The Fighting Dem phenomenon
continues to grow.
More than 30 Iraq and Persian Gulf War veterans have entered congressional races across the country as Democrats, hoping to capitalize on their military experience to topple the incumbent Republican majority [...]
On Dec. 20, Fawcett and Winter joined 35 Democratic veterans running for Congress at a strategy session in Washington, D.C.
The veterans voted on a name for their emerging caucuslike campaign coalition: Veterans for a Secure America. They also agreed that their military backgrounds should be promoted as credentials for leadership across the full spectrum of public policy, said Fawcett, an Air Force veteran of the 1991 Gulf War who has taught at the Air Force Academy and now works as a consultant to Northern Command in Colorado Springs.
The group will reconvene in Washington in February to respond to President Bush's State of the Union address in a news conference on the steps of the Capitol, Winter said. An attorney and the former president of the grassroots liberal organizing group Be The Change, Winter spent 10 peacetime years in the Marine Corps and the Navy.
This country craves leadership, and these guys are providing it unbidden. They are self-organizing, taking the initiative, and taking the fight to the enemy. These guys are rock stars.
So we've got dozens of Iraq and Persian Gulf vets challenging Republicans for public office. How many do Republicans have?
One.
(The 36 Iraq and Persian Gulf War vets cited in the article seems high. That number makes sense if we include all veteran challengers. And by that metric, the Republican numbers would be boosted to two veteran challengers.)
DavidNYC explains why this is important:
Veterans' views on matters of war and national security are often accorded greater respect in the public sphere (whether fairly or unfairly). These issues are going to matter a whole hell of a lot in 2006, and we need candidates willing to engage - not avoid - this debate.
The media typically adores veterans, especially the straight-talking kind. (Think Hackett & McCain.) Moreover, our lazy media has bought into the GOP's smear of the Dems as "weak on security" wholesale. It doesn't matter how sophisticated our think-tank-produced plans on foreign policy are - the media just doesn't care. But if you've worn a dogtag around your neck or have had ribbons pinned to your chest - now that is something the media can understand.
The American people love our armed forces. The military always ranks at the very top when pollsters ask people how much confidence they have in various public institutions.
Strength in numbers: It's a lot easier to Swift Boat a lone vet in isolation. While I put nothing past today's GOP, it's much harder to slander your opponents when you're talking about dozens and dozens of men and women across the country. And these guys, I can assure you, will fight back when attacked.
And there's one more -- I wouldn't be who I am today without my service to my nation. It gives me a greater sense of appreciation for what my country means and motivates me to fight for her. Many politicians view DC as a path to personal power and enrichment. Heck, that view of government is driving the modern GOP. But it's hard to pledge your life to your nation to later betray it in legislative chambers.
Too few Republicans have ever sacrificed for their nation and their utter contempt for it shows. It's no accident that some of the most principled Republicans are veterans, like Chuck Hagel and Lindsey Graham. But there are unfortunately too few of them.
Democrats are already the party of veterans. The Fighting Dems are going to help make this point to a whole new generation of voters.