Bush, not John Kerry, is the one who should apologize

Nope. They BOTH owe apologies all around. Now Kerry's aides are trying to claim that Kerry just fumbled and accidentally left out a couple words in his pre-written speech. They're saying that he was supposed to say that if you don't get an education "you end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq." In that context, they said, it was clear Kerry was referring to Bush, not to the troops. PUHLEEEEEEESE. It took his aides two days to come up with that one and even then it makes little sense considering that George Bush is highly educated-- even though he doesn't often act like it.

Both are pathetic.

Thomas!

For a "lifelong [National Guard]soldier" you are a disgrace to the uniform.

Most people just ignore your comments--as a "lifelong [career] soldier" I cannot.

You have attacked the President of the United States whenever you can and that is an act of treason (As a soldier you do NOT have the right to verbally attack your Commander-in-Chief)--IF--you are a lifelong soldier. Even under President Clinton's administration--REAL SOLDIERS--obeyed without comment when he gave orders.

AS a "lifelong soldier' you have totally missed the point of being a soldier. It is NOT a free college education, excellent pay and health care--it is TO FIGHT AND WIN ALL WARS THE UNITED STATES IS ENGAGED IN.

Thomas, that is WIN ALL wars.

Susan--having never served in the military, you have the right to criticize the President. Take your best shot, but do it knowing that the right to openly criticize a politican has been given to you by LOYAL American sodliers with the blood they have shed. (You're welcome!)

Thomas--thank whatever creature you worship that you have never served in a unit I commanded--but then again Special Forces would have been a quantum leap you could not make...

Thomas we need to do lunch sometime.

Kerry has a right to say anything he wants...He also has to accept the results of his motor mouth. Keep it comming John. Every time you open your stupid disloyal mouth you help the people and the troops make the right choice on election day.

Zlotnik said, "Even under President Clinton's administration--REAL SOLDIERS--obeyed without comment when he gave orders."

"AS a "lifelong soldier' you have totally missed the point of being a soldier. It is NOT a free college education, excellent pay and health care--it is TO FIGHT AND WIN ALL WARS THE UNITED STATES IS ENGAGED IN."

Zlotnik, it's too bad really, the soldiers under Hitler had that same ignorant attitude as you. The Japanese soldiers who bombed Pearl Harbor had that same ignorant "obey without comment" attitude as you. The soldiers under Hussein raping, torturing, murdering their own innocent people.. yep, same ignorant attitude as YOU. Soldiers have carried out the worst atrocities against innocent people this world has ever known, soldiers exactly like YOU, Zlotnik, "soldiers" who blindly 'fought to win ALL WARS' their leaders engaged them in. You, Zlotnik are an embarrassment not only to this country, but to all humanity. Do not dare assume that I would ever thank YOU for my right to criticize the President of this country. YOU did not give me this right.

I'm sure if you were younger, Zlotnik, you would've been one of those soldiers at Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib doing anything and everything to "WIN" the "war". You would've been one of those soldiers who is so brainwashed thinking that wearing the uniform of the United States makes you better than the rest of the people of this country and the world. You love to brag about your service in "Special Forces"...were you one of the many soldiers guilty of raping women in Vietnam? Nevermind, you won't admit that you did.

I'm sure you're right, Thomas would not have done well in any unit you "commanded", not because he couldn't "handle it", but because when you gave orders that were morally wrong, he would've looked you in the eye and said, "NO, SIR". Too bad the soldiers at Gitmo and Ghraib weren't men enough to do that.

I will thoroughly enjoy hearing about Thomas suing you for libel if he ever decides he wants to. He's been far more generous in allowing you to speak your lies than I ever would have been.

Susan;

You assume a lot. Please note Hitler and Tito's military LOST and we were not innocent of atrocities even though we won.

You assume Zlotnik committed war crimes (Now there's a lawsuit for libel!) and Lucente did not. Quite a stretch.

Also the troops operating Aubu Grabi were Reserve and National Guard commanded by a female general from a unit in the USA that was composed of civilian prison guards!!!

Lucente is/was National Guard and I believe Zlotnik was regular military.

There is a huge difference in the quality of training between full-time military and part-time National Guard.

Now from what little we know about both men--who to choose?

Susan!

Oh, where to begin!

I have taken a lot of heat from the military community for my extremely strong stand AGAINST war crimes.

I am an advocate of hunting down AMERICAN war criminals and punishing them severely.

A simple Google search will confirm my stand on that issue.

Why?

Simple--Contrary to what those committing war crimes believe--atrocities only create a MORE DETERMINED enemy and does little to create fear.

Democrat Senator Bob Kerrey served as a Navy SEAL in Vietnam where he ordered the throats cut of three small children and 27 women and children machine-gunned to death. That Dear Susan is cold-blooded murder and a WAR CRIME.

The Navy gave him the Medal of Honor which made him a poster boy for the anti-war movement in the USA, which he joined. He was elected senator and currently is the president of the most liberal college in New York--which I find ironic because he is a REAL baby-killer!

Senator John Kerry--brags about running down an unarmed teenage Viet Cong and killing him in cold blood--again at best a borderline war crime. He received and accepted a VALOR award for that piece of cowardly work.

As a Special Forces soldier--I had to live with the local Vietnamese after men like the Kerreys murdered innocent or unarmed people and ran back to hide inside of their compounds.

Rest assured Ms Susan--I NEVER committed a war crime nor did I tolerate those who did.

I am very proud--not bragging--over my military record when others similar to Lucente were aiding and abetting the enemy of this nation with anti-American newspaper articles.

I served in combat with the very best men and even in that unit--with the very best of the best.

The war in Iraq is MORAL--with a great nation liberating and protecting people who cannot protect themselves.

The war in Iraq is LEGAL according to international law, the United Nations and the United States where many Democrats VOTED for it.

And above all the war is JUST! It has freed the Kurds from centuries of oppression and allowed the Iraqi people to decide their own fate. It stopped armed aggression against nearly defenseless neighbors.

And beyond a doubt President Bush's polices--STOPPED many more 911s in the USA.

Our involvement in Iraq shows the world Americans are willing not only to die defending ourselves--but to die defending others of different cultures, races and religions. That Ms. Susan is a GREAT legacy.

You, Lucente and your ilk DISHONR all of the 2800 military who have died in that war and police action.

Susan,

You are right. It is damage control and poor damage control at that.

-tjl-

Zlotnik,

Yes, I attack the president when he is wrong. That is my job. They Army is well aware of my activities and I have cleared it through them. So you are ABSOLUTELY wrong that I can't do that because I can. I do have that right and the Army has told me I have that right.

As far as disracing the uniform, must I share my evaluations from the past 22 years with you? I have and continue to serve honorably.

As far as being in any unit you commanded, I thank Providence that never occurred.

And I most certainly do not miss the point of being a soldier. Excellent pay? What Army were you in? Good health care? I get no health care as a National Guardsman. Yes, I do get college money, but after 22 years in the Army, that is not even a consideration. Retirement pay? Only if I live to 60. I do it out a love for the CONSTITUTION, not the president. I have sworn to be TRUE AND FAITHFUL to the CONSTITUTION, not the president and I continue to do so.

As far as following orders, I have never disobeyed an order. When called to serve -- under Reagan, under Bush Sr., under Clinton and now under Bush the idiot, I have answered the call. If called again, I will be on that bus or plane going wherever the CIC sends me and when I get back to my life, I will continue to denounce or praise the CIC based on his actions and how well he follows the tenets of the Constitution and the principles of our founding.

Win all wars? You guys in 'Nam did a good job of that, didn't ya? You guys lost your war and came back the whiniest veterans of any war. Give me a break.
You can worship the man if you like, but my allegiance is to the law of the land, not some idiotic politician in Washington.

-tjl-

Ken,

You are right. Even the Democrats know that. Did you catch Don Imus's remarks? He told Kerry to stay home and shut up, while he was interviewing him!

-tjl-

Republican,

You have obviously never served in the military. I am in the National Guard but I go through the same training as the active duty troops. I train side-by-side with them and the patch on my uniform says U.S. Army, not National Guard. I attended the same basic training and all the same schools. I can perform as well, probably better, than my active duty counterparts. And study after study shows that Reserve troops are more intelligent and better educated and more committed than active duty troops, many of whom entered the military after high school because they felt they had no better option in life.

If you are looking for who to choose, remember, I am loyal to my oath to defend the Constitution where Zlotnik's loyalties lie with the president. I think I know what kind of troop I want defending my country.

-tjl-

Krista,

Who said anything about Clinton? He should be rotting in prison for his crimes. Nor will I vote liberal in the upcoming election. Of course, you are so full of partisanship, you can't imagine a Republican (as I am registered) would criticize the president. Just as Clinton was wrong so is George Bush. There weren't any WMDs as many in this country kept telling him (including myself). There was no connection to al-Qaida (as you recall that was his first excuse for going to war before he changed it to WMDs). In fact, he changed the reason we were going to war with Iraq so many times before the invasion that you needed a scorecard to keep up. It was clearly a politically motivated war that has backfired on him. And since Iraq NEVER attacked the United States, your reasoning is faulty. Bush did not do a good job. In fact, he has gotten more Americans killed than that terrorists ever killed and America is even less safe today than it was five years ago because more people hate us than ever before.

About Hitler, maybe you need to read a little deeper into history, instead of relying on that world history survey course you took your freshman year in college or perhaps your high school education course. Perhaps a course in economics would help you as well.

Hitler was not a great leader. Of course, when you kill most of your population and imprison the others, you can find work for people (takes a lot of manpower to run a concentration camp). When you try to conquer the world, of course you can temporarily boost your economy with the war production. That is not leadership.

And people wonder why I have such a strong distrust of government and why I am a libertarian.

Zlotnik (and Republican)

Susan did not accuse anyone of war crimes. She merely asked if Zlotnik committed any.

-tjl-

Zlotnik,

What a whole lotta crap. Defending the Constitution is never aiding and abetting the enemy. Your war in Vietnam was illegal, immoral and unjust as is the war in Iraq.

Where was the declaration of war by the Congress as required by the Constitution? How does this war meet the requirements outlined in just-war theory?

I address all this in great detail in my coming Sunday column, which, I should put online in the next day or two at http://www.lucente.org/newsletter.html.

And I am certain that two decades ago, when I first joined the Army, I could have gone through Special Forces training had I chosen to do so and taken that "Quantum leap" (are we going to compare penises next?) However, I am opposed to overly large standing armies as they are a threat to liberty and I believe strongly in a stong and large National Guard force as the best way to defend the nation so I took that route.

As far as stopping all the 911s because we are in Iraq, prove that. You can't. That is like the gentleman selling elephant repellent. "You don't see any elephants here any more, do you," he would ask. In other words, where were all the 911s before that? One lucky shot.

It is you, Zlotnik, you disgrace the memory of those 2,800 Americans by demanding that more of them die for Bush's ILLEGAL, IMMORAL and UNJUST war.

-tjl-

Krista,

Drive-by media? Hmm. Guess we know where you get your misinformation.

-tjl-

Kerry was on the Senate select intelligence committee, for the SIX years prior to the War in Iraq and he voted to send the same uneducated lazy
troops to Iraq.
Krista,I'm not sure but I think you made
Thomas' point! Last week I had the opportunity to go to the U.S. Holocaust
Museum in Washington DC.Believe me Hitler was no amazing ruler.If you really think so, than love, you must sleep under a Clan sheet at night!
Thomas,you say Bush killed all those people? Then Allah be Praised! I thought
it was the adherents of the Religion of Peace, that killed all those people!.

Republican,

I'm sorry, but it is YOU that is "assuming a lot" without actually reading what I said. And you know what "assuming" does.

I NEVER compared Bush's leadership to that of Hitler, Tito, Hussein or anybody else. I brought them up because of Zlotnik's ignorant statements that it is a soldier's duty to "serve at the whim of his government" and a "real soldier" "obeys without comment". I was pointing out that all the soldiers under Hitler, Tito, Hussein..et.al... must've had the attitude that Zlotnik wants American soldiers to have otherwise, maybe they would've stood up and said "NO" when they were ordered to commit all those tortures and murders. I don't ever want our US Soldiers to be so brainwashed that they cannot think for themselves and they cannot recognize right from wrong and be strong enough to disobey an order when it goes against basic human rights and morals. THAT is also why I brought up Abu Ghraib and Gitmo. Prime examples of inhumane and unjust treatment but passed off by soldiers as "just following orders". Zlotnik claims to abhor war crimes, but by insisting that "real soldiers" "obey without comment" and "serve at the whim of their government", he is saying that no matter what the order, a good soldier obeys... even when it is WRONG.

Your statements about the Reserve and National Guard just show your ignorance on the subject. Tom addressed that well enough though. Although, I don't know what you thought throwing the statement about being controlled by a "female general" was supposed to mean. Obviously you have a problem with not only our Reserve and National Guard troops, but also women.

You also accused me of libel. If you had actually read what I said, you would see that I ASKED Zlotnik if he was one of the soldiers who raped women in Nam. You cannot be accused of libel for asking a question. Learn to read before you put your 2 cents worth in next time.

So, in your question of "who to choose", I've read enough of the ignorant opinionated crap from Zlotnik to know that I wouldn't want him anywhere near a command position in our military.

Krista,
You make Hitler sound like some sort of hero! Did it escape you that when he dragged all the Jews from their homes to be tortured and mass murdered, he also confiscated everything those people owned? Many of them were very wealthy. Hitler and his officers took over their homes and all their belongings and all the money they had... probably quite a large sum, which could account largely for what you consider as Hitler "bringing the country out of poverty".
Sure, it's easy to get out of debt when you kill off thousands of wealthy people and take all their money.

Perhaps the most disgusting thing I have ever heard from you or anyone on any of these forums is this, "He killed thousands of Jews, handicapped people, those mentally retarded, homosexuals, etc. But he killed them in racial hygiene- although this seems "insane" to some, he was trying to ensure a stronger future." WTF??????????????? Are you SERIOUS??????!!!!! Did I actually see you write that, yea, sure he murdered the Jews, retarded people, gays... but it's OK because he was just wanting a better (stronger) future?? A "stronger future" for WHO???? I bet you're blond haired and blue eyes aren't you. Then you add to the insult by saying, "I'm certainly not agreeing with all he did but I am saying I think he was an amazing ruler." You, Krista need to go read some serious books on the Holocaust from the perspective of a Jewish person. I sincerely hope you didn't mean any of that the way it sounded because you just made yourself look like a white-supremacist, skin-headed, white sheet wearing, KKK member with a swastika tatoo on your arm.

Zlotnik,

I think Tom replied to your accusations quite nicely. But I do have something to add. You said, "I am an advocate of hunting down AMERICAN war criminals and punishing them severely". How can you call them "American war criminals" if they were soldiers who were "obeying without comment" and "serving at the whim of their government"??? Yep, that's what you said a "real soldier" does, and most of these soldiers committing these serious crimes claim they were just "following orders."
See, according to what you tell Tom, those other soldiers didn't dare say "NO" when they were given orders to torture people because someone like YOU would've called them a "traitor".

I feel more and more sick every time I hear more out of you.

Tom,

This Blog thing is apparently not for the"Thin of Skin"!!

Intestinal Fortitude is about more than just "Biting the Bullet" in the face of Fire!
It's also about exercising what I think may be our greatest freedom...The Providence derived right to stand up and say"NO...This is WRONG and I'm not going to quietly take it"!!!

Don't let the Flies bother you...
CARRY ON,Trooper!!

Damn,Mr.Lucente,this Zlotnik was goofy and stupid enough,yet harmless...But,keep a close eye on this lady,Krista,she's really zonked.
Ok,Bush feels that the terrorist will all of a sudden pop up in the USA if the troops were to leave Iraq.
If he hasn't heard...The damned terrorist are already here,settled in,and ready to do whatever in hell he thinks they are going to do when they follow the troops home.
All of you "Bush huggers" better get your heads out of your asses,and try to get your stupid ass leader to do the same.
I guess reality will set in when shit starts to going Boom here at home,and the majority of our armed forces are in the Middle East,taking care of a bunch of ungrateful morons.
You all had better stop perpetrating this fraud,and smell the coffee,instead of the shitty environment that you've become accustom to.

Hmmm. It's because of people like you that I have to put up with all of the mud-slinging during campaign season. Have you tried not talking to each other? You're just adding fuel to each other's fire.

Since this country has not come under attack since 9/11; Bush focusing the terrorist's activities in trying to expell the USA from Iraq while marshalling our capability to interdict terrorist activities, (despite treasonous activities of certain newspapers)L I don't think Bush owes anyone an apology.

As far as Mr. Kerry, he is simply repreating his diatribe initiated in 1971 and 1972. Why should Kerry apologoze for being Kerry?

Susan--you have no idea what you are talking about when you try to add your opinion to military topics so I am going to ignore you assuming you and Thomas are the same person.

Now for Thomas...

Stating that the military lost the Vietnam War is quite inaccurate, considering we won every battle. Again you not only insult a sitting president--you insult a million veterans.

The Vietnam War was lost by politicians--and they lost it early on. The EXACT timing of the loss was when China sent a communique to president Kennedy in 1962 stating clearing "We will not tolerate a Democracy on our border."

That simple sentence said it clearly. Even with that, two DEMOCRAT Presidents went ahead and committed US troops to a no-win war.

Speaking of Democrats and war:

Buchanan (D)--set us up for the Civil War
Wilson(D) WWI
FDR WWII
Truman(D)--WWII and Korea--and he was the only human being to use ATOMIC WEAPONS against humans.
JFK(d) and Johnson (D) Vietnam
Carter(D) Iranian Fiasco and eh gave us 16% interest rates for MORTGAGES!!!

Now there is a legacy for you!!!

And you dare insult a sitting Republican President who is fighting the MOST difficult war--a Terrorist War that is threatening our own LAND and people!

I've said my piece--you and your flunkies can pat each others ample sacoriliacs on this blog, but be it known one American has told you it is wrong for any military person to insult a sitting president!

The job of the military is to fight and WIN all wars the USA is engaged in--not DEBATE the damn issues!!!!

And for you other types--do not confuse a patriot for brain-washed. Cowards have used your tactics for quite a while now.

I will leave this blog to all of you, most decent people will not post here--but I had to let Thomas know he was wrong attacking the President of the United States.

Sean, why do you "have to put up with all the mud-slinging during campaign season?"
Seems to me, if you can't take the heat, get out of the damn kitchen.

Zlotkik said, "Susan--you have no idea what you are talking about when you try to add your opinion to military topics so I am going to ignore you assuming you and Thomas are the same person."

If you are truly going to ignore me, then Thank you. That would be a blessing. If you think Tom and I are the same person, that is a compliment to me. But I notice you still addressing him, so apparently you don't really believe that. Either way. I'm tired of your idiotic rampages and I'd be happy if you never address another comment to "SUSAN!" or "Dear Susan" or "MS.Susan" or anything else you call me.

Stating that the US lost the Vietnam war in no way insults veterans. Funny thing how you said that the Vietnam war was lost by politicians and that, "That simple sentence said it clearly. Even with that, two DEMOCRAT Presidents went ahead and committed US troops to a no-win war." Did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, if more people, including soldiers stood up and voiced their objections to that war back then, things would've turned out differently? But no, you had that attitude, "serve at the whim of you government" and "obey without comment". If I know something is stupid and wrong, yet I do it anyway without protest, then who do I have left to blame when I fail? NOBODY. You can keep your favorite words "traitor" and "treason" to yourself on that, every American should be smart enough and have enough courage to stand against the "stupid" and "wrong" things our government forces upon us.

Glad to see you leave, but know that you'll be back.

Krista's posts were removed upon her request.

-tjl-

Jim,

Bush put them in harm's way for no reason so I hold him partially responsible for their deaths. The insurgents are merely protecting their homeland. I can't blame them for I would do the same thing to foreign invaders here.

-tjl-

Ray,

I can take it ...

-tjl-

Slyfoxxx42,

Well said (though a bit too colorfully!)

-tjl-

Sean,

where is the fun in that?

If you think the mudlslinging in elections are bad today, you should read about the 18th and 19th century elections. Those got downright nasty!

-tjl-

Jerry,

That is simply silly. Are you saying that because we put Americans in Iraq, the terrorists are killing them instead of Americans here? Do you really think terrorists would have been able to kill 2,824 Americans in a three-year period on American soil if we weren't in Iraq?

Give me a break! The Iraq war has nothing to do with terrorism and those who believe it does are simply naive and ill-informed.

-tjl-

Zlotnik,

We lost the war in Vietnam. We ducked out with our tails tucked between our legs. Ironically, that is the only major war without a full mobilization of the Reserves and Guard. Coincidence?

And I believe I corrected your incorrect view of history on the forums. Buchanan was not responsible for the Civil War. That is like saying Clinton was responsible for the Iraq invasion or Reagan was responsible for the first Gulf War.

And you can't fight terrorism by invading countries that have nothing to do with terrorism.

And finally, it is the job of EVERY American to debate the issues, especially where war is concerned.

Face it Zlotnik, you are in the minority for supporting this clearly illegal, immoral and unjust war. Is that because of a psychological thing? You guys lost your war so you want to see more Americans die in another failed war?

-tjl-

Susan,
I am putting up with simple-minded morons, like yourself. Everytime something does not go your way (ie 2000, and 2004 elections), people like you have to whine and complain for the next four years. I'm upset at some of the election results, but try to keep your name calling to a minimum. It makes you look like a two year old. Go ahead, say something nasty and mean-spirited, just like the rest of your party.

Sean,
calling someone simple-minded moron is a poor way to go about claiming the high ground when you make statements like..."try to keep your name calling to a minimum. It makes you look like a two year old. Go ahead, say something nasty and mean-spirited, just like the rest of your party." talk about the pot calling the kettle black....

todays word is: shallow

You're jsut another party player.....nothing new but the voice as shrill as ever.

Tom,
How kind of you to allow Krista to remove her posted Hitler worship moment.
I hope she appreciates what you did for her.She still posting from a taxpayer supplied connection? *L*

hayek,
Please read her response. Oh, and I'm not a party player. I'm able to punch BOTH sides of the ballot.

Tom,
I dont' see where insurgents slaughtering innocent people and each
other is protecting your homeland.

Susan,
Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib are not the same.Don't buy into that Dick Durbin
its a soviet gulag being run by nazis performing genocide garbage. while I'm at it, I think that what Zlotnick was telling you earlier about the woman general, is that women aren't fit
to command men.

Hayek,

I never bothered to check to see if she was actually writing that from a government computer. I'm still not sure she understands how bad her comments were. She was more concerned that her e-mail address was public and someone might find her and stalk her. Not sure why she would use her real e-mail address if that was the case (though I think she still believes I used private information to divulge that instead of using public information available to anyone who cared).

-tjl-

Sean,

I don't see where Susan called you name. Just that if you couldn't stand the heat to get out of the kitchen. Then you called her a simple-minded moron. Seems you are the one calling names.

-tjl-

Sean,
I have, and did....however it was YOUR response that caught my eye.I was just noticing the irony of you trying to lecture someone about name calling....two sentences AFTER you did the same thing. Or did I misread your post?

Today's word is: hypocrisy

Jim,

I am, of course, talking about the attacks against U.S. troops. The attacks against each other I could care less about. That is called civil war and we are now stuck in the middle of it. I am sure that both the Confederate and Union troops thought killing each other was protecting their homeland as well.

Really, we should just leave and let them kill each other and settle their differences. I am not sure it really matters to us whether the Sunni or Shiites control Iraq. Either way, the government will be in Islamic control.

-tjl-

Tom,

It would hardly be "private" information if she chose to log into YOUR blog...that would be information that we all chose to allow you to see as the owner of this blog. People often mistakenly assume that they are in some fashion anonymous when they post online. how very foolish. At any rate it was very accommodating of you to allow her that....I'm sure she is appreciative.

Jim,

Many of the insurgents see this as a civil war. In that context they ARE protecting their homeland...from the "other tribes"....AND the US Army that they see as intruders on their home soil. I don't think it's such a stretch to call that protecting "their homeland".

Wow! You do have an excitable readership nowadays! I have no intention of contributing to your debate here but thank you for a very interesting read!

Sean, I really have to wonder why you directed your comment to me. I have never been one to, as you say, "whine and complain for the next four years"... I rarely even comment one way or the other about the elections. It frankly is not that big of a deal to me whether we have a Democrat or a Republican. I just really don't care, as long as whoever it is doesn't run this country into the ground. I voted for Bush, so I can't do too much bitching about him anyway.

Also, why did you say, " but try to keep your name calling to a minimum. It makes you look like a two year old. Go ahead, say something nasty and mean-spirited, just like the rest of your party." ???? I've gone back through and read every comment I've made on this posting and not one single time have I called ANYONE a name, not once. Maybe you were referring to Zlotnik who has called Tom such names as "TRAITOR" and a "disgrace to the uniform" --which are probably two of the biggest insults someone can hurl at a war veteran. He calls Sen.Bob Kerrey a "real baby killer", he calls those of us who agree with Lucente, "flunkies" with fat asses--assuming that's what he meant by "ample sacoriliacs", then of course, YOU called me a "simple minded moron." Please point out to me where exactly I was "name calling", cause I sure can't find it. Although, I do have a few names going through my head at the moment for you...

Thank you hayek, I appreciate the defense.

Jim, I'm not a total idiot, I know that Gitmo and Ghraib are not the same. And it wasn't Zlotnik who made the comment about female generals, it was "Republican", but either way, you are probably right about what he meant.

Tom, that's actually pretty funny that Krista thought you were using some sort of special inside information from your position at The News to find out her name and email. I already knew her full name and email just from clicking on her name when she made her comments. Too bad she wasn't smart enough to fix her settings to hide her email address, or at the very least, use a generic hotmail or yahoo email without her full name and place of employment. Geesh. I'd say she's damn lucky you were cooperative enough to remove her postings so quickly, the things she said about Hitler killing the jews, mentally retarded and gays were so atrocious, I wouldn't be surprised if someone somewhere would've been angered enough by it to track her down. I even made a stink in the other forums about someone else using their real and complete name in their postings because it's just not a safe thing to do. She was right in the thick of that one, I figured she'd have thought to check out how much info she was giving out on herself. As much as I join in the heated debate, I still wouldn't ever want to hear of her or anyone else being attacked in their real "offline world" from someone who hated them on here. I'm sure you have the same concerns for yourself, being the sort of controversial writer you are.

I suspect she might have been even more worried about her "employer" finding out what she was spending "company" time doing, on a "company" computer (assuming she was using the work computer) and worst of all, the sorts of things she was writing. Sorta like finding out you're employer has been watching you on a hidden camera when you've been stealing office supplies or somethin... I imagine she'll spend a few days a little paranoid about whether or not people at work have read any of her work on here.

Hayek,

You are right. However, I did not have to use my private tracking information to reveal who she was (I would never do that). All ANYONE had to do was run the cursor over her name and you see her e-mail address, which of course had her full name and where she worked. For as much as she is spouting off on blogs and forums, I would have thought she would have been smarter than that.

I am happy to oblige, though.

-tjl-

Lee,

Nice to see you still popping in. Hope you can join in some of the debates.

-tjl-

Susan,

You are right. I have received numerous death threats in my years of opinion writing. However, I will not hide from publicly stating my opinion and defending it boldly. For example, one guy (a farmer) threatened to run me over with his combine and then he preceded to tell me that I had better hope we never run into each other. I then told him he knows where I work if he has something to say to me in person. Of course, he never showed up. I have never understood the idea of threatening physical harm against someone just because his or her opinion is different. Of course, if I understood that, then perhaps I could bring peace to the Middle East!

-tjl-

Susan,

You do an admirable job of defending yourself, you don't need my feeble help. I just try to "call em as I see em".

not that anyone gives a crap....

what's with all the late friday night posts?...nobody had a date tonight?

hayek,

small children=no social life

Tom,

It looks as if you might be in good company when questions about the managment of this war are concerned. I wonder if Zlotnik groups these generals, neocons, and Central Command staff into the treason camp along with you?

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/11/fire_rumsfeld_n.html

Hayek,

Yes, I heard about this on the radio today. They interviewed one of the editors of the Army Times who eloqently defended the paper's decision. I thought the same thing you did!

-tjl-

I know I'm gonna get flogged for this:

Tom says:
"Do you really think terrorists would have been able to kill 2,824 Americans in a three-year period on American soil if we weren't in Iraq?"

They were able to kill 3,000+ in a single morning that fateful day in September, 2001.

-rpl-

CBrown519

You know you like getting flogged

You are correct, that is something they were never able to do before or since. And the only reason they were able to that day is because our government officials were asleep at the wheel.

However, and this is important, you have to ask yourself, would that have happened had we been in Iraq on Sept. 10, 2001?

Yes, of course it would have.

Could it happen tomorrow even though we are in Iraq? Yes, though our presence in Afghanistan, a war I support, has significantly crippled al-Qaeda's abilities, they are significantly decentralized to continue to carry out attacks.

That is the fundamental problem of fighting terrorists with military force. They operate in very small groups located throughout the world. Using an army to destroy terrorists is like using an airstrike to kill an individual person. You are going to cause a lot of damage, but the odds of hitting the target are pretty slim.

-tjl-

ya know, I heard CBrown likes it rough... can I watch ?

(before I get flogged myself from anybody else, don't worry, CBrown knows I'm kiddin')

Zlotnik: "For a "lifelong [National Guard]soldier" you are a disgrace to the uniform.

Most people just ignore your comments--as a "lifelong [career] soldier" I cannot."

--------------------

Zlotnik thinks because Lucente & I wear our uniforms less than 40 days per year that we're not "real" soldiers. Our uniforms say "U.S. Army" on them, not "Ohio Army National Guard."

Either he was asleep in History class or just refuses to believe it, but the United States Army was born of a commitment by citizens who were willing to give part time to defend the birth of our nation. The men who fought the Revolutionary War weren't full-time professional soldiers; they were shopkeepers, farmers, doctors, lawyers.

The fact that we are in our uniforms two days a month and 15 days active duty and yet we still pass our annual APFT, Warrior Task Training, et al. Our task conditions and standards are the same as active duty, not some active-duty perceived lesser standard.

Our NCOES is the same training as our active duty counterparts, and in some cases, we attend them at active duty installations in the same classes with active duty soldiers.

Tom knows I am almost always reluctant to toot my horn, as it were; but here's just short piece of the resume of a "part-time National Guard" soldier:

I was an Academic Honor Graduate from my Primary Leadership Development Course in 2001.

Also in 2001, I was a gunner on an M1 tank performing my very first Tank Table VIII at Camp Ripley, Minnesota.

On A-66, the company commander's tank, we were the first crew in our batallion to qualify distinguished scoring more than 900 points (925) out of a possible 1,000.

Our evaluators? They were full-time active duty Tank Crew Evaluators from the United States' Army Armor Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

And ... I was awarded the Bronze Star by Major General Raymond T. Odierno, Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division for my service while assigned to HHC, 4ID during my rotation in Iraq in 2003.

Not bad for a "part-time" soldier serving fewer than 40 days per year.

So stop looking down your nose at us. We can and do meet, and very often exceed, the United States Army's established standards.