Once more mega-kudos are in order to VoteVets, one of the few veterans organizations that puts the welfare of the troops ahead of partisan politics.
Jon Soltz -- Iraq War Veteran, Co-Founder and Chairman of VoteVets -- writes:
The first in the series of three ads features VoteVets.org Advisory Board Member, Major General (ret.) John Batiste, who was commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division from August 2002-June 2005. During this time frame, he conducted combat operations in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Batiste twice voted for President Bush and is a lifelong Republican. If you like this ad, then you're going to love what we have coming up in about a week, from Major General Paul Eaton. And, then the ad featuring General Clark after that. That's fitting, because it is General Clark who paved the way for other retired brass to speak out.
Now watch the video....
Wow,. Pretty damned effective. And although there will be those who try to swiftboat him, General Batiste has an unimpeachable record. Since he is not and has never been a Democrat, and is not running for office or looking for a political appointment, there can be no political or personal advantage in this for him. Fact is, he passed Rumsfeld's loyalty screening test to receive his second star, successfully commanded a division in combat, and was offered a third star with a plum assignment. In other words, General Batiste was in reach of the highest levels of the U.S. military. But he chose to resign instead. And now he chooses to speak for the soldiers who cannot.
Of course, caring about the troops' welfare is probably not a partisan event for any but the most hard-boiled cynics and a relatively small number of career politicians... if those aren't redundant concepts.
But recognizing what's best for the troops, what they need most, too often is. Especially among those who have never actually been a troop.
Humans have an amazing talent to believe exactly what they choose to believe, despite any evidence to the contrary. And most Americans want to believe our president is telling the truth when he says he knows that an enemy poses an immediate threat, or that he's doing everything he can to protect the men and women he puts in harm's way, or that he listens to his generals on the ground.
But those of us who know something about the capabilities of our enemies, not to mention what it means to be in harm's way, know better than to believe what our president tells us any more.
Now we must listen to the generals who have the strength to speak out and lend their knowledge and experience to the righteous public debate about war and peace and defending America. And we must help our fellow Americans learn how to listen as well.
