Just heard on the radio: GI just returned from Iraq bashing shrub!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

A news soundbite, where the unnamed soldier said that he "wondered when the president was going to take responsibility for the decisions made" and the "direction things were going."

Wow, that took some balls. Anyone know anything else about this?

[markomalley]

That was the dem. response to the "weekly address"

The news folks just took a soundbite for their broadcast.

[RamboLiberal]

1. Kerry campaign put him out there - here's link from MSNBC

He contacted Kerry camp and they let him give response to AWOL's weekly radio address - good move.

<snip>

“I don’t expect our leaders to be free of mistakes. I expect our leaders to own up to them,” said Army National Guard 1st Lt. Paul Rieckhoff, who was a platoon leader in Iraq.

Rieckhoff’s comments, distributed by Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign, were the Democratic response to the president’s weekly radio address. Usually, a public official gives the response.

“Our troops are still waiting for more body armor. They are still waiting for better equipment. They are still waiting for a policy that brings in the rest of the world and relieves their burden,” said Rieckhoff.

Rieckhoff called his comrades in Iraq “men and women of extraordinary courage and incredible capability. But it’s time we had leadership in Washington to match that courage and match that capability.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4878974/

[LittleApple81]

2. It might be this one - Democratic response to the Bush*'s weekly radio

message.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1509700&mesg_id=1509700

[TrueAmerican]

3. I hope this Lt does not face court marshall.

Officers are not allowed to speak out against the Commander-in-Chief.

[Cush]

4. CBS Evening News just talked about it

they showed an interview the guy did last year, he thought they did a great service for the Iraqi people, but now he is criticizing the the way the Admin is handling the situation

[TacticalPeek]

5. He was active duty then, under 'gag' rules.

From the article linked at post #2 above:

In advance of Rieckhoff's remarks, Republicans circulated
televised comments he made last year in Iraq in which he gave a
brighter picture of U.S. prospects.

``I think we've made incredible strides,'' Rieckhoff said in a CBS
``60 Minutes II'' segment broadcast last October.

In a brief interview Saturday with The Associated Press,
Rieckhoff said he had not been free to speak out in the TV
interview because he had been on active duty.

Rieckhoff said he is not working for the Kerry campaign or for
the Democratic Party. He contacted Kerry staffers who deal with
veterans issues when he returned from Iraq three months ago,
and they ``provided me with the forum. I wrote every word.''


----------

Kerry etc. should get this audio posted around. It's a hit, and I can't find it clipped anywhere. :shrug:

[Tuttle]

6. The attack dogs are on the case

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1510587

Tut-tut

[Lex]

7. My friend is stationed in Afghanistan and he said

to me that nearly ALL the servicemen and women KNOW that Bush* ordered the invasion of Iraq for the oil interests there. They know about Halliburton and Cheney.

He said pretty much all the military is pissed as hell at Bush* but would probably not say much to the press for fear of getting in trouble, but amongst themselves they are really angry at Bush* et al.

They KNOW what the Iraq invasion was about. They KNOW there were no WMDs there now. It was a ruse; they were had. And they are pissed.

This is, I swear, what my friend in Afghanistan said when he was home for on leave for a little while last month.

I was stunned.

[doni_georgia]

8. My husband's best friend said similar things when he came home on

leave in November (he is back in Iraq now). He said that this whole war was Bush's war for oil. Said there was no way in hell he would be voting for Bush (this guy is a registered Republican).