[Peace-discuss] VoteVets and their current campaigns

[Karen Medina]

Carl,

* I agree that VoteVets is not an anti-war group.
* I agree that their position on Afghanistan shows their pro-military
stance, which they do not hide.
* VoteVets state quite boldly that they are "dedicated to the
destruction of terror networks around the world, with force when
necessary."

But they are not afraid to point out the human cost of war.

It could be just as easily stated that VoteVets is co-opting the
pro-military social network, if there is a single unified network of
these folks.

I think that allowing the press to film the unloading of coffins is
not a bad idea.

-karen medina

On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 2:22 PM, C. G. Estabrook <galliher at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> VoteVets.org seems to be another Astroturf (fake grassroots) group,
> well-funded presumably with money from Democratic party backers like the
> late unlamented "Americans Against Escalation in Iraq." Founded in 2006,
> they seem to have been part of the successful effort by the Democrats to
> co-opt the antiwar movement.
>
> They support the expansion of the war in Afghanistan; see their press
> release on the day of Obama's announcement:
> <http://www.votevets.org/news/?id=0190>.
>
> Their Board of Advisers has included war supporters like Tammy Duckworth,
> whom Rahm Emanuel used to destroy an authentic anti-war Democrat in an IL
> congressional election in 2006; former Sen. Bob Kerry; Leslie Gelb of the
> CFR and the "progressive" pro-war group National Security Network; Lawrence
> Korb of the Reagan DOD; et al.
>
> They represent that Realist alternative to the Neocons that now shows itself
> more aggressive and violent in AfPak than the Bush administration was. --CGE
>
>
> Karen Medina wrote:
>>
>> Dear Peace-discuss,
>>
>>
>> I also think it is interesting what VoteVets.org has as information
>> campaigns right now:
>> * a TV ad responding to Rush Limbaugh's charge that veteran Brian
>> McGough is a phony soldier for opposing George Bush's failed policy in
>> Iraq.
>> * StopIranWar.com
>> * President Bush’s failed strategy in Iraq has led to a stronger al Qaeda
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