Both amendments calling for a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq have failed today.

Reed-Levin failed 60-39

Kerry's amendment failed 86-13.

Let the whining commence.

UPDATE:
Want to know how they voted? And who didn't? Go here:
Kerry Amendment
Reed-Levin Amendment

Soldiers' Angels
Contact: James Riley
Director Wounded Operations
1792 East Washington Blvd.
Pasadena, California 91104
Tel. (615)676-0239
Email: donations@soldiersangels-DOT-org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WOUNDED SOLDIERS EASE BACK INTO DAILY LIFE WITH THE HELP OF DONATED LAPTOPS

Soldiers' Angels' Project Valour IT donates laptop computer to 500th wounded soldier

Pasadena, California -- June 21, 2006 - During every war, in which the United States has been involved, civilian groups have come into existence which were composed of individuals dedicated to providing for the human needs of American soldiers and their families. Programs such as the Overseas YMCA Workers Program played a pivotal role in helping American soldiers while they were deployed and when they returned from the battlefield during World War I. Today, during the War on Terror, many similar charitable organizations have emerged to provide for the needs of the American soldiers and their families. The memberships of such organizations are diverse and include among their ranks veterans, milbloggers, family members of soldiers and civilians. Some of the organizations exist to provide a specific need to soldiers while others exist to provide a wide array of help and comfort to those in the armed forces. A common theme among the groups is the desire to provide aid and comfort to the men and women who wear the military uniforms of the United States of America.

Soldiers' Angels is such an organization. In the summer of 2003 Patti Patton-Bader was inspired to found Soldiers' Angels when her son wrote home from Iraq expressing his concern that some soldiers did not receive any mail or support from home. Within a few short months Soldiers' Angels had grown from a mother writing a few extra letters to an Internet Community with tens of thousands of angels worldwide.

One of the many projects established by Soldiers' Angels was Project Valour IT (Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops). The project was established in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, a Vietnam era veteran . SFC Ziegenfuss' son, CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, was wounded in Iraq. While convalescing from hand injuries he discovered the therapeutic benefits of being able to stay connected to the world through the use of voice-controlled software and a laptop computer. He was one of many soldiers who were able to blog from their hospital beds. Out of his struggle and in coordination with Soldiers' Angels, Project Valor IT was born.

The purpose of the project is to provide voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, wounded soldiers are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field, all without having to press a key or move a mouse.

During its initial phase, Valour-IT created "libraries" of laptops equipped with voice-controlled software for the severely wounded staying at major military medical centers. In many cases laptops are provided to a wounded hero for permanent use. Valour-IT has continued to accept donations of any amount to supply the "libraries" of laptops at major military medical centers and gifts to individuals, but has also added the option of an individual or organization directly sponsoring a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide him or her with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery.

Through donations from milblogger challenges, churches, groups of coworkers or friends, and members of community organizations, Project Valour IT has recently donated its 500th laptop computer to a wounded soldier. This project helps keep wounded soldiers from falling into depression by providing them with task-oriented activity; giving them access to entertainment and news; allowing them to sustain positive self value; and allowing them to maintain and enjoy rewarding personal contact through instant messages, email and even voice chat. In essence, the voice activated laptops provided by Project Valour IT become instant lifelines for the severely wounded soldier. The project directly and positively helps those soldiers who have given up so much of themselves to protect their fellow countrymen and gives them the ability to experience some of the small enjoyments found in daily life.

Continuing the time honored tradition of civilian support of American soldiers, Soldiers' Angels sponsors programs which provide support to American soldiers and their families. Soldiers' Angels/ programs include first responder packs, support, and laptop computers to wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment at American military hospitals; care packages, letters, and support to deployed soldiers; armored blankets to military ambulances; items shipped for deployed soldiers to give children in the war zone; and memorial trees for the families of soldiers who have died in the service of their country.

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If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Patti Patton-Bader, please call James Riley at (615)676-0239 or email Don: donations@soldiersangels-DOT-org.

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To learn how you can help, go here.

AMPHIBIOUS CONSTRUCTION – Members of Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 clear a duck pond in the surf at high tide in order to beach the Army's Triton (portable) pier during a Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore exercise at Fort Story, Va., June 16, 2006. Nearly 1,800 troops from all branches of the military participated in the two-week exercise designed to train servicemembers in the loading and unloading of cargo and equipment. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Recruit Scott Rancilio

June 20, 2006
The following is from the Coalition of 9/11 Families: A seven-day comment period begins today on Frank Sciame’s draft recommendations to revised plans for World Trade Center Memorial and Museum.

Earlier today, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg announced the release of the Sciame Report, which outlines a plan to revise the World Trade Center Memorial and Memorial Museum to bring it line with the established $500 million budget. The analysis is the result of a month long process spearheaded by builder Frank Sciame.

The full Sciame Report and design renderings are available on Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s website. The LMDC is accepting pubic comments on the Draft Recommendations outlined in the Sciame Report, through June 27, 2006, via via this form. Alternately, you may mail comments to:

LMDC
Attn: Memorial Draft Recommendations and Analysis
One Liberty Plaza, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10006

Please also review the following points and, if you agree, please echo them in your comments to the LMDC:

We strongly support Mr. Sciame’s suggestions to raise the names of the victims to street level and to eliminate the memorial’s underground galleries. While we applaud these recommendations, a number of issues still need to be resolved including:

1. The names of the victims must not be listed in random order as currently proposed. This method fails to tell the story of 9-11 and belies the history of the day. Victims' names should be listed by affiliation as outlined in the proposal submitted by the family groups on behalf of the majority of families.

2. The tomb must house the remains of the victims as opposed to being mearly a "symbolic mortuary vessel," which is the current plan. 3. Infrastructure must be removed from the footprint remnants at bedrock so visitors will be able to tranverse the authentic remnants, which have been compared to the strafing marks in the concrete at Pearl Harbor.

4. The Family Room must be relocated to the Visitors Center overlooking the memorial.

5. The safety and security of the Memorial and Museum must be integral to the design.

6. Iconic artifacts such as the facade and the sphere must be returned to plaza level.

We look forward to the day when Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg resolve these issues so that we will be able to go out and help build this monument to 9-11 and its victims.

Snowbird Operations
An HC-130 from the 79th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., refuels a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter from the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 769 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The CH-53Es are here training with Airmen as part of Davis-Monthan's joint operations training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Veronica Pierce)

Soldiers Angels have a new International Goodwill Ambassador!
Greetings To Everyone!
Yesterday I was bestowed to our new International Goodwill Ambassador.My first reaction was why me?

Read the Rest at Soldiers' Angels Germany

Snowbird operations
Marine Maj. David Montesano guides a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter while gaining fuel from an HC-130 from the 79th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. The CH-53E and Major Montesano are assigned to the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 769 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The CH-53Es are here training with Airmen as part of Davis-Monthan's joint operations training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Veronica Pierce)
Full Story

Recently, information has begun to surface about the presence of WMD's in Iraq, and documentation of a connection between Saddam and the Taliban.

So what is going to happen to the moonbat anti-war cry? They've been saying that:

1. There were no WMDs in Iraq
(something I've said was highly debatable from the start - what about Halabja? What about the items previously disclosed that were found? What about reports from his own generals that such things existed?)

2. There was no connection between Saddam and 9/11, so Iraq had nothing to do with the War on Terror
I've always said that although no direct connection had ever been absolutely proven, there was strong evidence of a Saddam-AlQaeda meeting, and documented proof that Hussein was paying bounties to the families of suicide bombers. And if it's AlQaeda in Iraq that's causing most of the problems over there, how is there NO connection???

Well, skewering the "Bush Lied, they Died" retro-moonbat jingle is a whole heap of information now being disclosed.

Hundreds of WMD's discovered:
Report: WMDs Found in Iraq
Senator Santorum Makes Major Announcement Regarding Newly Declassified Information Concerning Chemical Weapons Discovered in Iraq
Evidence Provides Further Insight into Saddam Hussein's WMD (pdf) (from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence)
Key Points of the National Ground Intelligence Center's report (pdf)
Santorum and Hoekstra on WMD's (transcript - word document)

Iraq and the Taliban with a direct connection
Documents Support Saddam-Taliban Connection
Documenting Saddam's Link to Terror

Hmmmmm....so who lied?

What's the next anti-war shriek? Leave your guess in the comments section.

Me, I'm for having 'em all wear t-shirts that say "I'm with stupid."

Pacific Ocean (June 21, 2006) - A Sailor assigned to Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) leans on an F/A-18 Hornet, while waiting for the next launch cycle on the flight deck aboard the conventionally-powered aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) during Exercise Valiant Shield 2006. Valiant Shield focuses on integrated joint training among U.S. military forces, enabling real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces and in detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Benjamin Dennis

A national television advertising blitz by Move America Forward (website: http://www.moveamericaforward.org/ ) thanking U.S. troops for their efforts in the war on terrorism debuts THURSDAY, JUNE 22nd on the Fox News Channel. The ad campaign will soon expand to CNN and major network affiliates (NBC, ABC, CBS).

The ads will first run on Fox News Channel on Thursday, from 12:00 - 4:00 PM Eastern // 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Pacific. Watch for the ads - and tape/record them so you can see them in good quality again, and so you can show them to others. Feel free to email pro-troop radio talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and others and be sure they know about our efforts.

Also supporting the TV ad campaign will be two radio ads that urge Americans to stand behind our troops AND their missions in the war on terrorism.

To view/hear the ads follow these links:

*TV Ad - "America Says Thank You"

*Radio Ad1 - "Winning the War Against Terrorism"

*Radio Ad2 - "America Thanks You"

Help us get these messages broadcast on stations throughout the nation.

Make a contribution to Move America Forward's pro-troop ad fund
here.

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Bailey
June 21, 2006
Pfc. Jordan Williams, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew chief from the 207th Aviation Regiment, clears his helicopter for landing after a mission near Tal Afar, Iraq.

2,996 stories…

2,996 voices…

2,996 remembered…

2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11. Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

We will honor them by remembering their lives, and not by remembering their murderers.

If you would like to help out, either by pledging to post a tribute on your own blog, or by offering your services to promote this cause, just leave a comment here and I’ll email you the name of a victim.

Then, on 9/11/2006, you will post a tribute to that victim on your blog.

But, and this is critical, the tributes should celebrate the lives of these people–kind of like a wake. Over the last 5 years we’ve heard the names of the killers, and all about the victim’s deaths. This is a chance to learn about and celebrate those who died. Forget the murderers, they don’t deserve to be remembered. But some people who died that day deserve to be remembered–2,996 people.

Thank you,
D.Challener Roe

I am on board. If you are a blogger, please consider joining this effort.

H/T to Echo9er

ASH SHUMALI MISSION — A U.S. Army soldier assigned to Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division watches as helicopters fly in to pick him and fellow soldiers up after conducting a raid of a house being targeted as a suspected improvised explosive device maker's house in Ash Shumali, Iraq, June 15, 2006. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Katrina Beeler

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Report: WMDs Found in Iraq
Video: Did U.S. Troops Find WMDs?
Family, Friends Remember Soldiers Slain in Iraq
Pentagon Held Info in 2 Soldiers' Deaths (not the two who were abducted)
Iraqi Factory Workers Abducted
GOP, Dems Debate Iraq
Four Marines, Soldier Killed in Iraq

Operation Enduring Freedom
Four US soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Military Convoys Attacked in Afghanistan

Homeland Security / War on Terror
NYC, D.C. Mayors Want Terror Funds Restored
Call to Resistance - Zawahiri issues new video
Bush tells Europeans he wants to shut Guantanamo

Troops on Trial
Marines Charged - Troops could face death penalty
Report: Haditha 'Red Flags' Missed
New Witness Testifies in Cadet Rape Trial

Worldwide Wackos
Bush Brushes Aside North Korean Talks Offer
Video: Tensions Mounting
Bush warns N.Korea amid missile tensions
China concerned over N. Korea missile test
North Korea Talks Nixed
Iran seriously considering nuclear offer: Annan (And he's reliable, right?)
Olmert, Abbas to meet in coming weeks

Homegrown Moonbats
Al Gore's documentary wins special award

Politics / Government
With eye on elections, Senate debates Iraq war
Bush commemorates Hungary communism revolt
GOP-run Senate kills minimum wage increase

Oddities
Chinese Orchid Found to Have Sex With Itself
Sweatiest U.S. Cities Listed
World Cup madness
Parents pinch pennies from piggy banks
Uganda police ban playing pool in the daytime

Other News of Note
Sinkhole Gulping Florida Lake
Video: Disappearing Act
International Red Cross Admits Israel, Palestinians
Study Warns of Imminent California Quake
Pluto's newly found moons named Nix, Hydra

Fox News
Arizona Blaze Rages
Video: Firefighters Battle
Photo Essay: Wildfire
Stocks to Watch: Oracle
Proponents of Estate Tax Repeal Accept Deal
Aaron Spelling Home After Suffering Stroke
Plan to Axe Nuke Worker Safety Agency Opposed
Two Dead in Federal Florida Prison Shooting
Mexico Advances, Angola Out
FULL WORLD CUP COVERAGE
Flood Kills 190 in Indonesia

Reuters: Top News
Bird flu may have been mistaken for SARS
Presbyterians ease Mideast divesting policy
Episcopal Church votes to curb gay bishops
NASA safety chief won't appeal shuttle launch order
Toshiba says to launch HD DVD recorder in July
AT&T revises privacy policy
Russia pragmatic on arms but is trade healthy?
Myanmar minorities fear being dammed, and damned
Drug, blood provide clues to healthy aging
Aerosmith, Crue turn back time for joint tour
Reese Witherspoon sues magazine over baby story
US, UK investigate airlines price fixing
Allianz cuts 7,500 jobs, restructures Dresdner
Wyeth upbeat as Enbrel in Europe tops $1 bln
Mobilcom may sell freenet if merger fails -report
Adobe to be Google's latest Web search distributor
US stock futures up
Ford says on track toward 2008 profitability goal
Morgan Stanley earnings more than double
Investors buy upside Silicon Lab calls: analyst
Arcelor to decide on suitors' proposals Sunday - Video
REUTERS SUMMIT: CONSUMER & RETAIL
Guitar Center seeks small-town rockers
Tesco goes Hollywood to mask US ambitions
Smooth road for guzzlers
On the Radar: Neogen Corp

AP World News
Ariz. firefighters work to protect park
British Airways being investigated
Reyes' cycle for naught as Reds rally
Safety experts: MySpace changes not enough
Blue Jays hand Braves 9th straight loss
Bedard, Orioles end Marlins' streak
Chicago gang targeted in heroin deaths
Condoms proven to protect against virus
Group said to offer $10.7B for Univision
Blige to make 'One Life to Live' cameo
Ford unveils 2007 automobile lineup
Judge: 'Railroad Killer' to be executed
FedEx, Morgan Stanley help Dow gain 100
Lawmakers to crack down on data brokers
Argentina, Netherlands play to 0-0 tie

Military.com
VA Offers Free Credit Monitoring

Department of Defense
Afghan Officers Complete Course - Story

ON THE GROUND
Iraqis Take Lead in Northern Baghdad Region - Story
Villagers Benefit from Rejecting Terrorism - Story
Soldier Reenlists Hours After Being Wounded - Story

IN IRAQ
Casey: Secure Environment Essential
Soldiers Upgrade Humvees With New Armor
Army Reservists Assemble 'FOB in the Box'
Renovated Yusufiyah Playground Reopens

IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Villagers Get Medical Care
Squadron Monitors Sky Over Afghanistan

IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
Hospital Corpsmen Celebrate 108th Birthday
Task Force Rebuilds School, Clinic in Yemen

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq (PDF)
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Defense Officials Identify Casualties - Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Gitmo

Today in History
1772 - Slavery is outlawed in England.
1775 - The first Continental currency is issued.
1807 - The British board the USS Chesapeake, one of the events leading to the War of 1812.
1815 - Napoleon abdicates for a second time (after Waterloo).
1847 - The doughnut is created.
1868 - Arkansas re-enters the U.S.
1870 - Congress creates the Department of Justice.
1873 - Prince Edward Island joins Canada.
1911 - King George V of England is crowned.
1918 - in Ivanhoe, Illinois, a troop train rams a circus train, killing 68.
1936 - The Virgin Islands receive a constution from U.S. (Organic Act).
1940 - France falls to Nazi Germany; Finland invades Karelia.
1941 - Germany declares war on the Soviet Union.
1944 - FDR signs the "GI Bill of Rights" (Servicemen's Readjustment Act).
1959 - Vanguard SLV-6 is launched; it fails to achieve an Earth orbit.
1970 - President Nixon signs the 26th amendment, lowering the voting age to 18.
1978 - Neo-Nazis call off plans to march in the Jewish community of Skokie, Illinois.
1981 - Mark David Chapman pleads guilty the murder of John Lennon.
1983 - The Space Shuttle makes the first retrieval of a satellite from orbit.
1990 - Florida passes a law prohibits wearing a thong bathing suit.

Birthdays
1837 - Paul Morphy, greatest chess player of all time
1896 - Francis C. Denebrink, U.S. Naval officer (WW I, WW II, Korea)
1903 - John Dillinger, one of America's Most Wanted
1920 - Paul Frees, the voice of "Bullwinkle"
1941 - Ed Bradley, CBS news correspondent ("60 Minutes")

Passings
1874 - Howard Staunton, world chess champion, designer of chess pieces
1922 - British Field Marshal Sir Henry H. Wilson, murdered
1954 - Don Hollenbeck, newscaster (CBS Weekend News)

Reported Missing in Action
1966
Smith, Warren P., Jr., USAF (TX); O1F shot down

1967
Pirie, James Glenn, USN (AL); A4E shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - deceased, May 1998

1969
Engelhard, Eric Carl, USAF (OH); O2B shot down, remains recovered April, 1974

Roberson, John W., US Army (TX); Presumed drowned while crossing a stream, body not recovered

Seagroves, Michael Anthony, USAF (IL); O2B shot down, remains recovered April, 1974

1970
Earle, John S., USNR (MA); A4C crashed in water shortly after takeoff, Killed, body not recovered

Gumbert, Robert W., Jr., US Army (OH); likely KIA, body not recovered

1971
Strohlein, Madison A., US Army (PA)