Iraq war veterans running for office

[O'Dannyboy]

I don't have any particular articles to reference, but rather, wanted to hear your thoughts on this subject. I have been reading and hearing more and more about disabled veterans of the Iraq war running for political office. I can't help but wonder if these people have some sort of axe to grind with our government. What is unsettling is that those that I have heard of running for office are democrats. I understand that our government needs some focus and allot of reworking from the inside out, but I can only hope that this is why these veterans are running and not out seeking some form of personal justice at the risk of making things worse for the rest of the citizenry.

[other one]

I hope they can bring some sanity to washingtod dc.

[Jay Barker]

I don't have any particular articles to reference, but rather, wanted to hear your thoughts on this subject. I have been reading and hearing more and more about disabled veterans of the Iraq war running for political office. I can't help but wonder if these people have some sort of axe to grind with our government. What is unsettling is that those that I have heard of running for office are democrats. I understand that our government needs some focus and allot of reworking from the inside out, but I can only hope that this is why these veterans are running and not out seeking some form of personal justice at the risk of making things worse for the rest of the citizenry.

REPLY:

Sure. We had a bunch of VOLUNTEERS in the all-volunteer force actually have to go overseas because the President told them to do so. Now, they got hurt and don't like it. (Btw, I'm not taking a pro or con on Bush's decision - let's cut right to the chase). So they somehow - with ZERO prior experience - have decided they are qualified to be public officeholders. And instead of starting at the local county level, they move right to the front of the line. Ironically, they all seem to be running as Democrats.

And people wonder why we're cynical about the Dems and patriotism. They only use the folks to assuage their guilt - and to score points in the media.

Don't ever forget this: we were SUPPOSED to vote for self-proclaimed Vietnam War hero John Kerry last time simply because he was a war hero.

Of course, the same people claiming this were silent in the prior two elections when a draft dodger faced off against the youngest Navy pilot shot down in WWII (Bush) and the wounded warrior, Dole.

[jesussaves]

Saw something of this story on the news. I hope those running have some experience in the offices they are trying to get a foot hold in. Me thinks, however, that there will be those in the shadows that will be their real mouth piece.

[RustyAngeL]

I have to disagree with you as to your comment that they, the veterans have an axe to grind. I find that 99% of the veterans love this country and respect it's leadership and want to improve it. I have always said that we need people in Washington that know what it is to work for a living and put your life on the line. Most of these people that hold office don't' have a clue what it is to work for a living and to go to war. What better people then vets and people like us to run this country. Maybe then we can bring some sanity back into it.

[Gerioke]

Don't feel bad. We have a gay fiddler and an ex NHL goalie as possible candidates for the next liberal leader.

[Jay Barker]

MOST HIGH:

They are not all disabled and infact the majority are not. Maybe they have an axe to grind because they expect our government not to abuse it's power and start wars for lofty ideals without a reality based plan or for financial gain. Maybe they expect our government to use the military wisely.

JAY:

Fair enough. A BETTER question might be this: what kind of an imbecile authorizes the President for unspecified military action, votes AGAINST funding those troops AFTER the war has been going on for a year - and spends an entire campaign NEVER SPECIFYING what he plans to do?

To do this, all you have to do is be as stupid as John Forbes Kerry.

Sure. We had a bunch of VOLUNTEERS in the all-volunteer force actually have to go overseas because the President told them to do so. Now, they got hurt and don't like it. (Btw, I'm not taking a pro or con on Bush's decision - let's cut right to the chase). So they somehow - with ZERO prior experience - have decided they are qualified to be public officeholders. And instead of starting at the local county level, they move right to the front of the line. Ironically, they all seem to be running as Democrats.

Perhaps they don't like being used for the wrong reasons. They have a right to say so and to try and change a governemtn that has failed them. It's funny how these men and women are qualified to comment on the war or run for republican office but as soon as they are democrats they seem to be unqualified. Exactly how much experience did GWBush have before he "jumped to the head of the line" to run for the GOVERNOR?

More conservative hypocrisy...

REPLY:

I didn't introduce Bush or say it was okay; YOU did. But since you are the one bringing up hypocrisy, I'd very interested to know if you think Hillary is qualified to even enter the race. She WASN'T qualified to be a Senator particularly from a state she didn't live in. I said NOTHING about war vets being qualified if they were Republicans. You are so busy thinking what you're going to say that you're hearing things that I didn't say.

Yes, the vets have a right to say so. But it is also clear to me that you must never have actually served in a war, either. All that political garbage goes right out the window when the bullets start flying. And all the peace marches inside the city of Baghdad would not alter the outcome.

And people wonder why we're cynical about the Dems and patriotism. They only use the folks to assuage their guilt - and to score points in the media.

MOST HIGH SAYS:

What an offensive thing to say. Should we question the republican patriotism for continuing to support policies that threaten our nation? Like the failures on our security, failures in the intelligence to go to war, failures in planning the occupation of Iraq... the list is long.

REPLY:

Hmm, let's now open up the proverbial can. I realize logic is a missing commodity in most liberals so I'll talk REAL slow just in case.

1. Bill Clinton had EIGHT freaking years to do something about it. The World Trade Center suffered an explosion in 1993 in the basement. Some of my friends were KILLED at the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996. I nearly had to perform the Honor Guard for the funeral of Andrew Triplett, a sailor killed in the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. The only time Chicken Little ever had time to bomb bin Laden was - surprise! - when he was due to testify about his extracurricular activities. And the fact he didn't respond in 1996 or 2000 because they were election years is only a pacifistic coincidence, right?

2. Bill Clinton told me every day during Lewinskygate that he was 'doing the work of the American people.' Apparently, he was MORE INTERESTED - and spent tons more money - chasing that danger to humanity Bill Gates than killing the man he called 'most wanted,' Osama bin Laden. So what exactly was Bubba doing when he was doing the work of the American people?

3. Bill Clinton went on Larry King in 2003 on Bob Dole's birthday and said HE KNEW WHILE HE WAS PRESIDENT THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD WMDs. Is Clinton lying or telling the truth? Either way doesn't bode well for a liberal. If he's telling the truth, you got no business having heartburn with the initial decision.

4. John Kerry voted FOR the resolution to give the President a free hand. Why? He was against every single military action we did until then. Of course, the fact he was running for President had NOTHING to do with this sudden flip flop - just like after two decades of opposing the death penalty, he suddenly decided it was right for Bin Laden. Again, this was a change of CONVICTION, right?

5. John Kerry then voted against funding the troops. Why? Well, it's just a COINCIDENCE that Howard "Mr. Scream" Dean was out of the race and he needed to run to the left faster than Reggie Bush on the right hash mark. Again, this guy couldn't make up his mind. A lot of us thought if he got elected he put the troops in one day, pull them out the next, put them back in the next - a great leader to be sure.

THESE WERE LIBERALS, SIR!!

You list a number of wrong things. Fair enough. What was Kerry's solution? None - and we knew it. He would have run the war EXACTLY AS BUSH HAS - so why change leaders when it was six of one and half a dozen of the other?

Don't ever forget this: we were SUPPOSED to vote for self-proclaimed Vietnam War hero John Kerry last time simply because he was a war hero.

Of course, the same people claiming this were silent in the prior two elections when a draft dodger faced off against the youngest Navy pilot shot down in WWII (Bush) and the wounded warrior, Dole.

Garbage, the democrats NEVER claimed you should vote for Kerry BECAUSE he IS a DECORATED war HERO. There were plenty of reasons for and against voting for Senator Kerry. If Clinton was a draft dodger GW Bush certainly was as well. At least Kerry VOLUNTEERED and WENT to VN.

[Jay Barker]

MOST HIGH WRITES:

I don't have the time nor the desire to overwhelm this post with a laundry list of misdeeds, mistakes and illegal activities by this administration. I think the poll numbers speak loud and clear.

[BrandonL]

Now as for these Iraq veterans running for office, they are political opportunists. They were already Democrats, and are trying to get some benefit out of their service to get elected to office. I wouldn't even consider voting for these people. As soon as I hear them running their mouth about opposing the war, their military service becomes of no consequence.

How DARE you denegrate the sacrifice and service of our veterans. Have you no Shame at all?

Umm... Can I chime in on this? I'm not sure if I'm an Iraqi war veteran yet or not, because I'm still in Iraq. But I am an Afghanistan war vet....

I haven't heard anything about these alleged vet's running for office, but if as this thread suggests, they are indeed running anti-war and anti-Bush, then I wholeheartedly agree that they are abusing their service. I take it personally offensive to hear that my brothers in arms are going home and slandering this just war. Make no mistake, this is a JUST war. I don't care what the media says, and I could spend hours giving a pointed argument to justify the war, but that has been done thousands of times by thousands of people. Just, for some reason, when someone does that, they are called unclean and run out of town with torches and pitchforks. I suppose since polls have concluded that it is popular to be anti-war, then we should all be anti-war. Who really cares about Iraqis anyways? These guys obviously aren't good enough to be born in the US, otherwise they wouldn't have been born in Iraq, right? Maybe they should have just been aborted. Hmm... hard to tell sometimes.

[other one]

Saw something of this story on the news. I hope those running have some experience in the offices they are trying to get a foot hold in. Me thinks, however, that there will be those in the shadows that will be their real mouth piece.

It's called the beast........ it really is here and has been for centuries