Gus on Veterans Day

Armistice Day, The War to End All Wars. That was the original message of Veterans Day. The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month. The end of World War I.

When Gus Bilirakis spoke to the assembled veterans and their families at Curlew Cemetary to mark the day, he and fellow Bush enabler, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Jerry F. Custin, used the solemn occasion to pimp their immoral war in Iraq on the back of a dead soldier. Nothing like a good Internet tome to stir up and confuse as you appeal to the patriotic feelings of the veterans. These guys are masters at it. Custin shared the story of Army Sgt. Eddie Jeffers, whose essay "Hope Rides Alone" has been circulated on the Internet

The 23-year-old soldier from Alabama addressed the criticism he heard against the Iraq war.
"Even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi, Iraq, the cries and screams and complaints of the ungrateful reach me," Jeffers wrote. "In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn't fit your average man. And then, I will be alone."
Said Custin: "Unfortunately, Sergeant Jeffers won't get to walk down the streets of America next year. On September 19th, he was killed in Iraq

Nice to know that these war enablers have missed the point of Armistice Day completely, isn't it? Just more of the same from Bush's gang. Offer platitudes to the veterans while supporting policies that continue to put our military in harm's way. And of course, don't bother to take care of our veterans when they return home. God forbid we should raise taxes on the rich to pay for the GOP folly.

Gus Bilirakis - Another Shameful Vote

Veterans and Greeks - Thumbs Up!
Poor Children and Gays - Thumbs Down!

First the S-CHIP bill (NO to healthcare for poor children), and now Gus Bilirakis joins the hateful, homophobic caucus and votes a big NO on H.R. 3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007.

Something to ponder--
What would Gus say to a gay Greek veteran about government healthcare or employment discrimination?

Hmmm.....

Temporary Permanent Post on Gus' Votes

Till I have time for a more complete post:

On second thought, what more is there to say?

• Gus Bilirakis voted against giving more children healthcare in order to spend Medicare dollars on privatization.
• Gus Bilirakis voted for the FISA bill in order to give George Bush and Alberto Gonzalez more power to spy on American citizens.
• Gus Bilirakis was in the news for sponsoring another bill to keep the veterans' vote (if only he cared about the active duty soldiers who are currently spilling their blood, sweat and tears in Iraq.)
• When Gus Bilirakis isn't pandering to veterans, he's sucking up to the Greek community. He seems to be more concerned with the occupation of Cyprus than he is with the American occupation of Iraq.

Where Is the Oversight?

Reps. Gus Bilirakis and C.W. "Bill" Young, as well as Gus' daddy Mike, claim to support veterans. As a matter of fact, that is the hallmark of their service in Congress. So they say. Unfortunately, commemorative coins for disabled vets and anecdotal testimonials aside, here is evidence of whom they've really been supporting.

More cronyism, no oversight.

"Nearly two dozen officials who received hefty performance bonuses last year at the Veterans Affairs Department also sat on the boards charged with recommending the payments.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press raise questions of conflicts of interest or appearances of conflicts in connection with the bonuses, some of which went to senior officials involved in crafting a budget that came up $1.3 billion short and jeopardized veterans' health care.

.....

Rep. John Hall, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation that would freeze 2007 VA bonuses for "senior politically appointed officers" — such as assistant secretaries or deputy undersecretaries — until the agency pares its disability claims backlog to under 100,000 cases. The VA says deputy undersecretaries are career employees, and a committee spokeswoman acknowledged that was the case.
"It is simply unacceptable that veterans are waiting longer and longer for benefits they desperately need while senior staff members in charge of bad policy are rewarded so-called performance bonuses," Hall said."

Until the Democrats took control of the Congress in January, there was no oversight. Where was Daddy Mike Bilirakis on whose coattails Gus rode into office? Where was Rep. Young? Will Gus Bilirakis do a better job? So far, he's been more concerned with protecting an inept, corrupt administration than in protecting our veterans AND the American people.

Gus Bilirakis is for sending more troops into Iraq's civil war

On February 15, 2007, shortly after 11:00 PM, Rep. Gus Bilirakis spoke on the floor of the House (full text below) against the resolution on Iraq "disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq."

His floor statement and his vote put him squarely in favor of President Bush's escalation of this war. This is his defining moment as a new member of Congress - Gus Bilirakis is for sending more troops into Iraq's civil war.

Here is the full text of his idiotic, misguided and irrational floor statement (apparently "status quo" was his word of the day):

(Mr. BILIRAKIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, failure in Iraq is not an option. We enjoy our freedom today only because we have been willing to fight for it in the past. We must win the war on terror that has been thrust upon us.
Before going any further, let me first clearly state that I do not believe we should have an open-ended commitment in Iraq. I believe a new strategy is needed. America has a proud history of promoting and fighting for democracy around the globe. I don't believe now is the time to abandon that commitment.
While a new strategy is needed, the resolution that we are debating does not present us with any new policy options. Instead, we are voting on a nonbinding status quo resolution which will not do anything to change the situation in Iraq. It smacks of political posturing. Americans expect more of the world's greatest legislative body.
Let us not debase the honor and tradition of the great men and women who have served before us. We are duty bound to serve the public and engage in serious
lawmaking, not political pandering. This resolution does nothing. Worse, it endorses the status quo of the violence and bloodshed. Maintaining the status quo is what ultimately resulted in the situation we find ourselves in today.
The debate before is more consequential than the question of should we engage in a troop surge or not. None of us want to see Americans unnecessarily be put in harm's way. The debate before us is about the global threats facing the United States and how we choose to respond to them. Failure to forcibly respond to previous acts of terrorism has undermined America's credibility around the world and projected us as weak to our enemies.
Some examples of these attacks include: the World Trade Center in 1993; U.S. troops in the barracks in Saudi Arabia; sailors on the USS Cole; and the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Unfortunately, Americans were too quick to forget these terrible acts.
Like many Members of Congress, I believe there should be strategic benchmarks that are designed to hold both the administration and the Iraqi Government accountable for success in Iraq. These benchmarks should measure whether sufficient progress is being made.
Unfortunately, under the restrictive rules imposed upon this debate, we will not have an opportunity to vote on other proposals which would institute benchmarks for success.
I am compelled to vote against this status quo resolution. Americans deserve a real debate with multiple options for success in Iraq, not closed proceedings that are intended to be a political ploy.
I would rather America fight the terrorists on the streets of Baghdad, instead of allowing the terrorists to attack our homeland.
I am concerned that the resolution we are debating this week is a precursor to cutting off funds for our troops. The Democrats have even called it a first step. I have heard it several times tonight. Our troops must have all the resources they need to accomplish their mission. I support our troops in the field. Therefore, I will vote ``no'' on this resolution.
General Petraeus has indicated that reinforcements will hasten the end of the Iraq battle, allowing us to direct our efforts elsewhere in this greater war on radical Islamic terrorists.
The national commander of the VFW, the Nation's largest organizations of combat veterans, issued a statement earlier this week which says, ``We need to send a message to our troops that America wants them to succeed in Iraq by giving the buildup a chance to succeed.''
As a Member of Congress, I will always do whatever possible to support our brave men and women in uniform.
As such, I will actively oppose efforts to cut off funding to our troops.
I cannot support this resolution, but I am committed to working with the President and my colleagues in Congress to ensure that the actions taken in the war accomplish the following: Moves Iraq closer to a peaceful and stable democracy; improves America's security; ensures the utmost safety and best equipment for our soldiers; and provides the shortest feasible time frame for their return to their families.
Failure in Iraq will lead to Iraq becoming a training and staging ground for terrorist groups intent on destabilizing the entire Middle East and destroying the United States and our allies.
In closing, I thank and offer my prayers for all our troops, including those brave men and women in the Ninth Congressional District and throughout the State of Florida who have answered their Nation's call to duty.
God bless our troops, and keep them safe.

Committee assignments, Legislation and Sunshine

Gus Bilirakis had a letter in the Tampa Tribune on February 9th listing his committee assignments and the legislation he is introducing. Here's the link:

http://www.tbo.com/pasco/MGBDTDRZXXE.html

He also introduced a bill last week which would give tax breaks to businesses that hire reservists. Here's a link:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/02/TNSreservejobs070207/

We need to follow up with Gus' office and find out how he feels about the president's budget which will hurts veterans in several ways. Sorry I don't have a link. I heard Congressman Jack Spratt discuss the budget on C-Span last week.

Also on February 9th, Bill Adair had a column in the St. Pete Times on the Tampa Bay Congressional delegation making their schedules public. Here is a blurb from that column followed by the link:

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, is opposed because of personal safety. She said she did not want to give locations of her meetings for fear that she could be a victim of a stalker.

"I'm not against sunshine, I'm for safety," said Brown-Waite. "You need to be very careful when you're in the public eye."

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, raised the same concerns until I explained that Tester and Gillibrand posted their schedules at the end of the day, after the meetings have been held. Bilirakis said he would consider the idea.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/09/Worldandnation/Some_lawmakers_let_a_.shtml

Gus Bilirakis sponsors a bill!

Junior sponsored his very own bill! Maybe this was meant to make up to the veterans for the stem cell vote:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-446

We'll have to wait for the specifics.

Thanks to gatordem for the catch.