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Bob and Tim I will look for your book, can't wait to read it! Daughter of Capt J.W. Brooks, El Toro Marine for over 22 years! BTW has Alzheimer's due to TCE/PCE so SHOUT IT OUT LOUD, LONG AND VIGOROUSLY THE TRUTH SHALL PREVAIL! Semper Fi and Thank you! -sue

Tim King: Thanks Sue, the Kindle version should be ready as soon as today, we will issue another story when it is, thank you!

Those bereft of a willingness to acknowledge or perceive reality are left with just one thing; deception. First, they are self-deceived, constructing a make-believe reality from their own imagination, (or following other's manufactured false reality). Second, they are deceived by an malevolent force, one that tirelessly works to deceive the masses (Satan). Unfortunately, you cannot rationalize with the deceived, they are delusional, and fully engaged narcissists. These are often progressives who live off the taxpayers for their dark existence.

By the way anonymous, why are you anonymous? If you truly believe the message you are delivering, why not put your name to it?

Anonymous, I am a registered Independent voter and I supported both a Democrat and a Republican for their re-election campaigns in 2010. With that being said I must tell you that your comment is full of contradictions and statements which are quite obviously not very well thought out nor factual. First of all, the current president did not have 3 years of a Democratic controlled congress...it was only two years. You also are leaving out the fact that our economy was in the "toilet" before our current president took office. It was Hank Paulson, George Bush's Secretary of the Treasury (and former CEO of Goldman Sachs) that put forth the bailout for Wall Street investment bankers. His proposal was welcomed and accepted by George Bush and Dick Cheney before the 2008 Presidential elections even took place! Your revisionist history leaves out a lot of the facts.
You blame our current president for a loss of American pride and a decline in our nations standing around the world. You then contradict yourself by stating that our world standing has been in decline for 2 generations. Let's see, out of the last sixty years the Democrats have been in the White House for 24 years, the Republicans for 36 years...oops! Out of those 36 Republican years of control there were three administrations which took our nation to the virtual brink of economic disaster, Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II. They also were involved in many clandestine operations which were "cooked up" to satisfy ideological needs and not the needs of our country. When those operations were exposed it certainly didn't help our image on the world stage!
It is also quite obvious that you are someone who is living in the past. You seem to be complaining when you wrote that our grandfathers were never told what type of vehicle to drive or what type of lightbulbs to purchase. I have some news for you, our grandfathers didn't give a damned what kind of harm they did to our environment, they lived for the moment...like you seem to be. They weren't faced with the reality of global warming or if you prefer the Republican label "climate change." Our grandfathers also lived in a world which had far fewer people with plenty of oil in the ground and very little competition for it. They lived like the oil would never run out...well guess what? There was only so much oil in the ground and it is running out very quickly. Only a fool doesn't make the necessary changes required to meet changing conditions and you my friend seem to be one of them. You are listening to the rhetoric of people who are telling untruths so they can live a moments dream...seizing power. I have a news flash for you, it doesn't matter who is in power, the fact is that the earth is running out of oil and there isn't a damned thing that ANY man or party can do about it. You can chant "drill baby drill" until you are blue in the face and it won't make any difference! In a span of less than 150 years, humans have nearly used up the oil that it took nature millions of years to make. It is imperative that we find a clean and renewable source of energy now...not later!
You also seem to be complaining about the healthcare issue in your comment so I will address that. I, along with John McCain and any other retired military personnel have been covered under a government healthcare system for our entire adult lives. John McCain has been under one for his entire life because he was born into a career Navy family and ever since he has been a member of congress. While there have been sometimes that I wasn't totally happy with the way my healthcare was administered, I never had reason to question the quality of it. Access to quality healthcare is a basic human right! It shouldn't be a priviledge that is only accessible to those who can afford it! Our own constitution guarantees us the right to "Life, Liberty, and property." Without decent, accessible healthcare, that first guarantee of "Life" would not be attainable for millions of Americans who can't afford to save their own lives or those of a loved one!
I would recommend that you educate yourself and quit playing "Ostrich" by burying your head in the sand. I also recommend that you watch something other than FOX News for your information because your knowledge of history and politics is severly lacking!

Yeah, let's not forget who ran up most of that $15 trillion in debt...Republicans!

Tim King: Amen to that Brother!

Regarding Obama in the last 3 years of his policies where a democratically-controlled congress passed his policies, and things are worse by every measurement: Where once the American flag was hailed universally as the ultimate symbol of freedom, we who live under it have slowly but surely surrendered our liberties to an insatiable government. Consider our decline in just the past two generations. Our grandfathers, who stood against evil and shed their blood to stop it, never would have tolerated their own government becoming so totalitarian that it would dictate to them what car they should drive, what (if any) health insurance they should choose or even what light bulb they should buy. Why our president fails. There’s something profoundly tragic about the failed presidency of Barack Obama. He was supposed to be a new kind of president, a man who embodied hope and would transcend petty politics and even race. Instead, we’re left with a downgraded America that is stagnating under the weight of its bloated government. As tragic as that alone is, even this is but a mere symptom of Mr. Obama’s larger fundamental failure: He simply does not trust the Americans who entrusted him with the presidency. Most presidents, we believe, ascend to the Oval Office, but for the 44th president, the reverse seems true. Whatever majesty the White House can muster must rise to the grandiosity of Barack Obama. “We are the ones we have been waiting for,” said the man who writes autobiographies and later would claim to control the rise of the oceans. As recently as this month, the food-stamp president of 13 million unemployed Americans declared himself the fourth-most-accomplished president in the history of the United States, eclipsing, in his own mind, President Reagan and even our nation’s father, George Washington. That in only three years. Barack the Magnificent won’t allow trivialities like $15 trillion debts or historic national credit downgrades dissuade him. Mr. Obama’s distrust of Americans is his fatal flaw. If the 2012 election is between Republicans and Democrats or even between conservatives and liberals, Republicans might win. But if the election is instead between a bloated, ineffectual government that distrusts its subjects and Americans who still yearn to breathe free, Republicans will win. Only then will voters have a dramatic choice between a party that trusts Americans to be free and a party that does not.

Tim, I still don't know if you realize that the TCE assessment was officially released by the White House. Yes, it was supposed to have been issued on the 2nd of September 2011 and it was held up by some idiot in OMB. It was officially released 26 days late on the 28th of September 2011. TCE is now a "known" human carcinogen based primarily on its effects on the kidney. Jerry

Tim King: Jerry, thanks for clarifying...

Tim, you and the article blame Obama for the delay in the release of the EPA report. Yet, the EPA’s long and arduous process to review TCE began in 1987 -- well before Obama took office -- when the agency issued an initial assessment classifying the chemical as a "probable" human carcinogen. Almost 15 years later, in 2001, the agency issued a draft assessment, finding that the chemical was "highly likely" to cause cancer, identifying children as a vulnerable group. The 2001 draft report triggered a 10-year assault by the chemical industry, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Energy. These entities are responsible for about 750-contaminated sites throughout the country. The George W. Bush administration forced the EPA to put the 2001 draft assessment on hold. The Pentagon further delayed the report by requesting a review by the National Academies of Science. the Bush administration followed these delays with a 2007 rule that exempted the military and certain industries from having to limit air emissions of TCE. Thus, Obama and the current EPA should be praised, not condemned, for finally releasing the report.

Tim King: Ralph, it is the culmination of so many years of deaths and disappointments.  Obama is in office now, Obama is who many decisions rest with.  The article is about Obama, it is about the most current development.  We did not expect anything from Bush; same story again there, but Obama could lead people out of this mess, I believe his decisions are very poor.  Certainly he is not to blame for it having happened in the first place, however I don't see where or why an excuse exists for his actions at this point in time.

Rosemary: How much of that TCE water did you drink? 100,000 jobs from that Canadien pipeline?! Really? BShit! You must beright wing fox looney! And, bush and the republicans who put the soldiers and marines in a fake war shit hole called Iraq, care about the military? Keep drinking that kool aide lady. You haven't drank enough, yet!

Tim, I agee that there have been failures on "both sides of the political aisle" for many, many years, that is exactly why I am a registered "Independent" voter. When it comes to a choice in the upcoming election I know that I could never cast a vote for ANYONE who has advocated disbanding our EPA and deregulating industry. Anyone who would make or support such proposals are "wrong headed" and I must really question their sanity and their motives!

I remember what our streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, and air were like back in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, they were cesspools of sewage and industrial wastes. I remember the stream which ran through the pasture near my childhood home in southcentral Pennsylvania. The water in that stream at times was the color of tea and the entire bottom was coated with slimmy green algea, it wasn't until I got older that I figured out why that was happening. The tea coloration of that water (and the algea blooms) were being caused by the run off of manure from farms upstream of us. I am happy to report that after decades of of regulations prohibiting the runoff that stream is now clean, the water is crystal clear and the green slim is gone. My brother now owns our home place and one of his neighbors has actually stocked Rainbow trout in the section of that stream which runs through his property! I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the farms which were contributing to the contamination of that stream are still owned and operated by the same families. Not only are they still operating, they have expanded their operations regardless of the regulations which led to the clean up of the stream.

No industry should be permitted to operate which infringes on the rights of ANY other person(s). Yes, I do consider a clean environment a basic human right and yes, in our Capitalistic economic system we do need a strong centralized regulatory agency to ensure that we retain that right!

The United States was a pristine, nearly virgin land just a short two hundred plus years ago. Compared to Europe we are mere infants. If anyone needs and example of what happens when humans totally disregard their environment, they only need to look at Europe during their "dark" and "middle" ages. Those mass populations and their failure to properly handle their wastes led to massive outbreaks of typhoid fever, cholera, and the dreaded plague. Millions of innocent people died because their leadership failed to create sanitation regulations and infrastucture which kept pace with growth.

I am sorry but any person who says we should do away with our EPA, deregulate industry, and not worry about our environment does NOT have have the best interests of our nation at heart. I care about the future of our nation and the health, safety, and welfare of my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I know damned well that we have the technology and the capabilities to be a competitive economic power without ruining our environment or jeopordizing the health and safety of our citizens.

I have personally experienced and witnessed the pain and suffering which is caused by leaders who disregard the environment and the welfare of of their people. There is absolutely no way that I would help to place someone in a position that would ultimately repeat what happened at Camp Lejeune. The contamination of the drinking water at Camp Lejeune happened with regulations in place, what the hell do people think would happen if we did away with regulations and the regulatory agencies to over see them? That is a risk which I am unwilling to take...Jerry

Tim King: Jerry, I recently discovered the Canary Party and I am very motivated by this group, I had an extensive conversation with their Exec Director and while their Web page explains it better, they stand for clean air, clean water, rights for Veterans and accountability in government.  They are staying away from the divisive : and R issues and concentrating only on what matters.  At this point I believe they are the strongest possible option and I am glad we have at least something to talk about and again, I look forward to hearing what you think, because if you share my thoughts, this group could really use you, it seems to me.  Semper fi Jerry and thanks for this conversation   

I will read this book!

It’s no real surprise that corporate interests and their source of funds drive decisions that adversely affect all of us. For 30 years a number of wells at Camp Lejeune were contaminated with TCE/PCE. Thousands of Marines, their dependents and civilian workers were exposed to these toxic chemicals; an unknown number died from cancers and other diseases. The VA denies presumptive disability for TCE/PCE exposure, forcing Marine veterans and others (TCE was the degreaser of choice in the Air Force and many Air Force bases are contaminated with this chemical) to obtain medical nexus opinions from private physicians as a basis for filing disability claims. No veterans from any of the military services were notified of their potential exposure to toxic chemicals until Congress forced the Navy and Marine Corps to notify Camp Lejeune veterans. Veterans from the remaining 130 Superfund sites were left in the dark. If any were fortunate enough to learn of their exposure to toxins like TCE and PCE, they too were forced to obtain information from a hostile military about the extent of their exposure to contaminants before even attempting to file a VA disability claim. There are actions that the VA and Veteran Service Organizations (VSO’s) can take now with minimum expenditure of funds to alert Veterans and others to the health effects of exposure to environmental hazards.
One of the simplest and least costly actions is to establish internet links to the EPA Superfund database for the 130 military Superfund installations. The VA and most VSO’s have excellent internet sites. The EPA Superfund database lists the Contaminants of Concerns (COC’s) for each site. The COC’s are the chemical substances found at the site that pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. The EPA database links the health effects of exposure to COC’s to a database maintained by the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR). With a few clicks on the internet, both the Veteran and his/her medical care provider can have access to COC’s that a Veteran may have been exposed to and their health effects. This information may literally save lives.
Congressional support is critical to require the VA to provide medical care monitoring and health care for those injured and to provide the scientific expertise within the VA to fairly evaluate Veterans’ compensation claims for medical conditions linked to environmental hazards.
One example is bladder cancer. Bladder cancer has been linked to exposure to organic solvents, a toxin found at many Superfund sites. The NMP22 Bladder Cancer ® Test was developed to provide an alternative to regular urine cytology at a cost of less than $25 per test. NMP22 is a type of protein in the urine. Elevated levels of NMP22 are a sign of bladder cancer. This inexpensive test can be provided by the VA or private medical care providers, saving lives and thousands of dollars in medical costs.
In a day when the nation faces serious financial deficits, there’s little interest in paying for medical monitoring and health care for Veterans injured on EPA Superfund bases. For many Veterans seriously ill from toxic exposure, a modern day version of the ditty written by the “Battling Bastards of Bataan” in WW II seems to fit:

“We’re the Veterans of contaminated land,
No mama, no poppa, no Uncle Sam.
No aunts, no uncles, no nephews, no nieces.
No rifles, no planes, or artillery pieces.
And nobody gives a damn.”

Tim King: Semper fi Brother, we certainly have to do everything we can, and the hard hours you are putting into this, just like Jerry and others who are actively engaged in this campaign, are extremely valuable. and speak to the dedication of all Marines .  

Actually, on October 14, 2011, the EPA has finally admitted that chemical in Camp Lejeune water caused cancer.
A chlorinated solvent used for three decades at a U.S. Marine Corps base has been deemed a carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), confirming the suspicions of those who contracted rare illnesses after living on the base.

 Tim King: Yes Ralph, that sure did happen, but isn't it contradicted by Obama's current rejection? 

This is the first paragraph of the article we carried by Hope Hodge:   

"A long-anticipated report by the Environmental Protection Agency determined this week that exposure to the chemical degreaser TCE causes cancer in humans. In the Camp Lejeune community, this means that those who lived and worked on base between the 1950s and 1980s, when solvents including TCE contaminated the water supply, may have finally proved what was making them sick. "     EPA rules Lejeune water contaminant causes cancer

Tim, I was as upset as the next person about the holding up of the TCE assessment. With that being said, I was also elated when it was finally released 26 days later. I was disappointed with President Obama in that he didn't seem to have the desire to fight back against those who were blocking his initiatives to make improvements. Let's face it, the President of the United States is only one person. There are 535 in congress and when you have an elected leader state that his party's primary goal is to make Obama a one term President doesn't speak well of their intentions nor initiatives for the citizens they were elected to represent. I can't help but notice that nearly every presidential candidate in the Republican party is calling for the demise of our EPA and deregulating industry. I can't believe my ears when I hear the people in the audience cheering when these candidates make these idiotic proposals. I would love to take a poll and ask how many of them would want to work a job for 30 or 40 years and then right before or right after they retire they get diagnosed with cancer and die? Never allowed to enjoy the fruits of their labor. People need to be careful about what they wish for and who they put in charge. I realize that our economy and jobs are important but let's not "throw the baby out with the bathwater" and make hasty decisions that could put us all back to the toxic environment we had in the mid to late 1900's. If anything, we need more regulation not less...Jerry

Tim King: Semper fi Jerry, I always appreciate your thoughts and comments and I hope people are paying attention, because this is Jerry Ensminger, the man whose personal loss ultimately drove this huge but so long hidden problem onto the national radar screen.  Thanks so much Jerry for everything you have done and congratulations on your recent documentary, Semper Fi Always Faithful' (Learn more at this link) that is winning awards, hearts and minds.  I agree that both sides of the aisle have lost their appeal.  I thought the EPA had a chance when Obama came in but just like with the ATF gunrunning program to the cartels, it is all turning out to be a corporate president whose allegiance is with the military industrial complex our great leader Smedely Butler warned us about.

Frankly, I'm surprised because obam-ass is a SLAVE to the EPA. He preferred to listen to those a-holes and deny the Canada-to-USA pipeline, which would give jobs to 100K people and maybe FREE us from dependency on Arab oil. But he hates the military more so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!!!!

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