Republican Party

August 26, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Brian E. Studer, 28, of Ramsey, Minnesota, died Aug. 22 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when the improvised explosive device he was attempting to deactivate detonated.

He was assigned to the 720th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 28th Transportation Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, Mannheim, Germany.

Source: DoD

25 August 2008 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says the United States has agreed in negotiations to withdraw all its troops from Iraq by 2011. But U.S. officials insist no deal has been reached.

Mr. Maliki Monday said his government has reached an agreement with Washington that any foreign presence on Iraqi soil will end by 2011. He did not offer any further details.

Iraqi Army soldiers, Mahmudiyah, Iraq: Photo by James Gordon (CC)

Meanwhile, a spokesman for U.S. President George Bush said there has not been any final security deal with Iraq.    » read more »

August 22, 2008 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designates certain major events - including the national conventions and the presidential inauguration - as National Special Security Events (NSSEs). The U.S. Secret Service is designated as the lead agency with unified command representation from participating federal, state, and local agencies with NSSE responsibilities.

Federal resources are deployed to an NSSE to maintain the level of security needed for the event and area. A number of factors are taken into consideration when designating an event as an NSSE, including anticipated attendance by dignitaries and the size and significance of the event.    » read more »

24 August 2008 -- Iraqi officials say a suicide bomber has struck a dinner feast west of Baghdad, killing at least 25 people and wounding 32 others.

Officials say the attacker blew himself up at the home of a local sheikh who was celebrating his son's release from U.S. detention. The guests at the dinner included members of a Sunni Awakening council -- a U.S.-allied militia group that has turned against al-Qaida.

In other violence Sunday, a double bomb attack in Baghdad against Iraqi security forces killed four people. In the eastern province of Diyala, a roadside bomb killed four Iraqi soldiers in the town of Balad Ruz, while gunmen also killed two policemen in Baquba, the provincial capital.    » read more »

August 24, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Staff Sgt. David L. Paquet, 26, of Rising Sun, Maryland, died Aug. 20 at Combat Outpost Vegas, Afghanistan, of undetermined causes while conduting a patrol.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

The incident is under investigation.

Source: DoD

August 22, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class David J. Todd Jr., 36, of Marrero, Louisiana, died Aug. 20 in Bala Morghab, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire.

He was assigned to the Afghan Regional Security Integration Command-West, Herat, Afghanistan.

Source: DoD

August 22, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. 1st Class George Stanciel, 40, of Greenwood, Mississippi, died Aug. 19 at Forward Operating Base Gary Owen, Iraq, of wounds suffered when the base came under mortar attack.

He was assigned to the 370th Engineer Company, 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Engineer Brigade, Bamberg, Germany.

Source: DoD

August 22, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Sgt. Nickolas Lee Hopper, 27, of Montrose, Illinois, died Sept. 8, 2007 from wounds received while supporting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq, on June 20, 2005. Hopper’s final autopsy concluded his death was a result of wounds received in Iraq; however, Hopper was not previously identified as an OIF casualty.

He was assigned to the 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Group-28, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Cherry Point, N.C.

Source: DoD

Chicago, IL -- August 21, 2008 -- The Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns released the following statement on the Presidential Debates:

The Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns have agreed to hold three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate in September and October sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Barack Obama and John McCain: Photos by Wigwam Jones (McCain CC) and Peter Howe (Obama CC)

The campaigns have come to the earliest agreement on presidential debates reached in any general election in recent history.    » read more »

August 21, 2008 -- ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced the National Steering Committee of the Sportsmen for McCain coalition. These leaders in the angling, hunting and shooting communities are working across the country to emphasize John McCain's dedication to protecting American's right to gun ownership and his commitment to preserving and promoting our hunting, angling and shooting traditions.

Playing with guns: Photo by Terence T.S. Tam (CC)    » read more »

August 18, 2008 -- As John McCain addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Orlando, FL, this morning, he was practicing more of the same old politics. McCain claims to be an advocate for America's veterans despite his record on veterans' issues. Like Bush, McCain will continue sending American soldiers - along with billions of dollars - to Iraq and Afghanistan, but he'll block programs for health care and education for veterans here at home.

John McCain (left) visits with a WWII veteran: Photo by sloomis08 (CC)    » read more »

August 18, 2008 -- On the same day John McCain bragged about how proud he is of the lobbyists running his campaign, McCain is accepting campaign cash raised by one of the central figures in the culture of corruption surrounding a convicted lobbyist.

According to published reports, the chair of McCain's Georgia fundraising committee asked Ralph Reed, a central figure in the scandals surrounding disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff,to help raise money for today's fundraiser in Atlanta. Reed then asked his friends to send money to McCain in an email in which Reed advertised himself as a member of John McCain's Victory 2008 team.    » read more »

August 20, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Travis M. Stottlemyer, 20, of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, died Aug. 17 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Manama, Bahrain.

He was assigned to the 3rd Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Company, Marine Corps Security Forces, Norfolk, Va.

The incident is currently under investigation.

Source: DoD

August 19, 2008 -- The Department of Defense today announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Pfc. Jonathon L. Luscher, 20, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, died Aug. 17 at Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Scranton, Pa.

The incident is under investigation.

Source: DoD

August 19, 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died Aug. 15 in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device and then received small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire.

Killed were:

1st Lt. Donald C. Carwile, 29, of Oxford, Virginia, and

Pfc. Paul E. Conlon Jr., 21, of Somerville, Massachusetts.

The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Source: DoD