CA-04: Ask an Iraqi War Veteran Who Supports the Troops? Certainly Not Doolittle.

by Charlie Brown for Congress
Tue Sep 05, 2006 at 12:49:43 PM PDT

Hawkish Members of Congress who never served one day in uniform (like my opponent John Doolittle) like to equate speaking out against the mistakes and missteps of this Administration on matters of national security with "not supporting the troops." Exhibit A is Doolittle's most recent column on the subject.

Like his "stay the course" colleagues, Doolittle's hopeless strategy here is to try and distract voters from his hypocritical record on the subject by smearing his opponents. Unfortunately, no amount of taxpayer funded campaign mailers will change the fact that he voted to send our troops to war in Iraq without a plan, proper equipment, or sound intelligence. It won't change the growing tensions in Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and elsewhere that have occurred under John Doolittle's watch. And it certainly won't change the fact that he had the second worst record in the entire House of Representatives on Veterans issues in the 109th Congress (per Disabled American Veterans).

I wasn't the only one who noticed. My son, an Iraqi War Veteran and Air Force Captain who co-piloted Doolittle from Baghdad to Tal-Afar back in February took exception to Doolittle's recent column while home a few weeks ago on leave. His response to Doolittle is below, from the Sept. 5th edition of the Roseville Press-Tribune.

DOOLITTLE KNOWS VERY LITTLE ABOUT "SUPPORTING THE TROOPS"

I read Congressmen Doolittle's recent Op-Ed ("Support Our Troops, Don't Exploit Them") while home from duty overseas. As an Iraq War veteran, I found his claims of support for our military men and women, and his comments about Charlie Brown infuriating.

Doolittle suggests that if you do not agree with the political decision to go to war, then you do not support the troops. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I've traveled all over this country, and met people both for and against the war. Regardless of which side they fall on, everyone I meet supports the warriors. Many send care packages, body armor and helmets. Others advocate for veterans rights or volunteer to help homeless veterans and families coping with the absence of a loved one. Actions speak louder than words.

Career politicians like Doolittle say they support us, because that's all they can do. Yet their voting records, official actions, and appalling misuse of taxpayer dollars tell a very different story. Veterans, both past and present, are not fooled by the empty rhetoric.

How many vehicle armor plates could "fiscally conservative" Doolittle have bought with the taxpayer money he wasted sending out campaign mailers in August? How many sets of body armor could have been bought with his $1,000 per month taxpayer subsidized car lease? Why did Doolittle vote to allow more than $400 million in VA funding to be cut from a recent appropriations bill so that $700 million could be spent to move railroad tracks closer to casinos in Mississippi? And, would someone who "supports the troops" blow off a vote on VA benefits to attend a fundraiser with VP Cheney? Was it because he pocketed 15% from the event?

If John Doolittle really "supports the troops," why won't he give the dirty money that he's taken from convicted felons to one of the many charities that serve veterans in need? He can't possibly need the money--he already earns more than 4 times as much as the average soldier in Iraq.

Perhaps if Doolittle didn't get all those military deferments, he would understand what it's like to serve, and what soldiers see. Perhaps then, he could tell the difference between giving troops lip service and truly supporting them.

That's why I couldn't be prouder of my father Charlie Brown. He's dedicated his life to defending America, leading with honor, and standing up for veterans.

Doolittle's column is as disingenuous as his recent trip to Iraq---desperate attempts to distract the public from a record not worth running on, and growing scrutiny of his possible criminal acts.

Sorry Mr. Doolittle, but-when it comes to "supporting the troops," Charlie Brown is way out of your league.

-Jeff Brown, Ramstein AB, Germany"

Near the close of my 26 year Air Force career, I served two rotations coordinating surveillance flights over Iraq's "No Fly Zones" (mid 1990's). I attended the General's briefings every morning, spoke with intelligence officers, and we regularly discussed what we would target if we went to war with Iraq the next day. As I've reported on many occasions, no one was worried about WMD during those times, because we knew those programs had been shut down.

Accordingly, I spoke out early and often against the false assertions used to justify the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. Now that we are there, I've consistently called for a timetable for re-deploying our troops elsewhere, turning over authority to Iraqis, and reducing the suspicion of occupation that is fueling insurgent violence and civil war. And, I support an immediate end to the "make it up as we go along" security strategy that has so dangerously isolated our country from the allies around the world that are needed to win a Global War on Terror. Most importantly, I recognize that when it comes to keeping our promise to veterans, the true measure of leadership is performance--not empty rhetoric. And the only acceptable result is "no one left behind."

Only 63 days left until election day. It's well past time for a change.

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- Charlie