Senators Introduce Semper Fi Act of 2008

[dgriffin]

Bill Stops Berkeley Earmarks and Transfers Funds to Marine Corps

February 6th, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008. The bill would rescind over $2 million in hidden earmarks for Berkeley, California in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and transfer the funds to the Marine Corps. U.S. Congressman John Campbell (R-California) is introducing a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

Last week, the City Council of Berkeley voted to oust Marine Corps recruiters from their downtown office, saying the Marines were “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.” Berkeley officials also voted to give the radical protest group Code Pink space outside the recruitment office and urged them to “impede, passively or actively” the work of Marine Corps recruiters.

(One of the rescinded earmarks) provides $243,000 in taxpayer dollars for the organization Chez Panisse to create gourmet organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District. Chez Panisse is dedicated to “environmental harmony” and their menu features “Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad,” “Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis,” and “Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast.”

tinyurl.com/29jspo

[rrogers40]

My question is this- Why are the Marines there? I mean I support them and everything but its obvious no one there does. And because of that I wouldn't think that they would get enough people to sign up at that office to make it worth while. (Maybe they do but I don't know) It seems to me that at this point its just a pissing match between the Marines and Berkeley. Each side is just gotten so enthralled, and spent a lot of money, that they now cannot back down.

I believe that in every community there need to be a person who says just so everyone can take a breath and take a look at it seriously. And I think its obvious that there is no one in that area (on either side) that is willing to do that.

[Clipper]

Chicory salad with anchovy vinaigrette?? Olive toast?? What the hell happened to mac and cheese and canned green beans with a brownie for dessert??

Are they going to teach french in kindergarten so the poor little shits can read the lunch room menu?? What a load of crap. Berkely has always been the home of wierdos and miscreants.

I think they should take the total amount of taxes paid by Berkeley residents and build a marine base just outside of town, so they could learn to enjoy the company of young marines every weekend and evening, in some of their stuffy little restaurants and taverns.

When a few of them get their asses kicked by a few zealous young patriots, maybe their pinko facist sheep will fall in line with the country and it patriotic duties, which include recruiting for the armed forces that protect there fluffy little pacifist asses.

Semper fi berkeley, haha.

[Swimmy]

admin said:

I think they should take the total amount of taxes paid by Berkeley residents and build a marine base just outside of town, so they could learn to enjoy the company of young marines every weekend and evening, in some of their stuffy little restaurants and taverns.
...
Semper fi berkeley, haha.

Nah, just use eminent domain and build the base right over the whole town. The commies might think twice before pissing on the hand that feeds it. I commend the Marines for not deciding to have a bombing accident involving the town government offices, e.g. "Sorry, the lgb veered off course and struck the government building. Thank goodness no one was inside or seriously hurt." If I was the commanding officer, ... well...

I understand they have a right to free speech, but that right would not be theirs if not for the brave soldiers who shed blood and sacrifice their lives to enable them to be so disrespectful.

[frankcor]

rrogers40 said:

I wouldn't think that they would get enough people to sign up at that office to make it worth while.

Maybe all the 18-year olds haven't been fed sufficient amounts of gormet organic lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis to completely flush their systems of testosterone. (no offense intended to the fine young ladies who can cut the mustard)

BTW, the city council has written a letter of apology to the Marine recruiters stating that their opposition to the war in no way was intended as an insult to the men and women who serve and will consider new legislation at their next meeting.

[Swimmy]

whooptydoo! It's too late, the damage is done. They knew damn well what they were doing when they passed their legislation. They just never expected the federal government to do anything about it. They probably based that on the fact that they have done nothing where the colleges have refused to allow military recruiters on to campus because of discriminatory practices (e.g. no gays in the military, don't ask don't tell).

I'd be interested to see what they plan to do at their next meeting.

[rrogers40]

swimmy said:

whooptydoo! It's too late, the damage is done. They knew damn well what they were doing when they passed their legislation. They just never expected the federal government to do anything about it. They probably based that on the fact that they have done nothing where the colleges have refused to allow military recruiters on to campus because of discriminatory practices (e.g. no gays in the military, don't ask don't tell).

I'd be interested to see what they plan to do at their next meeting.

My guess: lots of A Kissing.

[Swimmy]

hahahaha. That was going to be my guess. I think they'll give a superficial apology and then spend the rest of the night trying to justify their action and pass some lame legislation that will sunset as soon as the media and the government look the other way.