I agree that both lean to the right in their "official" stance, but you'd be surprised how many regular members feel on the fence or directly opposed to what is perceived as the VFW/Legion stamp of approval for this war. Still being in, I sometimes stop at either the local Legion or VFW on my way back from drill in uniform. After the pats on the back and free drink, the next question is always "so what do you think?". Now I'm an officer, in uniform, so I NEVER just start spewing what I might if it were my close friends asking, but I temper it and offer some deeper insight than what either the right or left news gives them. I would say that more than 50% of the regular guys at both the Legion and VFW that first supported the war and its conduct, now just shake their heads and admit they were deceived and can't understand how we got here. This usually turns into a friendly argument with one of the right wingers at the place, which is always amusing to watch.

In a separate incident. I was coming back from drill to my hotel (my unit is 4 hours from my home). Didn't know it when I booked, but the Vietnam Veterans of America were having their annual meeting at the hotel. Again, I was in uniform and as I walked from the parking garage to the elevators, I had to cross the lobby. The vets had an open bar set up and about 300 were sitting and standing around drinking beer. I'm in my ACUs, I have both a CAB and ABN wings, and even though I am not SF, I served with them in Iraq so I have an SF combat patch....well you can see it was moths to a flame. Pats on the back, questions about which SF group I served with, and after chatting for a bit I started to hear someone clapping, then it grew. I turned around and I was getting a standing ovation....feeling very embarrassed I said a few words and hurried down to the downstairs bar, still don't feel like I measure up to what these guys went through. In that bar, again talking with Vietnam vets, the same thing came out, they shake their heads and wonder why and what the hell happened to get us here.

So I would say, give them a chance, go to the spaghetti dinner, you'd be surprised how many you might have views in common with. I do not agree with the VFW's policy, but I did join. Asked why, I give the same answer as to why I went to Iraq by a lefty..."Would you want only those blindly committed to the war to go? Imagine the loss of checks and balances"

Saying that we dont't have the time, resources, personnel, etc to train enough diplomatic security or government employed PSD (personal security detail) personnel is just a cop out at best, and an deliberate attempt to line the pockets of your contractor friends at worst. First, Military Police are suited for this work and do function in PSD roles for lower (read colonels and generals) officials. Second, PSD is a limited scope mission. If you want to hire off the street, 6 months of training will do it. You don't need special warefare skills to perform PSD. PSD requires a narrow skill set. You don't even need to know how to perform traditional military offensive operations. being trained in special operations, something that these contractors like to imply is needed to be effective, is to be frank, a marketing ploy. Most special forces are not even trained to do PSD...they pick up the skills at a course later in their career.

The fact that we're seeing Blackwater and other firms stepping outside their lane of responsibility is that they hire soldiers who are trained in a full range of military operations and then expect them to constrain themselves to PSD. How long has this war been going on???? And you're here to tell me that you don't have the time to produce PSD personnel? Bull$hit.

I cannot fathom how Karl Rove can keep himself gainfully employed. Isn't he the "Boy Genius" that masterminded the "next 100 years of Republican rule"? If W drove this bus to the cliff, isn't Rove the one who gave him the keys? That Republicans still listen to him gives me comfort in knowing that perhaps we can secure 100 years of Democratic rule.