Veterans Hit the Campaign Trail

Fresh off of last week's announcement that unions like the SEIU and AFSCME will be spending at least $100 million to prop up embattled Dems who voted in favor of 0bamacare, I came across a Political Action Committee called Vets For Freedom.

The Veterans For Freedom PAC endorsement criteria falls along these lines:

1) Please outline your previous military experience.

2) Did you serve in Iraq or Afghanistan? Provide details.

3) What is your position on the war in Afghanistan? Similarly, do you agree or disagree with President Obama's surge of forces to Afghanistan in 2009? Explain.

4) What is your position on the war in Iraq and the 2007 surge of American forces? Similarly, what is your view of current American policy in Iraq?

5) Should the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba be closed? Either way, describe considerations and options.

6) Should the United States bring terrorism detainees to trial in civilian courts or in military commission courts?

7) Should Iran be allowed to procure nuclear weapons? Would you support decisive U.S. action--militarily or otherwise--to prevent a nuclear Iran?

8) What role should American power--militarily and economically--play in the world? Explain.

9) What is the legacy of America's post-9/11 warrior class? If elected, how do you plan to influence this legacy?

10) Why do you want to serve in elected office?

In other words, odds are they will be in direct opposition to the tax-and-spend liberals that the unions are throwing millions of dollars at this year. The Veterans for Freedom PAC has endorsed the following candidates as well.

Army Captain Kevin Calvey (Oklahoma-5)

Army Colonel Chris Gibson (New York-20)

Army Major Tim Griffin (Arkansas-2)

Army Colonel Joe Heck (Nevada-3)

Air Force Captain Adam Kinzinger (Illinois-11)

Marine Lieutenant Ilario Pantano (North Carolina-7)

Army Captain Jonathan Paton (Arizona-8)

Marine Captain Brian Rooney (Michigan-7)

Army Lieutenant Colonel Steve Stivers (Ohio-15)

Army Lieutenant Colonel Allen West (Florida-22)

Army Lieutenant Colonel Lang Silas (Colorado-7)

Navy Commander Mark Kirk (Illinois Senate)

*Marine Gunnery Sargeant Nick Popaditch (California- 51)

*not endorsed by the VFF PAC yet, but seems to meet the criteria so far.

Now, off the top of my head I can name two candidates who are running against the Democrat incumbents that voted 'Yes' on 0bamacare that the SEIU and other unions are throwing money at to help retain their seats (Kinzinger and Heck).

It should also be worth mentioning that both West and Pantano were the subject of a Daily Beast hatchet job depicting them as dangerous renegade soldiers, although one would suspect the Daily Beast wouldn't consider them quite as 'renegade' if they ran as Democrats.

More than half the candidates listed are running against Democrat incumbents that voted 'Yes' on 0bamacare, although all but a handful still have a protracted and contested primary ahead of them.

While on the subject of Vets running for office, here are a few you'd be better off staying the hell away from.

Adam Kokesh- New Mexico's 3rd district. Bloggette and Marine wife Cassy Fiano warned readers about anti-war turncoat Adam Kokesh running for Congress as a Republican in Northern New Mexico. While in IVAW (Iraq Vets Against the War), Kokesh distributed Islamophobic fliers and falsely attributed them to George Washington University's chapter of the Young America foundation and also urged troops stationed in Germany to go AWOL. As a group, IVAW has threatened to bomb counterprotestors and assassinate conservative columnists, so I fail to see what good cold ever come from associating with IVAW [For the record, I'm not saying they have zero right to speak out against Iraq or Afghanistan, but I do take issue with the 'OMG! Everybody who served in that theater is a war criminal except for me me me me!' narrative that seems to be the IVAW's stock in trade- plus I think it's very disingenuous of them to try and create the impression that they speak for all vets- NANESB!].

Those of you interested in helping a Republican in that district, give Tom Mullins a look.

Matthew Zeller- New York's 29th district. This is the disgraced Eric 'Tickle-Me' Massa's former district. The 28-year old Zeller joined the Army shortly after 9/11, and after serving as an embedded combat mentor to Afghan police and military was tapped to run as pretty much the only Democrat in the NY-29 special election this fall. His service record apparently doesn't have any obvious red flags and for all I know is impeccable. However, Zeller didn't even live in the district as of April and he supports the bailout, 0bamacare and is against dilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale along New York's Southern Tier according to an interview in the Corning Leader.

Former Corning, NY mayor Tom Reed is the presumptive GOP nominee for the district.

[Cross Posted at Correspondence Committee]