Attacking "crackpot" Media Matters, Morgan now accuses "hypocritical cockroach" Soltz of violating "spirit" of Army rules
SUMMARY: In her WorldNetDaily
column, Melanie Morgan falsely asserted that she had "pointed out" in a column
the previous week that VoteVets.org's Jon Soltz is "violating the spirit of
Army rules and regulations" by engaging in political activism while serving in
the Army Reserve. In fact, Morgan specifically claimed that Soltz had committed
"a violation of the U.S. Military's Uniform Code of Military Justice"
by his actions. Morgan cited a military "press release" to back up her claim,
but the release states that the regulations it cited apply to "active-duty
service members."
In an August 17 column at the conservative news website WorldNetDaily, right-wing radio talk show host Melanie Morgan falsely asserted that she had "pointed out" in a column the previous week that VoteVets.org co-founder and chairman Jon Soltz is "actually violating the spirit of Army rules and regulations" by engaging in political activism while serving in the Army Reserve. She also complained of being attacked by "[c]rackpot organizations such as Media Matters for America" for making that claim. In fact, as Media Matters documented, Morgan did not accuse Soltz of violating the "spirit" of the law in her August 10 WorldNetDaily column; rather, she accused him of violating the letter of the law, specifically claiming that Soltz had committed "a violation of the U.S. Military's Uniform Code of Military Justice" by his actions.
Moreover, to back up her new claim that Soltz violated the "spirit of Army rules and regulations," Morgan cited a "press release issued before the 2004 election" -- apparently a July 12, 2004, Armed Forces Press Service "news article" -- quoting what she called the "pertinent passage" from the article: "They're not permitted to make public political speeches, serve in any official capacity in partisan groups, or participate in partisan political campaigns or conventions." But Morgan didn't note that the article specifically states such prohibitions on political activism apply to "active-duty service members":
Today, [Steve] Epstein [director of the Department of Defense (DoD) General Counsel's Standards of Conduct Office] said two sets of rules help protect the integrity of the political process: a DoD directive for active-duty service members and the Hatch Act for federal civilians. These rules keep the military out of partisan politics and ensure that the workplace remains politically neutral, he said.
That's not to imply that military members and civilian employees can't participate in politics. Epstein said DoD encourages both groups to register to vote and vote as they choose, and to urge others to vote. Both groups can sign nominating petitions for candidates and express their personal opinions about candidates and issues but only if they don't do so as representatives of the armed forces. Also, all federal employees can make contributions to political organizations or candidates.
Beyond that, the list of dos and don'ts differs widely, depending on whether the employee is an active-duty service member, a rank-and-file Civil Service employee, a political appointee or member of the career Senior Executive Service, Epstein said.
Of all DoD employees, the men and women in uniform have the most restrictions regarding political activity, he explained. A 1993 revision to the Hatch Act freed most Civil Service employees to engage in political activities outside the workplace that were once forbidden, although many restrictions still apply.
For example, service members as well as government civilians can attend political meetings or rallies. Military members can attend only as spectators and not in uniform. They're not permitted to make public political speeches, serve in any official capacity in partisan groups, or participate in partisan political campaigns or conventions.
On the other hand, civilian employees governed by the Hatch Act may be active in and speak before political gatherings or serve as officers of political parties or partisan groups. They also are permitted to manage campaigns, distribute literature, write political articles or serve as a spokesperson for a party or candidate.
The Armed Forces Press Service news article provides links at the end to the Hatch Act and "DoD Directive 1344.10, Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty" (emphasis added). While the link provided to DoD Directive 1344.10 is no longer active, an updated version of the directive issued August 2, 2004 (less than two months after the Armed Forces Press Service news article was published), as its name indicates, applies only to active duty personnel, including reservists while engaged in annual training duty.
In addition, in her August 17 column, Morgan baselessly suggested that Soltz had not, in fact, fought in Iraq, writing that VoteVets.org "funnel[s] money to those who wish to undermine America's security by accepting defeat in the war against the radical Muslim jihadists Soltz claims to have fought." In fact, in his VoteVets.org biography, Soltz states that "[f]rom May to September 2003, [he] served as a Captain during Operation Iraqi Freedom, deploying logistics convoys with the 1st Armored Division." Soltz repeated this information as part of his March 13, 2007, sworn testimony before the House Veterans Affairs Committee's subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, and stated during his sworn testimony, "I myself am an Iraq war veteran." Soltz is now a reservist.
Finally, Morgan called Soltz a "hypocritical cockroach" -- a characterization repeated from her August 10 column -- stating that "[h]e needs to be stomped on and neutralized before he and his ilk can silence military support for the mission in Iraq.
From Morgan's August 17 WorldNetDaily column:
Last week, I wrote of the hypocrisy and irresponsibility of Army reservist Jon Soltz, co-founder of the defeatist organization VoteVets.org. A few weeks ago, Soltz attacked the integrity of a fine, patriotic member of the military, U.S. Army Sgt. David Aguina, because he dared to attend a panel sponsored by the moonbat organization DailyKos and ask for evidence that "the surge" has made Iraqi violence worse. Soltz unleashed a vitriolic diatribe against Aguina, accusing him of improperly participating in political activities while wearing the uniform.
Only one problem: Soltz participates in overtly political activities while wearing his uniform.
I pointed this out last week. While Soltz berated Aguina for his completely legal, non-partisan act of asking an intelligent question, Soltz IS actually violating the spirit of Army rules and regulation.
Crackpot organizations such as Media Matters for America have since attacked me and accused me of "making up" Army rules. As usual, Media Matters provides more bark than fact.
A press release issued before the 2004 election by the military reminded service members of how they can and cannot participate in political activities. Here is the pertinent passage: "They're not permitted to make public political speeches, serve in any official capacity in partisan groups, or participate in partisan political campaigns or conventions."
Soltz seems to have forgotten this, at least when it is convenient for him. His organization, Vote Vets, is clearly political and partisan. Its website lists seven candidates whom the organization supports. All are members of the Democrat [sic] Party.
In addition, Vote Vets, which Soltz chairs, operates a political action committee, funneling money to those who wish to undermine America's security by accepting defeat in the war against the radical Muslim jihadists Soltz claims to have fought. If chairing a political action committee isn't participating in partisan political campaigns and conventions, then what is?
As a final insult, Soltz also posted a photo of himself in uniform on this clearly partisan political website.
[...]
Jon Soltz is still a hypocritical cockroach. He needs to be stomped on and neutralized before he and his ilk can silence military support for the mission in Iraq.
Hey Melanie be quiet shut up and stop the hate.
Casey,
I'm getting scared! Boortz used the cockroach term the other day, maybe this is the code word to round up all dissenters. I'm going to be on the look out when I go home to night, and thanks to my time at MMFA I can feign right wing nuttiness if I have to get past a check point or something and I might stat order one of those pro-Bush tee-shirts or thongs over the week-end. http://www.cafepress.com/cafebush.4807189Yeah lynn we need to be careful of both melanie and boortz. These two nuts may feed off eachother and trying to outdo eachother in lies and hate. She may be the worst of all of them.
Good Hotel Rwanda reference. I think the same thing now when I hear these wingnuts talk like that.
My thought exactly, the first time I heard this woman use that term. Disgusting.
Lynn, a pro-bush thong? Ugh, pretty scary! How about this?
http://www.cafepress.com/sunworks.27766386
It may get you detained at the checkpoint, but what the heck?
Casey, I understand your request of Morgan, but as an advocate of free speech, I don't know if I'm comfortable with your instructions to her.
Maybe it would be more polite to direct her here, for a seconf opinion.
Is she too old to volunteer?
We want at least marginally competent people in the military, thus Melanie hasn't joined.
If she has a husband, I wohder if he served in any capacity ?
According what's available on Wiki, Morgan escapes eligibility by about 11 years. It makes me wonder what her views on Operation Desert Storm were or what she was doing at the time.
Noteworthy mentions:
Sean Hannity and Skeletor (aka Ann Coulter) escape by about 5 years each.
I believe Matt Drudge has about two more months until he goes from eligible to ineligible chicken hawk.
Michelle Malkin, however, has a good 4 years of opportunity left to prove that personal sacrifice for the Iraq war is more important than the money she's paid for her rightwing hackery.
If she were an officer, she'd get fragged.
I didn't realize Soltz was not active duty. While I stand by the basics of what I posted yesterday about the UCMJ, I now willfully withdraw what little support I gave Morgan. She needs to re-cake that pie hole of hers, the cracks are showing.
SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!!
The woman can't distinguish a Marine from a Soldier, the Uniform Code of Military Justice from her bizarre invention from her own imagination the "Unified Marine Code?" or whatever she came up with on her own show!
She was invited on PBS with Jon Soltz and found herself offending just about everybody she came in contact with, and will never be seen again on PBS as a result, while Jon has had several appearances since! I suppose it's not that she is a complete nut case, but a "liberal media conspiracy" as is every instance of a Republican pundit confronted with the truth!
When will we take our nation back from the ignorant pundits that flog the same lies for the benefit of a corporate agenda which has it's own self interest in mind, and cares little about America, American Democracy, or Americans!
So; as we wave bye-bye to billions of taxpayers dollars fleeced by the Vice President and his inside deals of "no-bid contracts" to his old company and as they move to Dubai to avoid American Corporate Taxes that barely exist in a Bush Administration, think about how you could have changed all of this by VOTING FOR A DEMOCRAT!!
This with the blood of patriots at the call of war from scoundrels, criminals, and their propaganists! Words have meaning, TV/Radio have the bully pulpit, put the two together unchallanged and Fascism is the result!!
If that doesn't tick you off, please goe to Dubai with Halliburton-KBR, and good riddens!
Happy Thoughts;
Dan Grady
Happy Thoughts;
Um, Melanie , There's a certain SENATOR from North Carolina who is in the Army Reserves. Oh, right, he's a Republican so that doesn't matter - talk about hypocritical cockroaches..
Oops - Meant South Carolina."Since 1995, Graham has continued to serve his country in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and is the only U.S. Senator currently serving in the Guard or Reserves. He is a colonel and is assigned as a Senior Instructor at the Air Force JAG School."
Don't forget one of the most famous conservative Republicans of all Barry Goldwater was actually a major general in the AF Reserves:
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=g000267
Congress, like state legislatures and local governing bodies, is full of reservists. I'm pretty sure all of them have participated in partisan political activities.
Cockroaches all, according to Melanie.
Sorry, there should be a period between "all" and "Barry." I hate that we can't edit our comments here.
Cockroach seems to be the new "it" word ;-)
Cochroaches have been around for 350 Million years - they are survivors, versatile, tenacious - heck it probably shouldn't be a derogative!Meline is a species called RushLimbaughWannaBeItIs - hopefully a species that will die off in the next couple of years.
Wannabeetles?
When you find yourself in a hole it's always a good idea to stop digging.
Wouldn't it just be easier for this woman to admit she is wrong about the Military Code of Conduct or does she want to be the one to tell reservist Lindsey Graham he has to give up his seat in the Senate because the code forbids him to make "public political speeches, serve in any official capacity in partisan groups, or participate in partisan political campaigns or conventions."
This is from the Senator's website:
"Since 1995, Graham has continued to serve his country in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and is the only U.S. Senator currently serving in the Guard or Reserves. He is a colonel and is assigned as a Senior Instructor at the Air Force JAG School."
[link to lgraham.senate.gov]
Don't confuse Melanie with THE FACTS.
Don't forget the other potential source of confusion:
Republican representative and reservist Stephen Buyer.
that last paragraph says it all. he needs to be stomped on so he cant silence military support for the mission. Wow!! I have heard Soltz on TV and never thought of what he was doing as silencing the other end of the argument. Yet it sounds like that is exactly what she intends with the antiwar side of the debate. I remember marching against the Vietnam war but was wearing a military jacket. I was -within the antiwar movement- expressing support for the soldiers themselves by wearing a military jacket. the onlookers were pointing fingers at me as if they wanted to step on me like a cockroach because I had on military attire. Many on the right just do not believe in freedom of speech. I think that is clear. Maybe people who do not understand or respect freedom of speech are the ones who should go to another country.
We often hear that it's we who want to shut people up, but it's their side that does that. Bush shut up people who attended his rallies, and she wants to shut up the opposition.
Il Duce Morgan
As painful as it is, I occasionally listen to Melanie on KSFO (or as I call it, WKKK).
When you hear her batschit crazy rants against anything Islamic and her pathological praising of Duhhbya, corporate America and the 21st century edition of The Crusades, you can't help but label her what she is - a fascist.
Drafted, you may very well have hit on the perfect nick name for this loathsome Black Shirt wanna' be: Il Duchebag!
Perfect, Mescal. And she shall be known by this name from this day forward.
This woman is so vile, she makes Ann Coulter seem pleasant. The worst of the above, IMO, is this trash...
"n addition, Vote Vets, which Soltz chairs, operates a political action committee, funneling money to those who wish to undermine America's security by accepting defeat in the war against the radical Muslim jihadists Soltz claims to have fought."
I read that as she doubts he really served (way to support the troops, Mel) or she thinks he was helping terrorists in Iraq.
This woman makes me sick. I plan on telling her so. I hope others do to.
I have a question , is there any chance that Morgan will be syndicated? She seems so hateful?
Hate IS a requirement for conservative syndication, so...
"He needs to be stomped on and neutralized..." Sounds like Morgan is making a DEATH THREAT, doesn't it?
That's her bread and butter. I occasionally listen to her radio show with Lee Morgan (just for a dose of crazy), and those two always degenerate into violent fantasies. Their rants often end with some variation of beating or killing somebody. It's truly disturbing.
But it's just a joke, remember.
Today is Friday, wine, beer chips and salsa. Usually after a couple of glasses I rant. Well in honor of all of that will someone please buy that cow......ugh Melanie a one-way ticket to Iraq. Better yet I'll buy her ticket cause I sick of those who don't have the ba**s to serve criticizing anyone who volunteered to serve to protect her fat a**. Now I'm going back to my wine, chips and salsa feeling much better for getting that off my chest. Happy Friday To All!!!
Well in honor of all of that will someone please buy that cow......ugh Melanie a one-way ticket to Iraq.
You have just insulted cows everywhere!
Well in honor of all of that will someone please buy that cow......ugh Melanie a one-way ticket to Iraq.
You have just insulted cows everywhere!
OK I apologized to the rodent population the other day and now I’ll apologize to the Kaho population but I will continue to say that is an ugly side of beef.
For the love of god!
Haven't we done enough to the poor Iraqis already?
These right wingers can just keep beating their heads against the wall of MMFA, and I'll enjoy every minute of it. Their wildly intemperate attacks on the relentlessly sober Media Matters can only reflect badly on their own character. MMFA won't go away or even budge at all.
Yorn desh born, der ritt de gitt der gue / Orn desh, dee born desh, de umn børk! børk! børk!
Creckput oorguneezeshuns sooch es Medeea Metters fur Emereeca hefe-a seence-a ettecked me-a und eccoosed me-a ooff "mekeeng up" Ermy rooles. Es usooel, Medeea Metters prufeedes mure-a berk thun fect.
There, much better now!
Thats too Funny Snoopy!!
I can't believe that anyone can be so chronically stupid as Morgan apparently is. Simply defys logic and common sense. Oh, wait.......
What was I thinking?!
Maybe Ms Morgan should change tactics and start showing cleavage instead of brain ( or lack of )
If she was the last woman in the world
I'd geld myself.
People loke this lady are hateful and unhappy. They do their best to make everyone around them the same. Ask anyone who works for her or someone like OReailly. They are terrors to work for and nobody can do anything right but them. I ignore these hate-filled goobers.
I know it is often necessary to show the idiocy and errors of some of these folks, but what a wast of many people's time. Is this the way our contry is going to go since Newt and Karl? Sad, Sad, Sad.
As I've said before, and will say again, right wing shills, such as Morgan, Limbaugh, et all (you guys know who I'm talking about) are ALL about "supporting the troops" as long as they don't oppose, or say anything counter to what their views are. If they do, then they're fair game for the right wing attack machine, which is of course what we have here, again. They've done it before, they'll do it again.
If Morgan has a problem with his stance, and what he stands for, by all means, disagree with that, and leave the personal nasty things out of it, but I know, and we know, that these types of people don't operate like that. They love to attack the messenger, because basically, they know that this is all they have.
This is what I was talking about in the other Jon Stewart thread before it got misinterpreted. There appears to be no room for a counter view regarding patriotism in the US from what I can see. From what I can see it seems to be the prevailing view from the Right rather than the Left, although I'm willing to bet right now that there are some on the Left just as blatantly biased. I just can't believe sometimes how vitriolic some of your commentators can get when a differing view is aired.
You can get Air America on the internet to hear the left wing version. Though they can be equally emotional, they'll generally let anyone give a complete statement out. I don't see the intolerance there. Actual and complete information, some of it well reasoned and inteligently presented. Media Matters columnists show up there with some regularity. David Brock was on one of the last Al Frankin Shows to desribe the promotion of the story that Obama had gone to a Madras and was therefore actually a radical Islamist.
I imagine the images and thought processes presented to the world by the MSM and I am thoughly embarrased.
Fair enough. It amuses me actually to see that they can get away with this, although not in a funny hahaha sense. The levels of political discourse in the US and the UK is completely different.
Too bad Morgana can't be heard in other areas. This is the type of crap that got the Repubs dismissed in November and will only help the D's again in '08. Someone should call out the Repub candidates and ask them what they think of one of their mouthpieces. I think I will write each of hem.
Just a question. Is M Morgan related to Ann Coulter or is she Rush's younger sister?
The best thing for America is to keep having Melanie Morgan on cable news shows. She makes such a fool of herself and has so few facts that she absolutely destroys whatever tiny credibility she ever had. Her smirk and her aggressive discomfort are hilarious.
I don't think that those of Soltz's "ilk" can possibly "silence the military support for the mission in Iraq"-- so long as the Bush Administration continues to claim fantasmal victory, the more rational American public will decipher the mission a loss, and worse, our government delusional.
www.ashby2008.com
What an awful bloody skank.
Ever since Melanie Morgan left the gambling table, she has never been the same since. This middle-aged, media mouth uses hate to booster her low ratings.
Nutwingers like Morgan will soon fade into the sunset. Advertisers/sponsors are wising up to radio host like her and yanking their ads from their shows. The advertisers/sponsors don't want their brand names associated with these hateful, rightwing nutties.
Of course, rightwing radio talk show hosts will never mention this on the air, but privately, things are not going well. Keep track of the number of ads that used to run on their shows.
Oh, happy day...
All US soldiers are still citizens and deserving of all the rights of a citizen. It is their oath to defend to defend the Constitution, if the enemy be domestic leadership, tis their right and duty to speak out. Land of the free and brave, Ms. Morgan, not the craven and crawling.
MM is typically lazy and dishonest. If she'd bothered to actually look at the Vote Vets website, she'd know they endorsed a Republican candidate,Sam Schulz, in the 2006 congressional primaries. Mr. Schulz currently serves on the board of Vote Vets, in fact.
http://www.votevets.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=45
She evidently gets her information from that fountain of wisdom, Buzz Patterson. By the way, he actually did accuse Solz of violating the UCMJ on at least one message board:
[link to www.crooksandliars.com] doesn't seem to realize, though, that as a military retiree, the UCMJ does apply to him:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/08/09/hardball-is-hillary-a-hawk-or-a-dove/
(Post # 71)
He has embarrassed himself so many times, you'd think he'd quit presenting himself as an expert on anything military. In 2004, for instance, he proved that he was unable to even read a simple DD 214 form:
[link to beldar.blogs.com]
Link to Mr. Helbig's excellent takedown of Buzz Patterson at Beldar's Blog:
http://beldar.blogs.com/beldarblog/2004/10/rumor_mill_buzz.html#c2609419
Sorry about the format problems in my last post.
Here is the link to the Vote Vets page:
http://www.votevets.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=45
Here's what that messed up paragraph was supposed to look lie:
Buzz doesn't seem to realize, though, that as a military retiree, the UCMJ does apply to him:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/ucmjart2.htm
And "(Post # 71) was referring to the Crooks and Liars page.
Sigh. Oh well.
I do believe that several members of Congress are in the Reserves. Someone should point out to Ms. Morgan that if Stolz is violating the rules, than the POLITICIANS who are in the reserves are certinaly also violating the rules.
We never have to worry about melanie morgan ever violating the spirit of anything since first she would have to have a spirit.
Didn't boosh supposedly go AWOL from the Air National Guard to help run his dada's election campaign?
One of the Nazi's favorite term was vermin, and their plans to stamp them out.
Are Nazi's directing the new Republican meme?
Good Golly Miss Morgan, can you friken read before you speak - idiot. This is what happens when a loser from the right (most never served) thinks they know everything about the military and make stupid remarks. I served for over 23 years and I knew exactly what I could and could not do when it came to political activities. Why, because active duty members are briefed every election cycle. But dumb people (or right wingers, republicans, etc.) either have a problem with the ability to read, think, and then speak/write or they were all educated under the "No dumb republican left behind vision" of Karly Rove. It doesn't matter to them that tell lies because they know that the people who will believe them are of the same flock of feathers - liars. What is really amazing is that Ms. Melanie Morgan is actually employed by any newspaper. I thought for sure they had a minimal requirement for the position as a staff writer or columnist; an IQ above 60. I guess things all changed when "W" was elected. The first mentally challenge president in our history. Well I guess leaving out previous borderline challenged republicans is unfair, so I will mention Nixon; Ford; Reagan; and of course Bush I.