"Band of Brothers" Response to the Attacks on Rep. Murtha

[kpete]

Response to the Attacks on Rep. Murtha

We’re all aware of the recent attacks on Rep. John P. Murtha’s (D-PA) war record as reported in the Washington Post. Band of Brothers has been chartered on the very principle that’s under siege here: that veterans who served this country diligently should not have their war records questioned and attacked by partisan entities through the press without a watchdog ready to bite them back when they’re out of line. Thanks to a transparently opinionated and politically motivated attack, a lot of American viewers, readers, and voters now believe that John Murtha, a man who put his life in harm’s way in defense of our country, did not get wounded enough to deserve the purple hearts he was awarded.

Here’s a question: If this is really a news item, if John Murtha didn’t deserve the recognition or medals he received, then isn’t the story here that there’s a problem with the panel of military officers who awarded them, or the criteria set forth by the DOD? No, that’s not the story, because that’s not the case.

Band of Brothers is determined to be a referee for this sort of fight, making sure the men and women who have honorably served our nation don’t get the same rabbit punch from the GOP that John McCain, Max Cleland, John Kerry, and now John Murtha have gotten. We’ll purchase air time and ad space right away, denouncing these tactics. We will not sit by and let the Republicans ruin the concept of an all-volunteer military through policy AND politics. A man or woman serving in Iraq shouldn’t have to dodge bullets today and worry about their service being questioned, discounted and slandered in the future. Our current 48 veterans seeking office shouldn’t either.

Some responses from the candidates:
http://www.bandofbrothers2006.org/

[CrazyOrangeCat]

1. Amen.

Those sorry bastards are gonna pay for what they did to Cleland. If there is a God . . . She LOVES Max Cleland.

[PurpleChez]

28. I know. Just the sound of the name "Saxby" makes me want to vomit.

This is one of the GOP's most glaring hypocrisies and I still don't think enough has been made of it: 14 years ago we were told that Bill Clinton was unfit for office, in large part because he hadn't served in the armed forces. Then we get the AWOL administration of republican chickenhawks and suddenly uniformed service doesn't matter anymore -- in fact, it's manipulated and even mocked by Preznint Corky and his dingleberry entourage. It amazes me that ANYONE could have been "A Veteran for Bush" -- the fact that there were millions of them goes to show how badly we dropped the ball in years past by allowing the RW to spread the idea that ALL Democrats, even decorated combat veterans, were inherently weak on defense, and that only republicans (and, specifically, only Reichsmarschall Bush) could be trusted to protect us.

[Just Me]

2. I hope "Band of Brothers" gathers forces with "Operation Truth".

:patriot:

We MUST speak with one voice against those who question our honor, our loyality to this country!!!

[EST]

3. Hope it's hot!

[Bluzmann57]

4. This is an organization we should get behind

Whether one believes in the military, these guys sound like they've had enough. Real Americans have too. Think I'll donate to them.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. Good for them! The gall of the GOP chickenhawks!

:grr:

[madokie]

6. lets not let them make my 15 months years ago be all for naught

[FreedomAngel82]

7. My Congress canidate replied and kicked some butt!

The partisan attacks on John Murtha by the chickenhawks of the radical right aptly demonstrates the hypocrisy of their failed leadership. Hiding behind the “support our troops” slogan, to send our sons and daughters to fight unnecessary wars, they attack real heroes who have served their country honorably and have been willing to sacrifice their own lives in the service of the United States of America. Demeaning John Murtha’s service is an affront to all American soldiers who have served in combat and especially to those who have been wounded and awarded the Purple Heart.

As an Airborne Ranger with two tours of combat service in Vietnam, I am offended beyond words. The actions of these political weasels are not only despicable, they are un-American.

Terry F. Stulce
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (TN-03)

If you'd like to donate you can visit his site at http://www.terry2006.com

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. K & R

[EFerrari]

9. Rate the thread up, folks, so other DUers can weigh in.

Thank you, John Murtha.

:kick:

[KC21304]

10. K & R We can't let them win this time.

[blue neen]

11. Band of Brothers

Excellent. :kick:

John Murtha speaks for me! :patriot:

[mcscajun]

12. K&R

:kick:

Kickin' it for Truth Told Everywhere All The Time!

[democrank]

13. Bravo!

Now let`s hear what the Band of Chickenhawks have to say.

[hobbit709]

14. I agree

Kick their cowardly asses

[LongTomH]

15. RFO

Right F**kin' On! It's about time we had a group to counter the Swifties. Not with lies and innuendo; but with truth! :kick: and :kick:

[LincolnMcGrath]

16. Yawn, this response was needed weeks ago.

[Lost-in-FL]

18. Better late than never...

[Lost-in-FL]

17. We needed that! Let the true veterans run the war!

:patriot: Since this Chickenhawk administration don't know what the fk they are doing.

[Joey Liberal]

19. God Bless the Band of Brothers

It's about time Veterans stood up to the Swift Boat tactics of the republican party.

[Rose Siding]

20. I LOVE candidate Al Weed's comment-

snip>
When we talk of “cowardice” we ought perhaps to consider the behavior of the Commander-in-Chief. President Bush, who has sent men and women into harm’s way, often underequipped, and asked them to sacrifice for our country has not, since 2003 even had the guts to speak before a hostile audience. I always believed that leaders lead by example.

Al Weed
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (VA-05)

[Francine Frensky]

21. Why do people question the authority of the United States military?

That's what the swift-boaters did. They questioned the authority of the United States military, but nobody ever pointed that out.... so their ads appealed to the type of people who SHOULD have been bothered to hear the credibility of the US military challenged.

It's odd, but it just goes back to the framing issues posed by Lakoff. The first one to frame the debate wins. The swift boaters said: this guy is undeserving...the response should have been: how dare the swift boaters question the integrity of the US military who issued those awards.

[journalist3072]

22. Republicans have proven time and again that

they do not respect our nation's veterans.

I had a freeper friend at work who had drank the Swift Boat kool aid last year, and kept questioning John Kerry's service.

I told her "If you have any questions about Kerry's service, talk to the men who actually served with him, who were on the boats with him."

Do you all remember the speech by Rev. David Alston at last year's Democratic Convention? Rev. Alston was on the boat with John Kerry, and so I forwarded my freeper friend the text of his speech from the Convention.

And she said "I need to look into him (Alston) to see if he's legit. Is he really who he says he is?"

It was the most amazing thing.

[mrfocus]

23. Well, I immediately sent them $30.00

The only way to counter Turd Blossom's and the Swiftie's smear machine is to hit them back hard, fast, often, and until they are too exhausted to pick up their bucket o' filth. And that takes media time and money. So, c'mon, all fellow DUers....time to suit up and give 'em hell!

[Nutmegger]

24. Now all of a sudden, Murtha's service isn't good enough for the freep-jobs

:eyes:

[don954]

25. just wanted to remind people

click the donate button on their page, if you don't want them taking corp money it has to come from the people!

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. kick......

want to keep this one going.

[troubleinwinter]

27. "We’ll purchase air time and ad space".This makes me sick.

If we had a legitimate media, they wouldn't have to BUY time/space to get the truth out and refute the lies and smears dittoed everywhere.

[oneold1-4u]

29. Here is a couple more for you

In the Korean (campaign) WAR, they found a young man dead behind a machine gun set up in front of a medical tent, but there were over 60 dead Reds in front of the gun! All of the injured within the tent had been killed also, but this one man had tried to keep them safe and lost his life. The American forces arrived soon after the skirmish, so the killing hordes had only just left without their dead. With the battle scene before them, they knew this young man had indeed been one of the greatest heroes ever. He was a medic-NO MEDAL!
Another (known personally) was another young man in a helicopter in VN, who, though not a pilot, took over after pilot was down. They had picked up survivors and trying to get away, when suddenly attacked and the copter was being shot full of holes from below. Out and safely landed if was found that all survivors and the rest of the crew had been killed and the young man had a bullet in the butt. Had there been one survivor aboard, it would have been a Medal of Honor but it didn't end there. Several years passed and checking on his service record he found there was NONE. They literally called him a liar, that he had not served. Finding a man he had served with they suddenly found all of his records, and awarded him the medals he deserved that they could award!
YEAH! Just try to tell me that in Iraq there is any soldier who will come back unscathed in any way and still be honored by the military and this administration!

[Mr_Spock]

30. This is good news.

Nice to hear.

[ClayZ]

31. This will piss off bu$h's band of cheerleaders!

[Hubert Flottz]

32. Bush's Band Of Bloodsuckers!

These brothers are still defending their country and their brothers, just like they swore to do over the years. Bush's oath to his country, meant nothing to him, because he was a coward then and he still is today.

Brothers I salute you...and I thank you each and every one.

[ClayZ]

34. I thank each and every one, also.

I am a Navy Mom. Most soldiers I have met have more character in their little finger than W has in the the whole white house.

[Trevelyan]

33. The bush chickenhawks are so dispicable, I have no words.....

:mad: :puke: :argh: :nuke: :dem: :dem: :rant: :nuke: :nuke:

[Trevelyan]

36. Ask your Congresspersons and ALL Democrats why they are not supporting

Murtha's plan to begin to withdraw from Iraq.

When arguing with FReepers about Murtha remind them of what he said about the US Treasurer being terrified about the fall our economy is about to take from bush giving the US Treasury to Halliburton and other oil and war profiteers.

What prompted Cheney's well known F-U in Congress - it was to Sen. Leahy who said to Cheney "Why don't you just hand the keys to the US Treasury to Halliburton and tell them to turn off the lights when they are finished?"

I think the best approach with FReepers is to try to get them to see what has happened to our economy and how it will affect them...soon.

[Edgewater_Joe]

35. I'm Glad - But I Have To Say This

I don't get the sense that Murtha's being 'Swift Boated' anywhere near as effectively as Kerry was Swift Boated. Murtha seems to be able to take care of himself much better than Kerry ever could -- at least while running.

So while I say godspeed, I also say, I don't think this is anywhere as big of a job as it was last year.

Murtha's doing what Kerry should have done, and Murtha's emerging kind of unscathed, IMHO.

[emdee]

37. Thank goodness!

:kick: :kick:

Finally, some common sense prevails.
emdee