Vets To Press Lawmakers On Iraq (Vets For Freedom - Tuesday, April 8th, Capitol Hill)

The Hill ^ | 04/07/08 | Roxana Tiron

[tgslTakoma]

More than 400 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be storming Capitol Hill on Tuesday in support of the military operations in Iraq.

Vets for Freedom, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit Washington organization composed of combat veterans, set up more than 300 meetings with House and Senate lawmakers. The group supports keeping U.S. troops in Iraq.

The visits coincide with much-awaited testimony from Gen. David Petraeus on the situation in Iraq, and will be jump-started by way of a press conference Tuesday with presumptive GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the ranking Republican on the Armed Services panel.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), who have supported continued military operations in Iraq, are also expected to attend the press conference.

The veterans will argue it is important to listen to the military commanders on the ground instead of politicians, said Pete Hegseth, the group’s executive director. He said most of the meetings in the Senate are with the senators themselves and not staff.

The veterans on the Hill Tuesday will highlight progress in security and a decline in sectarian violence, as well as political progress. “We are winning. We can win,” said Hegseth, who received the Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman Badge for his service in Iraq in 2005.

Democrats have been criticizing the administration for signaling it will not continue to withdraw troops after July, when the number of soldiers in Iraq will reach the level it was at before a “surge” in troops last year. Petraeus is expected to recommend a halt in troop withdrawal after July, and Democrats are expected to press him on an exit strategy from Iraq.

The Vets for Freedom stop on the Hill comes at the tail end of a bus tour through 14 cities and 21 states.

[tgslTakoma]

The "troop surge" on the Hill arrives Tuesday morning! From Vets For Freedom's website:

4/7/2008 9:22:02 AM
Senators McCain, Lieberman, Graham & Rep. Marshall to Address Hundreds of Veterans from Iraq and Afghan Fronts

WHO/WHAT:

More than 400 members of Vets for Freedom will gather on Capitol Hill to hear words of support from various Senators—including presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)—before individual meetings with their legislators.

Vets for Freedom (VFF) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the largest U.S. organization of its kind, with 44 state chapters and some 22,000 members. Its mission is to educate the American public about the importance of achieving success in Iraq and Afghanistan and to compel Congress to listen to the Generals on the ground. VFF supports policymakers from both sides of the aisle.

WHY:

Tuesday’s gathering will provide a unique opportunity to get first-hand perspective from recent veterans who came from across the U.S., to spread a message of support for the troops, and to support General David Petraeus as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee about progress in Iraq that day.

Included in the group are Bronze Star, Silver Star and Navy Cross recipients at the tail end of the VFF National Heroes Tour. The educational bus-tour spent the last three weeks rolling through 14 states and making 21 stops sharing stories of success in Iraq. Among the rotating group of elite heroes on the bus are the commander of the battalion that found Saddam Hussein; a Navy SEAL famous for being the sole survivor of the most deadly mission for NAVY special operations since WWII; a Marine who kept rushing back into a building to save his peers despite being severely injured, and others.

The last stop is in New York City, on April 9—for interviews in NYC, please contact Judy Mayka (202-834-5931, judy@vetsforfreedom.org.)

WHERE:

8:00 a.m. Pre-event interview-availability – Upper Senate Park, Capitol Hill

(Go to www.vetsforfreedom.org/heroestour for a map and other details)

8:30 a.m. Event kick-off – Upper Senate Park

9:30 a.m. Post-event interview availability – beforeveterans disperse to meet with legislators

[tgslTakoma]

Pinging the ladies, first, to this thread. After this “testosterone show of force” on the Hill Tuesday, Carl Levin, Teddy Kennedy, Robert Byrd, Hillary Clinton, Jim Webb and other crybaby ‘Rats on the Senate Armed Services Committee and elsewhere on the Hill, may need diaper changes.

[pissant]

Vets for Freedom big Bump.

[adversarial]

I love those guys

[tgslTakoma]

Now pinging some of the guys to the thread.

The coalition forces began arriving on the Hill on Monday, with the Band of Mothers, Freepers and GOE leading the way. Tuesday brings Vets For Freedom onto the Hill, to bring some more muscle to our side.

Pinging you all, in case you can join the fray in the morning, or during the day. The more, the merrier, as they say.

[wastedyears]

Hey, does that mean Marcus Luttrel will be in NYC?

[wastedyears]

Crap, it doesn’t say when or where in NYC... I want to meet Marcus.

[Syncro]

Email Judy Mayka

judy@vetsforfreedom.org

Or call her

[tgslTakoma]

I know that most of us don't watch Chris Matthews on Screwball, so you probably missed Pete Hegseth (Vets For Freedom) on the show Monday (so did I).

Go to this link and you can watch it. Matthews had an arrogant little pissant (no offense, pissant), Jon Soltz (VoteVets.org), on against Hegseth; and even with Matthews and Soltz together taking the al Qaida side of the argument, Hegseth remained cool, intelligent and made the case for our side very well.

If I am remembering correctly, Soltz is the jerk who went insane when a soldier in uniform at an anti-war event tried to talk about the good that was coming from US troops in Iraq.

[tgslTakoma]

Thanks for replying, Syncro. I am not sure who will be in NY for the Vets For Freedom events, but your suggestion will probably get the answer wastedyears is looking for. Thanks again for your help.

[tgslTakoma]

Ping for Tuesday’s plan of action...

[Syncro]

Melanie Morgan wrote this a couple of days ago on her Website:

General David Petraeus Testimony ..Part Two

Written by Melanie Morgan   

Friday, 04 April 2008

In just a few days, America's top General is going to deliver his second report to Congress on the stunning success of the surge, a counter-insurgency plan that has saved thousands of lives (including our own) in Iraq.

There will be caterwauling in the streets of D.C. as the usual crowd of anarchists attack those of us who support these brave men and women, calling us 'war whores' and much worse.

But Gathering Of Eagles, EaglesUp, Vets For Freedom, Families United and dozens of other organizations will be on-hand to wave the flag for our military and their families. See www.GatheringofEagles.org for details.

Band of Mothers, headed by Beverly Perlson of Chicago will be outside of the Congressional offices of Secretary of Surrender Nancy Pelosi, with her signs and her friends.

The Band of Mothers

What a great group of brave women.

WARRIORS COME FROM WARRIORS!

 

The Band of Mothers are the mothers of The Noble and Heroic Soldiers of the United States Military. We are dedicated in our mission to Step Up, Stand Up and Stick Up For Our Soldiers.

 

Goals:  To Proudly Seek, Garner and Nurture Support for our Soldiers

[wastedyears]

I’d feel bad calling her now. It’s 10 minutes to 1AM.

But would she mind?

[Syncro]

Call her in the morning I would imagine would be best.

Although emailing her might get a response sooner.

Hay, isn’t all of FR on PST now?

Then it is only about 10 O’clock now.

:>)

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

HOOAH!

As in, a macho bump!

[Syncro]

Thanks for the link to the Hardball interview

They got it up quite quickly

Pete Hegseth did quite well, considering Jon Soltz talked over him when ever Matthews let him.

Soltz is a leftist liberal traitorous liar.

I was surprised that Matthews actually stopped him from ranting on and on about the past.

Hegseth got his points acrows very well. You can always tell when someone up against Soltz is making good points, Soltz starts talking over them and won't stop.

[freema]

Ping

[maica]

Hegseth is an excellent spokesman.

I phoned our local conservative morning radio show to alert the hosts and listeners about today’s events in DC. The hosts had been on the topic of CBS joining CNN or sharing or something. So I used the angle of asking their audience to pay attention to how the coverage of these veterans and other support groups would be covered by all the networks they had been discussing. I managed to mention the 9am event and the planned meetings with congressman and senators.

Instead of engaging on this direct example of media bias, the hosts just said “the best way to learn about these events is on some good blogs like Michelle Malkin or Instapundit or others.”

They disconnected to go on to the next caller, not giving me a chance to say “we already know about the blogs, but this news should be broadcast on “news” networks.

[Just A Nobody]

Thanks! Headed out in a couple!

[armymarinemom]

We need as many Moms and Wives as we can get to go on the Hill to show the red diaper Dems that we are better men than they are. I have talked to so many women on the forefront and homefront who show twice the courage than the fools on the hill.