Progressive Democrat Issue 172

The floods in the Midwest have continued and I include some information where I can in the Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin sections. Best of luck to all readers in the hard hit areas.

I have also been highlighting more about local blogs, Congressional races and Obama events in the various states I cover. Things are looking quite good. Recent polls have shown Obama with leads in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania and is neck and neck with McCain in Florida, Georgia (thanks to Bob Barr's candidacy...just like I've been predicting), Alaska (again, I have been saying Obama can make this competitive), North Carolina and Virginia. An early lead Obama seemed to have in Indiana has been fading, something that doesn't surprise me at all. It is still a long time before November, so much can change. But they have been throwing all they can at Obama and so far he has been doing better and better. Most of the electoraal vote measures I follow have Obama solidly ahead. In fact they show him over or near 300 electoral votes, just like Senator Chuck Schumer predicts. Personally I believe Indiana and Florida (by hook or by crook) will go McCain. But I do believe that Obama will win, quite possibly with more than 300 electoral votes and will win some states that Democrats haven't won for decades.

This week I return to an issue I discussed before: Republican cronies litterally killing our troops with no government oversight. This week Democratic Sentor Bob Casey is demanding an investigation of the electrocutions due to bad wiring that have been plaguing our military bases managed by a Hallibruton subsidiary.

This week I also bring together two related issues: the separation of church and state and I address Bush vs. McCain from a Jewish perspective. There are so many lies put out by McCain and other Republicans that we have to keep reminding everyone of the truth.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

SENATOR BOB CASEY CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF ELECTROCUTED TROOPS

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE: Republicans vs. the Founding Fathers

OBAMA vs. McCAIN: The Jewish Perspective

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Obama, Veterans for Peace, Impeachment, Groups and Events

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS: Blogs, Alternative Energy, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

TEXAS FOCUS: Blogs, Rick Noriega, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS: Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Actions, Peace Vigils, Groups and Events

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

WISCONSIN FOCUS: Dams, Blogs, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

IOWA FOCUS: Dams, Blogs, Peace Vigils, Groups and Events

ILLINOIS FOCUS: Dams, Peace Vigils, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Blogs, Blue Jersey Radio, Impeachment, Groups and Events

GEORGIA FOCUS: Obama, Veterans for Peace, NAACP, Groups and Events

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS: Blogs, Kay Hagan, Larry Kissell, Groups and Events

FLORIDA FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Christine Jennings, Joe Garcia, Groups and Events

OHIO FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

MICHIGAN FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Mark Schauer, Gary Peters, Groups and Events

ARIZONA FOCUS: Progressive Candidates, Groups and Events

OREGON FOCUS: Blogs, Obama, Jeff Merkley, Neighborhood Leaders, Groups and Events

ALASKA FOCUS: Diane Benson, Mark Begich, Veterans for Peace, Groups and Events

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) Calls for Investigation of Electrocutions of our Soldiers

A while back I discussed the inevitable consequence of Republican no-bid contracts for companies, like Halliburton, owned by their cronies with no oversight: the electrocution of our troops due to corporate incompetance. This is another part of the crony capitalism and the "Drown America in a Bathtub" ideology of the right wing.

The background story is this: a Halliburton subsidary, KBR, was given a no-bid contract to manage some bases in Iraq. The Republican government let them do this with no real oversight. The incompetence of this company has led to the electrocution of some of our troops due to faulty wiring. This problem was known and yet the company did nothing and continued to be awarded no-bid contracts by the Republicans. And the electrocutions have continued with no action taken.

Finally a freshman Democratic Senator, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, is calling for a formal investigation from the General Accounting Office.

I originally was going to use a Salon.com article from AP wires, but AP doesn't want me linking to their stuff anymore, so I went right to the original source (2 minutes extra work for me, less traffic to AP articles). Democratic Senator Bob Casey's letter to the GAO:

I write to request that the Government Accountability Office examine the tragic pattern of accidental electrocutions that have killed at least twelve U.S. service members serving in Iraq since 2003. My inquiry is prompted by the January 2, 2008 death of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth of Shaler, Pennsylvania, who was electrocuted while taking a shower in his living quarters in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad. According to the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Staff Sergeant Maseth died when the electricity in the shower facility short-circuited because an electric water pump on the rooftop was not properly grounded.

Recent news reports and statements from the Department of Defense in response to Staff Sergeant Maseth’s death have led me to believe that a lack of government oversight and poor contract management may have contributed to accidental deaths or injuries of U.S. personnel serving overseas. I am requesting that the Government Accountability Office provide a full history of accidental electrocution-related deaths or injuries of military and contract personnel in Iraq as well as any other military installation where such an incident occurred since 2003. In addition, I am requesting a complete and transparent accounting of the steps taken by the Department of Defense, its affiliates, and contractors to remedy existing problems and prevent future incidents of this nature from occurring. I would appreciate your formal opinion on this issue.

According to information provided by the Army and Marine Corps to the office of Representative Altmire, at least twelve service members have died in Iraq as a result of electrocutions since 2003. In October 2004, the Army issued a safety publication noting that five soldiers died from electrocution in 2004 alone and highlighted electrocution as a serious threat to soldiers in Iraq.

Following Staff Sergeant Maseth’s death, an initial investigation by the Department of Defense’s Criminal Investigative Division office found that the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) was aware of the electrical safety hazard posed by this shower facility. In 2007, DCMA contracted with Kellogg, Brown and Root Services, Inc. to perform maintenance on the building although it is unclear whether KBR or DCMA was at fault for failing to make the repair. A Defense Department spokesman said that the Pentagon has turned the matter over to the Department’s Inspector General for further investigation.

I request that the GAO urgently examine the following aspects of this case and provide its findings/recommendations as quickly as possible:

* Since 2003 when the first accidental electrocution death was reported, how many deaths or injuries from accidental electrocutions of military and contract personnel in Iraq, as well as any other military installation, have occurred?

* Has improper electrical grounding of facilities in Iraq been a cause or contributing factor in any of the twelve deaths in Iraq since 2003? Did the various investigations launched by DoD in response to these accidental electrocutions conclude that poor contract management or inaction contributed to the cause of death?

* What measures have the Department of Defense and its affiliates taken to ensure proper safety and code enforcement by contractors operating in Iraq, specifically KBR, in eliminating issues of electrical safety hazard since 2003, and after the Army safety publication was released in 2004?

* What further actions do you recommend the Department of Defense take to increase oversight on contractors charged with ensuring that facilities are up to U.S. code and ensure that avoidable dangers, such as accidental electrocution, do not occur in the future?

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this request. I look forward to your findings and recommendations.

Sincerely,

Robert P. Casey, Jr.