Many Louisville and Kentucky area veterans and citizens were upset by Senator McConnell and the Republicans' filibuster of the bills that would have ended the Iraq War. Vets and other locals responded at an Iraq Summer press conference at the Zorn avenue VA facility. WLKY and another station did some taping, and I videotaped as well. I have posted my footage online for your viewing.
Please distribute this to anyone who you feel will be interested.
The video coverage of the Iraq Summer filibuster response in Louisville KY is available on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/...
Thanks for helping spread the word about this response. It is important that folks know that citizens are not ignoring the recalcitrant Republican minority as they obstruct progress in Iraq.
Mike Bailey
co-organizer Change for Kentucky
http://www.changeforkentucky.com/
UPDATE: bronte17 did a partial transcript - please tip bronte17 below...
Near the Veteran’s Administration... a group of veterans have come out to protest Mitch McConnell’s decision to filibuster the vote to end the war.
The point of this thing today...it’s an expression of support for the troops and it’s also a protest about what the minority’s been doing this week...the minority in the Senate.
We have two pretty important bills... we have Webb-Hagel and we have Reid-Levin.
Now, Webb-Hagel is a clear expression by two combat vets... for the welfare of the vets and for the current troops... and it’s a national security issue because it's about trying to replenish our force.
And then, Reid-Levin... again, it’s a clear expression of an attempt to implement what the Iraq Study Group has recommended. And, again, it’s an opportunity to bring people together to have a mature and long-term response to Iraq and all the minority is doing is block it. And Mitch McConnell needs to remember he took an oath to the Constitution. It doesn’t say anything about loyalty to bush. It doesn’t say anything about loyalty to the republican party. His duty is to the country and the state. He needs to remember that and act accordingly.
__________
What's your name?
My name is Laurie Wolverton (sp?).
Great. What are you doing here today?
Laurie: Voicing my opinion on the recklessness of the war in Iraq.
What’s the impact of the war on you?
Laurie: I have... my only child is serving in Iraq.
Okay, Army, Navy...??
Laurie: Army. He’s a Lieutenant in the Army. He’s an infantry officer serving northwest of Baghdad.
Okay. If you had three points to make to the American people about why you are out here today and what you are trying to accomplish, what would they be?
Laurie: I guess the first point would be that I really want the citizens to understand the value of voting... and to make sure people get out and vote the next time so that we can get someone who can responsibly redeploy our troops and end the war.
The second point would be for people to understand the damage that is happening to the military as a result of this war... with the extensions and the long deployments and the lack of adequate breaks between missions, between deployments.
The third point...I would like our soldiers...when we lose our heroes, I would like them to get more recognition. I would like people to lean on the media a little bit. I appreciate that we give a lot of recognition to our fallen police officers... we’ve lost a couple police officers in Indiana and we got to learn a lot about them and their families... we’ve lost several soldiers here in Kentucky and I know nothing about those soldiers. And I would like to see the families and I would like to see their coffins. I want to humanize our children. I’m concerned that they’re not humanized.