At Least She Didn't "Out" A Spy

So the first-term Democratic senator from New York gave a speech yesterday and hit Bush on shortchanging our troops, underfunding scientific research and doling out unnecessary tax cuts for the rich, and managed to call Dubya "Alfred E. Newman" again in the process. Of course, our corporate media is going for the "gotcha" sound bite or headline as always, and that's just the way the game is played unfortunately.

The good thing is that it's nice to see the Democrats show a spine now and again. The bad thing is that they just about always seem to fall into the negativity trap that allows the Repugs to trot out their standard responses and ignore the substance of what the opposition party is talking about. Is it fair that what they're trying to communicate is getting choked and distorted? No, but again, it's going to happen (Tim Russert and the Washington Press Corps are going to ignore all of the Rove/Plame stuff because that's what their "handlers" want them to do).

The thing the Dems hate to admit - and believe me when I tell you I hate to admit it also - is that, in spite of the illegal war in Iraq that is spinning out of control and continuing to kill our people and innocent Iraqis, our moribund economy heralding the descent of this country into what could become a third-world gulag, our continued fouling of the environment, our utter failure to invest in science and the technologies of the future, and the rote training approach (not "learning" at all as far as I'm concerned) and underfunding of "No Child Left Behind" as well as many, MANY other reasons...in spite of ALL of that, there are STILL way, WAY too many damn people in this country who actually LIKE BUSH and think he's doing a good job! As far as I'm concerned, it defies all logic and common sense, but there you are. For that reason, the public figures should lay off this clown and leave the name calling and personal attacks to the bloggers :-).

Oh, and by the way, this Edward Cox person who I believe was Nixon's son-in-law said in response that Sen. Clinton should do more to secure homeland security funding.

Perhaps he would like to read this (and note the date)...

July 8, 2005

Senator Clinton Urges Secretary Chertoff to Release Homeland Security Funds

Washington, DC -- Senator Clinton today sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff calling on him to release homeland security funding that Congress approved last year but that has not yet been sent to states. These critically needed funds would allow states to upgrade and strengthen rail and transit security and make other critical investments in homeland security. The letter was also signed by Senators Boxer, Carper, Corzine, Kennedy, Lautenberg, Lieberman, Reed and Schumer. “We ask that you instruct the Department of Homeland Security to expedite dissemination of homeland security funding that will help secure our rail and transit systems,” the Senators wrote in the letter. “In the face of these imminent threats, and with over nine billion trips taken on public transportation each year, our citizens deserve existing and additional security resources to be distributed immediately.”

The Senators underscored the need to get states the funds they are already owed right away. At the same time, they emphasized the need to continue to invest in transit security.

“It is essential that the President and Congress allocate sufficient resources to this mission. In light of these recent attacks, we believe that more funding is needed specifically for rail and transit security resources than is provided for in the President’s FY 2006 Budget to be sure we are doing all we can to prevent against future terrorist attacks in this country,” the Senators emphasized.

The text of the letter follows:

July 8, 2005 The Honorable Michael Chertoff
Secretary
United States Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Mr. Secretary:

We write to you in the immediate wake of Thursday’s terrorist attacks in London. Initial reports indicate that dozens have been killed and hundreds more injured. We support the efforts of officials charged with responding to these attacks. These acts of terrorism only strengthen our resolve to ensure that the freedom our society enjoys shall endure. The attacks on the trains and buses in London remind us of the gruesome cowardly attacks against which we must defend ourselves. These recent attacks also remind us of the horrific acts of terrorism that Madrid suffered in March, 2004, when nearly 200 people were killed and over one thousand were injured as a result of explosives planted on trains during their morning rush hour. The similarities of these attacks are an indication that terrorist groups continue to exploit vulnerabilities that exist in our public transportation systems. We simply cannot continue to ignore these weaknesses. As you know, the Department of Homeland Security is charged with preventing terrorist attacks within the United States and reducing our vulnerabilities to such attacks. It is essential that the President and Congress allocate sufficient resources to this mission. In light of these recent attacks, we believe that more funding is needed specifically for rail and transit security resources than is provided for in the President’s FY 2006 Budget to be sure we are doing all we can to prevent against future terrorist attacks in this country. Additionally, we urge you to ensure that funds already appropriated be made available without further delay. It is estimated that there is over $7 billion in security needs for our nation’s rail and transit systems and yet there has only been approximately $300 million allocated for such public transportation security needs since the September 11, 2001, attacks. We cannot continue to merely hope that attacks such as those we witnessed in Spain and now London do not occur in our cities across the United States. We must act to ensure that our transportation systems have the resources they need immediately. According to the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, many of the homeland security grants that were appropriated by Congress in the fiscal year 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations bill have not been distributed for upgrading and improving port security, improving intercity bus security, hiring additional firefighters, and improving transit security. Further, funds for the Buffer Protection Plans were not released until just recently. We ask that you instruct the Department of Homeland Security to expedite dissemination of homeland security funding that will help secure our rail and transit systems. In the face of these imminent threats, and with over 9 billion trips taken on public transportation each year, our citizens deserve existing and additional security resources to be distributed immediately.

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Duuuhhh!!!