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"My family and I have made considerable sacrifices for our country," Duckworth read from Castillo's letter. "My service connected disability status should stand as a testimony to that end." In the letter, Castillo goes on to claim he cannot take walks with his children and takes pain medication twice a day, and says "These are crosses that I bear due to my service to our great country, and I would do it again to protect this great country."
Strong Castle, a relatively small IT provider founded in 2011, won more than a dozen contracts with the IRS in 2012, potentially worth more than $500 million. According to the report, Strong Castle CEO Braulio Castillo's close friendship with a top IRS purchasing official, Greg Roseman, may have “influenced the [contractor] selection process" in favor of Castillo's company.
In the Strong Castle case, much of the 150-plus page report is devoted to cataloguing Roseman and Castillo's friendship through a series of chummy text messages, emails and phone calls, including ones in which Roseman offers advice on how to win IRS contracts.
It also details the company's efforts to become eligible for special contracts that are reserved for disabled veterans and businesses in low-income areas, a move that provided Castillo and Strong Castle with a competitive advantage in the bidding process.
Originally posted by Xtrozero
How does one get VA disability benefits while NEVER spending a single day in the military.
Originally posted by freedom12
And Ms Duckworth has used her disability and military service to get sympathy votes from Illinois voters.
Originally posted by freedom12
She is part of the Chicago machine, has been appointed to office by Blagojevich and later, Obama. She was heavily supported by Durbin and Rahm Emanuel.
Originally posted by freedom12
She also abused her position as head of Illinois Veterans Affairs.
On September 17, 2008, Duckworth attended a campaign event for Dan Seals, the Democratic candidate for Illinois's 10th congressional district. Duckworth used vacation time to avoid any appearance of impropriety, but violated Illinois law by going to the event in a state-owned van which was equipped for a person with physical disabilities. She promptly acknowledged the mistake and repaid the state for the use of the van.[17][18]
Originally posted by freedom12
She got elected because of re-districting after being defeated in her first attempt.
Originally posted by freedom12
As an Illinois resident, I do not care for her.
Not saying what the other clown did was right.
That's a pretty low blow considering what she sacrificed in service to this country. Are you trying to one-up Rick Perry or what?
TextIf you took half a minute to research her life and her political career, you'd see that she's hardly part of the "Chicago Machine" that so many conservatives hate.
Originally posted by freedom12
Her opponent brought it up also. Since you're from Texas, you don't get robocalls from Duckworth and probably don't follow Ms Duckworth's escapades on a daily basis. I, on the other hand, live in her district and am very familiar with her.
Originally posted by freedom12
Just because you're a "wounded vet" doesn't give you carte blanche to use "war" injuries as a reason to hold office.
Originally posted by Flatfish
If you took half a minute to research her life and her political career, you'd see that she's hardly part of the "Chicago Machine" that so many conservatives hate.
Originally posted by freedom12
Obviously, living in their backyard, nevermind. Big fail.
Duckworth attended Singapore American School, and for a few months in her senior year was at the International School Bangkok, from which the Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner also graduated. She graduated with honors from McKinley High School in 1985, after skipping the ninth grade. She graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, and received a Master of Arts in international affairs from George Washington University.[6]
Following in the footsteps of her father and ancestors, who served in the Revolutionary War, World War II, and the Vietnam War,[4] Duckworth joined the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps as a graduate student at George Washington University in 1990. She became a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve in 1992 and chose to fly helicopters because it was one of the few combat jobs open to women. As a member of the Army Reserve, she went to flight school and joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 1996.[7]
Duckworth was working towards a PhD in political science at Northern Illinois University with research interests in the political economy and public health in southeast Asia when she was deployed to Iraq in 2004.[8] Duckworth lost her right leg near the hip and her left leg below the knee[9] from injuries sustained on November 12, 2004, when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents.[10] She is the first female double amputee from the Iraq war.[1] The explosion "almost completely destroyed her right arm, breaking it in three places and tearing tissue from the back side of it."[11] Duckworth received a Purple Heart on December 3 and was promoted to Major on December 21 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she was presented with an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal.[10]
Originally posted by freedom12
Conservative? LOL......Two bad assumptions on your part.
Originally posted by freedom12
Guilt is assigned by association and the Chicago Machine is firmly entrenched with Tammy.
I've been to 2 townhall meeting's she had, personally shook her hand at one.
Obviously, I did not vote for her, but I DID NOT vote for her opponent either.
Originally posted by Flatfish
Originally posted by Xtrozero
How does one get VA disability benefits while NEVER spending a single day in the military.
Now, that's a damn good question. According to what I've read so far, students attending West Point are not considered enlisted until graduation, "unless" they are injured during their attendance at the school prior to graduation. Apparently, upon being injured, they are designated as "enlisted" solely for the purpose of qualifying for treatment of the injury through the veterans administration.
Doesn't make sense, but that's what I'm hearing. Don't know why they can't just carry them to the nearest hospital, just like they would at any other high school across this country.
Originally posted by Xtrozero
This guy was in a military prep school in high school...they are all private schools. He then went on to a normal college where he continued to play football. I do know that the 4 years at a military academy accounts for zero towards one's years in the military. Plus he had a sprain...geez
The interesting thing when I got my VA disability it had nothing to do with pain or injury, but with how much freedom of movement you have. My ankles are very limited due to multi injuries over 28 years in the military and the percentage for them was not because they hurt but because my range of movement was very limited.