Tell him to show some respect for the long tradition of military justice, and to quit using the JAG to cover for his illegal power grab.

Tell him Democrats respect the military - they would never use the military as pawns.  Tell him why Virginians know they can trust you, James Webb, to make this so.  Tell them America can do better.  Virginia can lead the way.

While I hate even to respond to insane troll ranting, here are a few thoughts.  There's a good summary of the events and policy decisions preceding the incident so famously described in Mark Bowden's book at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ambush/etc/cron.html

George Bush Sr. started the Somalia intervention.  Reread that.  It was not a Clinton initiative.  And it was a morally decent initiative by Bush Sr. (a much better man than his son).  Both Bush and Clinton were trying to restore order in a county gone haywire, in conjunction with the U.N.

Les Aspin, a hawkish Democrat, was Clinton's Secretary of Defense, and he resigned over what he in hindsight admitted was a big mistake.  Aspin was the one who refused to approve a supply request.  Aspin, by the way, frequently supported GOP defense strategy while he was in the House.  One can't really call him a liberal Democrat.

In the end 18 Americans died in the incident.  Eighteen is less than the 2,500 "pawns" whose deaths are the responsibility of W's morally bankrupt escapade.

The transcript is available at: Democrats.org.

From the speech:

As the occupation of Iraq has continued to drag on, some of our most distinguished retired generals, as well as many members of Congress with strong loyalties to our military, have suggested different approaches for America to remove itself from this quagmire. Rather than weighing these suggestions fairly as Americans, this Administration constantly chooses to play politics, dismissing well-intentioned concern with such trivial phrases as "cut and run." I'm reminded of another time, with a leader who truly understood war. In 1952 General Dwight Eisenhower, who had led us to victory in Europe in World War Two, strongly condemned the conduct of the Korean War as "an appalling failure." He claimed "the old Administration cannot be expected to repair what it failed to prevent." And he gave his pledge to "review and examine every course of action open to us with one goal in view: to bring the Korean War to an early and honorable end." And you know what? When he was elected President, he did that.

We need this kind of leadership today. I'm running for the Senate in the hope that I might bring a fresh voice, and an experienced set of eyes, onto the problems of our country. We need to redirect the efforts of our national security posture. We need to bring the Iraq War to an early and honorable end. We need to begin bringing troops home soon, as the first step toward a complete military pullout from that country. We must do this in order to free up our dedicated military people to fight the war we need to win – the war against international terrorism - and so that we can have the mobility to confront the other strategic challenges, such as the threat of an emerging China.

So who would you want as a Senator, a first-rate strategic thinker like Jim Webb, or a third-rate rubberstamp like George Felix Allen???

Ha!  That takes a serious chunk out of their playbook.  Allen is in serious trouble.  (Webb supporters smile widely)

It was alleged that during one of Stevenson's presidential campaigns, a supporter told him that he was sure to "get the vote of every thinking man" in America, to which Stevenson is said to have replied, "Thank you, but I need a majority to win."

...when Democratic candidates clearly and powerfully call it like they see it and call Republicans on the carpet for their misdeeds and twisted vision for America, I know I will once again look forward to calling voters, walking door to door, and feeding off the adrenaline until the climax on Election Day.

Just like baseball, I live for this. And after hearing Jim Webb's radio address today, I know 2006 will not be any different....

Read more

In 2004, IKE's son, diplomat and historian John Eisenhower endorsed John Kerry for President.

John Eisenhower said a number of interesting things which I find similar to Jim Webb's positions and comments.

I think that the following excerpt from John Eisenhower is especially relevant in light of Jim Webb's address today.

Responsibility used to be observed in foreign affairs. That has meant respect for others. America, though recognized as the leader of the community of nations, has always acted as a part of it, not as a maverick separate from that community and at times insulting towards it. Leadership involves setting a direction and building consensus, not viewing other countries as practically devoid of significance. Recent developments indicate that the current Republican Party leadership has confused confident leadership with hubris and arrogance.

 
We need light, not smoke

It's an election year in Virginia, but then isn't every year?

This year's Big Contest centers on the re-election bid by incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen and his challenger, Reagan-era Republican-turned-Democrat James Webb.

We expect that Allen's campaign will follow the template set by President George W. Bush — wedge issues, button-pushing, spin — and tearing down the other candidate's military service. In 2004, the media consulting firm of Scott Howell helped spin Bush into the White House against Vietnam veteran John Kerry as well as in assisting Republican non-hero Saxby Chambliss in gaining one of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats by demolishing the reputation of Max Cleland, a genuine Vietnam War hero. In Bush's case, he also had the "unofficial" aid of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who managed to turn one of America's most prestigious military awards, the Purple Heart medal, into a dirty word. Bashing Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam service gained such fervor that during the 2004 Republican National Convention, many delegates donned Band-Aids imprinted with a purple heart — even though many of them could boast no national service at all.

We expect former Navy Secretary and Vietnam veteran James Webb will suffer much the same fate at the hands of non-veteran Allen. Witness the following purple prose issued Tuesday by the George Allen campaign, complete with grammar, punctuation and capitalization errors:

"ARLINGTON Democratic Senate candidate James H. Webb, Jr. has joined Senators John Kerry, Ted Kennedy and Charles Schumer in opposing a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress to protect the American Flag according to todays Newport News Daily Press.

"James H. Webb, Jr. continues to demonstrate he is totally beholden to the liberal Washington Senators who dragged him across the line in the Democratic primary, said Dick Wadhams, campaign manager for U.S. Senator George Allens reelection campaign. By announcing his opposition to the Flag Protection Amendment, James H. Webb, Jr. puts himself firmly on the side of John Kerry, Ted Kennedy and Charles Schumer.

"Webb was forced to finally reveal his position on the Flag Protection Amendment following a challenge (Monday) by Senator Allens campaign. The Senate is debating and voting this week on the proposed constitutional amendment which would authorize Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. Senator Allen is a cosponsor of the amendment."

Allen may be a co-sponsor of the amendment — which failed to pass the Senate by one vote yesterday — but we don't feel that a man who would be hard-pressed to explain the difference between an MGB and a MRE necessarily qualifies as a spokesman for the military or most Americans.

Who is more patriotic? The Vietnam veteran who realizes that America can remain a freer nation without enacting frivolous legislation or the career politician who wraps himself in Old Glory for personal gain? Who's the hero? The man who wore combat boots on the ground in Vietnam or the dude from Albemarle County who affects cowboy boots?

Will Americans get fooled again? It's too soon to tell, but past instances of using veteran-bashing or showy displays of patriotism as stepping stones to public office don't speak well for the record.

We need more from our candidates for public office than tired templates and catchphrases. It's not enough for George Allen to wrap himself in the flag. If we are to make an intelligent decision about whether he should be re-elected to the Senate or replaced by Webb, we need both Allen and Webb to focus on issues that affect Virginians in their everyday lives — and flag-burning isn't one of them.

We need both candidates to shed light on real issues, not blow smoke in our faces. We need to know where they stand on health care, prescription drug costs, taxes, No Child Left Behind, transportation, gas prices and the myriad other things that affect us on a daily basis.

Engaging in bashing one another or trying to create linkages between each other and liberal or conservative bogeymen isn't enough. Invoking wedge issues that have already been written into the Constitution or ruled upon by the Supreme Court isn't enough. Stick to the facts and focus on the issues; that's what Virginia needs today.

Originally published June 29, 2006

GREAT PIECE!

But this cartoon is almost better...

Genius!

::gives standing ovation::

I got it from Jim's blog and I think it came from the Staunton Daily News Leader.

The words are good but the image is unfavorable.

Check it out here!

A leader we can be proud of -- what a concept!

He will be our next Senator.

Among the papers that at least picked up the AP story on the broadcast were the Houston Chronicle, the Buffalo News, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune -- not to mention such locals as the Richmond Times Dispatch and Virginian Pilot.

So where's the Post?  Missing in action -- again?