The Fighting Dems are gaining momentum Much has been posted about the Fighting Dems or Band of Brothers and Sisters, but now they will be speaking out for themselves. Here is some basic information. 1. The official website is BandofBrothers2006.org – Veterans for a Secure America. This effort is headed up by Mike Lyons and DavidNYC (Swing State Project) is on the board and has been tracking this effort. BoB2006 is making every effort to coordinate with all undertakings in support of the Fighting Dems. (Be sure to add the 2006 to the url or you get some Benedictine monk sight or something.) Donations can be sent to the Band of Brothers 2006 PAC page on ActBlue.

2. The initiative was spearheaded by Eric Massa who coordinated December and January organizational meetings (more 3. below on these meetings). However, with a campaign of his own to run, VetPAC has come on board with Col. Richard Klass (USAF, retired) taking the helm to coordinate this group. Col. Klass was an early and vocal opponent of Bush and the War in Iraq. Some will remember him for his support for Dean and he went on to work with Kerry’s campaign. He was slimed by the reactionary right. He worked closely with Retired Marine Gen. Joseph Hoar, a former commander of U.S. Central Command. VetPAC will also be handling fundraising for the movement. More info on this will be forthcoming.

3. About 18 vets gathered in Washington, D.C. in December to initiate the movement in terms of themes and organization, about ten in person and others on conference call. General Wesley Clark spoke to the group and Kerry and Max Cleland sent aides. In January, Eric coordinated another meeting primarily with VetPAC and others and a steering committee has been set up. They have named the group Veterans for a Secure America and BoB2006.org has incorporated this on the website.

4. The two previous meetings were private organizational meetings. However, in early February a media event will be held in Washington, D.C. with Max Cleland appearing with and for the Fighting Dems. Stay tuned for more information.

5. There are a number of groups supporting this movement. The vital and ongoing Air America/Kos Fighting Dem series gives us direct contact with the candidates. Alex Urevick-Ackelsberg of draftzinni.com has been an early advocate and sponsored an earlier meeting in D.C. in which some candidates sent representatives, including Howard Parks, a supporter of Eric Massa and General Clark. Alex and others have also initiated a group with a wider security focus than just vets and can be found on the BlueForceBlog and a yahoo group, itssecuritystupid. And readers of dKos and MyDD are familiar with the updates by anna of annatopic.com that has been on this project from the beginning. General Clark’s WesPAC has volunteers who are working on grassroots projects to support campaigns by vets and other endorsed candidates.

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It was as a grassroots WesPAC volunteer that I became involved with the campaign of Eric Massa, to my great and lasting benefit. And in helping Eric I have been doing what I could to support this effort. Now I have initiated a website and a blog to support these upstanding candidates.

Website
fighting-dems.com This website keeps a Muster Roll of announced candidates who are vets, provides brief “index card” information on them, and is developing state by state rundowns on the candidates and their campaigns with an interactive map. It also provides links to all sites with any involvement in promoting the Fighting Dems and news updates on what has been going on – including controversial issues. Blog with candidate diaries fighting-dems blog This is not a regular blog nor is it a personal one. It is a blog in which all of the Fighting Dems maintain diaries. Here you can go and interact with the candidates directly and from there branch of to their campaign websites and blogs. Official launch day was January the 16th when candidates began posting. This is both MLK Day and the anniversary of the beginning of Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait (a war many of us believed was necessary as opposed to the current quagmire). This blog is in its earl stages, but so far about 15 Fighting Dems have diaries (under the Categories spot usually used for issues) and several have started posting. Their posts will appear in the main column along with our own contributors Mike Pridmore and Maria Wells (supporters especially of Wes Clark and Eric Massa and bloggers on kos, Clark’s blog and many other places), Alex Urevick-Ackelsberg of draftzinni who has graciously offered to help out (showing the degree of cooperation between groups since Alex has his own website and blog), and anna of annatopia who will also contribute her insights and who keeps contact with Fighting Dems. DIARY TOPICS NOW POSTED: http://www.fighting-dems.com Ted Ankrum (TX-10) MY WAR STORY Rick Penberthy (FL-05) SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS Eric Massa (NY-29) BRINGING MARTIN LUTHER KING’S LEGACY HOME Bill Winter (CO-06) WHAT I BELIEVE IN – WHAT WE SHOULD BELIEVE IN! Herb Paine (AZ-03) STEPPING UP AND SPEAKING OUT More on the way. A NOTE ON ISSUES There are issues to be discussed about the candidacies of these men, but the legitimate issues for discussion I feel apply to a very few cases. First, some have an aversion to military men in politics. Frankly, it is not about the uniform. It is about Dems who stand strong for national security, American values, integrity, and have a proven record of service to our nation. These men who are running are not Chicken Hawks, but neither are they hawks. They are military men who know well the cost of war and that it should be the last, last, last resort. Eric’s introduction on fighting-dems.com, a revised version of a piece he posted originally on daily kos and CCN, discusses these men and what they bring to the election process. Some vets are running against others who are solid Dems and will be opposed in the primaries. Everyone should feel free to support whom they wish for whatever reasons they have. And if a couple of campaigns generate heated discussion, they should not be used to tarnish the image of other vets. For example, the debate between the DCCC’s support of Duckworth rather than the ’04 nominee should not lead anyone to believe that this situation applies to all vets. In fact, Eric Massa, who has not yet been endorsed by the DCCC (though he is looking for support from the DNC), has had no Dem opponents for the NY-29 primary. Then, suddenly, a wealthy man comes on the scene claiming that he has been approached by the DCCC to run against Massa. Eric does not believe this charge, but it shows how factional in-fighting can be damaging to our goal of retaking Congress in ’06. Each campaign has its own chemistry and we should avoid generalizations that can lead to destructive in-fighting and factional splits. Other Vets are running against other candidates who are also vets, and again we should support those whom we think are the best candidates. This is not a vet because the candidate is a vet movement. Here is the answer of two bloggers on The Fighting Dems Blog to the criticism that the Fighting Dems Uniform Wedge hurts no one but us (if I may be pardoned reprinting it – thanks laura and mason):

"... the assumption that the candidate has nothing to offer but military experience is a false one. The Fighting Dems I have learned about are top notch people: Hackett, Duckworth, Massa...I'm not in their districts but I'd be proud to vote for any of them. Secondly, to get elected Democrats need to appeal NOT TO PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE but to people who don't vote on issues. Most liberals or progressives are very issue oriented--to the point of failing to understand the existence of people who vote without regard for issues. However, in order to win an election, one must get the votes of the base and then more votes from independents, or apolitical people or swing voters. The common characteristic of that kind of voter is that they vote for style, not issues. They vote for the candidate that seems to be the most honest, the most straight-forward, the more principled and they will vote for that person even if they disagree on every issue. Paul Hackett got lots of "Pro-life" votes even thought he is pro-choice because he doesn't mince words. The military background and the training in leadership, clarity of speaking, and assertiveness gives veterans an edge in campaigning so that veterans, without compromising on issues, they can appeal to swing voters.
I'm a life-long anti-war activist, married to a Buddhist pacifist, and I am thrilled to see these vets stand up to represent the Democratic Party.
Posted by: Laura | January 1, 2006 07:24 PM

I've never been so proud of being a Marylander as I am right now with Andrew Duck and Mishonda Baldwin running for Congress to represent us. They served us in the Armed Forces, and I believe they deserve the chance to serve us now on Capitol Hill. Everyone, please, vote, donate, volunteer and support these candidates. We're so lucky to have them.
Posted by: Mason | January 16, 2006 08:00 PM

What is significant about the Veterans for a Secure America is that they offer candidacies in largely “Red” states with credentials and qualities that can appear to Dems, moderates and independents and, yes, even to some Republicans. They are social progressives, strong on national security, believe the country has been going in the wrong direction and needs to be put back on course. We need 15 seats to retake the House of Representatives. The men and women of the Fighting Dems Band of Brothers can be a potent force in achieving this goal. Noel Schutz