Democrats try to quash US military ad

[Montgomery Burns]

WorldNetDaily:

Democrats have launched a campaign against television ads featuring U.S. servicemen and families of slain troops who support the war in Iraq, calling the spots false and "un-American."

The first of two ads, which are being tested in Minnesota, was rejected by St. Paul station KSTP because it criticizes the mainstream media. It includes Staff Sgt. Marcellus Wilks of Iowa, Capt. Mark Weber of Iowa and Lt. Col. Bob Stephenson of Minnesota.

In the 60-second spot, which can be viewed here, Stephenson, a Marine reservist, says:

"You'd never know it from the news reports, but our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaida, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."

Stephenson, who spent five months in Iraq, said in an interview the ad is a chance to show the other side, as Americans hear mostly about death tolls, security problems and other negative aspects of war, the Associated Press reported.

Stephenson is obviously a neocon. Doesn't he understand that Iraq is The Mother Of All Quagmires™?

The newest ad features Merrilee Carlson of St. Paul, whose son Michael was killed in Iraq last year. This past Memorial Day, the Wall Street Journal published her son's "credo," titled "An American Soldier."

[...]Carlson, 22, was killed on a mission to take out two bomb-making factories.

His mother says in the ad:

"We are privileged to have men and women serving in the military who are willing to give their lives, their time, and their energy to preserve, protect and defend our freedom. We can't leave this work undone in Iraq. We can all argue about how we might have gotten there. But we're there and we need to see it through. ... I suppose we could have taken the beaches at Normandy [or the beaches of NORWAY as former PMPM called it - twice - during that ceremony last year--MB] and then decided it was too expensive or too difficult to keep going. I wonder what the world would look like today."

Mrs Carlson has obviously been indoctrinated by Faux News. There are no terrorists killing people on nearly every continent on the planet.

Last Thursday, top Democratic leaders in Minnesota demanded television stations in the state stop airing the initial ad, calling it "un-American, untruthful and a lie," noted the Minnesota-based weblog Powerline.

"There is a line that shouldn't be crossed," said Brian Melendez of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, or DFL as the Democratic Party is known in the state. "There's room for a lot of puffery in politics. You know, there is room for spin, there is room for opinion, there is room for disagreement. There shouldn't be so much room for lies. And this ad is about lies."

But we support the troops!

Both videos can be watched at the above 'viewed here' (first quote) link.

[sharkman]

Ah, the Dems. Always good for a chuckle. Until you get closer and see the mad as a hatter gleam in their eyes, or hear the Howard Dean scream!

[Montgomery Burns]

Ah, the Dems. Always good for a chuckle. Until you get closer and see the mad as a hatter gleam in their eyes, or hear the Howard Dean scream!

YEEAARRGGHHHHH!!!

But thankfully you did not question their patriotism during wartime.

[Black Dog]

"You'd never know it from the news reports, but our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaida, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."

This is a lie.

[Montgomery Burns]

"You'd never know it from the news reports, but our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaida, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."

This is a lie.

You are a lie.

[Black Dog]

"You'd never know it from the news reports, but our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaida, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."

This is a lie.

You are a lie.

I know you are but what am I?

[Liam]

I suppose this also makes Republicans un-American?? Why does the GodOP hate our freedom?!?!?!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11365518/

[speaker]

Seems like just another case of the poor little sheppard boy who cried wolf one too many times.

[scribblet]

"You'd never know it from the news reports, but our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaida, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."

This is a lie.

Exactly what part of that is a lie, or are you into conspiracy theories too.

[Black Dog]

"You'd never know it from the news reports, but our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaida, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."

This is a lie.

Exactly what part of that is a lie, or are you into conspiracy theories too.

The "enemy" in Iraq is not the same bunch responsible for 9-11. 90 per cent of the insurgency is native Iraqi. The small group caling itself "al Qaida in Iraq" only began doing so in 2004 and there's no real evidence tying its purported leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to the 9-11 attacks. So, when you consider these facts, the statement that the Iraqi insurgency and the 9-11 attackers are one and the same is a total falsehood.

[geoffrey]

"You'd never know it from the news reports, but our enemy in Iraq is al-Qaida, the same terrorists who killed 3,000 Americans on 9-11, the same terrorists from the first World Trade Center bombing, the USS Cole, Madrid, London and many more."

This is a lie.

Exactly what part of that is a lie, or are you into conspiracy theories too.

The "enemy" in Iraq is not the same bunch responsible for 9-11. 90 per cent of the insurgency is native Iraqi. The small group caling itself "al Qaida in Iraq" only began doing so in 2004 and there's no real evidence tying its purported leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to the 9-11 attacks. So, when you consider these facts, the statement that the Iraqi insurgency and the 9-11 attackers are one and the same is a total falsehood.

The Dog is right here. I wouldn't draw the lines quite as definitively as they do here. Osama has encouraged violence in Iraq, and I believe we are all on the same page when I say that he is behind 9/11. There is a connection.... but its more like distant cousins than immediate family.

[Zues]

You guys might want to also consider that even with all the strife going on in Iraq as I type... ALL sides are in ageement on one issue and saying so in a united voice... "yankee go home!" They are now blaming the U.S. for the trouble and want the U.S. out!

This war is unconstitutional... a complicit cowardly Congress does not make it constitutional... and is TOTALLY un-American! We're were given, by the Founding Fathers, a representative republic and NOT an empire. Black Dog is correct about the makeup of the "insurrgency" and if anyone is lying and continues to lie it's the Bush administration in its continuingly vain effort to conceal the truth from us.

American PRESENCE is what is pissing those people off... let's declare victory and get the hell out of there. This is like the third or fourth opportunity that this administration has had to do that and it has blown every other opportunity. Unfortunately... it'll probably blow this one also and use the current instability as an excuse to send more troops and use Iraq as a base to attack Iran and Syria.

It's incredible how an administration and its leader who have bungled almost every single thing that they've attempted to do... continues to be admired by so many clueless individuals in our country. I can only assume that the dumbling down of America is more than just a rumor.

[geoffrey]

You guys might want to also consider that even with all the strife going on in Iraq as I type... ALL sides are in ageement on one issue and saying so in a united voice... "yankee go home!" They are now blaming the U.S. for the trouble and want the U.S. out!

This war is unconstitutional... a complicit cowardly Congress does not make it constitutional... and is TOTALLY un-American! We're were given, by the Founding Fathers, a representative republic and NOT an empire. Black Dog is correct about the makeup of the "insurrgency" and if anyone is lying and continues to lie it's the Bush administration in its continuingly vain effort to conceal the truth from us.

American PRESENCE is what is pissing those people off... let's declare victory and get the hell out of there. This is like the third or fourth opportunity that this administration has had to do that and it has blown every other opportunity. Unfortunately... it'll probably blow this one also and use the current instability as an excuse to send more troops and use Iraq as a base to attack Iran and Syria.

It's incredible how an administration and its leader who have bungled almost every single thing that they've attempted to do... continues to be admired by so many clueless individuals in our country. I can only assume that the dumbling down of America is more than just a rumor.

What makes something American?

Where in the constitution (I want specifics) does it say this war is illegal?

The founding fathers liked slavery, so everything they said was correct right?

How is the liberation of Iraq anything like Imperialism? Do you have any knowledge of history?

So every single group in Iraq wants the Americans gone? Sure funny how even though they made a majority turn out, they didn't vote for candidates that promoted this exact principle?

Civil war, or American assistance? You choose.

Whats this dumbing down of American?

Do you not feel any obligation to help those more oppressed/lesser off than you? Its your attitude that kept the Americans out of WWII, leaving far too many people dead and nations destroyed. Splendid isolationism only goes so far before its irresponsible.

I've got no problem with people that want to discuss the war in realistic terms, but complete withdrawl isn't in the line of thought of anyone knowledgable on the topic. Not only that but it would result in far more deaths in the insuing Shi'a destruction of the Sunni minority.

How ridiculous.

[Drew Bedson]

The "enemy" in Iraq is not the same bunch responsible for 9-11. 90 per cent of the insurgency is native Iraqi. The small group caling itself "al Qaida in Iraq" only began doing so in 2004 and there's no real evidence tying its purported leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to the 9-11 attacks. So, when you consider these facts, the statement that the Iraqi insurgency and the 9-11 attackers are one and the same is a total falsehood.

Correct. Working with the wrong facts is to condemn all future rationale to failure.

That said, Iraq is and was, intregal to the War on Terror. The war having so many purposes and rationale that most people both pro and con can't begin to get past the rhetoric. For example, once it was proved to Saudi Arabia that the US did have the gonads to fight a full front they became so proactive that they finally did something very uncomfortable that prior to, were unwilling to risk. Begin their own War on Terror within their borders. This action has unhinged Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia so much, that they cannot function beyond token operations in Iraq.

This multi approach war on Al Qaeda goes beyond these two countries as well as other nations of the area joined in. While terrorism attacks may still make headlines, Al Qaeda is being pumelled ceaselessly. If the US sat and did nothing proactive to prove they were commited, who would ever beleive they had power or position to act, support and cooperate? It was a combination of power positioning, social and political change, threat, elimination of a threat, tidying up of a problem and support of allies within the region that made this risky action so rewarding. Even if Iraq fails, many of those objectives will still be met.

What is interesting is that terrorism has one tool - death and destruction. In this way, they erode a governement or entity's ability to control by denying the populace the main thing that they expect from their leaders - safety. When disturbed and minimized by being taken out, they have to act or lose ground severely, however difficult that is as part of their purpose is to project the illusion of power and the enemy's inability to constrain them. A Tet Offensive sort of action like a fighters last stand. Are the blows getting token and faster or, well calculated for maximum effect? For a world of America haters, all desires to strike within American borders, not one has succeded. That is why I believe the former.