Keeping America Safe at Home
Democrats are unwavering in our commitment to keep our nation safe. That's why we led the fight to create the Department of Homeland Security and continue to fight to ensure that our ports, nuclear and chemical plants, and other sensitive facilities are secured against attack.
Democrats support fair immigration reform that keeps our borders secure. Democrats are also united to ensure that the world's most dangerous weapons stay out of the hands of terrorists. We will expand the pace and scope of programs to eliminate and safeguard nuclear materials, enhance efforts to keep these and other deadly materials out of the hands of terrorists, and assist state and local governments in equipping and training those responsible for dealing with the effects of terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction.
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain will provide law enforcement officials the tools they need to combat crime.
John McCain says he would keep our country safe. But the reality is Senator McCain has voted repeatedly against giving our law enforcement officers the resources they need to protect our communities. Senator McCain voted against funding for the successful COPS program and against interoperable communications equipment for first responders. And instead of putting new officers on the street, helping officers prevent crime, and instituting tough new penalties for criminals, Senator McCain voted against the landmark 1994 Crime Bill.
Charlie Black, top adviser to John McCain, told Forbes that a terrorist strike would be a "big advantage" to the presumptive GOP nominee. John McCain later disavowed the comments and called them "untrue" and "inappropriate."But John McCain said just as...
John McCain's folks have a real penchant for sending out all the wrong surrogates. Rudy Giuliani recently attacked Senator Barack Obama's national security credentials despite the fact that John McCain claimed in 2007 that Giuliani doesn't have any national security...
John McCain and his campaign, apparently, do not have much faith in the American justice system, nor believe our Constitution can handle the national security challenges of this century. McCain supporter and surrogate, Rudy Giuliani, revived the "noun, a verb...
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain has a consistent policy on nuclear nonproliferation.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today responded to President Bush's outrageous comments about Democrats.
Josh Marshall asks: If John McCain can't stand up to the North Carolina GOP swift-boat freaks, how can he stand up to al Qaeda?...
John McCain says he "understands national security and the threats facing our nation." Yet at the same time, he has said he would keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, despite the fact that key military and political experts believe our engagement in Iraq has not made America safer and has diverted critical resources from the real war on terror in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
I briefly alluded to what's going on with FISA and the Protect America Act (PPA) yesterday, but missed a lot of the specifics because of the DRAMA! of the House Republicans interrupting the service for Tom Lantos and later walking out during a contempt vote.
"A Van Buren man paroled in 2004 after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted his six-year prison sentence for fourth-offense DWI pleaded guilty to a new drunken driving charge Tuesday."
In an interview with National Journal, former Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, confirmed the use of waterboarding as an interrogation tactic by the Bush administration.
From the Huffington Post: "The presidential candidate who sang "Bomb bomb Iran" is already looking towards the war after the war in Iraq."
Rudy describes an imaginary NYC in new ad. From Factcheck.org
Bernie Kerik and Rudy Giuliani have been the best of friends. We put together a presentation to shed some light on how we got to where we are today, with Kerik indicted on 16 felony counts.
Washington, DC -- Upon hearing the news that Bernard Kerik would be indicted on multiple corruption charges, Rudy Giuliani refused to say whether or not he would pardon his long time friend. Having helped shepherd Kerik's career, evidence suggests that Giuliani knew about Kerik's ethical problems and still promoted him from driver in his 1993 mayoral campaign to New York City's Corrections Department Commissioner to the city's police chief to business partner. [Daily News, 11/09/07]
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement after President Bush spoke about the war on terror and his misguided war in Iraq:
As lobbyist turned actor Fred Thompson campaigns in Georgia today after a week of cancellations and no-shows that have angered supporters, voters will be wondering if he's really ready to be president.
John McCain, who lost the South Carolina primary the last time he ran, is in the Palmetto State for a second straight day highlighting the key problem with his candidacy this cycle: McCain offers fundamentally the same failed policies of the Bush Administration that are keeping our brave American troops bogged down in the middle of an Iraqi civil war, opposing critical measures to keep us safe at home, and failing to adequately pursue Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.
From the archives comes this footage of George W Bush at the Republican convention dismissing allegations that Dan Quayle had received help getting into the National Guard during Vietnam.
As part of his multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, smooth talking Mitt Romney today rolled out a new ad, entitled "Jihad," that aims to distract from his complete lack of foreign policy credentials and litany of blunders on international affairs.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today applauded the passage of the federal Hate Crimes bill in the U.S. Senate. The bill would provide equal protections for every American by extending the definition of hate crimes under federal law...
Slick Mitt switches positions on the "global war on terror."
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani is all talk when it comes to fighting terrorism.
The Democratic Congress passed legislation today to implement the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission, to make our country safer and more secure.
The Democratic-led Congress just reached consensus on legislation that would "require a greater share of Homeland Security grants to be based on risk, instead of a political formula, and seeks to tighten security of cargo carried on ships and passenger planes."
'Leaders of the International Association of Fire Fighters and relatives of firefighters killed at the World Trade Center in 2001 are stepping up their campaign against Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, this time with a YouTube video and a Web site.'
What's the truth about Rudy's leadership during times of crisis? A group of New York firefighters today slammed Giuliani's response to 9/11, saying that his record on fighting terror is "all a fallacy":
"Good morning. My name is Tim Roemer, I'm from Indiana and I served as a member of the 9/11 Commission. "Last week, two terrorist attacks were launched against one of our strongest allies, Great Britain. As Americans celebrate this Independence Day weekend, many are asking whether the next attack will come here.
Move over John McCain! Rudy's positioning himself as the Bad Temper candidate of 2008:
Will Rudy ever stop the terror scare-talk? The Boston Globe notes that Giuliani's post 9/11 leadership isn't as stellar as he says:
While Rudy Giuliani was assuring New Yorkers that the air quality was safe after 9/11, his health Department said that it was "not yet suitable." Will he accept responsibility for his failures?
Longtime aide criticizes Giuliani's 9-11 image:
Mike Huckabee Commuted 152 Felons For Over 500 Crimes In Ten Years As Arkansas Governor, 14% Rearrested, Governor Accused of Playing Favorites.
As Rudy Giuliani touts his leadership skills on the campaign trial, news reports today again call into question the judgment of "America's mayor" in the aftermath of 9/11. According to The New York Times, Giuliani did not enforce federal requirements that workers at Ground Zero wear respirators and, as a result, "more than 2,000 New York City firefighters have been treated for serious respiratory problems."
Rudy Giuliani may be headed for a national security makeover due to questionable clients.
Mike Huckabee's son arrested with a handgun:
While campaigning in New Hampshire last night, Rudy Giuliani resorted to hurling desperate attacks about Democrats while trying to tout his national security credentials. Despite the fact that he failed to prepare New York City for the second attack on the World Trade Center and he has not acknowledged the dire realities on the ground in Iraq, Giuliani yesterday said, "Democrats want to put us back on defense."
With the Senate recently completing their 100th work day, it's worth taking a look at all they have already done to improve the lives of Americans. Unlike the do-nothing Republican Congress they replaced, Democrats have already pursued a positive agenda and gotten things done on ethics reform, minimum wage, energy independence, eduction, health care, homeland security, veterans, and Iraq.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement applauding the introduction of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) in the Senate and urged its swift passage:
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement following the Senate vote to change course in Iraq
Speaker Pelosi: "Rather than sending more troops into the chaos that is the Iraqi civil war, we must be focused on bringing the war to an end. We can do that by passing this bill that transforms the performance benchmarks that have already been endorsed by President Bush and the Iraqi government, into requirements…Benchmarks without deadlines are just words. Four years of this war, words are not enough."
Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have introduced legislation that would hold the Iraqi government accountable to meet benchmarks while calling for the redeployment of U.S. combat troops by a specific date. The legislation would also expand funding for veterans' health care and meet troop readiness standards so that they aren't sent in without the proper training.
Condoleezza Rice, in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Iraq war funding earlier this week, spoke about "a neighbors' conference" that both Iran and Syria were invited to attend. Today we find out that the Bush administration is still refusing to hold direct talks with Iran and Syria, despite that being a key recommendation of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group.
President Bush will appear today at a photo-op at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but even his latest PR campaign can't hide his failure to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission or recent decision to significantly cut the homeland security budget.
House Democrats, led by Henry Waxman, grilled the former head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, Paul Bremer, over how he doled out up to $12 billion.
A senior bipartisan Congressional delegation led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today, following their trip to Iraq. The delegation included Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton; Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos; Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre...
As the Bush administration continues to escalate the civil war in Iraq with tens of thousands of additional troops, the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee took the first step in their opposition with a resolution declaring the escalation "not in the national interest."
The ability of the Democrats to win over significant numbers of Republicans on most votes signals the slim but enticing possibility of Democratic mastery over a demoralized Republican Party. If the new bipartisanship takes root, the prospects for health care legislation and immigration reform sharply improve.
Finally, with a Democratic Congress, the Bush administration is facing the tough questions on the mishandling of the war in Iraq. Appearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Condoleezza Rice received harsh criticism over the President Bush's plans to escalate the civil war with tens of thousands of additional troops.
"By choosing to escalate the crisis in Iraq, President Bush continues to ignore the lessons of history, ignore the advice of military experts, ignore the recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and the will of the American people. The...
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Richard Durbin released the following statement tonight on President Bush's address to the nation on the war in Iraq: "Last November, the...
As President Bush prepares to address the nation tonight, with a plea for more troops to continue his failed strategy in Iraq, Democrats are sending a strong message that Congress will no longer serve as a rubber stamp. With the country descending further into a bloody civil war, the President has called to escalate the war yet again. The strategy is "more of the same" from this administration and the American people are tired of the same policies simply being given a new catchphrase.
The Troops? Nope. According to a Military Times Poll, a minority -- only 38% -- of American troops think there should be a greater number of troops than there are now. The Commanders? Nope. General John Abizaid told Congress: "I...
Senator Kennedy will introduce legislation today that, if passed, will prohibit escalation in Iraq without express Congressional approval of a plan and budget.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid sent a letter to President Bush calling on him to reject plans to escalate the civil war with additional troops and stating "it is time to begin to move our forces out of Iraq." The Bush/McCain war escalation plan expected next week comes as U.S. fatalities over the course of the war in Iraq pass 3,000, along with the deadliest month for American troops in over two years.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff unanimously disagrees with White House officials favoring escalation in Iraq through redeployment of troops scheduled to go home. Despite Bush claiming to listen to military commanders, he now says he might ignore their serious warnings that escalating the civil war could lead to more attacks by al-Qaeda and fuel the jihadist appeal for more foreign fighters to flock to Iraq to attack U.S. troops.
Describing the civil war in Iraq as "grave and deteriorating," the much anticipated report from The Iraq Study Group warned that staying the course is a failed strategy. As the situation collapses further into chaos, the report should wake-up President Bush to the dangers of more of the same.
John Aravosis has a good look at the Senate Democrats and their Iraq inquiries: Two articles in today's Washington Post show the difference the elections made when it comes to Iraq. Democrats on the Armed Services Committee, which will include...
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement commemorating Veterans' Day: "Today, Americans are united in honoring the almost 27 million veterans of our country's Armed Forces. For generations, Americans of all backgrounds, from all across the...
Yesterday during an interview with the Associated Press, President Bush said he “wants Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney to remain in his administration until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee to two of the most-criticized members of his team.” [AP, 11/1/06] Despite their numerous faulty predictions and assertions, President Bush remains completely loyal to two architects of his failed Iraq policy.
With the GOP’s electoral fortunes dwindling, President Bush is stumping for the second day in a row in Georgia, traditionally a Republican stronghold. At the same time, President Bush and his Administration’s distortions on the Iraq war and the war on terror continue to get more desperate as the mid-term election draws closer.
The Republican's latest attack ad is a desperate ploy to once again try to scare voters and distract from their failures. Under the incompetent GOP leadership, Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, the Taliban is resurging in Afghanistan, our troops are pinned down in the middle of a civil war in Iraq, and North Korea is testing nuclear weapons. Republicans are so afraid of their abysmal record they can't offer one example of what they've done to keep America safe.
The Washington Post reports that, "The growing doubts among GOP lawmakers about the administration's Iraq strategy, coupled with the prospect of Democratic wins in next month's midterm elections, will soon force the Bush administration to abandon its open-ended commitment to the war..."
President Bush will make remarks today in Greensboro, North Carolina, on one of his most well-known policy failures, the No Child Left Behind Act. Less than three weeks before Election Day, the President’s poll numbers remain low and his Administration’s misleading statements about its record on education and a host of other issues do nothing to repair his lost credibility. From the economy to the war in Iraq to education, the Bush White House is floundering after years of broken promises and failed initiatives.
With their poll numbers sagging and their credibility all but evaporated three weeks before Election Day, President Bush and Vice President Cheney have resorted to tough talk and fear tactics to try to distract from their failed policies. North Korea may be preparing for another nuclear test, thousands of Iraqi police officers have been fired for corruption, and the Iraqi Prime Minister has publicly expressed his frustration with the Bush Administration.
Will the President listen to his own commission if they aren't parroting the things he wants to hear? A commission backed by President Bush that is exploring U.S. options in Iraq intends to propose significant changes in the administration's strategy...
After ignoring port security for the last five years, today President Bush will sign the SAFE Port Act. Five years after 9/11, the Bush Administration and Republican leaders in Congress still have much more work to do when it comes to keeping our country safe. The GOP has not only neglected port security, but they’ve also ignored the security of our airlines, our nuclear and chemical plants, our railroads, critical infrastructure and under-funded important first responder training.
Today, in the wake of a spate of school shootings, President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will participate in a panel on school safety in Chevy Chase, MD. Despite the President's newfound attention to this crucial issue, his Administration has not taken the safety of our classrooms very seriously over the last five years.
The latest Newsweek poll shows that the cover-up of the scandal involving disgraced former Republican Congressman Mark Foley “threatens to sink Republican hopes of keeping control of Congress.”
Governor Dean writes an op-ed for the Sunday New York Times: We live in dangerous times that demand real leadership. The president’s foreign policies have failed. Recent polls show that a plurality of Americans trust Democrats over Republicans to handle...
Today, President Bush will attempt to trumpet his Administration’s efforts to keep our country safe. But, the record is clear: the Bush Administration has not made homeland security a real priority. From their inability to secure our borders and ports, to their failure to enact the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, the Bush White House and their GOP Congress have ignored vital holes in our homeland security.
In case you haven’t yet made it through all 491 pages of Bush Administration missteps chronicled in Bob Woodward’s new book, State of Denial, the Senate Democratic Communications Center put together a handy timeline of ignored warnings and disregarded expertise....
Following the September 11th terrorist attacks, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there was no way of predicting the terrorist plot, yet we continue to learn about previously undisclosed warnings. First we learned about the now infamous "Bin Laden Determined to Attack America" memo, and this week we're told that Rice was warned by CIA Director George Tenet in July 2001 of al Qaeda's intent to attack U.S. interests. The Bush White House is clearly concerned about the appearance of Rice’s faulty memory, as they issued a press release today entitled, “The Rest Of The Story: The Rice-Tenet Meeting.”
According to Bob Woodward’s new book on the Bush Administration’s bungling of the war on terror and their failed Iraq policies, “State of Denial,” the Bush Administration ignored warnings of Al Qaeda attacks prior to 9/11. Woodward chronicled how the White House continues to hide the true number of attacks on American soldiers in Iraq and also the attempts to have Defense Secretary Rumsfeld fired for his inept policies and disregard for post-war planning in Iraq.
The intelligence community confirms that President Bush's war of choice in Iraq is making us less safe at home. Today, instead of meeting with leaders of both parties to discuss the challenges we face in Iraq and on homeland security, President Bush instead chose to only meet with Republican leaders. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean called on President Bush to put partisanship aside, and work with members of both parties to meet the needs of our country.
The Republican-led Congress is set to go home in one business day, leaving a number of important legislative priorities undone and a host of issues unresolved. After 12 years of Republican Congressional rule, the GOP puts politics ahead of what's good for America and are ineffective at dealing with the problems that American families face. It is no wonder that Americans are fed up with Republican leadership in Congress and now favor Democratic control.
The Republican-controlled Congress has repeatedly blocked efforts to adequately secure our nation's nuclear and chemical plants, leaving millions vulnerable to the disastrous consequences of a possible terrorist attack.
That's what Tony Snow, the White House Press Secretary said today. I have a bit of trouble following that logic. You see, the President doesn't have such a great track record when it comes to telling truth or dealing with...
The recently declassified National Intelligence Estimate shows how the President's war of choice in Iraq, and his failed leadership, have fueled global terrorism. The overall estimate is bleak. It depicts a movement that is likely to grow more quickly than the West's ability to counter it over the next five years.
Condi Rice can parrot the President's fantasy talking points as often as she likes. It won't make them true. In an interview with the NY Post she claimed the Clinton Administration failed to leave behind a comprehensive strategy to fight...
Leader Pelosi offered a motion earlier designed to call Congress into a secret session to discuss the National Intelligence Estimate on global terrorism. According to AP: In an interview with The Associated Press, Pelosi, D-Calif., said the secret session is...
In an interview with Fox News televised this morning, President Bill Clinton fought back against the right-wing misinformation and smear campaign and stood up for the truth. President Clinton set the facts straight on his administration's record fighting the war on terror. He also stood up against the Fox News' right-wing bullying and propaganda machine, pointing out the lack of tough questions being posed to the current administration.
Senator Reid: “There was a time when events like today’s hearing were commonplace in the halls of Congress—especially during war. Unfortunately in this Congress—for the war in Iraq—meaningful hearings have been few and far between. The 109th Congress has sat...
Tammy Duckworth is the real thing: During an election debate at the weekend in the outskirts of Chicago, Peter Roskam, the Republican candidate for Illinois's sixth district, trotted out the familiar line that his Democratic opponent wanted America to "cut...
A must-read from the NYT: A stark assessment of terrorism trends by American intelligence agencies has found that the American invasion and occupation of Iraq has helped spawn a new generation of Islamic radicalism and that the overall terrorist threat...
The Republican-led Congress is set to go home in seven work days, leaving a host of issues unresolved. After twelve years of Republican Congressional rule, the GOP puts politics ahead of what's good for America.
Today, the
Washington Post reports that the Bush Administration’s pattern of rewarding unqualified political cronies with jobs has hindered the Iraqi reconstruction efforts.
One year ago today, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush stood in Jackson Square in New Orleans and pledged "bold action." Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history and the President promised to make the communities of the Gulf Coast "even better and stronger than before the storm." Unfortunately, a year has passed and many of the White House's promises have not been kept, transportation systems are still in disrepair and schools and hospitals face numerous problems.
Yesterday: The Senate Armed Services Committee defied President Bush on Thursday, with four Republicans joining Democrats in approving a plan for the trial and interrogation of terrorism suspects that the White House has rejected as unacceptable. The Republican rebellion was...
In the same week Americans commemorated the fifth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, and less than two weeks after the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Congressional Republicans in Washington are again blocking Democratic efforts to fund improved communications...
John Murtha blogs over at HuffPo: Today I introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for the immediate resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The President must show the American people and the world that there is...
Instead of using the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as an opportunity to unify the country, President Bush instead marked the solemn occasion by using divisive and misleading rhetoric once again falsely conflating the war in Iraq and the war on terror. An editorial in today's
New York Times notes that "Iraq had nothing to do with the war on terror until the Bush administration decided to invade it." The President claims that America is safer today because of the Iraq War. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.
Last night, President Bush used the occasion of the fifth anniversary of September 11th as another stop on his P.R. tour, repeatedly using false rhetoric to mislead the American people. Heading into November, this will not be the last time that the Bush Administration and Republicans distort the facts in the war on terror for political gain. Below is a new document from DNC research contrasting President Bush’s misleading assertions in his speech last night with the reality that his Administration’s failed policies have made America less safe.
Today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean appeared on "Fox News Sunday". During the interview Governor Dean highlighted the fact that the war in Iraq has left America's forces and resources stretched thin and distracted us from the larger war on terror. Governor Dean called for a New Direction for America, one that tracks down Osama bin Laden and other terrorists and works to prevent future attacks by fully funding our nation's homeland security priorities.
This week, Congressman Sherrod Brown, Ohio candidate for the United States Senate, delivered the Democratic Radio Address. To listen to his remarks, click here. Good morning. This is Congressman Sherrod Brown, Ohio candidate for the United States Senate. On Monday,...
On CBS's "Face the Nation" today, Sen. Mitch McConnell said that he hasn't seen the Democratic plan to fight the war on terror.
An article in today's
New York Times notes that five years after the most devastating terrorist attack in our nation's history, the federal government's response to illnesses caused by 9/11 has been inadequate.
Dissent is Patriotic: Mayor Rocky Anderson came out swinging today at an anti-war protest in Salt Lake City -- demanding President Bush tell the truth about the war in Iraq. Thousands of people gathered outside the City-County Building this afternoon...
Asked whether New Orleans’ levees could withstand another storm, Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison said, "I don't know whether they'd hold or not. It really doesn't matter because that whole area is in an evacuation zone." It is precisely this kind of short-sighted thinking that has made America less safe under the Republican watch. The 9/11 Commission noted earlier this month that troubling gaps in our homeland security still exist.
