Man arrested near Obama's home, Gun, bulletproof vest allegedly found in his car

Man arrested near Obama's home
Gun, bulletproof vest allegedly found in his car in Kenwood neighborhood
By Angela Rozas and John McCormick | Chicago Tribune reporters
1:41 PM CDT, September 23, 2008
A man was arrested near Sen. Barack Obama's home Tuesday morning after he refused to leave the area and a gun was found in his car, Chicago police said.

The man, who has not been charged, approached the security perimeter of Obama's residence, which is about a block from his Kenwood neighborhood home, at about 5 a.m. and was stopped by a Chicago police officer assigned to the U.S. Secret Service security detail, said Monique Bond, spokeswoman for Chicago police.

The man drove up in his vehicle and got out of the car, and "appeared to be intoxicated," she said. The officer spoke with the man, who then left and returned shortly, she said. The officer questioned the man again, and then found a weapon in his vehicle, she said. The man, who does have a criminal history, did not threaten Obama, she said.

"He was not considered to be an imminent threat and he didn't make any threats," she said.
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Ret. Col. Vic Ogilvie has high hopes for Obama and troops

Vic Ogilvie of Altamonte Springs is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel.
My Word, Orlando Sentinel
High hopes for troops under Obama
Vic Ogilvie
September 5, 2008
DENVER - As a pro-military, Hillary Clinton delegate from Central Florida, I went to the Democratic National Convention in Denver with the realization that she would not secure the nomination, but I was determined to get a better understanding of Barack Obama's plans for veterans and the military.

Having spent my entire professional life serving with the military and working for veterans in a health-care setting, I feel a strong bond with them and a keen awareness of their needs and concerns. The veterans I know are selfless individuals, who have made untold sacrifices for their communities and the nation. Many experience disruption or abrupt termination of their career plans, physical injury and deep emotional distress and some, even death.

Most know the risks when they enlist, but they do so out of a desire to serve a cause greater than themselves. Is it not then reasonable to expect that we, as a nation, will provide adequate benefits to restore employability and medical and mental health care to heal the terrible wounds of combat trauma?

Sadly, this has not been the case during the past eight years. The recent scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center involving patient care and building neglect was a shocking wake-up call for all Americans. The Department of Veterans Affairs does a good job treating traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, burns and amputations -- the signature wounds of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan -- but it has always struggled for adequate funding, particularly under the Bush Administration.
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This is also one of the biggest reasons why I am so appalled with McCain and the GOP. With all the speeches, all the talk about how bad Obama is over the convention (and before) none of them manage to address the dire needs of our veterans. I know I've said this way too much but considering McCain keeps talking about how being a POW, he should have cared more about his fellow veterans than he has. McCain always wants them standing behind him but never stands behind them when they needed him. kc

Iraqi surge exceeded expectations, Obama says. but,,,,

Iraqi surge exceeded expectations, Obama says
While violence is down, he says strategy hasn't led to political reconciliation

LANCASTER, Pa. - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Thursday that the escalation of U.S. troops in Iraq, which he had opposed, has succeeded in reducing violence "beyond our wildest dreams."

But Iraq still has failed to achieve the political reconciliation and self-sufficiency that is required, he said, and he vowed to withdraw American troops and end the war.

Earlier Thursday, in taping a segment for Fox's "O'Reilly Factor," Obama said the surge of U.S. troops has "succeeded beyond our wildest dreams."
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26550764/

Obama promises to repeat Montana's National Guard PTSD work nation wide

Obama Pledges Nationwide Use of PTSD Program
Eric Newhouse


Great Falls Tribune

Aug 28, 2008
August 28, 2008 - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama promised Wednesday to expand Montana's pilot program to assess the mental health of combat vets nationwide, if elected.

The Montana National Guard has developed a program to check its soldiers and airmen for signs of post-traumatic stress disorder every six months for the first two years after returning from combat, then once a year thereafter. The program exceeds national standards set by the U.S. Department of Defense.

The pilot program was created in response to the suicide of former Army Spc. Chris Dana of Helena, who shot himself on March 4, 2007, days after being given a less-than-honorable discharge because he could no longer handle attending drills following a tour in Iraq.

"He (Obama) told me he understood why we need to have additional screenings for PTSD," said Matt Kuntz, Dana's stepbrother, who was among a small group invited to meet with Obama on Wednesday in Billings. "And he told me when he is elected president, he will implement Montana's pilot program nationwide."

Kuntz, who recently gave up his job as a lawyer in Helena to advocate for the mentally ill and their families, said he was invited to brief Obama on how Montana had become a national model for assessing the mental health of its combat vets.

Besides the additional screenings, the Montana National Guard has developed crisis response teams that include a chaplain to investigate behavioral problems among its troops, and TriWest Healthcare pays to have four part-time counselors on hand to talk with soldiers and airmen during weekend drills.

After the briefing, Obama spent about 20 minutes telling several hundred veterans and their families that, if elected as president, he will be committed to meeting their needs.
go here for more
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/11028

Spc. Chris Dana's story told to Obama by step brother

Stepbrother tells guardsman's story to Obama
Helena soldier took his own life after tour of duty in Iraq
By LAURA TODE
Of The Gazette Staff

Montana National Guard Spc. Chris Dana will never know the impact his life and ultimately his death may someday have on the lives of veterans nationwide.

Dana took his life in March 2007, less than two years after returning from a tour in Iraq. His family believes he was a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder, brought on by his combat experience.

Since Dana's death, his stepbrother Matt Kuntz has campaigned for more awareness of the costs of untreated post-traumatic stress syndrome in Iraq war veterans.

Wednesday, he was invited to meet with Sen. Barack Obama to share the message he's been spreading statewide for more than a year. At a quiet picnic table at Riverfront Park, Obama sat across from Kuntz, his wife, Sandy, and their infant daughter, Fiona.
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Obama camp meets with Iraq war veterans protesting at Democratic convention

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images
The Iraq Veterans Against the War group led the four-mile procession from the Denver Coliseum to the Pepsi Center, the site of the Democratic National Convention, calling for Barack Obama to end U.S. involvement in Iraq and improving healthcare for veterans.

Obama camp meets with Iraq war veterans protesting at Democratic convention
About 50 members of Iraq Veterans Against the War lead 4,000 protesters on a march that ends five hours later outside the Pepsi Center when their request to meet with a liaison is granted.
By Nicholas Riccardi and DeeDee Correll, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
August 28, 2008
DENVER -- About 50 Iraq war veterans led a boisterous crowd of about 4,000 protesters to the gates of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday evening, demanding to speak at the podium inside.

The four-mile march began at the site of a concert by leftist rock group Rage Against the Machine. It ended five hours later, after the Obama campaign resolved a tense standoff outside the Pepsi Center by agreeing to meet with representatives of the group, Iraq Veterans Against the War.


The marchers said they wanted to hold Obama to his promise to end the Iraq war and called for him to pull troops out immediately. The Democratic presidential candidate has instead vowed to bring all combat troops home within 16 months of taking office.

"We're here to hold the Democrat Party accountable," said Jason Hurd, one of the veterans at the front of the procession. "We voted them in to end this war. They've not done that. . . . We want our brothers and sisters to come home now, not later. Now."

The veterans march was the largest demonstration so far in what otherwise has proven to be a generally subdued week; injuries were reported, but no arrests were made.
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Obama meets Chris Dana's family

Family of soldier who killed himself meets with Obama
By LAURA TODE Of The Gazette Staff

Montana National Guard Spec. Chris Dana will never know the impact his life and ultimately his death may someday have on the lives of veterans nationwide.

Dana took his life in March 2007, less than two years after returning from a tour in Iraq. His family believes he was a victim of post traumatic stress disorder, brought on by his combat experience.

Since Dana’s death, his stepbrother Matt Kuntz has campaigned for more awareness of the costs of untreated post traumatic stress syndrome in Iraq war veterans. Wednesday, he was invited to meet with Sen. Barack Obama to share the message he’s been spreading statewide for more than a year. At a quiet picnic table at Riverfront Park Obama sat across from Kuntz, his wife Sandy and their infant daughter Fiona.

Kuntz was heavy with emotion, but hopeful and eager to share Dana’s story, and tell the senator about his work to ensure other Montana veterans aren’t suffering from the same condition that made his step-brother take his life.
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Obama and McCain let the troops down at Fort Hood

Carissa Picard sent this email. In case you don't know who she is, she is the President of Military Spouses for Change. She's been very active helping the troops at Fort Hood. Living with the families and the troops, she's well aware of what's going on today and how the troops need to be heard. She tried to put together a Town Hall meeting with the troops and the two candidates running for President and Commander-in Chief. This was such a big deal CBS was going to cover it. Obama had better things to do, as well as he also had better things to do than attend the DAV convention and sent a tape to be played at the convention. McCain, well he was willing to do this but would only commit if Obama did. The whole thing fell apart. What is very troubling is that we have two occupations going on right now, troops suffering and families suffering as they are expected to do their duties. The two people who think they have the right "leadership" to command these men and women do an awful lot of talking about how important the troops are to them but they never really do much to prove it. So is this all just more talk from politicians trying to use the love the American people have for the troops and not really doing anything for them or what? Read what Carissa wrote and then you decide.

DIARY on MILITARY SPOUSE PRESS - POLITICS AS USUAL: The Injustice of Not Having the Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall

Some of you know me and know that what I do comes from the heart (see: http://www.milspousepress.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=573). Caynan, my husband, is a medevac pilot covering the Baghdad area. Yes, progress has been made. But it isn't pretty. (Magilla the Gorilla, the large stuffed animal I sent him that is now a part of the crew for my husband's team, needs a harness because he gets tossed around during the missions and is getting bloodied up.) You will not like what you are about to read but I hope you will remember that I tried to invite the candidates to Fort Hood back in November of 2007 (http://blip.tv/file/500866), that you met me when I was stumping for Biden in Iowa because I believe so strongly in being a voice for our active duty service members and families.

What I wrote below, I wrote in response to a personal email, I wrote in my OWN voice, not as the President of MSC, and not as the organizer of the FOrt Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium. I have been a Democrat all my life. My husband has taken heat from his chain of command because of my advocacy for our soldiers here at Fort Hood (See also why we should take care of our wounded: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,157747,00.html). But I am heartbroken and disappointed and angry. I approached the campaigns asking for ANY dates that worked for them. I will be more than happy to give you the invitation and press release if you want it, just email me. You know what, I understand that town halls are risky. But every time my husband gets in that Blackhawk he is risking his life, and he does it anyway. We honor those who have the courage to take risks. The stakes are high, you may be thinking. Yes, they are. They are very high. No one knows that more than we do.

I am officially an independent now. I think that this was town hall was a political game too for the campaigns--AND I AM ANGRY. I am speaking out as the spouse of a soldier serving 15 months in Iraq. Fort Hood is home to approximately 56,000 soldiers and 24,000 spouses. Our "in house" records, as of Feb. 2007, had our death toll at 650 deaths to this "Global War on Terror" but the DoD numbers, of course, for Fort Hood, have us at that RIGHT NOW. (Guess it all depends on how you define dead). (I'm sorry, casualty of war.) Six weeks ago, a 19 yr old stationed from Hood shot himself to death via webcam in front of his 19 year old wife (he is listed by the army as a "non-combat related casualty; small arms fire"). He was stationed at Camp Taji.

On July 22, my husband calls me from Taji to inform me he can't shower because another soldier has been electrocuted to death in the shower. A few months ago, 4th ID announced it was raising funds to expand its soldier memorial on post for the THIRD time as its Division losses have been so great. 4th ID is, of course, on its 4th tour in Iraq. 1st Cav Division will be going back for the fourth or fifth time in six months (they just back in this past December when their tours were extended to 15 months).

A soldier with TUMORS in his lungs that I am helping here at Ft. Hood was CLEARED as fit for duty for AFGHANISTAN even though he can't run or do push ups without passing out. (General Schoomaker has been informed of the situation and is now having this soldier re-evaluated.) MEANWHILE, when I approached Obama's people about the event (whom I thought would jump on this opportunity), I get stonewalled by their vet coordinator. I get told by McCain's people he won't come if Obama won't come (nice).

I get NO dates from Obama's people and one date from McCain's people. I go with that date to the network and the venue and Obama. Obama's deputy director of scheduling tells me, "oh, the Senator is spending time with his family on that day, Ms. Picard. Surely you can appreciate that the Senator's time with his family is sacred." I felt like my head was going to explode when she said that to me. The Senator's time with his family is SACRED? Yes, it is but what about OUR TIME with OUR FAMILIES? Between 2002 and 2006, the divorce rate for Army officers TRIPLED and for Army enlisted soldiers doubled. Incidents of child abuse and neglect increased with the length of the soldier being deployed. PTSD is a HUGE risk factor for domestic violence. Repeat tours increase the likelihood of returning with PTSD. 2 in 5 service members are returning with either a traumatic brain injury or PTSD (or both).

WHAT ABOUT OUR FAMILIES? Last time I checked, the Senator gets to see his family. They CAN travel with him. He does not rely on 15 minutes DSN phone calls with bad connections that he has to wait in line to make or internet that may or may not be working. And after NOvember, he WILL be with his families. I told Ms. Koehkne, with all due respect, no one knows more than an Army wife, how sacred time with one's family is. And I certainly don't appreciate the fact that the man whose orders will send my husband away from my family for yet ANOTHER 12 or 15 months cannot commit to talking to our troops because time with his family is more important than time with us, especially when the war in Iraq is such a large part of his election platform.

It is utterly outrageous that these two men have not come to US together and worked out a time for BOTH of them to talk to our service members and spouses. We should know how they plan to maintain our all volunteer force after six years of war and in the face of the escalating "global war on terror," strengthen our domestic security and replenish national guard/reserve forces and equipment (particularly in the event of a natural disaster and/or, god forbid, an internal attack), and fortify our military and veteran institutions while doing this.

I am not bashing Obama, I am angry at McCain as well for not trying to make this happen either. Our soldiers are MORE THAN A PHOTO OP. OUR FAMILIES AND OUR SERVICE MEMBERS ARE LIVING AND DYING for this country and for this war on terror. We wanted the country to remember that the next president is going to determine exactly how much longer we are going to keep living this way and where exactly our service members will be living and dying and being wounded when NOT WITH US, their families. WIll it be Iraq? WIll it be Afghanistan? Will it be Iran?? Pakistan??? AND WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THE SERVICE MEMBER, when he or she returns wounded, battered, bruised, broken, what is this country going to do to help this service member and this family put itself back together?

Since Fort Hood has lost the most soldiers in the war on terror and its soldiers have spent the most fighting in this war, I think this is clearly the most compelling audience for these questions. Every soldier knows that orders to Hood equals orders to combat. THe National Veterans Organization wants to help create a presidential town hall before November for our soldiers and spouses and veterans. Ralph Nader wants to be involved. I say we challenge ALL candidates to attend. I say we tell them to put up or shut up because I am, quite frankly, sick of it. And God help them if my husband goes down in his helicopter in Iraq, because it won't be pretty. They think that this military spouse is on fire now, as a gold star spouse I will make Cindy Sheehan look like a pussy cat. (I should mention that I am Irish.)

I expect both campaigns will be angry at me for this email but they don't have to work with me to do this event. They just have to come together to make this happen for our troops and their families. If not Fort Hood, then at least some other Army installation. It's the Army and National Guards that are deployed the longest at 15 months and they should be heard.

Landstuhl says Obama could have media with him, but he didn't want them

Landstuhl clarifies press rules for aborted Obama visit
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, August 1, 2008



LANDSTUHL, Germany Although news outlets have reported charges that Sen. Barack Obama canceled his trip to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany because the media weren't allowed to cover the event, U.S. European Command officials say plans were in place to allow limited press coverage.

All media, including local press and the more than 40 journalists accompanying the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee on his eight-day international trip last week, would have been able to photograph the Illinois senator entering and leaving the hospital, said Air Force Lt. Col. John Dorrian, a U.S. European Command spokesman.

Defense Department public affairs policy guidance on media coverage of candidates visiting military installations states "under no circumstances may a candidate receive approval to make a campaign or election-related statement or to respond to a campaign or election-related media query."

The guidance also states that "the candidate may appear on camera and in photographs as an official participant and may make a statement or answer questions about the official business being conducted."
go here for more
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56487

Aside from McCain having two scripts ready to attack Obama no matter what he decided to do, McCain decided to not tell the truth about any of this and that's a real shame. The shame does not belong to Obama, who did't want the media with him even though he could have them there, but McCain decided to use the wounded troops no matter what happened. Sickening!

Someone tell McCain wounded troops are not fair game

The following is very good and goes a long way in showing that the troops should never be used in anyone's campaign, especially wounded ones. Obama has never allowed reporters to cover his trips to see the wounded and as far as this trip goes, reporters were never under the impression they would be going to Landstuhl this time either. It was to be a private visit but even at that, the retired General he was taking was told that his visit would appear to be political. It made Obama aware that his visit would be seen that way as well.

What McCain managed to do was use wounded troops in Landstuhl as part of a political game. Not just in the lie created in his commercial, but by also saying that McCain has been any kind of a champion of wounded troops or veterans. His record shows how little he manages to support them when it counts.

The biggest indication of this is the fact the DAV has given McCain such a deplorable grade on veterans issues. Keep in mind that while the DAV as an organization stays away from taking political sides, the majority of people in the DAV are Republicans. They put wounded and disabled veterans ahead of any kind of politics and proved it when they ranked McCain at 20%. Most of the highest ranks from the DAV have gone to Democrats simply because it is not the majority of Republicans supporting the veterans when it counts, but it is the Democrats.

If Obama had used his trips to Walter Reed or Bethesda Naval Hospital as a political stunt, I would have come out against using the troops. If McCain ever does manage to support the wounded, it would go a long way to proving what he says. Someone really should tell him that the troops, the wounded and the disabled veterans are not tools he can use in a political game. Obama has to run on his record and what he does. McCain has to run on his record and what he does but especially because McCain is a wounded veteran, what he fails to do carries a lot more ramifications.

Fact Check: No evidence that Obama troop visit was to be media event

10:10 AM CDT on Thursday, July 31, 2008
By Robert Farley / PolitiFact.com

A John McCain campaign ad claims that Barack Obama "made time to go to the gym, but canceled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn’t allow him to bring cameras." Mr. Obama's campaign denies the Democrat ever planned to take reporters with him, and The Washington Post reported Wednesday that there was no evidence that media would be invited. Some background:

In an effort to shore up his foreign policy chops, Mr. Obama took the unusual step of making a trip overseas — to the Middle East and Europe. The idea, in part, was to show the presidential candidate's gravitas as an international leader.

But the strategy backfired a bit when Mr. Obama canceled plans to visit wounded troops at a military hospital in Germany.

Mr. Obama had been part of a congressional delegation that visited Iraq and Afghanistan, but when that trip ended Mr. Obama stayed on the road, spending several days on a campaign-funded tour of Europe. Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, was supposed to be one of the stops.

The decision to cancel was made after the Pentagon raised a number of issues about its policy against campaign activity at a military base — including visits by campaign staff or any media coverage or speeches. As a sitting senator, Mr. Obama was welcome to visit troops, but no one on the campaign trip with him, including a retired general who is advising his campaign, could go along.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/
politics/national/stories/073108dnpolfactcheck.1a2b2fec.html

Candidates’ forum at Fort Hood is scrubbed

It will be very interesting to find out why Senator Obama thought doing something else was more important. Don't get me wrong. I think he'd make a fine president but this was very important to the troops. I hope he plans on doing it another day and I hope Senator McCain does as well. The future of the troops depends on who takes the chair next and they should be able to ask all the questions they want.

Candidates’ forum at Fort Hood is scrubbed

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 15:52:57 EDT

A proposed Aug. 11 town hall meeting near Fort Hood, Texas, in which it was hoped that the two presidential candidates would talk to audiences of military members, veterans and retirees is off, the event’s chief organizer said Tuesday.

But whether the event is canceled or simply being postponed is unclear.

“We are open to rescheduling, if they want to, but it was getting to close to Aug. 11 to leave it open,” said Carissa Picard, managing director of the Fort Hood Presidential Town Hall Consortium that was planning the event, planned for the Bell County Expo Center in Belton, Texas, near Fort Hood, the largest U.S. military base.

Picard had announced July 11 that the town hall meeting would be televised by CBS and that aides to Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican presidential candidate, had indicated McCain was willing to attend.

Picard tried to bring pressure to get Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the Democratic presidential candidate, to agree to attend, but campaign officials said Obama had another event previously planned for that day.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/military_forthood_townhall_072908w/

August 9 - 12, 2008 Bally's Hotel Las Vegas 3645 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, NV 89109

But Senator Obama will not be able to go to this either. This is from the DAV site.

Delegates to DAV 87th National Convention to
hear from Presidential Candidates

Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is tentatively scheduled to address the delegates at DAV’s 87th National Convention on Saturday, Aug. 9.

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), the Democratic presidential candidate, will be unable to attend the convention because he is travelling out of the country. He will provide a taped message to delegates however.

DAV's 87th National Convention is being held at Bally's Hotel Las Vegas Aug. 9 - 12.

http://www.dav.org/

Fort Hood Town Hall Waits for Obama's time

While Senator Obama wants to be Commander-in-Chief, has taken time to travel to Afghanistan and Iraq, has run his campaign on being right on Iraq, he is not willing to give up some of his time to participate in a Town Hall at Fort Hood. McCain has agreed to do it but Obama's campaign has not. Why not? Why wouldn't he see how important this is to the troops? They have a lot of questions for the next Commander-in-Chief considering there are two occupations going on, wounded wait for care and families suffer. This is too important for it to be ignored. I believe this is because of Obama's campaign advisors advising him in error. Obama is a lot smarter than they are and he should see the need to do this and the obligation he has to them if he wants to be the next Commander-in-Chief. To view how important this is, watch the video on the right sidebar of this blog and see how many organizations have committed to this.

Barack Obama quietly visits wounded war veterans

Barack Obama quietly visits wounded war veterans


Published: 6/28/08, 1:25 PM EDT
By SARA KUGLER





WASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama stopped by Walter Reed Army Medical Center Saturday to visit wounded war veterans, a group that he has said endures substandard care under the Bush administration.



The presumed Democratic nominee, who was in Washington to speak to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, spent about two hours inside the facility. On his way in and out, he did not speak to the small group of reporters who follow him, and the visit wasn't on his public schedule.



Obama has criticized the Bush administration for its treatment of veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and has suggested Republican rival John McCain would continue Bush policies if elected.



The administration was roundly criticized last year after it was revealed that veterans at Walter Reed were housed in rundown accommodations and suffered neglectful care.
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McCain on Mental Health:have better personal responsibility"

I haven't been posting much yesterday and today because I'm at the NAMI Convention in Orlando. Lucky me, it's so close, I get to sleep in my own bed. The convention is over on Monday and will climax with Jane Pauley getting an award.

Contact: Christine Armstrong of NAMI, +1-703-312-7893, christinea@nami.org


WASHINGTON, June 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will holds its annual convention in Orlando, Florida on June 13-16, 2008, featuring leading experts, policymakers and individuals and families living with mental illnesses, who will address a range of issues, including the latest scientific and medical advances -- as well as Election 2008 and criminal justice issues.


NAMI will honor TV journalist Jane Pauley with its highest award for contributions to public education about mental illness.


The convention also will include "ask-the-doctor" sessions and discussions of Florida programs.

WHO: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation's
largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to
improving the lives of individuals and families affected by
mental illness.

WHEN: June 13-16, 2008

WHERE: Rosen Centre Hotel
Orlando, Florida
9840 International Drive
Orlando, Florida 32819
Phone: (407) 996-9840

WHY: Get the latest news on scientific research, innovative mental
health programs, problems in the healthcare system, and human
interest stories. Cover veterans, children and multicultural
issues and hopes for recovery for all people living with PTSD,
depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other illnesses.

FULL SCHEDULE: http://www.nami.org/convention/program


VIP SPEAKERS AND HONOREES

-- Jane Pauley, TV journalist
-- Thomas Insel, M.D., director, National Institute of Mental Health
-- Nora Volkow, M.D., Ph.D., director, National Institute on Drug Abuse


FLORIDA SPEAKERS AND PROGRAMS

-- Judge Steven Leifman, 11th Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade County
-- Judge Mark Speiser, 17th Judicial Circuit Court, Broward County
-- Louis de la Parte, Department of Aging & Mental Health, Florida Mental
Health Institute at the University of Southern Florida
http://www.usf.edu
-- VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8), Bay Pines
-- Polytrauma Center, VA Medical Center, Tampa
-- Florida Partners in Crisis, Orlando
-- Florida Borderline Personality Disorder Organization, St. Petersburg
-- GEO Care, Miami
-- Treasure Coast Forensic Treatment Center, Indiantown
-- South Florida Treatment and Evaluation Center, Miami
-- Vincent House, Pinellas Park
-- Aspire Behavioral Health, Inc., Osceola


ASK-THE-DOCTOR SESSIONS ON:

-- Anxiety Disorders
-- Bipolar Disorder
-- Borderline Personality Disorder
-- Depression
-- Medications
-- Mood Disorders Across the Lifespan
-- PTSD
-- Schizoaffective Disorder
-- Schizophrenia
-- Kids Get to Ask the Doctor

This convention is a big deal. I needed to point that out considering what I am about to post about McCain.

Where the candiates really stand on mental health
The 2008 Presidential PrimariesBringing Mental Healthcare to the BallotExplore the CandidatesThe National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has sent a questionnaire to all presidential candidates in each party. We also encouraged candidates to provide us with other relevant materials or explanations of their positions if they did not have time to respond to our questionnaire.NAMI does not endorse specific candidates and any materials posted are intended for educational purposes only. They should not be used by any affiliate to endorse a candidate.

Non-profit charitable organizations, including NAMI affiliates, are prohibited by law from endorsing specific candidates.Questionnaire View a copy of our candidate questionnaire.

Democrats
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New YorkQuestionnaire response
John Edwards, former Senator from North CarolinaQuestionnaire response
Mike Gravel, former Senator from AlaskaResponse pending
Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio Response pending
Sen. Barack Obama of IllinoisQuestionnaire response

Republicans
John Cox of IllinoisResponse pending
Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City Response pending
Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas Response pending
Rep. Duncan Hunter of California Response pending
Alan Keyes of Maryland Response pending

Sen. John McCain of Arizona Senator McCain has provided NAMI with this Mental Health Statement in lieu of a response to our questionnaire. The Campaign has informed us that it is Senator McCain’s policy not to respond to questionnaires.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas Response pending
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts The Campaign has informed us that it is Governor Romney’s policy not to respond to questionnaires.

As with all candidates, we have asked whether they have information that they would like to submit on their mental healthcare/healthcare positions and the response is pending.

Fred Thompson, former Senator from Tennessee Response pending
http://woundedtimes.blogspot.com/2008/01/where-candiates-really-stand-on-mental.html

John McCain was invited, along with Senator Obama, to send a representative to the conference. Obama did. McCain did not bother to send anyone. He did however send a letter and if I can get my hands on a copy of it later, I will post the whole thing. Needless to say, McCain not bothering to take any of this seriously enough did not go over too well. There were some boos when it was announced he didn't think it was important enough to send anyone.

McCain's statement on Mental Health proved he knows absolutely nothing about it. Considering the points hit in his letter addressing the needs of American's suffering with lacking mental health care boiled down to "better personal responsibility" the man proved not only that he is clueless but so is his mental health advisor. He thinks the fitness and lifestyle play a bigger role in mental health than all the facts contributing to mental health illnesses. A typical Bush lackey, he focused his letter on addressing the cost of mental health instead of what could be done to address mental health issues and thus contributing to the driving down of costs because we actually came up with solutions, better care, better treatment and better programs to address the need. McCain said he has a "strong record" on mental illness and has been "a leader on homeless veterans" issues. Bull!

Obama, not only answered the questionnaire NAMI sent him in January, he also sent a representative to the convention to answer questions. Dr. Katrina, (not sure of spelling of her last name and can't find it on line) gave informed answers proving that Obama gets all of this. She hit the rights points on what is important, what the problems are and what needs to be done. She talked about the veterans coming back, the problems re-deployments add to the stress along with everything else that has been posted on this blog. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, this is yet another case of what you see is what you get. What you have seen in the avoidance of taking care of the troops and what they need from the Bush administration is more of what we'll get if McCain replaces his buddy. It will be more of the same of nonsense about "personal responsibility" when it is a mental health issue and when the troops do try to take personal responsibility for their needs, the VA and the DOD let them down along with this abomination of an administration oblivious to the suffering of the troops and our veterans. If you think mental health care in this country has been suffering this far, we will be sent into the dark ages when people with mental illness were considered bewitched by evil spirits~

There was a question and answer time after and I stood at the end of the line figuring I'd never get a chance to ask my question. I was wrong. There was enough time for me. I stood at the microphone and made this statement wearing my Chaplain T-Shirt.

"I've been working with veterans for 25 years and 15 years of that online. I am a certified, ordained Chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplains, licensed and insured, yet I'm not good enough for the VA. They will not use any Chaplain that is not "their kind of Chaplain" yet the IFOC is used all over the country. What can be done to change the rules the VA has that over 30 years old?"

The answer I got was that she was not aware of this but she was writing it down as I asked my question. She said she would check into it. I believed her.

The problem with the VA is that the need is so great, and getting worse, while they have to play by rules that will not fill in what the need is and where it is. People like me who have been living with this all on a daily basis are not welcomed within the VA because we lack what they consider "appropriate credentials" at a time when you would think they would be begging us to help out. PTSD is killing them! Lives are on the line and getting worse for all of our veterans but people like me are just not "good enough" for the VA. It's not the people who work for the VA that are the problem. The last two people I spoke to about this on the phone trying to figure out how I could go to work for the veterans (and manage to get paid for it after all these years) were very compassionate and felt really bad but there was nothing they could do about it.

There will be more about this convention over the next few days as time allows but that is what happened in a nut shell today that needs to have attention paid to it with all seriousness unlike McCain who couldn't even take it seriously enough to send someone to speak for him.



Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

In DNC Speech, Obama Pledges to End Partisanship

I'm breaking my own rules here by posting the whole thing. There was just no good way of cutting it. Plus I want to make sure I have a copy of the entire speech Senator Obama gave. He reminded me of what was good about America and what can be again. If I didn't believe in this country, there would be no point in fighting as hard as I do to get this right. We have not sunk so far that we cannot return to what our real values used to be.

November 30
In DNC Speech, Obama Pledges to End Partisanship


from the Obama for President Campaign, Nov 30 ,2007



Washington, DC— In remarks at the Democratic National Committee’s annual fall meeting, Barack Obama today pledged to bring an end to the bitter partisanship that has divided the country and unite Americans behind a sense of common purpose. Rather than re-fight the partisan battles of the 1990s, Obama said he would build a new majority focused not just on winning, but on governing, and deliver change that is more than just a slogan – change we can believe in.



As Prepared for Delivery:

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Democratic National Committee Fall Meeting
Friday, November 30th, 2007
Washington, DC



Less than a year from now, you will go into the voting booth and you will select the President of the United States of America.

Now, here's the good news - the name George W. Bush will not be on the ballot. The name of my cousin Dick Cheney will not be on the ballot. We've been trying to hide that for a long time. Everybody has a black sheep in the family. The era of Scooter Libby justice, and Brownie incompetence, and Karl Rove politics will finally be over.

But the question you're going to have to ask yourself when you vote this year and next is this:

"What's next for America?"

We are in a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. The planet is in peril. The dream that so many generations fought for feels as if it's slowly slipping away. We are working harder for less. We've never paid more for health care or for college. It's harder to save and it's harder to retire. And most of all we've lost faith that our leaders can or will do anything about it.

We were promised compassionate conservatism and all we got was Katrina and wiretaps.

We were promised a uniter, and we got a President who could not even lead the half of the country that voted for him.

We were promised a more ethical and more efficient Washington, and instead we have a town that is more corrupt and more wasteful than it was before. And the only mission that was ever accomplished is to use fear and falsehood to take this country to a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged.

It is because of these failures that America is listening, intently, to what we say here today - not just Democrats, but Republicans and Independents who've lost trust in their government, but want to believe again.

And it is because of these failures that we not only have a moment of great challenge, but also a moment of great opportunity. We have a chance to bring the country together in a new majority - to finally tackle problems that George Bush made far worse, but that had festered long before George Bush ever took office - problems that we've talked about year after year after year.

And that is why the same old Washington textbook campaigns just won't do in this election. An electoral strategy that starts out leaving half the country behind just won't do. Telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won't do. Triangulating and poll-driven positions because we're worried about what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won't do. If we are really serious about wining this election Democrats, we can't live in fear of losing it.

This party - the party of Jefferson and Jackson; of Roosevelt and Kennedy - has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we led, not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction; when we summoned the entire nation to a common purpose - a higher purpose. And I run for the Presidency of the United States of America because that's the party America needs us to be right now. A party that doesn't just offer change as a slogan, but real, meaningful change - change that America can believe in.

That's why I'm in this race. I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more than any other candidate in this race to take on lobbyists - and won. They have not funded my campaign, they will not get a job in my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am President.

I'm in this race to take those tax breaks away from companies that are moving jobs overseas and put them in the pockets of hard working Americans who deserve it. And I won't raise the minimum wage every ten years -I will raise it to keep pace so that workers don't' fall behind.

That is why I am in it. I'm in this race because I want to stop talking about the outrage of 47 million Americans without health care and start actually doing something about it. I expanded health care in Illinois by bringing Democrats and Republicans together. By taking on the insurance industry. And I have put forth a universal health care plan that will do more to cut the cost of health care than any other proposal in this race. Here’s the truth – if you can’t afford health insurance right now, you will when I’m President. Anyone who tells you otherwise is more interested in scoring points than solving problems. And I’m in it because we’ve had enough of that.

I run for president to make sure that every American child has the best education that we have to offer- from the day they are born to the day they graduate from college. And I won't just talk about how great teachers are - as President I will reward them for their greatness - by raising salaries and giving them more support. That's why I'm in this race.

I am running for President because I am sick and tired of Democrats thinking that the only way to look tough on national security is by talking, and acting, and voting like George Bush Republicans.

When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture - because it is never ok. That's why I am in it.

As President, I will end the war in Iraq. We will have our troops home in sixteen months. I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century - nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, "You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now."

America, our moment is now.

Our moment is now.

I don't want to spend 2008 re-fighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s. That’s exactly what Mitt and Rudy want. That’s they’re only hope of winning because they know that if this election is about health care, or ending this war, or making college affordable, then they will lose. They are counting on the same bitter partisanship and the same electoral map we’ve had for far too long.

I believe I can transform that map. In my Senate race I won some of the reddest, most Republican counties in Illinois. In 2006, when House and Senate candidates in states like Missouri, and Nebraska, and Tennessee, and Virginia, and Indiana needed someone to come campaign for them, I was the one they called. And I’m attracting more Independents and Republicans to our cause than anyone else in this campaign.

It’s because I believe we can build that new majority – not just to win, but to govern – to actually get something done. I don't want to pit Red America against Blue America, I want to be President of the United States of America. And that won't just be a Democratic victory; that will be an American victory.

And that is a victory America needs right now.

I am not in this race to fulfill some long-held ambitions or because I believe it's somehow owed to me. I never expected to be here, I always knew this journey was improbable. I've never been on a journey that wasn't.

I am running in this race because of what Dr. King called "the fierce urgency of now." Because I believe that there's such a thing as being too late. And that hour is almost upon us.

I don't want to wake up four years from now and find out that millions of Americans still lack health care because we couldn't take on the insurance industry.

I don't want to see that the oceans have risen a few more inches. The planet has reached a point of no return because we couldn't find a way to stop buying oil from dictators.

I don't want to see more American lives put at risk because no one had the judgment or the courage to stand up against a misguided war before we sent our troops into fight.

I don't want to see homeless veterans on the streets. I don't want to send another generation of American children to failing schools. I don't want that future for my daughters. I don't want that future for your sons. I do not want that future for America.

I'm in this race for the same reason that I fought for jobs for the jobless and hope for the hopeless on the streets of Chicago; for the same reason I fought for justice and equality as a civil rights lawyer; for the same reason that I fought for Illinois families for over a decade.

Because I will never forget that the only reason that I'm standing here today is because somebody, somewhere stood up for me when it was risky. Stood up when it was hard. Stood up when it wasn't popular. And because that somebody stood up, a few more stood up. And then a few thousand stood up. And then a few million stood up. And standing up, with courage and clear purpose, they somehow managed to change the world.

That's why I'm running, Democrats – to give our children and grandchildren the same chances somebody gave me.

That's why I'm running - to keep the American Dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity, who still thirst for equality.

That's why I'm asking you to stand with me, that's why I'm asking you to vote for me, that's why I am asking you to stop settling for what the cynics say we have to accept. In this election - in this moment - let us reach for what we know is possible. A nation healed. A world repaired. An America that believes again. Thank you very much everybody.

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