Short story is that YearlyKos held a military panel and a soldier in uniform tried to ask a question and present facts about how the surge is working. He got shouted down by the moderator and the official video from YearlyKos has all the sound turned off whenever the soldier is talking. PJM has an interview with him and he actually has nice things to say about the Kos Krowd despite his treatment (NOTE: I could only get that video working in Internet Explorer).
So far, DailyKos has yet to report the even, but I found one diary inquiring about what happened and another trying rally everyone to fight this “coordinated smear” against YearlyKos while not trying to explain what happened or linking to anything about it (the first couple comments to it are more inquires about what exactly happened).
Looks like YearlyKos has made it main news story and its for censoring a soldier in uniform (Drudge is already on this I can only assume O’Reilly will follow). They may be right that it was illegally for him to be in uniform while asking his question (RTO Trainer disputes that but most of the milbloggers at least seem to think it was a bad idea even if it wasn’t illegal), but from the PJM interview, the soldier seems pretty reasonable and censoring him certainly speaks of huge hypocrisy considering how much they like to use people in uniform as tools when it fits their narrative (Kos has even argued that troops in uniform should be allowed at anti-war protest).
I just hope this gets coverage and makes more people ask, “What do the active duty troops — and not just the ones the left select for us to hear — think of the war?”
And is it really ever illegal for a soldier to say positive things about the war he’s serving in?
UPDATE:
What’s the meanest way we in the Right Wing Noise Machine can spin this?
“Liberals want pictures of troops’ caskets, but they sure as hell don’t want to hear troops speak.”
Best one in the comments wins high praise… and maybe a place in Republican talking points.
Also, I really need a Right Wing Noise Machine graphic. That sounds like an awesome machine.
UPDATE 2:
The diary on the DailyKos asking what happened has been taken down after getting over fifty comments. Some were angry at the diarist for asking the question in the way he did, so who knows what happened there.
UPDATE 3:
According to this commenter on the DailyKos, the soldier returned to YearlyKos today in civilian clothes.
UPDATE 4:
The soldier was a plant by Michelle Malkin and IMAO and all other PJM blogs are possibly getting orders directly from the White House.
I don’t know why I find this whole incident so entertaining, but I do.
Clearly a unifromed member of the armed services can take part in non partisan political events though they are prohibited from joining or taking part in what are partisan events.
So much for that.
To understand the Leftwingnut mentality contrast the prostitution of Cindy Shehan’s son with that of this soldier. Does anyone doubt a soldier in unifrom would have been treated differently if he had attacked the surge?
Yes we all know the Left loves the troops, but they have to be wearing the enemies uniform.
“Right Wing Noise Machine” would be a good name for a band.
Thomas Jackson is correct. Military people in uniform are allowed to participate in nonpartisan political activity.
So if the Kossacks assert that it was illegal for the soldier to be there in uniform, they are asserting that Yearly Kos was a partisan political forum. If that’s the case, under current campaign finance laws its entire budget counts as a donation to the Democratic Party. Is the DNC ready for that? Under the spending limitations it doesn’t leave much space for other contributions.
Regards,
Ric
How about, “Daily Kos doesn’t care about military people!”
Also, here is the book by Media Mutter founder David Brock called The Republican Noise Machine. Perhaps you could steal his book’s cover’s graphic:
http://www.amazon.com/Republican-Noise-Machine-Right-Wing-Democracy/dp/1400048753
“YearlyKos: supporting the troops, unless they get all uppity”
Thanks for the link!
RWNM graphic candidate, inbound.
Damian, I stole the general idea for the graphic I’ve sent from Brock’s book cover.
“All the DailyKos wants to hear from you is your death-rattle soldier…..”
“Liberals want silent soldiers — dead or alive”
“Daily KOS would rather see speaking soldier in casket.”
Liberals only want to hear lies from soldiers, sweet sweet lies….
“Right Wing Noise Machine” would be a good name for a band. Posted by: Wacky Hermit on August 4, 2007 06:38 PM
I’m on the job! Now to find some band members…
my posting
http://thepopulistblog.com/2007/08/editorial-what-hath-soltz-wrought.html
don’t the kos kidz defend the few soldiers who’ve hiked up their skirts and hightailed it to canada?
last i checked, that’s illegal too…
have fun
That stuff about the surge working is chickenhawk talk. Since real soldiers hate the war, he must have been a chickenhawk in disguise.
It’s the uniform, ronin…kos kidz only like uniforms when they’re horizontal and still, not vertical and moving. Besides that, the sound of a grown up voice is physically painful to them, if it’s not shrill and whiny, their little puppy ears bleed.
How about: KOS: defending the UCMJ whenever it suits us. What more can you ask?
When I saw the video, I wanted to just reach out and smack the snot out of the Soltz guy. I hope this gets some news coverage. If you read the commentary, you’ll see that most of even the nutballs are saying Soltz guy went overboard. Look what you’ve brought me to: agreeing with a KOS kid! I feel soiled.
At first we could hear the soldier, then they cut out his words. I want a transcript of what he said. Anyone seen one yet?
They have much better footage at Pajamas media. Very telling.
Liberals want it both ways: “Hear, a soldier lies” and “Here, a soldier lies”.
Yearly Kos would have this issue down if they:
A) Knew something about service to country, and
B) Knew something about facts.
I know, I know- Markos is rumored to have served in the Army, but real or not, he sure did his best to nullify that. ANY true serviceman would know better than to commit himself/herself to such a reasonless cause.
It does not matter what really happens to the soldiers; what matters is how the situation is spun. The bare truth about Kos & similar idiots is that they lost any real credibility long ago. Why should I take the time to weigh their ideas? The type of individual that is attracted to that bullsh*t needs more attention than I can actually give.
Poking fun at them is fine, but they want you to hear their bitching & they’ll go to any lengths to make sure you notice them. Just like a spoiled child would do; any attention is better than none at all.
This is a humor site, and it still has more real effect on those who read it that sites like Daily Kos, DU, Pandagon, Michael Moore, ad nauseum. Not because this site “speaks truth to power”. No, it’s because we know that anyone who really thinks that they are revolutionary & are willing to put on a show to prove it are way funnier that those who are the real martrys of what they tried to change, minus the microphones & cameras.
Here’s to the liberal squeaky wheels:
YES! I SEE YOU! YOU’RE SO PREVALENT! You didn’t actually fight for America, but YOU GATHERED IDIOT LOSERS LIKE YOURSELF, TOGETHER AS ONE!
My hero.
Of course the Kossak shouting down the soldier would
never use his uniform for political purposes
Oh wait lets go to his votevets.org profile
http://www.votevets.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=80
hypocrite.
i wonder if they even see the irony/hypocrisy of calling for this diary to be deleted, and the poster to be banned for life and dragged into the streets to be stoned like an iranian rape victim, when the offending diary is essentially about how free speech only works when everyone has it. not just people you agree with.
in one of the comments, someone was even offended because the right wing blogs were calling them stalinists…..if the noose fits….
Why is EVERYTHING a conspiracy to liberals? Everything. There is an ex-coworker who was in his second car accident with a company vehicle, and did one or two other stupid things to the vehicle that day. After the small accident which the other driver said “don’t worry about it” he didn’t report it to the police, nor did he take his mandatory drug test. But guess what? He got fired because it was some evil plot against him. This guy probably is a KOS reader, he loves Michael Moore.
EVERYTHING is a conspiracy.
Not necessarily the best, but probably the most cutting to a leftie:
“Left-wing censorship is bad for soldiers and other living things”
Actually that diarist has called Kos quits and is currently posting at Hot Air.
When all you do is conspire, everything looks like a conspiracy.
http://www.snakesville.com/2007/08/truth-justice-and-the-american.php
Soldier Gets 110 Years in Rape-Slay Case
By RYAN LENZ 08.05.07, 12:40 AM ET
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – A soldier convicted of rape and murder in an attack on an Iraqi teenager and her family was sentenced Saturday to 110 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
“Soldier Gets 110 Years in Rape-Slay Case”
Malicia, that’s obviously a cover up — you see, we’re no better than the terrorists, so the idea that we’d lock somebody in prison for 110 years for rape and murder (rather than praise him and promote him, like the terrorists you want to give 30 million Iraqis to) can’t possibly be true.
This story is obviously some sort of plant by Bushitler & Co. and I’m a little disappointed to see you fell for it that easily.
Finally, a machine they can rage against.
I love entering contests even tho I never win. So here’s my entry.
We support the troops, not listen to them.
i’m not savvy enough to design a logo for the Right-Wing Noise Machine, but i’m thinking we have a nice drag racing engine with open headers…maybe spurting flame? then a circular boarder reading “Right Wing Noise Machine: Power Behind Our Voice”
its an idea.
Are multiple entries allowed? If so here’s another one.
We support the troops, now shut the hell up, fascist baby killers!
The best way it can be spun is this:
There are only two ways to be a good soldier in the eyes of the left: a dead “victim” adding to the body count, or a live “enlightened” one protesting the war.
It’s sad, but these are the only soldiers the left can bring itself to mention as “heroes”.
Right Wing Noise Machine sounds like a brand name for the most kickass sound system ever.
“The Democratic Party: First we’ll cut your funding, then we’ll cut your mike.”
Dear Soldiers. You’re only good for propaganda when you’re dead.
“The Democratic Party: First we’ll cut your funding, then we’ll cut your mike.”
Posted by: TR on August 5, 2007 10:51 PM
And they’ll cut the umbilical cord… before it ever leaves the womb.
We support the troops… when they shoot their officers.
What? That one’s already taken?
Well darn.
Hmmm, I’ll do one in dedication to the malicious one above
We support our troops.
Not!