Jim Webb Wrote Truth About Vietnam and Spoke Truth About Iraq.

If the Good Lord gave me one wish for this election year it would be that Jim Webb be elected to the United States Senate, that the Democratic Party have more leaders like him, that the neoconservatives enchanted by the idea of new wars they send others to fight would read his books, and that the liberal blogs would do far more to reach out to military families and military communities.

For those who wonder, this post will be read by some high level Democratic Leaders in Washington and by many in military families.

This is written for them and for security moms, soccer moms, political independents and others honorably trying to do the right thing in the upcoming election, who find themselves swarmed by television ads of venom, hate and slander that do not address the things they care about most deeply.

Because the smear attack against Jim Webb is aimed at women by those who never served in our military, by those who not have their daughters or sons wearing our uniform in the line of fire, I would offer the following thought:

Every Mom, every Dad, should have great faith that Jim Webb will protect their sons and daughters when the next decision about whether to wage war is made in Washington, as he would have, far better than almost any Democrat or Republican, when the last decision was made, had he been in the Senate at that time, and warned against this war in Iraq even before it began.

Jim Webb has received extraordinary praise even from his opponents for his extraordinary heroism leading those under his command in the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam. Like most true American heroes, Jim Webb does not praise himself for being awarded medals and honors for bravery and valor in service that would make every American proud of him.

Jim Webb has served brilliantly at a high level in the Department of Defense and as Secretary of the Navy, and within hours of his election and swearing in, would be one of the most respected, wise and influential members of the Senate.

Moms and Dads would be well served with Jim Webb in the room when the decisions of war are being made. Their sons and daughters in uniform would be well served with Jim Webb in the room when the next Congress, awash in pork barrel spending and campaign money from lobbyists, makes the big decisions about whether to give our troops body armor, fair pay and better health care.

And now, the Jim Webb books. Given the opportunity the cheap shot artists of the Republican Congress would find every way to demean anything. Given the opportunity the Democratic consultants would find some way to make tons of money for themselves, using the occasion to make more new negative television ads. Given the opportunity, our Democratic Leaders would seek some poll tested, focus grouped, slogans that would miss an opportunity to speak to the heart of the matter, and say something important and memorable that addresses the deep concerns in the hearts of the American people.

JIm Webb's writings have been praised by John McCain, and by the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, who has recommended Webb's words to our young troops, risking their lives in service.

In my opinion, the truth is, Jim Webb's writings about Vietnam are almost as important as the medals he was awarded in war, and the service he gave to our military in government.

Jim Webb returned from Vietnam determined to tell his story, his way, and to the tell the story of the Corps, of the miitary, of the men and women who stood with him in the face of real bullets and real bombs in a real war in Vietnam, in which our government did our troops little service, in which our goverment told our people little truth, in which brave men and women died in large measure because of failures in Washington.

Sound familiar?

Jim Webb returned from Vietnam with a passion and eloquence for truth about war, with an intense drive to let the broader world at home know the way it really was.

Jim Webb returned from Vietnam with a determination and passion to tell the story of the heroism of those who fought those battles, those with names that now rest proudly on that Wall within sight of the White House, those who pay a price with trauma that continues today and those who live on grates as our homeless heroes, neglected by a society that does not give enough of a damn, considering how much they gave us, and how high a price they paid.

Jim Webb's writings about Vietnam are brave, hard, true, inspiring, depressing, outraging, lifting, eloquent, sad, disgusting, courageous, noble, brilliant, sickening, educating, ugly and honorable because they speak truth to power. They speak truth to the powerless. They speak truth of war. They speak truth to our troops and about our troops. Above all, they speak truth to us and about us, when we send our sons and our daughters to war, but do not do our duty at home.

Every American should find their way to that Wall in Washington and salute every one of them. If you visit the Wall during the Christmas Season there will be boxes where you can write them your notes, send them your prayers, give them your cards, as though they will actually read them, which in some unfathomable way I believe they will.

Every American, pro and con the war in Iraq, should fully appreciate the magnitude of bravery and heroism of those who serve in Iraq, and fully appreciate the magnitude of our obligation to them and whether our country should allow a war where 1% bears all the burden and 99% stands mostly on the side.

Jim Webb writes truth, and we need more truth in American politics today.

To George W. Bush and George Allen, if you dont like Jim Webb's books that means you dont like the reality of war, and perhaps should you think a little bit harder the next time you seek wars, which others will fight.

To moms and dads, sons and daughters, if you cringe at some of the words he writes, those words are hard, those words are true, and those words are aimed with a passion and conviction, with a character and honor, aimed at preventing others from paying the price caused by those who pretend war is easy, and send others to die in wars they know little about.

We live in a world of sanitized war, where our war looks ugly on screen, but we at home do not come close to fully appreciating the ugly brutality of what war really is, compared to what our men and women in uniform see every hour, of every day.

We live in a world where our President is reluctant be publicly seen at military funerals, because his numbers may go down in the polls, and our opposition after four hard years is barely coherent about the war that defines our times.

We live in a world with troops who are among the greatest heroes who ever walked our land while our politicians lack the moral integrity and honor to even supply them what they need, while they dine with lobbyists and promise tax cuts, our people listen to IPOD's and speculate about housing bubbles, while our troops give their lives and lose their limbs for wars we send them to fight between our episodes of celebrity dance. and haughty pundits blowing insider wind on shallow television, between negative attack ads, produced by millionaire consultants.

Before this war was ever waged, while our reporters dined in fancy restaurants and published spoon fed fraud from partisans and ideologues, Jim Webb warned us, and said no. This is wrong. This will be disaster.

Before this war was ever waged, when the vision of wedge politics war was a gleam in Karl Rove's eyes, Jim Webb said no, this is wrong. This will be disaster.

Before this war was ever waged, when the Democratic insiders in Washington held their fundraisers for Democratic leaders in fancy houses in Georgetown, and told them to hedge their bets and support this war, Jim Webb said no. This is wrong. This will be disaster.

To moms and dads, sons and daughters, grandmas and grandpas, concerned about the men and women who serve so bravely, I dont make many promises about politicians but I will promise you this:

From the moment that Jim Webb first walks the Floor of the United States Senate:

There will be a man of courage and conviction speaking with a voice of clarity and experience who knows what wars should be avoided, when wars should be pursued, how wars should be fought and what policies will best manage a successful exit.

There will be a man who knows what war really is, who will fight like a Lion to get our troops every single thing they need to survive and prevail. Jim Webb will fight like a Lion because this is in his heart, in his soul, in his character, in his spirit on behalf of his son who serves in Iraq today. On behalf of the son and daughter of every Mom and Dad. On behalf of his friends and his memories, and his respect and his honor, for all who fought with him in Vietnam.

There will be a man who has stood with his band of brothers and sisters in the crucible of combat, who will fight like a warrior for better heath care and benefits for our troops and our vets, and who fight like a warrior against anyone who tries to charge heroic troops Mafia-like interest rates more worthy of the The Godfather than those who sing God Bless America.

I have seen many of these guys come and go over many years in this Capital of our country which is not what it once was, and not what it can be, and I can only say this:

I would march behind this guy into a hellfire of bullets or hearings in the Halls of Congress, and would urge everyone who reads these words to go to Jim Webb for Senate, and put this good, honorable, brave, courageous and wise man into a government that desperately needs men and women of his character, knowledge, integrity and strength.