Another veterans group I’ll no longer support
Posted by Richard on October 11, 2010
I used to donate to the Disabled American Veterans from time to time. I stopped after learning that the DAV funneled lots of money to Socialist Democrat candidates. I've been a regular contributor to the Veterans of Foreign Wars for years, but I've made my last contribution to that organization, and for the same disgusting reason:
You might think that a prominent veterans organization like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) would actually reserve its political endorsements for, you know, veterans, or at least those politicians that actually demonstrate some level of respect for the military. But you would be wrong. And the problem is not just the VFW; rather, the VFW’s current lobbyist-driven fiasco simply serves to illustrate how out-of-touch the Washington in-crowd is with the feelings of us benighted souls dwelling outside the beltway.
In the Florida 22nd Congressional District race, incumbent Democrat Ron Klien is running against Republican challenger Allen West. Actually, he’s properly addressed as Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Allen West, a decorated combat veteran who commanded a battalion in Iraq until he was forced to retire after making a 9mm suggestion to a captured terrorist that it would be a very, very smart move to give up some information about future attacks against LTC West’s men. Now, that’s not to say Congressman Klien does not have a distinguished military record of his own – to be fair, apparently he saw most of Saving Private Ryan on AMC once, though he found it pretty scary.
After due consideration- which apparently means the VFW’s lobbyists told it to do so – the VFW endorsed Klein.
Okay, sometimes an organization makes a mistake. I mean, it’s not like the VFW decided to endorse, say, a liberal Democratic senator who tried to humiliate an Army general testifying by demanding that he call her “Senator” instead of the perfectly appropriate “ma’am,” or who allowed her fundraisers to be hosted by the likes of Hanoi Jane. That would be, well, crazy.
Oh, wait. The VFW is endorsing leftist Senator Barbara Boxer. Yeah, the same Barbara Boxer who voted to undercut us troops as we sat out in the desert waiting for Operation Desert Storm to start. Yeah, the same Barbara Boxer who undercut the troops by voting to cut and run in Iraq. Yeah, that Barbara Boxer – the one who will be running around using the VFW’s shameful endorsement as a shield against the truth of her track record of contempt for our military.
…
Like so many institutions, the VFW’s connection with Washington has dragged it away from its roots. The organization’s relentless lobbying on behalf of veterans for more and more benefits has meant cozying up to any politicians who will trade their votes for the credibility the VFW’s endorsement provides. But now, the VFW’s Washington operation is only about getting more and more benefits, and this has created an unholy alliance with politicians who detest the military yet crave the ability to play the veterans card.
Read the whole thing. According to Blackfive, the VFW has also endorsed Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter against challenger and Navy veteran Ryan Frazier. Along with Alcee Hastings, Barbara Lee, Chuck Schumer, Pat Leahy, … the list goes on.
But Perlmutter?? Seriously? Even the Denver Post, a reliably Democrat-leaning rag, has endorsed Frazier over Perlmutter! And the VFW still snubs the veteran Frazier for the Socialist Democrat Perlmutter? Unforgivable.
I've just made another donation to Frazier for Colorado. And a first donation to Allen West for Congress. I've also sent an email to vfwpac@vfw.org informing them that the VFW will never get another penny from me, and why.
Annie said
I totally agree with your decision. Don’t donate if they aren’t going to make proper use of the money. I’m glad to see that you are donating to someone, even political campaigns even though you aren’t donating to the disabled american veterans anymore. You never know who the money is going to anymore.