VoteVets.org Chairman John Soltz spoke to CNN on Thursday and explained why the organization of U.S. veterans does not want to march in military theater for a man who:
- dodged the draft five times due to “bone spurs”
- has played golf (for personnel profit on his own golf courses) about 150 times since being president—but doesn’t visit troops on the ground to see what they need
- wants to use $12 million of their tax money to make himself look like a big man
And I’ll add: who was voted in illegitimately via the election intrusion of a foreign adversary of the United States.
Here is the CNN video interview via Vote Vets on Twitter—followed by the transcript.
Video Transcript:
JOHN SOLZ: We’re not a banana republic. And we’re not a former Soviet Bloc nation who basically uses the military to promote strength. Inside the military, our soldiers, and our army, and our marines are taught to speak lightly and carry a big stick.
So, I would argue that in a military that’s got military operations going on all over the world—that spending $12 million of their money to watch 7,000 U.S. troops lose Veteran’s Day with their families—to march for him down Constitutional Avenue, probably isn’t the best use of our resources right now. It’s actually unprecedented and something we haven’t done since we won the (Gulf) War in 91.
CNN: Explain, John, to civilians why it still matters for a president, any president, to visit military theater—what message it sends to our troops.
JOHN SOLTZ: Our president didn't serve in Vietnam. I think everyone now knows the facts now. He said he had bone spurs—he had five draft deferments. Every military commander, whether you’re a Lieutenant, or an Ensign in the Navy, or a General Officer, goes to visit their troops in the field. If you command a battalion you go visit your troops when they’re training. If you’re commanding troops right now in Kuwait, you go into Iraq to visit your troops in Iraq. It’s a core ….. of military officers.
CNN: Why is that important? Why is that so important? What is the message it sends?
JOHN SOLTZ: Well, because you have to go see what they need. You have to go out there and say, ‘How’s the fight, what do you need, what supplies can I get you?’ You have to understand what’s going on the ground to make decisions—to win.
And our president right now has gone into his golf courses almost, you know, 150 some times since he’s been president. Yet how does he really know about a startagy change, if he doesn’t go out there and see it? It’s the same argument Republicans made about Barack Obama when he was running for president. If this president is going to be Commander in Chief, and make these life and death decisions, he needs to know what’s going on.
Let me finish that. Trump needs to know what’s going on to make life and death decisions before having a march of real heroes for himself to show what a big man he is, when in reality, this illegitimately elected president is actually a lying, scamming, big coward.
(More about VoteVets.org below the fold.)
VoteVets.org continues to focus on matters including, but not limited to, foreign policy, energy security, veterans’ unemployment, and opening military service to life-long Americans born to undocumented immigrants, as well as continued investment in care for veterans. More often than not, Veterans have a stake in the top issues of the day, and VoteVets.org is committed to getting their voices heard on these issues. For that reason, VoteVets.org has, and will continue to, work with all progressive allies representing labor, immigration, gay and lesbian rights, and environmentalists, when their issues coincide with the needs of troops and veterans.
Statistics
In the field, VoteVets Action Fund has:
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Over 500,000 supporters in all 50 states, including troops, veterans, military families, and their supporters
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State Captains organizing in all 50 states.
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Over 5 million voter contacts since 2006, spending over $2 million in direct mail, phone calls, and voter canvasses
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Over $30 million raised and spent since inception
On the air, VoteVets Action Fund has:
- Run over 51 TV commercials and radio spots in 32 states advocating the support of our friends.
- Aired over $22 million in television and radio ads, advocating re-election for allies and urging defeat of those who do not support troops and veterans.
In the media, VoteVets Action Fund has:
- Done over 900 interviews, news stories, and on air media appearances
- Dropped over 400 Letters to the Editors and Opinion Editorials throughout the 50 states from local veterans
To see which candidates VoteVet’s is supporting, Click Here.