Posted on 11/01/2006 1:19:33 PM PST by doug from upland
The American Legion... MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE... 1608 "K" ST., N.W.... WASHINGTON, D.C. 20006... (202) 861-2700, Ext. 1312... Fax (202) 861-2785... Web Site: www.legion.org... Note: Please call or reply email if interested in receiving the official letterhead version of Commander Morin's letter....
American Legion Natl Cmdr Response to Chris Matthews of MSNBC
November 1, 2006
Hardball w/ Chris Matthews 400 N. Capitol Street, NW Suite 850 Washington, DC 20001
Dear Mr. Matthews:
I would like to set the record straight about your erroneous statement about me on yesterday’s broadcast. Regarding The American Legion’s reaction to Sen. Kerry’s outrageous comments about the military, you said, “So this is a bit of theater orchestrated well by the White House. They have got the American Legion commander out there making a statement. They got him to do it. I’m sure - I assume that most of these people didn’t read the whole statement of Kerry yesterday, but they are happy to jump on the quote they got.”
The White House orchestrated no such thing with The American Legion. The American Legion is nonpartisan and prohibited by its own constitution and bylaws from engaging in partisan politics. The White House never asked The American Legion to issue any statement regarding Sen. Kerry’s comments. Of course, a little research on your part might have persuaded you not to make such ill-informed comments. The American Legion has been on record supporting the troops since it’s founding in 1919. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and AMVETS were also offended by Sen. Kerry’s comments. Are those fine organizations also White House toadies as you insinuated about us? I don’t know whether I should be insulted by your statement or just laugh it off as a “botched joke.”
In the interest of fairness you should retract your statement about me and The American Legion on this evening’s broadcast or allow me to appear on “Hardball” to set the record straight myself.
If you wish to discuss this matter further, please contact my media relations manager, Ramona Joyce, at (202) 445-1161.
Sincerely,
Paul A. Morin National Commander
(317) 630-1233
Thanks for the report.
You have Chris Matthews confused with Chris Wallace. We don't know about Chris Matthews' father, but his brother is a Republican running (IIRC) for Lt. Gov in Pennsylvania.
No I don't Matthews father was a Tammany Hall
type thug/apparatchik for the Dims, for most
of his life.
Ohh - didn't know that. Never heard a thing about his father.
VFW to Kerry: Don’t Use Troops as Butt of Jokes
WASHINGTON, Oct 31, 2006 - The national commander of America’s largest organization of combat veterans is calling for an apology from Sen. John Kerry, who told a group of college students yesterday that education is the key to keeping themselves out of Iraq.
“The senator was attempting levity and it backfired, big time,” said Gary Kurpius, the commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. “You don’t use troops as the butt of your jokes.”
The Massachusetts senator, who was speaking at Pasadena City College on behalf of the California democratic gubernatorial challenger, said: “You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”
“Senator Kerry is a decorated Vietnam veteran and a fellow VFW member who differs with the president on the prosecution of the war, but that doesn’t give him carte blanche to use education as a weapon and our servicemen and women as his targets,” said Kurpius, who’s also a Vietnam veteran.
“There’s already a serious disconnect between the war’s impact on the general population and the 2.2 million who proudly serve in uniform,” he said. “Let’s not use politics to widen that gap.”
http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=3650
He stated again tonight that it was a set up by the White House and the Legion. He also referened Kerrys awful Vetnam speech and asked Buchanna if one more soldier should die in Iraq. No kidding. His leftism in showing very much this past 2 months. He assumes as the rest of the Liberal Media that Reps are aganist gay marriage and in doing so they are gay bashing. Really. Is being aganist gay marriage gay bashing.
Very nice.The Republica sticker can say"VOTE REPUBLICAN,BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU'RE SMART!!!
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