Poignant Letter From A Soldier

[mraynrand]

yeah, the Tillman thing was *ucked up. But that just speaks to my point and the point made by several others - that trotting out your favorite veteran or mother with a lost child as a political tool is wrong. And you'll recall that it was a concerted effort by the Dems to round up veterans for candidates in the midterm elections. You hear Republicans talking about doing the same thing this round.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

yeah, the Tillman thing was *ucked up. But that just speaks to my point and the point made by several others - that trotting out your favorite veteran or mother with a lost child as a political tool is wrong. And you'll recall that it was a concerted effort by the Dems to round up veterans for candidates in the midterm elections. You hear Republicans talking about doing the same thing this round.

I'm in total agreement about trotting soldiers out. That was the point of my posting the other soldier's letter. The whole thing serves no purpose, unless it is to establish exactly "what is happening over there." And, even that is a dicey proposition.

Though i'm not sure it was a concerted effort by dems. But, in the face of being told that if you were patriotic you supported the war, what other choice is left? Not to mention Rove/Atwater strategy the war was good for repubs, bad for dems. Therefore dems had to overcome the patriotism issue..and who is best to do that? Obviously ex-soldiers.

I for one would love to see an end to people questioning others patriotism.

I have always said that the repubs are much better lately at campaigning. They are willing to go much deeper, dirtier, and better at utilizing their resources. In the face of that, there is no choice. You can't keep turning the cheek. It sounds good, but it is poor political strategy.

Unfortunately, most of the citizens have to be bludgeoned in order to understand.

[mraynrand]

I have always said that the repubs are much better lately at campaigning. They are willing to go much deeper, dirtier, and better at utilizing their resources. In the face of that, there is no choice. You can't keep turning the cheek. It sounds good, but it is poor political strategy.

You counting Soros in that estimation?

I thought the Republicans did very well in motivating their base in some places by ginning up a realtively mild/medium threat - like gay marriage - into a clarion call. The Dems seemed to like gotcha politics more than the Repubs, especially in the midterms - and if you recall, in 2004 Kerry was blaming Bush for absolutely everything that was going wrong, including vaccination shortages. That's not too surprising, considering how long the Dms were out of power. 2008 will be ugly as sin, especially if it's HillBilly against Giuliani. Together they have more skeletons than Arlington.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I have always said that the repubs are much better lately at campaigning. They are willing to go much deeper, dirtier, and better at utilizing their resources. In the face of that, there is no choice. You can't keep turning the cheek. It sounds good, but it is poor political strategy.

You counting Soros in that estimation?

I thought the Republicans did very well in motivating their base in some places by ginning up a realtively mild/medium threat - like gay marriage - into a clarion call. The Dems seemed to like gotcha politics more than the Repubs, especially in the midterms - and if you recall, in 2004 Kerry was blaming Bush for absolutely everything that was going wrong, including vaccination shortages. That's not too surprising, considering how long the Dms were out of power. 2008 will be ugly as sin, especially if it's HillBilly against Giuliani. Together they have more skeletons than Arlington.

Repubs, imho, went dirty first..or dirtier. Atwater was the master, Rove has transcended.

I don't ever recall the sort of mean spirited attacks like we saw on cleland or McCain.

Gotcha: Well, i can kinda see your point. But, I don't recall the dems putting new terms into politics like swiftboating.

Bush: Sorry, but heavy is the head that wears the crown. Bush is to blame. Would i cut him some slack..yes, if he would ever take some responsibility. Geez, i don't recall any prez who consistently emphasizes the buck doesn't stop at his desk.

Election: Pretty much agree. I can't wait if Giuliani is the nom. Forget skeletons..the guy can't even handle being questioned. Oh, and Judi..oops, Judith...that woman is just outright scary. She must eff really good, cause she has him by the balls.

[mraynrand]

Oh, and Judi..oops, Judith...that woman is just outright scary. She must eff really good, cause she has him by the balls.

That's just weird. But Giuliani does the cell phone shtiick at all his speeches. I've seen the guy in person and he did a cell phone gag in that talk. He may not like questions, but Rudy G is a pretty impressive guy.

[LEWCWA]

Defending our nation? Thats funny, Why not lead all these insurgents back to Afgan country and fight it out there? Oh yeah, they don't have the Texas Tea! Anyhow these poor soldiers are brainwashed, the army is very good at that!

[Kiwon]

and by the way:
I hope no hard feelings will last long from this rough discussion.

No hard feelings on my end either. I'll work through my frustration.

I did write David Jeffers and thanked him for brave son, Eddie.

His reply to me began, "Kiwon, Your words honor my son and I thank you. The outpouring of love that we've received and the prayers are literally sustaining our family."

I heard Eddie's story, read his letter, was impressed, posted it and noted that he died. For whatever reason, the fact that this 23 year-old died in Iraq representing me really moved me.

In fairness, given that I'm one of the few vocal conservatives here, I can understand how someone could question my motives. But I had no hidden agendas or political motives when I started this post. I was simply sharing a story that touched me, that's all.

My goal was to draw attention to Eddie and his sacrifice. Having expressed my thoughts to his father and having him say that I honored his son is special to me and no criticism here will diminsh that. Like I said, for some reason this story especially touched me.

Okay, I'm done talking about it. I'm sorry if I was unfairly critical of you. If I was accurate, then you deserved it. If I was wrong, then I apologize. As I mentioned before, I can see how things might easily have been misinterpreted and, like you, I am bothered when soldiers are used as political props to argue a point. That wasn't my intention at all.

I will say that I like your football commentary more than your politics, but there's still hope for you. Even Darth Vader resisted the dark side of the Force and returned to his Anakin Skywalker roots. I know there is still good in you and you can be turned.

Peace.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Oh, and Judi..oops, Judith...that woman is just outright scary. She must eff really good, cause she has him by the balls.

That's just weird. But Giuliani does the cell phone shtiick at all his speeches. I've seen the guy in person and he did a cell phone gag in that talk. He may not like questions, but Rudy G is a pretty impressive guy.

If you get a chance, read the Vanity Fair article on her. Down right scary.

Impressive: I'm not so impressed and neither were most New Yorkers when he left office. My favorite part is when he gets asked a question and he tries to look ok with it, but his body language and facial expressions just give him away.

[mraynrand]

Impressive: I'm not so impressed and neither were most New Yorkers when he left office.

Who does impress you?

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Impressive: I'm not so impressed and neither were most New Yorkers when he left office.

Who does impress you?

Maybe impress is the wrong word, since each person has definitely accomplished something.

On the repub side? I would certainly vote for Huckabee.

Brownback: Can't go with someone that socially conservative and tied with christian activists. Though flat tax is always interesting.

Hunter: Way to socially conservative.

Keyes: He is way smart. I don't agree with him but i do respect him and his thoughts.

McCain: I live in AZ. Straight talk express has derailed. too much kow towing to the far right. Sold his soul. Still have immense respect for his accomplishments.

Paul: Interesting, but ultimately doomed. I like getting rid of the debt. But, not sure i want to slash everything not covered under constitution. I understand where he is coming from, but at this stage of the game...well, the cat is outta the bag.

Romney: Liked him, but his sudden shift is a bit disturbing. I don't know what he believes in. I guess he is the repub version of clinton.

Tancredo: Do i really need to explain?

Thompson: I'm not sure exactly where he stands.

[Joemailman]

I agree that Huckabee is the most impressive of the Republican field. He gave a speech today that supported the troop surge in Iraq, but strongly criticized other aspects of the Bush foreign policy. It will be interesting to see if this helps him or hurts him.

Huckabee rips President Bush's foreign policy
By Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee ripped the Bush administration's war against terrorism Friday, delivering a bold and potentially risky speech that could establish the former Arkansas governor as the maverick among top Republican candidates and test his party's loyalty to President Bush.

"This administration's bunker mentality has been counterproductive both at home and abroad," Huckabee said in opening a broad indictment of Bush's style and policy.

The speech came after several top Republican candidates started distancing themselves from Bush, vowing change on such issues as illegal immigration and federal spending even as they endorsed Bush's foreign policy.

By going much further than his rivals have in attacking Bush, Huckabee could draw attention to a campaign that's inched up in polls in recent months but still lacks the money and organization that can compete head-on with better-known, better-financed candidates such as Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.

In first-to-vote Iowa, for example, an average of four recent polls put Huckabee fourth among Republican candidates with 10.3 percent, ahead of John McCain and within five points of Giuliani and Thompson, but far behind front-runner Romney, according to RealClearPolitics.com.

His strong stand also could give him the kind of maverick image that McCain courted in 2000, which appeals to independent voters in states such as New Hampshire, where they can vote in the Republican primary.

But it also could turn off the majority of Republicans who still like Bush.

"He's trying to carve out a responsible alternative to the administration's foreign policy," said Dennis Goldford, a political scientist at Drake University in Iowa. "But I don't know that it will do him any good in the Republican Party. While there is a lot of grumbling in the Republican Party about Bush, they're still pretty loyal."

On one hotly debated issue, Huckabee endorsed Bush's surge of troops into Iraq, urging more time for that to work and criticizing Democratic proposals to get troops out as an invitation to chaos.

But beyond that, he differed with Bush across the map, using language more often heard from Democrats. He accused the administration of shunning allies and turning world sentiment against the United States.

"They've done a poor job of communicating and consulting countries much as they have, frankly, the American people," Huckabee told about 150 people at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a center-right think tank in Washington. "Our prestige in the world has been marred."

On Iran, he said Bush blew a chance to improve relations right after the 2001 terrorist attacks and that the United States should be talking to Iran today.

"When we first invaded Afghanistan, Iran helped, especially in dealings with their ally, the Northern Alliance," he said. "They wanted to join us in fighting al Qaida. ...The CIA and State Department supported a partnership. Some in the White House and beyond did not. And when President Bush included Iran in the axis of evil, everything went downhill pretty fast."

Even with today's sour relations, he said the United States should talk to Iran and use the promise of better relations and increased trade as well as the threat of economic isolation to persuade the country to abandon its nuclear program.

"The administration has quite properly said it will not take the military option off the table. But if we don't put some other options on the table, eventually the military option becomes the only viable one. Right now we're proceeding down only one track," he said.

He all but echoed Democrat Barack Obama in opening the door to strike al Qaida in Pakistan even without that government's approval, saying the Bush administration has a "muddle of policy" there.

He questioned whether Bush was in charge at a critical point in the hunt for al Qaida. He said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called off a 2005 raid into Pakistan to nab Osama bin Laden's top deputy because the mission had grown just large enough that he thought it would need the Pakistan government's approval.

"Why did Rumsfeld call it off and not President Bush? Did the president even know about it? ...When I'm president, I will make the final call on such action, not my secretary of defense."

[Merlin]

Politics aside, name me a president with a country at war that has faced anything close to the media bashing Bush has. In fact, name me a president that has faced the the likes of 9/11, hurricanes and a hostile anti-American press. You can't. And it is the media who perpetuates your opinions. Do you get all sides before making a decision? Do you stop for a second and think that maybe the whole "Bush lied people died" is a misnomer? Probably not. You think what you think and it was your decision to think it right?

If that is the case then I can feel nothing for you, not sympathy, not empathy nor sorrow. Partisan politics are pulling this country a part at the seems. The media, a majority of it, is ultra left wing. They spew socialism at every turn. More money for the poor, more money for health care, more money for global warming. But never once do the people responsible take a long hard look at what they are doing to the country. Man Made Global Warming is a myth and not backed up by science. Health Care is expensive BECAUSE the government is involved and the "poor" in this country suffer at the hands of idiots who raise alcohol, tobacco, gas and sales taxes all to further their socialist agenda. Consider that we are in a war with a group of people that think like it's the Crusades all over again. They have no problem dying in the name of God. So what do we do? Bash our President at every turn and try to micro manage a war. War is not pretty and it is never played by any rules. Mistakes happen, people die. These same people like yourself who scoff at things like this really have nothing to add but hatred. You hate the President, you hate this you hate that. And more then likely the second the government gives something away for free you are the first to sign up. All the while never putting 2+2 together to see that it isn't free and someone had to pay for it and it wasn't the government.

The sooner people realize that EVERY media outlet tears people a part, the better. The smartest thing I was every told about hearing the different sides of a story is that the truth is always somewhere in the middle. Nothing is ever as bad as it seems and nothing is ever as good as it seems. Always error in the side of caution and you won't get caught with your pants down. Most people don't think they are conservative but I beg to differ. The second the government steps on your rights, you become conservative in a hurry.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I agree that Huckabee is the most impressive of the Republican field. He gave a speech today that supported the troop surge in Iraq, but strongly criticized other aspects of the Bush foreign policy.

This is just the John McCain playbook: essentially support Bush's policy, except imply if they were in charge the bad parts wouldn't have happened.

Huckabee is just the new John McCain. McCain with a fresher face. He is appealing to liberals because there is no foam running out of the corner of his mouth, he seems like such a nice, reasonable, intelligent person. I like both McCain & Huckabee.

But... McCain & Huckabee are both more conservative than George Bush on most issues.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Politics aside, name me a president with a country at war that has faced anything close to the media bashing Bush has.

Dick Nixon. No question.

Bush has been ridiculed about as much as can be done. But he talks funny, what do you expect?

[mraynrand]

But... McCain & Huckabee are both more conservative than George Bush on most issues.

No kidding. Bush is essentially John F. Kennedy. The big difference is that Bush pulled the trigger in Iraq and JFK didn't in Cuba, while JFK 'pulled the trigger' outside his marriage and Bush didn't. But both are/were pro big business, pro tax cut, believers in the ability of government to solve problems, pro spreading democracy. Very similar. I think I recall a book a while ago where a guy made the case that Tricky Dick would be a Democrat in today's political environment and Kennedy would be a Republican, based solely on what they had done as president.