Anyone who comes to Huffington Post has seen that the bloggers here have been the first to stand up and defend veterans from Admiral Sestak to Tammy Duckworth when they've been slandered. It should be a source of pride and testimony to how the blogosphere can get the truth out and deny lies a sliver of daylight.
But I need to tell you about a bigger effort that many here at Huffington Post have been working on very hard these last few weeks - and could use all of our help with from now to November 7th.
The Patriot Project has an incredibly important and concise mission. "Freedom of speech and the right to dissent are cornerstones of our democracy. The Patriot Project will defend any man or woman, regardless of party or affiliation, who is attacked or defamed and whose patriotism is questioned simply because they exercise their rights as Americans. This is our mission."
That's pretty damn fundamental in itself to who we are. But there's a human face behind it. The fight is intensely personal to me. Veterans are running for office all over our country. A lot of them got interested in politics as part of my campaign, and some got involved in Wes Clark's race. Some of us had disagreements for thirty five years -- like me and Jim Webb, we didn't see eye to eye over the war we fought in. But no matter where we came from, something much bigger now brings us together -- we're all a band of brothers now. When I got off the phone with Patrick Murphy after the chickenshit attacks on his military record, something felt awfully familiar and it got me pissed off. I care about these men and women. They've got guts and they've got brains and they've got heart and I'm telling you they will change the character of this pathetic Congress, and I'm boiling mad watching people who didn't serve attack those who did because they can't win a debate on the merits.
But we need to take our anger and put it somewhere constructive - and the folks at Patriot Project have a very smart way of doing exactly that. They've been exposing front group after front group that have popped up this year just as they did in 2004, and they've been kicking the enemy right in the teeth.
From Bob Perry's Economic Freedom Fund to "Vets For Truth" which has been attacking a once and forever Marine Jack Murtha, The Patriot Project has been fighting back. And fighting back hard.
Yesterday, I had the chance to send out an email on behalf of The Patriot Project, asking people to help do whatever they can to support their mission.
But if there's one thing I've learned in politics, it's that you need to ask and ask and ask again. I'm asking again here today. Please visit www.patriotproject.com. Learn more about what they're doing and where they're planning on fighting these final weeks. With our help, they will be out there from California to Pennsylvania and everywhere in between.
It's up to all of us to say enough is enough. Stop the swift-boating. Stop the push-polling. Stop the front groups that are created with single $5,000,000 donations from Texas tycoons.
Nitpick the campaign I ran all you want, question the tactics, I can take it -- but above all the small criticisms, I know that I lost to two lies backed up by big money: a lie about Iraq and a lie about my military record. Pundits can feast on the little details, I'm busy this year making sure that no veteran loses to a lie in 2006.
Stand up for the truth by supporting The Patriot Project.