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Week of 11.3.06
Vets for CongressThis Week:
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Vets for Congress |
Transcript
Some 73 war veterans are running for Congress this election season, according to Veteran's Alliance for Security and Democracy, a political action committee. Their experience as veterans shapes not only their rhetoric, but their sincere motivations for either changing The Bush Administration's war strategy or maintaining it. To illustrate how veterans' backgrounds are informing their campaigns and how constituents, including fellow veterans, are responding, we profile two Texas candidates in separate races. One is a Democrat who served in the Air Force in the 1970s. The other is the only Republican candidate who's also an Iraq war veteran.About John Courage John Courage is one of the so-called "fighting Dems," one of over 60 veterans from around the country seeking higher office as a Democrat. Courage is running for Congress in the 21st district in Texas, which includes the city of San Antonio, a city known as 'military town U.S.A.' His opponent is Republican incumbent Lamar Smith. Courage, who believes U.S. forces should withdraw from Iraq as quickly as possible, hopes his military service will help him win. "Now is the time for Democrats, particularly veteran Democrats, to stand up and say, 'You know we're tired of being told we're unpatriotic as a Democratic party,'" Courage told NOW. And as we hear from two Vietnam vets campaigning for Courage, talking negatively about the Iraqi war in their district is seen by some as a taboo. Some vets fear being labeled a "traitor" if they do. Courage is battling against incumbent Republican Lamar Smith, who has been serving in the House of Representatives since 1987. About Van Taylor Van Taylor is a former Marine platoon leader running for Congress in the 17th district of Texas, right in the heart of "Bush country." Taylor is the only Iraq vet in the country running as a Republican. Taylor hopes his experience on the ground in Iraq will help him win the election in Bush's home district. "People here, by and large, understand what is at stake in Iraq. Nothing less than our survival as a nation, our freedom, our future," Taylor told NOW. He is looking to beat a popular conservative Democrat, Chet Edwards, who at this point is way ahead in the polls. As many Americans seem to be turning against staying the course in Iraq, Taylor is resolute: "If you walk away from Iraq, al-Qaeda is a dog that will follow you home... it will come here, and it will tear apart our life, our way of life," he said. Related Links: » NOW: Hit or Miss - Journalist Brian Palmer reports from the front lines of Anbar, the Iraqi province where roughly one third of at least 104 U.S. casualties in October were killed » NOW: Iraq War Coverage - View NOW reports on the war since it began in 2003 » NOW: Murder Amidst War: Interview with Paul Rieckhoff Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America: Congressional Rating Veteran's Alliance for Security and Democracy: List of Vets Running for Congress VoteVets.org |
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