To be honest, I didn’t know the difference between a Democrat and a Republican when I decided to get involved. All throughout the Bosnia conflict I watched the Republicans play the same games that the Democrats were now playing. Threatening to cut off funding and “end this unjust war.” Many Republicans were notably outspoken regarding the bombing campaign and occupation of Kosovo. It would seem that the Democrats had raided the playbook in 2004 and were using the same tactics to undermine President Bush as he led us into conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both of those conflicts had been voted on and overwhelmingly approved by Congress and now Congress was failing to support the troops. Rather than take responsibility for the war they blamed it on President Bush. 

      Obviously with perfect hindsight, many mistakes were made and there were many areas where improvement was necessary for us to be successful in Iraq. Those areas were recognized and adjustments were made. Our military knows how to react and adjust when necessary and made recommendations to our civilian leadership. It took some time to accept the failures but eventually the adjustments were made and the troops got what they needed. American soldiers can win wars if the politicians can stop being politicians and support the troops. 

      I started to attend meetings on both sides of the aisle. In my naïve little mind I thought I should run for Congress to change the government and clean it up. I was frustrated by the rhetoric and the never-ending blaming that goes back and forth between the parties. Isn’t the government set up to represent the people, not the political parties?

      The Democratic meetings I attended weren’t really very enjoyable. It truly was a group of bitter people getting together to complain about the “Republicans”. They didn’t offer any solutions to problems, only to defeat the other side. I sent an email to the commissioner of the congressional district I lived in and told him I was interested in exploring a run for Congress. He told me to show up at the next meeting and he would give me some information. When I showed up at the meeting I felt like I was ambushed because he threw me to the crowd in the room and told them to ask me whatever they wanted because I was a Congressional candidate. I was baffled. I had literally asked for information on how to become a candidate and that got turned into my being a candidate. 

      During the meeting I got grilled about everything from why we were fighting an unjust and immoral war to questions about the illegality of the Patriot Act. I responded as I thought appropriate and I soon realized that I was not a Democrat. The final straw was when one of the gentlemen asked for the district to pay his way down to a conference in Kansas City so he could learn how to put “spin” on information so they could compete with the Republicans. I asked the guys I shared the table with why they would need to do that. Isn’t the truth something that should be communicated without any spin? They wanted to learn how to deliberately misconstrue information for their purposes. I’m not naïve enough to think that spin doesn’t happen on both sides of the aisle but to have classes and educate the entire party how to spin rhetoric was more than I could handle.  I realize that every Democrat that reads this will counter with the tired old line that both sides use: “They did it first!” 

      I was extremely turned off by the disorganization, anger and the bickering that took place at the Democrat meeting. I decided I needed to check out the Republican side of the aisle as well. I sent an email to my State Representative and asked him how I could get involved with the Republican Party in my area. I included a short biography of my background. Being a recently returned veteran, small business owner, and family man I felt the information was extremely relevant. He responded very quickly with contact information for my local Basic Political Organization Unit (BPOU) and told me to contact his uncle. I promptly did so and attended the next meeting. 

      When I walked into the meeting I was greeted by a gentleman who introduced himself and it turns out he was the uncle of my State Representative. He immediately knew who I was and proceeded to introduce me to the rest of the people in the meeting. I found out that he was the Vice Chair of the BPOU and knowing him has become a great asset for me. I felt genuinely accepted right from the start. There is no bickering at the Republican meetings. Republicans know what they stand for and it’s easy for them to unite. I don’t always agree with the alienation of Republicans who stray from the strict party line but on the same note it keeps the party together and on the same page. The same cannot be said for the Democrats. They are all over the board with stances and I doubt they will ever come to a consensus. The lone exception being to dislike Republicans.

      If I had political aspirations I thought it would be a tough call for me to determine which party to align with. I clearly fall into the conservative Republican category but if you cross party lines and work with the Democrats across the aisle you get eaten by your own party for straying and accused of not having “values”. Democrats on the other hand have few real stances on any one issue and therefore it is easy to cross party lines to partner with the other side and actually get something accomplished. Is it better to toe the line as a staunch Republican or be billed as a “Moderate” Democrat and accomplish a lot more by working with the Republicans? 

      It took me a few years to come to a conclusion regarding the difference between being a Democrat and a Republican. I viewed them all as politicians. Today I can tell you honestly that I am an American, first and foremost. As I stood up for veterans and allowed my voice to be heard in support of my brethren who were still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, I had a revelation about where I stood and how I got there. I was standing up for something that I believed in. My moral compass had led me to this place. I want my elected officials to stand for what they believe in rather than what the party believes in. Each member of Congress should be voting their own conscience with each and every vote. They should never be voting strictly down the party line. That bears repeating. Politicians need to follow a moral compass and not a party line. I want people to know who I am and what I stand for. I am an American who believes in protecting our rights, freedoms and liberties just as my forefathers have for over two centuries. America should always come before the party. I am definitely conservative and fall in line with the right side of the political spectrum but I don’t want that to define me. I want people to know that I am an American.

      As of June 2008 the President’s approval rating was at 29%. Not even 1 out of 3 people think he is doing a good job. As much as this upsets me, he is only one man. Congress had an approval rating of 19%. That’s less than 1 out 5 people think Congress is doing a good job. 535 members in Congress and Americans only think 101 of them are doing a satisfactory job. How can this be? Shouldn’t we expect the opposite to be true? I want to see 4 out of 5 Americans approve of the job Congress is doing. In the current state of long term politicians and partisan politics I don’t see an end in sight. In order for that approval rating to rise, politicians need to have the interests of Americans in mind, not reelection. They need to work together to make decisions for America, not prevent each other from achieving their “agenda”. Collaboration on both sides of the aisle is what will earn the trust of American citizens because that’s when citizens will start to see results being produced. 

      Most important, they need to determine which direction their own personal moral compass points and follow it. It is easy to stand on the sidelines and point out mistakes without ever getting into the game. It’s another thing to experience the battle and be faced with making the difficult decisions. Following your moral compass becomes imperative. 

      A political battle is raging in America right now and the combatants have lost sight of what is important. They focus on the topic of the day for political gain, be it the high gas prices, war casualties, the housing market collapse or even the deficit. The Right is using soldiers to fight wars, which is our job. That is how we should be used.

      The Left is using soldiers for political gain. I am disgusted by the misinformation campaign regarding the American soldier. The left and the media have portrayed the American soldier as a bunch of raping, murdering, torturing, cold blooded killers. When they aren’t positioning us as the cruel heartless type they are trying to paint us as victims. All this when they should be supporting us so we can finish the job that Congress and the President sent us to do.

      Soldiers are neither. They are people trained to do a job and that job is to kill the enemy if necessary in order to protect the citizens of America. We are not victims of this war. We are selfless volunteers and as such we should be taken care of for our sacrifice. That does not make us victims and should not be spun as such. In a world where so many people feel they are “entitled” to things rather than having to work for them, I find it comforting that the ultimate selfless servants, our soldiers, are not rising up and claiming a stake in America. That’s because we understand that it takes the sacrifices that we are making, above all else, for the country to remain free.  

      The most important aspect, above all else, is preserving our freedom and liberties. Without them we won’t have the luxury of going to the mall or owning a home. If we lose sight of the foundation that America was built upon then we have lost already. Our forefathers recognized that we had an opportunity, let me say that again, an opportunity to establish something great. A country where everyone has the opportunity to be successful! It is important for our elected leadership to recognize and honor that concept. America offers opportunity and nothing more. It is up to each individual to take advantage of that opportunity.

      In the private sector when the leadership is performing poorly, they are quickly and decisively removed. In the government world of elected officials they are elected, or not, by the people, which is a slow and often unresponsive system. In the military the removal is even quicker. Leadership skills are necessary to survive in the military. Politicians know that the path to keeping their job is to spin everything they do as a positive. Only during scandals do career politicians get removed from office. So how do we make a change?

      I want this book to touch, move and inspire people to take a long hard look at themselves, what they do every day, and make changes that will benefit America. Gone are the days of the individual, because America is much bigger than one single person. I live in the United States of America. All the individuals make up the collective citizens of our great country. 

      My vision for America is to inspire as many military veterans as possible to become active and involved in our government. Our system of government was set up by the founding fathers for self-regulation and self-correction which are necessary to fight corruption. In America, a revolution does not need to take place with guns and riots, although we are guaranteed the right to bear arms in case our government does become oppressive or unresponsive. 

      The revolution in America can take place with the action of the people. Our government is meant to be "of the people, by the people, and for the people". It only takes a small group of motivated people to create momentum and grow into a powerful force. That small group can vote themselves into the positions of the decision makers for either party (or better yet, both of them) by getting elected as delegates in the system. The delegates are the ones who choose the platform of the party and the candidates for the party. Not the people during elections, the delegates prior to the election. That’s where the real power in this country lies and that’s where the power can be grasped by Americans and taken back from the career politicians and their cronies who have corrupted our current system. Currently, all of their efforts are being spent raising money and trying to stay in office and creating political power through the use of public funds for what should be private ventures.

      Veterans are the one group in this country who know the true meaning of selfless service, courage, integrity, and patriotism. They have placed themselves in harm’s way and put their lives on the line for the freedom and liberty that America provides. There is nothing more noble than that. Veterans embody the courage and integrity that this country needs to remain the great country that our forefathers founded. 

      I believe that courage is the ability to confront wrongdoing even when the odds are against you. Courage is being afraid and still finding the ability to act. Courage is knowing that you may not come back, but you go anyway. Courage is the heart and soul of every Veteran who has laid down his or her life for freedom.

      Integrity is doing what you know is right. Integrity is keeping your commitments even when times get tough. Integrity is knowing when you have broken a commitment and having the moral fortitude to make a new commitment. Integrity belongs in the heart of every American. It should be the hallmark of our government leaders, but too often it is missing in action.

      Veterans understand selfless service more than any other segment of the population.  We understand what it means to put the greater good of the country ahead of your own well being. Politicians believe they are serving constituents but I don’t think many of them truly understand what that means. As a soldier I understand that America is bigger than any one person, including me. I believe that protecting and preserving America is more important than any one soldier’s life, including mine. Without America and all she stands for, that life will be lost anyway. Some things are worth sacrificing for and America is at the top of the list.

      Everyone has a moral compass but most people don’t realize it or know how or when to use it. A moral compass is the internal thought process that points us toward right or wrong. It can be formed and transformed many times in one’s life. As a person grows older that compass seems like it becomes more involved and more complex but in actuality it becomes simpler and easier to understand. Knowing how to determine when a situation or action is right or wrong becomes easy. Soldiers get tested on their moral compass every day when they are in a war zone. Having the integrity to follow your own moral compass takes courage. 

      Veterans can be the savior of this country. They have the discipline to correct themselves when they make a mistake. They keep each other in line and they know the price of failure. The proud and loyal veterans of this country have fought in wars since the very beginning of America. They know how to make the right decisions both morally and ethically. They know that making the wrong decision can cost people dearly. America has trusted its future to a group of career politicians. 

      The citizens can change that by using the system as it was designed and getting many more of our veterans into the system. By demonstrating the courage and integrity that I believed in while I fought to protect the country I love, I found my moral compass.

      Our future lies in the courage and integrity of our veterans.

§

Article from: Weekly Standard

Samarra, Iraq — The second most refreshing thing about this latest visit back to Iraq — aside from spending time with soldiers — is the respite from the never-ending drumbeat of election coverage. In my week with combat troops, I didn’t hear the names “Obama” or “McCain” once: the “who won the week?” nonsense that dominates cable news stateside doesn’t matter over here. Fighting America’s radical enemies wipes away the pettiness that impoverishes our domestic political debate — “who wins the war?” consumes those over here, not Paris Hilton or George Clooney.

What I’ve seen in Samarra, and what is happening throughout Iraq, is enough to make Americans of either party proud. After years of getting it wrong — or at best, only partly correct — in Iraq, today we are winning the war and setting the conditions for an enduring peace in that country, even in perpetual al Qaeda cesspools like Samarra. Faced with a determined enemy, hell-bent on bringing America to her knees in Mesopotamia, American military will, adaptability, and might are carrying the day.

Yet too many Americans, consumed with their daily lives or restricted by partisan blinders, see the progress and say: “Who cares? What does it matter? We should have never been there in the first place.” While I disagree with this position, I understand its origins. Americans feel betrayed by what many consider the suspect rationale for the war, have been frustrated by its early conduct, and remain wary of a war without end. These feelings don’t bother me, as they could change when victory — and therefore a drawdown — is achieved in Iraq.

What bothers me, however, is the self-aggrandizing notion that opposing the Iraq war then automatically devalues the important of the endeavor today. Today’s hardcore Iraq war detractors — politicians, pundits, and polemicists alike — all use the same lines of argument to smear the importance of the Iraq war at every turn. The surge was purely a tactical success to them, whereas Iraq overall has been a strategic blunder.

First, they claim, Iraq is not a central front in the global war on terror because al Qaeda wasn’t in Iraq in 2003; second, Iraq is a distraction from the real war in Afghanistan; third, the presence of troops in Iraq — and anywhere in the Middle East — perpetuates their hatred for us, thereby creating more jihadists. While there are plenty of overarching reasons to dispute these claims, my latest trip to Samarra suggests these assertions are not just counter-factual, but dangerously divisive.

I challenge anyone to walk the streets of Fallujah, Baqubah, Samarra, or elsewhere in Iraq and tell the locals that their city — their neighborhood — has not been an al Qaeda battlefront. Every Samarran I spoke with — every single one — brought up “al Qaeda,” pronouncing the name with a guttural disdain distinct in Iraqi accents. Most have a family member who has been killed by al Qaeda’s indiscriminate tactics, and still more have no desire to live in their seventh-century fantasy world.

“But this isn’t al Qaeda central we’re talking about,” detractors might say. “These are local thugs acting under their banner.” Wrong. Al Qaeda central has been funneling foreign fighters — primarily Syrians and Saudis — to Samarra, and throughout Iraq, for years. In fact, a few months ago, a raid south of Samarra uncovered the primary administrative hub for al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). The bunker complex — piled with medical records, travel documents, and pay stubs — was where foreigners were sent before receiving their suicide assignments. Al Qaeda literature and videos littered the underground headquarters.


While the vast majority of the leadership and financing for AQI comes from outside Iraq, most of their foot soldiers in Samarra are indeed locals. Nonetheless, unlike Americans who wring our hands over ‘foreign versus local’ fighters, Samarrans I spoke with draw no such distinction — same ideology, same brand, same violent tactics. Al Qaeda made Iraq its central front in 2004, and Iraqis faced the consequences. Today, al Qaeda central wishes it had chosen more wisely.

As for the “distraction” argument, war detractors actually have it backwards — Iraq has actually proven to be a distraction for al Qaeda. Their choice to fight in Iraq was, in retrospect, a strategic blunder. (Although it wouldn’t have been, had we withdrawn as some proposed). Al Qaeda had little indigenous support there prior to 2003, and Iraq’s educated and largely secular population was not predisposed to radical Islam. As a result, al Qaeda’s defeat in places like Samarra has denied them terrain for decades to come; and has once again relegated them to the hills of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Al Qaeda will indeed think twice next time they attempt to expand their power base.

America must re-commit to winning the war in Afghanistan as well — plain and simple. We need to kill Osama bin Laden and every last one of his henchmen. However — unlike Iraq — Afghanistan is not advantageous terrain for American warfighters, as al Qaeda benefits from widespread tribal support, safe haven in Pakistan, and bountiful organic funding sources. While I’m confident that General Petraeus will recalibrate U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, it will be a tough fight — requiring additional troops, time, and resources.

Lastly, war detractors continue to propagate the myth that the terrorists and insurgents are “anti-American antibodies” trying to keep their body politic healthy. The American presence in Iraq, they argue, is the cause of the sickness there. If we just leave, everything will get better. My experiences on the ground in Samarra — and the facts of the new counterinsurgency strategy — directly refute this. As we have surged into neighborhoods — to protect the Iraqi people, earning their trust, and benefiting from their help — violence has dropped, and locals have turned against the jihadists.

American troops are tolerated, even welcomed when they effectively provide security; but their presence is cursed when it does not accompany progress. Violence persists not because American troops are present, but when we are present and feckless. For years, al Qaeda exploited our inability to protect the Iraqi people, spreading rumors that our incompetence was actually part of a larger conspiracy to keep them suffering. The security structures American forces have helped build — of, with, and for the people — has changed this. One trip to Samarra would demonstrate this to any objective observer.

The world will continue to watch Iraq. Whether Americans like it or not, what ultimately happens on the streets of Samarra — militarily, politically, and economically — will reverberate through the Middle East and the world. Will our allies see a strong America that wins its wars and stands by its friends? Or will our enemies — namely Iran — be emboldened by perceived American weakness?

Osama bin Laden and his followers jumped at the chance to “bleed out” the Americans in Iraq, believing we didn’t have the stomach for a prolonged fight on two fronts. Thanks to the political courage of a few — and the military courage of many — American have proven bin Laden wrong. Their victory in Iraq would have emboldened al Qaeda to expand their ambitions; instead, their military and ideological defeat has sent the “faithful” back to Afghanistan with their tail between their legs. May we finish them there.

Tiny,
As one of the Local Vets who rode the bus yesterday, I would like to respond to your comments.  Labeling us as part of the "Bush propaganda machine” is the easy way to try and discredit us rather than engage in a rational discussion with one of us or even listen to what we have to say for that matter. 

If you did talk with one of us you might find out that there are many members of VFF who support Pres. Bush and many who DO NOT.  Our focus has nothing to do with the administration.  It has to do with the war and our ability to accomplish our mission.

Our intent is to present what we saw when we were over there and the situation on the ground today.  By hearing both of those perspectives, people can make up there own mind regarding whether or not we are making progress.  We can show actual tangible progress on both a military and political aspect in Iraq.  Those two factors are not mutually exclusive; they are closely tied together along with an economic piece that determines progress and ultimately victory.

From the soldier’s perspective, it doesn't matter how we got there.  That debate has long lost it’s relevance in how to get out of Iraq.  From a Historical viewpoint, have the discussion all day long but in regards to the current mission in Iraq, it has no bearing.  WE ARE ALREADY COMMITTED and the current situation is what is relevant.  The relevance of 05-06 as compared to the progress of 07-08 is what we are talking about.  Progress has been made militarily, economically and politically.  That’s coming from the soldiers who have been there, not the politicians in Washington DC. 

If you want the political viewpoint, read the quotes and listen to the sound bites of your favorite Congressman.  If you want the truth, listen to the Vets who have lived it!

The bottom line, as soldiers, we are carrying this burden.  We know how to win this war and we have proved that over the last year.   Let us do our job.

Vets On The Hill
April 7-8, Washington, DC

All expense paid trip (airfare/hotel) for Vets who want to go to D.C. and speak with the Minnesota Congressional Delegation.

MN Vets Contact Michael Baumann: mickb9@aol.com

Sign up here: http://vetsforfreedom.org/heroestour/voth_signup.aspx

This is a response I received to my Mission Impossible email.  I would like to thank CPT Johnson for his service and wish him well in his recovery. 



Jason,

I am an Iraq vet and I got your email.  I am healing
from combat injuries at Ft. Carson, but I'll be
medically boarded out soon.  By the way, I'm also a
McCain supporter.  He's a strong choice and a good
man.  I feel he stood up to support us over there when
almost no one else did.  And you know what happened,
we worked hard and "the surge" worked.  He bet all his
chips on us and it paid off in spades for all of us!

God bless you and I wish you the best of luck with
this effort.  By the way, the McCain veterans chair
called me and his volunteers chair emailed me the
other day to make sure I'm doing OK.  I definitely
haven't received that letter of support from any other
candidate's staff.  McCain will continue to support us
and he'll continue to do so and, as you know, the
troops will be proud to serve under him and he'll
continue to do so!

By the way, I like your email ID.  I carried a St.
Michael medallion with me wherever I went in Iraq.
Also, the Archbishop of the Army came out to Ft.
Carson and met us WTU soldiers the other day.  It was
nice to meet him.

God Bless,
Bill

Bill Johnson
CPT, MS, USAR
B Co., WTU, Ft. Carson, CO

By NICK COLEMAN, Star Tribune

Meszaros' efforts have been recently backed by groups such as Vets For Freedom, a group that includes prominent war supporters such as Sen. Joe Lieberman. But Meszaros began his effort in the homespun hope of getting all veteran viewpoints represented on Feb. 5. He began with simple chain-letter e-mails urging veterans to pass the word to others. (For more information, contact Meszaros at saintmichael@charter.net).

Nick Coleman • ncoleman@startribune.com