Pro-war vets running for Congress team up

[unhappycamper]

Pro-war vets running for Congress team up
By Julie Carr Smyth - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 26, 2008 21:50:37 EST

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Scott Radcliffe believes two tours of duty in Iraq gave him the stuff to serve in Congress. As a platoon commander, he helped spearhead economic development, built citizen coalitions and made many tough decisions, often amid enemy fire.

“I would be putting all I learned in that pressure-filled environment into practice. So it really cuts through metal,” said Radcliffe, 28, who seeks to unseat a newly elected Republican in northwest Ohio.

He’s among the dozen or so Republicans from across the country helping each other campaign under the banner of Iraq Veterans for Congress, cross-promoting each other and directing donors to a shared Web site. It’s a response to the anti-war veterans whose campaigns drew attention in 2006, among them Patrick Murphy of Philadelphia, the lone Iraq war vet serving in Congress.

The platform of Iraq Vets for Congress grew out of the attitudes of the previous election: They believe in victory in Iraq, staying on the offense in the war on terror and taking care of all veterans, said founder Kieran Lalor, who’s running for a seat in New York.

Lalor’s pro-war band of brothers includes California’s Eric Egland, a military intelligence officer who gained national attention for his book “The Troops Need You, America” and a charity of the same name. Other members of the group hail from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana and Maine.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_candidate_veterans_022608/