FIGHTING DEMS NEWS SERVICE

March 1, 2007
Vol. 2 No. 7

THE NEWS HEADLINES

THE ARTICLE SUMMARIES AND LINKS

ARMY PUNISHING WALTER REED PATIENTS
The Army is harassing patient soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center in an attempt to suppress leaks to the media about conditions regarding hospital conditions reports Army Times.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/2daqyk

CONTAIN AND ENGAGE IRAN
While the Bush administration has dodged several diplomatic opportunities to engage Iran and divert it from a path towards nuclear warfare capability, two foreign policy experts say there is still time to avert the necessity of war with a "Contain and Engage" strategy that embraces the strategic arguments of engaging Iran that have been advanced by the Iraq Study Group and other experts such as retired Gen. Wesley Clark.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/2dz2pc

MILITARY CAPABILITY ERODING
Strained by simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the nation's top general has told Congress that military readiness is at significant risk and that the armed forces would not be able to respond as quickly and adequately to a new crisis as they normally could.
FDNS Report At: http://tinyurl.com/23g6xd

SHORT & SWEET

February 5 National Primary

Through surrogates and in mostly behind the scenes manuevering the leading presidential candiates in each party are trying to create what would amount to a national primary of 20 or more states on February 5, 2008 reports The Hill, a Washington DC newspaper that covers Congress.

The guilty candidates are Democrats Sens. Barack Obama (IL) and Hillary Clinton (NY) and Republicans former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCainn (AZ) and former Gov. Mitt Romney (MS).

Associated Press reports that Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah are planning primaries for Feb. 5.

Big states such as California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Texas are likely to join them while The Hill reports that a number of smaller states are considering jumping in inluding Arkansas, Arizona, Alabama, Colorada, Georgia, North Dakota, Kansas and Tennessee.

State legislators in Pennsylvania and North Carolina are also holding hearings on the issue.

GOP Wants Iraq Decided This Year

Fearing going into the 2008 elections with American blood still being shed in Iraq, Republicans feel it necessary for the war to be concluded one way or the other this year reports Evans-Novak Political Report.

"Whatever happens on the congressional scene, there is a strong feeling inside the Bush Administration that the Iraq issue must be decided one way or another long before the end of the year. Republicans are determined not to go into the 2008 election year with blood being spilled in Iraq."

NEXT WEEK: THE SECRET PROXY WAR
While much is reported about Iran's relations with and support of Iraqi Shiites, the other side of the coin is largely ignored. A special FDNS report on U.S. support of an anti-Tehran terrorist and para-military organization and the growing consevative lobbying campaign to turn them loose.

THE OP/ED SUMMARIES AND LINKS

WAS SHE COVERT?
Sorry to again beat what some of you may believe is a dead horse, but a reporter from a major news organization told me recently that they are still arguing in his/her newsroom about whether Valerie Plame was covert. The journalist who told me this is a talented, smart person but is still confused about the terms "covert", "cover", and "non-official cover". So here's my gift to confused journalists.
Contributing Edtior Larry C. Johnson At: http://tinyurl.com/2hfzz2

DISGRACEFUL TREATMENT OF OUR TROOPS
In the case of American troops killed in action in what the Marine Corps pathologist calls preventable casualties, our government is charged with the moral equivalent of negligent homicide. In the case of wounded American troops who are disrespected, abused or mistreated in military hospitals our government is charged with the moral equivalent of criminal negligence. On this count I take responsibility and plead guilty for not knowing about this and acting to stop it. Shame on me.
Contributing Editor Brent Budowsky At: http://tinyurl.com/2yt9q5

ABOUT FIGHTING DEMS NEWS SERVICE
Web: www.fighting-dems.com
Email: contact@fighting-dems.us

Publisher: Noel Schultz
Editor: Randy Risener
Associate Editor: Fred Seamon
Contributing Editor: Brent Budowsky
Contributing Editor: Larry C. Johnson
Contributing Editor: Bernie Quigley
Webmaster: Rich Westcott

The Fighting Dems News Service (FDNS) is published weekly by Fighting Dems at www.fighting-dems.com. Originally begun as a candidate and campaign support service for the Fighting Dem candidates, FDNS has evolved into a rapidly expanding independent circulated news service covering below the network headlines news primarily in the areas of foreign policy, national security, military and veterans affairs. FDNS' circulation is email direct, on the website, through free subscription at the website and through selected listserves and to Democratic party leaders throughout the country. FDNS desks and archives are located at http://tinyurl.com/ydmfp4.

About The Staff & Contributors

Publisher Noel Schultz is an Air Force veteran of the Korean War era who served in Libya and Texas and was one of the original organizers of the Fighting Dems candidates in 2006. His degree is in anthropology and linguistics and he is currently an Associated Professor in the Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literature at National Chi Nan University, Puli in the mountains of central Taiwan.

Editor Randy Risener is a former newspaper and wire service reporter who later worked in private sector intelligence and research in support of companies involved with exporting and foreign operations. He served with the National Security Agency's Army component in Vietnam and East Africa/Middle East.

Associate Editor Fred Seaman is a retired Army Intelligence officer who began his career as a case officer in Germany followed by tours on the faculty of the Army Intelligence School and with special operations in Vietnam. He served on the staffs at U.S. Army Europe Headquarters and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He currently manages a government sponsored program to commercialize technology developed at a nuclear weapons laboratory in the former Soviet Union.

Contributing Editor Brent Budowsky was Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, and worked for the House Democratic Leadership as Legislative Director to Rep. Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Majority Whip. He serves on the International Advisory Committee of the Intelligence Summit, and was a principal author of the CIA Intelligence Identities Act originally sponsored by Senator Bentsen.

Contributing Editor Larry C. Johnson is an internationally recognized counter-terrorism expert who served several years with the CIA's Directorate of Operations and later become deputy director of the State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism. He is CEO and co-founder of BERG Associates, an international business consulting firm which specializes in threat management in areas such as terrorism and money laundering. He is editor of the blog NO QUARTER.

Contributing Editor Bernie Quigley is a prize-winning writer and has worked more than 30 years as a book and magazine editor, political commentator and book, movie, music and art reviewer. He lives in the White Mountains with his wife and four children.

Webmaster Richard Westcott has over fourteen years of Information Systems experience in areas of Clinical Trials, Survey Research, Energy Deregulation and Education. He has served as Director of Informatics for the Allegheny Health Education Research Foundation Clinical Trials Research Center, the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups as well as administrative oversight for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Chairman's office. His Clinical Trials locator is available at The National Cancer Institute.