Some USO Board Members Unhappy With MoveOn.org Partnership on Phone Cards for Troops

[babylonsister]

Deal with MoveOn irks some USO directors

Some USO Board Members Unhappy With MoveOn.org Partnership on Phone Cards for Troops

ANDREW TAYLOR
AP News

Jan 02, 2008 16:26 EST


The chairman of the United Service Organizations defended its decision to pair with MoveOn.org to provide phone cards to U.S. troops after some USO board members were outraged by a partnership with a group that opposes the Iraq war.

At least one board member, Vietnam veteran John Gioia, called for USO President Edward Powell to be fired over his decision to accept more than $350,000 from MoveOn's members to buy phone cards for troops overseas.

In September, MoveOn angered opponents and even some supporters by placing an advertisement in The New York Times in advance of congressional testimony by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, about the status of President Bush's war strategy. The ad said, "General Petraeus, or General Betray Us?"

That's hardly a sentiment felt by USO board members, many of whom are retired military officers or Bush appointees.

There were rumblings of discontent over Powell's decision last month to accept MoveOn's offer to e-mail its 3.3 million members soliciting $15 contributions to pay for the phone cards.

"USO is partnering with an anti-war, anti-administration organization that castigates the efforts of General Petraeus and our troops — past and present — who have served in Iraq," Gioia said in an e-mail to other USO directors and employees. "I am disgusted by this action."

more...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/01/deal_with_moveon_irks_some_uso.php

[sniffa]

1. maybe MoveOn can send body armor instead

will they gripe about that?

[Gman]

2. Whoa! Heaven forbid ! Why, Moveon is against the troops, aren't they??

Those poor board members have got to have whiplash over this. This makes the USO board members that are twisted in a knot over this look like complete hypocritical asses, but then that's redundant.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Aw, shucks, and here I thought those guys were tough "warriors".

Afraid of anti-war donuts for the troops. :nopity:

[AlCzervik]

4. Gioia should be take the donation and shut it.

[rodeodance]

5. whinny babies!

[Mojorabbit]

6. Does anyone

have an email addy for John Gioia and this org. I'd like to let him know that there are alot of us who are against the war but not the troops.

[Graybeard]

7. I donate to both the USO and MoveOn.

This is an example of what the RightWingNuts do not want known; that we oppose the policy but support the troops.

[Chovexani]

8. What is so fucking hard to understand about this

Being against the war != being against the troops.

NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, PEOPLE.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Gioia is a swift boat coward

According to the USO's website (http://uso.org/pubs/uploads/annual_report_2005/USO_Board_of_Governors.pdf">USO Board of Governors) our dear Mr. Gioia is from Alexandria Virginia, the same as a John Gioia from Alexandria, Virginia who donated http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/527/swift_boat_vets_and_pows_for_truth.asp">$2,500 to the swifties in 2004.

Way to be "open-minded" asshole.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Oops, disclaimer...

...there might be 2 John Gioias in Alexandria, Virginia who are Vietnam veterans.

My bad.

[Graybeard]

12. Nice find. Welcome to DU!

Gioia would deny thousands of troops the means to speak to their family members. What a heartless bastard.

[Horse with no Name]

16. They HATE bipartisanship

which makes me wonder why a few of our candidates cannot wait to extend it.

[Solly Mack]

10. Fuck Gioia

[alstephenson]

13. So it's the Board's job to determine WHO TO TAKE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM???

What an asshole. The troops should do without their phone cards because HE doesn't agree with the donor's politics??? Why doesn't he just put up the $350K himself then?

[ColbertWatcher]

15. He's a swift boat coward...

...but, technically there could be two John Gioias in Alexandria, Virginia who are Vietnam veterans.

According to the USO's website (http://uso.org/pubs/uploads/annual_report_2005/USO_Board_of_Governors.pdf">USO Board of Governors) our dear Mr. Gioia is from Alexandria Virginia, the same as a John Gioia from Alexandria, Virginia who donated http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/527/swift_boat_vets_and_pows_for_truth.asp">$2,500 to the swifties in 2004.

[lpbk2713]

14. They don't have the troops needs or desires in mind if they can be that selective.

Rather than making a decision on what the troops might really want the board

members decided to make a decision based on their own political ideology instead.

[Pastiche423]

17. John Gioia

- snip - The other super-star we have on the Board is John Gioia. He has mastered the art of the “put down”. His standard modus operandi is to “put down” speakers at the Board meetings who don’t agree with him. But he waits until the speaker sits down and can’t respond to his remarks. And his favorite phrase has become “don’t put words in my mouth”.

The latest example of this is when he belittled one of his very own constituents from El Sobrante, Marilynne Mellander. She spoke on the sad state of the county’s financial situation and referred to Gioia’s attitude and remarks at the Financial Committee meeting. She said his attitude was that the Mood’s downgrade was no big deal and his words downplayed the severity of the financial crisis indicating some minor financial tricks would solve the problem.

After she sat down he proceeded to attack her in a very sarcastic tone (another trademark of his), denying both his attitude and words and accused her of “putting words in his mouth”. Those who attended the Financial Committee meeting, heard what he said and saw how he acted, support Mellander and agree her comments were accurate.

This is a standard Gioia tactic. Shouldn’t a Supervisor treat people with respect, even those who disagree with him/or her? Of course this is too much to ever expect from John Gioia.

Well folks, we should all feel blessed that we have such super Supervisors looking out for our well-being.

http://halfwaytoconcord.com/?m=200512

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Then let them give the money back and buy the phone cards themselves.

Good grief these people make me ill.