By Mike Allen, Politico.com
DENVER
The conservative group Vets for Freedom is launching a $1.1 million ad buy during the Democratic National Convention, using video of Iraq war veterans to take Barack Obama to task for not giving the surge policy sufficient credit for improvement in battleground conditions.
The 30-second spot, called “I Am the Surge,” features three Iraq war veterans who served in the surge of U.S. military forces into Iraq: Gabriel Herrera, David Thul and Travis Quinlan.
The ad will run in Denver and Minnesota during the conventions, and for the next four weeks in the swing states of Ohio, Michigan, Virginia and Colorado.
Vets for Freedom Chairman Pete Hegseth, a decorated former Army infantry platoon leader in Baghdad, said in a statement: “Vets for Freedom will not stand by and let the incredible progress of our troops go unnoticed by the American public and lawmakers from either side of the aisle.
Hegseth is at the convention to tell lawmakers, delegates and the press about his observation during a recent return to Iraq.
“It is essential that our top legislators — regardless of party — understand the importance of victory in Iraq, the consequences of defeat and the success of the surge,” Hegseth said. “Sen. Obama has said that he would still oppose the surge if given another opportunity and has pointed to every outside factor but the surge to explain improvements in Iraq. We hope he will listen to the veterans who have served there and support this important resolution for the sake of the troops.”
The group describes itself as a nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and as the largest Iraq and Afghanistan veterans organization in America.
Below is the text of the ad (watch it here):
Herrera: I am a sergeant …
Thul: U.S. Army staff sergeant …
Quinlan: Combat infantryman …
Herrera: And I am …
Thul: I am …
Quinlan: And I am the surge.
Herrera: Sen. Barack Obama credits the improvements in Iraq to anything but the surge …
Quinlan: But I know the surge worked. I was there … I saw Al Qaeda decimated.
Thul: And watched the Iraqi government grow stronger …
Herrera: Sens. Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham have introduced a resolution.
Thul: Recognizing the success of the surge …
Herrera: So call Sen. Obama, and tell him to support our success by supporting Senate Resolution 636.
Thul: Vets for Freedom is responsible for the content of this advertising.
The Virginian-Pilot is a member of the Politico Network.
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Yeah, right, keep on singing that song...you're losing!
"Obama's proabable victory, based on the pledge to withdraw the troops, has done more to get the Iraqi's to start to fix their country than the surge." If Obama's probable victory can do that, then his "probable" victory should also immediately have these impacts: Russia withdraws from Georgia and makes full restitution, apologizes to the World and promises never to do anything like that again; Iran stops its nuclear weapons program; Darfur genocide ends immediately; all Arabs and Persians and Israelis instantly love and embrace each other in the spirit of peace and territorial differences are settled peacefully; finally, dogs and cats stop fighting and gasoline prices drop to 50-cents per gallon. Give us a break, people!!!
credit for the surge
Obama's proabable victory, based on the pledge to withdraw the troops, has done more to get the Iraqi's to start to fix their country than the surge. The real surge was the number of Iraqi's payed off to stop the fighting.
Military supports Obama
The records show that Obama is raising more money from the military than McCain. Maybe they want to come home from Iraq.
What affects levels of violence
The 2006 Sunni Awakening started well before the 2007 surge.
We are PAYING Sunnis (formerly 'insurgents') to play nice.
There are now 25+ miles of 12+ ft high blast walls separating Sunni/Shia slums. Feel the reconcilliation.
Baghdad has 2 million refuges in country of 4+ million refugees, hundreds of thousands have been killed.
Baghdad went from 65% Sunni to 75% Shia, all during a civil war that we could not stop. Once the realignment neared completion, less ethnic killing reqd.
Scant political reconcilliation. The reBaath law that the admin slobbered over had the opposite affect. No oil sharing plan. Ongoing Sunni/Shia fighting.
We hemorage $10 billion a month in Iraq, and have left Afghanistan to fester.
So call Sen. Obama
SEMPER FI'