Vets Running For Congress Focus On Iraq

CBS Evening News: As Congressional Hopefuls, Former Soldiers Campaign On War Issues

(CBS)  The war in Iraq may have faded as an election issue compared to the economy, reports CBS News correspondent Russ Mitchell, but for about two dozen candidates for Congress, Iraq remains front and center. That's because they're Iraq war veterans battling to take Capitol Hill. And in them, an echo of the presidential race, can be heard.

In New York's Hudson River Valley, former school teacher Kieran Lalor is running to transform himself from citizen solider to citizen legislator.

"Sometimes people ask me, 'What was your position on the war back in 2003?'" Lalor says. "I say, 'about 100 meters from Euphrates River.'"

As a Marine Lance Corporal, Lalor was deployed in combat at the start of the Iraq war, and now he opposes any fixed timetable to withdraw American troops.

"The last thing I want is for us to leave Iraq prematurely, turn it over to an Iraqi government that's not ready to hold onto it," Lalor says.

In the Chicago suburbs, Democrat Jill Morgenthaler sees the Iraq debate differently. A retired Army Colonel, she's the highest-ranking Iraq veteran running for Congress.

"458 to 500 million dollars a day being spent in this," Morganthaler told the crowd at one of her campaign events. "One of the exciting things we are going to do is bring this war to an end."

Morgenthaler served 30 years of active and reserve duty, including 10 months in Iraq in 2004.

"I went, you know, because I was ordered to, and I was going to do my honorable duty, but I did not feel that's where we should have been," Morganthaler says. "We should have been in Afghanistan, where we knew al Qaeda was."

Morgenthaler is the only woman among 22 Iraq war veterans fighting for seats in the House of Representatives. Ten are democrats. A dozen - republicans.

Pennsylvania's Patrick Murphy is currently the only Iraq veteran in the House.

"I need more battle buddies from across this country to fight for veterans benefits," Murphy says.

A former Army captain elected just two years ago as a Democrat, Murphy sponsored legislation last year to bring the troops home, and he'd like to see one brigade a month - about 3,000 soldiers - start to leave. It's a view shaped by his year in the war zone.

"I used to lead convoys up and down ambush alley - six lane highway - scouting for roadside bombs and rooftop snipers," Murphy says. "Fast forward now five years later, it's still the Americans doing the heavy lifting."

Murphy's Republican challenger - Marine turned business executive Tom Manion - did not serve in Iraq, but his son, Travis, did.

"He was shot and killed by enemy sniper fire a little more than a year-and-a-half-ago," Manion told supporters at one of his campaign events.

Manion doesn't want troops to exit Iraq, not yet.

"Travis wanted us to understand he was doing what he believed in," Manion says. "We never want to have the enemy know that we have a fixed timeline so they can start planning around what we're doing."

Right now, only one-quarter of the House of Representatives are military veterans, down substantially from the peak of three-quarters in 1959, after the World War II generation had run for office.

[atlanta1962]

and veterans are still left behind in care and benefits now in 2008 past and present veterans are dealing with this now I know I am one with 23 years service 1981-2004

[jonathanw20]

Why is Sarah Palin not releasing even a summary medical report? Is it drugs? abortions? Why did she put the life of the unborn at risk and took a 8 hour long flight to Alaska after her water broke? Why didn''t she seek immediate or on flight medical attention?

[wogerwabbit]

The neglect of our vets is just another charge to add to this admistrations long list of crimes against humanity. And don''t forget, John McCain ignored them too.

[FHMullane]

We need to take care of our Veterans... I hope we do. BUT getting out of Iraq and timelines... this is NOT our choice. I don''t know how people don''t understand. If we don''t agree to a lot of conditions including a time line we are out of there December 31 2008!!!! It is not our country... might as well be for what it is costing in money and lives but it isn''t and they will tell us when to leave. Don''t vote for someone too nieve to understand that concept.

[barbaram99]

We do need to get out of the middle East.oh yes we do, War is wrong . I am a daughter of a Vet. I love my Dad. We need to care for all Americans Vet and not Vet alike. I felt that way at 20 and still today at 54. Thank ye Vets.

[iamdemocrat]

I believe many Americans are uneasy because Obama has masked himself (with the media''s aid). He''s masked his past, his friendships and alliances, his philosophy, and even his family details. But every now and then the mask slips and reveals a cultural radical; a constitutional radical; a socialist radical; a foreign affairs radical. And though the mask is quickly fixed back on, and the slip duly papered over by the MSM, I think doubts linger with middle America.
There is much to dislike about John McCain. But he is transparent, and Americans can know and weigh his flaws. I think Americans sense that they haven''t been let in on Obama''s true identity; they''re buying a pig in a poke. And the MSM''s increasingly absurd lengths to prop him up and tear down anyone opposed to him are backfiring. The MSM isn''t just running defence, they''re seen to be running defence -- the Los Angeles Times'' partisan decision not to release a videotape of Obama meeting with a Palestinian radical being the perfect example. Americans don''t know many details about Obama -- but they know they don''t know, and they know they don''t know because the media won''t investigate Obama. A steady stream of disconcerting reports of voter registration fraud, combined with an extremely heavy-handed approach to dealing with mild critics (like the illegal release of Joe the Plumber''s private tax and divorce data) only adds to

the feeling of unease.
I bet McCain will win.
-Ezra Levant

[doctajim]

Here in Dist 3 in California, Bill Durston, a democratic Vietnam Vet who is now an Emergency Room Physician is running against a "typical corrupted Republican" whose father got Nixon to get his kid out of the draft. Typical hypocritical Republican values - "Let''s start a war so you can go die for Amnerica and I can get rich off the profiteering". Lungren is taking a page out of the "last minute liars page" of the rest of the Republican party - I hope there''s sufficient room in the RICO defendant''s box for Lungren!

[ddaymichael]

I would gladly vote for John McCain just as soon as his corrupt Republican cronies and all their fat-cat campaign donors see to it that EVERY ONE OF THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS GETS PUT ON THE FRONT LINES IN IRAQ!

AND NONE OF THIS SISSY BODY ARMOR ***!

("WE FIGHT WITH THE ARMY WE HAVE...NOT THE ARMY WE WANT")

[notfooled]

Patriotism is standing up against the evil brought against this country by the Bush/Cheney crime syndicate, first with their black-ops terror attacks on 911 to inspire and justify their foreign wars for bloodmoney profit, their attack on all environmental and consumer protections, and finally their ruthless attack on our civil liberties in the name of protecting us.

Patriotism is standing up against the sheeple followers and enduring their ignorant ridicule while speaking out against the evil wrought upon us by the very folks we entrusted to lead us.

Any who want to continue fighting in these wars for profit are seriously deluded - don''t vote for them.

[longtree-2009]

guess even vets don''t get it. it''s the economy, nothing more and nothing less. the economy. the economy is the number one priority with american voters, not the wars. the wars have been going on for years now and still no decisive victory. bin laden has not been killed nor his number two man. it''s the economy vets, the economy.

[pirmin3]

LOL these burger flippers that were soldiers now want to take their lack of brains to congress. I''m sure the trailer trash electorate will vote for their heeeeroooo''s.

[grumpas]

Afghanistan/ Iraq are bankrupting us! Afghanistan bankrupted the old Soviet Union they haven''t been the same since. What do all you patriotic Republican''s want????? A country that has been destroyed by to much debt or admit when you have made a mistake and just get out????? I know you Republican''s are trying to bankrupt this country! You have made that clear and are succeeding. We can not afford 10 billion a month to continue on with your follies. We need the money here at home for our people! Grow up! Go get a shot of testosterone in place of war!

[newsthought1]

America is fed up with all the scandals from Republican crooks, liars, perverts, lawbreakers, and used-car salesmen hucksters that have trashed this country over the last eight years:

Bill Frist
Randy "Duke" Cunningham
Jack Abramoff
Tom DeLay
Mark Foley
Larry Craig
Ted Haggard
Bob Ney
Trent Lott
Alberto Gonzales
Donald Runsfled
Scooter Libby
*** Cheney
George Bush

Lying about reasons for going to war with Iraq (Uranium, false claims about Iraq''s supposed weapons of mass destruction.)
Torture in Abu Ghraib.
The treasonous exposure of a CIA agent by White House officials. (Plamegate)
Halliburton%u2019s overcharging and outright fraud for services in Iraq
Lack of body armor for troops
Enron
Katrina
Illegal wiretapping
Political influence peddling
*** scandals
Election tampering
Ballooning federal debt
Economy in a tailspin

And these are just for starters%u2026

Enough is enough, America is ready for change!

[jsd330]

The troop withdraw time table is a good way to go.Why should we keep spending US taxpayers money, when Iraq has oil money from us paying over $4 per gallon. It''s time for the US to tell the Iraq government to start spending their own money and equip their own army. You want our military supplies then you buy them. No more freebies. you think the media is hiding things about Obama, what about Palin?
you never hear about her husband belonging to a group in Alaska that wants to seceed from the United States, or that she has made speeches to that group.
What about McCains military record he crashed 5 jets,
Was a jokester not a maverick from the begining of his navel career graduated fifth from the bottom of his class at the navel academy. So why isn''t the media telling us about him and Sara? Joe the plumbers records are not personal, they are public, tax records and divorce records. Hey he wanted the attenion now he got it. A guy who doesn''t care about paying his taxes, and he is questioning Obama about taxes.