Frist, Hastert Refused Democrats' Request to Honor the Fallen

[Rose Siding]

With the military effort in Iraq now at the three-year mark, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) renewed their call for a temporary memorial to the fallen troops in the Capitol Rotunda.

In a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), the two lawmakers asked for the display to be placed from Memorial Day to Independence Day this year.
....
Emanuel and Lautenberg, along with former Rep. Jim Turner (D-Texas), first called for a Rotunda memorial in summer 2004. That request was rebuffed, so about the same time Emanuel and Lautenberg placed memorials outside their personal offices on the Hill. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) did the same outside his office.

Emanuel and Jones ignored a request by the House buildings superintendent to remove them.
....
Neither Frist nor Hastert’s office responded to requests for comment. Emanuel is not optimistic that they’ll change their tune.

“I don’t expect anything different,” he said. “Maybe I’ll catch them in a good mood.”

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/UndertheDome/032206.html

I'm all for it, and more. Drape the mirrors in black. Shroud the whole building in mourning.
Let the consequences of war stare each member in the face all day long.
Force them to consider the real costs when calculating their decisions.

Republicans would rather make a show of defending a phrase in the pledge. Words.

http://jones.house.gov.nyud.net:8090/files/pledgeofal.jpg

[AndyA]

1. To paraphrase Bush: "What kind of a message does this send

to our troops?" We won't honor the fallen.

Do as we say, not as we do.

The Republicans and the Bush Administration have no respect for ANYONE.

NO RESPECT FOR ANYONE!

[Inland]

2. No, and after marking the third anniversary of the war, we know why.

If they have one memoriam, they are going to have to have another, and then people say...."gee, it seems like we keep having these memorials and its more dead and nothing got better and SEE YOU NEXT YEAR." It'll be like the anniversary with the anger and emotion all focused.

Frist and Hastert want the years and dead to escape your notice. They want them forgotten, not remembered.