The Sirens Chronicles

So much to do, so little time. But, I made plenty of time for today’s Ten Post Round-Up:

1: Missouri is trying to imitate Indiana’s faulty voter ID law….

The Worst Voting Law in the Country–Alternet

2: It’s official, Bob Barr is running for president on the Libertarian ticket…

Bob Barr throws a wrench–ColoradoPols.com

3: Why does GWB hate the American consumer?…

The Bush administration tries to block Mad Cow testing by Meat packers–Crooks and Liars

4: Life is not only unfair, it’s cruel…

Dungeon monster dad Josef Fritzl’s luxury life in jail revealed–The Daily Record

5: I guess the parents just have to take the school’s word for it…

Boy suspended for fight on bus, the school claims they have video proof, but refuses to let it be reviewed by the accused–Libertarian Party of Colorado

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Tags: dizzy's ten post round up, Economy, hypocrisy, news, politics, random goodies, random news, scandal, snark, War, weird

From Moyers: 10% of the people own 60% of the wealth and 70% of Americans aren’t worth SHIT!..ok..he didn’t say shit..but you hopefully get his drift.

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Tags: Bill Moyers, Countdown, disparity of wealth, Keith Olbermann

ACT LIKE A MAN
Based on “Run For Your Life”
By John Lennon and Paul McCartney
New Lyrics by  PretorOneac

Well you’re nothing but a brat little George
You’re a punk with a pompous gait
You’re an attitude on feet little George
With a heart that’s filled with hate

CHORUS:
You better act like a man if you can little George
Tell the truth maybe once little George
When yah gonna get a spine
You’re a coward, little George

Well you prove that you’re a wicked guy
You were born with an evil mind
You let the servant in your life
Take the blame for all your crimes

CHORUS

Never learn a lesson
Never shame for what’s been done
George you’re psycho and a sadist
Perversion had a run

CHORUS

No you haven’t got a spine to lead
You’re a wimp like your dear old dad
You brag and boast you let others bleed
And the people, they were had

CHORUS

Oh no no no
No no no
No no no
(REPEATING AND FADING)

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After watching this relative unknown, at least to us here in America, win the Oscar for best actress, I knew I had to watch this film. Always intrigued by Billy Holiday and other unique voices, one name stands alone for me… Edith Piaf. Even with no understanding of French, some voices cross all language barriers and hers certainly does so.

The director, Olivier Dahan, chose to read all he could find about “the Little Sparrow”, both published and unpublished, and make an impression of her tragic life rather than an actual bio picture. So many great artists are tragically flawed, suffer much and yet overcome all to rise to heights we can only dream of. Such was Edith Piaf. Marion Cotillard, as Piaf, does an amazing job of aging from 15 to 47 and manages to capture the essence of the chanteuse. Abandoned several times by her parents, raised in a brothel, singing on the streets that lead to her big break at a Paris nightclub, losing the love of her life and her subsequent addiction are the tragedies, yet there was always someone there to help her, someone to focus her on her art~ that voice.

The film weaves in and out of the early times, then her later years, leaving you with a melody that lingers in your ears.

Peace as always and in all ways~Sage

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Tags: Films and Documentarys

My mother died in 1984 from ovarian cancer. The year was hellish on many levels. My mother and I had never been close; she was cold, a hypochondriac, paranoid, fearful. She self-medicated with pills and alcohol, and did not get the help she so desperately needed. There were circumstances that drove her to the mental state she lived, but suffice it to say that, as one of ten children, she struggled for attention and never had the tools to properly nurture. Far from it; at one point, she told me that if I had been a better daughter, she would never have gotten ovarian cancer.

My father died in 1996 from pulminary fibrosis, a calcifying of the lungs which causes suffocation. He’d had lung cancer 25 years before, and this pulminary fibrosis developed eventually because of the aggressive treatment he’d had for the lung cancer. Pa was one of seven, but not as cleanly as my mother was. My father’s mother and father were Continue Reading »

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Tags: Diva Jood's Posts; Family Stuff

This is a live version of “No More” from the new documentary Body of War. Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam perform. The movie opens nationwide this month.

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Tags: Body of War, Iraq War, Musical Interludes

Yesterday, was a real mother of a day, but there was no shortage of news for today’s Ten Post Round-Up:

1: Monsanto helping to bring down India’s farmers….

Monsanto: Wanted for Murder in India–Bring It On!

2: Myanmar cyclone almost takes down the 2008 Republican National Convention…

If It Wasn’t For That Damned Cyclone–duckplops

3: Is Florida being punished for the outcome of the last two general elections?…

Florida, Florida, Florida–Hypocrisy.com

4: Apparently, there really IS “a sucker born every minute”…

Money Marinade–The J-Walk Blog

5: Our Constitutional democracy is in grave danger…

sorry- but this is a must read–life’s journey

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Tags: dizzy's ten post round up, Economy, hypocrisy, news, politics, random goodies, random news, scandal, snark, War, weird

Mother’s are special. You realize all the more how much goes into Mothering when you become one. Suddenly your whole world revolves around the care & entrusting of bringing up a child. It is one of the most difficult jobs you could ever love. Because there are no breaks from it, really, and you are committed pretty much like the traditional wedding vows-for better or worse, in sickness & in health, rich or poor. Now that I think about it, many parent child relationships actually uphold those vows longer & stronger, than marriage vows. Although there are tons of books on parenting, much of it is learn as you go. In the early years especially, it seems once you have figured out a workable routine or solution, the child evolves to something new & different.

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Tags: Salute to Moms of all kinds.

THE TURD, ROVE
Based on “The Word”
By John Lennon and Paul McCartney
New Lyrics by Sweet Pea

Speak a lie and be like me
Let my power set you free
hear the story that I wove
Gave you heard the spinner Rove?
I’m so fine! It’s all mine!
I’m the turd, Rove
In the beginning you misunderstood
I run the show and I drain all the good
(I’m The Turd, Rove!)

Spread the lie, and be like me
Take your rights to make you free
Hear the hate that i have wove
Have you heard the spinner ROve
I’m so great, it’s too late
I’m The Turd, Rove
When I go ut I hear people say
He baits the homos but his step dad was hay
(I’m The Turd, Rove)

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Tags: parody, rove, SweetPeas Posts

All of whom are women. From the VOA writeup:

Police in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu say they have detained more than 560 Tibetan protesters Sunday, all of them women.

It was the all female demonstration against China’s crackdown in Tibet since violence erupted in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in March.

Since then, Tibetan exiles have taken part in anti-China protests nearly every day. Nepal is home to about 20,000 Tibetan refugees.

Power to the people…Buddha please keep them safe.

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Tags: China, Nepal, Protest, Tibet

Choosey Mutha’s choose….PEACE

Eight children a day are killed by guns in our country — for a total of almost 3,000 a year — and another 13,000 a year are wounded. Nearly 1.7 million children under the age of 18 live in homes with firearms that are both loaded and unlocked.

The Million Mom March will be focusing on this topic on Mother’s Day.

8 CHILDREN KILLED A DAY ~ NO WAY!

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Tags: children, Human Rights, Iraq War

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein wants to read the 2002 CIA torture memo. He wants to read it in order to decide whether or not to grant the ACLU request to make it public. From the CommonDreams writeup:

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein issued the order after he had earlier said the 18-page memo did not have to be turned over to the American Civil Liberties Union because it was protected by attorney-client privilege. The ACLU said it believes the memo includes a section addressing the subject of waterboarding, which simulates drowning.

Hellerstein said he reconsidered his ruling after hearing from both sides again on the subject. The CIA must turn the item over for review on Monday.

Rebekah Carmichael, a spokeswoman for government lawyers representing the CIA, said the government had no immediate comment.

Hellerstein said he realized he did not give sufficient consideration to an earlier court ruling related to the legal issue and to ACLU evidence indicating all or parts of the memo may have been incorporated into or used to justify official practice and policy.

Thanks to the work of the ACLU, over 100,000 pages of government documents have been released concerning the treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody abroad. The Freedom of Information act, FOIA, is what has enabled the ACLU and others to request access to all types of records.

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Tags: ACLU, FOIA, torture memo, waterboarding

Barack Obama visited Eugene, Oregon today. I decided not to attend for a number of reasons- mainly because the local news live streamed the entire speech.

In any case, Obama was down to earth, eloquent, humble, and genuine all at once. I heard someone call him “a real human being” he does come across as someone who is not tainted, jaded and corrupt. He genuinely cares, and he hit on points I feel are key:

• He will uphold the Constitution. (He taught College level Constitution classes). He embraces & respects the Constitution.

• Shut down Guantanamo– Music to my ears.

• Restore Habeus Corpus– Hooray!

• Honor due process–Hello

• Bring them home- get our troops out of Iraq & Afghanistan

• Start spending $10 billion month in the US, not Iraq.

• Get up to speed on the environmental front- or as he put it, enough with the combustion engine already.

• Fund education

• Fund Healthcare

He said it’s not about *him*, that he is imperfect- his wife could have told us that long ago.

The times he’s most proud of, are running a positive campaign. Sometimes after getting lambasted enough you have to fight back, but he does not want to stoop to those levels. He dislikes all the distractions- flag pins, bowling scores, former ministers….. that none of that really matters to the people and how to fix the troubles & problems & needs of this country.

Amen & Right On

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Tags: Educational System

In May, 1908, the Chicago Cubs were riding high. They were the defending World Champions, having beaten the Detroit Tigers in 1907’s World Series 4 games to 0 - there was one tie, a game called on account of darkness. It has been 100 years of suffering for Chicago Cubs diehard fans, like myself. We’ve not won a series; and worse, we’ve not even BEEN to the series since 1945 - and then the Curse of the Billy Goat was placed upon the team. Continue Reading »

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Tags: Baseball been berry good to me

Get a job…ANY job! Don’t wait for a job in your college degree set.

That’s the advice being given to current college graduates. With the current job market already tight and with new grads competing for choice jobs against folks with already established career experience, new college graduates are being told to face reality and get a job so that they can support themselves and not to wait for that dream job to come available. At least, not right now.

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Tags: college, college education, Dezzi's Posts, employment, unemployment

making good mondays- carol gee- has a post up on childhood poverty. i find it interesting- but not surprising- that the south dominates the childhood poverty rates. it is appalling to me with my tax rate that new york is also in that category.

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Tags: Children's Issues, Poverty

There’s no rest for the wicked. Let’s see what wickedness is afoot in today’s Ten Post Round-Up:

1: Pentagon threatens soldier’s pay over emergency war funding bill….

Gun to their heads …–Alternate Brain

2: Maybe Iraq could help pay for its reconstruction with their oil revenues?…

With House Poised to Spend $163 Billion, More Argue Iraq Should Use Oil Money to Pay for Reconstruction–AlterNet

3: Looks like GWBs “surge” strategy is being put to the test…

Pressure to Cut Costs, Troops Strains ‘Surge’–Anti-war.com

4: China is helping to fund GWBs presidential library…

Let’s See Who’s Funding The Bush Presidential Library–duckplops

5: Nevada governor is fighting to get back in the Governor’s mansion and oust his wife, in divorce dispute…

Governor wants back in mansion: Court battle brewing as Gibbons seeks to oust wife from official residence–Elko Daily Free Press

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Tags: Dezzi's Posts, dizzy's ten post round up, Economy, hypocrisy, news, politics, random goodies, random news, scandal, snark, War, weird

Such farkwittery here folks. The audacity of Special Counsel Scott Bloch and his minions just slays the hell out of me. From AP via TO:

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel last year shut down a previously undisclosed investigation into the federal prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, according to an internal memo made public Wednesday.

The investigation was being conducted by a task force formed at the agency a year ago to pursue high-profile political investigations in Washington, most notably whether the White House played politics in firing U.S. attorneys. It began gathering information on the Siegelman case in September and was planning to request documents from the Justice Department in October before Special Counsel Scott Bloch ordered the case closed, according to the Jan. 18 draft memo, made public by the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group.

Why do they think its ok? Common sense would dictate otherwise, wouldn’t it? As Siegelman says, the most important issue now is:

“The question is who told them to shut it down,”

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Tags: Scott Bloch, Siegelman, Special Counsel

IN OUR STRIFE
Based on “A Day In The Life”
By John Lennon and Paul McCartney
New Lyrics by Matthew5
 
There’s a truth, it goes unspoken
In the strife
The lies have changed
They go on and on forever
Crudely made, they seem too strange
But his half truths had a purpose
His quest for power, he deceived us all
We believed him, that’s our failing
The phony God will surely fall
 
But in all his mass deception
There is no lie compares to this
If you only try and trust me
I’ll show you pain can be your bliss
Though we know he  won’t forgive defection
Of kind-hearted folk who see the lie
We know he wants to male them suffer
In the strife he let’s more die
 
Though we know he’ll never be forgiven
For walking away from warfare whores
We know the man who’s mad will try and stop us
Madmen love the pain much more
Madmen love the pain much more

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I recently joined J-Street, the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-Peace movement. J-Street was founded to create meaningful American leadership to bring a peaceful end to the Arab/Israeli and Palestinian/Israel conflicts.

J Street represents Americans, primarily but not exclusively Jewish, who support Israel and its desire for security as the Jewish homeland, as well as the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign state of their own - two states living side-by-side in peace and security. We believe ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the best interests of Israel, the United States, the Palestinians, and the region as a whole.

Today, I received an email from founder Jeremy Ben Ami, with the text of an article he’d written in a recent Washington Post issue. I print it in full:

5 Myths About Being ‘Pro-Israel’
By Jeremy Ben Ami

Six decades ago, my father fought alongside Menachem Begin for Israel’s independence. If you’d have told him back then that politicians in the world’s last superpower would be jockeying today to see who can be more “pro-Israel,” he would have laughed at you. Grateful as I am for decades Continue Reading »

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I received a call tonight- it was Chelsea Clinton- well a recording of Chelsea, with a very tired sounding voice, asking me to vote for her Mom. The verbiage was actually something like “vote for my Mom. My Mom will NOT GIVE UP!”. She sounded like she had to refrain from adding “dammit anyway” to that sentence.

I also saw the new kinder, gentler commercial ads- Hillary dressed in pink, with some gawdy pink necklace, going on about how she understands Oregonians- she has children & babies 6 in all- 5 are clean cut upper crust white kids & one token black child. She talks about how she will be a tough fighter, and closes with a shot of an infant holding her fingers. Or is she trying to pry money out of the baby’s hand?

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Tags: Democracy in my mailbox/Primary madness, Fran's Posts

neocons admit that ‘war on terror’ is a hoax- courtesy suzie q

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Tags: Iraq, middle east, neo cons, PNAC, War

After yesterday’s shellacking, Hill has decided to abandon all of the heretofore subtle panders to Klanservatives, and openly put on the white sheet.

In what appear to be the New York senator’s most blunt comments to date regarding a racial division in the Democratic presidential race, Hillary Clinton suggested Wednesday that “White Americans” are increasingly turning away from Barack Obama’s candidacy.

“I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,” Clinton said in an interview with USA TODAY.

Clinton cited an Associated Press poll “that found how Senator Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.”

“There’s a pattern emerging here,” she said.

There sure is, Hill. From about the time your husband talked about how Obama is “like Jesse Jackson” on, you’ve been sending the message that you are the white choice for President. Couple that with your “elitist” slurs and your crass pandering on the gas tax issue, and even the Chimpletons were bound to take notice. But that’s what you intended, isn’t it?

I don’t have the greatest of educations, but I can tell when I’m being played for a fool. Racist pandering is what keeps guys like Chimpy viable in elections. The fact that you’re now doing it tells us much more about you than you could ever tell us in your own words.
—- off, Hill.

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Tags: 2008 election, Clinton, Racism

So much news, so little coffee. Jump start the ol’ gray matter with today’s Ten Post Round-Up:

1: Pretty soon, heart patients be able to say that they are “serious as a heart attack” about their Bluetooth….

New wi-fi devices warn doctors of heart attacks–BlackListedNews.com

2: Along with the right to marry, other rights for homosexuals disappear with same-sex marriage bans…

Oops, That Ban On Gay Marriage Took Away Other Rights–Bring It On!

3: Driving lifestyles altered by higher gas prices…

High Gas Prices Force People to Alter Lifestyles–Colorado Confidential

4: So much for McCain paying for likely breaking campaign finance laws…

Bush Stacks FEC to Help McCain–Firedoglake

5: Libertarian presidential (formerly, Democratic) candidate, Mike Gravel attempts to woo Obama Girl by doin’ “…Dat Soulja Boy”…

Mike Gravel, Obama Girl In New Video–The Huffington Post

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Tags: Dezzi's Posts, dizzy's ten post round up, Economy, hypocrisy, news, politics, random goodies, random news, scandal, snark, War, weird

The MSM seems to have Alzheimer’s when it comes to McCain’s ’spiritual guide’ Ron Parsley. Thanks to Mother Jones and Brave New Films, we get to see Parsley in all his..um…glory, at work preaching the …cough…word..of God. From the BNF site:

You may have heard of Rev. John Hagee, the McCain supporter who said God created Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its homosexual “sins.” Well now meet Rev. Rod Parsley, the televangelist megachurch pastor from Ohio who hates Islam. According to David Corn of Mother Jones, Parsley has called on Christians to wage war against Islam, which he considers to be a “false religion.” In the past, Parsley has also railed against the separation of church and state, homosexuals, and abortion rights, comparing Planned Parenthood to Nazis.

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Tags: mccain, men of god?, Ron Parsley

The cost of the Forever stamp goes up on Monday. So I am throwing my .01¢ worth of thoughts on this matter.

The cost of sending a first-class letter will rise a penny to 42 cents on May 12, but the Forever stamps — currently selling for 41 cents — will remain valid for full postage after the increase.

Forever stamps were introduced last year and since then more than six billion have been sold, people are stocking up as the rate increase nears.

The post office sold $267,696,023 in Forever stamps in March, up from $207,900,132 in February and $115,303,031 in January.

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H/T to EmptyWheel for reporting on this. Seems the ACLU and the fine folks at EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) have scored a victory against the FBI and their scurilous NSL’s (National Security Letter). From the EFF press release:

The FBI has withdrawn an unconstitutional national security letter (NSL) issued to the Internet Archive after a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). As the result of a settlement agreement, the FBI withdrew the NSL and agreed to the unsealing of the case, finally allowing the Archive’s founder to speak out for the first time about his battle against the record demand.

*snip*

The NSL included a gag order, prohibiting Kahle from discussing the letter and the legal issues it presented with the rest of the Archive’s Board of Directors or anyone else except his attorneys, who were also gagged. The gag also prevented the ACLU and EFF from discussing the NSL with members of Congress, even though an ACLU lawyer who represents the Archive recently testified at a congressional hearing about the FBI’s misuse of NSLs.

“This is a great victory for the Archive and also the Constitution,” said Melissa Goodman, staff attorney with the ACLU. “It appears that every time a national security letter recipient has challenged an NSL in court and forced the government to justify it, the government has ultimately withdrawn its demand for records. In the absence of much needed judicial oversight - and with recipients silenced and the public in the dark - there is nothing to stop the FBI from abusing its NSL power.”

Bless those patriotic folks that fight the good fight at the ACLU and the EFF. Without them, the snoopers would be getting away with murder…if they aren’t already.

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Tags: ACLU, EFF, FBI, NSL

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Reports today have been released that Sen. Clinton loaned her presidential campaign $6.4 million over the past month. A campaign aide said Clinton gave her campaign another $5 million on April 11, more than a week before the Pennsylvania primary.

Clinton’s campaign reported raising $10 million online after her Pennsylvania victory on April 22. Evidently, the money was not enough and her fundraising was unable to keep up with her expenses heading into Tuesday’s contests.

Obama has routinely outspent her in primary after primary and has shown little difficulty tapping his vast network of donors. He spent more than $7 million on advertising head of Tuesday’s primaries in North Carolina and Indiana to her nearly $4 million.

According to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Obama began the month of April with $42 million in the bank for the primary to Clinton’s $9.3 million.

But Clinton had debts of $10.3 million at the start of the month, much of it money owed to her main polling, phone banking and advertising consultants.

Although I cringe at the obscene amounts of money it takes all politicians to get into office, I also cringe at a potential president that runs a campaign into red ink or debt. It’s handy that the Clinton’s happen to have spare millions to loan Hillary’s campaign, but it says a lot about how she’s mismanaging her campaign. Not only does she have money troubles, but she has crossed a threshold of numerical impossibility, delegate wise to be able to secure the nomination. Her “Full Speed Ahead to the White House” speech was coupled with a plea for donations.
If Hillary is going to use driving analogies for this campaign, then it is not advised to go full speed ahead when you are in a deep ditch. Sustaining this kind of damage can make a vehicle unsafe at any speed. Better to call a tow truck & take it in for repairs.

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Tags: Bye bye Ms American Pie

To say that I am furious would be an understatement. It appears as if the Veterans Administration has covered up the attempted suicides of approximately 12,000 veterans every year/ The cause of these suicide attempts was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and as it turns out it wasn’t because of a lack of resources, it was because the VA, in its reluctance to get involved with the expenses associated with an expensive disorder like PTSD decided not to cover those expenses.

According to a recent Rand study approximately 1.7 million soldiers have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of that number approximately 320,000 have returned with various brain injuries, depression, and psychological disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Until recently the Veterans Administration has claimed that only 1,000 veterans have attempted suicide, but now, two Democratic Senators have called for the resignation of the top VA mental health official. Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii and Patty Murray of Murray of Washington State have called for the resignations of Ira Katz, the mental health director of the Veterans Administration and other top VA officials.

Information pertaining to the cover up and the actual number of suicide attempts came to light during a national trial in San Francisco when emails by Katz and other officials were disclosed. The trial is a direct result of two veterans groups, Veterans United For Truth and Veterans for Common sense. During the course of the trial, which does not seek monetary damage but rather oversight to guarantee the safety of our Veterans, the emails revealed some of the following attitudes on the part of Katz and his associates.

“Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?” Katz inquired. Another email stated that on the average 18 veterans kill themselves every day and that of that number, 18 per day are successful while, five are under VA supervision at the time. The results are even more tragic when you consider the possibility that only fifty percent of those veterans with depression or PTSD have sought treatment–a fact which may have something to do with the fact that governmental agencies drag their feet when it comes to providing services for those veterans who suffer from psychological disorders, preferring to approve claims for those with physical disorders. Why if you didn’t know better you’d think that the government was dragging its feet where psych