Bush just isn't interested in ANYTHING that the Dems propose, if he didn't decide it first.

If it passes with a veto-proof vote, it won't matter what the Decider Commander Guy says.

Let the lapdog Repubs who want to stick with Bush go on record as opposing a 1/2% pay raise.

PEACE

And a modest pay raise at that. Laughable if it weren't so disgusting.

Somebody other than lawyers should help write these things. The first paragraph should say "We are writing to urge you to reconsider your opposition to the increases in military pay and survivor benefits which was overwhelmingly passed yesterday by the House of Representatives."

That's good, but I'd make it even more blunt:

"We are writing to urge you to back a decent pay increase for our fighting men and women and their families which was overwhelmingly passed yesterday by the House of Representatives."

-Dave Adams-

They need a writer...how about "your actions must match your words"

It would be much better to skip the pay raise entirely and give soldiers early-exit bonuses. Raising pay only increases the stranglehold of the military on the country.

The problem isn't insufficient retention; it's too much. If we have a huge military and all sorts of toys, they will get used. And the only way the military-industrial complex feeds itself is to use those toys. The bigger that gets the worse it is.

Furthermore, increasing funding for the most blatantly authoritarian portion of our society makes us every day into a more militarized and more authoritarian society.

Support the troops? Get them another job. Put their energy and skills to work rebuilding water systems, laying rail, overhauling our building stock; there is no end of work needs to be done. Not so good for Raytheon, Halliburton and the Congress Critters of both parties that depend on military teat.

...in complete agreement.

I would go for the throat. Not five percent - FIFTY percent.

Georgey NEEDS to bleed from the eyes and the Congress NEEDs to show him for the jackhole he is. Anything else compounds the criminality.

Most of these arguments miss the point.

When Dubya and his administration says "we must support the troops", they are not talking about better post-tour medical care, or better housing, or better pay. They are talking about providing them with the proper equiment (armor, Humvees, weapons, and ammunition). That is what they mean by support. And we know how well they have performed these tasks (with full funding).

Sometimes they push the morale angle. That is why they are extending their tours, shortening their R&R between tours, and censoring their web access.

The best way to counter Dubya on this one is for some WH reporters to simply start asking Tony Snow daily, and Shrub when he makes himself available, "When you say 'we must support our troops' what exactly do you mean by 'support'?"

This question should be asked daily! And whatever answer they give (even evasion) should be thrown right back at them! Because there is nothing that they can say that will be acceptable to the American people (forget about the Dems on this one).

This follows with the erosion of wages for working class Americans that has been in place for quite some time. Bush is no friend of the working class with this being one more manifestation of Republican lies. Without exception, Bush has tried to do everything on the cheap except for assuring to fill his supporters pockets with our tax dollars.

The one-half percent doesn't seem like much, but cumulativly over time this is the exact thing that underlies why the rich are getting richer and everyone else is getting poorer. Everywhere you look working class persons are being nickel and dimed. In spite of the Bush tax cuts you can hear economic pundits pushing for still further cuts. That translates to growing the debt even more than has already occurred.

It is total crap to listen to arguments from some about how much tax corporations and the rich are paying. It is bogus because as a percentage of income, the norm is they pay a smaller percentage of gross than the average wage earner. Sure the number is higher but that is nothing more than simple math.

The immigration bill is more of the same. It is predominantly about driving down wages.

The republican argument about making America safe is also completely false. If the argument was true 9/11 would not have occurred in the first place.

This is simply part of the overall scheme to defraud Americans. Make no mistake about it. This is about taking from working class persons and giving to the rich. End of conversation.

And Bush could give a shit even if working class Americans are paying in blood rather than dollars. You won't find many persons in the top earnings category taking a bullett in Iraq to assure we remain free. Ask any Harvard or Yale MBA graduate. Serving their country is absolutely the very last thing they might consider. And why should they when governemnt and business have colluded to leave the risks associated with keeping us free to less affluent persons. This is just another part of the social and economic inequity that has overtaken this nation. And forget about equality of representation at the seat of government. That is a long forgotten dream. Working class Americans are half percenters all the way to the grave.

But you'd make an excellent "Lawmaker".

---WORLD CITIZEN---