Fightin' Dems

Those critics who systematically caricature the Democratic Party as "soft on defense" should've headed down to the National Mall in Washington on this brisk Wednesday morning. Against the backdrop of the US Capitol, 40 of the 55 veterans running as Democrats for Congress in 2006 assembled "to take the flag out of the hands of Karl Rove and his political assasins," said Eric Massa, a 24-year Navy Officer vying for a seat in upstate New York.

These "Band of Brothers," including nine Iraq veterans, saluted their country but implored the need for a "change of course" on the war, Congressional corruption, VA health care and basic bread-and-butter issues.

The Fighting Dems include:

** Bill Winter, a 10-year Marine Corps and Navy vet who's running against the vile immigrant-basher Rep. Tom Tancredo in suburban Denver, Colorado.

** Jim Nelson, a self-described "military veteran, Methodist minister and moderate Democrat" who's seeking the Georgia seat of Rep. Jack Kingston, one of Tom DeLay's closest allies in the House.

** Joe Sulzer, a Vietnam vet and mayor of Chillicothe, Ohio, who wants to oust the soon-to-be-indicted Rep. Bob Ney.

** Mishonda Baldwin, a Desert Storm vet who's trying to become the first African-American woman elected to the House from Maryland.

GOP attack dogs may have been able to swift boat the hapless John Kerry. Let them try and do it to over fifty vets. As Tim Dunn, an Iraq war vet from Fayetteville, North Carolina, put it: "It's time to take the Hill."

Comments (5)

1. Yes, because "as we all know".....

   a veteran is practically ASSURED of victory in an election and if you doubt that, let's ask....

   Bush-41.....Bob Dole....Max Cleland...John Kerry....or Paul Hackett on his FIRST go-round.

   Posted by Mask at 02/08/2006 @ 2:20pm

2. Having served in the military makes a person strong on defense? This strikes me as a classic bit of flag-waving that promotes the messenger over the message.

   Posted by anachronism at 02/08/2006 @ 3:37pm

3. Anachronism -

   "Having served in the military makes a person strong on defense?"

   Judging by our current leaders, nope, and neither does having not served.

   But they've raised flag-waving to an art from, I'll give them that.

   Posted by New Dawn at 02/08/2006 @ 3:57pm

4. Following up what we said here, http:// leftbehinds.blogspot.com/2006/02/sometimes-i-rhyme-slow-sometimes-i.html , I think there could be a great effect, but I don't think it will happen, mainly because--and here I have to take issue with your premise--I don't think the Band of Brothers Democrats are running on any kind of anti-war platform. If they were, that would be incredibly powerful, 50 veterans all running simultaneously against the same failed war. But they're not. Check out what they are actually running on. Weak beer.

   Iraq and corruption are going to be the two main reasons voters have for rejecting Republicans in 2006. Meanwhile, the top two campaign issues of the Band of Brothers (and, to a large degree, of Washington Democrats as a whole) are health insurance and expanded access to higher education. Now, the party absolutely should address those in its platform and candidates can make those signature issues. They are important. But not confronting Iraq, in particular, makes Democrats look like political pussies.

   Posted by leftbehinds at 02/08/2006 @ 4:14pm

5. Thats because LIBS and the weak kneed DIMS are PUSSYS

   Posted by libzsuk at 02/08/2006 @ 5:40pm