R.I.P. Senator Byrd – “Today I Weep for my Country …”

Note: I will always remember Senator Byrd for the speech and vote against then President George W. Bush’s 2003 illegal invasion of Iraq … here is what he said on the Senate floor … before the ongoing losses of men and women of our military now officially showing 4,412 dead and over 32,000 wounded:

Arrogance of Power Today, I Weep for my Country…

by US Senator Robert Byrd Speech delivered on the floor of the US Senate March 19, 2003 3:45pm

I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have marveled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great Republic. I have been inspired by the story of their sacrifice and their strength. But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned. Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree, we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We proclaim a new doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by many. We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on any corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on terrorism. We assert that right without the sanction of any international body. As a result, the world has become a much more dangerous place. We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance. We treat UN Security Council members like ingrates who offend our princely dignity by lifting their heads from the carpet. Valuable alliances are split. After war has ended, the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America’s image around the globe. The case this Administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence. We cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice. There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11. The twin towers fell because a world-wide terrorist group, Al Qaeda, with cells in over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and our influence by turning our own planes into missiles, one of which would likely have slammed into the dome of this beautiful Capitol except for the brave sacrifice of the passengers on board. The brutality seen on September 11th and in other terrorist attacks we have witnessed around the globe are the violent and desperate efforts by extremists to stop the daily encroachment of western values upon their cultures. That is what we fight. It is a force not confined to borders. It is a shadowy entity with many faces, many names, and many addresses. But, this Administration has directed all of the anger, fear, and grief which emerged from the ashes of the twin towers and the twisted metal of the Pentagon towards a tangible villain, one we can see and hate and attack. And villain he is. But, he is the wrong villain. And this is the wrong war. If we attack Saddam Hussein, we will probably drive him from power. But, the zeal of our friends to assist our global war on terrorism may have already taken flight. The general unease surrounding this war is not just due to “orange alert.” There is a pervasive sense of rush and risk and too many questions unanswered. How long will we be in Iraq? What will be the cost? What is the ultimate mission? How great is the danger at home? A pall has fallen over the Senate Chamber. We avoid our solemn duty to debate the one topic on the minds of all Americans, even while scores of thousands of our sons and daughters faithfully do their duty in Iraq. What is happening to this country? When did we become a nation which ignores and berates our friends? When did we decide to risk undermining international order by adopting a radical and doctrinaire approach to using our awesome military might? How can we abandon diplomatic efforts when the turmoil in the world cries out for diplomacy? Why can this President not seem to see that America’s true power lies not in its will to intimidate, but in its ability to inspire? War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that the cloud will lift. Perhaps Saddam will yet turn tail and run. Perhaps reason will somehow still prevail. I along with millions of Americans will pray for the safety of our troops, for the innocent civilians in Iraq, and for the security of our homeland. May God continue to bless the United States of America in the troubled days ahead, and may we somehow recapture the vision which for the present eludes us. ###

Senator Warner Pushes Improvements at Arlington National Cemetery

Note: I applaud Senator Warner’s personal involvement in pushing for improvements at Arlington National Cemetery …

Like most Virginians, I was appalled when we recently learned of widespread problems at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia: misplaced and misidentified remains, a chaotic management environment and a total lack of accountability at our nation’s most pre-eminent military burial site.

The report by the Army’s Inspector General on June 10th documented many of these problems, and I appreciate Army Secretary John McHugh’s willingness to publicly disclose, and his pledge to correct, the mess at Arlington.

What we’ve seen and read in recent weeks seriously disrespects the memories and the service of the 330,000 military men and women buried at the nearly 150-year-old cemetery in Northern Virginia.

These challenges have been on mind almost every day as I drive by Arlington National Cemetery on my way to work on Capitol Hill. In fact, my father — an 85-year-old U.S. Marine veteran of Iwo Jima — often has mentioned to me that he would be honored to be interred at Arlington alongside our nation’s other military heroes when his time comes.

This week, I asked the Army Inspector General to visit my office to provide a more detailed briefing on the management lapses and challenges at Arlington. Afterwards, I had a good conversation with Army Secretary McHugh to further explore ways that we might be helpful in fixing what’s obviously broken at Arlington.

As a guy who comes from the IT world, and as a public official who focuses on government accountability and management competence, I was especially troubled to learn that the Army has spent at least $5.5 million in recent years on three separate contracts to digitize and automate the burial registration records at Arlington. I was extremely surprised to learn this week that cemetery officials never made a serious effort to incorporate computerized records or adopt other modern IT processes in their day-to-day functions at Arlington.

In fact, they continued to rely on paper records. According to the Inspector General, most of Arlington’s burial information is handwritten on tens of thousand of 3×5 index cards.

DNC Ad On How The GOP Would Govern

Bill Clinton to U.S. soccer team: “You are amazing!”

Bill Clinton to U.S. soccer team: “You are amazing!”.

Note: Former DNC Chair and one of the unsuccessful candidates for the Democratic nomination for Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe makes appearance in victorious US’s World Cup locker room … way to go US Team !!!

Virginia’s Junior Senator, Mark Warner, Offers Advice On Startups

Fredericksburg Antique Auto Show

My first car was a 1965 Chevy Impala much like the one pictured here … mine was white

Virginia’s Senior Senator, Jim Webb’s Memorial Day Recess Update

1. National Criminal Justice Commission Act.

The Senator’s National Criminal Justice Commission Act has gained momentum in past weeks with the House introduction of the legislation, led by Reps. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and Darrell Issa (R-CA), both active Judiciary Committee members.

In addition to strong bipartisan support in the Senate with 34 cosponsors, the Senator’s bill has garnered support from across the political spectrum. As he said recently: “I want you to ask yourself the last time you saw a piece of criminal justice legislation that was supported universally by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Marijuana Policy Institute, the NAACP, the ACLU and the American Bar Association.”

The bill, which would create a blue-ribbon commission charged with comprehensively reviewing the nation’s criminal justice system and offering concrete recommendations for reform, passed out of the Judiciary Committee earlier this year.  The bill is strongly supported by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate leadership, and we expect that it will come before the full Senate in the coming weeks. We will keep you updated with movement.

Some notable editorials of the past month:

• LA Times, “We Need National Criminal Justice Commission,” May 31, 2010
• New York Times, “They Don’t Agree Often,” May 10, 2010

2. Bringing Jobs to Virginia .

• Cobham Industries = 200 Jobs for Suffolk , VA

On May 3, Senator Webb traveled to Suffolk , VA for the official opening of the Cobham Composite Products’ new state-of-the-art, energy efficient manufacturing facility. An estimated 200 new jobs are expected to be created in the first five years. Webb was an early and consistent supporter of Cobham’s move to the Suffolk area.  In FY 2010, he secured $1.6 million for production of the U.S. Air Force’s Miniature Air-Launched Decoy fuselage at the facility.

The 73,500-sq. ft. facility will manufacture advanced aircraft engine components, aircraft and rotorcraft structural products, unmanned aerial vehicle components, as well as missile and munitions products for the U.S. aerospace and defense industry.

Memorial Day at Fredericksburg National Cemetery