Contents:
A. Dave's Bio
B. President Reagan's letter to Dave
C. Tribute to Cindy Sheehan
D. Tribute to Congressman Ron Paul
E. Tribute to Sen. 'Chuck' Hagel
F. Tribute to Paul Craig Roberts, Ph.D.
G. Tribute to Adm. William 'Fox' Fallon
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A. Dave's Bio (Dave
is Founder and President of RRC and Forward-USA)
Personal:
Dave grew up with his two brothers in a middle class family near Detroit. When he was 14, the family moved to an 80-acre general
farm, near Ann Arbor, Michigan, with all the usual animals and crops. He and his younger brother ran the farm while his Dad
worked. He has an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army Reserve. He is a divorced father of two adult daughters,
and moved to Madison, WI in 2004 to be near his family.
Education and Business: Dave won a scholarship to the University of Michigan, and started in the fall of 1953. After a four-year
illness, his Dad died of blood cancer in his sophomore year, so there were money and stress problems, but Dave was able
to earn all of his expenses with summer and school jobs. He completed his engineering degree in 1958.
Upon graduation he worked as an aerospace engineer for 5 years (rocket engines and
satellites) in California, after which he started his career in telecommunications sales and management. In 1965 he earned
an MBA in Economics from Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, and after several other management positions became
VP Sales, then President, of a wireless engineering consulting firm www.hntelecom.com in 1997. He left to be VP and cofounder of a Silicon Valley telecom startup ‘Fiberstreet’
(closed, see Google) in 2000, and helped raise $6 million of venture capital. In WI, he started Energy Xperts-USA (www.energyxperts.biz), a sustainable/renewable energy sales and engineering firm.
Political: In 1978, Dave became concerned about economic and social damage caused by counterproductive government 'management'.
He then read about and discussed this subject widely and became an activist for more cost-effective, and less abusive, government.
His focus is on the Federal level because that is where the deaths and wasteful spending on needless wars, and abuse of our
monetary system, start. He ran for Congress as a Libertarian in 1982 in District CA-1 (Sonoma County and northward 250 miles
up the coast to Oregon). He then returned to his Republican roots and ran again in 1984 with Reagan as a 'Ron Paul Republican'
in District CA-1. He has a personal letter of support from Reagan. In 2004 he ran in the Republican primary for CA Assembly
District 24 to ‘Help Arnold’ and lost to a former Congressman. During the Bush-2 administration, Dave became concerned
about the Republican Party's departure from its core principles and conversion to emphasis on war, spending, religion, and
deceit to implement Bush's Empire-USA agenda. He launched a campaign for U.S. Senate as a Republican in Jan-06,
but when his efforts at reform were rejected by both local and national Republican leadership, in June-06 he changed his party
registration to continue the campaign as a Libertarian, and was later elected the Chairman of the Wisconsin Party (www.LPWI.org). In
2007 he was the Wisconsin contact for The Republican Liberty Caucus (see www.WI.RLC.org and www.RLC.org), which promotes the principles of limited government, free enterprise, etc., as described on this site. Dave now operates
as a non-partisan Independent activist to continue his work for better (less) government. In May, 2008
he founded 'Americas' Roadmap to Success (ARTS), as a project of www.forward-usa.org.
B. President Reagan's letter to Dave
The letter below, on Whitehouse stationery, was sent to support Dave's 1984 run for
Congess in District CA-1 (Sonoma County and north to OR) as a 'Ron Paul Republican'. Dr. Paul's Campaign Manager, Tony Payton
(deceased), was Dave's Campaign Advisor.
The White House
Washington
October 17, 1984
I am
pleased to send my greetings to all those gathered to honor Dave Redick for his dedication to the principles of our party.
While
nation proclaim their fear of the future, and issue predictions of gloom and doom, Dave Redick stands with those who look
to the future with hope and confidence. We know that by rededicating ourselves to the values which made America great, we
can ensure a bright and prosperous future for ourselves and our children. Dave has been an active participant in this struggle,
and he has demonstrated both vision and an ability to get practical results. We need Dave Redick in Washington so that we
can build on the progress that has been made in the past four years and ensure a bright future.
C. Tribute to Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan (born July 10, 1957) is an American anti-war activist, whose son, Casey, was killed during his service in the Iraq War on April 4, 2004. ARTS says BRAVO Cindy for your dedication and work to confront our government leaders and their lackies, and hold them
accountable for the illegal and immoral wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (see #8A in the left margin of this site). She attracted international attention in August 2005 for her extended demonstration at a camp outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch garnering her both support and criticism. In May 2007, Sheehan officially ended her involvement as an anti-war activist, saying "I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving
children and try to regain some of what I have lost." On July 23, 2007, after President Bush's reduction of the sentence of Scooter Libby, Sheehan announced that she plans to challenge Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a congressional election as an independent because Pelosi didn't introduce articles of impeachment against President Bush.
Sheehan states she initially questioned the
urgency of the invasion of Iraq, but did not become active in the anti-war effort until after her son's death. Sheehan and other military families
met with Bush in June 2004 at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, Washington, nearly three months after her son's death. In a June 24, 2004 interview with the Vacaville, CA Reporter published soon after the meeting, she stated, "We haven't been
happy with the way the war has been handled. The President has changed his reasons for being over there every time a reason
is proven false or an objective reached." She also stated that Bush was "... sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis... I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith."
Sheehan gave another interview on October 4, 2004, stating that she did not understand the reasons for the Iraq invasion and never thought that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States. She further stated that her son's death had compelled her to
speak out against the war.
During the Presidential Inauguration in January 2005, Sheehan traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak at the opening of "Eyes Wide Open: the Human Cost of
War", a traveling exhibition created by the American Friends Service Committee that displays pairs of combat boots to represent every U.S. military casualty. There she met others who lost
family members in Iraq, and together they planned to create an organization for similar families. Sheehan wrote about the
experience in a commentary article. She was also a featured speaker when the exhibition opened in San Diego in March 2005 and traveled with the exhibition to other locations. "Behind these boots is one broken-hearted family,"
she stated as she donated her son Casey's boots to travel with "Eyes Wide Open" when it stopped in San Francisco later that month.
Sheehan is one of the nine founding members
of Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization created in January 2005 that seeks to end the U.S. presence in Iraq and provide support for families of fallen soldiers. As of August 2005, at least 63 other relatives of fallen soldiers are listed as members. She has spoken publicly against the Iraq
war and occupation since 2004, and pledged not to pay her 2004 taxes.
Sheehan attracted international attention
in early August 2005, when she traveled to Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch just outside Crawford, Texas, demanding a second meeting with the President and an explanation of the cause for which her son died. She created
a peace camp called "Camp Casey" by pitching a tent by the side of the road and announced her intention to stay for the full five weeks or until
such a meeting was granted. She also promised that, were she not granted a second meeting, she would return to Crawford each
time Bush visits there in the future. Several cabinet members went out to talk to Sheehan, but she stated that she would only
talk to Bush himself. Toward the end of her vigil, she said she was "very, very, very grateful" Bush did not grant her that meeting because it would have ended
the momentum the peace movement gained from the popularity of her demonstrations.
On July 3, 2007, in response to President Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence, Cindy Sheehan returned to activism. She asserted that she will take a new approach to the anti-war
movement, but that Bush's recent action "dragged me kicking and screaming back in." In early July 2007, Sheehan announced that she was considering running as an independent candidate against Nancy Pelosi for the U.S. House seat representing San Francisco in California's 8th congressional district. On July 23 at the Capitol she announced that she would run against Pelosi based on her failure to attempt impeachment
of Bush, she was then arrested for disorderly conduct. Sheehan lives outside Pelosi's district, in Dixon, California; however, Congressional candidates are only required to live within the state they plan to represent, not necessarily
the district. Earlier, in 2006, she had spoken of ambitions to challenge Diane Feinstein for her seat in the United States Senate.
On August 9, 2007, Sheehan announced that she was going to run as an independent for Congress against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. ARTS describes Pelosi as a shameful Party-First, and Israel-First hack. Cindy officially opened her campaign
headquarters in San Francisco on December 8, 2007. On April 24, 2008, Sheehan began her drive to collect 10,198 valid signatures, to get on the ballot as an independent
candidate for U.S. House. Her campaign web site is www.cindyforcongress.org . (credits for portions of the above text to Wikipedia)
Fight On Cindy, and THANKS !
D. Tribute to Dr. Ron Paul.
Ron Paul, M.D., has done heroic work as a Republican Congressman (but espousing Libertarian
principles) in Texas (now District 14) since 1976. He is an unabashed advocate of individual liberty,
fiscal responsibility, small government, sound money, and a non-interventionist foreign policy, issue positions that once
represented the core of Republican philosophy, but have been trashed since the '90s.
In March, 2007 he officially announced he was running for
the Republican nomination for President of the United States (www.ronpaul2008.com). His campaign confronts a broad range of urgent current issues, including the fate of the dollar,
our foreign policy and wars, our looming entitlement crisis, oil, and the future of the U.S. economy. Congressman Paul
is known among both his Republican and Democratic colleagues in Congress for his consistent voting record in the House of
Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution.
At the May 15, '07 'Republican Debates' on TV an historic event occurred. Rudy Giuliana attacked Dr. Paul's
statement about how US foreign policy was a contributor to the Islamic hate for us that resulted in 9-11. Then again
on the Sep. 5 debates, Ron made a brilliant challenge of our destructive foreign policy and other problems. These debates,
and his many other appearances and writings, have opened a gaping hole in the corrupt 'Republicrat' lies and misconduct
that have created our country's unconstitutional and damaging foreign and domestic policies. Now these topics are 'on
the table', which helps bring truth to the campaign season.
On Oct. 17, 2007 he introduced House Bill 3835 'American Freedoms' which calls for repeal of all the power-grabbing
and unconstitutional acts by Bush such as torture, lack of habeas corpus, domestic spying, signing statements, military commission,
etc.
His success in fund raising confirms his wide support, especially with younger citizens.
Sen. John McCain became the presumptive nominee after his Texas and Ohio primary wins on March 4, '08.
Thus, Dr. Paul will reduce campaigning, but remain available until the election is over in Nov-08.
Thank you Dr. Paul. Your years of heroic work have culminated in your stunning '08 campaign that could change US
government, and save our nation from further decline.
Dave's basic philosophy is the same as Ron Paul's. On specific issues, they differ only on; 1) A woman's right
to abortion (Dave says yes), but both oppose abortion personally, and agree it is a state issue, and 2) Dave is more
strict on separation of Church and State, based on property rights.
D. Tribute to
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE, see photo above)
Senator Charles T. 'Chuck' Hagel of Nebraska is one of the few 'straight-talkers' in Congress. He is often named as
a possible VP candidate (for either party), or Sec. of Defense.
Chuck's
new book; 'America: The Next Chapter: Tough Questions and Straight Answers'
will be issued in March, '08.
While Hagel has a Conservative voting record that often supports Bush policy, when consistent with traditional
Republican principles, he also has the honesty and guts to oppose Bush when needed. This means he has opposed the illegal
and immoral wars in Iraq, and the Bush abuses for excess domestic powers, and world-wide aggression for Empire-USA. As a decorated Vietnam
War veteran, he has the credibility to oppose improper use of our troops without fear of damage from 'soft on defense' attacks
by the Bush cabal and their gang of neocon warmongers. His Oct. 17, 2007 letter to Pres. Bush (shown below) warns of
the dangers of our phony offer (with pre-conditions) to negotiate with Iran. Sen. Hagel urges true and open negotiations.
Notice the copies to Rice and Gates, who are believed to support Hagel's approach. This is 'big time' confrontation with the
Bush War machine. Bravo Hagel !!
********************
"(Oct. 17, 2007) Dear Mr.
President: I write
to urge you to consider pursuing direct, unconditional and comprehensive talks with the Government of Iran.
In
the last two years, the United States has worked closely with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, Germany, Japan,
and other key states as well as the UN Secretary General and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
to pursue a diplomatic strategy regarding Iran's nuclear program. I have supported your efforts. Maintaining a cohesive and
united international front remains one of our most effective levers on Iran.
In
the last year, you have also authorized our Ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, to hold bilateral talks with Iranian officials
regarding the situation in Iraq. I have also supported this effort. Although Iran has continued dangerous actions in Iraq,
this channel for dialogue is important.
I
am increasingly concerned, however, that this diplomatic strategy is stalling. There are growing differences with our international
partners. Concerns remain that the United States' actual objectives is regime change in Iran, not a change in Iran's behavior.
Prospects for further action in the UN Security Council have grown dim, and we appear increasingly reliant on a single-track
effort to expand financial pressure on Iran outside of the UN Security Council. Iran's actions, both on its nuclear program
and in Iraq, are unchanged. Iran's leaders appear increasingly confident in their positions vis-a-vis the United States.
Unless
there is a strategic shift, I believe we will find ourselves in a dangerous and increasingly isolated position in the coming
months. I do not see how the collective actions that we are now taking will produce the results that we seek. If this continues,
our ability to sustain a united international front will weaken as countries grow uncertain over our motives and unwilling
to risk open confrontation with Iran, and we are left with fewer and fewer policy options.
Now
is the time for the United States to active consider when and how to offer direct, unconditional, and comprehensive
talks with Iran. The offer should be made even as we continue to work with our allies on financial pressure, in the UN Security
Council on a third sanctions resolution, and in the region to support those Middle East countries who share our concerns with
Iran. The November report by IAEA Director General ElBaradei to the IAEA Board of Governors could provide an opportunity to
advance the offer of bilateral talks.
An
approach such as this would strengthen our ability across the board to deal with Iran. Our friends and allies would be more
confident to stand with us if we seek to increase pressure, including tougher sanctions on Iran. It could create a historic
new dynamic in US-Iran relations, in part forcing the Iranians to react to the possibility of better relations with the West.
We should be prepared that any dialogue process with Iran will take time, and we should continue all efforts, as you have,
to engage Iran from a position of strength.
We
should not wait to consider the option of bilateral talks until all other diplomatic options are exhausted. At that point,
it could well be too late.
I
urge you to consider pursuing direct, unconditional and comprehensive talks with the Government of Iran.
Thank
you for considering my views. Best
wishes.
Sincerely,
Chuck
Hagel, United States Senator
cc: Condoleeza Rice, Robert M. Gates, Stephen J. Hadley".
****************
This was followed on Nov.
8 by his speech about Iran relations at the 'Center for Strategic and International Studies' in DC. He stressed
the damage and potential armed conflict caused by Bush's bellicose policy and the like manner of most presidential candidates.
Sen. Hagel again offered
'straight talk' in his address to the 'Council on Foreign Relations' in DC on Nov. 15-07, where he said, "I would give the Bush-Cheney
administration the lowest grade of any I've known", and "I have to say this is one of the most arrogant, incompetent
administrations I've ever seen or ever read about." Speaking of Bush, Cheney and those around them, Hagel then said, "They have failed the
country."
E. Tribute to Paul Craig Roberts, Ph.D., Author, Pundit
P.C. Roberts has the brains and guts to find and tell the
truth about world affairs. His writings are based on facts and logic. He was a Washington 'insider' at one time, but left
that cowardly, self-serving world so he could tell the truth, rather than worry about his social-standing with bureaucrats.
He exposes the incompetence and lies of all players, of any political party, and any government. He is the
only nationally recognized writer to do an in-depth challenge of the government's version of 9-11. His archives are at VDare.com,
and LewRockwell.com, and his full story is well told at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Craig_Roberts. Thank you Dr. Roberts.
F. Tribute to Adm. William 'Fox' Fallon
Adm. William "Fox" Fallon was
the outspoken top U.S. commander in the Middle East, and last of the Vietnam vets in the high command, when he submitted his resignation as head of Central Command on March 11, '08, after 41 years of service. What makes
this particularly ominous is that he said upon taking over at Centcom, that war with Iran 'isn't
going to happen on my watch.' When questioned how he thought he could stop it he said: 'I have options, you know,' which was
interpreted as implying Fallon would step down rather than follow orders he considers 'mistaken' (or stupid, illegal, and
abusive to the military). Fallon also argued, and won, to not put a third carrier in the Persian Gulf to threaten Iran. This
sets Fallon above the Rices, Powells, Gates, Rumsfelds, etc. who do whatever Bush and Cheney tell them. Bravo to Fallon for
having guts and 'USA-First' principles, rather than 'Me-first'. For more, see the article on Fallon in the Mar-08 issue of 'Esquire' magazine. It described Fallon
as a lone voice against taking military action to stop the Iranian nuclear program.
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