Look whoÂ’s making the big bucks pimping her dead son.

The State University College at Oneonta has booked a Fox News Channel military analyst to counter a lecture tonight by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.

Lt. Col. Scott Rutter, who retired from the Army in November 2003 after leading a mechanized infantry battalion into Baghdad, will give a presentation sponsored by the student-run College Union Activities Council at noon Friday in the Hunt Union Square.

CUAC is also sponsoring an appearance by Sheehan at 8 p.m. tonight in the Hunt Union Ballroom.

Both events are part of "Making a Difference Week," said CUAC lecture chairwoman Erin Dromgoole, who helped book both speakers earlier this month.
Sheehan is getting paid $11,000 for the hour-long talk, while Rutter will receive his standard fee of $600 for his presentation, Dromgoole said.

I’ve got no problem with speakers being paid – even generously – for their efforts. But $11,000 for this brainless anti-American witch whose book sales are tanking as Americans reject her strident falsehoods? Seems a bit much to me, especially when compared to the asking price for a real American hero.

But then again, maybe it has a lot to do the relative availability of such speakers. Distinguished veterans who support the war are pretty common – traitorous hags who will dishonor their dead children are much harder to come by.

MORE AT: Michelle Malkin, Right Politics, Eric's Boredom Revealed, Urban Grounds, The Mind of IrishWalsh, Bird of Paradise and Cake Or Death?.

Posted by: Greg at 01:36 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Anti-war activists claim that this war is being fought by poorer, lest-educated minorities for the benefit of the white monied elite. Interestingly enough, the demographics of today's military shows something very different.

According to a comprehensive study of all enlistees for the years 1998-99 and 2003 that The Heritage Foundation just released, the typical recruit in the all-volunteer force is wealthier, more educated and more rural than the average 18- to 24-year-old citizen is. Indeed, for every two recruits coming from the poorest neighborhoods, there are three recruits coming from the richest neighborhoods.

Consider these statistics on education and socio-economic status.

If, for example, we consider the education of every recruit, 98% joined with high-school diplomas or better. By comparison, 75% of the general population meets that standard. Among all three-digit ZIP code areas in the USA in 2003 (one can study larger areas by isolating just the first three digits of ZIP codes), not one had a higher graduation rate among civilians than among its recruits.

In fact, since the 9/11 attacks, more volunteers have emerged from the middle and upper classes and fewer from the lowest-income groups. In 1999, both the highest fifth of the nation in income and the lowest fifth were slightly underrepresented among military volunteers. Since 2001, enlistments have increased in the top two-fifths of income levels but have decreased among the lowest fifth.

Oh, and about the breakdown between black and white -- the differnce between those serving in the military and the public at large is not significant. Whites constitutes 75.8% of the military, and 77.4% of the public at large. Blacks are 14.1% of the military, and 14.6% of the entire population. In neither case is the gap at significant variance from the nation as a whole.

Who wants to bet that the facts don't get int the way of the rhetoric of those who want to attack the president, the war, and the American military?

Posted by: Greg at 11:37 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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No one can criticize John Murtha and his position on Iraq, according to the cut-and-run Leftists. Will they extend the same courtesy to this veteran, and kindly shut up? After all, I think he is in a better position than they are to know what to do.

A National Guard general from upstate New York responsible for securing one-quarter of Iraq for the past year said Tuesday it's not yet time to withdraw American troops, though progress has been made in turning over control to Iraqi authorities.

"I don't think a quick pullout is in the interests of anybody," Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto said. "You've got to have a military that can secure the government."

Commander of the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division and a task force of 24,000 U.S. troops in north-central Iraq until Nov. 1, Taluto said they helped establish 18 fully- trained and equipped Iraqi battalions and turned over 11 military operating bases to Iraqi control, including the former presidential palace in Tikrit on Tuesday.

"I think it's possible we can see troop reductions in 2006 based on what I see," Taluto said. "It has been on our watch incrementally getting better all the time."

The task force included about 3,500 members of the 42nd, about 400 from the greater Albany area, with the last few planeloads slated to return shortly. Maj. Richard Goldenberg said their area in Iraq comprised about 27,000 square miles, about half the size of New York state. It included Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish areas and about 40 percent of the country's oil fields.

Yeah, I think the commander of a major theater of operations would be in a position to comment about the appropriate policy on troop deployment. General Taluto says to stay. Let's respect his service and that of his troops by making sure that the mission is completed and that the American military leaves with honor.

Posted by: Greg at 02:59 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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I suppose Re. Jophn Murtha doesn't really care about the views of those actually serving in Iraq, but one of them had the integrity to stand up and say what he thinks of Murtha's proposed cut-and-run policy.

"Here on the ground, our job is not done," said Col. James Brown, commander of the 56th Brigade Combat Team, when asked about Murtha's comments during a weekly briefing that American field commanders routinely give to Pentagon reporters.

Speaking from a U.S. logistics base at Balad, north of Baghdad, two days before his scheduled return to Texas, Brown said: "We have to finish the job that we began here. It's important for the security of this nation."

I'll take one of our serving soldiers over bloated and bloviating politician any day. Sit down, Congressman, and do not disgrace yourself or the Marine Corps any longer. Show a little faith in the men and women still serving, instead of presuming that they are no match for the Islamist swine who murder the innocent like cowards.

And Col. Brown, email me if you ever make it to Houston -- I want to buy you a drink. The email address is over on the sidebar.

Posted by: Greg at 12:31 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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