Christopher Miller, a representative of National Veterans for American Power or Operation Free, calls attention to the eight agencies that are supporting a 16-state bus tour. Among them are the Truman National Security Project, National Security Network, VetPac, Veterans for Common Sense, American Values Network and VoteVets.org.
The two-month long Veterans for American Power National Tour stopped at the Earl J. Bruton VFW Post 534 in Joplin this morning (March 5, 2010). It was the last stop in Missouri after having visited St. Louis and Springfield.
Mostly media met with their spokesmen in the parking lot where, using a 45-ft. wrapped bus as a backdrop, they outlined the purpose of their visit--to make a connection between dependence upon oil and America's national security and to get 7th District constituents to challenge Congressman Roy Blunt to support clean energy legislation in the interests of that security. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) currently are trying to put together a bi-partisan climate and clean energy bill that will get the votes needed for passage.
Veterans speak out
Christopher Miller of Carbondale, IL, a former army sergeant on tour in Iraq and a representative of VoteVets.org, said he was awarded a purple heart after being wounded by an improvised explosive device. What he said he was concerned about today was the use of EFPs (explosively formed projectiles) that he said were so lethal that they could pierce four inches of armor. And what country was supplying them? According to Miller, "They were created in oil-rich Iran," a statement many might consider simplistic, but one that gets its message across.
To further make his point Miller is the commentator in a new ad that the group distributed to the press on a jump drive. To be released on television this week, the ad graphically shows a US vehicle being blown up and major explosions rocketing the landscape. This ad, he said, directly connects oil money and terrorist funding, but he concludes, "much more than the money issue is the real cost to American lives."
Nick Breeze, a Marine Corps veteran, also spoke of a connection between the creation of improvised explosive devices and profits made by foreign oil. To rid our dependence on fossil fuel, Breeze spoke of the need for clean energy initiatives. Rather than use a global warming approach where Nebraska or Iowa were going to have beachfront property, Breeze equated the need to set emission standards with protecting American soldiers' lives.
"Our politicians are not representing the people who elected them," Breeze said, implicating Blunt who voted against Cap and Trade, a bill that would have created a mandatory cap on emissions. It should be noted that the words "Cap and Trade" were never used by the visitors.
Jack Hembree of Springfield, retired U.S. Army, claimed that Blunt accepted "over $150,000 in contributions that he received from big oil companies." Curiously, Hembree mentioned that he was "not happy with Ike Skelton," a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 4th District. Perhaps, this was Hembree's way of showing bi-partisanship as KSN news this evening claimed the group represented. It should be noted that in 2008 Hembree contributed $7050 in political contributions to support Obama and the Democratic Party. [We found after an extensive Internet search that all the organizations bankrolling or in some way connected to the caravan were composed of either "progressive" or liberal Democrats whose agenda includes passage of a Cap and Trade bill.]
Blunt response
KOAM-TV claimed to have gotten no response from Blunt regarding the allegations made by the Operation Free group. However, Blunt spokesman Rich Chrismer spoke to the JOPLIN INDEPENDENT. He labeled the remarks "a disgusting smear attack" and he attributed them to Robin Carnahan, Blunt's opponent for Kit Bond's Senate seat, and "her leftwing allies."
Blunt's reasons for rejecting the Cap and Trade legislation, Chrismer said, had to do with its impact on Missourians. He said it would destroy over 32,000 Missouri jobs and cause electric bills to increase hundreds of dollars.
To counter the impression that all veterans are dedicated to the Operation Free cause, Chrismer said that a group of Veterans for Roy Blunt has been formed. More than 1600 members have joined to make their voices heard.
Independence at what cost?
According to the Wall Street Journal,
"Politicians love cap and trade because they can claim to be taxing "polluters," not workers. Hardly. Once the government creates a scarce new commodity--in this case the right to emit carbon--and then mandates that businesses buy it, the costs would inevitably be passed on to all consumers in the form of high prices. Stating the obvious, Peter Orszag--now Mr. Obama's budget director--told Congress last year that 'Those price increases are essential to the success of a cap-and-trade program.'"
Considering as little as a 15% cut in emissions, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that resulting price hikes would see a cut of 3.3% in after-tax income for the least paid workers, 2.9 to 2.7% for middle income earners and 1.7% for the wealthiest earners. Those affected obviously would be from geographic areas most dependent on manufacturing or fossil fuels--particularly coal. The Journal concludes that "Ratepayers in Indiana (94%), Missouri (85%), New Mexico (80%), Pennsylvania (56%), West Virginia (98%) and Wyoming (95%) [would] get soaked."
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