Free Republic

GROTON, Conn. (Dec. 5, 2009) – Congressman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) spoke at the Dec. 5 christening of the USS Missouri (SSN 780), a Virginia class attack submarine and the fifth warship in American history to be named after the “Show-Me” State. “We in Missouri are proud of this ship, proud of this crew, and proud of the shipbuilders that are making her,” said Skelton. The last ship to bear the name USS Missouri, now a floating museum in Pearl Harbor, was commissioned in 1944 and earned the nickname “Mighty Mo” for the tremendous firepower of her 16-inch guns and her...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2009) — The Patriot Act passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was intended to enable law enforcement officials to track down and punish those responsible for the terrorist attacks and to protect against any similar strikes against our nation. In the years following 9/11, the Patriot Act has proven to be an important law enforcement tool and has enhanced our national security. Currently, Congress is reviewing legislation to amend and extend the Patriot Act. Provisions within the Act are set to expire on Dec. 31 of this year. As is...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 5, 2009) — Today, Congressman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) announced that Congress has approved H.R. 3548, the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act. The bipartisan legislation would extend unemployment benefits for 14 weeks and for six weeks in states with unemployment rates above 8.5 percent. Missouri’s unemployment rate was 9.5 percent in September 2009. It would also allow military personnel to fully participate in the first-time homebuyer tax credit program and will make payments tax-exempt under the Military Homeowner Assistance Program, which helps military families recoup costs associated with selling a home that has declined in value and...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 22, 2009) — In a letter to the President, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) expressed support for the Afghanistan counter-insurgency strategy endorsed by President Obama last March. Skelton urged the President to give this strategy, and Commanding General Stanley McChrystal’s counter-insurgency campaign plan, the resources and time required to show success in Afghanistan. Some of Skelton’s points include: • “I am convinced that there is no strategy short of a properly-resourced counter-insurgency campaign that is likely to provide lasting security. But, time is not on our side. Coming from Harry Truman country, I ask...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 17, 2009) — Today, Congressman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) joined Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-N.C.), and 26 other members of the House of Representatives in introducing H.R. 3590, the “Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009.” This deficit-neutral legislation would amend the federal tax code to ensure military personnel can take full advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit. Current law requires first-time homebuyers who utilize the $8,000 tax credit created by the Recovery Act to repay the credit if they move from...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 10, 2009) — House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressing serious concerns regarding the consideration of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as a potential site for detainees transferred from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Skelton, a long-time advocate for Professional Military Education, raised concerns that a number of Muslim countries would stop sending students to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth if Guantanamo detainees were transferred there. Skelton also noted that the United States Code precludes the proximate detention of American and foreign individuals, so any plan to...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 9, 2009) — In October 2007, the Missouri National Guard personnel, with agricultural and business development expertise, as well as other essential skills, formed the Afghanistan Agribusiness Development Team to develop agribusiness in Afghanistan. Agriculture accounts for 45 percent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product and employs over 70 percent of the Afghan population. However, decades of war and neglect have devastated the country’s agricultural sector. As a result, one of the great needs in the country is to develop its agriculture potential, and I am so proud of the efforts of the Missouri National Guard, who assumed...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 2, 2009) — I consider myself blessed to serve as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, which from my perspective is the best committee in Congress. The committee’s 62 members come from every corner of the country and reflect diverse political philosophies, but together we find common purpose in our efforts to do our very best to provide the necessary resources to keep Americans safe and protect U.S. national security interests. Each year, the House Armed Services Committee plays its constitutional role by preparing a defense authorization bill. While many people may immediately think of the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 24, 2009) — House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) sent a letter to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to request information on the National Guard’s current state of readiness to respond to natural disasters in the United States. Skelton also strongly urged the Department of Defense to consider U.S. domestic needs when planning for the redeployment of U.S. forces and equipment from Iraq. “When floods, tornadoes, or hurricanes strike, Americans depend on their neighbors in the National Guard to keep them safe and help with disaster response. In virtually any type of national...

For Americans, the flag is one of the most sacred symbols of our government, representing freedom, democracy, and all of the things that we hold most dear about our country. Over the years, however, various laws designed to protect the U.S. flag have been invalidated by the courts. In a 1989 Supreme Court decision, Texas v. Johnson, the court struck down the 1968 federal Flag Protection Act, citing concerns about free speech. Congress quickly passed a new Flag Protection Act, but it too was struck down by the Supreme Court in a 1990 Supreme Court decision, U.S. v. Eichman. I...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 17, 2009) — In 1940, as World War II tightened its grip in Europe, Congress prepared for eventual U.S. involvement by issuing billions of dollars in defense contracts. However, in early 1941, then-Sen. Harry S. Truman began hearing reports of widespread contract mismanagement and wasteful military spending. Convinced that this corruption would strangle the nation’s efforts to mobilize itself if left unchecked, Truman proposed a new committee, the Senate Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. The Committee, which came to be known as the Truman Committee, saved our country millions of dollars by subjecting defense contracts...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 3, 2009) — I am proud to report that as of May 1, veterans may begin applying for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. During the 110th Congress, the Congress passed and President Bush signed into law the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a legislative package that includes a landmark expansion of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, most commonly referred to as the “GI Bill.” This act provides for the single largest investment in college financial aid since the GI Bill of 1944 by fully restoring four-year college scholarships for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Men and women in uniform who...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 29, 2009) — As I have examined the economic crisis and the legislative solutions to it, I have paid particular attention to its effect on U.S. national security. According to recent Congressional testimony delivered by the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair, the global economic crisis and the political and social instability associated with it have become the greatest threat to American security. As the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, this concerns me a great deal. Throughout history, we have witnessed how economic crises can have consequences on national security. Hyper-inflation in Germany was...

The chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, Representative Ike Skelton, cast doubt on Friday about the Obama administration's decision to try the September 11, 2001, conspirators in a U.S. criminal court. Skelton, a fellow Democrat of President Barack Obama, asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to brief the committee about the decision to use the criminal courts instead of the revamped military commissions. "As a former prosecutor, I am not yet convinced that the right decision was made in these cases, nor that the presumption in favor of federal criminal trials over military...

Surely, Speaker Pelosi will censure this vile Democrat. After all, she did promise to clean up the Swamp. Democrat Ike Skelton swore at Republican House member Todd Akin on the House Floor this week. Funny how the media mostly ignored this story, huh? The AP reported: *** Show me some civility, Republicans cried Friday after a Missouri congressman speaking on the House floor was caught on microphone apparently cussing out a fellow Missourian. Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., had just finished addressing his Republican colleague Todd Akin Thursday. Skelton then turned to the side and muttered "stick it...

A top Democrat on the Hill urged President Obama Tuesday to send more troops to Afghanistan to avoid more loss of life in the war-torn region. Missouri Rep. ike Skelton, the top Democrat of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote in a letter to the Obama administration that it needs to keep its eye on defeating the Taliban in Afghanistan to protect the U.S. from al-Qaida. "This leads me to urge you to waste no time in providing a clear direction to our commanders and civilian leaders, along with the resources necessary to achieve their mission," Skelton wrote. Skelton also...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama may have to use a veto threat to preserve Pentagon plans for a winner-take-all competition to start a new multibillion-dollar U.S. aerial-refueling fleet, the head of the House of Representatives' Armed Services Committee said on Monday. "That is probably where we'll start and end," Rep. Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat, said in reply to a question about moves in Congress that would guarantee Air Force purchases from both rival tanker suppliers -- Boeing Co and a team of Northrop Grumman Corp and Europe's EADS. Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat who chairs the House...

In a profound way, Red Skelton explains the "Pledge of Allegiance". See it here.

From Sacramento -- The math seems pretty simple. But apparently it's too rigorous for many Republican politicians. To avoid raising taxes and still balance the books in Sacramento, you'd have to virtually shut down state government. ... The basics: The state has a projected $41-billion deficit through June 30, 2010. It's almost out of cash. Bills are not getting paid. Tax refunds aren't being mailed. Construction work is stopped. Bonds can't be sold. ...

This isn't a Vanity post. It is real. Below is an e-mail I received from a friend. It needs to be posted. A class of senior Army War College officers (all of whom are either Iraq or Afghanistan combat veterans with multiple deployments) were taking part on a tour of Congress. All of this was officially approved and part of the Army War College curriculum. The officers observing Congress hold multiple bronze stars between them; and other citations too numerous to mention. Congressman Pete Stark observed them in the gallery, and below is his official letter of outrage. If Congressman...

There is an organization attempting to stand in the way of the transformation of the US military into a more efficient, more effective, high technology force. That organization is the so-called Project On Government Oversight—POGO for short. Consider that the San Francisco Bay Area Progressive Directory lists POGO’s web site as a favorite web site. Hmmm. If the San Francisco Bay Area Progressive Directory likes POGO, something must be rotten.

I URGE you all to watch this hearing on cspan-2. Lawerence Korb, the ever weak and wobbly former Reagan's DOD official (I don't know how he could be the same then as he is now and measure up to Reagan's strength of character), AND Gen. Jack Keane (ret.) in hearing. Gen. Keane is hitting it out of the park .. Korb said we pulled troops out of Viet Nam to preserve the military, and Keane was unabashed in his contempt for those remarks and that opinion. Keane is praising the courage, command structure, morale and re-enlistment (in huge numbers) of...

Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) has gathered at least 202 Congress members’ signatures for a request that participants of an intelligence cell that may have identified some of the Sept. 11 ringleaders a year before the attacks be allowed to testify before Congress. Weldon has been leading the crusade for months, but his colleagues, several of them prominent members of the GOP conference, now appear to be listening. Weldon plans to send the letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in the coming days requesting that he allow the participants in the cell known as “Able Danger” to testify in open congressional...

That said, it seems to me that Schwarzenegger badly needs a deal and shouldn't be too picky. Take what he can get from Democrats and warmly embrace it as his own. Pull out a two-by-four and beat Republicans into submission. Republican lawmakers need a rehabilitated governor to help them raise campaign money in the fall and perform little favors for the next four years. Not to mention improving flood control in their rural districts. Privately, some gubernatorial insiders agree. "It's been really hard to watch," one advisor says of the Republicans. "Don't they understand the part about the governor giving...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democrats praised Iraq's nationwide elections as "a great day for many." But Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, speaking on behalf of the Democratic Party in Saturday's weekly radio address, warned the outcome of Sunday's vote may be skewed in favor of the country's Shiite majority and "will likely not be completely representative of all ethnic and religious groups." "The Shia will likely control a significant majority of assembly seats, with considerable Kurdish participation," he said. "The Sunnis, on the other hand, are likely to be underrepresented and may denounce the legitimacy of the new government."

It's time again to grade the governor. Wednesday will mark one year in office for Arnold Schwarzenegger — one full year of learning on the job. How's he progressing? There is only one fair way to go about this: Split the grade in two. • One grade for politics. Give him a solid A. • A second grade for policy. He gets a generous C. A tougher grader would have given the guy a D in policy — or categorize it as substance, all that serious stuff a governor is supposed to do to solve state problems. The one problem...

Charlie Daniels recorded a version of Red Skelton's explanation of the Pledge, and it just played on Hannity's radio show. It's pretty good, and it's on his new album, which is out today in stores!

In the Friday house hearings, I read on the live thread, (I'm a cubie), that Congressman Skelton was shocked to find out that Central Command had a press conference and release in January re: Iraqi prisoner abuse investigation. The thread quoted him as saying to Rumsfeld, "you told the world but you didn't tell us". Can anyone give me a link to a transcript of Skelton's questioning of Rumsfeld in the House ? I'm writing a letter to the editor, and I want to be sure I am quoting correctly. TIA

The following words were spoken by the late Red Skelton on his television program as he related the story of his teacher, Mr. Laswell, who felt his students had come to think of the Pledge of Allegiance as merely something to recite in class each day. Now, more than ever, listen to the meaning of these words. "I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each...

UPI's Capital Comment -- Daily news notes, political rumors and important events that shape politics and public policy in Washington and the world from United Press International.Seeing Red -- The ruling by a U.S. federal court in San Francisco concerning the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance brings to mind an essay comedian Red Skleton shared with his audience many years ago on the subject. The essay diagrams the pledge. "I -- Me; an individual; a committee of one.Pledge -- Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity. Allegiance -- My love and my devotion. To the Flag...