http://www.wikio.com/search=Dana Milbank Wikio - Dana Milbank http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65426167 This morning's Washington Post includes a must-read by columnist Dana Milbank , who dissects and deciphers yesterday's testimony by Elaine Donnelly at the Congressional "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" hearings. Milbank reports: Donnelly treated the panel to an extraordinary exhibition of rage. She warned of 'transgenders in the military.' She warned that lesbians would take pictures of people in the shower. She spoke ominously of gays spreading 'HIV positivity' through the ranks. Her written statement added warnings about 'inappropriate passive/aggressive actions common in the homosexual community,' the prospects of 'forcible sodomy' and 'exotic forms of sexual expression,' and the case of 'a group of black lesbians who decided to gang-assault' a fellow soldier. And she did it all with her own, very special, sense of "style." Continue reading "Cloaked in Bigotry and All Wrapped Up in Pearls"... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65426167 steve@bilerico.com (Steve Ralls) 2008-07-24T21:00:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65400613 I haven’t really had the chance to follow the hearings conducted by the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel concerning the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, banning gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military. From the video clips I’ve seen on You Tube and press reports (e.g. this National Review column), it appears [...] Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:50:11 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65400613 2008-07-24T16:50:11Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65388193 Absolutely hilarious hearing yesterday in the House about the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy that kind of sort of bans gays from serving in the US military. Dana Milbank's coverage is a must-read. Here are some highlights: Donnelly was followed by Jones, a tough-talking businessman who suggested that the military's tradition of "selfless service" would be undermined by gay men and lesbians. "In the military environment, team cohesion, morale and esprit de corps is a matter of life and death," he said. His written statement spelled it "esprit decor"; it also warned of "a band of lesbians that harassed new females," and noted his own military experience when "the only way to keep from freezing at night was to get as close as possible for body heat -- which means skin to skin." Funny, I'd have thought a few more gays would help the esprit decor, at the very least. Now watch Iraq vet Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) weigh in during the hearing, it's good: Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:42:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65388193 2008-07-24T15:42:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65371551 Dana Milbank at the WaPo delivers a stunning and accurate smackdown to the misguided, misleading and unhinged Elaine Donnelly of The Center for Military Readiness, who testified at yesterday's House Armed Services personnel subcommittee hearing on the law known as Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Donnelly treated the panel to an extraordinary exhibition of rage. She warned of "transgenders in the military ." She warned that lesbians would take pictures of people in the shower. She spoke ominously of gays spreading "HIV positivity" through the ranks . "We're talking about real consequences for real people," Donnelly proclaimed. Her written statement added warnings about " inappropriate passive/aggressive actions common in the homosexual community ," the prospects of "forcible sodomy" and "exotic forms of sexual expression ," and the case of "a group of black lesbians who decided to gang-assault" a fellow soldier. At the witness table with Donnelly, retired Navy Capt. Joan Darrah, a lesbian, rolled her eyes in disbelief. Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, a gay man who was wounded in Iraq, looked as if he would explode. As I said in my post yesterday, the doyenne of discrimination (who has no military background and zero qualifications of any kind to speak with authority on the subject), actually helps our cause -- she had nothing to offer except fear-mongering that was ratcheted so high that Donnelly drew laughter from the gallery. I'm sure from her POV she was successfully laying out her case that The Homosexual Agenda will ruin the military. The fact of the matter is that America -- hell, the world -- got to see the public face of the supporters of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and what they saw, in all its glory, was untethered madness. Rep. Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) labeled her statement "just bonkers" and "dumb," and he called her claims about an HIV menace "inappropriate." Said Snyder: "By this analysis . . . we ought to recruit only lesbians for the military, because they have the lowest incidence of HIV in the country." ..." Like a woman who is stared at, her breasts are stared at ," Donnelly explained. She further explained the "absolutely devastating" effect of homosexuals "introducing erotic factors " and made a comparison to Sen. Larry Craig's adventure at the Minneapolis airport. She said admitting gays to the military would be "forced cohabitation" and a policy of "relax and enjoy it." [Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick]] Murphy puffed his cheeks with air to calm himself. Thanks, Elaine. You (along with The Peter ) are saving us all some lobbying time. Let's return to the videotape of Elaine's award-worthy performance. It's below the fold. Related: * Don't Ask, Don't Tell supporter Donnelly provides comic relief during House hearing Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:15:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65371551 2008-07-24T13:15:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65355816 By Dana Milbank Washington Post Thursday, July 24, 2008 Don't ask, don't tell. And, whatever you do, don't ask Elaine Donnelly to tell you what she thinks about gays in the military. The House Armed Services personnel subcommittee made just such a miscalculation yesterday. Holding the first hearing in 15 years on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, lawmakers invited a quartet of veterans to testify on the subject and also extended an invitation to Donnelly, who has been working for years to protect our fighting forces from the malign influence of women. Donnelly treated the panel to an extraordinary exhibition of rage. She warned of "transgenders in the military." She warned that lesbians would take pictures of people in the shower. She spoke ominously of gays spreading "HIV positivity" through the ranks. "We're talking about real consequences for real people," Donnelly proclaimed. Her written statement added warnings about "inappropriate passive/aggressive actions common in the homosexual community," the prospects of "forcible sodomy" and "exotic forms of sexual expression," and the case of "a group of black lesbians who decided to gang-assault" a fellow soldier. At the witness table with Donnelly, retired Navy Capt. Joan Darrah, a lesbian, rolled her eyes in disbelief. Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, a gay man who was wounded in Iraq, looked as if he would explode. (Continued here.) Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:29:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65355816 2008-07-24T10:29:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65311876 "COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN" (8:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. ET) Host: Keith Olbermann Topics/Guests: McCAIN IS A SENILE LIAR: Chris Hayes, The Nation; Rachel Maddow, Err America; Dana Milbank OBAMA SURGES AHEAD IN POLL THAT SHOWS THE RACE UNCHANGED: Chuck Todd KNEE-SLAPPING COMEDY: Harry Shearer We picked a great night to return to recapping. Olbermann flat-out lies about Bill O'Reilly , changing a conversation around 180 degrees just to smear his more successful opponent. Don't believe us? We have the video proof! But first, the opening spiel: Nightly McCain attack, rehash of yesterday's "breaking news" by someone "too stupid to be on TV", Billo [Ding!] , Hagee [Ding!] , and HuffPo's Harry Shearer. Yeah it's great to be back doing Oralmann recaps again. Not. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:20:05 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=65311876 2008-07-24T00:20:05Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64994354 From a washingtonpost.com chat with Dana Milbank and Dana Priest : Philadelphia: What is the correct pronunciation of the name "Dana"? Dana Milbank: "BROW-klee." Dana Priest: What he is refering to our newly named executive editor, Marcus Brauchlis, who comes on board Sept. 8. Dana Milbank: Apparently a lot of people think it's funny that our new executive editor's surname sounds like the vegetable broccoli. I wish to say for the record that I find this absolutely radicchio. I have been peppered with this nonsense endlessly, and I carrot allow this to leek out any further. Lettuce squash this silliness and never allow it to sprout again. New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:09:03 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64994354 2008-07-21T18:09:03Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64732483 Keeping His Eye on the Ball (Dana Milbank, July 17, 2008, Washington Post) Yesterday's T-ball game, the 19th of his presidency -- followed by a dinner last night in honor of Major League Baseball, the third of his presidency -- brought to at least 95 the number of sporting-related events he has participated in during his time in the White House. He has done no fewer than 18 such events so far this year -- already passing his previous record of 13 in both 2001 and 2007. The 95 sports events (with hundreds of athletic teams) are more than double the number of Cabinet meetings Bush has held (45), more than quadruple the number of meetings he has had with Russia's Vladimir Putin (22). The 19 T-ball games he has held are more than twice the number of meetings he has had with China's Hu Jintao (nine). And the three dinners he has held in honor of professional baseball are nearly equal to the five state dinners he has hosted during his entire presidency. Find me a man who prefers meetings to sporting events--Wilson? FDR? LBJ? Richard Nixon? Jimmy Carter?--and I'll show you a bad president. Posted by Orrin Judd (July 18, 2008 3:46 PM) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:46:09 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64732483 2008-07-18T20:46:09Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64688378 "Ashcroft Testifies on Interrogation Policy; Letter of Law Was Followed, He Says": This article appears today in The Washington Post. And Dana Milbank's "Washington Sketch" column is headlined "John Ashcroft, Riding Back on a White Horse."... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:17:21 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64688378 2008-07-18T14:17:21Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64577028 Dana Priest and Dana Milbank join forces to take your questions about national security, politics. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:41:39 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64577028 2008-07-17T17:41:39Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64491791 Yesterday was another disappointing one for Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and for the Washington Post's Dana Milbank. The previous disappointment occurred three weeds ago when the Dems attempted to grill Vice President Cheney's top aide David Addington about war on terror detainee policy. Milbank was forced to report that the Dems barely laid a glove on Addington (Milbank chalked it up to Addington's "nastiness"). The only sound-bite to emerge from the hearing came from the reprehensible Rep. Delahunt (D-Mass.) who told Addington during the televised hearing that he was "glad [al-Qaeda] finally have a chance to see you." Yesterday, Douglas Feith, formerly the number three man at the Pentagon, testified before the same Committee, and the ever-hopeful Milbank was present again. But alas: according to the Clown Prince, "Republicans on the committee created a diversion, and Feith escaped unscathed." As far as I can tell, the diversion Milbank refers to was nothing more than insistence that the Committee members follow the five-minute rule for questioning. This apparently proved to be too tough for the windbag Dems some of whom, as Milbank put it, need five minutes just to clear their throats. While the members seem to have squeezed their speechs/questions into the five minutes, the witness often lacked much time to respond. In one case, according to Milbank, Feith had time for only 72 words. Fortunately, the filibustering cross-examiners had the benefit of Feith's informative opening statement -- in the unlikely event they listened to it. For me, Addington and Feith are heroes who helped quickly move our country into an anti-terrorism mode that minimized the likelihood of additional attacks on the homeland (of which there were none). In so doing, they probably enhanced civil liberties; a second attack would have produced enormous pressure on those rights. That said, there are respects in which detainee policy was excessively harsh, in my view, and hearings that thoughtfully explored this subject would be beneficial. But there is no prospect for such hearings with this committee, and that's true whatever time limits (or none) are placed on the members. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:17:57 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64491791 2008-07-17T05:17:57Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64440312 By Dana Milbank Washington Post Wednesday, July 16, 2008 For months, if not years, congressional Democrats had craved the chance to pounce on Doug Feith, the former No. 3 at the Pentagon and the brains behind the Iraq WMD claims, torture policy and other great adventures. Yesterday, House Democrats finally had their quarry, wearing a tie almost as orange as a detainee's jumpsuit, compelled by subpoena to appear before the Judiciary Committee. And then -- an ambush! Republicans on the committee created a diversion, and Feith escaped unscathed. Mere seconds after the subcommittee chairman, Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), gaveled the start of the hearing with the usual words -- "without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess" -- Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) raised his voice. "Objection! Objection, Mr. Chairman," the backbencher called out. Nadler was puzzled. "The gentleman wants us to sit here through votes? "I object to granting unanimous consent to the chair," King maintained. (Continued here.) Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:29:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64440312 2008-07-16T18:29:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64167067 Just got done listening to NPR's Talk of the Nation where the last segment was on Arlington National Cemetary's media ban at funerals. The guest was WaPo's Dana Milbank whose Putting Her Foot Down... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit MyWebsite.com for full links, other content, and more! ]] Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:45:46 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=64167067 kevin@preemptivekarma.com (Kevin) 2008-07-14T20:45:46Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63865437 This is what I mean by garbage journalism. Considering the author and sources, it is not surprising at all. Judge for yourself : "Rove snubs House hearing; Subcommittee members scold his empty chair" by Dana Milbank, Washington Post | July 11, 2008 WASHINGTON - There was good reason for The Architect's quiet: He was out of the country. He had no intention of appearing before Congress, and he had sent the panel the equivalent of a doctor's note - from no less a medical authority than White House counsel Fred Fielding - saying he did not have to respond to the congressional subpoena. So lawmakers decided to pull out one of the most feared weapons in their arsenal: the emptychair stunt. And we are paying them for this, huh? All this HOT FART MIST and POLITICAL FOOLEY BULLSHIT? Congress knows the White House can run out the clock on the various investigations into the Bush administration. White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers have already been held in contempt of Congress - but even if Bush's Justice Department decides to prosecute those cases, his administration will be out of office before they are resolved. A contempt citation for Rove, which could come as soon as next week, would face the same sort of delay. That makes the immediate gratification of the empty chair more appealing. And the Congress won't even push the subpoenas, so pffffffffftttt ! The tone of this article and the non-news aspect of it is making me fade, folks. The antiwar activists from the liberal Code Pink group certainly thought so. Before the hearing began, they entertained the arriving crowd with a chant of "They do the crime and we do the time." Then one of them placed an "Arrest Rove" sign on the empty chair. "Ma'am, we can't do things like that," a Capitol police officer told her gently. "Let's not go overboard." Oh, do you KNOW WHY "CodePink" is allowed to operate? Sorry, AmeriKans, but time to learn the cold hard truth: CodePink: A CIA Front of Controlled Opposition Otherwise, they WOULD NOT APPEAR in the jewsmedia. -- MORE -- " Yeah, it's all just one big joke -- like Milbank and the WP here! Also see: Rove raps at correspondents dinner Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:14:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63865437 2008-07-11T14:14:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63776470 [Not off-topic; please bear with us.] Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank has a truly awful story today about former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gina Gray , who was recently fired as Director of Public Affairs at Arlington National Cemetery . Why? Because she facilitated media coverage, requested by the family , of funerals of American heroes killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are particularly concerned about the actions of Deputy Superintendent Thurman Higginbotham. Money quote: Just 10 days on the job, she was handling media coverage for the burial of a Marine colonel who had been killed in Iraq when she noticed that Thurman Higginbotham, the cemetery's deputy superintendent, had moved the media area 50 yards away from the service, obstructing the photographs and making the service inaudible. The Washington Sketch column on April 24 noted that Gray pushed for more access to the service but was "apparently shot down by other cemetery officials." [Secretary of Defense Robert] Gates had his staff inquire with the cemetery about the article and was told that "the policy had not in any way changed," Gates's spokesman, Geoff Morrell, said yesterday. Geren, the Army secretary, added that "the policy has not changed, and I understand the practice hasn't, either." That, however, is false. Through at least 2005 -- during Rumsfeld's tenure, no less -- reporters were placed in a location where they could hear the prayers and the eulogies and film the handing of the folded flag to the next of kin. The coverage of the ceremonies -- in the nearly two-thirds of cases where families permitted it -- provided moving reminders to a distracted nation that there was a war going on. But the access gradually eroded, and Gray arrived to discover that it was gone. [ . . . ] [ . . . ] Gray contends that Higginbotham has been calling the families of the dead to encourage them not to allow media coverage at the funerals -- a charge confirmed by a high-ranking official at Arlington, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Gray says Higginbotham told staff members that he called the family of the next soldier scheduled for burial at Arlington and that the family, which had originally approved coverage, had changed its mind. Gray charges that Higginbotham admitted he had been making such calls to families for a year and said that the families "appreciated him keeping the media out." Higginbotham, White and Metzler did not respond to e-mail messages yesterday seeking their comment. An Army spokesman said Higginbotham and other Arlington officials call families only if their wishes regarding media coverage are unclear. OYE Comment: It should be a simple matter for the Department of Defense to prepare a [maximum two-page] info sheet on media coverage, providing basic information about the process. The families could also be asked to record their decision in writing, avoiding any additional contact. Frankly, the families of those American heroes who have made the supreme sacrifice should be allowed to make their own decisions in peace, without second-guessing by Bush Administration officials. We sincerely doubt that Deputy Superintendent Thurman Higginbotham personally knows any enlisted servicemembers or junior officers - those most at risk in combat - because if he did, he would follow the wishes of their families. Operation Yellow Elephant wants all the stories of our American heroes told. If the family wants to invite the media to cover the funeral, that's their right. It should be Arlington National Cemetery's privilege to help make that happen. We salute former Public Affairs Director Gina Gray for doing the right thing. And a Question for George Will : Did Deputy Superintendent Thurman Higginbotham call your assistant, Sarah Walton, to discuss media coverage at the funeral this week of her husband, LTC Jim Walton? You brought it up in your July 6 column, " The Knock on the Door ," so it's quite relevant to this posting. Thank you. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:03:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63776470 2008-07-11T00:03:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63760132 WashingtonPost.com From Dana Milbank 's Thursday chat: Frederick, Md.: Dana, I was just wondering if you have a hard time keeping good sources after you write about them in unflattering ways, as you often do. Are there some sources who roll with it and understand that they're going to be on the wrong end of the stick sometimes, and then other sources who pettily refuse your phone calls for months? Seems like an occupational hazard of the humorous-yet-hard-hitting journalism you do. Dana Milbank: I have been able to get around this problem by having no sources. I do, however, have informants. You don't know who they are because I protect them by never writing about them. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:28:59 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63760132 2008-07-10T20:28:59Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63757289 This is depressing: On April 24, the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank reported on the Pentagon’s effort to keep media out of earshot and photo range of the funeral of Lt. Col. Billy Hall, the 4,011th American to die in Iraq. Milbank wrote that Gina Gray, Arlington’s new director of public affairs, “pushed vigorously to allow the [...] Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:24:13 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63757289 2008-07-10T20:24:13Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63741427 ETHICS — MILITARY OFFICIALS INCREASE MEDIA RESTRICTIONS AT SOLDIERS’ FUNERALS: Today, Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank reports that Gina Gray, the newly appointed public affairs director at the Arlington National Cemetery, appears to have been fired for her efforts to restore media access to military interments. In April, Milbank wrote an article about how Pentagon officials had obstructed reporters from viewing the burial ceremony of Lt. Col. Billy Hall, who had been killed while serving in Iraq, even though Hall’s family had granted permission to the media to cover the funeral. After Milbank’s initial column, which noted that Gray was shot down by her superiors for attempting to allow reporters to access the ceremony, Gray says she was demoted, that her BlackBerry had been disconnected, and that she received various forms of pressure before eventually being fired. Milbank notes the strict rules at Arlington Cemetery are a continuation of policies started under Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who rigorously censored images of American dead and even flag-draped caskets returning home from the war. CBS News Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan also recently raised the issue of the Pentagon concealing the death of American soldiers, asking on the Daily Show, “Tell me the last time you saw the body of a dead American soldier ?” www.americanprogressaction.org Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:54:10 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63741427 2008-07-10T17:54:10Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63707545 On April 24, the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank reported on the Pentagon’s effort to keep media out of earshot and photo range of the funeral of Lt. Col. Billy Hall, the 4,011th American to die in Iraq. Milbank wrote that Gina Gray, Arlington’s new director of public affairs, “pushed vigorously to allow the journalists more [...] Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:23:37 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63707545 2008-07-10T14:23:37Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63714327 The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank has a column up about the continuing practice of barring media coverage of military funerals at Arlington, often against the wishes of families. Sad, but not particularly noteworthy, in the scheme of things. Here’s what caught my eye, though: Geren, the Army secretary, added that “the policy has not changed, and [...] Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:56:58 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Dana+Milbank?rinfoid=63714327 2008-07-10T13:56:58Z