"The most consistent and smartest thinking and writing about progressive politics isn't happening in Sacramento, but being churned out day after day on sites and by organizations like Calitics, Orange County Progressive, and the California Budget Project." - CalBuzz
What were the Senate Democrats (except our Lou) thinking? Sure, when the culture of the single-passenger, gas-guzzling automobile dies away from its own unsustainability, that will be a good thing for the Earth and all living things. But now is not the time to be forcing struggling Californians to pay more for parking as they desperately search for work!
This is exactly the tone-deaf social engineering, divorced from the realities of everyman, that folks hate about liberals, and makes it that much harder for folks to trust us when we attempt something that will really help them, like health care reform.
Now I hear there's no danger this will take effect anyway as Arnold has promised a veto - this makes it even dumber! Why shoot yourselves in the foot over a totally symbolic gesture? "Democrats voted to take away our free parking!" is exactly what I don't want to be hearing this Fall, as we try to flip the 68th and 70th AD's.
All I can figure is this, something I've never thought or said before, but it feels oddly liberating to say: Democrats are owned by the environmental lobby as surely as Republicans are owned by banks and oil companies. ONE MORE REASON TO VOTE FOR FAIR ELECTIONS THIS JUNE 8!
Everybody call our lone OC Dem Jose Solorio at (714) 939-8469, ask him to vote against this lame-ass bill, and maybe he can talk some of his Assembly buddies out of it as well. After all, what can the Sierra Club do to punish them - give money to some Republican who's always bad on the environment?
So, I spent a big chunk of last Saturday at the grand opening of Bill Hedrick's new Riverside campaign office. The event was standing room only and spilling into the corridors with Riverside Democrats eager to help Bill outdo his amazing 2008 showing, when with no institutional support he came within under 5000 votes (2%) of defeating 15-year incumbent Ken Calvert. The crowd was a multiracial rainbow reflective of Riverside’s diverse demographics: one comely black woman even tried to convince me she was a “blue person from Avatar,” but I was having none of it. Riverside’s popular Democratic mayor Ron Loveridge strode about shaking hands, and we heard stirring speeches from Assembly candidates Jose Medina and Dennis White, but none to match fireball Dr. Rita Ramirez-Dean (running for San Bernardino Superintendent of Schools.) That is, until Bill Hedrick took the stand. The ostensibly mild-mannered educator’s impassioned and energetic oratory helps you understand why he inspires such fierce loyalty among his supporters, and why the DCCC has listed the Hedrick-Calvert showdown as one of their “emerging races”, while, conversely, the NRCC has listed Calvert second in their “Patriot Program” for endangered incumbents. The 44th Congressional District is a grotesque gerrymandered mooncalf, 80% of whose population is in Riverside County – that’s including the cities of Corona, Norco, and Riverside itself (now a majority-Democrat town.) In this part of the district, Bill prevailed by 5% in ’08. But from there the district stretches a shriveled appendage deep into Southernmost Orange County, grasping Richard Nixon’s San Clemente, the wealthy half of San Juan Capistrano (that’s the inland side of the freeway) and the Real Housewives of Coto de Caza. These folks vote at rates approaching 90%, and overwhelmingly and unquestioningly check off any name with an “R” next to it, which cost Bill the few thousand votes he needed to prevail. So we Democrats need to make two things happen this year – greater registration and turnout in the vast Riverside portion of the district, and a little education in the South OC on the topic of what a hapless and compromised clown their “nine-term backbencher” really is. For as much as I prefer, and intend, to write about the strengths of Hedrick, the story is just incomplete without a quick look at:
The Manifold Failings of Ken Calvert (short version)
For four years in a row now, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has listed Mr. Calvert as one of their "most corrupt Members of Congress" (currently a quite bipartisan list.) And I've long noticed the more honest Republican bloggers over at Red County excoriating him for his corruption and huge addiction to earmarks. Some Calvert lowlights:
A Federal Grand Jury is investigating whether Calvert violated federal laws by accepting campaign contributions from clients of the lobbying firm Copeland Lowery in exchange for EARMARKS.
Most luridly and notoriously, in 1993, police caught Mr. Calvert in his car receiving fellatio from a heroin-addicted prostitute. He first tried to drive off, then when forced over he claimed that they were just "chatting." Howie Klein has noted this overall pattern of Calvert's always denying even his most obvious transgressions. Calvert got divorced that year, remains a bachelor, and went on to be one of the chief hypocrites hounding President Clinton over the Lewinsky matter.
These various moral failings have inspired Christian conservative Chris Riggs to run against him in this June's primary. (This is Chris pictured with his family to the far right, in front of reeds not unlike those near which the baby Moses was found.) I'll be interviewing Chris as we get closer to the primary, but his website lists other Calvert transgressions I might not have thought of otherwise:
Seventeen years ago Calvert signed “The Contract with America”, promising not to hold his Congressional seat for a day more than twelve years.
Constituents may find it interesting to know that, even after 8 terms, he received zero points for influence within the House of Representatives according to Congress.org’s 2008 Power Rankings.
Along with fellow south-county RINOs John Campbell and Gary Miller, he voted for both the TARP bailout AND Cash-for-Clunkers, a fact which Red County's Alan Bartlett, taking Scott Baugh's recent bloviations seriously, feels should cost them the OC GOP's endorsement.
Again like his fellow snake-oil salesmen, Calvert refused to hold any town-hall meetings on the topic of health care reform, a failure frustrating to progressives and teabaggers alike.
After so many years of doing absolutely nothing for his district, but suddenly fearful for his prospects this November, he is currently subjecting his constituents to an unprecedented deluge of glossy mailers, paid for by the government - a very cheap and sleazy way to campaign against underfunded challengers.
One last fun fact, speaking of funding - in his razor-thin 2008 victory against Hedrick, he spent $8.85 in (corporate) money per vote, compared to Hedrick's $1.48.
I hope Chris Riggs beats Ken Calvert in the primary; honest conservative Republicans and rightwing Christians really should choose him. But even if Calvert prevails in June, the primary should give south OC Republicans a bit of an education about the man who's been representing and embarrassing them in Washington for so long. OK, now! When things quieted down Saturday and most of the crowd had gone home, Bill Hedrick was able to sit down with your humble blogger for a short chat, which I will divide into three sections:
Hedrick, the OC Progressive Interview (part 1: family)
OCP: I was just thinking, it seems unfair that poor Ken Calvert will have to run against an honest family man in the Republican primary, and then face another honest family man in the general election. Hedrick: (chuckles, no comment) OCP: ...And yet family comes with its own complications. For example, your daughters tell me they've got you listening to Lady Gaga now, and even singing her songs. Hedrick: (laughing) Yeah. It's true. I confess. I guess I have graduated from Madonna to Lady Gaga. OCP: Well, I'm pretty sure that's progress. Anyway, I was mostly wondering how your sons are doing, though. Are they both still in Iraq? Hedrick: I've got one son and daughter-in-law in Iraq, and they're on their third deployments. My other son and his wife are both back. That daughter-in-law Evelyn did two tours in Baghdad, and my son did one that was interrupted by a heat stroke in Iraq. He's in the National Guard now, in California. OCP: Yeah, I read about that when it happened, and it was listed as a "near-fatal heat-related incident," and at first I thought "Oh shit, he got burned up," but then I realized it was probably weather-related. And then I started to think, that probably happens to a lot of guys out there, and some of them die, and I bet they're not even included in our official toll of 4300 or whatever... Hedrick: They have a lot of heat injuries there... OCP: Deaths? Hedrick: Yeah, yeah, they've had deaths there. In his unit they had, on the same day, two heat injuries. They were out on patrol... OCP: Their Kevlar on, and... Hedrick: Yeah, and inadequate water, and that's what happened. But he was very lucky. His body temperature was 108 degrees, and it should have been either fatal or permanent damage. OCP: Do we count "heat-related deaths" with official fatalities? Hedrick: No. OCP: I didn't think so. There are so many things they leave off - they don't count all the suicides, all the accidents, the deaths from disease, I don't think they count friendly fire... Hedrick: No, I don't think so. OCP: So our fatalities out there are WAY over the 4300. Hedrick: Well, they don't count these injuries either. You know, there are 18 and 19-year olds out there in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also with the National Guard units you got guys who are 35 and 40 and 45 and older, and those very severe conditions, especially when you're bumping around in the back of a non-air-conditioned transport, can be really extreme. So... I'm surprised they don't have more of those issues. OCP: Yeah, they sweep those things under the carpet. Okay, let's talk about the war. Or wars...
Yes, California already bans discrimination by sexual orientation and gender identity. However, LGBT workers in other states aren't as fortunate. While Nevada prohibits workplace discrimination by sexual orientation, this state offers no protections for transgender workers. So if you're trans and live in The Silver State, you're always at risk of being fired just for being who you are.
And even worse, 29 states offer no anti-discrimination protection on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. And yes, our next-door neighbor Arizona happens to be one of those 29 states.
This is why we should care so much about ENDA... And this is why Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) needs to care as well. She's likely to vote for it, but she hasn't signed on as a cosponsor. And in order for this bill to break through the delays and gain enough momentum for final passage, HR 3017 needs more cosponsors.
This is why Loretta needs to hear from us. Please send her an email, call her office, and/or write to her. Ask her to join her sister Linda (who already IS an ENDA cosponsor) in stopping the wrongful discrimination against LGBT workers.
Way too many people live at risk every day of losing their job, losing their livelihood, becoming societal outcasts just for being who they are. We can't allow any more of it, and we have the power to get ENDA passed.
I was heartbroken to hear of Senator Ted Kennedy's passing and my deepest sympathies go out to Vicki, his children and the entire Kennedy family.
I will always think of Senator Kennedy as the lion of the Senate. From his seat in the back of the beautiful Senate chamber, he used his powerful voice to speak out for the voiceless. He could always be counted on to champion justice, fairness and compassion - and to challenge all of us to do the same.
Personally, I will miss Senator Kennedy's warm and engaging presence, his bellowing laughter and the way he reached out to all senators in friendship.
No one will ever be able to fill his shoes, but we must honor his extraordinary legacy by continuing his life's work. The most fitting tribute we could give Senator Kennedy is to carry on his fight for a quality education for all our children, affordable health care that families can rely on, an economy that works for everyone and equal rights for all our citizens.
In his honor, I collected some of my favorite "YouTube moments" from the late Senator. I just hope his legacy lives on. And btw, you can help make sure it does by joining this Facebook group. Thanks.
If this is really what they're up to, then the Obama Administration will have hell to pay.
The Obama administration sent signals on Sunday that it has backed away from its once-firm vision of a government organization to provide for the nation's 50 million uninsured and is now open to using nonprofit cooperatives instead.
Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, said on Sunday morning that an additional government insurer is "not the essential element" of the administration's plan to overhaul the country's health care system.
"I think there will be a competitor to private insurers," she said on CNN's "State of the Union." "That's really the essential part, is you don't turn over the whole new marketplace to private insurance companies and trust them to do the right thing. We need some choices, we need some competition."
Her less-than-forceful insistence on a government insurance organization was paralleled by Robert Gibbs, the president's press secretary.
If they give up on the public option, then I give up in trying to make sure Obama gets a second term. It's really as simple as that. He already gave up on passing a strong climate and energy bill. He already gave up on putting real effort into repealing DOMA & DADT. He already gave up on passing the Employee Free Choice Act AND the Freedom of Choice Act. And supposedly, we needed to accept that these sacrifices had to be made this year so that we could see a health care bill passed with a strong public option and other pro-consumer reforms.
And now we won't even get that? The Administration now thinks we'll sit back and accept what now looks like a government bailout of the insurance and pharmaceutical companies? HELL, NO!
So are you as angry as I am? If so, then we must take action NOW to stop the "health care compromise" train wreck from getting any worse! First, send a message to President Obama that any health care "deal" with no public option, no prescription drug price negotiation, and no pro-consumer reforms is completely unacceptable and is will not be defended by us. Secondly, tell Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein not to accept this "compromise" as a done deal and work to make sure that the final Senate bill looks more like the HELP Committee (Kennedy-Dodd) bill with real pro-consumer reforms. And if you're lucky enough to be represented by Loretta Sanchez, ask her to support HR 3200 if and ONLY if it has a strong public option and other meaningful pro-consumer reforms. Otherwise, ask her to only support HR 676 and stop the HMO/drug companies bailout.
Get it? Got it? Good! We still have time to get real health care reform passed, so let's not let some weak-kneed politicians pull us down!
It looks like the wingnut wackos will be out with a vengeance this month! Here's a preview of what to expect.
So as soon as Loretta Sanchez announces her community town hall for this month, local progressives need to show up en masse to counter the wingnuts. Their sole purpose this month is to disrupt what are supposed to be community meetings where we interact with our elected officials. But instead of letting the community communicate with our representatives, all they want to do is (mis)use these town halls to parrot "sick care" industry talking points and follow whatever marching orders Boss Limbaugh gives them.
Let me know if you find out about any CA-47 town halls coming up this month. And for that matter, we should also give them a little taste of their own medicine. I definitely don't think we need to be disruptive and obnoxious at John Campbell's, Ed Royce's, Dana Rohrabacher's, Gary Miller's, or Ken Calvert's town hall (if any of them bother to do one in the district), but local progressives in each of these districts should remind these "Party of No" Republicans just who they're supposed to be working for. But anyway, we will post about local Congressional town halls and make sure you know so that we the (real) people of Orange County are there to let our voices be heard.
It looks like a budget deal may finally be made. Yes, yes, I know I've been saying that for a while. But now, it really looks like Arnold is caving on eliminating CalWORKS as Democrats cave on stopping cuts-only madness. While it could have been even worse, this will nonetheless take the cake as a horrendous "deal" that will cause massive pain in many people's lives.
Arnold looks to be getting his desired enrollment cap on Healthy Families, California's S-CHIP program. While other states are actually expanding health care coverage for children of working families, kids will be turned away from the doctors' offices and health clinics here. Oh, and it gets worse. Home health care services for disabled people will be gutted. State parks may be closed. More state workers will be fired.
And you know what makes this even worse? We'll be paying for these cuts long into the future. Remember that it costs more to care for sick people in the emergency room than at the health clinic. It costs more to turn away tourists and day-trippers from state parks than to keep the parks open. It costs more to throw troubled kids in jail than to prevent future crime with good education and after-school programs.
So all in all, "Arnold's Folly" will deeply hurt all of us. And really, this isn't just his folly. Karen Bass and Darrell Steinberg must also share the blame for not doing more to present a progressive alternative. The corporate establishment also shares the blame for refusing to pay their fair share of taxes while still expecting giveaway after giveaway after giveaway. And ultimately, we the people also share the blame for living in la-la land for far too long in expecting all the amenities in the world and refusing to think about paying for any of them.
Thanks to the many silly gimmicks, false accounting, and empty rhetoric in "The Age of Arnold", "The California Dream" now looks to be nothing more than an illusion. Will we ever see it again?
Freshman Democrats, worried that the ballooning budget deficit is stoking voter anxiety, are urging House leaders to put forward a "credible" plan this year to cut it.
They say the need is urgent and a serious deficit-reduction measure must be added by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other leaders to an already jam-packed legislative agenda.
"My constituents are very concerned about the deficit," said freshman Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), elected with 47 percent of the vote in a swing district last year. "This is really starting to resonate."
The corporate media are relentlessly pushing this story about "big government spending". And of course, the Republicans are trying to make "The Obama Recession Debt Deficit Enslavement" into some political boon in 2010 and 2012.
If we were to believe them, then all this "big government spending" is really scary business. But in reality, it's not. In fact, we need this government investment in our economy to offset all the money that the private sector's been pulling out and stimulate economic activity. While I've had my own critiques of President Obama's stimulus package (mainly that it wasn't big enough and overloaded with too many corporate tax cuts), I just can't overlook that we will have been far worse off by the end of this year without it.
Earlier this morning, The Sacramento Bee reported that a possible deal fell through last night and that The Legislature will work some more today to finalize a long-awaited budget deal. However, The LA Times is already reporting now that a budget deal may be announced as soon as later today. Unfortunately, many of Arnold's ugliest social safety net slashings will be included. But fortunately, some of the deepest education cuts he was looking for, as well as a weakened two-tier pension overhaul for state workers, look to be out of the running.
Honestly, I don't know whether to be disappointed or relieved right now. While the final deal will likely be better than what Arnold had specifically wanted, it's still quite awful and it will likely counteract whatever positive effects we get from the federal stimulus spending.
Still, stay tuned here at OC Progressive as we follow the latest budget news from Sacramento.
Late last week, we found out that Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee Chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA) wants to delay her committee's vote on the Senate climate & energy bill and move it to September. And furthermore, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) supports this move as he'll have more time to round up votes. However, we don't really know if this is good news or bad news.
The delay bodes ill for passing a climate bill this year. It shows leaders are not confident they would have enough votes to pass the bill and want as much time as possible to rally support. Boxer also noted that many key senators with a role in crafting climate policy are also leading the debate over health care, another major congressional priority for this year.
[...] Several environmental groups have written in to say that they think today's announcement is good news for climate legislation.
"We don't think that this is a problem at all," said Josh Dorner, spokesman for Sierra Club. "In fact, we think it's a good thing. It's a huge organizing opportunity, both here in D.C. and in the field. It also shows they are taking the time to make some meaningful, positive changes to the bill."
Environmental Defense Fund was equally optimistic. "From our perspective, this is the right decision," said Tony Kreindler, media director for climate at EDF. "It gives senators more time to review and understand the historic bill just passed by the House. It signals a serious intent to seek agreements on key issues going forward. And it gives Boxer and her colleagues on both sides of the aisle more time to reach those agreements. After all, the chairman has the ability to move forward today if the goal were simply to push any bill through."
Honestly, I don't mind the delay that much... So long as this delay results in a stronger bill with more votes in time for the international climate change summit in Copenhagen this December. Let me explain my thoughts some more down below.
What happens when you combine a Democratic fundraiser in North San Diego County, a homophobic right-wing neighbor disturbing the peace, and the San Diego County Sheriffs? Apparently, one BIG, nasty mess! Here's the original TPM story:
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a fundraiser for Francine Busby, who previously ran for the deeply-Republican Fiftieth District and came close to winning in the 2006 special election and subsequent regular election, was raided by sheriffs after an unnamed neighbor made a noise complaint. Busby now calls it a "phony" noise complaint, and the article says that multiple neighbors said there was no great noise at all.
Here's the twist: The fundraiser was hosted by a lesbian couple, and shortly before the sheriffs came a particular neighbor had shouted anti-gay slurs at the assembled crowd. "It was a quiet home reception, disrupted by a vulgar person shouting obscenities from behind the bushes," Busby says.
As one neighbor told the paper: "We didn't hear anything until the sheriff came, with eight patrol cars and a helicopter."
And yes, the new developments are becoming more sordid by the minute. Details after the flip...
New Orleans may sink into the sea by 2100. Much of Florida may also be underwater by then. Drought will likely become the norm out West, meaning California could no longer provide the food we depend upon. Las Vegas may become downright inhabitable.
No, I'm not fabricating any of this. These will be the consequences of inaction if we continue to delay implementing the solutions we need to solve the coming climate crisis. But for some reason, may of our supposedly wise lawmakers in Capitol Hill are either willfully ignorant of the facts or downright lying about our future.
(The deadline to RSVP is 12:00 PM TODAY! Get your ticket now, before it's too late. - promoted by atdleft)
Looking for some real fireworks this Fourth of July weekend? If so, then head to South County on July 5! Starting at 10:30 AM, none other than John Dean, the constitutional law expert who witnessed Watergate unfold firsthand, will be speaking at a very special Laguna Woods Democratic Club luncheon. Oh yes, and he'll be answering your questions as well!
Jonathan Adler from Laguna Woods Democratic Club sent me a note recently and asked me to share with you what to expect:
It's essentially a "Town Hall" with wide-open Q&A (after his talk) on all the hot current issues he's been opining on in recent years (in his books, op-eds, talks, blog, TV, radio, etc.) that make him, I think, one of our leading voices for restoring Constitutional government.
John Dean will sign any of his books since 2005 (all on sale at the event) - "Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush," "Conservatives Without Conscience," "Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches" - and, just released June 17 - "Blind Ambition: The End of the Story," updated edition, with a book-size Afterword with startling news-making findings based on newly available de-coded tapes and his own further research on Watergate.
Yes, his talk before the "Town Hall" Q&A will focus on his latest Watergate findings; and yes, some will view those abuses of power as "just history" - although the New York Times said: "Before you know it, you are turning the pages of Mr. Dean's book as if you are reading about Watergate for the first time."
But really fascinating, important, and, I think, even news-making, will be the "Town Hall" Q&A. I expect he'll be asked, and full responses by John, about today's hottest issues on which he's been very outspoken recently, such as:
• the Woo/Bybee/Bradbury "torture memos"
• war crimes prosecution
• secret "rendition"
• "enhanced interrogation" orders
• preventive detention
• Executive power claims by Bush:
• blocking oversight by Congress
• and by FISA
• "signing statements"
• Restoring the Balance of Powers
This'll be his third trip to Laguna Woods in 32 months. He's drawn huge sophisticated audiences here and even asked to be invited back. John has no future talk set in Orange Co. Another strong turnout, July 5, will help assure his return again, and our future chances to visit with him. So, please join us.
DIRECTIONS: 5/405 South, exit #91 El Toro Rd. At exit light, straight on Valencia 0.2 mi. to El Toro. Right. (5 North, same exit, left under fwy; at 0.5 mi cross Valencia.) 2.1 mi on El Toro (cross Moulton, uphill, downhill) to "Calle Corte / Gate 9". Right. Show pass. 0.2 mi to deadend, Sosiega. Right. 0.2 mi to 1st stop sign, Monte Hermoso. Left. 0.3 mi uphill to Punta Alta. Right. Immediate right into big free parking lot. CH 5 entrance obvious; walk straight 150 ft to biggest rm.
Please remember to RSVP at ActBlue by tomorrow at 12:00 PM, as seating is limited. Once you RSVP, you'll receive a printable ticket to take to the Laguna Woods VIllage gate for admission. The luncheon will be at Clubhouse 5 at 24262 Punta Alta (off El Toro).
Again, please RSVP ASAP and we hope to see you there!
Oh, my! The national Republicans are worrying. Ken Calvert is among the first 10 "Patriots" in NRCC's program to fundraise for vulnerable incumbents.
So what exactly does this mean? They are expecting Calvert to raise about $100,000 just today. Wow. They must really be afraid.
So how can we respond? Bill Hedrick doesn't have the big corporate dollars that Calvert and the NRCC rely upon, but he does have us.
Please give Bill Hedrick whatever you can. He nearly defeated Calvert last year with little money and a few dedicated grassroots supporters. Think of what can happen if we all step up to the plate.
Hey, the Republicans are already running scared to their big corporate "ATM". Let's show them that our people power is more powerful.
So, I spent a big chunk of last Saturday at the grand opening of 
For four years in a row now, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has listed Mr. Calvert as one of their 
June's primary. (This is Chris pictured with his family to the far right, in front of reeds not unlike those near which the baby Moses was found.) I'll be interviewing Chris as we get closer to the primary, but his website lists other Calvert transgressions I might not have thought of otherwise: 
OCP: ...And yet family comes with its own complications. For example, your daughters tell me they've got you listening to Lady Gaga now, and even singing her songs. Hedrick: (laughing) Yeah. It's true. I confess. I guess I have graduated from Madonna to Lady Gaga. OCP: Well, I'm pretty sure that's progress. Anyway, I was mostly wondering how your sons are doing, though. Are they both still in Iraq? Hedrick: I've got one son and daughter-in-law in Iraq, and they're on their third deployments. My other son and his wife are both back. That daughter-in-law Evelyn did two tours in Baghdad, and my son did one that was interrupted by a heat stroke in Iraq. H
e's in the National Guard now, in California. OCP: Yeah, I read about that when it happened, and it was listed as a "near-fatal heat-related incident," and at first I thought "Oh shit, he got burned up," but then I realized it was probably weather-related. And then I started to think, that probably happens to a lot of guys out there, and some of them die, and I bet they're not even included in our official toll of 4300 or whatever... Hedrick: They have a lot of heat injuries there... OCP: Deaths? Hedrick: Yeah, yeah, they've had deaths there. In his unit they had, on the same day, two heat injuries. They were out on patrol... OCP: Their Kevlar on, and... Hedrick: Yeah, and inadequate water, and that's what happened. But he was very lucky. His body temperature was 108 degrees, and it should have been either fatal or permanent damage. OCP: Do we count "heat-related deaths" with official fatalities? Hedrick: No. OCP: I didn't think so. There are so many things they leave off - they don't count all the suicides, all the accidents, the deaths from disease, I don't think they count friendly fire...
Hedrick: No, I don't think so. OCP: So our fatalities out there are WAY over the 4300. Hedrick: Well, they don't count these injuries either. You know, there are 18 and 19-year olds out there in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also with the National Guard units you got guys who are 35 and 40 and 45 and older, and those very severe conditions, especially when you're bumping around in the back of a non-air-conditioned transport, can be really extreme. So... I'm surprised they don't have more of those issues. OCP: Yeah, they sweep those things under the carpet. Okay, let's talk about the war. Or wars... 
