Seventeen Against One

Falling in line, a slate of Iraq vets hit the ballots as Republicans

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that seventeen Iraq War veterans are running for the House, all as Republicans and all pledging to support John McCain. What the article didn’t mention is that they aren’t the first to try. If any of the 17 is successful, they will join Patrick J. Murphy, a representative from Pennsylvania’s 8th district, a self-identified Blue-Dog Democrat and the only Iraq vet currently serving in Congress.

The seventeen are all running under the guidance of Kieran Michael Lalor – a former Marine who is campaigning for the seat in New York’s 19^th – and his organization, Iraq Vets for Congress. Lalor’s opening remarks on the group’s website welcome his fellow veterans, but with a caveat:

“All veterans whose service to the United States brought them first to Iraq and now to a run for the House as pro-victory Republicans are welcome to become part of Iraq Veterans For Congress.”

What would Murphy say to that? He spent a year in Baghdad as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. But the issues section of his own website openly states that he stood up against the troop escalation, voted to end blank-check funding for the war and introduced two resolutions in the House: the Iraq Accountability Act and the Iraq De-Escalation Act of 2007.

Corporal Lalor also writes, “We are unified in our commitment to relieve the Democrats of their command of Congress.”

Watch out, Captain Murphy. If enough of them are elected, the Republican warrior cabal might jump you, and your Bronze Star won’t protect you in halls of Congress.