VoteVets.org

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VoteVets.org
Motto	Support the troops, send them to Congress!
Formation	2006
Type	(PAC) and non-profit 501(c)(4)
Membership	20,000
Website	www.VoteVets.org

VoteVets.org has both a political action committee (PAC) and non-profit 501(c)(4). It was co-founded in 2006 by Jon Soltz and Jeremy Broussard. Initially composed of United States Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, the organization views defense policy as an American priority. The stated goal of the PAC is to put in Congress Afghanistan or Iraq war veterans who are critical of the execution of the war in Iraq. According to VoteVets.org, the goal of the 501(c)(4) is to educate the American public on the war and military issues, and hold politicians accountable. In February 2007, The Washington Post reported that VoteVets.org had grown to 20,000 members, including 1,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[1]

Contents 1 VoteVets.org PAC in the 2006 Elections 2 VoteVets.org Action Fund 3 General John Batiste video 4 Board of Advisors 5 See also 5.1 Views on 2nd United States-Iraq War 5.2 Other U.S. Veterans' organizations 6 External links 7 References

[edit] VoteVets.org PAC in the 2006 Elections

During the United States 2006 election cycle, VoteVets.org PAC spent between $1.2 and $2 million (sources differ) trying to influence the outcomes of various congressional races. ^{[2] [3]} Senators targeted by the VoteVets' campaign for their support of the Iraq War include: George Allen, Rick Santorum, Conrad Burns, and Jim Talent.^[3] For each congressional campaign, they released a television advertisement criticizing the (now former) senators for their vote against body armor for US troops in 2003.^[4] VoteVets claim was based, in part, on the Republican senators' vote against an amendment offered ^[5] by Democratic Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, in 2003, to boost National Guard and Reserves equipment funding by $1 billion. ^[6] The group FactCheck.org (a self-described non-partisan project of the Annenberg Center at the University of Pennsylvania) stated that the ad was misleading because the 2003 Senate budget amendment (on which the criticism was based) made no specific reference to "body armor". ^[7] However, a self-described progressive watchdog group, Media Matters for America, repeatedly pointed out what it said were "misleading" statements about the ads by FactCheck.org.^{[8] [9] [10] [11]}

The group also ran ads targeting now-former Representatives Melissa Hart, Gil Gutknecht, John Sweeney, as well as Reps. John Doolittle and Jon Porter. In that ad, an Iraq veteran, Tomas Young, who was paralyzed in Iraq, criticized the members of Congress for voting against increases in funding for veterans’ health care, while, in some cases, voting themselves a pay raise.

The group also made a number of contributions to candidates, but only to those candidates who served during the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. In 2006, out of all the Iraq or Afghanistan veterans running for Congress, VoteVets.org supported all but one of them, who declined their endorsement (Van Taylor, Republican in Texas). Those endorsed candidates were: Patrick Murphy (D-PA), Joe Sestak (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sam Schultz (R-IN), Andrew Duck (D-MD), and David Harris (D-TX). The group also supported Tim Walz (D-MN), and Chris Carney (D-PA). Murphy, Sestak, Walz, and Carney were all elected to Congress, and VoteVets.org’s site indicates they have been endorsed for their 2008 reelection

[edit] VoteVets.org Action Fund

VoteVets.org Action Fund, the group’s non-profit wing, has also been active in the paid airwaves. The first ad generated by the action fund was an ad critical of then-Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman, for “failing to ask the tough questions” on the war, as the group said. The group ran a newspaper ad and radio ad, featuring Jeremy Broussard, in Connecticut. The Action Fund also commissioned a 2006 poll, conducted by pollster Celinda Lake, of troops who had returned from Iraq. That poll found many troops did not feel they were given what they needed to succeed in Iraq, and even more had faced medical, mental, and financial hardship when they returned home. The action fund ran a television ad that gained national prominence titled, “Because of Iraq.” That ad was notable because it included the image of another television ad, featuring Osama bin Laden, produced by the Republican National Committee, commonly referred to as the “ticking time bomb” ad. The ad from VoteVets begins with a series of veterans of the war explaining what they felt was a negative impact of the war in Iraq. For example, one veteran said, “Because of Iraq, there are more terrorists in the world.” At the end of the VoteVets ad, General Wesley Clark says, “So if you see commercials telling you to be afraid of terrorism, remember: It’s because of Iraq.” In a series of ads that may have received the most attention for the group, VoteVets.org presented three generals, two of whom were commanders on the ground in Iraq, who became critical of President Bush’s execution of the war. Those were Major General (ret.) John Batiste, Major General (ret.) Paul Eaton, and General Wesley Clark. Major General Batiste had commanded the First Infantry Division in Iraq, and Major General Eaton had been the first to be in command of rebuilding Iraqi Defense Forces after the fall of the Saddam regime. Those ads ran in the districts of Congressmen and Senators that the group felt were ready to abandon the President on the war. In fact, four targets of the ad were part of the so-called “gang of eleven” Republicans who went to the White House to complain to President Bush about the war, right after the ad aired. Though some claimed the targets of the ad were “vulnerable Republicans,” some of the targets, including Reps. Fred Upton and Mike Rogers, have easily won reelection in the past, and are considered “safe” seats.

[edit] General John Batiste video

In May 2007, retired Major General John Batiste appeared in a political video for VoteVets.org. ^[12] As part of a $500,000 campaign, variations of the video were shown in a number of congressional districts and also included two other retired generals: Paul D. Eaton and Wesley K. Clark. ^[13] Batiste had been an Iraq War news consultant for CBS News. However, following his appearance in the video, CBS stated that appearing in the advertisement violated their contract, and Batiste was asked to "vacate his position." ^[14]

[edit] Board of Advisors

As of June 2007 from the VoteVets.org website.

• Jon Soltz, Co-Founder and Chairman
• Richard Beattie
• Bill Belding
• General Wesley K. Clark (ret.)
• Tammy Duckworth
• Major General Paul D. Eaton (ret.)
• Leslie H. Gelb
• Paul Hackett
• Elaine Kamarck
• Bob Kerrey
• Lawrence Korb
• William E. Little
• Lawrence E. Penn III
• Edward Vick

[edit] See also

[edit] Views on 2nd United States-Iraq War

• Opposition to the Iraq War - Article about opposition (from outside Iraq) to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the Iraq War in general.
• Views on the 2003 invasion of Iraq - Article containing links to several topics relating to views on the invasion, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq.
• Iraq: Opposing Viewpoints - A book in the Opposing Viewpoints series, presenting selections of contrasting viewpoints on four central questions about the Iraq War and its aftermath.

[edit] Other U.S. Veterans' organizations

• Veterans for Peace - American organization founded in 1985 consisting of combat and peacetime veterans who work to promote alternatives to war.
• American Legion - A large organization of veterans of the United States armed forces who served in wartime. The American Legion was founded in 1919 by veterans returning from Europe after World War I.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars - Originally formed in 1914 by merging two existing veterans organizations, the VFW is composed of combat veterans of the United States armed forces who served in wartime.

[edit] External links

VoteVets.org Homepage

VoteVets.org MySpace Page

VoteVets.org YouTube Page

[edit] References

1. ^ Layton, Lyndsey; Jonathan Weisman. "Veterans Group Speaks Out on War", The Washington Post, February 8, 2007.  Accessed via Lexis Nexis.
2. ^ Horrigan, Marie. "New Mexico Rep. Wilson’s Foes Seek to Keep Her on Defensive Over Iraq", The New York Times, May 11, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Gray, Geoffrey. "Swift-Boat Revenge; How one New Yorker beat Republicans at the attack-ad game.", New York Magazine, November 20, 2006.  Accessed via Lexis Nexis.
4. ^ YouTube Vote Vets PAC television advertisement against George Allen.
5. ^ (No Author). "HOW THEY VOTED", The San Diego Union-Tribune, States News Service, April 6, 2003.  Accessed via Lexis Nexis.
6. ^ Lewis, Bob. "Veterans' group to air ad attacking Allen", The Associated Press State & Local Wire, September 13, 2006.  Accessed via Lexis Nexis.
7. ^ Rotstein, Gary. "Vets Group's Attack Ads Targeted GOP", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania), November 20, 2006.  Accessed via Lexis Nexis.
8. ^ "AP advanced FactCheck.org's misleading criticism of Vote Vets ad targeting Allen". Media Matters for America (September 22, 2006).
9. ^ "In defense of Allen, Cal Thomas cited FactCheck.org's already-debunked criticism of Vote Vets ad". Media Matters for America (September 28, 2006).
10. ^ "Media Still Using Debunked FactCheck.org Analysis to Discredit VoteVets Ad in Senate Contests". Media Matters for America (September 28, 2006).
11. ^ "Still criticizing Vote Vets ad, FactCheck.org's Jackson falsely claimed, "There has never been a vote on body armour"". Media Matters for America (September 30, 2006).
12. ^ "Ret. Generals' Ads Protest Bush Iraq Plan", CBS News, May 10, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-12. 
13. ^ SHANKER, THOM. "Army Career Behind Him, General Speaks Out on Iraq", The New York Times, May 13, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-13. 
14. ^ Brian Montopoli (2007-05-11). CBS News Asks Batiste To Step Down As Consultant. CBS News. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.