BernieHund: The Political Watchdog

General Tommy Franks, who I might add has a home and family, who never came face to face with an Iraqi insurgent in the most recent war, has delivered more “Shock and Awe” by selling his name for $100,000 to a charity who raises money for veterans.  In fact, the charity, gave only 25% of the donations to the veterans fund.

From ABC news:

The charities were graded “F” by the American Institute of Philanthropy because so little of the money is used for actual charity projects or services.

We all know what that “F” stands for, simply put “F#^% the veterans…. again!

Of course, General Franks has now disassociated himself from the charity, Coalition to Support American Heroes.  Well, yeah!  Just like his grand entrance into the War, with all the fireworks and light show, Tommy Franks made an appearance, received the kudos (or in the case of CSAH… the CA$H) and exited stage right.  He did the same thing in War.  He created a pyrotechnics display that began the occupation of Iraq and then he cut and run.

Franks asked that his name be removed from CSAH.  He also asked that his name (by retiring) be removed from the outcome of the Iraqi War.  It seems that Ret. Gen. Franks is willing to jump into an event be it war or fund raising without doing due diligence and then disappears from the scene.

But, this isn’t about his skills or lack thereof.  This is about the character of a man who was our hero as he led the charge into Iraq, who now is willing to sell his name to benefit from the fiasco he helped create.  If Franks is so dedicated to helping our troops, why would he ask for and take $100,000 for the use of his name?  Why didn’t he donate it to the charity? 

Franks isn’t one of those troops who came home with a fractured brain or body.  He isn’t one of those troops who came home in a body bag.  He didn’t ride home in the cargo hold of a plane with a flag draped across his casket.  He isn’t one of those troops who came home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  He didn’t leave a body part on the killing fields in Afghanistan or Iraq.  He left nothing of his person on the battlefields.  He came home to a large retirement fund, continuing health care, and a family who greeted him with open arms.  I doubt that Franks lays awake at night with visions of the dead and maimed surrounding him on the battlefield.  Instead, he left the Army, a touted hero, and now like the statue of Saddam Hussein in the Baghdad square, Tommy Franks is being pulled down from the pedestal… and rightly so.

There are many Americans who would like to support our troops, not Tommy Franks.  In fact, nothing pisses me off more than knowing that while our returning soldiers are being thrown onto the trash heap or left to sleep in the streets, those who started the war and led the charge are capitalizing on their own failures.

I suppose we should be proud that there is an ongoing investigation, being led by Congressman Henry Waxman of California.  But, my question is this… When are we going to stop the mental masturbation that is going on in our country and do something for our veterans?

The Congress can investigate all they want.  The Congress can ask all the questions they want.  We can as Americans stand and cheer if Tommy Franks and all the bogus charities get a slap on the hand.  But, as we find ourselves up to our collective national ass in alligators, did we forget that our primary objective is to provide for our troops?

Perhaps, we should have seen this coming.  We sent out troops into battle without proper equipment, without proper armor, with guns that jam more often than not.  And, we accepted Dumsfeld’s double talk about we go to war with the army we have, not the army we want.  Yet, we can pay Halliburton billions and billions of dollars to rip off the government.  We can pay Blackwater hundreds of thousands of dollars (per person) to send “private” soldiers into Iraq. 

And, we can’t provide assistance for our soldiers when they come home?  We don’t have the money?  Well, to that, I say print some more!  We have no problem running the money presses when Wall Street needs an infusion.  We have no problem running the money presses when Halliburton “wins” another no bid contract. 

Congress continues to committee and task force us to death… while soldiers die from lack of care.  We can slap wrists and denounce activites until hell freezes over, but it does absolutely nothing to fund the troops who need care now.  We need to focus on housing, job training, reintegration into society, family counseling, and health care for our returning troops.  We need to use the $10B plus per month we spend to occupy Iraq to help rebuild the lives of our own troops.

Detain those who are whoring for U.S. dollars at the expense of our troops.  We can keep them at Guantanamo until we remedy the real problem.  And, we can demand that Congress and the Decider and Dick take care of the larger problem… the care of our returning troops.

Proud to be an American?  It’s hard to feel the pride when I walk down the street and see a veteran sleeping on the sidewalk under the shelter of a box.  It’s hard to feel the pride when I read about another soldier who without the mental health care he so desperatley needed decided to take his own life.  It’s hard to feel the pride when I hear our elected officials and candidates talk about morality and ethics when they are so willing to step over the bodies of our troops.  It’s disgusting to hear the new Attorney General say that he isn’t sure if waterboarding is torture or not. 

The system is broken.  The system is corrupt.  No one can doubt that when we see ONE, just ONE of our returned troops sleep under a bridge.  And, slapping Tommy Franks’ wrist isn’t the answer.  There have always been whores and there will always be whores.  Let’s stand up for once and fix the real problem.  Treat the real problem.  Fund the return of our troops.  Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do and it will pull the mattress out from under the likes of Tommy Franks and put it where it belongs… under the homeless soldier who sleeps under a bridge.