Who wants to be a veteran when you're gonna get trashed...?

james webb, former navy secretary under reagan, in today's nyt...

Military people past and present have good reason to wonder if the current administration truly values their service beyond its immediate effect on its battlefield of choice. The casting of suspicion and doubt about the actions of veterans who have run against President Bush or opposed his policies has been a constant theme of his career. This pattern of denigrating the service of those with whom they disagree risks cheapening the public's appreciation of what it means to serve, and in the long term may hurt the Republicans themselves.

as a vietnam veteran who earned two army commendation medals (non-combat) for my vietnam service and another one for my service in the stateside army, i recall thinking to myself when kerry was being smeared, why couldn't my medals be called into question too...? then i thought, what a pile of shit... it's nothing but a political smear game... evidently webb agrees...

The political tactic of playing up the soldiers on the battlefield while tearing down the reputations of veterans who oppose them could eventually cost the Republicans dearly. It may be one reason that a preponderance of the Iraq war veterans who thus far have decided to run for office are doing so as Democrats.

A young American now serving in Iraq might rightly wonder whether his or her service will be deliberately misconstrued 20 years from now, in the next rendition of politically motivated spinmeisters who never had the courage to step forward and put their own lives on the line.

and just in case you might wonder whose wonderful, totally sleazy strategy this is... two guesses and the first two don't count...

yep...! KARL ROVE...!

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