In 2004, the world watched as Senator John Kerry was "swiftboated." In 2008, attacks on veterans—specifically on those running for office—will be dealt with rapidly and harshly.
So when it happened to Senate candidate and Afghanistan veteran Rick Noriega this morning, we issued a press release from VoteVets to all the major media outlets in Texas. In the statement, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans from across the state made their feelings known to both John Cornyn and the Texas State Republican Party.
It all started when Roger Williams, the leader of the Texas GOP’s coordinated campaign, said that "the Democrats want to retreat from the terrorists." In fact, this is how the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported it:
"The Democrats want to retreat from the terrorists, raise taxes on American employers and families, dramatically increase the size and reach of the federal bureaucracy, and become less competitive in the world economy," Williams said in a statement. "With Sen. John Cornyn ... leading the way, Texas Republicans offer the strongest leadership and experience on the ballot this year."
Of course, Rick Noriega wasn’t going to stand for this type of 2004 garbage. So this is how he responded on Daily Kos:
This kind of language is outrageous and offensive. I didn't retreat from the terrorists when I spent over a year in Afghanistan, and I didn't retreat during my 27 years of military service to our great country. I don't plan on retreating now either.
But Rick wasn’t alone in firing back. By this afternoon, we’d compiled statements from veterans throughout the state—some of which were quite long—and we included a number of them in the press release you see below. By 2:00 PM CT, this was in the hands of the media in Texas:
March 7 2008
TEXAS VETERANS DEMAND REPUBLICAN PARTY, SENATOR CORNYN STAND DOWN
Today, Veterans of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan reacted with swift anger at the Republican Party for maintaining that those who oppose the Bush/Cornyn failed policies in Iraq "want to retreat from the terrorists." (Source). Below are a collection of quotes from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans across Texas.
Please note, the quotes below are the veterans' own. VoteVets.org does not endorse one political party over another. It has endorsed the candidacy of Rick Noriega in his campaign against Senator Cornyn.
"As an Army infantry officer who’s served in Afghanistan and Iraq, I don’t need John Cornyn’s political pals to tell me what constitutes retreat. In fact, I’d like the Texas Republican Party to apologize to me, Rick Noriega, and all the veterans who fought in this war, but who do not support the failed strategies of George W. Bush and John Cornyn."
Brandon Friedman
Iraq and Afghanistan veteran (two tours)
Addison, TX
"This type of dialogue has no place in American politics. I didn’t serve two tours as an infantryman in Iraq just to have the Texas Republican Party tell me that I want to ‘retreat from the terrorists.’"
Jason Wold
Iraq veteran (two tours)
Rowlett, TX
"As a soldier, this is the kind of despicable treatment that I have come to expect from the Republican Party and the very reason why I have so often sided with Democrats. When I see that prominent Texas political leaders have so much contempt for guys like me and Rick Noriega who love our country enough to put ourselves in harm’s way, it just makes me sick."
Patrick Almand
Iraq veteran
Dallas, TX
"As someone who has been a Democrat for as long as I've been old enough to know the difference, I take umbrage to Roger Williams' comment that "the Democrats want to retreat from the terrorists." As an Iraq veteran, I’ve chosen to stand up to the terrorists—especially those who perpetrated the attacks on 9/11. Rather than focusing their attacks on the Democratic Party, perhaps the Texas Republican Party could instead call on both John Cornyn and the Bush administration to focus on the terrorists who attacked us here in the U.S. I simply refuse to retreat, and I will not be smeared by those who deliver patriotic platitudes while at the same time undermining our military."
Suzanna Friedly
Iraq veteran
La Porte, TX
"As a former Army Ranger, I’m not retreating from anything. The Texas Republican Party has got this one totally wrong. If John Cornyn and his political cronies in Texas weren’t so interested in avoiding the real fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation."
Roger Martinez
Iraq and Afghanistan veteran (three tours)
San Antonio, TX
You would think these clowns would find a better a way to attack their opponents. Because this "cut-n-run"/"coward"/"swiftboat" thing just isn’t going to work anymore.
This is not 2004. And we are not the Kerry campaign.