The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to vote very soon on President Bush’s nomination of MG Robert T. Clark for promotion to Lieutenant General. We need to stop an approval from happening! Please e-mail or call the Chairs of the Committee today as well as your Senator if he or she is on the Committee urging him or her to vote against this promotion...actually, it wouldn't hurt to contact every Senator on the below list. If you contact each Senator, please make your statement Senator-specific...it took me about an hour to contact them all yesterday.

If you are not familiar with MG Clark's history, he was the commanding general at Fort Campbell, Ky., in 1999 when PFC Barry Winchell was harassed and subsequently beaten to death with a baseball bat by two fellow soldiers who thought Winchell was gay. Serious evidence indicates that MG Clark did not do enough, either before or after PFC Winchell’s murder, to protect his troops and curb the anti-gay environment so prevelant on his base. The Winchell case was the basis for the Showtime movie SOLDIER BOY that aired a couple of months ago.

If you would like a sample of the e-mail I sent, please e-mail me mailto:bobby78751@hotmail.combobby78751@hotmail.com and I'll e-mail it to you to help you create your own message. BTW, I had some trouble with invalid e-mail addresses yesterday in the SLDN message I received (I think I have corrected them all in this message), if you experience the same problems, please post the correct e-mail info on this thread.

Thank you, in advance, for your help!

Here is the list of the Armed Services Comittee:

Senator John Warner (R-VA)
Phone: (202) 224-2023
Fax: (202) 224-6295
Email Online: http://warner.senate.gov/contact/contactme.htm

Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
Phone: (202) 224-6221
Fax: (202) 224-1388
Email: http://www.levin.senate.gov/emailform/

And, if your Senator is on the Armed Services Committee (listed
below), please also ask that they oppose MG Clark’s promotion.

Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
Phone: (202) 224-6361
Fax: (202) 224-2126
Email: mailto:senator@akaka.senate.govsenator@akaka.senate.gov

Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Phone: (202) 224-5941
Fax: (2020 224-6471
Email: http://www.allard.senate.gov/contactme

Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Phone: (202) 224-5623
Fax: (202) 228-1377
Email: mailto:senator@bayh.senate.govsenator@bayh.senate.gov

Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Phone: (202) 224-3521
Fax: (202) 224-0103
Email: mailto:saxby_chambliss@chambliss.senate.govsaxby_chambliss@chambliss.senate.gov

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Phone: (202) 224-4451
Fax: (202) 228-0282
Email: http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
Phone: (202) 224-2523
Fax: (202) 224-2693
Email: mailto:senator@collins.senate.govsenator@collins.senate.gov

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
Phone: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
Email: http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

Senator Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Phone: (202) 224-3244
Fax: (202) 228-2186
Email Online: http://dayton.senate.gov/webform.html

Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Phone: (202) 224-6342
Fax: (202) 224-1100
Email: http://www.senate.gov/~dole/index.cfm?Fuse...ion.ContactForm

Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
Phone: (202) 224-6244
Fax: (202) 228-2193
Email: http://www.ensign.senate.gov/contact_john/...john_email.html

Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC)
Phone: (202) 227-5927
Fax: (202) 224-1189
Email: http://www.lgraham.senate.gov/email/email.htm

Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Fax: (202) 224-2417
Email: http://www.senate.gov/~kennedy/ (select your bandwith and click on the e-mail link)

Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)
Phone: (202) 224-4041
Fax: (202) 224-4041
Email: mailto:senator_lieberman@lieberman.senate.govsenator_lieberman@lieberman.senate.gov

Senator John McCain (R-AZ)
Phone: (202) 224-2235
Fax: (202) 228-2862
Email: mailto:john_mccain@mccain.senate.govjohn_mccain@mccain.senate.gov

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Phone: (202) 224-6551
Fax: (202) 228-0012
Email: http://www.bennelson.senate.gov/email.html

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Phone: (202) 224-5274
Fax: (202) 228-2183
Email: http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Phone: (202) 224-2353
Fax: (202) 228-0908
Email: http://www.pryor.senate.gov/email_webform.htm

Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
Phone: (202) 224-4642
Fax: (202) 224-4680
Email: http://reed.senate.gov/form-opinion.htm

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Phone: (202) 224-4124
Fax: (202) 224-3149
Email: mailto:senator@sessions.senate.govsenator@sessions.senate.gov

Senator James Talent (R-MO)
Phone: (202) 224-6154
Fax: (202) 228-1518
Email: http://www.talent.senate.gov/contact/index.html

[ October 22, 2003, 11:54 AM: Message edited by: bobby78751 ]

THANKS for the heads up, bobby78751

His promotion was stalled once before, so hopefully momentum is on our side?

Bumping this top the top since it's really important this gets done as soon as possible!

According to SLDN, the closed-door hearing (what's up with that?) is scheduled for 9:30 tomorrow morning.

There was an earlier related thread, Bush promotes General associated with Gay Soldier's Death

[ October 22, 2003, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: redsoxbreath ]

Think good thoughts today, kids. If this guy gets promoted, it will be a signal that a gay murder and fostering anti-gay hatred in the military are not grounds for scrutiny.

There are MANY two-stars out there with credentials for Clark's billet. I sincerely believe that this promotion will carry with it a message that gays are still unwelcome in the armed services.

[ October 23, 2003, 06:42 AM: Message edited by: araanib ]

Lets do everything we can to stop this promotion, I think it will be a real shame if he is awarded another star. ive sent out letters before and will do another one before i leave
Lets hope for the best

Well said, AZAF (as usual)....let us know to whom it would be most effective to direct some correspondence (if not to ALL of the influential men and women mentioned in Bobby's post above) and I, for one, will gladly do so....this is an issue that demands attention and the full and vocal support (or should I say opposition, when referring to Clark's potential promotion) of our community.

Clark's nomination has been approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee. Because it was a closed-door session, individual senators' votes were not disclosed.

[ October 23, 2003, 05:34 PM: Message edited by: redsoxbreath ]

Damnit, I'm losing more faith in this country's leadership every day. The only thing worse than knowing this passed would be to know Hillary and Teddy voted for the rat bastard, too. On second thought, there isn't much anything worse about this situation than knowing this was approved. Now, we need to regroup and focus on contacting Senators when this gets ready for a vote. Thanks to everybody who contacted Senators.

Thanks for keeping us up to date. I'll definitely make some calls and send some messages when he goes to the full senate. I can't imagine he'd pass, but...

Getting an update to you about this impending vote...
It Is Delayed

Thanks for the update....although the senator whose actions have resulted in Clark's nomination being put on hold has remained anonymous, this looks like a good sign -- at last (I HOPE)....also glad to see that Hillary, Ted Kennedy and Daniel Akaka apparently have all confirmed that they voted AGAINST Clark's promotion during the "closed door" committee vote (even though all three are denying being "responsible" for placing the current hold before the Senate)....keep sending those e-mails and letters to your Senators, guys....it can only help, especially if it keeps this scoundrel from receiving another star.

[ November 12, 2003, 04:20 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

Bad news, guys, Clark was confirmed. Did any other SLDN members get notification of an impending vote? I didn't. This confirmation is another slap in the face of Barry's family and firends.
Confirmation

Thanks for the link, bobby... interesting to read about the senators who spoke out against his promotion. Do we know the final vote (not that it really matters, just curious...)?

But it isn't a slap in the face! So much was conceded on the Senate floor to defend this man. Senators attacked the truth of the allegations NOT the seriousness of the crime. That way, all of them admitted on the record that running a base where homophobia was rampant is a bad thing.

SLDN never had a chance of blocking this nomination, but they DID succeed in getting the Senate to admit that gays serve honorably in the military and that protecting the rights of soldiers, regardless of sexual orientation, is a necessity.

It's a victory (albeit a symbolic one) for us, trust me.

This sounds like Bushspin. "The attacks on Americans in Iraq are increasing because we are making progress." This testimony was brought out in the Senate and it was ignored by a majority of the voters...where is the victory? If anything, it just adds fuel to the fire that a lot of our leaders don't care about us or our safety. I'm sure that when he takes over at Fort Sam Houston, the Republican state of Texas will welcome this guy with open arms. I want out of Texas!!!

Wow ... I look at a situation optimistically -- not as a complete failure -- and I'm compared to Bush.

As a gays-in-the-military advocate, I am saddened that having a hate crime committed under one's watch is not enough to end a career. But looking at the statements made on the record by some of the absolutely most conservative Senators, I am optimistic about the upcoming decade. The rhetoric was enormously pro-gay. DADT is no longer a new, dangerously radical compromise solution! It is seen by the far right as the norm and by moderates as an antiquated law. Why is that not progress.

Look at this as we now look at the Anita Hill testimony. It was that moment that indicated an extreme shift (political and social) in favor of eliminating sexual harrassment from the work place. This is very much a signal to the leadership that anti-gay harrassment (and ultimately exclusion) is not acceptable.

Now, it isn't the slam dunk we would have liked, Bobby, but it is a wonderful signal that things are on the edge of change.

And for the future, it might be wise not to shoot your mouth off when your concept of victory is limited by your inexperience with the issue.

Which "most conservative Senators" are you talking about? SLDN says that only Kennedy (D-MA) Dayton (D-MN), Feingold (D-WI), Akaka (D-HI), Kerry (D-MA), and Lautenberg (D-NJ) included comments either on the Senate floor or in the Congressional Record.

SLDN meant that those were the only Senators who spoke on-the-record AGAINST MG Clark. It is in the comments spoken in favor of him that I get a clear sense that the climate is changing for the better.

Fair enough?

[ November 24, 2003, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: araanib ]

Why can't they take a stand now? Why speak on both sides of the issue? Oh, yeah, elections. Where can I read these comments?

Try the Senate record. SLDN's policy advocate sent them to me in e-mail, but if you want to see them in the flesh, go to the congressional record on-line.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r108...p/~r108QIzIXc::

This link will give you a list of links for specific speeches made concerning his nomination. Look at how carefully these Senators qualify their support.

Apparently Thomas search links expire. Try going here, click Item 4,
EXECUTIVE SESSION -- (Senate - November 18, 2003), then Page: S15029.
The discussion appears to be about 27 printed pages in length.

If that link doesn't work, here's the Senate's Clark confirmation discussion as a pdf file.

[ November 24, 2003, 07:55 PM: Message edited by: redsoxbreath ]

Maybe a topic for another day, but I have to say, I like that Senator Mark Dayton! Where did he come from? I heard him on the radio out speaking against the Medicare-poison-pill bill, aka prescription drug bill, then I find out here that he was against this Clark sleazebag that W nominated, and then I heard that he came out against the Energy Bill boondoggle. Did Minnesotans also elect a conservative GOPer instead of Fritz Mondale? How did Dayton slip through? Is he related to the Dayton-Hudson fortune? To that woman Elizabeth Dayton Dovydenas, who was in the news about a decade ago? When is he up for re-election? Are his chances good, i.e., do Minnesotans like the guy?

The ultimate problem with the floor debate on Gen. Clark's promotion is that those in favor of the promotion had to argue that everything done up to the murder was in accordance with military rules and regulations, that nothing could have been done to prevent the murder and that what has been done subsequent to the murder has been sufficient to address the issues and concerns that exist at Fort Campbell. I think that is very dangerous. Fort Campbell was, and by all accounts is, a dangerous place for gay service members. If Gen. Clark did everything he needed to do under current military guidelines, then those guidelines are insufficient. Yet other bases and other commanders have done much more and been far more successful at stemming anti gay harrassment and violence. What the senators who approved Clark's promotion said was that his standard of behavior and discipline were sufficient. I would hate to have that lazyness and carelessness creep into the commands of other officers throughout our armed forces.