Vic Snyder (AR) C-Span this morning-always liked him

[leetrisck]

and couldn't believe he was recruiting for the military this am - that's all he was there for. And the callers were unbelievable. One woman "I'm so proud to give my most precious gift to America, my only son" - you stupid, stupid woman - what if he doesn't want to be given to bush? what right do you have to "sacrifice" your son. Will you hear the scream when the bullett rips thru him - will you hear him calling for his Mama & Daddy, will you hold his brains in your hands as he lays dying or will you just say "he died doing what he loved to do"

[unhappycamper]

1. As I listened to this woman, I wonder what her plan is for the

depleted uranium poisoning her son will contract when he goes to the Middle East. Sure hope her packet of information includes web sites for VA activism to get the care he's going to need.

Wonder if she knows that DNA damage is permanent?

[The Witch]

2. That segment pissed me off too.

I desperately wanted someone to call in and say something about the "re-enlist or we'll stop-loss you and you'll end up here just without the money" threats that soldiers have been getting...

that and all that talk about the military being a wonderful career opportunity... I'm sorry, I thank our troops for their sacrifices but that's just what it is, a sacrifice... would you take any other job if you knew that you were likely to get assigned to a factory where workers were getting killed every single day? If it were any other business it'd be shut down. The military isn't a career, it's a sacrifice that you make for your country and your ideals.

Donning asbestos armor now for DU military people to destroy me from head to toe.

[Cassandra]

3. I think Snyder feels a duty...

not to leave the troops just hanging out there with no replacements. I think he said he was a marine. He did, however, agree with that caller that this administration is frustratingly secretive and difficult to trust. I thought he handled himself pretty well.
Personally I don't see why anyone would volunteer to likely be sent to Iraq but I am grateful that some volunteer to serve and are willing to take their chances in the army. They deserve a more worthy assignment than the one they've got.

[leetrisck]

6. You are probably right about that

bush has always (and rumsfeld) if the Commanders in the field want more troops, they will have them. At least twice, Abziad?? has said we need more troops and both times, troops that were already there were extended and others were sent in early. Not new people. Recycles because we have no more. That's why you never hear (anymore) a Commander in the field ask for more troops - they know what will happen.

[leetrisck]

4. Most of those people have no idea what depleted uranium

or anything else - I have never heard so many people so uninformed about the military in my life. I would venture a guess that one reason recruitment is so down is because we have a deserter for a so-called commander-in-chief. And our guys our not fighting for America - that's another reason - and of course nobody, but nobody wants a draft - wonder why?

[joanski0]

5. I saw that, too. I couldn't believe

that he was a Dem. He said that no matter what you think of this war or bush*, we still want to have the best military, blah, blah.

It's really disheartening to know that so few of our Dems are out there trying to save our democracy. I guess they are too busy trying to save their own asses. Once Negroponte gets though "fixing" our intelligence agencies, we are really done. Democrats are letting all of this happen.

[marions ghost]

7. yeah

Vic Snyder (D-Arkansas) did an obvious PR job for the military on C-Span, arguing that even though you might disagree with the war and not respect the commander-in-chief you should still join because America needs a strong military. It was like a low-key, long-winded commercial, not entirely based in reality.