Green Zone

Well, it looks like the bomb hit. Lance Sigmon, Patrick McHenry's primary challenger, has officially come out swinging with a press conference demanding for an investigation into McHenry's actions. This surprises no-one- Sigmon's following up on the opportunity that anyone could see open up weeks ago.

But the funniest thing about this whole fiasco? McHenry refuses to respond, and sics his stupid cronies like Wes Climer, claiming he's our mouthpiece. Wait, what?

Looks like things get better and better- Sigmon's got TV commercials running now. Admittedly few of us will see them as they will probably stick to Conservative news networks, but hey, I might just try to catch an airing.

Discovered via a new VoteVets post

Well, it looks like the Democrats are just having a plain out good week. In the words of Paul O'Connor, Do-It-Yourself Stupidity is in with Republicans, showing just how dumb representatives like Patrick McHenry are like. But hey, us Democrats aren't the only ones screaming it from the rooftops- apparently Lance Sigmon is the only Republican with the guts to actually say a Republican did something wrong, as he tears apart McHenry in this video. God, I love Republican infighting, especially when one of their own breed is the one pointing out McH's many flaws.

But it gets better.

A quick update: Many of you have been keeping up with the OPSEC Violation Video Patrick McHenry used as a sort of publicity stunt, where he gave away the position of damage on the internet, which the Pentagon found dangerous, as I explained last night.

The latest update? Around a day after the video was posted, Missiles hit the Green Zone again- this time with more accuracy, heading straight for that gym. Three were killed, one of which was a full bird Colonel. Patrick McHenry's little "mistake" has now cost three American soldier lives. He didn't call them "two bit" or belittle them- he was a catalyst for their deaths.

There are no words to describe how angry I am, or how angry the people of the 10th should be right now.

On Saturday, March 22, Congressman Patrick McHenry insulted the troops by berating a guard working in the Green Zone.
On Friday, April 4th, McHenry endangered the troops by posting a video on his website that gave actual distances of how close rockets came to hitting the building that lawmakers were sleeping in.
On Sunday, April 6, a Colonel and two other troops were killed in the U.S. Embassy's fitness facility Sunday when a mortar round crashed into the building.

Pentagon tells lawmaker not to air Green Zone video again
By Lisa Zagaroli | McClatchy Newspapers

It appears that Patrick McHenry doesn't know when to hold his tongue in front of cameras. At a Lincoln GOP convention, a cameraman (possibly from the Sigmon for Congress campaign) recorded McHenry calling a solider a "two bit" because he was restricted from a green zone gym, and goes even further by lying about a death in the green zone. Naturally, Lance Sigmon's campaign is out to spread this news as wildly as possible. Gotta love Republican infighting.

Press Release:
"McHenry refers to military sentry as 'two-bit' at Lincoln GOP event, exaggerates story to include death"

Youtube video in the fulltext.

In 2003, immediately after our invasion of Iraq, American contractors began pouring in to the country.
Taking advantage of Paul Bremer’s order, which effectively dissolved all of the civil institutions and Iraq, the contractors seized buildings and property formally owned by the Iraqi government and even civilian and business property. The area around Saddam’s Palace where, in 2003, the Coalition Provincial Authority had set up their headquarters, (Now the U.S. Embassy), was the prime real estate for contractors, military command units, government agencies and coalition senior officer quarters. The Green Zone was the place to be. All the money was coming through there, and there was lots of money. If one could establish his foothold there, as a civilian contractor, the chances of getting contracts were greater than being located outside of the Green Zone.

The action was in the palace. In 2003 and 2004 the spacious lobbies of the Palace were like the floor of the stock exchange. Deals were being cut and money was changing hands seven days a week, 24 hours a day. It was the wild west.

Why America went into Iraq is something for the pundits, academics and the politicians to discuss into the next century. What has happened there since our arrival is something I can only hope will be fully realized and understood by the American public and every elected official in our country.

From my personal experiences of living in Iraq for three years, I have concluded America’s leadership is solely responsible for the entire country of Iraq becoming a living hell of suffering, poverty, starvation and depravation, unimaginable to either Iraqi or U.S. citizen just prior to our arrival in Iraq in 2003.
(edited - RP)

IRAQ, Not Wanting To Stay, Not Able To Leave

By Marshall Adame

In 2003 the US lead Coalition came into Iraq to liberate the Iraqi people, capture and destroy the confirmed weapons of mass destruction, including possible nuclear capability, and overthrow a brutal tyrant who brutalized his people, led genocide in his own country and invaded his neighbor.

In 2004 we had thrown out the tyrant, who deserved it anyway, and were now battling the pro-Saddam Iraqi insurgency and the followers of the radical Shia cleric Moqtada Al Sadr while trying to establish the legitimate Iraq Government institutions to facilitate the fledgling Democracy.

In 2005 we were battling Al Qaeda in Iraq, led by Abdul Al Zarqawi in an effort to save the Democratic government from the scourge of the world wide terrorist movement led by Osama Bin Laden.