The Murtha Boomerang

[Lemur]

Interesting read from James Webb, a secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration, and a Marine platoon and company commander in Vietnam. He does a nice rundown of the history of swiftboating vets, and concludes:

The political tactic of playing up the soldiers on the battlefield while tearing down the reputations of veterans who oppose them could eventually cost the Republicans dearly. It may be one reason that a preponderance of the Iraq war veterans who thus far have decided to run for office are doing so as Democrats.

A young American now serving in Iraq might rightly wonder whether his or her service will be deliberately misconstrued 20 years from now, in the next rendition of politically motivated spinmeisters who never had the courage to step forward and put their own lives on the line.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

It may be one reason that a preponderance of the Iraq war veterans who thus far have decided to run for office are doing so as Democrats.

Sounds more like their learning from Kerry. How do you explain the vast majority of the military is republican yet most of those who are running for office are democrats. Are you saying their having a change of heart and switching. I seriously doubt that. More like they joined for the same reasons Kerry did. They had political ambitions all along.

[Xiahou]

Speaking of Murtha... had anyone seen this video clip from a recent townhall meeting he and Rep. Moran had in Arlington? I think the looks on their faces were priceless.

[Watchman]

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...you know, this partisan mud-throwing is getting more than a little stale. It's getting me pretty convinced that not only is the practical execution of American internal politics off its rockers, so is its very mental framework, though. Damn wannabe vultures anyway. *Real* vultures at least fulfill an important function as trashmen, this crap is just vulgar.

[Lemur]

More like they joined for the same reasons Kerry did. They had political ambitions all along.

Why not respond to Mr. Webb's article rather than spinning out your own hypotheticals?

And yes, Watchman, partisanship will be a big problem for us. The extreme ends of our political spectrum seem to see no benefit in cooperation or compromise.

[Watchman]

Conclusion: two-party systems suck. Too much polarization, too few outlets for expressing opinion.

I'll grant you I've seen quite a few Americans on assorted forums long after electoral reforms to get rid of that though, so at least they know where the shoe chafes.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Why not respond to Mr. Webb's article rather than spinning out your own Why not respond to Mr. Webb's article rather than spinning out your own hypotheticals?
?

All he did was spin out his own hypotheticals? What would you like me to address? I see the lefts bashing of Bushs military record isnt even mentioned. We all know what the left thinks of the military. I find this editorial hilarious. If any bashes the military its the left not the right.

[Watchman]

This whole discussion has a kind of dirty feeling to it.

[Sheep]

I live right by the biggest military bases on the West Coast so I know quite a few military types. Most of them are pretty conservative generally, although not all Republicans. What seems to me is that very few of the guys really changed their politics after being enlisted. Most of the guys that were pot-smoking socially liberal punks who didn't have really any other career options BESIDES the military are still pot-smoking socially liberal punks who don't really have any other career options now. And vice versa with the conservative ones. Also a lot of the black soldiers I know would still vote Democrat. Actually to be honest most of the guys I know are pretty disillusioned with everyone in the government. Although most would still say they vote Republican.


Anecdotal, I know.

[Major Robert Dump]

It's classic guilt by association. Because some people in the party take the debate in an unhealthy direction then it makes everyone bad. Any democrat is immediately dismissed because they are democrats, and any Republican is automatically an expert on military issues and geopolitics because they are a republican. This is people like Sheehan make everyone on the left look bad, and this is why twats like Schmidt think they can put on a stars and stripe pant suit and subtley call an opponent a coward on the house floor.

Whats funny about the entire thing is about 20 years ago military-turned-politicians were almost always Republicans, whereas now we would be lucky to need both hands to count the number of veterans in the congress, period. Simply questioning the policy which sent the troops into battle in the first place is not anti-military, and the politicians who hide behind the soldiers and smother dialogue and discourse on the grounds it "hurts morale" are the real cowards.

I wish two things of the parties right now:

1-I want the Republicans to realize that being in a must-win military campaign should not and does not mean people will forget or ignore any improprieties or incompetencies leading up to and managing the war

2-And I wish the democrats would understand that regardless of how many times they ask "why are we there?" or "we coulda shoulda woulda" it does not change the fact that it is a must-win military campaign, and pulling up stakes and giving up would only make things worse, much worse.

[Lemur]

Very well put, MRD.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Murtharang!

Sorry. Had to get that outta my system.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Whats funny about the entire thing is about 20 years ago military-turned-politicians were almost always Republicans, whereas now we would be lucky to need both hands to count the number of veterans in the congress

There are currently 14 democratic senators that are veterans and 18 republicans with one independent. One of the dems is Zell Miller so I guess that makes 19 republicans
There are 121 members of the House that are veterans. You must have some big hands.

[Watchman]

Maybe he just has a large collection.