First, it reminds voters that Republicans control everything in Washington, apparently even the VFW.
Secondly, after doing a great job over the last three weeks of shifting attention in this campaign off of Iraq, Roskam just reminded everybody that Iraq is the #1 issue in this race and that Tammy Duckworth is a decorated war veteran.
Yellow Dog Democrat
· 3 years ago
Oh yeah, great job firing up the Veterans for Duckworth. You can bet they'll be on the phones all weekend talking about how Karl Rove manipulated the endorsement, just like he manipulated us into a war.
An endorsement that ignores the facts on the ground. A war that ignores the facts on the ground, and Peter Roskam right in the middle of it all.
Wumpus
· 3 years ago
Did Roskam complain when the trial lawyers backed her? Noooo, now she complains about this. As for QOTD, lose the bias, media! She gets' softballs and he gets questioned harshly.
Ginsburg
· 3 years ago
This coupled with the endorsement from NAMBLA that Roskam is sure to get because of his Speedo commercial probably wraps it up.
I love stopping in for cheap PBR's, but is the VFW serious? Did she have to give up an arm, too?
If I may borrow a line, "WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?"
Rick
· 3 years ago
I'm not sure this will be a silver bullet for Roskam.
I'm a Repub for Topinka, and a vet, but am turned off by Repub candidates who claim to "support the troops" but who have never worn the uniform. I put Roskam in this category.
I don't live in the 6th, but think among vets this will re-highlight the sacrifices Duckworth has made and Roskam's lack of military service.
wndycty
· 3 years ago
I'll be interested to see what happens during Tammy's press conference.
schenked
· 3 years ago
Just for clarification, it was not John Kerry, but Bob Kerrey that spoke up for Duckworth.
Ginsburg
· 3 years ago
I support the Cubs, but never wore the uniform. Do I turn you off too, Rick? Your point is valid, but I don't think having served in the military is necessarily a prerequisite for voting to provide our troops and their families with proper armor and weapons, medical care, mental care for the rest of their lives so they can get over the bs that they have to endure, and a living wage. That's what I don't like about Republican politicians. And Hastert is too fat. We have to pay for his health care too.
Frank
· 3 years ago
Rick,
You're telling me that a candidate must wear the uniform in order to support the troops? I am very thankful for the service of our troops, however, just because they are/were a service member doesn't mean they are automatically more qualified than a non-service member.
The Majority of Americans haven't served in the Armed Forces, does this mean that their support for the troops is false? wrong? a lie?
If a person is wrong on the issues, I could care less whether they are a service member, nobel peace prize winner, family member, etc... if you're wrong on the issues, I am not voting for ya, period!
swede
· 3 years ago
What a slap in the face to those that wear the uniform. I don't know what's worse--Kerry's comments or this.
Justice
· 3 years ago
I am a vet of the Vietnam conflict and hold NO stock whatsoever for what the VFW does or doesn't have to say. I think Tammy has earned our vote as long as she stays away from dipstick Blogo. He is a loser and she is not. As far as not serving in uniform….For those who fight for freedom, freedom has a special flavor that the protected will never know…. You can bet that Roskam doesn’t truly appreciate the sacrifice Duckworth and the many men and women like have made. Semper Fi!
Justice
· 3 years ago
And by the way, you don't have to serve to appreciate those who do serve. Just don't use it as a battle cry in an election in an effort to elicit votes. If you want to use it as a talking point, then serve or show precisely how you support the troops other than through lip service. Duckworth has proven her right to use support of the troops as a battle cry.
Charles Martel
· 3 years ago
Shame on the VFW! You turned your back on a true patriot; one who sacrificed her limbs for her country. I'm ripping up my VFW card! I do not wish to be associated with hypocrites. Give your next endorsement and award to Dick "five deferments" Cheney.
Archpundit
· 3 years ago
The VFW should endorse who is best on the issues as they see it. However, they should be able to explain who is best on the issues that matter to them. That seems like the odd part of this story.
Holding it until today just kind of takes out the power of the endorsement. Bad campaign tactic.
No one should question whether Peter is against the troops either--he's done some good work returning dog tags and the such to veterans.
That said, this is exhibit A in how to bungle and endorsement announcement.
Bill
· 3 years ago
Justice, For the record Rod has never lost an election. Tammy has never won one. We dems are united and support both Tammy and Rod. Roskam is an chicken hawk who talks tough but can't stand the heat.
Way Northsider
· 3 years ago
Shame on Roskam and the VFW. This Republican administration has been disastrous for our military - those currently serving and our veterans. They deserve so much more than the empty lip service they have been given. Nothing other than partisanship could possibly account for the VFW supporting Roskam over Duckworth.
Jake from Elwood
· 3 years ago
The most politically expedient thing for Roskam to do given his opponent was to not seek the VFW endorsement. This political maneuver cheapens his campaign and adds credence to the guerilla campaign waged by Duckworth.
06
· 3 years ago
What the VFW did is an absolute disgrace to all veterans. As a serving Guardsman with over 24 years of service, I can assure you Major Duckworth's positions on veterans benefits and our international strategies are far better than Roskam's. We actually pay attention to these issues because were affected by their outcomes and, despite their rhetoric to the contrary, this administration is NO friend to the veteran and has actually reduced veteran's benefits (including closing numerous VA facillities). Roskam would be one more Repub rubber-stamp.
Yellow Dog Democrat
· 3 years ago
From the Roskam Website:
Press Releases Criticizing the handling of the war or even discussing it: Zero.
Press Releases calling for increased funding for veterans' programs or equipment for our troops or even discussing it: Zero.
Issue Positions on Iraq or Veterans: Zero.
Press Releases attacking Tammy Duckworth: 15 of 35.
Yellow Dog Democrat
· 3 years ago
Correction:
Press Releases attacking Tammy Duckworth: 15 of 45.
Yellow Dog Democrat
· 3 years ago
Like I said. Major backfire.
If Duckworth's smart, those 20 vets will be calling their members this weekend to vent their anger.
The locals probably couldn't have endorsed themselves, but now they've got an excuse to call their members and express their outrage.
Loved the lead in the Tribune, BTW:
VFW committee endorses congressional candidate, angering some vets
By DON BABWIN Associated Press Writer Published November 3, 2006, 1:29 PM CST
CHICAGO -- Rejecting a Democratic veteran who lost her legs in Iraq, the Veterans of Foreign Wars' political action committee endorsed a Republican congressional candidate with no military experience.
The endorsement of Peter Roskam in a hotly contested open seat angered some local veterans who said their posts within the 6th Congressional District were never asked if they wanted to endorse Roskam or challenger Tammy Duckworth.
Do the National VFW tyically endorse republicans in Congressional Races? This may be one of thsoe things where they always endore republicans, just like unions and the AFL-CIO ALWAYS endore Democrats, no matter how bad the candidate is.
Roskam may not have served i nthe armed forces, but he has been instumental in retuning Vietnam POW dog tags to familes, and his parents went to vietnam a few years back to claim lost dog tags of US Soldiers.
He also held his Ground Zero Flag Tour after 9/11, which bought flags of firehouses who lost personnel on Sept. 11 to suburban firehouses to locally honor those who were killed from the terror attacks.
HANKSTER
· 3 years ago
Lets remind people of the war as much as we can and hope that it becomes popular in the next 4 days!
Old Quack
· 3 years ago
VFW endorses incumbents and republicans...and people the dupage machine tells them to.
observer
· 3 years ago
Is the Wiliam Bahr mentioned a former Corrections empolyee? Thaks
Charles Martel
· 3 years ago
DOG TAGS !! ! Try wearing them. Semper Fi!
Mike Williams
· 3 years ago
didn't the VFW shun and dismiss Vietnam vets at first because they were perceived as "losers"?
If the VFW is dumb enough to endorse Peter "Rah-scam" (emphasis on the scam) whose only battles came as he was chasing ambulances and being a career politician, then we will know enough to never trust them again with endorsements.
Way Northsider
· 3 years ago
Returning dog tags while cutting funding for veterans health care is typical - it's all sizzle and no steak. I hope Peter Roskam goes down in flames. I am sick to my stomach when I hear Laura Bush talk about how our enemies are listening so no one should criticize etc. Does she think our enemies only listen? They understand that actions speak louder than words. Sending our troops foolishly into harms way for no good reason on made up stories about weapons of mass destruction tells our enemies all they need to know. There is no excuse for this. People are grieving all around our country, lives are shattered and the families of soldiers are physically, emotionally and economically broken. Sorry for the rant but I am so so upset about all these games being played. We need to look after our men and women in uniform. Look after them. Not wave flags. Take care of them. Body armor. Decent health care. Bring them home in one piece at the end of their tour of duty. Not force them to serve for longer and longer. It is time to walk the walk. Duckworth is doing it. Every day. Roskam isn't. It's as simple as that.
Frosty Da Snowman
· 3 years ago
Geez...
If Duckworth hadn't been wounded, do you think Rahm Emmanuel would have created her candidacy? Hecky no. She's a shill for the Clintons, pure and simple. She has no business running for Congress.
And another thing. Duckworth took an oath of office in which she swore to protect the Constitution of the United States - the ENTIRE Constitution.
Well, as her campaign has progressed, she's decided to pick and choose which parts of our Bill of Rights that she will defend if elected. Obviously, she's decided to throw out the Second Amendment.
She needs to be reminded that she is duty bound to defend the entire Bill of Rights, not just the parts that suit Bill, Hillary and Rahm.
T.J.
· 3 years ago
This is the same sort of blogger backlash that preceded Chambliss's seven percent win over Cleland.
Chalkline
· 3 years ago
This Frosty character needs to be straightened out in the worst way. Being a citizen of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA makes it Duckworths business to run for Congress. If you are a U.S. Citizen and want to run for Congress you have every right to do so. If you don't like her because of her party affiliation or some other reason that's your business. But don't say any U.S. Citizen has no business running for any office.
Carl Nyberg
· 3 years ago
T.J., I may be going out on a limb, but the national mood might be a little different in 2006 than in 2002.
B Hicks
· 3 years ago
This story is getting some major traction. It was just on CNN.
Establishment Republican
· 3 years ago
Great news for Roskam.
Absolutely everyone honors Tammy Duckworth for her service to America and the sacrifices she will have to endure for the rest of her life, but that does not give her the right to take posession of a Congressional seat without opposition.
The VFW has decided that Roskam will be better for their issues in Washington. It is really that simple.
And I would ask those of you who feel that a disabled war hero should win just on the basis of that over someone who did not wear the uniform, if you all voted for Bob Dole in 1996....
T.J.
· 3 years ago
E.R. gets it.
markg8
· 3 years ago
The VFW is supposed to endorse the candidate that will be the better advocate for vets and soldiers. Duckworth by virtue of her previous educational and work experience is the much better versed candidate on healthcare issues and because of her military experience is the much better candidate on the needs of soldiers and veterans. She's actually lived this stuff.
Peter Roskam is a lightweight. He has a long history of inconsequential "extra credit" acts like the dogtag recovery or the recycling program that while admirable on the surface reek of resume padding to bolster his credentials and advance his political career.
fed up dem
· 3 years ago
I believe a number of VFW posts throughout the Chicago area were having serious problems with declining membership eve n before this action was taken. It will be interesting to see if the outrage over this action will make that bad situation even worse, if some of the VFW members choose to leave for the American Legion or some other veterans' organization.
You have to understand that membership eligibility requirements for the VFW are tougher than those for the American Legion or other groups. To be a VFW member, a veteran has to have served overseas during a period of conflict. For example, a soldier who managed to remain stateside during the Vietnam War would be eligible for membership in the Amderican Legion and the Vietnam Veterans of America, but not the VFW. As a result, it is easier to veterans leaving the VFW for another group than it is the other way around.
Skeeter
· 3 years ago
The contrast in the respective campaigns is amazing.
While the Dems have Wes Clark and his outstanding "Because of Iraq" commercials, the GOP is bungling a VFW endorsement.
The GOP deserves to lose this one the way the campaign is being run. And then we have Charlie Johnson screwing things up downstate.
Hopefully the ILGOP will learn from this and clean house. Illinois needs two functioning parties to keep things honest. We've only got one now.
Peachy
· 3 years ago
Well said Skeeter!
Tedbaxter
· 3 years ago
Ok. Roskam gets the VFW endorsement. And why is this bad for him again?
Skeeter
· 3 years ago
Ted: It is bad because the local VFW members had no say. It is bad because the only person who appeared t have any say was a guy who served in the State Senate with Roskam. It was bad because the endorsement was contrary to the standard VFW endorsement criteria. It is bad because it made the VFW look partisan. It was bad because the person there to provide the endorsement didn't have a clue as to why the VFW was making the endorsement.
And of course it is bad because Roskam has no plan at all for Iraq and because the GOP cuts veterans benefits and fails to provide our troops with body armor, but that is another matter completely.
Tedbaxter
· 3 years ago
Ok. Maybe Peter should get some Teamsters to complain about their endorsement process. Or the Bar Assn. Wow, new political rules for the future, or left-wing bias?
Peachy
· 3 years ago
Tedbaxter, I'm sure if Roskam could find some Teamsters to complain, he would. But I don't see the Teamsters out there complaining. I do see a lot of VFW members out there, outraged they were kept out of the loop and not consulted.
Good grief, Duckwork IS A MEMBER OF THE VFW! News flash, she served in a foreign war, lost both of her legs, and nearly one arm. She sacrificed to keep America safe so spoiled suburban brats like Roskam could be free to sue people and get rich.
This is backfiring in a HUGE way on Roskam, as it should. This backroom, shady rigging up of an endorsement that he's done nothing to deserve, is a pretty good indication of the kind of guy he's been in Springfield for 15 years, and it's a good predictor of the kind of guy he would be in Congress.
Frankly, this kind of dirty, dishonest politics is hardly a surprise coming from a dog-bite attorney and a guy who used to work for Tom Delay. This kind of dishonest crap is right out of the Delay/Rove playbook.
Roskam definitely deserves to lose now. If he hangs on and wins, it has a lot more to do with the way that district's gerrymandered.
But I really think this fiasco may cost Roskam the race.
Anon
· 3 years ago
It's my experience that local VFW's don't get involved in endorsing political candidates--and they will tell you that right up front if you ask them for an endorsement. So then to claim outrage when the national group endorses, well, it speaks for itself. If they were that outraged, their was nothing to stop the Bloomingdale VFW from endorsing Duckworth months ago.
Mike Williams
· 3 years ago
Get ready to say hello to Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth. Peachy is 100% correct. The backlash on this will carry Major Duckworth to Washington.
Calling-u-out
· 3 years ago
Wow rich -- If you are going to cut and paste "facts" from an e-mail from the Roskam campaign you can at least take out the obvious "we" reference (see item #1).
Calling-u-out
· 3 years ago
Please remove the last posting, I see now that it was headlined as a Roskam response. My faith in you Rich is fully restored.
T.J.
· 3 years ago
To think the Duckworth people called the Cegelis people sore losers!
True Observer
· 3 years ago
The VFW is a cut above the American Legion and members of both organizations know that. The VFW is also one of the most savvy political organizations there is. If they endorsed Roskam, they know he's going to win.
Skeeter
· 3 years ago
TO:
At this point, it is not even clear that there is a real VFW endorsement.
All they have is the endorsement of a guy who used to serve in Springfield with Salvi. It is not at all clear that he has any sort of right to endorse anyone on behalf of the VFW.
Skeeter
· 3 years ago
That last post should have said "used to serve in Springfield with Roskam."
I get my personal injury lawyers mixed up at times.
Frosty Da Snowman
· 3 years ago
Roskam is pro-gun
Duckworth is a gun grabber
Thus, Roskam is the better choice
Rover
· 3 years ago
ER: And I would ask those of you who feel that a disabled war hero should win just on the basis of that over someone who did not wear the uniform, if you all voted for Bob Dole in 1996….
Did the VFW endorse Bill Clinton? We are talking about endorsements from a VETERANS organization, not votes.
Kitt
· 3 years ago
[ Wumpus - Friday, Nov 3, 06 @ 12:33 pm]
Did Roskam complain when the trial lawyers backed her? Noooo, now she complains about this.
Is this a serious response? The VFW is an organization for veterans - Peter Roskam is not a veteran.
As a veteran and a woman, I understand the confusion on the part of the VFW. It's like they can't quite get their WW2 mindset wrapped around the fact that women served and are serving, even though women served in WW2.
Kitt
· 3 years ago
[Tedbaxter - Saturday, Nov 4, 06 @ 10:48 am:]
Ok. Roskam gets the VFW endorsement. And why is this bad for him again?
Because Roskam didn't serve in the military, he more than likely doesn't meet the criteria ("Must be a citizen and have been in certain combat areas. VFW Membership is available to all U.S. Citizens, honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed forces who have earned an overseas campaign medal.") Thus - the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Get it?
Tedbaxter
· 3 years ago
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Nowwww I see. ???
Tedbaxter
· 3 years ago
Btw, Did The GOP vets who didn't get the VFW endorsement pull this con?
Peachy
· 3 years ago
My sense is Duckworth is gonna win this thing. I didn't think even Roskam's poor campaign could lose in this Hard R gerrymandered district.
But my sense is Tammy has the Big Mo. The energy seems to be on her side. The VFW thing has blown up in Roskam's face, and the GOP's negative attacks have gone way over the top.
Yesterday for the gotv effort, it looked like all Roskam could muster out were a handful of mostly college kids to go door to door. Then you had party chairman Andy McKenna there in a suit, doing nothing, but dropping some buzzwords that someone put in his head, like "microtargeting."
It looks like a tsunami is racing towards the GOP that will leave few survivors on Tuesday.
Terry Mahoney
· 3 years ago
I am a former VFW member; I joined because I am a proud vet, and I left because the right-wing pablum in every publication they mailed to me; I am a moderate, and while I know the VFW PAC does endorse intelligently (Mikulski) for vets, this kind of endorsement does not surprise me. Anyone voting on VET issues should vote Duckworth. I might point out that abortion, gun rights, gay marriage and other hot button conservative issues are not vet issues. Some vets may care about them, but they have nothing to do with the VA or proper management of the military. Semper Fi, Terry
All Comments
First, it reminds voters that Republicans control everything in Washington, apparently even the VFW.
Secondly, after doing a great job over the last three weeks of shifting attention in this campaign off of Iraq, Roskam just reminded everybody that Iraq is the #1 issue in this race and that Tammy Duckworth is a decorated war veteran.
An endorsement that ignores the facts on the ground. A war that ignores the facts on the ground, and Peter Roskam right in the middle of it all.
I love stopping in for cheap PBR's, but is the VFW serious? Did she have to give up an arm, too?
If I may borrow a line, "WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?"
I'm a Repub for Topinka, and a vet, but am turned off by Repub candidates who claim to "support the troops" but who have never worn the uniform. I put Roskam in this category.
I don't live in the 6th, but think among vets this will re-highlight the sacrifices Duckworth has made and Roskam's lack of military service.
You're telling me that a candidate must wear the uniform in order to support the troops? I am very thankful for the service of our troops, however, just because they are/were a service member doesn't mean they are automatically more qualified than a non-service member.
The Majority of Americans haven't served in the Armed Forces, does this mean that their support for the troops is false? wrong? a lie?
If a person is wrong on the issues, I could care less whether they are a service member, nobel peace prize winner, family member, etc... if you're wrong on the issues, I am not voting for ya, period!
Holding it until today just kind of takes out the power of the endorsement. Bad campaign tactic.
No one should question whether Peter is against the troops either--he's done some good work returning dog tags and the such to veterans.
That said, this is exhibit A in how to bungle and endorsement announcement.
For the record Rod has never lost an election. Tammy has never won one. We dems are united and support both Tammy and Rod.
Roskam is an chicken hawk who talks tough but can't stand the heat.
Press Releases Criticizing the handling of the war or even discussing it: Zero.
Press Releases calling for increased funding for veterans' programs or equipment for our troops or even discussing it: Zero.
Issue Positions on Iraq or Veterans: Zero.
Press Releases attacking Tammy Duckworth: 15 of 35.
Press Releases attacking Tammy Duckworth: 15 of 45.
If Duckworth's smart, those 20 vets will be calling their members this weekend to vent their anger.
The locals probably couldn't have endorsed themselves, but now they've got an excuse to call their members and express their outrage.
Loved the lead in the Tribune, BTW:
VFW committee endorses congressional candidate, angering some vets
By DON BABWIN
Associated Press Writer
Published November 3, 2006, 1:29 PM CST
CHICAGO -- Rejecting a Democratic veteran who lost her legs in Iraq, the Veterans of Foreign Wars' political action committee endorsed a Republican congressional candidate with no military experience.
The endorsement of Peter Roskam in a hotly contested open seat angered some local veterans who said their posts within the 6th Congressional District were never asked if they wanted to endorse Roskam or challenger Tammy Duckworth.
Roskam may not have served i nthe armed forces, but he has been instumental in retuning Vietnam POW dog tags to familes, and his parents went to vietnam a few years back to claim lost dog tags of US Soldiers.
He also held his Ground Zero Flag Tour after 9/11, which bought flags of firehouses who lost personnel on Sept. 11 to suburban firehouses to locally honor those who were killed from the terror attacks.
If the VFW is dumb enough to endorse Peter "Rah-scam" (emphasis on the scam) whose only battles came as he was chasing ambulances and being a career politician, then we will know enough to never trust them again with endorsements.
If Duckworth hadn't been wounded, do you think Rahm Emmanuel would have created her candidacy? Hecky no. She's a shill for the Clintons, pure and simple. She has no business running for Congress.
And another thing. Duckworth took an oath of office in which she swore to protect the Constitution of the United States - the ENTIRE Constitution.
Well, as her campaign has progressed, she's decided to pick and choose which parts of our Bill of Rights that she will defend if elected. Obviously, she's decided to throw out the Second Amendment.
She needs to be reminded that she is duty bound to defend the entire Bill of Rights, not just the parts that suit Bill, Hillary and Rahm.
Absolutely everyone honors Tammy Duckworth for her service to America and the sacrifices she will have to endure for the rest of her life, but that does not give her the right to take posession of a Congressional seat without opposition.
The VFW has decided that Roskam will be better for their issues in Washington. It is really that simple.
And I would ask those of you who feel that a disabled war hero should win just on the basis of that over someone who did not wear the uniform, if you all voted for Bob Dole in 1996....
Peter Roskam is a lightweight. He has a long history of inconsequential "extra credit" acts like the dogtag recovery or the recycling program that while admirable on the surface reek of resume padding to bolster his credentials and advance his political career.
You have to understand that membership eligibility requirements for the VFW are tougher than those for the American Legion or other groups. To be a VFW member, a veteran has to have served overseas during a period of conflict. For example, a soldier who managed to remain stateside during the Vietnam War would be eligible for membership in the Amderican Legion and the Vietnam Veterans of America, but not the VFW. As a result, it is easier to veterans leaving the VFW for another group than it is the other way around.
While the Dems have Wes Clark and his outstanding "Because of Iraq" commercials, the GOP is bungling a VFW endorsement.
The GOP deserves to lose this one the way the campaign is being run. And then we have Charlie Johnson screwing things up downstate.
Hopefully the ILGOP will learn from this and clean house. Illinois needs two functioning parties to keep things honest. We've only got one now.
It is bad because the local VFW members had no say.
It is bad because the only person who appeared t have any say was a guy who served in the State Senate with Roskam.
It was bad because the endorsement was contrary to the standard VFW endorsement criteria.
It is bad because it made the VFW look partisan.
It was bad because the person there to provide the endorsement didn't have a clue as to why the VFW was making the endorsement.
And of course it is bad because Roskam has no plan at all for Iraq and because the GOP cuts veterans benefits and fails to provide our troops with body armor, but that is another matter completely.
Good grief, Duckwork IS A MEMBER OF THE VFW! News flash, she served in a foreign war, lost both of her legs, and nearly one arm. She sacrificed to keep America safe so spoiled suburban brats like Roskam could be free to sue people and get rich.
This is backfiring in a HUGE way on Roskam, as it should. This backroom, shady rigging up of an endorsement that he's done nothing to deserve, is a pretty good indication of the kind of guy he's been in Springfield for 15 years, and it's a good predictor of the kind of guy he would be in Congress.
Frankly, this kind of dirty, dishonest politics is hardly a surprise coming from a dog-bite attorney and a guy who used to work for Tom Delay. This kind of dishonest crap is right out of the Delay/Rove playbook.
Roskam definitely deserves to lose now. If he hangs on and wins, it has a lot more to do with the way that district's gerrymandered.
But I really think this fiasco may cost Roskam the race.
The VFW is also one of the most savvy political organizations there is.
If they endorsed Roskam, they know he's going to win.
At this point, it is not even clear that there is a real VFW endorsement.
All they have is the endorsement of a guy who used to serve in Springfield with Salvi. It is not at all clear that he has any sort of right to endorse anyone on behalf of the VFW.
I get my personal injury lawyers mixed up at times.
Duckworth is a gun grabber
Thus, Roskam is the better choice
Did the VFW endorse Bill Clinton? We are talking about endorsements from a VETERANS organization, not votes.
Did Roskam complain when the trial lawyers backed her? Noooo, now she complains about this.
Is this a serious response? The VFW is an organization for veterans - Peter Roskam is not a veteran.
As a veteran and a woman, I understand the confusion on the part of the VFW. It's like they can't quite get their WW2 mindset wrapped around the fact that women served and are serving, even though women served in WW2.
Ok. Roskam gets the VFW endorsement. And why is this bad for him again?
Because Roskam didn't serve in the military, he more than likely doesn't meet the criteria ("Must be a citizen and have been in certain combat areas. VFW Membership is available to all U.S. Citizens, honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed forces who have earned an overseas campaign medal.") Thus - the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Get it?
But my sense is Tammy has the Big Mo. The energy seems to be on her side. The VFW thing has blown up in Roskam's face, and the GOP's negative attacks have gone way over the top.
Yesterday for the gotv effort, it looked like all Roskam could muster out were a handful of mostly college kids to go door to door. Then you had party chairman Andy McKenna there in a suit, doing nothing, but dropping some buzzwords that someone put in his head, like "microtargeting."
It looks like a tsunami is racing towards the GOP that will leave few survivors on Tuesday.
Semper Fi,
Terry