencent
Pope Benedict XVI
Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom
Raul Castro, acting president, Cuba
Rhonda Byrne, author, The Secret
Richard Branson, ceo, Virgin
Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist, Oxford University
Rick Rubin, music producer
Roger Federer, tennis star
Rosie O'Donnell, comedian and talk show host
Sacha Baron Cohen, actor
Shigeru Miyamoto, game designer, Nintendo
Shonda Rhimes, actress and writer
Simon Fuller, creator, American Idol
Sonia Gandhi, chair, Indian National Congress Party
Stephen Schwarzman, ceo, Blackstone Group
Steve Chen & Chad Hurley, founders, YouTube
Steve Cohen, hedge fund manager
Steve Jobs, founder and ceo, Apple
Steven Nissen, cardiac researcher, The Cleveland Clinic
Svante Paabo, paleogeneticist, Max Planck Institute
T.C. Onstatt, geoscientist, Princeton University
Thiery Henry, French soccer star
Timothy Gittins, decorated U.S. soldier
Tina Fey, actress and writer
Tony Dungy, coach, Indianapolis Colts
Tyra Banks, talk show host and model
Tzipi Livni, foreign minister, Israel
Warren Buffett, businessman and philanthropist
Wesley Autrey, New York City subway hero
Yossou N'Dour, musician
Youk Chhang, executive director, Documentation Center of Cambodia
Zeng Jinyan, Chinese blogger

Quote of the Day

2007-04-23T21:34:00.000-05:00

"This president may occupy the White House, but for the last six years the position of leader of the free world has remained open" -- Barack Obama

Reprogramming Bush

2007-04-22T09:24:00.000-05:00

Congress plans to force Bush to look at Iraq in the light of day. Force him to see the mess he has created. And even if Bush veto's the bill, as promised, the voice of the American People is finally being reflected in legislation presented to the President. This is what Congress is supposed to do! Not just be a rubber stamp for the President's every whim. If we'd had a responsible Congress this entire time we may not be in the trouble we're in right now.

Shove this bill down his throat! We demand it!

A fight between the U.S. Congress and President Bush over the Iraq war is set to come to a head this week when Democrats are expected to send him $100 billion to pay for continuing combat while setting timetables for withdrawing troops.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who holds a Democratic leadership position in the House, said final touches on the Iraq war language ought to be finished by this weekend. That will be the basis for Monday's work session on the bill.

Say Goodbye to Limbo

2007-04-20T12:42:00.000-05:00

I've long used Limbo as an example of an aspect of faith which helps explain why I believed abortion is murder while also holding fast to my belief that a woman ought to have a right to choose. My statement was always something along the lines of "The Catholic Church doesn't believe a baby who dies before it is baptized will get into heaven. Why is an unborn life more valuable than an unbaptized baby?" The answer was always because it was something we believed and didn't know for sure. And that meant there was a gray area into which other concepts like "life begins at conception" could easily fit. The Catholic church, of which I'm no longer a practicing member, dropped Limbo today. As of right this minute, hundreds of years of teachings and belief go right out the window. So, as far as abortion is concerned, Limbo is still an example I can use to support my dual beliefs. The fact is, if the church can change its mind on this, how do I know they won't change their minds about life beginning at conception one of these days?

Further, I wanted to take a minute to put out a thought on Partial Birth Abortion (PBA). What an absolutely immoral and disgusting practice! The only thing more immoral or disgusting than PBA is outlawing PBA. I'll bet that just pissed off a few folks reading this right now. Allow me to explain...

The right wing nuts I can't stand always talk about doctors performing this type of abortion like they're murderers. Doing so without conscience and almost gleeful to be killing a baby. It's infanticide with a smile! Well, that may be true somewhere but I simply don't believe it's the standard. The fact is this type of abortion is done only in the most extreme situations. It's a decision a would-be mother and her doctor need to make, usually between: does the mother die during childbirth or not. It really is that simple. And there often are circumstances surrounding the pregnancy that suggest that the baby will die as well. So, the best thing we can do in our society is to take away that woman's right to make that terrible decision by herself... No, we want a bunch of pinhead Republican politicians making that decision for her so they can appeal to the ugliest, knuckle-dragger part of their base possible!

These same Republicans wouldn't blink an eye if a child playing with a toy gun was killed by a police officer who thought the gun was real. But what's different? It's a decision between "him or me" and the end result is an innocent child is killed. These same Republicans don't blink an eye when hearing of collateral damage in Iraq. Women and children are killed... but that's just a cost of war.

So, once again, I can't seem to get out of the middle.

Alberto Gets Dicked

2007-04-19T22:35:00.001-05:00

Dealing with Tragedy: McCain Style

2007-04-16T20:56:00.000-05:00

What kind of sick bastard picks a tragedy like what happened today in Virginia to reaffirm his support for the right to carry weapons? While the horror was still fresh and the details were unfolding, John McCain had this to say:

"We have to look at what happened here, but it doesn't change my views on the Second Amendment, except to make sure that these kinds of weapons don't fall into the hands of bad people," McCain said while campaigning in this Texas-Mexico border city.

"I do believe in the constitutional right that everyone has, in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, to carry a weapon," he said. "Obviously we have to keep guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens."

I'm sorry, this was no time to try to score points with the backwoods redneck scum Republican base. And it sounds to me like this kid was probably a "law-abiding citizen" right up until he killed 33 innocent people today. Perhaps McCain should shut the fuck up and head back to Iraq where it's nice and safe.

More NEW RULES

2007-04-15T17:44:00.000-05:00

He really gets rolling at the end.

Chicago: U.S. Candidate for 2016 Olympics!!!

2007-04-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

This moves Chicago into the next level of competition against the likes of Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Rome, Tokyo and Prague. Wow! That's serious company to keep. I know one of the gentlemen leading the bid for Chicago and I'm sure he's a very happy man today.

Growing up I never dreamed Chicago would be on the world stage like it is today. Barack Obama is a serious candidate for President and now this. Very cool. Very very cool, indeed!

1000 People of One Mind

2007-04-14T12:51:00.000-05:00

Saturday Morning Fun

2007-04-14T10:05:00.001-05:00

Treasonable Doubt

2007-04-11T22:07:00.000-05:00

Hunt This!

2007-04-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

Cowardly, Lazy or Weak?

2007-04-08T07:29:00.000-05:00

Which of these best describes why our President has taken more vacation time than any other in history?

Bush has spent part or all of 409 days of his presidency on the 1,600-acre ranch, according to CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller, who keeps meticulous records of Bush's travel.

He's been in office for 75 months. This means he's spent nearly a week a month on vacation in Crawford during his "Presidency." He's also spent additional vacation time at Camp David, etc. And this doesn't include all the time he's spent asleep at the switch in Washington...

I say it's "D. All Of The Above". Thank God we only have 21 months left of this incompetent, weak, lazy coward.

Toy Soldiers

2007-04-07T12:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter

2007-04-05T16:32:00.001-05:00

Get Outta Hell Free Card?

2007-04-01T11:16:00.000-05:00

Some of these John Q. Republicans are having a "come to Jesus" moment. This one helped George W. Bush hold onto power in 2004 and now regrets it. I personally hope all of these lying bastards burn in hell. Obviously some of them are fearing that end and are trying to make amends. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as I read most of the following...

In 1999, Matthew Dowd became a symbol of George W. Bush’s early success at positioning himself as a Republican with Democratic appeal.

He switched parties, joined Mr. Bush’s political brain trust and dedicated the next six years to getting him to the Oval Office and keeping him there. In 2004, he was appointed the president’s chief campaign strategist.

Looking back, Mr. Dowd now says his faith in Mr. Bush was misplaced.

He said his decision to step forward had not come easily. But, he said, his disappointment in Mr. Bush’s presidency is so great that he feels a sense of duty to go public given his role in helping Mr. Bush gain and keep power.

Mr. Dowd, a crucial part of a team that cast Senator John Kerry as a flip-flopper who could not be trusted with national security during wartime, said he had even written but never submitted an op-ed article titled “Kerry Was Right,” arguing that Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential candidate, was correct in calling last year for a withdrawal from Iraq.

Until I got to this part...

His views against the war began to harden last spring when, in a personal exercise, he wrote a draft opinion article and found himself agreeing with Mr. Kerry’s call for withdrawal from Iraq. He acknowledged that the expected deployment of his son Daniel was an important factor.

As I've always said, these pussy Republicans are willing to throw my son to the wolves but wouldn't support this war if their own kids were at risk. I've seen it over and over again. War should be a shared sacrifice but this guy and millions of Republicans like him haven't been touched by this war at all. Well, that isn't completely true, many have actually benefited from it. Think about those that hold Halliburton shares, for example.

So, in the end, those that supported Bush in 2004, like Mr. Dowd, have blood on their hands. Those that did so in an effort to line their pockets are the worst of the bunch but they're all to blame. Supporting this President with all of the evidence we already had was inexcusable. And I think they'll have a lot of explaining to do when they get to the Pearly Gates.

The Surge

2007-03-31T10:57:00.000-05:00

Yet another good idea from the Bush Administration. Let's escalate our involvement in a war we'll NEVER win! Stupid fucks...

The Iraqi government raised the death toll on Saturday from a truck bomb in the town of Tal Afar to 152, making it the deadliest single bombing of the four-year-old war.

Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier Abdul Kareem Khalaf said 347 people were wounded in Tuesday's attack on a Shi'ite area.

Bombings blamed on Sunni Islamist al Qaeda have killed 400 people in Shi'ite areas across the country in the past week.

Officials said earlier up to 70 were killed in the revenge attacks, but Khalaf put the number at 47. He said most of the attackers were police. Much of the force is made up of Shi'ites.

GET

OUT

NOW!

Nice Murtha Rant

2007-03-24T11:06:00.000-05:00

What Shall He Tell That Son?

2007-03-17T11:56:00.000-05:00

A father sees a son nearing manhood.
What shall he tell that son?
'Life is hard; be steel; be a rock.'
And this might stand him for the storms
and serve him for humdrum and monotony
and guide him amid sudden betrayals
and tighten him for slack moments.
'Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy.'
And this too might serve him.
Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.
The growth of a frail flower in a path up
has sometimes shattered and split a rock.
A tough will counts. So does desire.
So does a rich soft wanting.
Without rich wanting nothing arrives.
Tell him too much money has killed men
And left them dead years before burial:
The quest of lucre beyond a few easy needs
Has twisted good enough men
Sometimes into dry thwarted worms.
Tell him time as a stuff can be wasted.
Tell him to be a fool every so often
and to have no shame over having been a fool
yet learning something out of every folly
hoping to repeat none of the cheap follies
thus arriving at intimate understanding
of a world numbering many fools.

Tell him to be alone often and get at himself
and above all tell himself no lies about himself
whatever the white lies and protective fronts
he may use amongst other people.
Tell him solitude is creative if he is strong
and the final decisions are made in silent rooms.
Tell him to be different from other people
if it comes natural and easy being different.
Let him have lazy days seeking his deeper motives.
Let him seek deep for where he is a born natural.
Then he may understand Shakespeare
and the Wright brothers, Pasteur, Pavlov,
Michael Faraday and free imaginations
Bringing changes into a world resenting change.
He will be lonely enough
to have time for the work
he knows as his own.

~ Carl Sandburg ~

I'm So Proud Today

2007-03-17T11:28:00.000-05:00

Proud to be an American! See the quotes below coming from an environmental summit of the G8 countries. On the issues...

"On two issues, the United States were the only ones who spoke against consensus."

"We find this regrettable, I would have been disappointed if I'd expected something different."

"We can't afford to wait for the slowest country."

And this: "The impact has been devastating," Eichenberg said. "American standing abroad is by all measures at its lowest point in history. This is true in Europe, this is true in other parts of the world. Whether this can be reversed in a new administration, Republican or Democrat, we will have to see."

This is what it's come to for us. We're no longer leaders in the world. We've become the ugly Americans in so many ways. I'm disgusted.

Dems Say No to Fox

2007-03-10T12:13:00.000-06:00

There was going to be a Presidential debate sponsored by Fox in August. The Dems have finally come to their senses. I've always stated here that Fox is nothing more than a shill for the right wing. To allow this debate/sponsorship would be to give them credibility. I'm glad this finally blew up. Now maybe the debate can take place and be covered by legitimate news organizations.

The film below demonstrates how fair and balanced Fox has been.

Crazy Dick

2007-02-25T15:07:00.000-06:00

In Cheney's world...

Iraq is a success
Nancy Pelosi or anyone else interested in getting out of Iraq is a terrorist sympathizer
War with Iran is an option
The jury is still out on the cause of global warming

Wrong on all accounts, dick! Iraq is a horrible failure. A quagmire with absolutely no chance for success. Those of us that understand that aren't pinko commie bastards, we're just a lot fucking smarter than you. And your stupid ass apparently doesn't realize that we don't have the soldiers to wage war on Iran, regardless of what merit there may be in such an endeavor.

And 99% of the worlds scientific community is agreed on the cause of global warming. Your buddies at Exxon and Halliburton may not like that FACT but it is, nonetheless, a fact.

Please Dick, shut the fuck up. You're an asshole, major league.

I'm Now on Record

2007-02-21T20:27:00.000-06:00

I will never vote for Hillary Clinton. I'm done with her. We're almost two years away from the election and her campaign is already going negative. I don't care if the Republicans run former Senator Sanatorium against her, she isn't getting my damn vote. I'll vote Green or Libertarian.

Obama's response was perfect.

Mardi Gras

2007-02-20T19:55:00.000-06:00

How's the rebuilding George Bush promised for New Orleans going? Well, what do you suppose Mayor Nagin meant when he said:

"We're going to rebuild
this city regardless."

Doesn't sound like Nagin thinks W has delivered. I'm stunned. George Bush not living up to a promise? Not possible.

New Republican Plan for Iraq

2007-02-18T09:21:00.000-06:00

Don't discuss it. But Democrat Charles Schumer says...

“There will be resolution after resolution, amendment after amendment, all forcing this body to do what it has not done in the previous three years: debate and discuss Iraq.”

Durango, Colorado

2007-02-17T12:39:00.000-06:00

Shithole!

This is an inside joke.

Obama Announcement

2007-02-11T08:42:00.000-06:00

You can watch the announcement here. Full transcript below.

My current take on Obama: I'm happy he's running. I expect he'll raise the level of the debate. I have my doubts about whether a black man can sway enough Southern votes to win the office. Recall that Southerners haven't been voting for white male Northerners in recent times. I don't have a lot of faith in the electorate of this country after they found "The Decider" fit for two terms. But, I was pleasantly surprised in November so I guess you never know...

TRANSCRIPT

Let me begin by saying thanks to all you who've traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today.

We all made this journey for a reason. It's humbling, but in my heart I know you didn't come here just for me, you came here because you believe in what this country can be. In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that's shut you out, that's told you to settle, that's divided us for too long, you believe we can be one people, reaching for what's possible, building that more perfect union.

That's the journey we're on today. But let me tell you how I came to be here. As most of you know, I am not a native of this great state. I moved to Illinois over two decades ago. I was a young man then, just a year out of college; I knew no one in Chicago, was without money or family connections. But a group of churches had offered me a job as a community organizer for $13,000 a year. And I accepted the job, sight unseen, motivated then by a single, simple, powerful idea - that I might play a small part in building a better America.

My work took me to some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods. I joined with pastors and lay-people to deal with communities that had been ravaged by plant closings. I saw that the problems people faced weren't simply local in nature - that the decision to close a steel mill was made by distant executives; that the lack of textbooks and computers in schools could be traced to the skewed priorities of politicians a thousand miles away; and that when a child turns to violence, there's a hole in his heart no government could ever fill.

It was in these neighborhoods that I received the best education I ever had, and where I learned the true meaning of my Christian faith.

After three years of this work, I went to law school, because I wanted to understand how the law should work for those in need. I became a civil rights lawyer, and taught constitutional law, and after a time, I came to understand that our cherished rights of liberty and equality depend on the active participation of an awakened electorate. It was with these ideas in mind that I arrived in this capital city as a state Senator.

It was here, in Springfield, where I saw all that is America converge - farmers and teachers, businessmen and laborers, all of them with a story to tell, all of them seeking a seat at the table, all of them clamoring to be heard. I made lasting friendships here - friends that I see in the audience today.

It was here we learned to disagree without being disagreeable - that it's possible to compromise so long as you know those principles that can never be compromised; and that so long as we're willing to listen to each other, we can assume the best in people instead of the worst.

That's why we were able to reform a death penalty system that was broken. That's why we were able to give health insurance to children in need. That's why we made the tax system more fair and just for working families, and that's why we passed ethics reforms that the cynics said could never, ever be passed.

It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people - where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America.

And that is why, in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where Lincoln once called on a divided house to stand together, where common hopes and common dreams still, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for President of the United States.

I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness - a certain audacity - to this announcement. I know I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change.

The genius of our founders is that they designed a system of government that can be changed. And we should take heart, because we've changed this country before. In the face of tyranny, a band of patriots brought an Empire to its knees. In the face of secession, we unified a nation and set the captives free. In the face of Depression, we put people back to work and lifted millions out of poverty. We welcomed immigrants to our shores, we opened railroads to the west, we landed a man on the moon, and we heard a King's call to let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Each and every time, a new generation has risen up and done what's needed to be done. Today we are called once more - and it is time for our generation to answer that call.

For that is our unyielding faith - that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it.

That's what Abraham Lincoln understood. He had his doubts. He had his defeats. He had his setbacks. But through his will and his words, he moved a nation and helped free a people. It is because of the millions who rallied to his cause that we are no longer divided, North and South, slave and free. It is because men and women of every race, from every walk of life, continued to march for freedom long after Lincoln was laid to rest, that today we have the chance to face the challenges of this millennium together, as one people - as Americans.

All of us know what those challenges are today - a war with no end, a dependence on oil that threatens our future, schools where too many children aren't learning, and families struggling paycheck to paycheck despite working as hard as they can. We know the challenges. We've heard them. We've talked about them for years.

What's stopped us from meeting these challenges is not the absence of sound policies and sensible plans. What's stopped us is the failure of leadership, the smallness of our politics - the ease with which we're distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle big problems.

For the last six years we've been told that our mounting debts don't matter, we've been told that the anxiety Americans feel about rising health care costs and stagnant wages are an illusion, we've been told that climate change is a hoax, and that tough talk and an ill-conceived war can replace diplomacy, and strategy, and foresight. And when all else fails, when Katrina happens, or the death toll in Iraq mounts, we've been told that our crises are somebody else's fault. We're distracted from our real failures, and told to blame the other party, or gay people, or immigrants.

And as people have looked away in disillusionment and frustration, we know what's filled the void. The cynics, and the lobbyists, and the special interests who've turned our government into a game only they can afford to play. They write the checks and you get stuck with the bills, they get the access while you get to write a letter, they think they own this government, but we're here today to take it back. The time for that politics is over. It's time to turn the page.

We've made some progress already. I was proud to help lead the fight in Congress that led to the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate.

But Washington has a long way to go. And it won't be easy. That's why we'll have to set priorities. We'll have to make hard choices. And although government will play a crucial role in bringing about the changes we need, more money and programs alone will not get us where we need to go. Each of us, in our own lives, will have to accept responsibility - for instilling an ethic of achievement in our children, for adapting to a more competitive economy, for strengthening our communities, and sharing some measure of sacrifice. So let us begin. Let us begin this hard work together. Let us transform this nation.

Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy to compete in the digital age. Let's set high standards for our schools and give them the resources they need to succeed. Let's recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability. Let's make college more affordable, and let's invest in scientific research, and let's lay down broadband lines through the heart of inner cities and rural towns all across America.

And as our economy changes, let's be the generation that ensures our nation's workers are sharing in our prosperity. Let's protect the hard-earned benefits their companies have promised. Let's make it possible for hardworking Americans to save for retirement. And let's allow our unions and their organizers to lift up this country's middle-class again.

Let's be the generation that ends poverty in America. Every single person willing to work should be able to get job training that leads to a job, and earn a living wage that can pay the bills, and afford child care so their kids have a safe place to go when they work. Let's do this.

Let's be the generation that finally tackles our health care crisis. We can control costs by focusing on prevention, by providing better treatment to the chronically ill, and using technology to cut the bureaucracy. Let's be the generation that says right here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president's first term.

Let's be the generation that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil. We can harness homegrown, alternative fuels like ethanol and spur the production of more fuel-efficient cars. We can set up a system for capping greenhouse gases. We can turn this crisis of global warming into a moment of opportunity for innovation, and job creation, and an incentive for businesses that will serve as a model for the world. Let's be the generation that makes future generations proud of what we did here.

Most of all, let's be the generation that never forgets what happened on that September day and confront the terrorists with everything we've got. Politics doesn't have to divide us on this anymore - we can work together to keep our country safe. I've worked with Republican Senator Dick Lugar to pass a law that will secure and destroy some of the world's deadliest, unguarded weapons. We can work together to track terrorists down with a stronger military, we can tighten the net around their finances, and we can improve our intelligence capabilities. But let us also understand that ultimate victory against our enemies will come only by rebuilding our alliances and exporting those ideals that bring hope and opportunity to millions around the globe.

But all of this cannot come to pass until we bring an end to this war in Iraq. Most of you know I opposed this war from the start. I thought it was a tragic mistake. Today we grieve for the families who have lost loved ones, the hearts that have been broken, and the young lives that could have been. America, it's time to start bringing our troops home. It's time to admit that no amount of American lives can resolve the political disagreement that lies at the heart of someone else's civil war. That's why I have a plan that will bring our combat troops home by March of 2008. Letting the Iraqis know that we will not be there forever is our last, best hope to pressure the Sunni and Shia to come to the table and find peace.

Finally, there is one other thing that is not too late to get right about this war - and that is the homecoming of the men and women - our veterans - who have sacrificed the most. Let us honor their valor by providing the care they need and rebuilding the military they love. Let us be the generation that begins this work.

I know there are those who don't believe we can do all these things. I understand the skepticism. After all, every four years, candidates from both parties make similar promises, and I expect this year will be no different. All of us running for president will travel around the country offering ten-point plans and making grand speeches; all of us will trumpet those qualities we believe make us uniquely qualified to lead the country. But too many times, after the election is over, and the confetti is swept away, all those promises fade from memory, and the lobbyists and the special interests move in, and people turn away, disappointed as before, left to struggle on their own.

That is why this campaign can't only be about me. It must be about us - it must be about what we can do together. This campaign must be the occasion, the vehicle, of your hopes, and your dreams. It will take your time, your energy, and your advice - to push us forward when we're doing right, and to let us know when we're not. This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.

By ourselves, this change will not happen. Divided, we are bound to fail.

But the life of a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible.

He tells us that there is power in words.

He tells us that there is power in conviction.

That beneath all the differences of race and region, faith and station, we are one people.

He tells us that there is power in hope.

As Lincoln organized the forces arrayed against slavery, he was heard to say: "Of strange, discordant, and even hostile elements, we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought to battle through."

That is our purpose here today.

That's why I'm in this race.

Not just to hold an office, but to gather with you to transform a nation.

I want to win that next battle - for justice and opportunity.

I want to win that next battle - for better schools, and better jobs, and health care for all.

I want us to take up the unfinished business of perfecting our union, and building a better America.

And if you will join me in this improbable quest, if you feel destiny calling, and see as I see, a future of endless possibility stretching before us; if you sense, as I sense, that the time is now to shake off our slumber, and slough off our fear, and make good on the debt we owe past and future generations, then I'm ready to take up the cause, and march with you, and work with you. Together, starting today, let us finish the work that needs to be done, and usher in a new birth of freedom on this Earth.

KKKarl Rove: Man of the People

2007-02-10T09:58:00.000-06:00

"I don't want my 17-year-old son to have to
pick tomatoes or make beds in Las Vegas."

Not this time

2007-02-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry to report that my favorite team, the Chicago Bears, ran into a better team last night. Congratulations to the Colts and their fans. It's good to see a class guy like Tony Dungy get this win if we can't.

I'm disappointed. Don't get me wrong. The Bears had a few opportunities to do something that would've made it more interesting. The pass returned for a TD was only one such failed opportunity. Shoulda woulda coulda... We lost.

It was clear to me that Grossman will someday be a good QB in this league. Heck, he already is most of the time. But he'll probably never be great. He isn't Peyton Manning. He isn't half Peyton Manning. Manning was able to adjust his game to the conditions. Rex couldn't do so. He wasn't savvy enough to adjust for the wet ball. Two critical errors he made, both inceptions, were on balls that hung up and didn't go as far as he'd expected them to travel. That doesn't happen to Manning.

The Colts running game was also working well and by the second half our defense was missing a lot of tackles. No doubt they were exhausted due to the fact that our offense hadn't produced a single first down in nearly 30 minutes of game time.

But there isn't any bitterness in me. I have a lot of respect for the Colts and the job they did last night. I enjoy they way they handle themselves although I have to admit I'm not a big fan of Manning's antics at the line of scrimmage.

I guess I'll just have to be satisfied the Bears are 2nd best. Damn it.

Go TAKE it!

2007-02-03T09:18:00.001-06:00

Support the Troops!

2007-01-31T17:02:00.000-06:00

Getting Serious for a Minute

2007-01-30T18:58:00.000-06:00

Federal scientists have been pressured to play down global warming, advocacy groups testified Tuesday at the Democrats' first investigative hearing since taking control of Congress.

"It appears there may have been an orchestrated campaign to mislead the public about climate change," said Rep. Henry Waxman (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif. Waxman is chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and a critic of the Bush administration's environmental policies, including its views on climate.

Where have I heard "an orchestrated campaign to mislead the public" before?

IT'S WHAT THE BUSH CREW IS GOOD AT, HENRY!

Glad to see someone calling them on it for once.

A Poem

2007-01-30T18:37:00.001-06:00

Bears Fans are a Friendly Bunch!

2007-01-29T17:33:00.000-06:00

Be Prepared to be Freaked Out

2007-01-25T17:24:00.000-06:00

Bring it Home

2007-01-21T10:36:00.001-06:00

Bring 'em Home

2007-01-21T09:55:00.000-06:00

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2007-01-20T08:38:00.000-06:00

She's running!

This is getting interesting. I've never been a big fan but she'll clearly add a lot of energy and star power to the process. I think she's a brilliant person but her public persona will make it difficult. She's one of those people you either love or hate and a good many people hate her. I'm not sure she can find enough people in the middle to put her over the top.

But Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama has a really nice ring to it... Nah, the South will never go for it. The question is: Can that ticket take all of the Kerry states plus Ohio? Or Florida. Maybe.

Obamarama!

2007-01-16T10:06:00.000-06:00

Senator Barack Obama is running for President!

I don't know if he can get elected but he's certainly going to bring the caliber of the dialogue up a few notches. Any Democrat in this race better bring their "A Game" if they hope to beat this man.

As of right this minute, he has my vote.

Go Bears!

2007-01-14T10:38:00.000-06:00

Let's win today!

UPDATE: YOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!! Bears win! Bears win!

Plan B

2007-01-11T09:13:00.000-06:00

I hope you all enjoyed the show. Wow, sending 21,000 more guys over, who’d a thunk o’ that? Pure genius! Bravo W! Bravo!

Let me see if I understand the plan in its entirety… Increase troop levels back to what they were last January when we were obviously winning the war. BRILLIANT!

By the way, I see Gates is calling for the Army to be increased in size by another 92,000. Can never have enough brave young soldiers to plunk in the middle of civil wars, can you? I sure hope all those young Republicans sign up. Their country needs them! Something like 26% of the country still supports this war. If only 4/10th of one percent of those Eagle Scouts sign up we’ll meet this new need! Come on Blood and Guts Young Republicans… We need you!

Privacy from Bush

2007-01-05T07:41:00.000-06:00

This comes as no surprise...

WASHINGTON - President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned.

The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions.

"Despite the President's statement that he may be able to circumvent a basic privacy protection, the new postal law continues to prohibit the government from snooping into people's mail without a warrant," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the incoming House Government Reform Committee chairman, who co-sponsored the bill.

Experts said the new powers could be easily abused and used to vacuum up large amounts of mail.

Bush and Sacrifice

2007-01-03T12:35:00.000-06:00

I see today Bush announced he wants to balance the budget by 2012. That's big of him seeing that he has a Democrat Congress and his target is 4 years AFTER he'll be out of office. Couldn't get that done the last 6 years with a Republican majority eh? Nooooooo...

Oh, and by the way, I'm hearing that W's new plan for Iraq is the same as his old one only he'll be throwing more of our sons and daughters at the problem. 35,000 additional troops who will wander around the streets of Baghdad so crazy fundamentalists in the middle of a civil war can take shots at them. No plan, just more soldiers. And Bush is saying the American people just have to get used to sacrifice. Like he sacrificed back in the Vietnam era when he hid out in the National Guard? What a piece of shit.

Nothing Changes...

2006-12-31T08:11:00.000-06:00

THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
A ROLL CALL OF THE FALLEN

(star)May 25, 2006: Army Capt. Douglas A. Dicenzo, 30, Plymouth, N.H.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Robert E. Blair, 22, Ocala, Fla.; Baghdad (star)May 26, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin A. Lucas, 20, Greensboro, N.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)May 27, 2006: Army Cpl. J. Adan Garcia, 20, Irving, Texas; Baghdad (star)May 29, 2006: Army Cpl. Jeremy M. Loveless, 25, Estacada, Ore.; Mosul, Iraq (star)Army Capt. James A. Funkhouser, 35, Katy, Texas; Baghdad (star)May 30, 2006: Marine Cpl. Richard A. Bennett, 25, Girard, Kan.; near Taqaddum, Iraq (star)Marine Capt. Nathanael J. Doring, 31, Apple Valley, Minn.; near Taqaddum, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Bobby R. West, 23, Beebe, Ark.; Baghdad (star)May 31, 2006: Army Spec. Brock L. Bucklin, 28, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Benjamin E. Mejia, 25, Salem, Mass.; Marez, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Alexander J. Kolasa, 22, White Lake, Mich.; Baghdad (star)June 3, 2006: Army Spec. Brett L. Tribble, 20, Lake Jackson, Texas; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Marine Maj. Michael D. Stover, 43, Mansfield, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Darren Harmon, 44, Newark, Del.; Haditha, Iraq (star)June 4, 2006: Army 1st Lt. Ryan T. Sanders, 27, College Station, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Daniel R. Gionet, 23, Pelham, N.H.; Baghdad (star)June 5, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Isaac S. Lawson, 35, Sacramento; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Derek A. Stanley, 20, Tulsa; Salerno, Afghanistan (star)Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaime S. Jaenke, 29, Bay City, Wis.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)June 6, 2006: Army Sgt. Travis A. Vanzoest, 21, Larimore, N.D.; Khogyani, Afghanistan (star)Army Spec. Curtis R. Mehrer, 21, Bismarck, N.D.; Khogyani, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Carlos E. Pernell, 25, Munford, Ala.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Andy D. Anderson, 24, Falls Church, Va.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Marine Sgt. Mark T. Smykowski, 23, Mentor, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Richard A. Blakley, 34, Plainfield, Ind.; Khaldiyah, Iraq (star)June 7, 2006: Army 1st Lt. Scott M. Love, 32, Knoxville, Tenn.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. David N. Crombie, 19, Winnemucca, Nev.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army 2nd Lt. John S. Vaughan, 23, Edwards, Colo.; Mosul, Iraq (star)June 8, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel B. Crabtree, 31, Canton, Ohio; Kut, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Luis D. Santos, 20, Rialto, Calif.; Buritz, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Clarence D. McSwain, 31, Meridian, Miss.; Baghdad (star)June 9, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Brent B. Zoucha, 19, Merrick, Neb.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Jose M. Velez, 35, Bronx, N.Y.; Kirkuk, Iraq (star)Army Pvt. Benjamin J. Slaven, 22, Plymouth, Neb.; Diwaniyah, Iraq (star)Navy Hospitalman Zachary M. Alday, 22, Donalsonville, Ga.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Salvador Guerrero, 21, Los Angeles; Anbar province, Iraq (star)June 11, 2006: Army Cpl. Bernard P. Corpuz, 28, Watsonville, Calif.; Ghazni, Afghanistan (star)June 12, 2006: Army Lt. Col. Charles E. Munier, 50, Wheatland, Wyo.; Kabul, Afghanistan (star)June 13, 2006: Army Sgt. Russell M. Durgin, 23, Henniker, N.H.; Korengel, Afghanistan (star)June 14, 2006: Army Sgt. Roger P. Pena Jr., 29, San Antonio; Musa Qulah, Afghanistan (star)Marine Cpl. Michael A. Estrella, 20, Hemet, Calif.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)June 15, 2006: Army Spec. Jeremiah S. Santos, 21, Minot, N.D.; Baghdad (star)Army Capt. Patrick D. Damon, 41, Falmouth, Maine; Bagram, Afghanistan (star)June 16, 2006: Army 1st Lt. Forrest P. Ewens, 25, Chewelah, Wash.; Pech River Valley, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Ian T. Sanchez, 26, Staten Island, N.Y.; Pech River Valley, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Brent W. Koch, 22, Morton, Minn.; Diwaniyah, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, Madras, Ore.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. David J. Babineau, 25, Springfield, Mass.; Baghdad (star)Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, San Marcos, Texas; Baghdad (star)June 17, 2006: Army Spec. Robert L. Jones, 22, Milwaukie, Ore.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Reyes Ramirez, 23, Willis, Texas; Ramadi, Iraq (star)June 20, 2006: Marine Cpl. Christopher D. Leon, 20, Lancaster, Calif.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Brandon J. Webb, 20, Swartz Creek, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Pfc. Christopher N. White, 23, Southport, N.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Staff Sgt. Benjamin D. Williams, 30, Orange, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)June 21, 2006: Army Pfc. Brian J. Bradbury, 22, St. Joseph, Mo.; near Naray, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. Heathe N. Craig, 28, Severn, Md.; near Naray, Afghanistan (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Whyte, 21, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Jason J. Buzzard, 31, Constantinople, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti, 30, Raynham, Mass.; Gowardesh, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. Patrick L. Lybert, 28, Ladysmith, Wis.; Gowardesh, Afghanistan (star)June 22, 2006: Marine Cpl. Riley E. Baker, 22, Pacific, Mo.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)June 23, 2006: Army Pfc. Paul A. Beyer, 21, Jamestown, N.D.; near Baghdad (star)Army Pfc. Devon J. Gibbons, 19, Port Orchard, Wash.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Channing G. Singletary, 30, Sylvester, Ga.; Baghdad (star)June 24, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Alberto V. Sanchez, 33, Houston; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Master Sgt. Thomas D. Maholic, 38, Bradford, Pa., Ghecko, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Benjamin J. Laymon, 22, Mt. Vernon, Ohio; near Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Justin D. Norton, 21, Rainier, Wash.; near Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Joseph F. Fuerst III, 26, Tampa; Panjway district, Afghanistan (star)June 25, 2006: Army Pfc. Justin R. Davis, 19, Gaithersburg, Md.; Korengal Outpost, near Kunar province, Afghanistan (star)Marine Cpl. Paul N. King, 23, Tyngsboro, Mass.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)June 26, 2006: Army Spec. Michael J. Potocki, 21, Baltimore; Asad, Iraq (star)Marine Staff Sgt. Raymond J. Plouhar, 30, Lake Orion, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)June 27, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Terry O.P. Wallace, 33, Winnsboro, La.; Taji, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Jason W. Morrow, 27, Riverside, Calif.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Cpl. Jeremy S. Jones, 25, Omaha; Baghdad (star)June 28, 2006: Marine Pfc. Rex A. Page, 21, Kirksville, Mo.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Aaron M. Griner, 24, Tampa; Helmand province, Afghanistan (star)June 29, 2006: Army Sgt. Kyle R. Miller, 19, Willmar, Minn.; Mosul, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Christopher D. Rose, 21, San Francisco; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Bryan C. Luckey, 25, Tampa; Mosul, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. James P. Muldoon, 23, Bells, Texas; Baqouba, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Ryan J. Clark, 19, Lancaster, Calif.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)July 1, 2006: Air Force Airman 1st Class Carl Jerome Ware Jr., 22, Glassboro, N.J.; Camp Bucca, Iraq (star)July 2, 2006: Army Spec. Collin T. Mason, 20, Staten Island, N.Y.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 William T. Flanigan, 37, Milan, Tenn.; Kandahar, Afghanistan (star)Marine Sgt. Justin L. Noyes, 23, Vinita, Okla.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)July 3, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Paul S. Pabla, 23, Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Mosul, Iraq (star)July 5, 2006: Army Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. McLochlin, 45, Rochester, Ind.; Orgun-E, Afghanistan (star)July 6, 2006: Army Pfc. Kevin F. Edgin, 31, Dyersburg, Tenn.; Baghran Valley, Afghanistan (star)July 7, 2006: Army Sgt. Duane J. Dreasky, 31, Novi, Mich.; Habbaniyah, Iraq (star)July 8, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Omar D. Flores, 27, Mission, Texas; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Troy C. Linden, 22, Detroit Lakes, Minn.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Joseph P. Micks, 22, Rapid River, Mich.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)July 9, 2006: Army Spec. Damien M. Montoya, 21, Holbrook, Ariz.; Baghdad (star)July 12, 2006: Army Sgt. Irving Hernandez Jr., 28, New York; Mosul, Iraq (star)Navy Petty Officer Jerry A. Tharp, 44, Muscatine, Iowa; Anbar province, Iraq (star)July 13, 2006: Army Sgt. Alkaila T. Floyd, 23, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)July 14, 2006: Army Sgt. Thomas B. Turner Jr., 31, Cottonwood, Calif.; Muqdadiyah, Iraq (star)July 15, 2006: Army Spec. Manuel J. Holguin, 21, Woodlake, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Andres J. Contreras, 23, Huntington Park, Calif.; Baghdad (star)July 16, 2006: Army Sgt. Robert P. Kassin, 29, Las Vegas; Larzab Base, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. Jason M. Evey, 29, Stockton, Calif.; Baghdad (star)July 17, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Michael A. Dickinson II, 26, Battle Creek, Mich.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth I. Pugh, 39, Houston; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott R. Smith, 34, Punxsutawney, Pa.; Iskandariyah, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Chiomento, 34, Ft. Dix, N.J.; Khwaya Ahmad, Afghanistan (star)Army Cpl. Nathaniel S. Baughman, 23, Monticello, Ind.; Beiji, Iraq (star)July 18, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Geofrey R. Cayer, 20, Fitchburg, Mass.; Anbar province, Iraq (star) Army Sgt. Mark R. Vecchione, 25, Tucson, Ariz.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)July 19, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Eric Caban, 28, Ft. Worth; southern Afghanistan (star)July 20, 2006: Army Pfc. Derek J. Plowman, 20, Everton, Ark.; Baghdad (star)Marine Cpl. Julian A. Ramon, 22, Flushing, N.Y.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)July 21, 2006: Army Cpl. Matthew P. Wallace, 22, Lexington Park, Md.; Baghdad (star)Army 1st Sgt. Christopher C. Rafferty, 37, Brownsville, Pa.; Sharana, Afghanistan (star)Marine Capt. Christopher T. Pate, 29, Hampstead, N.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)July 22, 2006: Army Capt. Blake H. Russell, 35, Ft. Worth; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Adam J. Fargo, 22, Ruckersville, Va.; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Swanson, 25, Rose Haven, Md.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)July 24, 2006: Army Spec. Stephen W. Castner, 27, Cedarburg, Wis.; Tallil, Iraq (star)Army Capt. Jason M. West, 28, Pittsburgh; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. David M. Hierholzer, 27, Lewisburg, Tenn.; Pesch, Afghanistan (star)Army Spec. Dennis K. Samson Jr., 24, Hesperia, Mich.; Taqaddum, Iraq (star)July 25, 2006: Army Spec. Joseph A. Graves, 21, Discovery Bay, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Andrew Velez, 22, Lubbock, Texas; Sharona, Afghanistan (star)July 26, 2006: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Edward A. Koth, 30, Towson, Md.; Camp Victory, Iraq (star)July 27, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. James W. Higgins, 22, Frederick, Md.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Adam R. Murray, 21, Cordova, Tenn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Timothy D. Roos, 21, Cincinnati; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Pfc. Enrique C. Sanchez, 21, Garner, N.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star) July 29, 2006: Marine Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus, 28, Wolf Creek, Mont.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Butterfield, 19, Clovis, Calif.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Sgt. Christian B. Williams, 27, Winter Haven, Fla.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Pfc. Jason Hanson, 21, Forks, Wash.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)July 31, 2006: Army Sgt. Joshua A. Ford, 20, Wayne, Neb.; Numaniyah, Iraq (star)Aug. 1, 2006: Army Spec. Hai Ming Hsia, 37, New York; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Aug. 2, 2006: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Marc A. Lee, 28, Hood River, Ore.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Ryan D. Jopek, 20, Merrill, Wis.; Tikrit, Iraq (star) Army Sgt. Dustin D. Laird, 23, Martin, Tenn.; Al Qaim, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Joseph A. Tomci, 21, Stow, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 3, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Suplee, 39, Ocala, Fla.; Kabul, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. George M. Ulloa Jr., 23, Austin, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Kurt E. Dechen, 24, Springfield, Vt.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 4, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Clint J. Storey, 30, Enid, Okla.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Leroy Segura Jr., 23, Clovis, N.M.; Habbaniyah, Iraq (star)Aug. 5, 2006: Army Spec. Brian J. Kubik, 20, Harker Heights, Texas; Baghdad (star)Aug. 6, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Stephen A. Seale, 25, Grafton, W.Va.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Carlton A. Clark, 22, South Royalton, Vt.; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Jose Zamora, 24, Sunland Park, N.M.; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Tracy L. Melvin, 31, Seattle; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Aug. 8, 2006: Army Sgt. Jeffery S. Brown, 25, Trinity Center, Calif.; Rutbah, Iraq (star)Aug. 9, 2006: Army 1st. Sgt. Aaron D. Jagger, 43, Hillsdale, Mich.; Ramadi, Iraq (star) Army Spec. Ignacio Ramirez, 22, Henderson, Nev.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Shane W. Woods, 23, Palmer, Alaska; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Aug. 10, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy Z. Long, 18, Sun Valley, Nev.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 11, 2006: Army Spec. Rogelio R. Garza Jr., 26, Corpus Christi, Texas; Nangalam, Afghanistan (star)Army Pfc. Andrew R. Small, 19, Wiscasset, Maine; Nangalam, Afghanistan (star)Army Pfc. James P. White Jr., 19, Huber Heights, Ohio; Nangalam, Afghanistan (star)Aug. 12, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Kenneth A. Jenkins, 25, Fouke, Ark.; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Michael C. Lloyd, 24, San Antonio; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Kevin L. Zeigler, 31, Overland Park, Kan.; Baghdad (star)Aug. 16, 2006: Army Cpl. Jeremiah S. Cole, 26, Hiawatha, Kan.; Bermel, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. Jeffrey S. Loa, 32, Waianae, Hawaii; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Michael D. Glover, 28, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Capt. John J. McKenna IV, 30, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Anbar province, Iraq (star) Marine Sgt. John P. Phillips, 29, St. Stephen, S.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 17, 2006: Army Pvt. Joseph R. Blake, 34, Portland, Ore.; Turkalay, Afghanistan (star)Army Pfc. James J. Arellano, 19, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Baghdad (star)Aug. 18, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Ruben J. Villa Jr., 36, El Paso, Texas; Dubai, United Arab Emirates (star)Aug. 19, 2006: Army Sgt. Wakkuna A. Jackson, 21, Jacksonville; Kunar province, Afghanistan (star)Army Cpl. Robert E. Drawl Jr., 21, Alexandria, Va.; Kunar province, Afghanistan (star)Army Spec. Christopher F. Sitton, 21, Montrose, Colo.; Kunar province, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Marquees A. Quick, 28, Hoover Ala.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Air Force Senior Airman Adam P. Servais, 23, Onalaska, Wis.; Uruzgan province, Afghanistan (star)Aug. 20, 2006: Navy Hospitalman Chadwick T. Kenyon, 20, Tucson, Ariz.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Gabriel G. DeRoo, 25, Paw Paw, Mich.; Mosul, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Adam A. Galvez, 21, Salt Lake City; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Randy L. Newman, 21, Bend, Ore.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 21, 2006: Air Force Master Sgt. Brad A. Clemmons, 37, Chillicothe, Ohio; Taji, Iraq (star)Aug. 22, 2006: Navy Chief Petty Officer Paul J. Darga, 34, Alpena, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 23, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. James D. Hirlston, 21, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Thomas J. Barbieri, 24, Gaithersburg, Md.; Baghdad (star)Aug. 24, 2006: Army Sgt. Jeremy E. King, 23, Meridian, Idaho; Baghdad (star)Marine Staff Sgt. Dwayne E. Williams, 28, Baltimore; Anbar province, Iraq (star) Marine Staff Sgt. Gordon G. Solomon, 35, Fairborn, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star) Army Pfc. William E. Thorne, 26, Hospers, Iowa; Baghdad (star)Aug. 25, 2006: Marine Cpl. Jordan C. Pierson, 21, Milford, Conn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 26, 2006:: Army Cpl. Edgardo Zayas, 29, Dorchester, Mass.; Baghdad (star)Marine Cpl. David G. Weimortz, 28, Irmo, S.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Aug. 27, 2006: Army Spec. Seth A. Hildreth, 26, Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Baghdad (star) Army Sgt. David J. Almazan, 27, Van Nuys, Calif.; Hit, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Darry Benson, 46, Winterville, N.C.; Camp Virginia, Kuwait (star)Army Cpl. Joshua D. Jones, 24, Pomeroy, Ohio; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Kenneth M. Cross, 21, Superior, Wis.; Baghdad (star)Army Pfc. Daniel G. Dolan, 19, Roy, Utah; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Jeffrey J. Hansen, 31, Cairo, Neb.; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Moises Jazmin, 25, Providence, R.I.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Qixing Lee, 20, Minneapolis; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Shaun A. Novak, 21, Two Rivers, Wis.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Tristan C. Smith, 23, Bryn Athyn, Pa.; Taji, Iraq (star)Aug. 28, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Donald E. Champlin, 28, Natchitoches, La.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Matthew E. Schneider, 23, Gorham, N.H.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Shannon L. Squires, 25, Virginia Beach, Va.; Main Supply Route Tampa, Iraq (star)Aug. 29, 2006: Marine Cpl. Christopher T. Warndorf, 21, Burlington, Ky.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Matthew J. Vosbein, 30, Metairie, La.; Yusifiya, Iraq (star)Aug. 30, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Colin J. Wolfe, 19, Manassas, Va.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Joshua R. Hanson, 27, West St. Paul; Khaldiyah, Iraq (star)Aug. 31, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Michael L. Deason, 28, Farmington, Mo.; Ad War, Iraq (star)Sept. 1, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Cliff K. Golla, 21, Charlotte; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Angel D. Mercado-Velazquez, 24, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico; Yusifiya, Iraq (star)Sept. 2, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Eugene H.E. Alex, 32, Bay City, Mich.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Ralph N. Porras, 36, Merrill, Mich.; Yusifiya, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Justin W. Dreese, 21, Northumberland, Pa.; Yusifiya, Iraq (star)Sept. 3, 2006: Army Sgt. Jason L. Merrill, 22, Mesa, Ariz.; Baghdad (star)Army Pvt. Edwin A. Andino II, 23, Culpeper, Va.; Baghdad (star)Marine Pvt. Ryan E. Miller, 21, Gahanna, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Shane P. Harris, 23, Las Vegas, N.M.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Nicholas A. Madaras, 19, Wilton, Conn.; Baqouba, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Philip A. Johnson, 19, Hartford, Conn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard J. Henkes II, 32, Portland, Ore.; Mosul, Iraq (star)Sept. 4, 2006: Army Lt. Col. Marshall A. Gutierrez, 41, Las Vegas, N.M.; Camp Virginia, Kuwait (star)Army Sgt. Germaine L. Debro, 33, Omaha; Balad, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Jared M. Shoemaker, 29, Tulsa; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Eric P. Valdepenas, 21, Seekonk, Mass.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher G. Walsh, 30, St. Louis, Mo.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Hannah L. Gunterman, 20, Redlands, Calif.; Taji, Iraq (star)Sept. 6, 2006: Army Pfc. Jeremy R. Shank, 18, Jackson, Mo.; Hawija, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. John A. Carroll, 26, Ponca City, Okla.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Sept. 7, 2006: Marine Pfc. Vincent M. Frassetto, 21, Toms River, N.J.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Luis A. Montes, 22, El Centro, Calif.; Abu Ghraib, Iraq (star)Army Spec. David J. Ramsey, 27, Tacoma, Wash.; Spanaway, Wash. (star)Sept. 8, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Merideth L. Howard, 52, Alameda, Calif.; Kabul, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul, 43, The Dalles, Ore.; Kabul, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. David W. Gordon, 23, Williamsfield, Ohio; Baghdad (star)Sept. 9, 2006: Marine Cpl. Johnathan L. Benson, 21, North Branch, Minn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Nathaniel B. Lindsey, 38, Troutdale, Ore.; Shajoy, Afghanistan (star)Army Pfc. Anthony P. Seig, 19, Sunman, Ind.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael T. Fuga, 47, Nuuli, American Samoa; Kandahar, Afghanistan (star)Sept. 10, 2006: Army Cpl. Alexander Jordan, 31, Miami; Baghdad (star)Sept. 11, 2006: Army Sgt. Jeremy E. DePottey, 26, Ironwood, Mich.; Asadabad, Afghanistan (star)Army Spec. Harley D. Andrews, 22, Weimar, Calif.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Sept. 12, 2006: Army 2nd Lt. Emily J.T. Perez, 23, Ft. Washington, Md.; Kifl, Iraq (star)Sept. 13, 2006: Army Capt. Matthew C. Mattingly, 30, Reynoldsburg, Ohio; Mosul, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Jeffrey P. Shaffer, 21, Harrison, Ark.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Sept. 14, 2006: Army Sgt. Aaron A. Smith, 31, Killeen, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Jennifer M. Hartman, 21, New Ringgold, Pa.; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Marcus A. Cain, 20, Crowley, La.; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Russell M. Makowski, 23, Union, Mo.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. David T. Weir, 23, Cleveland, Tenn.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Clint E. Williams, 24, Kingston, Okla.; Baghdad (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan A. Miller, 19, Pearland, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Sept. 15, 2006: Army Cpl. Cesar A. Granados, 21, Le Grand, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Master Sgt. Bernard L. Deghand, 42, Mayetta, Kan.; Spira, Afghanistan (star)Sept. 16, 2006: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David S. Roddy, 32, Aberdeen, Md.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Sept. 17, 2006: Army Sgt. David J. Davis, 32, Mt. Airy, Md.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Adam L. Knox, 21, Columbus, Ohio; Baghdad (star)Sept. 18, 2006: Army Sgt. James R. Worster, 24, Broadview Heights, Ohio; Baghdad (star)Sept. 19, 2006: Army Spec. Jared J. Raymond, 20, Swampscott, Mass.; Balad, Iraq (star)Army 1st Lt. Ashley L. Henderson Huff, 23, Belle Mead, N.J.; Mosul, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Bobby T. Callahan, 22, Jamestown, N.C.; Baghdad (star)Sept. 20, 2006: Army Pvt. Eric M. Kavanagh, 20, Glen Burnie, Md.; Baghdad (star)Marine Sgt. Christopher M. Zimmerman, 28, Stephenville, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Yull Estrada Rodriguez, 21, Alegre Lajas, Puerto Rico; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Master Sgt. Robb G. Needham, 51, Vancouver, Wash.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Charles J. Jones, 29, Lawrenceburg, Ky.; Baghdad (star)Sept. 21, 2006: Army Sgt. Allan R. Bevington, 22, Beaver Falls, Pa.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Sept. 23, 2006: Army Cpl. Windell J. Simmons, 20, Hopkinsville, Ky.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Dominguez, 57, Savannah, Ga.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Velton Locklear III, 29, Lacey, Wash.; Riyadh, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Kenneth E. Kincaid IV, 25, Lilburn, Ga.; Riyadh, Iraq (star)Sept. 24, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Howard S. March Jr., 20, Buffalo; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Rene Martinez, 20, Miami; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Sept. 25, 2006: Army Cpl. Casey L. Mellen, 21, Huachuca City, Ariz.; Balad, Iraq (star)Sept. 26, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Jose A. Lanzarin, 28, Lubbock, Texas; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Marine Pfc. Christopher T. Riviere, 21, Cooper City, Fla.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Edward C. Reynolds Jr., 27, Groves, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Pfc. Henry Paul, 24, Kolonia Pohnpei, Micronesia; Baghdad (star)Army 1st Lt. James N. Lyons, 28, Rochester, N.Y.; Baghdad (star)Sept. 28, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. James Chamroeun, 20, Union City, Ga.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Sept. 29, 2006: Army Pfc. Christopher T. Blaney, 19, Winter Park, Fla.; Taji, Iraq (star)Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, 25, Garden Grove, Calif.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Sept. 30, 2006: Army Cpl. Luis E. Tejeda, 20, Huntington Park, Calif.; Asad, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott E. Nisely, 48, Marshalltown, Iowa; Asad, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Kampha B. Sourivong, 20, Iowa City; Asad, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Robert F. Weber, 22, Cincinnati; near Mosul, Iraq (star)Oct. 1, 2006: Army Sgt. Chase A. Haag, 22, Portland, Ore.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Mario Nelson, 26, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Hit, Iraq (star)Marine Capt. Justin D. Peterson, 32, Davisburg, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Denise A. Lannaman, 46, Bayside, N.Y.; Camp Arifjan, Kuwait (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher B. Cosgrove III, 23, Cedar Knolls, N.J.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Aaron L. Seal, 23, Elkhart, Ind.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Oct. 2, 2006: Army Cpl. Fernando D. Robinson, 21, Hawthorne, Calif.; Korengal, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. James D. Ellis, 25, Valdosta, Ga.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Michael K. Oremus, 21, Highland, N.Y.; Baghdad (star)Army Pfc. Satieon V. Greenlee, 24, Pendleton, S.C.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Angelo J. Vaccaro, 23, Deltona, Fla.; Korengal, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Joseph W. Perry, 23, Alpine, Calif.; Muhallah, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Raymond S. Armijo, 22, Phoenix; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Justin R. Jarrett, 21, Jonesboro, Ga.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Joe A. Narvaez, 25, San Antonio; Baghdad (star)Oct. 3, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Rojas, 27, Hammond, Ind.; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Isshak, 25, Alta Loma, Calif.; Tikrit, Iraq (star)Oct. 4, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Edward M. Garvin, 19, Malden, Mass.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Benjamin S. Rosales, 20, Houston; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Dean R. Bright, 32, Roseburg, Ore.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Timothy R. Burke, 24, Hollywood, Fla.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Christopher O. Moudry, 31, Baltimore; Taji, Iraq (star)Oct. 6, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. John E. Hale, 20, Shreveport, La.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Bradford H. Payne, 24, Montgomery, Ala.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Nicholas A. Arvanitis, 22, Salem, N.H.; Bayji, Iraq (star)Oct. 7, 2006: Army Sgt. Lawrence L. Parrish, 36, Lebanon, Mo.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. John E. Wood, 37, Humboldt, Kan.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Brandon S. Asbury, 21, Tazewell, Va.; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Carl W. Johnson II, 21, Philadelphia; Mosul, Iraq (star)Oct. 8, 2006: Army Spec. Timothy A. Fulkerson, 20, Utica, Ky.; Tikrit, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Stephen F. Johnson, 20, Marietta, Ga.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Derek W. Jones, 21, Salem, Ore.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy S. Sandvick Monroe, 20, Chinook, Mont.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Capt. Robert M. Secher, 33, Germantown, Tenn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Shane R. Austin, 19, Edgerton, Kan.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Oct. 9, 2006: Army Pfc. Phillip B. Williams, 21, Gardnerville, Nev.; Baghdad (star)Marine Sgt. Julian M. Arechaga, 23, Oceanside, N.Y.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Jon E. Bowman, 21, Dubach, La.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Pfc. Shelby J. Feniello, 25, Connellsville, Pa.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Oct. 11, 2006: Marine Sgt. Justin T. Walsh, 24, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Capt. Shane T. Adcock, 27, Mechanicsville, Va.; Hawija, Iraq (star)Army Chief Warrant Officer Scott W. Dyer, 38, Cocoa Beach, Fla.; Banditemur, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Nicholas R. Sowinski, 25, Tempe, Ariz.; Baghdad (star)Oct. 12, 2006: Army Sgt. Gene A. Hawkins, 24, Orlando; Mosul, Iraq (star)Oct. 13, 2006: Army 2nd Lt. Johnny K. Craver, 37, McKinney, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Pfc. Thomas J. Hewett, 22, Temple, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Jason A. Lucas, 24, Columbus, Ohio; Kandahar, Afghanistan (star)Army Pfc. Kenny F. Stanton Jr., 20, Hemet, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Oct. 14, 2006: Marine Sgt. Jonathan J. Simpson, 25, Rockport, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Keith J. Moore, 28, San Francisco; Baghdad (star)Army 1st Sgt. Charles M. King, 48, Mobile, Ala.; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Joseph M. Kane, 35, Darby, Pa.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Timothy J. Lauer, 25, Saegertown, Pa.; Baghdad (star)Airman 1st Class Leebernard E. Chavis, 21, Hampton, Va.; near Baghdad (star)Oct. 15, 2006: Army Sgt. Lester D. Baroncini Jr., 33, Bakersfield, Calif.; Samarra, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Stephen D. Bicknell, 19, Prattville, Ala.; Samarra, Iraq (star)Marine Sgt. Brock A. Babb, 40, Evansville, Ind.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Capt. Mark C. Paine, 32, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Taji, Iraq (star)Army 1st Lt. Joshua Deese, 25, North Carolina; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Jonathan E. Lootens, 25, Lyons, N.Y.; Kirkuk, Iraq (star)Oct. 17, 2006: Army Spec. Daniel W. Winegeart, 23, Kountze, Texas; Baghdad (star)Marine 2nd Lt. Joshua L. Booth, 23, Fiskdale, Mass.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Garth D. Sizemore, 31, Mt. Sterling, Ky.; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Ronald L. Paulsen, 53, Vancouver, Wash.; Tarmiya, Iraq (star)Army 2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon, 23, Brockport, Pa.; Baghdad (star) Army Cpl. David M. Unger, 21, Leavenworth, Kan.; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, Amity, Pa.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, New Orleans; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Ryan E. Haupt, 24, Phoenix; Baqouba (star)Army Sgt. Norman R. Taylor III, 21, Blythe, Calif.; Baqouba (star) Army Pfc. Nathan J. Frigo, 23, Kokomo, Ind.; Baqouba (star)Oct. 18, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel A. Brozovich, 42, Greenville, Pa.; Ashraf, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Jose R. Perez, 21, Ontario, Calif.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Jesus M. Montalvo, 46, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Patrick O. Barlow, 42, Greensboro, N.C.; San Antonio (star)Oct. 20, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Kevin M. Witte, 27, Beardsley, Minn.; Baghdad (star)Oct. 21, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Eric W. Herzberg, 20, Severna Park, Md.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Tony L. Knier, 31, Sabinsville, Pa.; Bayji, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20, Chelsea, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Nathan R. Elrod, 20, Salisbury, N.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian, 22, Lathrup Village, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Joshua C. Watkins, 25, Jacksonville; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Oct. 22, 2006: Army Spec. Nathaniel A. Aguirre, 21, Carrollton, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Maj. David G. Taylor, 37, Wake County, N.C.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Matthew W. Creed, 23, Covina, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Willsun M. Mock, 23, Harper, Kan.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Nicholas K. Rogers, 27, Deltona, Fla.; Baghdad (star)Oct. 23, 2006: Army 1st Lt. Amos C.R. Bock, 24, New Madrid, Mo.; Baghdad (star)Navy Seaman Charles O. Sare, 23, Hemet, Calif.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Richard A. Buerstetta, 20, Franklin, Tenn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Tyler R. Overstreet, 22, Gallatin, Tenn.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Carl A. Eason, 29, Lovelady, Texas; Baghdad (star)Oct. 25, 2006: Marine Pfc. Daniel B. Chaires, 20, Tallahassee, Fla.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan B. Thornsberry, 22, McDowell, Ky.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles V. Komppa, 35, Belgrade, Mont.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Pfc. Donald S. Brown, 19, Succasunna, N.J.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Oct. 26, 2006: Army 1st Sgt. Ricky L. McGinnis, 42, Hamilton, Ohio; Balad, Iraq (star)Oct. 27, 2006: Marine Sgt. Luke J. Zimmerman, 24, Luxemburg, Wis.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pvt. Michael V. Bailey, 20, Waldorf, Md.; Salerno, Afghanistan (star)Oct. 28, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Kyu H. Chay, 34, Fayetteville, N.C.; Uruzgan province, Afghanistan (star)Oct. 29, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Troy D. Nealey, 24, Eaton Rapids, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Oct. 30, 2006: Army Sgt. Michael T. Seeley, 27, Fredericton, New Brunswick; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Kenneth E. Bostic, 21, Hawthorne, Nev.; Baghdad (star)Army Cpl. Isaiah Calloway, 23, Jacksonville; Marah, Afghanistan (star)Oct. 31, 2006: Marine Pfc. Jason Franco, 18, Corona, Calif.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Michael R. Weidemann, 23, Newport, R.I.; Hit, Iraq (star)Army Maj. Douglas E. Sloan, 40, Evans Mills, N.Y.; Wygal Valley, Afghanistan (star)Sgt. Charles J. McClain, 26, Ft. Riley, Kan.; Asadabad, Afghanistan (star)Pfc. Alex Oceguera, 19, San Bernardino, Calif.; Wygal Valley, Afghanistan (star)Nov. 1, 2006: Marine Cpl. Gary A. Koehler, 21, Ypsilanti, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Minhee Kim, 20, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Kevin J. Ellenburg, 20, Middleburg, Fla.; Baghdad (star)Nov. 2, 2006: Army Pvt. Michael P. Bridges, 23, Placentia, Calif.; Taji, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Luke B. Holler, 21, Bulverde, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Michael H. Lasky, 22, Sterling, Alaska; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Lt. Col. Paul J. Finken, 40, Earling, Iowa; Baghdad (star)Army Lt. Col. Eric J. Kruger, 40, Garland, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Gage, 28, Modesto, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Marine Lance Cpl. James E. Brown, 20, Owensville, Ind.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Staff Sgt. Jason D. Whitehouse, 27, Phoenix; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Nov. 4, 2006: Army Spec. James L. Bridges, 22, Buhl, Idaho; Baghdad (star)Marine Cpl. Kyle W. Powell, 21, Colorado Springs; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine 2nd Lt. Mark C. Gelina, 33, Moberly, Mo.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Nov. 5, 2006: Marine Cpl. Jose A. Galvan, 22, San Antonio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Douglas C. DesJardins, 24, Mesa, Ariz.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Nov. 6, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brown, 30, Ft. Worth; Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan (star)Army Chief Warrant Officer John R. Priestner, 42, Sanford, N.C.; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Chief Warrant Officer Miles P. Henderson, 24, Amarillo, Texas; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Lucas T. White, 28, Moses Lake, Wash.; Baghdad (star)Nov. 7, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan T. McCaughn, 19, Manchester, N.H.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Richwell A. Doria, 25, San Diego; Kirkuk, Iraq (star)Nov. 9, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Rudy A. Salcido, 31, Ontario, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Sgt. Courtland A. Kennard, 22, Starkville, Miss.; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Gregory W. G. McCoy, 26, Webberville, Mich.; Baghdad (star)Marine Sgt. Bryan K. Burgess, 35, Garden City, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Kristopher C. Warren, 19, Resaca, Ga.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Nov. 11, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. William S. Jackson II, 29, Saginaw, Mich.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Misael Martinez, 24, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Angel De Jesus Lucio Ramirez, 22, Pacoima, Calif.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Nov. 12, 2006: Army 1st Lt. Michael A. Cerrone, 24, Clarksville, Tenn.; Samarra, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Harry A. Winkler III, 32, Clarksville, Tenn.; Samarra, Iraq (star)Nov. 13, 2006: Army Pfc. Daniel J. Allman II, 20, Canon, Ga.; Baghdad (star)Army Pfc. Jang H. Kim, 20, Placentia, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Nov. 14, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy W. Brown, 21, Sacramento; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Michael D. Scholl, 21, Lincoln, Neb.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Mario D. Gonzalez, 21, La Puente, Calif., ; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. 1st Class Tung M. Nguyen, 38, Tracy, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Col. Thomas H. Felts Sr., 45, Sandston, Va.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Justin R. Garcia, 26, Elmhurst, N.Y.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Eric G. Palacios Rivera, 21, Atlantic City; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Nov. 15, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class Schuyler B. Haynes, 40, New York; Baqouba, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Mitchel T. Mutz, 23, Falls City, Texas; Baqouba, Iraq (star)Army Cpt. John R. Dennison, 24, Ijamsville, Md.; Balad, Iraq (star)Nov. 16, 2006: Army Capt. Rhett W. Schiller, 26, Waterford, Wis.; Balad Ruz, Iraq (star)Nov. 18, 2006: Army Spec. Bradley N. Shilling, 22, Stanwood, Mich.; Baghdad (star)Nov. 19, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy S. Shock, 22, Tiffin, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Nov. 21, 2006: Army Spec. Eric Vizcaino, 21, Albuquerque; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. James P. Musack, 23, Riverside, Iowa; Samarra, Iraq (star)Army Command Sgt. Maj. Donovan E. Watts, 46, Atlanta; Bayji, Iraq (star)Nov. 22, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Alonzo, 21, Dumas, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Nov. 22, 2006: Army Sgt. 1st Class James D. Priestap, 39, Harwood, Mich.; Baghdad (star)Marine Lance Cpl. James R. Davenport, 20, Danville, Ind.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Pvt. Heath D. Warner, 19, Canton, Ohio; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Nov. 23, 2006: Army Cpl. Nathan J. Goodiron, 25, Mandaree, N.D.; Qarabagh, Afghanistan (star)Nov. 24, 2006: Army Pvt. Reece D. Moreno, 19, Prescott, Ariz.; Balad, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Nicholas P. Rapavi, 22, Springfield, Va.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Nov. 25, 2006: Marine Cpl. Michael C. Ledsome, 24, Austin, Texas; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Jeromy D. West, 20, Aguanga, Calif.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Daniel M. Morris, 28, Clinton, Tenn.; Al Judiah, Iraq (star)Army 2nd Lt. Scott B. Lundell, 35, Hurricane, Utah; Uruzgan province, Afghanistan (star)Nov. 26, 2006: Army Capt. Jason R. Hamill, 31, New Haven, Conn.; Baghdad (star)Army 1st Lt. David M. Fraser, 25, Houston; Baghdad (star)Army Pvt. Joshua C. Burrows, 20, Bossier City, La.; Baghdad (star)Army 1st Lt. Benjamin D. Keating, 27, Shapleigh, Maine; Kamdesh, Afghanistan (star)Army Sgt. Jeannette T. Dunn, 44, Bronx, N.Y.; Taji, Iraq (star)Nov. 27, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Michael A. Schwarz, 20, Carlstadt, N.J.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Air Force Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, 34, Litchfield Park, Ariz.; near Baghdad (star)Nov. 28, 2006: Army Spec. Christopher E. Mason, 32, Mobile, Ala.; Bayji, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Michael A. Shank, 31, Bonham, Texas; Logar, Afghanistan (star)Army Spec. Jeffrey G. Roberson, 22, Phelan, Calif.; Logar, Afghanistan (star)Army Cpl. Jonerik Loney, 21, Hartselle, Ala.; Hit, Iraq (star)Nov. 29, 2006: Army Pfc. Theodore M. West, 23, Richmond, Ky.; Baghdad (star)Nov. 30, 2006: Army Spec. Chris Kleinwachter, 29, Wahpeton, N.D.; Ghazni, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy W. Mulhair, 35, Omaha; Taji, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. John L. Hartman Jr., 39, Tampa; Baghdad (star)Dec. 1, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Robert L. Love Jr., 28, Meridian, Miss.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Dec. 2, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Jesse D. Tillery, 19, Vesper, Wis.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Bryan T. McDonough, 22, Maplewood, Minn.; Fallujah, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Corey J. Rystad, 20, Red Lake Falls, Minn.; Fallujah, Iraq (star)Dec. 2, 2006: Army Sgt. Keith E. Fiscus, 26, Townsend, Del.; Baghdad (star)Dec. 3, 2006: Army Spec. Dustin M. Adkins, 22, Finger, Tenn.; Haditha, Iraq (star)Air Force Capt. Kermit O. Evans, 31, Hollandale, Miss.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pvt. Troy D. Cooper, 21, Amarillo, Texas; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Capt. Shawn L. English, 35, Westerville, Ohio; Baghdad (star)Marine Maj. Joseph T. McCloud, 39, Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Joshua C. Sticklen, 24, Virginia Beach, Va.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Kenneth W. Haines, 25, Fulton, N.Y.; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Billy B. Farris, 20, Bapchule, Ariz.; Taji, Iraq (star)Dec. 4, 2006: Army Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis, 19, Knox, Pa.; Baghdad (star)Navy Hospitalman Christopher A. Anderson, 24, Longmont, Colo.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas P. Echols, 20, Shepherdsville, Ky.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Nicholas D. Turcotte, 23, Maple Grove, Minn.; Nasiriyah, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Jay R. Gauthreaux, 26, Thibodaux, La.; Balad, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Albert M. Nelson, 31, Philadelphia; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Pfc. Roger A. Suarez-Gonzalez, 21 Miami; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Dec. 5, 2006: Army Spec. Jordan W. Hess, 26, Marysville, Wash.; Ta'Meem, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Marco L. Miller, 36, Longwood, Fla.; Taji, Iraq (star)Dec. 6, 2006: Army Sgt. Yevgeniy Ryndych, 24, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Nicholas R. Gibbs, 25, Stokesdale, N.C.; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Dustin J. Libby, 22, Presque Isle, Maine; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Jesse J.J. Castro, 22, Chalan Pago, Guam; Hawija, Iraq (star)Army Cpl. Jason I. Huffman, 23, Conover, N.C.; Hawija, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Joshua B. Madden, 21, Sibley, La.; Hawija, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Yari Mokri, 26, Pflugerville, Texas; Hawija, Iraq (star)Army Pfc. Travis C. Krege, 24, Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Hawija, Iraq (star)Army Spec. Vincent J. Pomante III, 22, Westerville, Ohio; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Marine Maj. Megan M. McClung, 34, Coupeville, Wash.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Cody G. Watson, 21, Oxford, Ala.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Dec. 7, 2006: Marine Lance Cpl. Brent E. Beeler, 22, Jackson, Mich.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Henry W. Linck, 23, Manhattan, Kan.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Micah S. Gifford, 27, Redding, Calif.; Baghdad (star)Army Staff Sgt. Kristofer R. Ciraso, 26, Bangor, Maine; Baghdad (star)Dec. 9, 2006: Marine 1st Lt. Nathan M. Krissoff, 25, Reno; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Dec. 10, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Thomas W. Clemons, 37, Leitchfield, Ky.; Diwaniyah, Iraq (star)Army Sgt. Brennan C. Gibson, 26, Tualatin, Ore.; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Philip C. Ford, 21, Freeport, Texas; Baghdad (star)Army Spec. Shawn M. Murphy, 24, Ft. Bragg, N.C.; Baghdad (star)Dec. 11, 2006: Marine Master Sgt. Brian P. McAnulty, 39, Vicksburg, Miss.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Budd M. Cote, 21, Marana, Ariz.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Cpl. Matthew V. Dillon, 25, Aiken, S.C.; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Marine Lance Cpl. Clinton J. Miller, 23, Greenfield, Iowa; Anbar province, Iraq (star)Dec. 12, 2006: Army Sgt. Brent W. Dunkleberger, 29, New Bloomfield, Pa.; Mosul, Iraq (star)Army Maj. Gloria D. Davis, 47, St. Louis; Baghdad (star)Dec. 14, 2006: Army Staff Sgt. Theodore A. Spatol, 59, Thermopolis, Wyo.; Thermopolis, Wyo. (star)Dec. 15, 2006: Army Pfc. Paul Balint Jr., 22, Willow Park, Texas; Ramadi, Iraq (star)Army Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Phaneuf, 38, Eastford, Conn.; Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan (star)Army Staff Sgt. Henry K. Kahalewai, 43, Hilo, Hawaii; Baghdad

Denying Truth in God's Name

2006-12-30T08:40:00.000-06:00

Creationists are really fucking dumb.

Due to pressure from Bush Administration officials, the National Park Service is not permitted to give an official age for the Grand Canyon. Additionally, a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood is for sale at the National Park's bookstore.

The sale of Grand Canyon: A Different View was scheduled for review over three years ago, but no such review has been schedule or even requested. The creationist book was the only item approved for sale in 2003 (22 other items were rejected).

Click photo for larger version.

Saddam Taller not Longer

2006-12-30T07:53:00.000-06:00

Saddam was hanged last night. Some of the right wing sites out there are incorrectly using the word hung. Well, you be the judge...

Ouch!

2006-12-29T13:10:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T09:20:00.000-06:00

Denis Leary

2006-12-20T20:44:00.003-06:00

Do You Remember?

2006-12-19T15:57:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-15T15:16:00.000-06:00

Who Would Jesus Kill?

2006-12-13T00:38:00.000-06:00

Oh, the hypocrisy...

This new video game allows Christians to pretend to kill non-believers. Ever want to see how it feels to kill a Jew or a Muslim, this game is for you Jethro! Just get your dirty mullet head down to Walmart and pick yourself up a copy of this game. For a limited time it even comes with a free copy of Mein Kampf.

Time to Talk Bears Football!

2006-12-12T17:03:00.000-06:00

The Chicago Bears are now 11-2 and have wrapped up a first round bye. This means other teams will need to play each other for the privilege of coming to Chicago to play the Bears in the second round. In January! More importantly, their magic number for wrapping up home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs is 2. Any combination of Bears wins or Saints losses adding up to 2 and the Bears won't have to leave Chicago until the Superbowl! Scary eh?

The team is solid on defense even with a few recent injuries. Yesterday's performance against the Rams suggest Rex Grossman may have found a way to extract his head from his ass. With offense and defense playing well what more could one ask for? Special teams! AND ARE THEY SPECIAL! You may remember my post about Devin Hester. I knew this guy was going to be great! He's now taken SIX to the house! More than anyone in NFL history! Yesterday he had two in a single game. Here are the highlights!

GO BEARS!!!!


PS. The Packers STILL suck!

Or if you prefer, without music...

Douchebag of the Decade Candidates

2006-12-09T14:11:00.000-06:00

OK. Who am I missing?

Lennon - 26 Years Gone

2006-12-09T11:27:00.000-06:00

.....

The Durbin Report

2006-12-09T08:34:00.000-06:00

I'm still proud to be from Illinois. In meeting with Democrats...

Bush began his talk by comparing himself to President Harry S Truman, who launched the Truman Doctrine to fight communism, got bogged down in the Korean War and left office unpopular.

Bush said that "in years to come they realized he was right and then his doctrine became the standard for America," recalled Senate Majority Whip-elect Richard Durbin, D-Ill. "He's trying to position himself in history and to justify those who continue to stand by him, saying sometimes if you're right you're unpopular, and be prepared for criticism."

Durbin said he challenged Bush's analogy, reminding him that Truman had the NATO alliance behind him and negotiated with his enemies at the United Nations. Durbin said that's what the Iraq Study Group is recommending that Bush do now, work more with allies and negotiate with adversaries on Iraq.

Bush, Durbin said, "reacted very strongly. He got very animated in his response" and emphasized that he is "the commander in chief."

I'll bet Bush then took his ball and went home. His reaction to criticism: a tantrum. Wow. Now that's what we need from a leader these days, childish behavior and egotistical posturing.

The "Decider" needs a timeout.

A Republican I Like and...

2006-12-03T19:45:00.000-06:00

A "Democrat" I can't stand! They did Face The Nation this morning and Joe Lieberman was his usual "the world is a black and white place" while Chuck Hagel made sense. I still can't believe Connecticut sent this idiot back to the Senate. He's an embarrassment. He's all about himself. He's just as stupid and arrogant as Bush. He was the Democrat who essentially killed the necessary criticism of Bush Policy during the run up to war. He was the one who stood by Bush while all of the errors and mistakes were killing our young people. He made it look like there was far more bipartisan support for this war than there ever was. And the blood is on his hands. This failure is his to share with Bush. He'll go down in history as the most vocal supporter of the biggest foreign policy mistake the US has ever made.

LIEBERMAN: I believe that America is a mighty enough nation that we should never fear to talk to anyone. But anyone who believes that Iran and Syria really want to help us to succeed in Iraq, I just is missing the reality. Asking Iran and Syria to help us succeed in Iraq is like your local fire department asking a couple of arsonists to help put out the fire. These people are flaming the fire. They are the extremists. They are supporting terrorists in Iraq, in Lebanon and of course in the Palestinian areas.

SCHIEFFER: Senator Hagel is shaking his head.

HAGEL: No, that’s not the point. Of course the Iranians and Syrians are not going to come to our assistance. Of course not. But they are going to respond in their own self-interest. All nations respond in their own self-interests. Tallyrand once said that nations don’t have friends. They have interests. He was right. Ahh, it’s not in the interest of Syria or Jordan or Iran to have a failed state that would be a complete mess for the middle east.

I Just Love This Guy

2006-12-03T08:05:00.001-06:00

Even Rummy Knew...

2006-12-02T17:28:00.000-06:00

Two days before he was fired, Rumsfeld wrote a memo to Bush saying:

“In my view it is time for a major adjustment,”

“Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough.”

And it only took him 3 years to figure it out! The recommendations in the memo are similar to those Democrats had been asking for for over a year while they were being publicly demonized by the Administration, Rumsfeld included, as "cut and runners." In other words, the political needs of the Republican Party caused a cover up of massive corruption and incompetence. Our sons and daughters were put in harms way and kept in harms way under reckless leaders unchecked by Congress. The only way to retain power was to pretend things were going well. We weren't fooled this time.

Thank God the Democrats won! I expect they'll do their jobs and I'll hold them accountable when and if they don't. We all should.

The GOP

2006-11-29T21:33:00.000-06:00

Pathetic.

While they still can, House Republicans are looking at scheduling a vote next week on a fetal pain abortion bill in a parting shot at incoming majority Democrats and a last bid for loyalty from the GOP's base of social conservatives.

The measure is tentatively on House GOP leaders' list of bills to be considered in a lame-duck session before Democrats assume control of Congress. It has no chance of passing the Senate during the waning days of Republican control. But, with Democrats ascending to agenda-setting roles, passage isn't the point, said one conservative leader.

It's all about politics. Appeal to the base. They don't give a damn about abortion, they want votes. And to get those votes in the future, they're willing to whore themselves out to the Jesus Crew.

Does This Offend You?

2006-11-27T12:15:00.000-06:00

Fun

2006-11-26T00:29:00.000-06:00

Leaving Iraq, Honorably

2006-11-25T09:49:00.000-06:00

If there were more Republican Senators like Chuck Hagel we wouldn't have had to flip the entire congress over in the last election. They'd have been doing their jobs, providing a little oversight on the boy-king. Chuck is one of the few saying these things for more than a year, along with Murtha. This entire editorial is a must read but these two paragraphs are the most telling.

There will be no victory or defeat for the United States in Iraq. These terms do not reflect the reality of what is going to happen there. The future of Iraq was always going to be determined by the Iraqis -- not the Americans.

We are destroying our force structure, which took 30 years to build. We've been funding this war dishonestly, mainly through supplemental appropriations, which minimizes responsible congressional oversight and allows the administration to duck tough questions in defending its policies. Congress has abdicated its oversight responsibility in the past four years.
Check out the rest of his opinion by clicking "More Here" below!

WMD

2006-11-24T22:41:00.000-06:00

Weapons of Medieval Dynasties...

As the world worried about Saddam Hussein’s quest for nuclear and biological weapons, he took time out to discuss with his top advisers the merits of a decidedly more primitive arsenal: slingshots, Molotov cocktails and crossbows.