National Security

The Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate released a great video yesterday with military perspectives on clean energy, climate change and national security. 

Does Kit Bond's grandstanding about prosecuting terrorists have anything to do with politics? "Give me a break!" he says.

I'm not sure why Chuck Todd even asked that question. We all remember when Bond hyperventilated like this when the Bush Administration was prosecuting terrorists in criminal courts.

We may die in a terrorist attack if Congress repeals "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Last night: 

VoteVets.org is launching a new ad campaign targeting Roy Blunt's opposition to clean energy and jobs legislation that would reduce American dependence on foreign oil.  The ads will be running St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield, a spokesman tells the Post-Dispatch.

UPDATE: Jason Noble has a brutal blog post over at the Prime Buzz about Stouffer's campaign official press conference.  In response, Stouffer's campaign has explained that the Senator will be sponsoring legislation somehow related to federal policy. 

Tell us again why Stouffer's Congressional campaign is making the announcements about what his official office is doing? 

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State Sen. Bill Stouffer is conducting an "informal press conference" tomorrow morning alongside state senate candidate Jack Jackson to talk about how terrible it would be if the discriminatory and counterproductive "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy -- a federal policy -- is repealed. 

In Stouffer's media advisory, distributed at taxpayer expense, the Senator promises to offer a "Missouri response" to President Obama's stated intention to end DADT. 

Of course, there aren't any "Missouri responses" to a prospective change in federal DADT policy, but Stouffer wants to get his name in the paper to prove he's as disgusted by gays in the military as primary opponent Vicky Hartlzer.

I'm sure Stouffer doesn't mind any criticism from the left for his demagoguery against the LGBT community. But conservatives and progressives alike should be able to agree that it makes no sense for taxpayers to be paying for this garbage.

Why was it okay for the Bush Administration to prosecute shoe bomber Richard Reid in criminal court, but a very bad idea for the Obama Administration to put Omar AbdulMutallab into the criminal justice system?

Or put another way, why is our justice system equipped to handle a man who tried to blow up an airplane with explosives in his shoes, but unable to handle the a man who tried to blow up an airplane with explosives in his underpants? 

UPDATE: Kit Bond's Communications Director Shana Marchio responded to my question via Twitter:

Simple answer - it wasn't - this mistake was corrected w/Padilla

Should've been as enemy combatnt. Like 2day's show, Bond critical of Bush AND Obama Admin. Goal: prevent repeating mistakes

Via MPNblog.com, I see that Vicky Hartzler thinks climate change and global warming is just one great big "hoax."  

Given the importance of military issues and voters in the 4th District, maybe Hartlzer can explain why Pentagon planners now officially consider global warming a threat to national security?  As ThinkProgress notes, the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review "will report that climate change could result in food and water scarcity, pandemics, population displacement, and other destabilizing events that could create conflict."

Repower America began a new ad on national cable yesterday to highlight the national security concerns of veterans and national security leaders about destabilizing climate change.

The ad features Iraq War veterans alongside General Brent Scowcroft and General Wesley Clark. 

The Operation Free bus tour pushed through Missouri today, calling for new policies to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of energy and reduce climate changing pollution that jeopardizes national security. A national tour with Midwestern flair, speakers included Billy Froescher of Columbia, Matt Victoriano of Fayetteville, AR, and Ed May of Jeffersonville, IN. 

Today's stops were part of a 21-state tour to raise awareness of the looming climate change crisis, and its associated consequences for national security.

VoteVets.org, a progressive coalition of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, launched a new ad campaign today "aimed at getting the Senate to pass a clean energy and climate bill."

The ad features Jackie Rodgers, Jr. of Paris.  It will run both nationally and in Missouri.