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| Iraq |
| Donks Struggle To Find Anti-War Vets To Run For Congress |
| 2006-02-08 |
| ...Mr Horne, 44, is not alone. He is one of a dozen Iraq war veterans running for congressional seats in the November mid-term elections. What makes this new band of political brothers extraordinary is that all but one are running as Democrats, and against a war that only months ago they were fighting in. "It's unprecedented. It's amazing the Democrats have found this many," said Larry Sabato, a politics professor at the University of Virginia. Thirty military veterans from the wars in Vietnam, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq are seeking seats in the US House of Representatives as antiwar Democrats in a country where more than half the public now consider the war a mistake. The only Iraq veteran running as a prowar Republican is Van Taylor, a decorated Marine captain challenging a Democrat incumbent in Texas. Republicans also have 35 candidates for House seats who fought in other wars. The Democrat veterans have been aggressively recruited by a party desperate to burnish its national security credentials, and keen to exploit the two issues that its strategists believe most threaten the Republican grip on Capitol Hill: Iraq and congressional corruption. They hope there will be nothing more appealing to voters and harder to attack than a candidate who has actually fought in Iraq... Though the article is hopelessly biased, it still shows the utter pathos and desperation of the democrats. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #11 I don't agree with Bobby that that Veterans or anybody else for that matter is taken for granted by the GOP. Rather that trying to pander to a certain group they have demonstrated that he GOP is a party for everyone. I do agree that putting Nacy Pelosi's comments in the mouth of a Vet will nhot help Amercia swallow a cut and run policy. I also love his insight to Wes Clark (buddy of Bill Clinton) and how he almost universally hated in military circles. The Donks are pissing into the wind on this issue. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-02-08 22:48 |
| #10 MURTHA-GATE > definitely showed the latent hypocrisies within the Dems vv voting for something before voting against it. The NET > Amer voters and patriots now know that the Dems are in reality are de facto supporting the Bush agenda at the same time that they criticize Dubya's policies, and NOT necessarily for patriotic reasons. To paraphrase RUSH LIMBAUGH this AM, "The Amer people know the Dems are lying; that the Dems are behaving in a most un-patriotic, anti-American manner; and that unless the Dems change any POTUS HILLARY will go down in history as an example of how Dems/pols will scare away the voters". THE AMER PEOPLE DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT "CENTRISTS" OR "MODERATES" - THEY WANT TRUE BELIEVERS, GOD AND AMERICA FIRSTERS, HOWEVER IMPERFECT, NOT UNIVERSAL = PERMANENT PROFESSIONAL WAFFLIN' POLICRATS. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-02-08 20:10 |
| #9 Translation - the only winning strategy the Dems have is to hide who they really are. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2006-02-08 19:45 |
| #8 suggestion: the GOP-leaning Vets do not have the lack of seriousness it takes to be a successful politician, nor do they have the anti-American feelings required to be a successful Dem, leaving them only one party to support, rather than lead? (/sarcasm) Actually Emily, I bet they are simply getting their lives back in order before doing the political thang. Should be a truly admirable wave of candidates |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-02-08 19:02 |
| #7 What Em said. Headline is innacurate. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-02-08 17:52 |
| #6 Bobby Bran's got an excellent perspective on this trick over at his site Read it all http://bobbybran.blogs.com/bobbys_world/2006/02/books_and_cover.html |
| Posted by: Fodamage 2006-02-08 17:45 |
| #5 I don't get it. Why can't the Dems just run on abortion, gun control and more social programs? /sarcasm |
| Posted by: Iblis 2006-02-08 16:24 |
| #4 "What Would Karl Marx Do" |
| Posted by: macofromoc 2006-02-08 15:52 |
| #3 It has been my experience that these anti-war veterans usually leave out the fact in thier campaign that they are anti-war and a Democrat. To me it is comical to see an ex-Captain/Major/Sgt who now is quasi anti-military after they are discharged. Example: Lt JF sKerry. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-02-08 15:24 |
| #2 Seafarious, I suspect that the those troops who would be the strongest Republican candidates are choosing to re-up and continue the job they started, rather than getting out as soon as feasible. In a few years, however, when those 40-somethings become 50-somethings, I think they'll return and flood the market. The 2012 elections should be highly amusing... |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-02-08 14:40 |
| #1 Ya know, I think the Donks are doing a much better job recruiting Iraq vets to run for office. The first vet to run lost in a close election last year, and he ran as a anti-war Dem. My personal opinion is that the nation-building our troops are doing on the fly will make them outstanding politicians here, but I'm mystified as to why the GOP is not reaching out to them and grooming them for office. Wake up, GOP! |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-02-08 14:32 |