We Need Sestak (and More Vets) in the Senate
Last week, Congressman Joe Sestak jumped into the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Today, the over 105,000 veterans and civilian supporters at VoteVets.org are endorsing him.
Why?
As much as some may think it has everything to do with Arlen Specter, it doesn't. It's about the values that war veterans learn, that they operate under, and that they carry with them after military life. It's about why we need those values in government, now more than ever. By this, I mean there are two key things that war veterans know almost better than anyone else.
First and foremost -- the overriding goal of having a military is not having to use it. Those who have seen the horrors of war up close understand this better than anyone else. When we undertake military action, we will lose American lives. We will see other lives scarred and maimed -- physically and mentally -- forever. It's for that reason that military veterans often explore every possible option, and strongly urge others to, before committing to military action. That's good not just for our men and women in uniform, but also for America.
And yet, there's so few left in the Senate who know this first-hand. There are only three combat vets left. Senators Kerry, Webb, and McCain. That's it. And, though their service was heroic, it was during Vietnam, not the wars of the 21st century. Perhaps that's a product of so few fighting these wars -- just a fraction of a percent of the American population. But it makes the perspective of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans no less important to have in the Senate.
Secondly, the military operates under a very simple premise -- that the body itself cannot survive unless everyone takes care of everyone, and no one is left behind. Shock of shocks, that's a pretty progressive sounding thing. And, in fact, it is.
It's a principle that most veterans carry with them long after they leave the service. If the soldiers or Marines on the ground in Iraq or Afghanistan operated under "every man for himself" or "screw you, I got mine" as their code, we wouldn't last very long.
Joe Sestak, especially, has a strong understanding of that, having risen up to the rank of Admiral in the Navy, where he had a large number of men and ships under his command. He applies that principle to major decisions he's had to make in Congress, and will carry that on to the Senate. And, it's not a principle from which he will waver, or toss away due to politics.
In the end, it's not just pushing for more recent veterans in House and Senate just because they're veterans. It's about what they've carried home with them in their heads and hearts. It's about bringing to Congress the same integrity, honor, and hard work with which veterans served America while in the military.
I think we all agree that Capitol Hill could use a bit more of that.
Follow Jon Soltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jonsoltz
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We do need more vets but also I believe we need to clean house in Congress. Things are not as they should be not only in Congress but in the media when lies and hatred racist hatred is allowed to run rampant in the "town halls" across our country to the point pharma and insurance companies and lobbyist rule instead of the citizens the Congress is supposed to represent. Many of our vets and active duty are not being represented as well as our whole country right now and there must be stronger voices speaking for everyone but for sure the military. Too many holes in the fabric that we believe is the Constitution or is it that the few have hijacked what is supposed to be to help us all. The lies being allowed to be screamed into the ears of the misinformed as well as the lazy people are drowning out what needs to said about the military and vets across the board. How can anything be heard right now? We must elect those who will stand up and be heard.
Jon, I appreciate your perspective and your blogs. They do add credible insight to some matters. However, I don't think the military even comes close to being a democracy and I think that vets pretty much have the same values as civilian citizens. Maybe not the greedy bufoons in Congress..
I'm with you on this.
That is only true if they haven't been turned into card carrying Republican Conservatives, but the military is pretty successful in turning thinking individuals into robots. The statistics even point up to that fact. Unless a former soldier, sailor, airman or marine has a mind of his or her own and can separate themselves from the hard core thinking of the military after they get out then they will in all likelihood become a Republican.
I saw Sestak on either Chris Mathews or The Ed Show last night and liked what I saw.
he fully supports Public Option and handled the attacks from Specter graciously when Specter accused him of being AWOL and should be court-marshalled (or something to that effect).
it's time for new ideas, new vigor and vitality and new leadership.
it's time for Arlen to pass the battan and retire...d
Its about time. Maybe we need to start replacing all those do nothing, care only about myself, greedy politicians that are suppose to be representing our best interest.
Jon, you ask for support in so many areas of which I have backed. I as a 100 % disabled vet have been waiting over 2 1/2 years for a dental appointment at the VA. I requested to see a doctor on May 1 of this year for my service connected injuries at the VA and still nothing. Our compensation is underpaid by 25% and has not been touched since the forties. My question to you is when will you and others like you who have the public ear make a stand on issues that are needed now for so many of us. I'm not a throw away veteran and to tell you the truth I'm tired of being treated as such.
I understand where you are coming from. I'm lucky that I've had much better treatment at my VA. I pray that things change for you.
Mr. Soltz,
I've followed your posts with some regularity. This is another good one. Thank you.
Sestak was on Colbert just the other night and he came across fantastic. He also made mention of the idea that the military as a collective unit philosophy is inherently democratic. Articulated it with skill and passion. I like the way you expanded upon that theme. You have a very distinct voice in your writing.
And i applaud your skillfully taking the focus off his rival, but in addition to all positives you point out about Sestak, i respectfully venture to say that is very much about giving Ol Arlen the boot.
Go Sestak. I would vote for him if I lived in Penn.
I like what I hear from Sestak, but I don't remember the military being a bastion of democracy. In fact I was constantly told that "This Ain't No Democracy". So I wonder about any high level military person being in any place of leadership, especially when their former superiors are still calling the shots in the military.
I think the parallel has more to do with individuals operating in a given unit for the continued suvival of that unit as a whole rather than harsh superiors doling out disciplinary techniques.
The concept of many working for the good of one, and the one working for the good of the many...it is a noble ideal that stands as the backbone of military credo...an
As a former Marine I find that assessment very unlikely. I found that in the Service we were told on a daily basis that we weren't in a democracy and we often found that we had no rights. Try it sometime and you might find out the reality of what I say to be the truth. The only military that I had ever heard of that treated it's military men as if they were in a Democracy was the Dutch Military. They even have unions or did.
I think there is no doubt that Sestak would be a big improvement over Specter. Sestak is a real Democrat, not a guy who became a Democrat in a cynical attempt to save his career.
correctomundo.
I have to still wonder about how democratic any retired General really is.
Some are good democrats, Wesley Clark for example.
Dr. Jack L. Schofield is a candidate for Congress in Nevada's 2nd district. He fought and flew combat missions in WW II and Korea in the 22nd Bomb Squadron, 14th Air Force Flying tigers in China. Jack is a former Nevada State Senator, former Democratic candidate for Governor, and a current member of the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education.
See Jack2012.c
Let's get them ALL into office.
Be careful what you wish for.
How many senators and representatives are currently in service? Lindsay Graham is in the AF Reserves. Guess he doesn't count as a veteran, though.
Too bad he doesn't count as a senator.
With you, Jon, and Mr. Sestak 100 percent. I grew up in PA and contributed as an outsider to his last campaign and will several times in the next. We need more in both houses with his intelligence.
and what would be his stand on DADT or DOMA? Those will once again be all the rage come election time.
He helped write the DADT bill with Patrick Murphy.
He has already stated that he is in favor of repealing them. Soldiers in the combat theater don't care about them, the army shouldn't either.
"First and foremost -- the overriding goal of having a military is not having to use it. Those who have seen the horrors of war up close understand this better than anyone else."
I'm sorry, but that is a complete and utter crock of you-know-what. We've been engaged militarily somewhere or other almost nonstop since Dec. 7, 1941. The goal of having the world's biggest military and spending 10 times what every other country in the world combined spends on theirs is to use it to intimidate and expand the empire.
You have to remember that the military gets its orders from civilians. The military has never launched an attack without orders from a civilian government.
Is Sestak really a progressive Democrat??? I don't think so....whic
Same could be said for Obama.
Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) is also a combat veteran (WW II).
And I believe Charles Rangel is a Korean War combat vet.
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