From Mouthpiece to Whistleblower to Backtracker, Scott McClellan.

Mouthpiece:
Press Conferances Quotes, "I've made it very clear, from the beginning, that it is totally ridiculous," said McClellan at the time. "I've known Karl for a long time, and I didn't even need to go ask Karl, because I know the kind of person that he is, and he is someone that is committed to the highest standards of conduct."

Later, in an October 10 press conference the same year, "I spoke with those individuals, as I pointed out," said McClellan, "and those individuals assured me they were not involved in this. And that's where it stands.

Whistleblower:
Quote's from McClellan's book, "What Happened." "The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," writes McClellan. "So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby."

"There was one problem. It was not true," he writes. "I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the vice President, the President's chief of staff, and the president himself."

Backtracker:
Publisher, Peter Osnos of Public Affairs said that Mr. McClellan did not intend to suggest Bush lied to him ”about two senior aides’ roles in leaking the identity of Valeria Plame Wilson, a C.I.A. operative, to the conservative columnist Robert Novak and others in 2003.“He told him something that wasn’t true, but the president didn’t know it wasn’t true,'’ Osnos said in a telephone interview. “The president told him what he thought to be the case.'’

Where does the truth lie? As always, somewhere in the middle.

John Cornyn’s Record on Veterans Issue?

A PERFECT SCORE NO! NO! NO!

While he stands for Pre-emptive War and sending our troops into harm’s way Cornyn wants nothing to do with them after they return wounded, maimed or severely impaired mentally. If you are a Texas veteran this is not the representation that you need.

Here is his record courtesy of Vote Smart >

Tax rate extension amendment:10/05/2005 NO!

- $14 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration for Compensation and Pensions for the years of 2006 through 2010

- $6.9 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Veterans Health Administration for Medical Care between the years 2006 through 2010

- $1 billion for the establishment of the Veterans Hospital Improvement Fund

- Modifies tax rates on capital gains and dividends

Additional funding for veterans 11/17/2005 NO!

S Amdt 2634 to S 2020: To provide an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder.

Health Care for Veterans Amendment 10/05/2005 NO!

S Amdt 1937 to HR 2863: To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation.
Establishes all future discretionary appropriations for the Veterans Health Administration at the current FY 2005 discretionary funding level and creates a formula that adjusts for inflation and changes in the number of veterans using the health services.

Show Cornyn the door by voting for a true friend of the veterans. Someone who is a veteran himself and is dedicated to improving treatment for all veterans, Lt. Col. Rick Noriega

"AW, YOU LIBERALS JUST HATE AMERICA"

Haven't you heard this before or someting like it? Will now you have something to respond to this slimmy statement. George Lakoff of the Rockridge Institute has given us a list of responces.

No. We love democracy and we want to return it to America.
You want a presidential dictator.

We love liberty and we want to return it to America.
You want to tap our phones.

We love equality and we want to return it to America.
You think some people are better than others.

We love honesty and we want to return it to America.
You love lobbyists and corruption.

We love fairness and we want to return it to America.
You want to oppress the powerless.

We love openness and we want to return it to America.
You love secrecy and hiding the facts.

We love nature's glory and we want to return it to America.
You love the profit that comes from destroying nature.

We love community and we want to return it to America.
You want everyone to fend for himself.

We love public education and we want to return it to America.
You want to destroy public education.

We love civilian control of the military and we want to return it to America.
You want to militarize America.

So the next time someone says, "Aw you liberals just hate America." just pick one or better yet use all of them.

You can submit a question and have an opporate responce by just going to http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/ find the Ask Rockridge block and ask your question.

John Cornyn's Worst Nightmare? Rick Noriega!

Lt. Colonel Rick Noriega with his National Guard unit deployed to the war zone two years ago. Noriega, a Democratic state representative from Houston. Now he is seeking the U.S. Senate in his race against first-term Republican John Cornyn.
"It's time this state had people in Washington, D.C., who have the wartime experience to understand what is going on," said Noriega, a lieutenant colonel in the Guard who supports the U.S. effort in Afghanistan but wants to end the military involvement in Iraq.

Cornyn, who has not served in the military, has been a key Senate ally of President Bush's policies in Iraq. He supported the surge in troops Bush ordered this year and backs the president's plan to withdraw some troops in the coming months. Both he and his campaign aides have said they would not engage in back-and-forths with any Democratic rival until after the primaries.

Noriega said he's been facing and meeting challenges all his life. He enlisted in the military in 1979 as a private after the taking of the American hostages in Iran inspired him to serve his country. Five years later, looking to complete his college education, he enrolled in ROTC at the University of Houston. That set him on his course to become an officer in the National Guard and to pursue his civilian career, first as a teacher and then as energy company executive after earning a master's at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He unsuccessfully ran for the state House in 1992.

"I've always had a very strong desire to be involved in public service, whether it's with the Guard serving in Afghanistan or along the Texas-Mexico border, or in the Texas Legislature," he said.
Noriega's accomplishments in Austin include bills that increased benefits for custodial grandparents, removed the statute of limitations for prosecution of fatal hit-and-run accidents and required bilingual notices to residents living near convicted sex offenders. He said his most far-reaching legislative accomplishment was his sponsorship of the 2001 bill that made Texas the first state to provide in-state tuition rates and financial assistance for qualifying immigrant children.
Not long after returning from Afghanistan, Noriega was tapped by Houston Mayor Bill White to coordinate efforts to shelter evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. And his Guard unit was assigned to assist law enforcement activities along the Rio Grande.
His campaign just picked up the endorsements of General Wesley Clark, Senator John Kerry, and members of the Texas Democratic Congressional delegation.

Here's how you can help make Cornyn's worst nightmare a reality.
http://www.ricknoriega.com/