This is an email from Wes Clark which I just received today. If anyone has seen the ads by Vote Vets, they are very powerful, especially since they feature General Batiste and General Eaton whom Bush claims to have been listening to when deciding on the military "surge" in Iraq. As many will discover, Bush was NOT listening to his top commanders; only to what he wanted to hear from his lackeys.
It was 2005 in Afghanistan. Marines were ambushed. Men were being hit. Army artillery officer Mike Breen and his unit were holding off the enemy, but they were running out of ammunition. Breen kept calling for helicopters to re-supply them, but the helicopters never came.
Where were the helicopters?
This is the question the third and final ad of the "Generals" series by Vote Vets asks.
Following the ads from General Batiste and General Eaton, I appear in this ad with Officer Breen to highlight the Bush administration's failed national security and foreign policy. The fact is the Iraq war hinders our ability to fight the war on terror.
Where were the helicopters?
The helicopters, the equipment, and the troops are stuck fighting George Bush's war in Iraq. As I said before the invasion, military action against Iraq would distract us from fighting those who attacked us on 9/11: Al Qaeda. George Bush and Dick Cheney constantly trumpet their capture of Saddam Hussein, but where is Osama Bin Laden?
Congress has to help get the strategy right, so we can fight the terrorists who are the real threat to America.
The President did not listen when I went before the House Armed Services Committee in 2002, discouraging an invasion of Iraq. The President did not listen to General Batiste and General Eaton, as they called for a new strategy in Iraq. And the President is still not listening.
The series of "Generals" ads is making an impact. The voters, the national media, and the local media are putting pressure on the members of Congress who are blindly supporting the President. The days of rubberstamping Bush's failed strategy must end.
In this version of the ad, I call on Congress and Virginia's Senator John Warner to "Protect America, Not George Bush." Blindly supporting Bush's failed strategy does not protect America. The voters need to know the truth, and the more money we can raise for the ad, the more voters we can reach.
The ads are making a difference. The response has been overwhelming, but we can't rest now.
Thank you for your support.
These ads hit Bush right where it hurts; countering his claim that he is strong on national security. They are probably one of the most important tools we have in winning over Conservatives and Independents in 2008. I urge you to support the Vote Vets ads.