Posted on 01/19/2006 10:35:31 PM PST by NapkinUser
More than 30 Iraq and Persian Gulf War veterans have entered congressional races across the country as Democrats, hoping to capitalize on their military experience to topple the incumbent Republican majority.
In Colorado, two former military men, Jay Fawcett and Bill Winter, are vying for the House seats of two strong, entrenched Republicans: Rep. Joel Hefley of the 5th Congressional District and Rep. Tom Tancredo of the 6th Congressional District, respectively.
"Do we understand military and foreign affairs? You bet," Fawcett said. "Most of us have been to the point where you get a direct dose of military and foreign affairs, mostly in the category of small-caliber weapons. But we understand that that is just one aspect of national policy."
On Dec. 20, Fawcett and Winter joined 35 Democratic veterans running for Congress at a strategy session in Washington, D.C.
The veterans voted on a name for their emerging caucuslike campaign coalition: Veterans for a Secure America. They also agreed that their military backgrounds should be promoted as credentials for leadership across the full spectrum of public policy, said Fawcett, an Air Force veteran of the 1991 Gulf War who has taught at the Air Force Academy and now works as a consultant to Northern Command in Colorado Springs.
The group will reconvene in Washington in February to respond to President Bush's State of the Union address in a news conference on the steps of the Capitol, Winter said. An attorney and the former president of the grassroots liberal organizing group Be The Change, Winter spent 10 peacetime years in the Marine Corps and the Navy.
Fawcett said the group is not anti-war but is concerned about what appears to be a lack of a solid plan for the war in Iraq. He said the group's military experience could be crucial in providing better leadership.
The war in Iraq, which polls show is now unpopular with most Americans, is a growing political weakness for Bush and for Republican lawmakers, Democratic strategists say. As proof, they point to the experience last summer of Paul Hackett, an Iraq war veteran who narrowly lost a congressional bid in a solidly Republican district in Ohio. Hackett now is running for Senate.
"Iraq is in the eye of the beholder in many ways, but increasingly, the public is viewing it negatively," said Rick Ridder, a Democratic consultant in Denver. "I certainly think there is a greater momentum now among (Democratic) veterans, after Hackett did so well in a predominantly Republican district."
But Republicans are confident they can maintain their traditional strength among voters focused on the military and veterans' issues, said Carl Forti of the National Republican Congressional
Campaign Committee, which recruits Republican candidates across the country. "People may not like the war, but they still believe that Republicans will do a better job of protecting them than Democrats," Forti said. "And if Democrats want to try to make an issue of the war and security, especially Democrats who have a voting record - they have an abysmal voting record on defense spending."
At least two military veterans have entered congressional races as Republicans, one of them a veteran of the Iraq war, Forti said.
If Democrats think they can create a winning election-year theme with veterans as candidates, they are wrong, Forti said.
"They have two major problems: Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean," he said.
Pelosi, the Democratic House minority leader from California, wants the U.S. to pull out of Iraq. Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, recently said the U.S. would not prevail there. Both are unpopular positions, Forti said.
"These are Democrats who happen to be military veterans who are running for Congress," he said of Veterans for Security. "It's one résumé item. Just because you are a military guy doesn't make you a congressman."
Forti's counterparts at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are not actively recruiting military veterans, spokeswoman Sarah Steinberg said.
"They absolutely serve a very good contrast against Republicans," she said. "But in every district, our goal is to recruit the best possible candidate we can."
In Colorado, both Fawcett and Winter are likely to face uphill battles against the Republican incumbents.
Hefley, who has not said yet whether he will seek re-election, has been elected to represent his heavily Republican district nine times before. And Tancredo is on a roll, Winter acknowledged, having emerged as a national conservative leader in the push to change immigration laws.
Better bring a lunch if you are going after Tom!
Meantime, the 500 or so republican veteran candidates won't get an inch of column space.
It's what they have to do to counter the repubs.
However, I believe the dems are working under a false premise .. so what else is new ..??
The false premise is that repubs will vote for anybody in a uniform. They think that because they think we're stupid. Fawcett already ran and LOST because he may have worn a uniform but he's not supportive of the war in Iraq which means he's also not supportive of his former fellow soldiers.
He couldn cut it. He was found out. He tried to act like a conservative - but it didn't work.
The dems are even more stupid than they think we are!!
Here`s the joke, by the election, most of the "war" in Iraq will be over. We will have won. Will we be gone and all the troops home, nah, but, as an issue, the "cut and run" bunch will be toast.
Well, they will certainly try to take credit for it, though.
On Dec. 20 [2005], Fawcett and Winter joined 35 Democratic veterans running for Congress at a strategy session in Washington, D.C.The veterans voted on a name for their emerging caucuslike campaign coalition: Veterans for a Secure America[call em Vets4SA for short...]. They also agreed that their military backgrounds should be promoted as credentials for leadership across the full spectrum of public policy, said Fawcett, an Air Force veteran of the 1991 Gulf War who has taught at the Air Force Academy and now works as a consultant to Northern Command in Colorado Springs. [still working for government because a job in the private sector eludes him?]
The group will reconvene in Washington in February to respond to President Bush's State of the Union address in a news conference on the steps of the Capitol, Winter said. An attorney and the former president of the grassroots liberal organizing group Be The Change, Winter spent 10 peacetime years in the Marine Corps and the Navy.
Fawcett said the group is not anti-war but is concerned about what appears to be a lack of a solid plan for the war in Iraq. [Translation: the group is concerned about the lack of a surrender plan] He said the group's military experience could be crucial in providing better leadership.
Notice that a lot of these guys left the service before they got their twenty but after a couple of re-enlistments?
'"Do we understand military and foreign affairs? You bet," Fawcett said. "Most of us have been to the point where you get a direct dose of military and foreign affairs, mostly in the category of small-caliber weapons."'
I hope he's kidding. Rep. Murtha's recent disgraceful performance shows that even 30-odd years of military experience is no guarantee of an understanding of "military and foreign affairs."
See also John Kerry (Viet Nam, Silver Star (self-awarded))
George McGovern (WWII, Distinguished Flying Cross)
Jimmah Carter (Cold warrier--USN SSBN officer)
Lyndon Johnson (WWII, barely, self-awarded Silver Star)
Wesley Clark (Supreme Commander - NATO and almost made history by initiating WWIII in the Balkans; now a moonbat)
Ingrate SOB's. Must be officers.
I did 21 years active and retired and I worked for a bunch of idiots so military service doesn't mean too much to me !
LOL! The logic of liberals... loons
Why do I predict more than 30 Democrats in Uniform LOSING at the polls and by Absentee Ballot from soldiers overseas?
Jack.
I do hope Republican Vets run.
Well I got my 30 years, with 4 SEA tours and I am smart enough to know that the GOP is serious about security and defense of this country.
My thinking exactly.
Patriotism was not one of the top 3 reasons for military duty for millions of servicemen/women. Being drafted, free college education or job security with full benefit package were the decision makers for many. How too often we have read or heard, "I joined, but, I didn't think I'd have to go fight in a war and risk of life. Had I known that, I'd never have joined."
The sad thing for me personally is knowing that military medals were handed out too readily to self-proclaimed war heros, later to find out, they were underserving or out-and-out fraudulant. It diminishes honor and glory. The pride, or lack, of doing military service is definately not the same for all.
What do military rats talk about? If they are truthful they can only agree with what we are doing in the war. Where does that get them? They will have to talk about other subjects and well....
If they lie about the war like that sack of shiite hackett they will get blown away very quickly. As I asked: What do military rats talk about?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.