Following the $ and the flesh...

Yes, that was our junior U.S. senator on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric last night giving the Pentagon, specifically the Air Force, a well-earned hard time. So much for his critics who assured us no one would pay any heed to him when he arrived in the United States Senate:

“The idea that over $200 million in spare parts that has not yet come into the Air Force is already marked for disposal!” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “They’re planning to get rid of it and it hasn’t even come in!”

Sanders wants Congress to cut Air Force funding if it doesn't get a serious grip on its inventory problem.

It costs up to $30 million dollars a year just to store the stuff they don't need.

Nobody at the Air Force would agree to an interview, but told us they're "taking steps" to fix the problems and to "serve the best interest of the American public."

“We have almost $19 billion in absolute waste in spare parts in the Air Force,” Sanders said.

They are taxpayer dollars squandered in the wild blue yonder.

Watch him yourself here.

Then, this afternoon, I bumped into these four gents at the Green Door Studio around the corner off Pine Street. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Four Iraq War veterans...from l-to-r: Eli Wright, served as an army combat medic with the Ist Infantry Division; Jon Michael Turner, 8th Marines; Liam Madden, 31st Marine Expeditionary Force; Matt Howard, two tours in Iraq with the Marines. Wright's the only one still on active duty over at Ft. Drum.

What are they doing?

They're cutting up their old uniforms to make paper and other works of art.

Everybody's got to do something, right?

"I am shredding these uniforms because they are symbols of a betrayal," said Madden, "and I think it’s pretty liberating."

Feels good?

"Feels real good," said he.

Making paper out of old soldier uniforms?

Check it out. I missed the Seven Days story last April, too.

Comments

[sandy ward]

Hey Senator Sanders, we have bigger problems than misappropriation of military funds. The feds have moved in on Vermont and are threatening our good citizens. Please go to broadsides.org and read the comments beginning with snarkyboy blogging entry.

It's time for the good citizens of Vermont to take up arms to protect their right to speak out against the government. Looks like we're going to be forced to fight the bastards right here in our own backyards.

Get ready Vermont, because once they take people like me and snarkyboy, you will be left with no one to fight for your rights.

[Tony Supporter]

What do the 4 Iraq vets mean by "symbols of betrayal"?

[Ivan Jacobs]

I'm not sure, but I think what Sandy might have meant to say was: Does Bernie have a position on the thought-crime prevention bill? s. 1959

"The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" is yet another scary step towards full-on fascism, the house version (HR 1955) was passed 2 Months ago today on a vote of 404-6.

Read the text of the bill here.

[montpelier28]

How did it get through the House? The nuns that taught me Civics are rolling over in heaven. We are everything they taught us countries were not supposed to be like.PS -There is no heaven.

[Your Nuns]

If you don't believe us on the Heaven thing, then why believe our Civics lessons?

[John Burgess]

As we read Sandy's comment about the Feds. taking us out one at a time, we should remember the following by a pastor in Germany during Hittler's era
by pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

[Peter Joes]

Thanks for bringing my attention to this bill. Maybe someone can enlighten me as to why Rep. Welch apparently voted for it (or get me straightened out if he didn't).

PJ

[MsRee]

Re: HR 1955 The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007

Vermont
Aye VT-0 Welch, Peter [D]

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-993

[sandy ward]

I guess we all know why Welsh voted in favor of this bill...job security.