We have posted quite a few items on the various smears against Sarah Palin. This morning I posted the most recent, from VoteVets.org that Sarah Palin violated operational security. Bob Owens has now dismantled the claim.
Jon Soltz, a former U.S. Army Captain, Iraq War veteran, and chairman of Votevets.org, is claiming that gov. Palin violated operational security by revealing that her eldest son, Track, would be deploying to Iraq. Soltz repeated the smear on another prominent political web site, the Huffington Post.In the same post he goes on to list a handful of other Palin smears that have cost some in the media their credibility.But the claim Gov. Palin violated operational security is demonstrably false, which Soltz, as a former soldier, should have know before posting his claims. CNN's Anderson Cooper dismantled Soltz's transparently partisan attack, pointing out that the Pentagon announced Track Palin's unit was deploying to Iraq back in May, and that the unit itself had announced a public deployment ceremony a month before Palin was announced as John McCain's running mate. Two separate field-grade officers contacted have confirmed that Palin in no way violated operational security.
Some news agencies have released far more about Track Palin's deployment and his unit, including claiming to know to which province his unit would be deploying in Iraq. Without the benefit of any evidence at all, Soltz claims that the McCain-Palin campaign must be behind this disclosure. Though it damages his credibility and tarnishes the veteran's group he chairs, Jon Soltz has put his credibility and that of VoteVets.org on the line in hopes of undermining a proud soldier's mother for releasing already public information.
Comments (21)
The Dems/MSM are throwing e... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Justrand
| September 9, 2008 7:07 PM | Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
The Dems/MSM are throwing every imaginable (and some UN-imaginable) smear and allegation they can at Palin.
WHY NOT?
They have NOTHING left to lose, can sink no lower in the eyes of the American public, and can't even SEE "Credibility" in their rear-view mirror any more/
Amusing to hear Obama claim: "Republicans are gonna say....", though Repubilicans have NOT. Meanwhile the Dems and their MSM allies ARE saying heinous things.
a pathetic double-standard!
1. Posted by Justrand
| September 9, 2008 7:07 PM |
Score: 9 (11 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 19:07
2. Posted by LaMedusa | September 9, 2008 7:34 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Let's say the news agencies have any solid proof of what province his unit would be deployed to, that would really put them more in danger than Palin's actual announcement. Screw all that security mumbo jumbo, Soltz needs to get his priorities straight. It's disconcerting to think he would relinquish integrity in favor of a political agenda. I think I'll send him a "nice" e-mail asking WTF?
2. Posted by LaMedusa | September 9, 2008 7:34 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 19:34
3. Posted by Oyster | September 9, 2008 7:40 PM | Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
I kept thinking to myself, "John Soltz. Why does that name sound so familiar?" And then it hit me. He's the big Kos pal and works diligently with MoveOnorg.
3. Posted by Oyster | September 9, 2008 7:40 PM |
Score: 8 (10 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 19:40
4. Posted by Justrand
| September 9, 2008 7:59 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
I see where Obama is now trying to "repair" his image with women.
yup, talking about Palin and then using the reference "Lipstick on the PIG" is the perfect way to win back any and all offended women...right?
4. Posted by Justrand
| September 9, 2008 7:59 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 19:59
5. Posted by Chip | September 9, 2008 8:15 PM | Score: -2 (12 votes cast)
I wouldn't make too much of Obama using the lipstick on a pig line, it'll damage him of course but Cheney and McCain have both used the line before. There is even a you tube video of Cheney using the exact line. Sorry but this Obama gaffe will be short lived but highly exploited.
5. Posted by Chip | September 9, 2008 8:15 PM |
Score: -2 (12 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 20:15
6. Posted by HughS | September 9, 2008 8:16 PM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Justrand
It's everywhere...in minutes.
6. Posted by HughS | September 9, 2008 8:16 PM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 20:16
7. Posted by Son Of The Godfather | September 9, 2008 8:39 PM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Sorry Chip,
It's specifically directed at Palin.
Yes, Cheney and McCain both have used the phrase, but most folks will hear "Palin=Pig" from Obama's lips. I think that just might have a negative effect on PUMAs.
It may not be fair, but neither have ANY of the outrageous criticisms of Sarah Palin.
7. Posted by Son Of The Godfather | September 9, 2008 8:39 PM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 20:39
8. Posted by Chip | September 9, 2008 8:45 PM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Son Of The Godfather,
I agree, the audience clearly saw this as a direct reference to Palin. This will definitely hurt him in the short term but I the legs on this will give out fairly quickly. Thing is, the left is just better at feigned outrage than the right is at either feigned or real. I just don't look for this to do any real sustainable damage to his campaign, he quite possibly could make a comeback from this. I hope I'm wrong.
8. Posted by Chip | September 9, 2008 8:45 PM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 20:45
9. Posted by McGehee
| September 9, 2008 8:53 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
I think it's worth considering that the "legs" of a story really can't be measured by how long people talk about them openly -- but rather what the impact is on how people perceive the person who's saying or doing these things.
None of the stories about Bill Clinton's serial skirt-chasing or seemingly pathological mendacity ever really had "legs" if you judge by how long people kept talking about any one of them...
9. Posted by McGehee
| September 9, 2008 8:53 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 20:53
10. Posted by HughS | September 9, 2008 9:02 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
No, this will have some legs.
An appropriate riposte would have been "lipstick on a pit bull" not "lipstick on a pig".
It will be yet another "potatoe" moment, or worse.
10. Posted by HughS | September 9, 2008 9:02 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 21:02
11. Posted by Son Of The Godfather | September 9, 2008 9:16 PM | Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Chip,
Quite possibly.
The left is VERY forgiving... of their own.
I'm thinking more of those voters teetering the tightrope.
If I were McCain or Palin, I would use it to show (again) how out of touch Obama is by holding up a picture of a pitbull and a pig and explaining the differences.
But yeah, it may not have legs, but the damage will be felt.
11. Posted by Son Of The Godfather | September 9, 2008 9:16 PM |
Score: 1 (5 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 21:16
12. Posted by Lorie Byrd | September 9, 2008 10:17 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
"VoteVets never attacked Track Palin. The group only seeks to find out who is potentially putting service members in greater harm by leaking details about troop movements, and if there is a political motivation behind these leaks."
I might believe that if I had not 1) read the press release they put out 2) known about the group. They are fiercely partisan and anti-Bush.
12. Posted by Lorie Byrd | September 9, 2008 10:17 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 22:17
13. Posted by Dagpotter | September 9, 2008 10:26 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
I live in Alabama. President Bush has come here twice in the last year and we will never see McCain or Palin. Tough living in a non-competitive state.
13. Posted by Dagpotter | September 9, 2008 10:26 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on September 9, 2008 22:26
14. Posted by SDW | September 10, 2008 1:19 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
If Sarah Palin is the head of the Alaska National Guard, couldn't she have used a bit of that clout to get Track Palin on stage at the RNC convention? Where is he? What is the real reason he is in the military?
We don't hear much about him ...
14. Posted by SDW | September 10, 2008 1:19 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on September 10, 2008 13:19
15. Posted by John Irving | September 11, 2008 1:28 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
The only appropriate response to your questions, SDW, is that you are an ass. Maybe when you're old enough to vote you'll have matured a bit.
15. Posted by John Irving | September 11, 2008 1:28 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on September 11, 2008 01:28
16. Posted by IraqWarVeteran | September 11, 2008 2:50 AM | Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
The problem with your research is that AR 530-1 clearly speaks of not using EXACTS. Governor Palin told the world to include our enemies of the EXACT date (September 11th) that her son and his infantry unit would be deploying to Iraq. The pentagon itself never ever informs anyone besides the unit that is doing the movement of the EXACT date. Governor Palin did not only endanger her son but every single soldier in his unit, battalion and brigade that is deploying to the combat zone.
The Operational Security that she broke was not that he was deploying and it wasn't that he is deploying to Iraq but it was that she told our enemies of the EXACT date.
You need to do some better research....its all laid out in the Army Regulation.
16. Posted by IraqWarVeteran | September 11, 2008 2:50 AM |
Score: 0 (4 votes cast)
Posted on September 11, 2008 02:50
17. Posted by Infantry Vet | September 11, 2008 4:45 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
The only reason its NOT a violation of OPSEC is because Gov Palin was lying about the date of deployment to exploit 9-11, the military and her son. This isn't the action of a criminal, merely a scoundrel.
17. Posted by Infantry Vet | September 11, 2008 4:45 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on September 11, 2008 16:45
18. Posted by Another Iraq Vet | September 14, 2008 2:53 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Oh, good grief. Track's unit had already announced a public deployment ceremony. The date was no secret at all. Sarah Palin, though I don't much care for her, revealed nothing. She did nothing wrong.
To tell you the truth, with candidates on both sides having sons in the military, I was hoping it'd be a non-issue this year. McCain's older son is away at a service academy while his younger son enlisted with the Marines back in 2006 and saw combat in Iraq last year. Biden's kid is about to deploy with the Delaware National Guard. To McCain's credit, he's the only one who hasn't paraded his children's service before the media. All their service is honorable, but it doesn't make any of their parents more or less qualified to lead the country. Palin and Biden should take a hint from McCain, imho, and stfu about it.
18. Posted by Another Iraq Vet | September 14, 2008 2:53 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on September 14, 2008 14:53
19. Posted by IraqWarVeteran | September 14, 2008 5:52 PM | Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Another Iraq Vet:
we all had public ceremony's. My whole family came to my ceremony each time we deployed.
That's not what's being questioned here.
It was the line "my son is deploying on September 11th". Now I don't know about your unit, but we were told in out unit never to give out exact dates on our movement. Governor Palin told our enemies the exact date of her son's deployment. Either she used that date to continue to sell the Replublican propaganda or she broke the law.
Now, you use Senator McCain and Senator Biden's children as an example. Well let me do that too. Do you remember either Senator McCain or Senator Biden mentioning the exact date of their children's deployment? I sure don't, why did she?
19. Posted by IraqWarVeteran | September 14, 2008 5:52 PM |
Score: 0 (2 votes cast)
Posted on September 14, 2008 17:52
20. Posted by pop | September 22, 2008 2:33 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Too much whinning of stupid sh!t you think that there are no muslims in america watching our bases here lol.
20. Posted by pop | September 22, 2008 2:33 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on September 22, 2008 14:33
21. Posted by IraqWarVeteran | September 24, 2008 9:21 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
pop:
What does that have to do with the debate?
Are you saying that all Muslims living in America are terrorists? Well then my friend and fellow combat veteran who took a RPG almost directly must be a terrorist too, huh?
It doesn't matter if your Muslim, Jewish, Christian or Atheist....AR 530-1 tells us troops never to give out exacts about troop movements, to any person!!
21. Posted by IraqWarVeteran | September 24, 2008 9:21 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on September 24, 2008 21:21