Army Spreads Partisan Attacks Against Obama

[babylonsister]

Army Shows Its Colors

The Army's public affairs office publishes a daily roundup of Army-related news called "Stand To" -- named for the set of procedures combat units do just prior to dawn, when they go to full alert for a possible enemy attack. The daily wrapup contains links to mainstream media articles, Army press releases, foreign media stories and blogs. It's similar to the Defense Department's Early Bird -- but much briefer, and obviously more focused on the Army.

Tuesday's edition contained an entry under "WHAT'S BEING SAID IN BLOGS" that struck me as unusual -- both for its headline and its patent political bias:

Obama: World peace thru surrender (KDIHH)

The link goes to a milblog called "Knee Deep in the Hooah." The author is a former Army officer whose son is serving in Iraq now. After citing a column on some curious Pentagon planning for an Obama administration, he goes on to write:

Roger that Redleg six, throwing away all ammo now and preparing to surrender ... Redleg five, out.

After all, what better time to surrender than when we are winning? The article cited above also includes a Youtube link so that you can see the end for yourself in the end makers own words. Sure. This is all old news for those of us who care. But it still ticks me off anyway. So I thought to myself,"Why not share the wealth?" Now I can be ticked off in good company. Enjoy.

Mr.Hooah!, out.

Seriously? Have any of these people actually read the Obama defense policy papers or speeches -- or are they simply going on what they hear on Fox News and the Limbaugh network?

And more to the point, why is the Army's official in-house public affairs shop linking to this kind of stuff? Just a few weeks ago, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told all hands to stay out of politics: "As the nation prepares to elect a new president, we would all do well to remember the promises we made: to obey civilian authority, to support and defend the Constitution and to do our duty at all times.... Keeping our politics private is a good first step." He added: "The only things we should be wearing on our sleeves are our military insignia."

more...

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/inteldump/2008/06/army_shows_its_colors.html

[provis99]

1. Mr. Hooah?

So much for that baloney the Army makes a "man" out of you. Personally, my impression is that the military makes a cheerleading man-child out of a person (and yes, they turn the female recruits into cheerleading man-children, too).

Hooah-phooah!

[roguevalley]

9. if they are active duty, smack their asses. we better get rid of the

idiots there that are christian mercenaries and other square heads. they have turned our army into something not so safe.

[OhioChick]

2. K&R

:kick:

[MadMaddie]

3. So how do we raise this issue so that people see the Military

is but just a pawn in the Republican war machine?

The military should not be doing this.

[babylonsister]

4. Maybe this is a case for Obama's 'fight the smear' website? nt

[MadMaddie]

6. Yep it's a prime candidate.....

[ProSense]

5. This is why this legislation introduced by Kerry and others is important

06/09/2008

Kerry, Menendez, Dorgan, Lautenberg Legislations Demands End to Wartime Propaganda

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sens. John Kerry, Bob Menendez, Byron Dorgan, and Frank Lautenberg today introduced legislation that will prohibit the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) from using appropriated funds for propaganda and will require the DoD Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to deliver reports to Congress within 90 days. The bill is a companion measure to Rep. Paul Hodes' (D-N.H.) amendment to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5658). In April, Sen. Kerry called for an investigation by the GAO into the DOD's covert effort to cultivate military analysts with distinguished service records to produce favorable press coverage of the Bush Administration's wartime policies. According to Media Matters, military analysts made 4,500 press appearances to produce systematic propaganda for the war.

"We're going to make sure the public money isn't used for propaganda campaigns that undermine the public trust," said Sen. Kerry. "With confidence in Washington at an all-time low, the American people should not have to wonder whether the purportedly non-partisan, expert analysis they see on television might have been shaped by a government propaganda campaign. The Administration should be focusing all of its efforts on making Americans safer and more secure, not misleading marketing campaigns to keep them in the dark or smother competing opinions and dissent during a misguided war."

"The decisions we make about war are often life or death decisions for American troops. They also have broad security implications. In the debate about war, facts and sober analysis should carry the day. There is no need for paid cheerleaders to support an argument," said Sen. Menendez.

"This Administration has a history of pushing propaganda on the American public. The American people expect our federal government to tell the nation the truth. Our bill would require the immediate investigation of this Administration's efforts to manipulate the news, and ensure that the public gets unbiased facts and analysis in the future," said Sen. Lautenberg.

"In a free and democratic society, our government should never use the public airwaves to propagandize our citizens," said Rep. Hodes. "Congress cannot allow an Administration to manipulate the public with false propaganda on matters of war and our national security. This legislation will ensure that no money authorized will be used for a propaganda program, and require a report to Congress by both the Defense Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office on whether previous restrictions on propaganda have been violated. It's time for the American people to finally know the truth."

Senate Bill Would Block Pentagon Propaganda

[Supersedeas]

7. they use the Justice Dept for political purposes, the NSA, why not the military too

[chill_wind]

8. Vote for McCain, then Mr. Hooah. And stay there until your grandchildren are married.

And then we can send THEM.

[Ilsa]

10. He won't last that long, unfortunately. He'll have bits and pieces

of himself blown off while he lives there believing the shit people like Bush, Cheney, and McCain feed him. But i am all for sending his kids and grandkids, and their kids if he persists.

[niceypoo]

11. Army public affairs office = pentagon = Bush hacks

Mystery solved