About my politics

One blogger today, in responding to my comments about Iraq funding, suggested that I'm a Democrat.

For the record, I'm an independent.

Not that I have anything against Democrats. Or Republicans. As I often tell groups I speak to, I've been in journalism long enough to know that there a good people in both parties, and some real losers in both parties. Mostly, I wish both parties would give us some of our tax money back.

Locally, of course, most everyone self-desbribe themselves as "Republican." Indeed, a lot of the Democrats I meet here call themselves Republicans!

And then you have the members of the Okaloosa County Commission, most of whom describe themselves as "conservative" Republicans, even as the county's budget has more than doubled in the past decade. If that's conservative, then monkeys will fly out my.....ears.

Like I say, I'm an independent. Which is just fine with most people, as long as I agree with them.

Iraq deadlines and vetoes

The Senate has just passed a $122 billion war spending bill that would require President George W. Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within 120 days, with a non-binding goal of all troops being withdrawn by the end of March 2008.

The House has passed a similar bill. The House and Senate will now presumably get together to hammer out a final bill that will require some sort of withdrawal timetable.

Bush has promised to veto any bill with a timetable -- and he should. Any timetable will erode the possibility for success in creating democracy in Iraq. The terrorists and radical Shiites and Sunnis will just wait us out, etc.

That stated, Bush's administration needs to figure out an end game in Iraq and share it with the American people. And the current Iraqi government needs to show real progress, and do it very soon. Our troops can't prop them up indefinitely.

This isn't just an issue of patience. It's an issue of having the military capability available to protect ourselves from other potential threats. Like Iran, for example.

Cancer doesn't play politics.

Cancer doesn't play politics.

Last week, Elizabeth Edwards announced that the cancer she thought she had beaten had returned and was now incureable. She is the wife of Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards.

This week, the Republican President George W. Bush's White House announced that the colon cancer press secretary Tony Snow had battled two years ago had returned and spread to his liver.

I know something about cancer. It killed my mother when I was 14. She was 37.

Having seen cancer up close, I know how terrible it can be for the victim and family members. And I know it's a widely shared experience. Nearly everyone has lost a family member to cancer.

But I also know that a lot of medical progress has been made in the past three decades. Many more people beat cancer these days, and I hope Tony Snow and Elizabeth Edwards are two of them.

If you're fighting cancer, or if you're a cancer survivor, I'd be interested in reading about it, and I think other readers of this blog would also be interested in your story. Just write me a few lines, or as many as you want.

And know that the rest of us are rooting for you.

Kari Barlow, Tar Heels fan

Daily News Business Editor Kari Barlow is a generally quiet, low-key person. Shy even. But not when she's watching college basketball.

Kari is a loyal graduate of the University of North Carolina. On Sunday, she was in her apartment by herself, watching her beloved Tar Heels go up against those plucky Georgetown Hoyas. At stake was a trip to the final four. It was a close game, tied at regulation, and then the Hoyas began....to....pull...away!

Kari admits to yelling at the television. She admits to getting a little loud. She admits to becoming emotional. She admits that the neighbors in her complex probably heard her.

A few after game's end, there was a loud knock at Kari's door. She opened it, and two Okaloosa County deputies met her.

"Are you all right?" they inquired. Apparently neighbors had called law enforcement, concerned that someone was attacking someone in Kari's apartment. Kari, a little sheepishly, said yes, she was just fine.

These things happen. Kari promises to be quiet from now on. At least until NCAA tournament time next year.

Go Kari! Go Tar Heels!

Bush's low approval rating

In the latest Gallup Poll (March 6), President George W. Bush's approval rating stands at 33%.

That's even lower than his overall approval rating during his sixth year in office, which averaged 37.3%.

The only president in the last 50 years with a worse sixth year in office was Richard Nixon, who was forced to resign that year as a result of the Watergate scandal. Nixon's approval dipped to 25.4%.

Bush's approval rating during his sixth year is also the fourth lowest ever for a president in the 50 years Gallup as been polling. Only Nixon and Harry Truman had lower ratings.

In comparison, Bill Clinton -- the president many in Northwest Florida love to hate -- had an approval rating of 63.8% in his sixth year. That, by the way, was the year he faced impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Bush's low approval can certainly be attributed in large part to his handling of the war in Iraq. As the war's popularity has diminished, so has Bush's approval.

But Iraq isn't the only reason. Other issues, such as his administration's handling of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, have also hurt Bush.

Now Bush is facing more controversy. A Democrat-controlled Congress wants to know all the details regarding the White House's role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. Subpoenas are being prepared. Key adviser Karl Rove and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales are under intense scrutiny. Bush is digging in his heels.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Here's a prediction: Bush's approval will drop still lower in the coming weeks.

Walter Reed's chaplain speaks

A reader alerted me to the viewpoint below of the chaplain of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which has come under substantial criticism in recent weeks over the treatment of some soldiers who have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a little long, but I think it also provides a perspective missing from much of the media's coverage. Anyway, in the interest of balance, here it is:

Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 10:43 AMSubject: FROM THE CHIEF OF CHAPLAINS WRAMC

I have had enough and am going to give my perspective on the news about Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Please understand that I am speaking for myself and I am responsible for my thoughts alone. The news media and politicians are making it sound like Walter Reed is a terrible place and the staff here has been abusing our brave wounded soldiers; what a bunch of bull!
I am completing my 24th year of service in the Army next month so you decide for yourself if I have the experience to write about this topic. I have been the senior clinical chaplain at Walter Reed for four years and will leave to go back to the infantry this summer. I supervise the chaplain staff inside Walter Reed that cares for the 200 inpatients, the 650+ daily outpatients from the war who come to us for medical care, the 4000+ staff, and over 3000 soldiers and their families that come for clinical appointments daily.
Walter Reed has cared for over 5500 wounded from the war. I cannot count the number of sick and non-battle injured that have come through over that timeframe. The staff at this facility has done an incredible job at the largest US military medical center with the worst injured of the war. We have cared for over 400 amputees and their families. I am privileged to serve the wounded, their families, and our staff.
When the news about building 18 broke I was on leave. I was in shock when the news broke. We in the chaplains office in Walter Reed, as well as the majority of people at Walter Reed, did not know anyone was in building 18. I didn’t even know we had a building 18. How can that happen? Walter Reed is over 100 acres of 66 buildings on two installations. Building 18 is not on the installation of Walter Reed and was believed to be closed years ago by our department.
The fact that some leaders in the medical brigade that is in charge of the outpatients put soldiers in there is terrible. That is why the company commander, first sergeant, and a group of platoon leaders and platoon sergeants were relieved immediately. They failed their soldiers and the Army. The commanding general was later relieved (more about this) and his sergeant major has been told to move on–if he gets to. The brigade sergeant major was relieved and more relief’s are sure to come and need to.
As any leader knows, if you do not take care of soldiers, lie, and then try to cover it up, you are not worthy of the commission you hold and should be sent packing. I have no issue, and am actually proud, that they did relieve the leaders they found who knew of the terrible conditions some of our outpatients were enduring. The media is making it sound like these conditions are rampant at Walter Reed and nothing could be further from the truth. We need improvements and will now get them. I hate it that it took this to make it happen.
The Army and the media made MG Weightman, our CG, out to be the problem and fired him. This was a great injustice. He was only here for six months, is responsible for military medical care in the 20 Northeast states, wears four “hats” of responsibilities, and relies on his subordinate leaders to know what is happening in their areas of responsibilities. He has a colonel that runs the hospital (my hospital commander), a colonel that runs the medical brigade (where the outpatient wounded are assigned and supposedly cared for), and a colonel that is responsible to run the garrison and installation.
What people don’t know is that he was making many changes as he became aware of them and had requested money to fix other places on the installation. The Army did not come through until four months after he asked for the money, remember that he was here only six months, which was only days before they relieved him. His leaders responsible for outpatient care did not tell him about conditions in building 18. He has been an incredible leader who really cares about the wounded, their families, and our staff. I cannot say the same about a former commander, who was my first commander here at Walter Reed, and definitely knew about many problems and is in the position to fix them and he did not.
MG Weightman also should not be held responsible for the military’s unjust and inefficient medical board system and the problems in the VA system. We lost a great leader and passionate man who showed he had the guts to make changes and was doing so when he was made the scapegoat for others.
What I am furious about is that the media is making it sound like all of Walter Reed is like building 18. Nothing could be further from the truth. No system is perfect but the medical staff provides great care in this hospital. What needs to be addressed, and finally will, is the bureaucratic garbage that all soldiers are put through going into medical boards and medical retirements. Congress is finally giving the money that people have asked for at Walter Reed for years to fix places on the installations and address shortcomings. What they don’t want you to know is Congress caused many problems by the BRAC process saying they were closing Walter Reed.
We cannot keep nor attract all the quality people we need at Walter Reed when they know this place will close in several years and they are not promised a job at the new hospital. Then they did this thing call A76 where they fired many of the workers here for a company of contractors, IAP, to get a contract to provide care outside the hospital proper. The company, which is responsible for maintenance, only hired half the number of people as there were originally assigned to maintenance areas to save money. Walter Reed leadership fought the A76 and BRAC process for years, but lost. Congress instituted the BRAC and A76 process; not the leadership of Walter Reed.
What I wish everyone would also hear is that for every horror story we are now hearing about in the media that truly needs to be addressed, you are not hearing about the hundreds of other wounded and injured soldiers who tell a story of great care they received. You are not hearing about the incredibly high morale of our troops and the fact that most of them want to go back, be with their teammates, and finish the job properly. You should be very proud of the wounded troopers we have at Walter Reed. They make me so proud to be in the Army and I will fight to get their story out.
I want you to hear the whole story because our wounded, their families, our Army, and the nation need to know that many in the media and select politicians have an agenda. Forget agendas and make the changes that have been needed for years to fix problems in every military hospital and the VA system. The poor leaders will be identified and sent packing and good riddance to them. I wish the same could be said for the politicians and media personalities who are also responsible but now want it to look like they are very concerned. Where have they been for the last four years? I am ashamed of what they all did and the pain it has caused many to think that everyone is like that.
Please know that you are not hearing the whole story. Please know that there are thousands of dedicated soldiers and civilian medical staff caring for your soldiers and their families. When I leave here I will end up deploying. When soldiers in my division have to go to Walter Reed from the battlefield, I know they will get great medical care. I pray that you know the same thing.
God bless all our troops and their families wherever they may be.
God bless you all,
+Chaplain John L. KallersonSenior Chaplain ClinicianWalter Reed Army Medical Center

A sidewalk to nowhere

I often use Hurlburt Field Road on my way to and from the Daily News, so I'm very familiar with the ongoing Okaloosa County construction work on the road.

Of late, I've been very interested in the recently opened west stretch, where Hurlburt Field Road meets Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

The roadwork looks nice, but of particular interest is the brand new sidewalk that runs along both portions of the new western stretch. It's like a sidewalk to nowhere. It runs along the south side of the new stretch, then crosses Hurlburt Field Road at the intersection with MLK and runs back down the north side of the new stretch.

On my daily drive to work, I've yet to see a single person using that stretch of new sidewalk. Which has led me to wonder: If this new stretch of generally unused sidewalk hadn't been built, would the county then have the $137,000 to build the badly needed sidewalks for the children who attend Ocean City Elementary School?

Go take a look and tell me what you think.

Four years in Iraq

Tuesday marks the four-year anniversary of the war in Iraq.

When the war began, most Americans were in support of it. Today, a majority of Americans are opposed to it. As the war's popularity has diminished, so has the popularity of President George W. Bush and the Republican party. The war's unpopularity is the main reason why Republicans lost the House in 2006.

Here in Northwest Florida, most people still support the war. Many of the folks at Eglin and Hurlburt have helped fight the war in the past four years, so it's a much more personal effort here than in some parts of the country. When I talk to soldiers who have been in Iraq, they generally tell me three things: 1) The majority of the Iraqi people support our efforts to create democracy there; 2) The support for the war here at home is critical to them; and 3) In doing their duty, our soldiers are putting their lives on the line.

I'd like you to share your views about the war in Iraq, so please send respond to this blog.

As a starting point, here are a few thoughts of my own:

First, it doesn't make good sense to set a withdrawal date for our troops. If we do that, everyone -- the foreign terrorists, Iran, Syria, and the Sunnis and Shiites who are engaged in Iraq's civil war -- will just wait us out.

And, it appears that the current troop surge is helping. Democracy won't take root unless the Iraqis feel more secure, and the additional troops appear to have improved the security.

But the troop surge is only a temporary solution. The Iraqis need to take responsibility for their own safety, and for their own government, and they need to show progress very, very soon. Like within the next couple of months.

Send me your thoughts.

Pat

NCAA tournament time!

The best sporting event on earth began today.

Of course, I'm talking about the NCAA men's basketball tournament. For the next three weeks, the newsroom will be filled with trash talkin' puncuated by intermittent whoops and groans as brackets prosper or crash and burn.

This year, I'm so far out on the limb I'm standin' on a twig. I picked Wisconsin to win it all. I know, I may not even make it to the weekend.

Or the mighty Badgers could....go....all....the....way!!!!

Anyway, tell me who you think will win it all, and why. Or tell me who you think WON'T win it all, and why.

Go Badgers!!

build OC's sidewalk!

You have to wonder whether Okaloosa County has something against Ocean City Elementary School.

The county has a $292 million budget this year, but can't find the $137,000 to build sidewalks so Ocean City's students on their way to and from school have a safe way to avoid dangerous, winding Essex Road.

This is not a new issue. According to school officials, the road has been a hazard for the children for years.

Just recently, the county spent more than $373,000 building a bathroom near the boat landing at Marler Park. If the county can find that much money for a toilet for boaters, they ought to be able to find $137,000 to build a sidewalk so school children can be safe.

The county's inability to find money for the sidewalk stinks as much as the sewer plant they've kept in operation next to Ocean City Elementary for decades.

veterans health care

Revelations that out-patient care is shoddy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center have led to three high-level resignations in the past two weeks.

Now, the media and Congress are focusing on the care veterans receive at Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics across the country.

Good.

For years, veterans in Northwest Florida have registered legitimate concerns about the distance they have had to travel to receive care at Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics. A clinic is finally under construction at Eglin Air Force Base. It's slated for completion in 2008. Why it took so long to build a VA clinic in an area with this many veterans is a mystery, and perhaps a symptom of the disconnect between our federal government and the veterans who deserve the best care available.

Our Press Expansion

If you picked up Monday's edition of the Northwest Florida Daily News, you no doubt noticed that some features aren't in their usual places.

That's a result of our press expansion project. When it's completed, we will be able to double the number of color pages we can publish each day. Until the project is finished, our press can print only two sections at a time, and it takes longer to print them. So, on some days, we will take what is normally a five-section paper and reconfigure it into a four-section paper. As a result, some content will not be in its normal place.

The press expansion is an investment of more than $1 million, and will take 4-to-6 weeks. Look to our front page each day for information to help you find the content you're looking for. And by all means take part in our "Find Richard" contest, and win some free gas.

Thanks for your understanding, and by all means blog to me for any and all comments related to our press expansion.

coverage of suicides

The Northwest Florida Daily News published a story in Friday's edition about an elderly couple who apparently commited suicide together in Crestview. They left a note in their mailbox, along with a key to the house, a list of next of kin, and $20 to cover the phone calls. Authorities found them inside the home with a generator running.

We covered this story due to the unusual and public nature of it.

But the truth is that suicide is one of the taboo issues that newspapers and other media rarely cover. We don't cover suicide because it makes everyone feel squeamish. Also, there is a strong belief that coverage of suicides embarrasses family members.

But suicide is a serious mental health issue, and I'm not at all sure that we're doing the right thing by keeping it in the closet.

Here's what I find to be startling statistics. In 2005 -- the latest year for which state statistics are available -- 14 people were homicide victims in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties. During the same period, 67 people committed suicide in the three counties. Only slightly more people died in automobile accidents -- 74.

I think the number of suicides probably surprises many people, and their surprise is a result of society's general willingness to ignore the issue.

I'm interested in what others think about this. But I won't be surprised if the responses are minimal, given the nature of the subject and how it makes people feel.

Dr. Strangelove and Destin

An aerial view of the then-undeveloped Destin Harbor was featured in the 1964 movie "Dr. Strangelove."

On Wednesday, someone sent the following link to the Northwest Florida Daily News.


Click here: Dr. Strangelove film clip includes Destin, Florida

It shows what the harbor looked like then, and what it looks like more recently. (The recent photo is from 2004, I think.) Clearly, the Emerald Coast has changed in 40-plus years. Take a gander at the past, then share your thoughts....

Ann Coulter's bigotry

I'm ashamed to say that Ann Coulter is a member of my profession, but unfortunately her hate-filled diatribes can still can drum up a crowd.

Speaking Friday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Coulter ended her remarks by referring to Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards a "faggot."

Sadly, many in the audience clapped.

I know a lot of conservatives, and most of them are good people. But Coulter is not one of the good people. She's a bigot, and she uses a hateful message and name-calling to divide people, and to line her own pockets with money.

Good conservatives in Northwest Florida ought to denounce Coulter, and I hope they use this blog space to do just that.

It's Crist, not Christ

There's an old saying that goes like this: Doctors bury their mistakes. Lawyers litigate them. And newspapers print them on the front page.

Well, not always on the front page. Earlier this week, on Thursday, we printed a headline goof on Page 2 of the Local & State section. The story was about a recommendation that Gov. Charlie Crist should review Florida's process for administering the death penalty.

"Panel: Christ should review death penalty," the headline read. Of course, it should have been Crist, not Christ.

The error was spotted and fixed, but not before a few thousand copies were already sent out for delivery.

These things happen. And unfortunately, our fine governor has a last name that made this mistake almost inevitable.

But we'll try to keep it from happening again, and I do apologize. And if you see an error, by all means call me and let me know. My number is 863-1111, ext. 400.

The reality is that typos and misspellings occur in newspapers, even with a copy desk that is as conscientious as the one we have here at the Daily News. But that doesn't mean it's OK.