[Slugman]

Ok... this story pisses me off!

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/3783812/detail.html?subid=22100406&qs=1;bp=t

Local Soldier Could Lose Custody Of Daughter Back Home

BROWNSVILLE, Pa. -- A Fayette County couple says their son can't fight a custody battle with his ex-wife because he's busy with another conflict -- the war in Iraq.

Army Spc. Benjamin Horner, of Brownsville, was served with divorce papers while on duty, then learned that his former spouse doesn't want him to have anything to do with their daughter.

"I couldn't even comprehend as to why someone would want to put an extra burden on someone who's overseas fighting in a war," Horner's father, Harry, told Channel 4 Action News reporter Janelle Hall. "They just can't call 'time out' in the middle of the war."

In court papers, Horner's ex-wife says the soldier hasn't performed parental duties for the past six months. His mother, Rosemary, says that's because "he's been in Iraq since late February, early March."

The Servicemember's Civil Relief Act, signed by President George W. Bush last year, allows for "a 90-day automatic stay of legal proceedings when a servicemember's duty requirements substantially interfere with his or her ability to appear."

"This is what this law is for, to protect the servicemen who are away doing their duty," Harry Horner said.

State Rep. Peter Daley, the attorney for Horner's ex-wife, filed paperwork saying the act doesn't apply in this case. Capt. Timothy Bellew, an Army attorney, disagrees.

"I find it unconscionable that military service in a combat theater would be grounds for termination of parental rights," Bellew told a judge.

"Everybody needs to know this act exists," Rosemary Horner said. "My honest belief is that nobody sitting in a military zone should even have papers served on them. You can't take their focus off what they're doing."

Horner's ex-wife and her attorney were unavailable for comment.

A Fayette County judge will decide whether to wait for Horner to come home before possibly handing the case over to an orphan judge.

The stupid move part (and political aspect) is that State Rep. Peter Daley is a Democrat in a swing state!

(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/22/politics/main645093.shtml)

Pennsylvania - 21 electoral votes
Dead Heat: Al Gore may have won by 5 percent here in 2000 but Pennsylvania is far from Kerry country. Two polls in early September (ABC News and Quinnipiac), showed Mr. Bush with a slight lead, reflecting the GOP's post-convention bounce.

Two more recent polls (American Research Group and Mason-Dixon) gave Kerry a statistically insignificant 1-point advantage.

The president has visited Pennsylvania more than any other state during his four-year term. Why? A victory here by Mr. Bush would be tremendous for Republicans. If Kerry cannot keep Pennsylvania in the Democratic camp he'll need a win in either Ohio or Florida.

This is why the Democrats will lose; they do not look at the big picture. They go running to the aid of some women (coughbiatchcough) who has been "abandoned", trying to gain support for their image... but they F up and look like tools!!!

I will remain an angry man for at least 4 more years... someone give me a viable 3rd party PLEASE!!!

 

[LordOpie]

there simply has to be more to this story than that.

Complaining that a husband/father isn't doing his job cuz he's in combat serving his country is too absurd to be the entire story. Maybe he had an affair with Abu Ghraib Lindey, photos and all.

 

[MikeD]

I thought the Soldiers' and Sailors' relief act would allow for a stay of the proceedings, but I guess that's wrong.

 

[Tenchiro]

We need both sides of the story, from that article for all we know he could be a child molseter or a wife beater...

 

[Slugman]

It's from a link by CNN, so I doubt it is going to be a pro-Bush news source... I'll google the names tonight to see if there is more to the story.

I really hope it's all BS - this is just pathetic otherwise!

 

[bpatterson6]

I will remain an angry man for at least 4 more years... someone give me a viable 3rd party PLEASE!!!

Amen to that brother... We deserve more than 2 1/2 idiots to choose from...
Our political system needs reform...

 

[N8 v2.0]

The real story is that the bitch has been getting some ween on the side and now she want's it full time.

 

[Echo]

10 bucks says she's bangin' the attorney.

 

[Skookum]

@@@@@@@@bump