Rank and bile (Bush's souring relationship with the military)

[Snellius]

G.I.'s speaking out, angry vets signing petitions, generals attacking him. George Bush's once-rosy relationship with the military is turning sour.

Oct. 2, 2003 | Rarely in recent memory has a president seemed to enjoy such a close personal -- and political -- relationship with the U.S. armed forces as President Bush does. A few hundred of Florida's overseas military ballots narrowly helped him become president in 2000, after all. And since Sept. 11, the Bush White House has unleashed the armed forces to wage two wars in two years.
...
But in recent months, the GOP and the Bush White House have suddenly faced a new, increasingly chilly reception from men and women in uniform. There are the growing ranks of retired generals who have turned Bush critics, like Gen. Anthony Zinni, former head of the U.S. Central Command and a special envoy to the Middle East. Zinni endorsed Bush in 2000, but recently during a particularly scathing public critique compared Iraq war strategy to a "brain fart" emitted from a Bush "policy wonk."

But perhaps more troubling for Bush is the increasing frustration and anger being voiced by officers and enlisted personnel alike. It's a frustration fueled not only by the unexpectedly difficult military situation in Iraq and the absence of a clear exit strategy, but by broken promises over veterans issues. Could 2004 be the year when the military vote swings to the Democrats? That might seem too farfetched a hope for Democrats, who have watched the military become a solidly Republican bloc over the past 30 years, to the point where a recent study found Republicans outnumber Democrats 8-to-1 among today's officers. But that trend, at least, could very well come to an end -- and the entry of four-star Gen. Wesley Clark into the presidential race as a Democrat and powerful Bush critic surely helps.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/10/02/military/?ref=null

[RobertSeattle]

1. I'm waiting for the spoof

Remember during the RNC Convention when Bush LIED about 2 Army Divisions "Not Reporting Ready for Duty" or something like that?

Perhaps a DNC spoof would be "2 Army Divisions reporting "Kiss My Ass President Bush"

[fknobbit]

2. the only moral thing to do.

8/7/03
THE SILVER BULLET


By David Podvin

“My Republican opponent voted to cut medical benefits for our war heroes in order to give a tax cut to himself.”

This should be the mantra of Democratic candidates in 2004. It should be vigilantly repeated until Republicans howl in protest. It should be endlessly repeated until conservatives wail about the class warfare of it all. It should be relentlessly repeated until every right wing pundit across America is foaming at the mouth…even more than usual.

And then it should be repeated again.

What George W. Bush and company did was unpatriotic – they sent young Americans off to fight for this country while stabbing them in the backs. Those soldiers who do not return in body bags will come home to a dangerous future of severely reduced medical care, courtesy of the flag waving phonies of the Grand Old Party.

The Republicans must be made to pay for this act of treachery. They must be exposed as pseudo-patriotic frauds. They must be publicly humiliated and politically destroyed. It is the only moral thing to do.

http://makethemaccountable.com/podvin/more/030807_TheSilverBullet.htm

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. It is about time this makes it

to the media.. I have been seeing this for months now.

[fknobbit]

4. Out the door in 2004 !

http://supportthevets.com/youmans11.htm


Funding The Disabled Veterans’ Tax Repeal
By JOHN F. YOUMANS

Disabled retired veterans are absolutely fed up with false promises and ridiculous excuses as to why The Disabled Veterans’ Tax can’t be repealed after promises for 18 years. The most popular excuse given by the Bush administration is they can’t afford it. At the same time the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pays bills with play money and law makers continue to fund other similar new projects in a few months. Lawmakers must prove their support for disabled retired vets now or get off the pot. Others who will are waiting to take your place.

[fknobbit]

6. OTFD04

http://yallcometoseeus.com/test/outthedoor2004_001.htm

[MarianJack]

5. It Doesn't Really Have To Completely Swing.

Just like the rethuglicans would consider getting 15% of the African American vote a victory, if our nominee were to get a 10-15% increase of military votes, it would probably damage chimpy a great deal. Those soldiers would also probably bring family members with them. :toast:

Between AWOL, treating the military like crap while sending them to get their asses shot off while cutting their pay and making them pay their own way home (unless you're wounded. In that case you also pay for your meals), SOME in the military HAVE to be considering jumping to the D ranks. :bounce:

Of course, I'm forgetting that the neo-cons, in their man coulter wisdom, think that soldiers getting killed is like getting their hair mussed. :crazy: (Maybe they can be buried in comb draped coffins. :silly:

[fknobbit]

7. Swing hell the Veterans and active duty are now holding the door open

for the shrubster in 2004. The outrage factor is beyond belief. Check this out.....just a beginning, and we have another year left. The INTERNET has provided us with a common meeting ground upon which the active are benefiting from multiple Veterans forums. Our dream is for awol to debate Kerry in 2004.

http://hometown.aol.com/veteransparty/myhomepage/profile.html

[MarianJack]

8. The thought of a Kerry/bush debate...

... makes me drool with anticipation. And since I know how to actually chew a pretzel, I'll be able to dry it up!