Andrea Bottner: 2012 Winner — The 45 Most Admired Republican Women Under 45

Andrea Bottner

Andrea (“Andi”) Bottner, 41, is an attorney and former Deputy Chief of Staff at the Republican National Committee. She also served as a legislative assistant to two GOP Members of Congress. From 2006 to 2009 she was Director of the Office of International Women’s Issues at the State Department, where she was best known for her efforts to promote women’s rights issues in the Middle East and South America.
Prior to her recruitment by the State Department, Bottner served as Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women at the Justice Department during the Bush Administration. She managed a budget of $400 million and a staff of 30 attorneys, grant specialists, and policy experts. Bottner’s work is featured in the documentary “Silent Veil: Voices From The Heart of Islam,” which emphasizes what happens to many girls and young women in the Middle East.
Bottner says “The motives of the relatives of the husbands vary: revenge, obsession, jealousy, suspected infidelity, sexual non-cooperation, or simply being told ‘no’. The women are often ostracized by their families after the attacks and are unable to find jobs. They are confined to their homes in social isolation. Gender based violence and horrific examples like honor-killing are common in too many societies that still accept discrimination, exploitation and violence against women. In too many parts of the world women still do not have full protection under the law or equal access to justice. This is unacceptable”.
Bottner’s most powerful speech topic is “Courageous Women in Iraq, Afghanistan and Beyond: A Record of Success in Democratic Transition.” Her law degree is from Boston University and she is mother of one child.
You can read more about the contest rules and background at: The 45 Most Admired Republican Women Under 45

Looking Back at Michael Moore's Movie "Fahrenheit 9/11"

Many prominent Democrats said they believed Michael Moore’s movie, “Fahrenheit 9/11.” It claimed the reason we attacked Afghanistan was to allow Unocal to build a natural gas pipeline to benefit Dick Cheney and Enron. It was total lunacy. Today Moore said the money of every American billionaire is a “national resource” and it should be confiscated.

Why is Hollywood Ignoring the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

The Academy Awards were held earlier tonight, and another year has passed without a single great major movie about America’s role in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The Hurt Locker” did win awards but it was panned by numerous veterans and did little to increase respect for the military.

The Verdict of History: Comparing The Bush and Obama Records

April 29, 2007: The National Day of Impeachment was organized by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Daniel Ellsberg and Cindy Sheehan.

The Bush Economic Record
President George W. Bush came into office with a recession and left with one, but his overall record is admirable. For 24 quarters we had steady growth, a record not matched by any other President. The Bush tax cuts rescued the economy and provided the nation with low unemployment and continued growth for 5½ straight years. The Dow Jones reached an all time high, and the tax cuts got America out of the dot com recession.

Remembering 2006: When Anti-War Conservatives Endorsed The Election of Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats

The bible of the isolationist and protectionist paleoconservative movement is "The American Conservative" magazine. They frequently champion Ron Paul and the libertarian cause.

For the next month libertarians and paleoconservatives will be fairly quiet. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), the 1988 Libertarian presidential candidate, is keeping a low profile. He does not want to jeopardize the election of his son Rand (R-KY) to the U.S. Senate. The son is also avoiding the national news media and says he is no longer a libertarian. He publicly disagrees with his father on Israel, Afghanistan and defense spending.

Obama’s Iraq Speech: Tonight He Claims Credit for Policies He Always Opposed

President Obama will address the nation tonight for only the second time from the Oval Office. The speech will occur just hours after his return from Fort Hood in Texas and it will mark the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the beginning of a new mission entitled Operation New Dawn. The last U.S. combat brigades have already left Iraq and over 90,000 troops have been redeployed. America’s armed forces will now focus on training and support activities, and only 50,000 soldiers remain in Iraq. The President will emphasize that the transition was possible because 640,000 fully trained troops in the Iraq National Army are now ready to assume the security burden. Yesterday the President visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital and he is expected to call former President George W. Bush today prior to his national address.

As U.S. Combat Troops Depart: What is the Outlook for Iraq?

The last U.S. combat brigade left late last week, and Operation Iraqi Freedom is being transformed into a support role called Operation New Dawn. The new mission primarily involves training for the Iraq National Army, and America is taking a back seat. However, the war is not over and just last week the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaeda front group, asserted responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed more than 50 Iraqi army applicants. The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, will give up his post next week, and a new U.S. ambassador arrived last week. Now, as the United States formally concludes its combat role on Aug. 31, it is time to ask: What will happen to Iraq?

Thank You President Bush, U.S. Combat Operations End in Iraq

On August 31st, U.S. combat operations in Iraq will end and the American military will shift to a transitional support role. The critics said it was not possible, but George W. Bush’s “Status of Forces” and “Strategic Framework” Agreements have now been fully implemented. As promised, 236 U.S. bases have been turned over to Iraq, and while the terrorists remain, they now have to contend with a vigorous, well equipped and well trained Iraq National Army.

U.S. Combat Troops are Leaving Iraq, But Will al-Qaeda Return?

U.S. combat operations in Iraq will cease at the end of this month, and the massive exodus of U.S. troops and equipment will continue. Over 90,000 soldiers have already left. Operation Iraqi Freedom will become Operation New Dawn on September 1st, and this will reflect the reduced American role.

Were There Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq?

The following links were compiled by Torey Dawn Hughes of Las Vegas, Nevada:

The Iraq War authorization listed WMD as one factor in a list of reasons for invading Iraq. The war was never exclusively about WMDs; e.g., the humanitarian aspect (for one) was in the resolution. The House and Senate voted and authorized and funded the war. The justification is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Resolution.