Former Army captain Jon Soltz backs up his words: "I want a hit on Fox," he barked...

[dajoki]

Soldier answers a new call to battle
Since starting VoteVets.org, Jon Soltz has shaken up the war debate, became a MSNBC regular and challenged the GOP on military issues.
By Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 30, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-soltz30aug30,0,4081381.story?coll=la-tot-topstories&track=ntottext

<<snip>>

The former Army captain and Iraq war veteran demanded television ads. "I want a hit on Fox," he barked into a speakerphone.

<<snip>>

But in a little more than a year since he launched VoteVets. org, Soltz has helped transform the war debate in Washington by channeling the raw anger and frustration of many Iraq vets into a political campaign both sophisticated and visceral. Soltz, 30, and his band of mostly twenty- and thirtysomething veterans have shaken the GOP's claim to be the pro-military party. They accuse Republicans of recklessly sending troops to war without the right equipment and failing to care for thousands of wounded and traumatized vets.

During the 2006 election, VoteVets' stark attack ads featuring disillusioned veterans helped unseat Republicans in five states, including Sen. George Allen of Virginia and Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, whose defeats gave Democrats an unexpected Senate majority.

<<snip>>

Soltz works closely with liberal groups such as MoveOn. org as well as influential military officers like retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark. He has become something of a celebrity, sought out by the media, consulted by senior Democratic lawmakers and mobbed by antiwar activists.

<<snip>>

With a database of more than 40,000 supporters and donors, Soltz is planning to take on GOP presidential candidates next year, targeting their claim that they would be better guardians of national security. "You want to take your enemy's strength and make it his weakness," said Soltz, who likes to quote aphorisms of the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

1. Saw him

on Tweety's show yesterday. He was great.

[beachmom]

2. Soltz is a fighter. I saw him at YearlyKos. I didn't realize it was Kerry

who got him involved in politics. This part of the article was really moving:

Soltz returned to Germany that September, shaken and exhausted. When he visited a comrade whose arm had been shattered by a roadside bomb, Soltz broke down. "I looked at this kid and thought, 'I hope this is all worth it,' " he said.

Back home in Pittsburgh that winter, Soltz decided to transfer to the Army Reserve and to work on a master's degree in international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. An encounter with a famous veteran from another era set him on a new course.

In the spring of 2004, Sen. John F. Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat, made a presidential campaign stop in Pittsburgh. Soltz went, curious about one of the generation's most famous opponents of the Vietnam War. He introduced himself, and the two men spoke briefly. Afterward, Kerry called Soltz at home.

"He said, 'I just want you to know that when I came home from Vietnam, I was angry like you, and that's OK,' " Soltz recalled. "Nobody in my life understood what was going on in my head at the time. Not my friends, not my family. But when someone like that says, 'I was like you, I understand your anger and your pain, do something with that,' that is speaking a language you can understand."

Soltz volunteered for the Kerry campaign, organizing outreach to veterans in Pennsylvania. Afterward, he helped raise money for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans running for Congress.

Thanks for pointing out this article. K & R.

[Adelante]

3. That gave me the chills

I've heard him mention Kerry, but not that Kerry called him that way. That's beautiful.

[plusfiftyfive]

5. That's a very moving moment.

One I am sure lots of Vets would identify with....let's spread the word of this article about this guy.

Thanks!!!

[Inuca]

6. How very wonderful & how very typical n/t

[karynnj]

11. I have often thought that with his usually polite, intelligent comments

that he is this war's John Kerry. (If anyone of another time ever maps to someone tday) This is a really nice story. I'm impressed that after a short converstaion that Kerry took the time to call him and validate the anger he was feeling.

[rockymountaindem]

45. Oh wow

Kerry is such a great man on a personal level. Politics aside, it's too bad there aren't more politicians like him who will really take time like that for somebody.

[alstephenson]

4. Soltz is a great spokesperson against the Iraq occupation...

I've seen him several times on Hardball. Articulate, passionate, and right on point. Senator Kerry, you did good. This young man has some great things ahead of him and we're lucky to have him as a spokesperson.

[dajoki]

10. Maybe someday as a Congress person...

and, who knows how high he can go. We need more like him.

[AtomicKitten]

7. Soltz is a powerful voice that speaks --

on behalf of soldiers and veterans. The GOP Wrecking Machine will be hard-pressed to smear him, but they will try.

[Supersedeas]

8. we could use more leadership, like his, in Congress

[Disturbed]

9. I heard him speak on KO a few times.

America sure needs a few million like him. I hope he runs for Congress, as a Senator.

[Clark2008]

32. What state would he run from?

A "red" state, I hope. He could win.

Nope - from Pennsylvania. He needs to move to Tennessee and challenge Lamar Alexander.

[beachmom]

16. They already did at the Yearly Kos convention. Seeing that that

stupid incident didn't even make it into the LA Times, I'd say it was a failure. But they'll keep trying.

[R_M]

12. He has balls and he has credibility to speak in this manner.

He should feel free to take on "pinky" Hannity!

:kick:

:applause:

[Cameron27]

13. Soltz doesn't back down,

I've seen him take on a few RWingers on Hardball, and he won't give them an inch. If he has to talk over them, he does and that's exactly how you play it on those damned shows. He's great.

[R_M]

15. He's a bulldozer. That is how you win arguements with...

extremist kooks.

[globalvillage]

14. I saw Jon Soltz at the TBA conference

Here's my video of him speaking to the crowd. He really is an awesome voice for veterans and against Bush's war.

http://www.kerryvision.net/2007/08/john_soltz_demands_the_truth_a.html

[TayTay]

18. I remember Jon Soltz at TBA

He was a total "rock star" for that crowd.

All that aside, what I remember most about that TBA event is when Mr. Soltz spoke about coming home and wanting to know where he could go to talk to someone who understood what he was going through. His simple words in looking for some care at a Vets Center are some of the most haunting of this war for me.

"I need help. I'm not who I used to be."

Dear Lord, how many Jon Soltz's are there out there? How many of our soldiers who come home to find out that they are "not who they used to be." I just hope this nation to committed to a course that makes sure they get help when they ask for it and pays attention to what they have to say.

[calimary]

17. I do, too, Jon! I want a hit on Pox, too!!!

You ROCK, sir!

And YES. TARGET THEIR "STRENGTHS." Which WON'T be their strengths by the time we get through with 'em.

[Nimrod2005]

19. I love these guys, please donate to them if you can!!!

[Senator]

20. Soltz Turns Tweety Into War Crime Accuser

Frankly, I hadn't thought too much of the Captain's teevee banter until this last appearance on Hardball over torture and Geneva violations. But on Wednesday he had Frank Gaffney sputtering drivel and Tweety himself joining in with war crime accusations.

SOLTZ: ... you have an administration that loosened the concept of us supporting the Geneva Convention. In combat, these interrogation techniques are used to get what we call human intelligence, what we rely on in combat, actionable intelligence. And when you use these interrogations techniques that are in violation of the Geneva Convention, like dog barking and making people stay up, that is not good intelligence. That is not actionable intelligence that helps us on the ground.

Here we are every day in Iraq in combat, trying to win the hearts of these people.

MATTHEWS: Do you have evidence that this came from civilians in the Pentagon?

SOLTZ: Absolutely. The president of the United States said we are not going to support the Geneva Convention. Secretary Rumsfeld released a mom that said that there are 24 enhanced interrogation techniques that are going to be used in Abu Ghraib.

MATTHEWS: Let me let Frank—

GAFFNEY: The short answer to you question is, no, he does not have evidence. He is imputing to what he claims to be the source of all evil, something that did not have an impact on Abu Ghraib. And more to the point, it would be actually corrosive to our position vis-a-vis these terrorists to give them the treatment that he thinks they ought to have.

SOLTZ: I care about our American men and women in combat.

GAFFNEY: I care too, and I do not want to see them— (CROSS TALK) GAFFNEY: -- as you would have them treated.

SOLTZ: See, I have been in combat. You haven‘t. In the first Gulf War, they surrendered to us—the enemy surrenders to us in combat because they know we treat them humanely. It is a force multiplier for our troops.

MATTHEWS: Thank you very much Frank Gaffney. Thank you John Soltz. Up next, the—By the way, I picked this topic not to hurt America, because I feel if we let this go, the world will see us saluting it. If somebody‘s not punished with authority here, the world will say we hid this problem, and I don‘t think we should.

GAFFNEY: The problem has been properly identified and properly addressed.

MATTHEWS: I have never heard of enlisted men being so original in policy-making. Anyway, thank you.

GAFFNEY: Sick bunch of kids.

MATTHEWS: A round table on Bush‘s bad week is coming up in a minute.

Yeah Frank, sick bunch all right. But not the kids/troops you're blaming ... vis a vis and all.

--

[peacetalksforall]

24. Matthews compliments enlisted men and Gaffney says SICK BUNCH

OF KIDS? Before I blow up, tell me he was referring to someone other than Soltz.

[BrklynLib at work]

27. Gaffney was saying that those who were involved in the torture were a sick bunch of kids...

He was trying to absolve the civilan and/or military leadership of any blame or responsiblity for the situation.
So if the torture was just the individual activity of a "sick bunch of kids" that would mean that the administration would have had no part in it.....Riiiiiight. And I have this bridge in Broooklyn I would like to sell to you.

[peacetalksforall]

28. Lie to our kids to get them in and then lie about them when they follow orders

and after you smacked their brain around to do whatever you want them to do.

[Senator]

29. He was referring to those...

..."bad apples."

You know, the ones who spoil a perfectly good war for the rest of us by getting caught thinking all this up on their own getting absolutely no instructions from any chain of command or torture memos or commanders from Gitmo or anyone calling waterboarding "dunking" or anything like that, we swear, move along, no one else to blame, honestly, trust us, we've always told the truth in the past.

But no, not to Soltz himself.

--

[Eurobabe]

38. I heard that, GAFF-ney was talking about the Abu Ghraib soldiers

"responsible" for the torture. Yeah right :wtf:

[tom_paine]

21. Soltz is EXACTLY the kind of Dem we need. This guy gives hope.

It's really good to know he's out there, and that if America goes down and become BushPutinist Amerika, it'll be over his...objections.

That's a good guy, right there. A true American and Patriot in a way most DUers (including myself) can't really understand.

Although, to be honest, most DUers are true Americans and Patriots in a way most Americans can't really understand.

He is to us as we are to the Imperial Subjects of Amerika.

And he is badly needed, if the Ols American Republic is ever to return.

[Spiffarino]

22. You know Soltz is effective - the Reich is bashing him.

Melanie "Hotlips" Morgan has been calling him "traitor" among other things. When that kind of vitriol stirs up from demons like her, you know he's hurting them. Look for more to come.

[rocktivity]

23. If memory serves me correctly, I wrote something kind of nice about him a while ago

Yes, here it is:

JON STOLZ FOR PRESIDENT!

:headbang:
rocknation

[peacetalksforall]

25. I'm so glad I read this thread. I didn't know about Soltz and VoteVets.

Thank you so much for posting. I'll look for him. Hope vets keep joining.

Soon, only 27-37% are going to left to believe in the the claimed PNAC purity for this war. The rest of us, some of whom knew before the war, will KNOW that the war is all about profits, ownership, and control - mostly about control of the people of the U.S. We are in a kingship and a cunning agenda using technology to control us and make us into submissive, non-protesting, swallowing, bowing, slaving robots is in full swing.

Their 27-37% = born-agains led by their reverends who partner with the WH,PNAC,Pentagon / bigots / unthinking people driven by illogical fear / die-hards whether country club or little house on the prairie / those who pocket profit from war and from the money spent on propaganda and payola / all those who make money as stockholders for war purposes no matter how liberal they are in other things / lobbyists / and those who receive wealth from technology to own us / and all our leaders in Congress who have shown us by their votes and secret deals that they are traitors with PNAC.

[BrklynLib at work]

26. e is the kind of soldier and American that inspires respect and admiration...

[plusfiftyfive]

30. I agree, this has been a great thread !

Hope we see and hear more from him !

[pingzing58]

31. Is Adam Kokesh a part of Soltz group?

[natrat]

33. gop/dlc is bullshit start to finish-just a marketing campaign based on lies

[plusfiftyfive]

34. Here's an interesting column by Soltz

Complete and Total Meltdown

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-soltz/complete-and-total-meltdo_b_62528.html

[dajoki]

44. I really hope this is true...

now has nearly a full-scale revolt in his own military that just isn't willing to go along for the ride anymore.

[Hamlette]

35. k& r n/t

[Hamlette]

36. for anyone looking to throw a few bucks into it, I recommend these guys

I sent 'em money in 2006 and just sent a few more buck their way. Soltz is a great spokesperson. He more than holds his own with those war supporting vets he's put up against on TV. He's informed on all the issues and speaks passionately without getting shrill.

[Cameron27]

37. Thanks Hamlette,

I donate to vote vets as often as I can; the more money they get, the more effective they can be.

edited: Might as well put in a link.

http://www.votevets.org/

[Stinky The Clown]

39. Jon Soltz is VERY high on my list of good guys.

I like his style. I like his tenacity. I like his backbone. I like they way he will be **in** **the** **face** of assholes like Frank Gaffney.

[Raksha]

40. Now THAT is inspiring!

Thank you for posting about this incredible activist. There isn't a whole hell of a lot that inspires me these days, but this article actually gives me hope for the future...assuming of course that America HAS a future.

[dajoki]

41. It will be...

a long road back after the damage that has been done during the last 6/12 years. But this man does inspire hope.

[FrenchieCat]

42. Love Him!

:patriot:

[sarcasmo]

43. kick.