Semper Fi Act

This may have already been posted. I quit trying to keep up the all the
ensuing nonsense. It is verified true by Snopes:





For Immediate Release:
Contact: Elizabeth French

February 6, 2008
(202) 224-8260



Senators Introduce Semper Fi Act of 2008
Bill Stops Berkeley Earmarks and Transfers Funds to Marine Corps

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Jim
DeMint (R-South Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tom Coburn, M.D.
(R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), 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 earmark provides $243,000 in taxpayer dollars for the organization
Chez Panisse <http://www.chezpanisse.com/> 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."

Another earmark would spend $975,000 in taxpayer dollars for the
University of California in Berkeley Matsui Center for Politics and Public
Service, to create a new endowment and cataloging the papers of Congressman
Robert Matsui. U.C. Berkeley currently already has a $3.5 billion
endowment.

Senator Inhofe: "Unfortunately, those on the Berkeley city council do
not seem to understand the sacrifice of the brave men and women of the
United States Marine Corps. By interfering with military recruiting, the
city of Berkeley is hampering our ability to protect this nation. While the
city of Berkeley and the protestors are free to say whatever they like, free
speech is not a protection from consequence."



Senator DeMint: "Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have
consequences. Patriotic American taxpayers won't sit quietly while Berkeley
insults our brave Marines and tries to run them out of town. Berkeley City
Council members have shown complete ingratitude to our military and their
families, and the city doesn't deserve a single dime of special pet project
handouts."

Senator Cornyn: "The Berkeley City Council insulted our troops and
offended people across the country. If the U.S. Marines are not good enough
for Berkeley, neither are taxpayer dollars Congress would have sent there
this year. That city closed its doors on the same individuals taking bullets
on the front lines while fighting for the safety and freedom of families in
Berkeley and throughout America."

Senator Vitter: "The actions of the City Council of Berkeley are in
stark contrast to beliefs of the vast majority of Americans who recognize
and honor the service and sacrifice of our U.S. Marines. This is simply
unacceptable and those funds could be better utilized by the Marine Corps."

Dr. Coburn: "The actions by the city of Berkeley are deplorable and
insulting to those who are serving and those who have paid the ultimate
sacrifice to protect the very freedoms that are being exercised to insult
them. I know I stand with the majority of Americans in thanking our service
men and women for their selfless service to our nation."

Senator Chambliss: "We need to send a strong message that our military
personnel deserve our strongest support. Georgia is a proud military state,
and my constituents will be outraged to know that during a time of war,
their taxpayers dollars have been used to reward folks who have insulted and
disparaged those who defend this nation every day."

Jim Nastelli wrote:
> This may have already been posted. I quit trying to keep up the all the
> ensuing nonsense. It is verified true by Snopes:
>

All BS street theater because the City Council in Berkley talked about writing a
letter and sending it to the the Marine recruiting station in their town.

And although they made a big show of introducing this bill.....I'd love to see
it actually hit the floor for a vote, that would be frikkin hilarious. Even more
so than the dog and pony show they have going on over drugs in baseball......


--
Steve Irving - BS#237/SLOB#12
http://www.nite.com/bike.html

"A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and
understanding." Marshall McLuhan