American Legion calls on Cong. Rangel to apologize

[TayTay]

American Legion to Congressman Rangel: Apologize Now

WASHINGTON, November 27, 2006 - The National Commander of The American Legion called on Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) to apologize for suggesting that American troops would not choose to fight in Iraq if they had other employment options.

“Our military is the most skilled, best-trained all-volunteer force on the planet,” said National Commander Paul A. Morin. “Like that recently espoused by Sen. John Kerry, Congressman Rangel’s view of our troops couldn’t be further from the truth and is possibly skewed by his political opposition to the war in Iraq.”

According to Rangel, “If a young fellow has an option of having a decent career, or joining the Army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq. If there’s anyone who believes these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No bright young individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of some educational benefits,” Rangel said.

Rangel was responding to a question during an interview yesterday on Fox News Sunday about a recent study by the Heritage Foundation which found that those enlisting in the military tend to be better educated than the general public and that military recruiting seems to be more successful in middle-class and wealthy neighborhoods than in poor ones.

http://www.legion.org/?section=pub_relations&subsection=pr_listreleases&content=pr_listreleases

Previously, the American Legion had called on Sen. John Kerry to apologize for a botched joke the Senator made back before the Nov 7th elections.

The National Commander of The American Legion called on Sen. John Kerry to apologize for suggesting that American troops in Iraq are uneducated.

“As a constituent of Senator Kerry’s I am disappointed. As leader of The American Legion, I am outraged,” said National Commander Paul A. Morin. “A generation ago, Sen. Kerry slandered his comrades in Vietnam by saying that they were rapists and murderers. It wasn’t true then and his warped view of today’s heroes isn’t true now.”

When the American Legion accepted Sen. Kerry's apology in a subsequent press release, they called on him to "use this opportunity to join with his colleagues in both houses to pass a GI Bill that gives members of the National Guard and Reserves educational benefits equal to those received by their regular Army counterparts."

Sen. Kerry has sponsored a bill to address increasing the educational benefits for Active Duty veterans which he submitted to the Veterans Affairs Committee of the Senate in Dec of 2005. The bill, which has no co-sponsors currently, was not acted upon by the Republican Senate in 2006. The text of this legislation is at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.2163.IS:

There is a bill in the House that addresses the educaitonal benefits of National Guardsmen that was introduced in Feb of 2005, but it has been languishing in the Republican-dominated Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity since April of 2005. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.772.IH: Among the co-sponsers is: Rep Rangel, Charles B. - 2/15/2005

[YDogg]

1. "a recent study by the Heritage Foundation"

oh, please.

[Robbien]

2. What tools these American Legion people are!

and Rangel would be an even bigger one if he paid one bit of attention to them.

[TayTay]

5. A agree

But look at what the American Legion says is their priority: Getting educational benefits for troops increased.

Both of the Democrats they have said insulted the troops have written or co-sponsored bills to increase educational benefits and expand the definition of who qualifies for those benefits. This given the lie to what the American Legion President is saying in the first place.

These calls for apology are not because the troops were insulted. Both Democrats have worked for the troops. Calls for apology are issued because the current Legion doesn't like the political agenda of the speakers. This shows it, in print and on the record.

[Robbien]

9. Yes. The calls for apology stem from sources other than

the American Legion mission statement.

This is just the right wing conservatives putting their money to work by buying themselves a nice American Legion mouthpiece.

[BlueManDude]

12. They seem to be functioning as a GOP front group at this point.

[izzie]

3. I some what see their point. Many of the people in service like it

It is a way of life many really like as I have lived in the Middle of that life for many years. My own husband hated to leave and retire yet money was far better on the our side. It is a true sub-culture and many women also feel good in it and that life. So it is not just for the lack of jobs and what I usually knew is men who made it their life work. Even with a draft their were men who still did the service for 20 to 30 years and missed it after they left. That the service will pay for your education has to be a come on to many. Few years for a education has got to seem pretty good. Their are also boys/men who like the art of war and what it means also.

[wtmusic]

6. Rangel was referring specifically to Iraq

That is what Morin is missing here. Rangel isn't dissing military service; he's just pointing out the rude reality of what it has become.

[Robbien]

11. Rangel said the troops are too smart to go to Iraq, but the idiot leaders

keep stupidily putting the troops in harm's way.

But the Right Wing is pushing hard to frame it the way you see it. If you see their point, then you are falling hard for the right wing framing.

[javelina]

15. I don't think he should "apologize"

but I do think that he's wrong. There are a lot of very well-educated people serving in our military (myself included). I think most still join the military out of a sense of duty, not out of a sense of despair about lack of jobs. I don't find what he said offensive, and can't fathom why someone would be offended by it. But I do think that he's just simply wrong.

[izzie]

18. My point and I am with you. All types go in so their is no clear thing

on this. I have met every type in the years my husband was in. I did go back on my thinking of the draft. I hated it then wanted it. I think the citizen army is what our 'founders' wanted and it does make people see what is going on and some value in endless wars if that is the way we are going to go. I guess that slowing up the endless wars is what I want the most. Congress some how has turned off their rights for us to have them do 'war'.

[wtmusic]

4. key words: "just because of a bonus"

It was never about honor, and now it's not even about money.

[TayTay]

8. Agreed.

It's about the this Legion Commander seeing what he wants to see, no matter what the facts are.

[wisteria]

17. I contacted them and provided them with proof of

Senator Kerry's support for our troops, voting record and all and I called them on the fact that they were criticizing a fellow veteran without even knowing the full facts or checking the statement that actually was made. The actions of the American legion appalled me. My father is a veteran and we were always involved in the American Legion. I was shocked to find them so partisan. It is blatant partisanship.
It is sad to me that they are willing to sell out their good reputation for politics.

[niceypoo]

7. The military does attract true patriots but it is also a way out for misfits and ne'er do wells

It has always been that way. People without options join the military. It used to be the thing to join the french foreign legion. For decades the military was advertised as a way to get money for college and learn a skill. Americans have a utopiast view of people in the military. When I was a teenager I lived by a military base, the soldiers used to go to the lake by my house and drink. We partied with them day and night in the summer. They were good guys for the most part but they just wanted to do their time and get out. For most of them it was a way to kick start their lives. They were far from, "Americas Best and brightest". They were just trying to get ahead.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlueStater]

13. Is this guy deliberately lying or is he just stupid?

“Our military is the most skilled, best-trained all-volunteer force on the planet,” said National Commander Paul A. Morin. “Like that recently espoused by Sen. John Kerry, Congressman Rangel’s view of our troops couldn’t be further from the truth and is possibly skewed by his political opposition to the war in Iraq.”

Ugh. :puke: :argh: :grr: :banghead:

[Robbien]

14. Appears the RNC has this Paul Morin on speed dial

:shrug:

[Bitwit1234]

16. Did you spell his name correctly

Is that guy's name spelled Moran instead of Morin. He sounds like a bush butt kisser to me. How do these type of people get elected to any office.