Free Republic

For those who haven’t heard, IVAW will be presenting materials from their Winter Soldier investigation to the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) next Thursday (May 15). I’ve created another petition asking the CPC to verfiy any info that IVAW brings to them. This petition reads about the same as the petition that was circulated for the Senate Armed Services Committee. The CPC is more of an ad-hoc group than any sort of official committee, but since we’ve been out in front of IVAW on this, we should probably stay there. Please circulate this petition among your mailing lists. I’ll be doing...

PEQUANNOCK — Protesters bearing placards deriding anti-war "hippies" and "murderers" picketed New Jersey Peace Action's annual gathering at The Regency House Hotel on Sunday, while a former U.S. State Department official and a war dissenter spoke inside. About 20 people from a coalition of groups that support the Iraq war, including Gathering of Eagles and The Band of Mothers, stood by the hotel driveway on Route 23 and shouted "victory" to passing motorists. They were there to protest the presence of Ann Wright, a Foreign Service official who quit to protest the Iraq war, and Medea Benjamin, the founder of...

Victory in New Jersey In solidarity with our friends in Berkeley , on Sunday, April 27th, The Gathering of Eagles told Susie Benjamin and her friends from Code Pink that they were not welcome in New Jersey . What a great day for Eagles and Freepers!

Tuesday, April 8th brought an onslaught of tan shirts to Capitol Hill. The Vets for Freedom Heroes tour stopped in DC to allow hundreds of Vets of Iraq and Afghanistan to visit with representatives. These Vets no strangers to missions, came with a new mission; Spread the great news of the progress made by our military in the Middle East. My personal hero, my husband was among the throng of those who had served overseas. After inspiring speeches by the likes of McCain, and a host of congressional representatives and Vets, [barely covered by the press] the tan shirts spread...

What comes to mind when you think of the United States peace movement? Cindy Sheehan? Code Pink? Berkeley? Those are all important players in the current U.S. movement for peace in Iraq, and their brave and tireless contributions should be commended. But many others around the country have also been voicing their desire for true peace and justice since before the war on Iraq began. And not all of them are white. One such grouping, which I have had the privilege to be part of these past five years, is the Strength in Unity contingent. Made of people and organizations...

McCain was a POW when U.S. began to use laser-guided bombs TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito Sen. Rockefeller got down and dirty today with colleague John McCain in an interview with the Charleston Gazette in West Virginia when he said: "McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit. What happened when they [the missiles] get to the ground? He doesn't know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues." Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki had this to say about the Rockefeller smack down: "Senator...

I just heard from Chris Hill, Gathering of Eagles National Director. Following the 10am News Conference on Capitol Hill today, GOE visited 437 Congressional offices in support of the troops and their mission. Chris said that "probably half of the offices were happy to see us," with "one quarter apathetic and one quarter passive-aggressive." Predictably, Southern Democrats and Republicans were more typically glad to see GOE representatives. Overall, more than 200 in the House of Representatives gave a positive response to the Eagles. Vets for Freedom will be doing follow-up lobbying Capitol Hill on Tuesday, and the VFW follows...

Washington, DC, April 1, 2008: ON April 7, 2008 at 10:00 am, members of Gathering of Eagles will hold a press conference at the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. This rally will showcase patriots from all over the country standing up in support of our military and their missions in Iraq and the War on Terror. The conference is timed to coincide with Gen. David Petraeus’ return to Capitol Hill. Chris Hill, National Director of Operations, said, “The purpose of our actions on April 7th is to encourage our elected officials to provide full funding for...

The D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com invites all FReepers and lurkers in good standing to join us next week on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to support Gen. Petraeus and our troops as the general returns from Iraq to testify before Congress.For all three days, April 7, 8 and 9, our main base of operations will be in front the Cannon House Office Building on Indepenence Avenue. Blue Star mother Bev Perlson has a permit for a demonstration at that location for all three days. Anyone arriving on site should check in there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to stand...

As I am somewhat new to doing on-the-ground reporting, and I simply wanted to give these patriots in an out-of-the-way small town their due, their diligence and determination truly struck me today - below 30f, windy and on a busy street corner (Petroleum Street bridge and Front Street). Apparently this particular troop rally has been going on for quite some time (several months), and as I work nights it is quite conceivable that I could miss it (asking for a pass :-) ). Hearing and seeing about these kind of rallies going on in our major metropolitan areas is nothing...

A shadow legal body was set up by the Defense Department to manipulate the prosecutions of U.S. Marines accused of massacring Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005. That’s the bombshell disclosure from the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm that is representing one of the accused Marines, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani. And it could prove to be the most damning piece of evidence showing the political motivations behind the ongoing prosecutions of the Haditha Marines. “The hysteria and media firestorm over Abu Ghraib and the Pat Tillman investigations led to fear of a similar media reaction...

Cindy Sheehan barely fits into her "campaign limo," her sister's blue Hyundai Tiburon. She ducks low to avoid hitting her head on the way in, and her knees are nearly at her chest when she sits, even with the seat rolled all the way back. Traveling over the Oakland Bay Bridge, her campaign manager at the wheel--steering with one hand and scrolling through e-mails with the other--the 6-foot-tall antiwar activist turned congressional hopeful tries in vain to stretch out in the passenger seat. It's raining when they pull into a parking spot near Berkeley City College, where Sheehan is about...

"Peace Activists" Slap Female Blogger Twice--Encourage Others to Violence" Written by Melanie Morgan    Sunday, 23 March 2008 Many times I have been threatened with violence, as well as our staff at Move America Forward. We simply shrug off the danger, and continue with our work to support our troops. 'Skye' at MidnightBlue.com wasn't so lucky yesterday in Philadelphia, Pa. She was slapped TWICE by so-called 'peace activists'. Video verifying 'Skye's' account coming shortly. And photos. 'Skye' with Michelle Malkin. Skye with Larry Bailey of Gathering of Eagles. She sent me two e-mails. Here's the first. Melanie, I am...

Tonight on The Front Line, we’ll be talking to “Thus Spake Ortner,” a well-known military blogger from The Sniper who, together with Jonn from This Ain’t Hell, live-blogged the Winter Soldier II hearings last week. TSO will be on to tell us all about how much of a circus it really was. So much for freedom of speech. Tune in tonight at 9 pm EST, and feel free to call the show and weigh in with your opinion at 646-915-9926 or 866-697-8111 (the toll free number)!

"Vandals dumped red paint on a downtown veterans memorial Wednesday morning in what police suspect was a symbolic act of protest on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. "

Military Families Voice of Victory got a very interesting comment from an article about recruiting center attacks yesterday from coast to coast. One of the cities reported about was DC "SDS threw paint bombs, rocks and damaged police cars. Witnesses have reported that MPDC Chief Cathy Lanier has ordered the police to do nothing if the center was attacked." This was from a report phone in which was also reported here at FR. Today a response was made by Communications at MPD. "The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) must enforce local law and the rights afforded to every person under the...

We took on the local chapter of MoveOn today in Greeley Colorado. We found this out after the rally when searching on a other thread about Move ON activies in the country.

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of protesters fanned out across the nation’s capital Wednesday to call for an end to military operations in Iraq, but city police reported none of the major civic disruptions organizers had predicted. The events, scheduled to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, came a few days after pro-war groups marched on the National Mall in support of a continued U.S. presence in Iraq. Leslie Cagan, co-chair of United for Peace and Justice, said the goal of dispersed demonstrations was to bring awareness to the “shock and awe, shockingly and awful occupation...

Wednesday’s "The Situation Room" featured three anti-war grassroots websites during a short segment, without including any from the opposing viewpoint. Host Wolf Blitzer introduced the segment by talking about the anti-war protests marking the 5-year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war. "Hundreds of anti-war protesters gathered in Washington for this, the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. At least 31 people were arrested today, according to the organizers. Protests are also happening across the country, and many of them are being organized online." Blitzer brought in CNN Internet reported Abbi Tatton, who described the websites and the...

WASHINGTON — Her anti-war stance helped her knock off the incumbent in Maryland's 4th Congressional District, and on Wednesday it made Donna Edwards one of the keynote speakers in a day of protests on the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. ~snip~ Student activists chained themselves to desks in the middle of the street, a giant missile with an effigy of President Bush decorated a corner and protesters costumed as polar bears stalked the streets with a booming soundtrack as the rain dampened turnout, but not the enthusiasm of the protesters. ~snip~ Elsewhere, a multi-group coalition of students led...

A few months ago, a day before one of the occasional marches the Capital sees demanding an end to the Iraq War, I began the descent into the Metro stop near my office, looked up, and saw a number of representatives of Code Pink standing at the railing overlooking the escalator. Or rather, I heard them first. They were screaming at the parade of commuters, at the top of their lungs and in a tone somewhere between simple frustration and righteous anger, "End the war!!!" Well, I thought, that ought to take care of things. Good work, hippies! I kid...

Code Pink was out numbered by 3 or 4 to 1 and NOT happy about it!

Remember Me By Salena Zito Time punishes war. The war in Iraq is no exception; as each moment passes, public resolve, politics and passion erode its mission. Collectively, many Americans tend to remember the mistakes and politics that led us there, rather than the faces of the men and women who serve and defend us. Seven months ago, Lizzie Palmer, a young lady from Columbus, Ohio, barely over the threshold of childhood, felt compelled to do her part to remind people of those faces. The result is a stunning video that was showcased on Chris Wallace's Fox News Sunday last...

Story Created: Mar 19, 2008 Story Updated: Mar 19, 2008 People driving by the Army Recruiting Station on Milwaukee's east side are finding it boarded up with a vandal's message on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War. Vandals put graffiti saying "War Is Offensive" and broke windows at the facility on the 3100 block of North Oakland Avenue, near the UWM campus. Officials there later boarded up the windows. A man who works in the area said he saw anti-war slogans written on the windows also. This is not the first time the place has been vandalized. Last year,...

Just got a call from Kristinn on-scene.This is the SECOND round of attacks that the station and Freepers have withstood today.Cops are clearing the street of cars so the violent radicals can march down the street to the recruiting center unencumbered.Crowds have been throwing rocks, paint bombs in GLASS bottles, water bottles, and anything esle they can throw.MPDC Chief Cathy Lanier was there before the attacks, ORDERING HER OFFICERS to DO NOTHING if the station was attacked.No arrests are being made.More info as I get it.Kristinn is asking any Freepers and Friends in the area to come down and stand...

From San Francisco to Berkeley to Washington, D.C., peace activists plan demonstrations across the nation today to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. More than 600 events are scheduled. Anti-war activists say their goal is to use the occasion to renew interest in the conflict when many Americans are focused on the troubled economy and the presidential election. "We want to make sure that this war is put back into the American consciousness as an issue," said Bill Hackwell, spokesman for the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism coalition, or A.N.S.W.E.R. "This has...

Wednesday night, people will be gathering with candles, signs, flowers, and photos. Many will be there to protest the war and remember those killed in the line of duty. Beginning at 7 p.m., the candlelight vigil will honor the sacrifice of American military personnel killed in Iraq. Personal accounts written by veterans and members of military families affected by the war will be read on the steps leading up to the State Capitol. Members of MoveOn.org and CREDO Action are holding the candlelight vigil. And in San Marcos, another peaceful protest. A "Circle of Peace" is scheduled for 5 p.m....

Smithfield — Maj. Dennis McCool is no stranger to war. A retired Army officer, McCool, 60, began his 20-year Army career at the height of an unpopular war. His deployment to Vietnam, where more than 58,000 American soldiers died, lasted for several years. “I have lived for 38 years with a burden that every Vietnam veteran carries,” says McCool, a native of Sanford, Fla. “That burden is that we did not win. It was not our fault... Since returning home in December, the trio has embarked on another mission: to rally support for the troops. They set out on March...

While http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1987246/postsOlney was being held down by regular FReepers iMacMan and Eager, and 5 Legionnaires from a local Post, the rest of the Chapter headed to D.C. All pics are by [Mrs] T. She and Lurker Ethel couldn't make the whole march so they cut out at 7th Street and waited for us at our post-march gathering location and got some good pics. BELOW: Some pics that you may not have seen on all the blogs and other postings covering the march. BELOW LEFT: Laura Youngblood, Gold Star Wife, and good friend, with Fraxinus. BELOW LEFT: A familiar "face" from...

The D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com invites all Freepers and lurkers in good standing to join us on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, for an all day demonstration in support of our troops and their mission at the 14th and L St., NW, recruiting center in Washington, D.C.This recruiting center is on the list of targets by anti-American protesters marking the fifth anniversary of the liberation of Iraq--a liberation they oppose to this day.We will stand in front of the recruiting center to protect it from attack by the anti-American protesters.Please wear an item of red, white and blue clothing.Being that we...

Patriotic Americans are being urged to wear red, white and blue clothing this Wednesday, March 19, 2008, to show support for our troops and their mission on the fifth anniversary of the liberation of Iraq from the terrorist regime of Saddam Hussein.Anything from scarves and ties to a full blown Uncle Sam suit will do. When someone compliments you on your patriotic attire, take the opportunity to explain to them why you're wearing the red, white and blue on Wednesday.The anti-American left will be out in the streets across the country that day protesting and rioting. Most of us will...

Members of anti-American, pro-terrorist groups Code Pink, Global Exchange and others staged a riot during a press conference at the National Press Club on Friday. I attended Friday's news event as a working journalist and a member of the National Press Club The rabble disrupted a presentation by pro-victory organization Move America Forward (MAF) of its “Sedition Report” that detailed hundreds of attacks on military recruiting centers across the country. Prior to the melee, former radio talk show host Melanie Morgan and MAF Chairperson listed numerous instances of violence, vandalism and intimidation including: - Bombing of Armed Services recruiting center...

Welcome to my latest post. It was Kelly and me for this day's FReep. We got our typical 80% more honks than the moonbats did along with the many waves and thumbs up from passing drivers. The aging moonbats of Citizens Action For Peace were their typical grumpy looking old selves. These tired old hippies don't even have the energy to yell out a chant or two. They just stand there holding their signs with saddest looks on there faces, especially when we get several honks at once. The first highlight of the day was when a middle aged man...

Eagles Muster - Eagles Up!/GOE Rally and March Written by MAF Blogger Danny    Sunday, 16 March 2008 Just hours ago, I, along with Melanie Morgan, Cat Moy, Mary Pearson and the rest of the Move America Forward team, attended the Eagles Up!/GOE “Eagles Muster” rally. Move America Forward was honored to assist Eagles Up and (Ed: Dr. Zoo made this hot link ------>) Free Republic in organizing today’s events. Walking through the lawn up to the Washington Monument, at the bottom of which everyone was assembled, I felt way more comfortable surrounded by Veterans and military families than...

Staff Sgt. Jason Eck has been flipped off, cussed at and told to get out of town for doing his job. The abuse hasn't deterred the two-time Iraq war veteran from donning his uniform, sliding behind the wheel of his government-issued Chevy Malibu and hitting the road almost daily in search of new soldiers. Still, as a recruiter, he faces a daunting task. Almost nowhere in the nation is it harder to find willing and able enlistees than in the Bay Area. The region's nine counties have the lowest enlistment rate of any large metropolitan area other than in and...

Chanting such slogans as "surrender is not an option" and waving American flags, a few hundred people from across the country rallied and paraded in downtown Washington yesterday to support the war. The demonstration was sponsored by Eagles UP!, an organization founded by veterans in the wake of a war protest about a year ago that drew thousands to Washington. Although small in number, the demonstrators said yesterday that they represent many others from their home towns who believe there needs to be a more vocal counterweight to the antiwar movement. "We cannot be the silent majority again," Lawrence B....

About 150 people -- those opposed to the Iraq War and those supporting it -- gathered noisily outside a Tacoma Mall office building on Saturday. A group known as World Can't Wait had organized an anti-war protest to mark the coming fifth anniversary of the Iraq War. But long before their protest was scheduled to begin, counter-protesters arrived. The counter-protesters surrounded an office building that houses military recruiting offices, which anti-war protesters had said they planned to "shut down." They shouted "God bless our troops" and waved American flags.

Link to blogtalk radio show Frontline. To nights show is on the IVAW event and Gathering of Eagles counter to it today.

Follow the link for video AND audio.

The speakers had just finished lamenting recent acts of vandalism at military recruiting centers and had opened the floor to questions at the National Press Club when peace activist Tighe Barry jumped up, took off his shirt and revealed the pink military tunic he was wearing underneath. "This is what I think of the Marine Corps!" he yelled. "The Marine Corps needs to be the peace corps!" Incensed, Kevin L. Martin rushed to the microphone. "Let me tell you something, dammit!" he hollered. "I'm a Navy veteran of seven years, and . . . you are a joke, sir! Please...

Pin the tail on the Donkey? I see...Pink People! Related stories: REPORT: Military Recruiting Centers Under Attack by Anti-War Activists Pictures from MAF Presser DC 2-14-08 (code pink Crashes Event, MSN ignores) Evict the military recruitment station, cage the recruiters! Clinton Woos Superdelegates at Private Dinner -- Campaigning in Pittsburgh Friday, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., began her day at a gas station talking about energy.... Did Hillary stop by the Recruiter Office to lend her support and denounce the threat in the story above? CRICKETS....

You guys won’t believe the scene at the National Press Club today. We at Move America Forward were releasing our investigative report on the nationwide plague of attacks against military recruiting centers. (The Sedition Report) Congressman John Carter (co-sponsor of the Semper Fi Act) was there speaking. So too was Debbie Lee, mother of the 1st Navy Seal killed in Iraq. Then, midway through the news conference, members of Code Pink, International ANSWER and Global Exchange start heckling, screaming, yelling. They said our claims of improper actions by anti-war radicals were all lies, that the anti-military activists have been nothing...

Eagles Up and their supporting organizations are at The National Labor College, George Meany Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. Right now there are about 50 Troop Supporters. ConcreteBob says while numbers are small now, that everyone knows who they are and why they are there. No sound yet, camera is in a fixed position, but periodically moved, and pics come in every few seconds, but it is a start. Live VideoOn Thursday, Troop Supporters, mostly Gathering of Eagles, were on Capitol Hill talking to and handing out the petition to NOT put any Winter Soldier II "testimony" into the congressional...

Left-Wing Anarchists and Connection to NYC Marine Recuriting Center Bombing Written by Melanie Morgan    Friday, 07 March 2008 I am having a flashback. Several, in fact. Each time I write about the bombing of the Marine Recruiting center in New York City, images in my head from the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut meld together. I was there in 1983, reporting for my former employer, ABC.  I spent three weeks examining terrorism up close, and it's hate filled connections to Hamas and Hezbollah.    Marine Compound, Beirut 1983  I still have nightmares about the deaths of 283 Marines...

WASHINGTON, March 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nation's largest pro-troop organization, Move America Forward (website: http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org ) will hold a news conference this Friday, March 14, 2008, calling attention to, and denouncing, the rising trend of violence against military recruiting centers. The news conference takes place in the Murrow Room at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Friday, March 14th at 9:30 AM. Move America Forward will provide detailed accounts of these attacks, including photographs and documents, to members of the media in attendance. A new national television ad campaign calling attention to these attacks will also be unveiled....

E-Ticket to D.C., Ready or Not, Here We Come Written by Melanie Morgan    Wednesday, 12 March 2008 Forgive me for being redundant on this website (but since it's my own I feel 'entitled' to repeat myself.) I have thrown my four-ounce tube of toothpaste and small liquid bottles in my suitcase, a couple pair of jeans, a few sweaters and tons of files, documents and visuals I will need for Move America Forward's National Press Conference on Friday at 12:30 pdt in Washington, D.C. Plus a can of lavender aerosol (my personal favorite) to spray on smelly hippies taking...

EAGLES MUSTER is near execution........... Check out the link below to Michelle Malkin's article today. She covers what we're about well......as usual..... http://michellemalkin.com/2008/03/11/anarchists-heart-the-times-square-biker-bomber/ Activity is mounting, trains, planes, buses, hogs, cars, et al are beginning to move toward DC. If you're still looking for lodging, check out our list of motels/hotels at http://eaglesup.us/index.php?option=com_weblinks&catid=26&Itemid=79 Friday and Saturday represent one of the best opportunities we've had in years for a one-two punch............ One, on Friday, March 14th to reflect to the IVAW Winter Soldier population, anarchists, and "surrender" crowd in general, that America rejects their distorted, fabricated attempt to smear, demean, denigrate...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Every morning, thousands of Soldiers wake up to a steaming cup of “Joe” – whether it's black as midnight or mostly cream and sugar, it's part of their daily routine. In association with the Hawaii Gathering of Eagles organization, coffee farmers from the Big Island of Hawaii launched “Operation Warrior Wake Up” to provide Hawaii-based Soldiers deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom a little taste of the isles.

IVAW nutball update: One membership terminated, another indefinitely suspended By Michelle Malkin  •  March 12, 2008 12:53 PM The Iraq Veterans Against the War zealot who threatened to “waste” pro-military activists has had his membership revoked.The Iraq Veterans Against the War zealot who threatened to bomb the Gathering of Eagles and who issued an assassination threat against me has had his membership suspended.An IVAW official also issues an apology: While this blog is not primarily an official blog, and often veers into the personal, I would like to put my official hat on and make the following statement on behalf of Iraq...

The D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com invites all Freepers and lurkers in good standing to join us in standing up with our FRiends for our country and our rights over the next week in Washington, D.C. FRiends:Move America ForwardGathering of EaglesEagles Up!Resolve to WinSecond Amendment Sisters Schedule:Friday, March 14, 2008:8 a.m. to 4 p.m.Truth Challenge against IVAW Winter Soldier II National Labor College 10000 New Hampshire Avenue New Hampshire Ave and Powder Mill Road Silver Spring, Maryland 20903 Map Link: http://tinyurl.com/3attuz9:30 a.m.Move America Forward press conference. National Press Club 529 14th St., NW Washington, D.C. 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.D.C. Chapter...