http://www.buzzflash.com/mailbag/04/09/mai04251.html-snip-
Subject: mocking purple heart--I made some phone calls
FYI, I called two GOP Congressional offices, "Duke" Cunningham and "Buck" McKeon to express my shock at seeing the Purple Heart disparaged. Interestingly enough, their aides were completely argumentative with me after I told them who I was, that I worked in Germany, home of the 1ID, which was deployed to Iraq, and that I was shocked to see Candy Crowley interviewing GOP delegates who were making a mockery of the Purple Heart. I said that the Wuerzburg Army Hospital takes in our less severely wounded from Landstuhl, and that those wounded had been awarded Purple Hearts by General Bell three weeks ago. Was President Bush suggesting that these soldiers didn't deserve their Purple Hearts? The aides in each office argued with me, and yelled at me! I could not believe that they were talking over me and interrupting! They were extremely aggressive and unprofessional.
McKeon's aide refused to say that McKeon would or should denounce such behavior, dismissing the notion out of hand. She was not shocked by the delegates' behavior at all, despite my telling her that I was living overseas on a military base which had troops deployed to Iraq. She just couldn't see what the problem was.
Cunningham's aide was a worse. He was immediately rude, combative, and completely dismissive of the event.
I told him I couldn't believe that he would be argumentative with me over such a sensitive issue, considering that I had told him I worked on a military base that was the home of a division that was currently deployed to Iraq, and that the base had a hospital that took in our injured.
Was Congressman Cunningham telling me that our injured didn't deserve the Purple Heart, that their wounds were too slight? The aide said that the Congressman was busy working on issues to "help our soldiers" and didn't have time for this discussion!
I asked him if Congressman Cunningham would be denouncing the delegates' behavior. The aide said only one delegate was involved, so it wasn't necessary. I said it was NOT one individual! It was several delegates!
He argued with me for four minutes and would have done so much longer, I sensed in hopes that I would hang up on him. I finally said that I was shocked that he would go head-to-head with me over the GOP's mocking our soldiers during a time of war, that if anything, this issue should have been something we could both readily agree to abhor! I asked him, over his objections, when the GOP was going to move on to the discussion of more substantive issues, like an exit strategy. With all the crosstalk, I had to end the call with, "I'll let my co-workers on base know how the congressman feels about this. Have a good day."
The GOP is mean and no longer capable of civil discourse! It is truly frightening. Usually, congressional aides are required to take down the message and politely say, "I'll pass it on to the Congressperson. Thanks for calling." But GOP aides must have received marching orders not to tolerate an opposing view and to argue a point to the death. And to what end? If to alienate and belittle, their combative halitosis cut a wide swath through DoD offices this morning 'round the water cooler.
Then I called some RNC people, or tried to. Here are the results:
Keith Hensley, Asst to COO: Voice mail. I left a message of outrage.
Karen Keller, Deputy CEO: "Karen Keller will not be checking her voice mail from now on." Who can blame her?
Jim DiEleuterio, Bigshot consultant:number: Line repeatedly busy. Chickenshit.
Lauren Kane, CEO's office: Got her to answer. I told her who I was, that I worked on an army base in Germany, the division was deployed, couldn't believe what I was seeing on CNN, that delegates were making a mockery of the Purple Heart. Would President Bush denounce this behavior? Longggg pause...for 20 seconds. Finally, I hear Lauren ask someone, "What time is it?" and then someone says, "You'd better hang up." And she did. Perhaps her phone indicated that I really was overseas?
Mark Pfeifle, Dir. of Communications: Voice mail, so I left my message...gave my background and said that since Mark was the Communications Director, I hoped he would be communicating to President Bush my displeasure with the GOP delegates and to advise the president that making a mockery of the Purple Heart was an insult to our soldiers.
Lenny Alcivar, Main Spokesman: Voice mail. I left a message, saying that since he was the Main Spokesman, I hoped he would speak to President Bush about denouncing the delegates' belittling of the Purple Heart and our soldiers, which was taking place on the convention floor.
Then I called the WH. Someone with a southern accent was genuinely upset by the delegates' behavior (I sensed she knew someone in the military) and said that although operators weren't supposed to comment, she was outraged as well. She hadn't even heard about the incident until I'd told her. The operator said, "I hope you won't hold this against the president. This isn't how he feels." I said that I begged to differ, that there wasn't a single person outside of Colin Powell with any real military experience in the WH, and frankly, that lack of military understanding was showing up on the GOP Convention floor. We wished each other a good day, and she said she'd pass on my message, a reminder of how the Grand Old Party used to be.
Michele W.
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