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Letter from Congressman Pete Stark Criticizing the Military
US Congress ^ | 19 May 08 | Pete Stark

Posted on 05/19/2008 5:50:53 PM PDT by SkyPilot

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 (D-CA) Pete Stark's office wishes to dispute it, let them.

___________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

LETTER FROM REP. STARK TO SECRETARY GATES ABOUT POSSIBLE ABUSE OF MILITARY OFFICERS' TIME

Below is the text of a letter sent today to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates by Representative Pete Stark (D-CA), regarding the possible abuse of military officers' time.

May 16, 2008

The Honorable Robert Gates
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Secretary Gates:

Yesterday, while voting on the war supplemental spending bill in the House of Representatives, I couldn't help but notice a contingent of approximately 20 flag rank Army officers sitting in the House Gallery watching the debate and vote for a couple of hours. I was looking from below so I thought they were Army, but there could have been other branches present.

It's possible they were on leave time or vacation. If so, I obviously have no concern. However, if they were doing this on military time, I want an explanation of why they were there.

At a time when our nation is at war, our troops are over-extended, and the Administration is literally asking for emergency military spending, what good to the "war on terror" is having US Generals and other top ranked officers - who were likely accompanied by staff and escorted by their chauffeurs - spending hours sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives?

Please provide for me the name, rank, branch, and duties of each of these officers, as well as the number of additional staff and drivers that were used to facilitate their attendance yesterday. I would like this information by Monday, May 19th.

If they were here on official duty, this was an abhorrent misallocation of our military resources at a time of war.

Sincerely,

Pete Stark

CC: The Honorable Ike Skelton, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services

CC: The Honorable Jack Murtha, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: 110th; dod; military; murtha; petestark; skelton
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Congressman Pete Stark

WASHINGTON, DC
239 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-5065

202-226-3805 (fax)

FREMONT
39300 Civic Center Dr.
Suite 220
Fremont, CA 94538
510-494-1388
510-494-5852 (fax)

Contact Congressman Pete Stark

1 posted on 05/19/2008 5:50:53 PM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: SkyPilot

I’d like for the Starks of our country to live under totalitarianism for awhile, then get back to us on any revised attitudes towards the military.


2 posted on 05/19/2008 5:55:46 PM PDT by A_Former_Democrat
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To: SkyPilot

The entire Legislative branch has been wasting money for decades. Maybe he felt intimidated. He wouldn’t have even noticed if it had been a 5th grade field trip.
And how freaking arrogant to demand the names of all concerned. It’s like he looked up and noticed that we have a military, and he wants to find out who is responsible.


3 posted on 05/19/2008 5:57:37 PM PDT by benjamin032
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To: SkyPilot

Many moons ago, Stark insulted J.C. Watts’ family during a heated discussion on the house floor. Stark kept prattling on and on, while J.C. closed the distance. Another Republican congressman saw what was happening, and placed himself between J.C. and Stark, thus saving Stark’s worthless life.

A damned shame.


4 posted on 05/19/2008 5:57:37 PM PDT by IGOTMINE (1911s FOREVER!)
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To: SkyPilot

There is something wrong with this guy.


5 posted on 05/19/2008 5:59:26 PM PDT by johniegrad
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To: SkyPilot

LETTER FROM PENTAGON TO CONG. PETE STARK

Hon. Pete Stark
Yada,
Yada,
Yada

Dear Congressman Stark,

Enjoyed hearing from you. Obviously, from the tone of your letter, the air in Congress in still toxic and you think you are impostant.

With respect to your demand to know the name and rank of those officers who visited the Congress on a day you were making an a$$ of yourself - MAKE US, you sanctimonious twit!!!

We at the Pentagon love to hear from the elected representatives in Congress. Please write again if you ever have anything significant to say.

Sincerely,
The Pentagon


6 posted on 05/19/2008 5:59:34 PM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: SkyPilot

Stark’s website, like Murtha’s, only accepts emails from his own district.

COWARD!


7 posted on 05/19/2008 6:01:08 PM PDT by elcid1970 (My cartridges are dipped in pig grease.)
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To: SkyPilot
Please provide for me the name, rank, branch, and duties of each of these officers, as well as the number of additional staff and drivers that were used to facilitate their attendance yesterday. I would like this information by Monday, May 19th.

Piss off, a$$hat.

8 posted on 05/19/2008 6:03:10 PM PDT by TADSLOS (The GOP death march to the gravesite is underway.)
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To: elcid1970

I sent him THIS message.....and I’m NOT in his part of the country....

Please tell me who the he** you are questioning the visiting of military members to the halls of Congress? Hmmmm? We pay our taxes for you to be there.....I suggest you shut the he** up. You must be really proud of yourself. Sounds like you’re losing your faculties. Suggest you retire, quickly.

Sorry.

No respect for you.....at all. You deserve none.


9 posted on 05/19/2008 6:03:48 PM PDT by goodnesswins (Liberals learning curves are pretty flat,)
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To: elcid1970

Well - by my email - you all know where I live -

He’ll be hearing from me tomorrow!

My son had the displeasure of meeting him a couple of years ago during a school trip. He was laughing silently inside as one of the other students pointed out that facts in a recent campaign flyer he had posted outside his office was factually wrong on several counts.

Flustered the old idiot no end.


10 posted on 05/19/2008 6:05:19 PM PDT by fremont_steve (Milpitas - a great place to be FROM!)
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To: goodnesswins

There is a special circle in Hell reserved for Fortney Stark and his kind.


11 posted on 05/19/2008 6:07:44 PM PDT by Melchior
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To: elcid1970

Stark marches to a different drummer than most of us, and he is out of step with that one, too. He’s nothing but a mollycoddle and a fop.


12 posted on 05/19/2008 6:08:06 PM PDT by mathurine
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To: elcid1970
Stark’s website, like Murtha’s, only accepts emails from his own district.

All of these swine do this, they have put themselves above public opinion. However, you can send him a letter via snail mail, much more effective. Better, yet, send both and email and a letter to your own Congressman, expressing your digust with this Communist. If your Congressman is a Democrat, so much the better. Let them know that their party is firmly and completely in the hands of enemies of this country.

13 posted on 05/19/2008 6:08:08 PM PDT by centurion316 (Democrats - Supporting Al Qaida Worldwide)
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To: goodnesswins

Here is a copy of what I sent:


I don’t blame you for being outraged.

My God, the military will find out how you bastards vote.

And you forgot to mention that the title of the bill is a total farce for that bill had absolutely nothing to do with financing the military.

It was all about taxing the over taxed and slush money for you back home.

So when the President vetoes it, the only thing the ignorant public who rely on the liberal rags will see is: PRESIDENT VETOES MILITARY APPROPRIATIONS BILL.

What a bunch of scumbags.

Claude S. Sutton, Jr.


14 posted on 05/19/2008 6:11:14 PM PDT by woodbutcher
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To: SkyPilot
This pompus idiot, threating service men in such a manor.

Wait till Rush gets ahold of this story and maybe the letter. Could be another great fundraiser on E-bay.

15 posted on 05/19/2008 6:13:13 PM PDT by defal33 (Get 'er done!)
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To: elcid1970

Just use the address of his Fremont office.


16 posted on 05/19/2008 6:16:01 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
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To: IGOTMINE
I heard aboout that exchange.

I doubt there is a tape of it on C-SPAN, but I would have loved to have seen it.

17 posted on 05/19/2008 6:29:13 PM PDT by SkyPilot ("I wasn't in church during the time when the statements were made.")
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To: elcid1970

Pete “StarkRavingMad” is not only a coward, but a red one to boot. He loved to support the Hanoi lobby, the FLMN in El Salvador, and Allende in Chile.

This is the perfect example of a red millionaire who hates his country.

He is one sick sonna-of-bitch, but then again, he’s from California. Caprish?


18 posted on 05/19/2008 6:32:52 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: SkyPilot

What a fool.


19 posted on 05/19/2008 6:37:20 PM PDT by CAluvdubya (A good man has come home to San Diego! Thank you Congressman Hunter)
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To: SkyPilot; StarCMC
If an antiwar military member was present, would Stark voice concern?
20 posted on 05/19/2008 6:40:24 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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