Army morale hits rock bottom due to Obama-loving generals, loss of discipline

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Photo credit: US Army

Only a quarter of the Army’s officers and enlisted soldiers believe the nation’s largest military branch is headed in the right direction — a survey response that is the lowest on record and reflects what some in the service call a crisis in confidence. The detailed annual survey by a team of independent researchers found that the most common reasons cited for the bleak outlook were “ineffective leaders at senior levels,” a fear of losing the best and the brightest after a decade of war, and the perception, especially among senior enlisted soldiers, that “the Army is too soft” and lacks sufficient discipline.

The study, ordered by the Center for Army Leadership at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, also found that one in four troops serving in Afghanistan rated morale either “low” or “very low,” part of a steady downward trend over the last five years. But the most striking finding is widespread disagreement with the statement that “the Army is headed in the right direction to prepare for the challenges of the next 10 years.” “In 2011, [active duty] agreement to this statement hit an all-time low,” according to the survey results, a copy of which were provided to The Boston Globe. “Belief that the Army is headed in the right direction is positively related to morale.” In 2010, about 33 percent of those surveyed didn’t agree with the statement; the number was 38 percent in 2006.

The apparent lack of confidence poses a new set of challenges to the Army as it undergoes budget cuts and shrinks its ranks. The Army’s top officer, General Raymond T. Odierno, says he is taking the findings to heart. “It is very important for us to be introspective, and we are committed to continual self-assessment,” Odierno told the Army Times newspaper in a statement. A major concern that the survey identified was whether the Army would be able to keep top-notch leaders as it cuts its ranks, as well as fears it would be stretched too thin to meet unforeseen demands. Junior officers were particularly concerned about retaining good leaders.

The active-duty Army, which is currently about 570,000 strong, is preparing to reduce its ranks by about 90,000 soldiers in the coming years, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down and the Pentagon budget is subject to a government-wide belt-tightening. “Comments on downsizing the force reflected concerns by leaders that troop reductions would significantly impact the Army’s ability to respond to future conflicts,” the study’s authors wrote.

The Army has historically surveyed attitudes within the ranks to improve professional education and training. But since 2005 it has undertaken the empirically based Army Leader Development Survey each year in an effort to identify trends and leading indicators for leadership problems and signs of dissatisfaction.

Read more from this story HERE.

Facebook-posting Marine vet in psych ward: FBI admits questioning, denies arrest

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The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported today that Brandon Raub, the Marine veteran whose mother claims was arrested because of his patriotic Facebook postings, was not actually arrested but was instead placed in a psychiatric ward “in a local hospital after being picked up by federal and local law enforcement officials concerned about threatening Internet postings.”

In a telephone interview with the Times-Dispatch, Raub stated that, “I’m currently in John Randolph in the psychiatric ward being held against my will.”

Raub, a marine sergeant in the combat engineers with service time in both Afghanistan and Iraq, said that the FBI and local law enforcement were “concerned about me calling for the arrest of government officials.”

In the Times-Dispatch interview, Raub affirmed that during his 20 or 30 minute interview with the Secret Service, he was “very cooperative and answered everything honestly. I really love America, and I think that idea that you can be detained and sent somewhere without due process and a lawyer … is crazy.”

A spokeswoman for the Richmond FBI office affirmed that the FBI had received reports about Raub’s Facebook posts and suggest that that was the reason that the FBI interviewed Raub in the presence of the local police officers. The agency also denied arresting Raub. Beyond that, the FBI refused to comment.

Although the Secret Service was allegedly present during the arrest, the Washington, D.C. office stated that it had not arrested or charged Raub.

Since his discharge, Raub had been running a silver coin business out of his home.

See Mr. Raub being taken into custody HERE, his mother’s interview HERE, and the Facebook postings HERE.

Obamacare: free sterilization for your 15 year old without your consent?

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Americans outraged over the Obama administration’s requirement that health insurance policies cover contraception and sterilization at no charge are about to get even hotter under the collar. According to CNSNews.com, depending on state law, girls as young as 15 could well be eligible for free surgical sterilizations — even without their parents’ consent.

The ObamaCare regulation, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this year, states: “Non-grandfathered plans and issuers are required to provide coverage without cost sharing consistent with these guidelines in the first plan year … that begins on or after August 1, 2012.” The guidelines call for insurers to cover “all Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.”

While the guidelines do not define “all women with reproductive capacity,” they are based on the recommendations of an Institute of Medicine report that defines it as “from the time of menarche” — the onset of menstruation, which occurs around age 12 — “to the time of menopause.” Thus it would appear that HHS is requiring all new insurance plans to cover legal sterilizations for girls age 12 and older.

Of course, in most states women must be considerably older than 12 to be sterilized, and teenagers desiring to be sterilized must obtain their parents’ consent. In Oregon, however, girls 15 and older need not obtain parental consent to be sterilized. All they must do is sign a form stating that they are making an informed decision to be sterilized — a procedure that “must be considered permanent and not reversible” — voluntarily and with the understanding that “my decision will not affect my right to future care or treatment.” For girls unable to understand English, the state helpfully permits an interpreter to sign the form for them.

Therefore, under ObamaCare a 15-year-old Oregonian girl apparently can get a tubal ligation for free without so much as a by-your-leave from her parents. (This same girl, meanwhile, must wait until she is 16 to drive and 17 to wed and can do neither without parental consent until she is 18.) Parents and other policyholders not wishing to pay for sterilization coverage will be forced to do so since it will now be baked into every policy sold. And taxpayers, whether or not they agree with the practice of sterilizing minors without parental consent, will be forced to subsidize such coverage for those unable to buy insurance on their own — a segment of the population sure to grow as mandates such as this drive up premiums.

Read more from this story HERE.

GOP Congressman swims nude in Sea of Galilee, FBI investigates

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Photo credit: ITIF

U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder of Kansas apologized to his constituents Sunday night after a published report revealed the freshman lawmaker swam nude in the Sea of Galilee during a private fact-finding trip to the Mideast last August.

Politico reported the incident in a story on its website Sunday. The website said the FBI investigated the trip, which included other lawmakers and their spouses, as well as staff members.

“I feel incredibly remorseful that I have caused embarrassment to my constituents and I have caused folks who believe in me to be disappointed,” Yoder told The Star Sunday night.

“The gravity of the situation and the actions I’ve taken are not lost on me, and I feel certainly regret at what has occurred, and I just want to apologize to my constituents for a momentary lapse in judgment.”

It was not immediately clear what the FBI might have examined in relation to the trip. Yoder and his chief of staff, Travis Smith, said neither the Republican congressman nor any members of his staff had talked to the FBI.

Read more from this story HERE.

Border conspiracy: local law manipulates crime stats for feds (+hidden video)

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Photo credit: Marion Doss

Every year, the federal government doles out roughly a billion taxpayer dollars to local law enforcement agencies in the form of grants. These agencies — city police and constables, state agencies, county sheriffs — apply for the grants through the Department of Justice’s COPS (for Community Oriented Policing Services) program and use them to hire more personnel, purchase vehicles and equipment, and enhance their crime-fighting capabilities.  But do the federal grants actually help fight crime?

Local law enforcement agencies insist that the grant money is vital to fighting crime and even to their departments’ survival. But is there a dark side to federalizing local law enforcement funding? PJ Media has obtained exclusive hidden camera video that shows federal grant money creates an incentive for local law enforcement to falsify their crime statistics. The fake stats tell a story that ends up benefiting the local agencies that clamor for the grants, while helping Washington sell its story that the border is safer than it really is:

 

Case in point: Hidalgo County, Texas. This border county is home to McAllen, one of the fastest-growing cities in the entire United States. Hidalgo County boasts the most border crossings of any county along the Texas-Mexico border. Property values are rising here despite the stagnant U.S. economy. The county is home both to gang-infested barrios and to a posh neighborhood that boasts fountains, manicured lawns, beautiful new custom homes, and many cars bearing Mexican license plates.

Hidalgo County sits across the border from Reynosa, Mexico, one of the most violent and troubled cities in the Mexican drug wars. But according to some local officials, Mexico’s drug war has not spilled over into their bustling Texas community. They say this even though U.S. forces engaged drug cartel members in a firefight at Chimney Park in Hidalgo County in 2011.

Hidalgo County elected Democrat Guadalupe “Lupe” Treviño sheriff in 2004 and then re-elected him in 2008, and this spring he reportedly spent more than a half a million dollars to clinch the Democratic nomination for a third term as the county’s sheriff. In this heavily Democratic county, Treviño is a cinch to win that third term. The former Austin police officer claims that Hidalgo County has seen a dramatic reduction of violent crime during his tenure. Sheriff Treviño dismisses the presence and influence of drug cartels in his border county. To hear Sheriff Treviño talk, domestic violence may be a bigger issue in Hidalgo County. But as a local news story that was published August 10, 2012, shows, many residents of Hidalgo County do not feel safe and do not believe that crime is down at all. They also do not believe that Sheriff Treviño’s office is concerned about them.

Read more from this story HERE.

Murkowski wants to sneak through Law of the Sea Treaty in lame duck session this fall

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says she’s hopeful that the Law of the Sea Treaty will pass Congress in the lame-duck session after the election, despite the fierce opposition of some conservatives.

Murkowski told The Associated Press the sea treaty will have better prospects in the Senate when the fall campaign is over. The global maritime pact would establish de facto rules for the nation’s oceans, and business interests say it will create opportunities for offshore drilling.

“This is a treaty that I believe very strongly will contribute not only to our national security, but will allow us a level of certainly in accessing our resources in the north,” Murkowski said.

Murkowski and Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) both support the treaty, and Murkowski has championed several other efforts to tap the state’s natural resources. The untapped deepwater oil and natural gas off Alaska’s coast could be a significant economic boon for The Last Frontier and the entire nation, she and many of her Republican colleagues argue.

“I don’t want us, as an Arctic nation, to abandon those opportunities, and we would be doing that if we fail to ratify the Law of the Sea treaty,” Murkowski said.

Read more from this story HERE.

Alaska’s primary election: One of the most important in the history of our state, page 4

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The other primary race that is of interest in the Valley is the three-way Republican Primary between Ralph Seekins, Click Bishop and a Valley political newbie, David Eastman. Seekins and Bishop are both well know in the Fairbanks area and Eastman is known more in the Valley. What is unknown is how Bishop will play with the Democrats in the Senate. Bishop is known for his very strong union ties. Eastman, a strong pro-life conservative, is new to the field with little apparent backing but he says he has “lots of volunteers.” Seekins is well known around the state and is considered a conservative. Of the three, Eastman and Seekins are considered to be the most conservative. As a Republican, it is hoped Bishop will publically commit to NOT organize with the Democrats before informed voters support him. He has not made such a promise yet. I hope the voters ask the tough questions about who he will support for the Senate leadership.

The other general (November) race of interest in the Fairbanks area is the Coghill-Thomas race. Both names are well known and respected in the Fairbanks area. That race presents a clear choice: Thomas is a Democrat and will roll with the Dems, while Coghill is a proven conservative with a long family political history in Alaska.

I hope this analysis helps voters make wise choices for the future of Alaska. I ask each and every one of you to make a difference and call your friends, relatives and co-workers and encourage then to vote on Aug 28th. This is one election where every vote will count and have great impact on the very existence of the Alaskan lifestyle as we know it and your family’s investments in Alaska.

Bottom line: Research the candidates in your area and make an informed vote in the Republican Primary August 28th.

Alaska’s primary election: One of the most important in the history of our state

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Photo credit: roger4336

Alaska’s primary election is one of the most important in the history of our state. Alaska is at a watershed moment when a very small percentage of voters will literally chart the course of the future of our State. This primary will decide if the current gang of Democrats and their minority of Republican enablers will continue to dominate the State Senate and thus further bankrupt Alaska’s future with more government, bigger spending and virtually killing any conservative pro-business legislation. It is imperative to take back the Senate and require all Republicans to meet in the same room to not allow the skillful democrat leaders to divide and conquer the Republicans. Republican voters must insist that their elected representatives and senators pledge to caucus with Republicans first. Your primary vote during this primary election is more critical than ever before. With the low turnout of a typical primary, your vote will count more than usual.

Also on the ballot is Prop 2, a reconstitution of the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) program. The unanimously passed House version of the Coastal Zone Management program died last year when Senate Majority Democrats foisted their demand that the only version of the CZM that would pass would give literal local veto power over projects. At risk is any offshore development off the NW Arctic Coast. With local control, the only development that would possibly happen would be at the whim of a local Coastal Zone Management Board. This is bad state and national policy as it undermines the authority of both. This latest version was written by environmental attorneys and will create more layers of government and strangle responsible development. With the TAPS pipeline in dire need of feedstock, now is not the time to add unreasonable layers of regulatory burden to its possible demise.

The balance of power in the Senate is literally hanging on a few votes. There are a number of key races that will determine whether the Democratic senate coalition survives or not. For my Valley neighbors, there are several races of interest. I will attempt to give an overview of these races for the readers.

The most high profile Valley race is the race between Linda Menard and Mike Dunleavy. Linda is the incumbent from a well-know Valley family and for the most part is very personable. Linda, however, has a dismal legislative track record, having supported the Democratic leadership of the Senate, after promising in writing that she would not. This is not surprising, as many years ago, her husband Kurt Menard, switched from a Republican to a Democrat minutes before the filing deadline for a senate seat, which ended up giving control of the Senate to the Democrats.

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Alaska’s primary election: One of the most important in the history of our state, page 2

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Menard has passed only two insignificant bills, the Marmot Day bill, and a bill creating a vanity license plate. She did however passionately fight (but failed) to add a verse to the Alaska State Song. Her own majority member, Senate Finance Chairman Bert Steadman (R) Sitka, said to the Daily News that her presentation on the KUBATA (Point Mac-Anch bridge) to the Senate Finance Committee was the worst presentation he had ever seen (or words to that effect). The Daily News reported that she was joyfully skipping down the halls of the Capitol singing “hallelujah” when the special session on the Governor’s oil tax bill was ended, saying that her stomach could not take the stress of more time in special session. She threw a very pro-hunting Fairbanks nominee to the Game Board under the bus by voting “no” for his confirmation. Additionally, while recently touting she is the “Valley Conservative” she is, in fact, heavily supported by Labor, with NEA union lobbyists purportedly going door to door for her. While she was President of the Mat Su School Board, she was sanctioned by the School Board for improperly influencing a school principle in a personnel matter involving a family member.

Menard’s challenger is Mike Dunleavy. Dunleavy is a strong contrast to Menard. The headline “head and shoulders above the rest” is a great description of Mike Dunleavy, being not only tall in stature but also in conservative thought and principled action. Dunleavy started as a teacher in the North West Arctic School District, and worked his way up to being the Superintendant. He was the Chair of Governor Parnell’s education transition team. He is the current Mat Su District School Board President and is an advocate for competition in education, including home schools and private schools. Dunleavy has also owned and operated a private consulting business. He has successfully managed large organizations and large budgets. Dunleavy has provided conservative leadership to the School Board and has honorably served.

Dunleavy is unapologetically conservative and will bring conservative leadership to the Senate. He will not support democratic control of the Senate. Dunleavy is recognized for his thoughtful approach to solving problems and knows that Alaska needs more oil in the pipeline to avoid a mid 1980’s or worst crash. Dunleavy has a plan to restore fish to Valley streams, and is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He has a small ranch North of Wasilla in the foothills of the Talkeetna Range and owns mules and a horse. Mike has the endorsement of Alaska Right to Life because his strong pro-life views. Menard, while personally pro-life, supported the Democratic Senate Leadership (Senator Hollis French) that kills any and all pro-life legislation. Dunleavy also enjoys the endorsement of the Valley’s Conservative Patriots Group and the Outdoor Council for his pro-hunting advocacy. Mike Dunleavy is the genuine article when it comes to being a true conservative Republican.

Another interesting race is between Rep. Wes Keller and former Houston Mayor Roger Purcell. Wes Keller is a proven solid conservative and carried a strong conservative agenda in the House. He has endorsement of many conservative groups, including Outdoor Council, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife Legislator of the Year, National Federation of Independent Businessmen-Legislator of the Year, Right to Life, the NRA and the Conservative Patriots Group.

Keller is an unassuming public servant, and prefers to work quietly without bringing attention to himself. He effectively serves as the Health and Social Services Chairman, a committee that oversees the state agency with the biggest budget. This committee is very, very important but rarely gets attention of the press. Keller also serves as the Chair of the Citizens Advisory Commission on Federal Areas, an official watchdog group that holds the federal land managers accountable. He also serves on the Alaska Healthcare Commission. Keller is recognized as a thoughtful, intelligent and committed conservative in the House.

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Alaska’s primary election: One of the most important in the history of our state, page 3

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His opponent, Roger Purcell, was the former Mayor of Houston. During his tenure, Houston politics were often in the press, rarely in a positive light. Purcell is most noted for alleged misuse of a police vehicle as mayor, including running lights and sirens while passing vehicles on a road trip to Fairbanks and attempting to issue speeding tickets while not being a police officer. Purcell is endorsed mostly by himself, by funding his campaign with over $22,000 of personal loans to his campaign. He has filed for bankruptcy twice. In 2006, he was admonished by Judge Eric Smith for being an unreliable witness in a murder trial. Purcell is fond of talking big talk about the same big projects lots of other politicians promise.

Then there’s the Lynn Gattis-Mark Ewing race. Gattis, a current School Board Member, is a successful businesswoman, a lifelong Alaskan, pilot, outdoors woman, and farmer. She is a breath of fresh air to the usual wanna-be’s that seek office in Juneau. Ewing, a current Mat Su Assemblyman, tends to be overly outspoken and does not seem to be campaigning too earnestly. Incidently, like Menard, Ewing is another candidate heavily backed by unions.

Shelly Hughes and Dan Hamm are facing off in the primary with Hughes having received the nod from the ARP to be appointed by the Governor to fill the rest of late Rep Carl Gatto’s House seat. Hamm is a newcomer and Hughes has a lot of experience in the halls of Juneau representing Alaska Primary Care Association.

Rep Bill Stoltze has a primary, but no one has seen his opponent and no serious challenge is expected.

Senator Charlie Huggins and Rep Mark Neuman have only Democrat challengers and those races will be decided in November. Huggins and Green cracked open the door to the coalition, with Huggins in positions of leadership, but the Dems threw him under the bus after the last election. Huggins lost the top cover of Sen. Green.

George Raucher, a long time Alaskan, is a strong pro-life conservative running for State House in District 6. Although Raucher has not held public office, he has been very active in his community in many areas including Lazy Mountain Bible Church Missions Board, Alpine Historical Park Board of Directors, Sutton Community Council, and Volunteer Fireman & EMT. He was also a delegate to the 2012 District and State ARP Conventions. Raucher is a contractor, carpenter, and draftsman by trade. His incumbent challenger, Eric Feige, is a pilot by trade, and is not a social conservative. But he has come up with a good approach to putting environs on the hook for damages to developers if they file frivolous lawsuits.

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