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'''Vets for Freedom''' (VFF), which as recently as September 2007 declared itself the "leading voice representing troops and veterans from [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]]."<ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/about/ About], Vets for Freedom, accessed September 1, 2007.</ref>, on July 10, 2007, resumed its pro-[[Bush administration]], pro-[[war in Iraq]] political activities by launching its [[Vets for Freedom/"Win the War! Victory in Iraq" campaign|<u>Win</u> the War! Victory in Iraq" campaign]], stating that the "next ten weeks will be absolutely crucial in determining the fate of the Iraq War." <ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/tenweeks/ "10 Weeks to Testimony,"] Vets for Freedom, July 10, 2007.</ref> <ref>[http://dadmanly.blogspot.com/2007/07/call-to-action.html "Call to Action,"] ''Dadmanly'' Blogspot, July 10, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2007/07/vets-for-freedom-win-war.html "Vets for Freedom... Win the War?"], ''SWAC Girl'' Blog, July 12, 2007.</ref>

:Since, in his September 13, 2007, address to the nation, President [[George W. Bush]] appears to have dropped "victory" from his goals for Iraq, and has substituted "success" in its place,<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-assess14sep14,0,133758.story?coll=la-home-center "Bush redefines 'victory',"] ''Los Angeles Times'', September 14, 2007.</ref> will Vets for Freedom now rename its pro-victory in Iraq campaign "<u>Win</u> the War! Success in Iraq"?

VFF communicates its slogan in military terms: "Mobilizing veterans to communicate America's strategic objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan."<ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org Vets for Freedom website.]</ref>

In July 2006, VFF&mdash;calling itself the [[Vets for Freedom Action Fund]] (VFF-AF)&mdash;registered<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070208191741/http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/ Archived copy of most recent update to Vets for Freedom Action Fund home page], February 8, 2007.</ref> with the IRS as a [[527 committee]] national [[lobbyist|lobby]]. It was, in essence, a [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[front group]] managed by Republican-affiliated [[public relations]]<ref>[https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vets_for_Freedom_Action_Fund#High-Level_Republican_Media_Outlets.E2.80.94Embedded:_Connecting_the_Dots "VFF-AF High-Level Republican Media Outlets&mdash;Embedded: Connecting the Dots,"] SourceWatch.</ref>, [[media]]<ref>[https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vets_for_Freedom_Action_Fund#High-Level_Republican_Media_Reps "VFF-AF High-Level Republican Media Reps,"] SourceWatch.</ref>, legal<ref>[https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vets_for_Freedom_Action_Fund#High-Level_Republican_Legal_Representation "VFF-AF High-Level Republican Legal Representation,"] SourceWatch.</ref>, and political consultants, including former White House spokesman [[Taylor Gross]], to defeat candidates who advocate an end to the US [[occupation of Iraq]].

=="National Heroes Tour"==

In March 2008, VFF arranged "a low-key classroom discussion about patriotism and service to country" at Lake Forest High School in Minnesota. Then, VFF "decided to call a press conference at the school and alerted media." In response, "anti-war activists, including [[Iraq Veterans Against the War|veterans of Iraq who oppose the war]]" decided to organize "their own press conference and rally." <ref name="HeroesBus">Nick Coleman, "[http://www.startribune.com/local/17035406.html A political agenda hid behind a talk with heroes]," ''Star Tribune'' (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota), March 26, 2008.</ref>

The high school canceled the event. Right-wing radio and television began criticizing Principal [[Steve Massey]], and angry conservatives called and emailed him, "calling him a coward, a Communist or a spineless America Hater." Local columnist [[Nick Coleman]] suggested, "Maybe a Minnesota school was just trying to keep its students from becoming pawns in a political game. There would not have been much outrage" if, instead of being billed as the "Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour," the event had been called the "Republican Tour to Shore Up the Pro-War Vote," he added. <ref name="HeroesBus"/>

==Non-partisan, bi-partisan or neocon [[lobbyist]]s?==

===Funded by [[Republican Jewish Coalition]] / [[Freedom's Watch]]===

"Working behind the scenes through most of the summer" 2007, Freedom's Watch president [[Bradley A. Blakeman]] "assembled big-dollar donors and quietly helped pro-war groups ranging from the [[American Legion]] to [[Rolling Thunder]] make a case for Bush's war strategy. Freedom's Watch also formed partnerships with other groups backing the war, such as [[Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission|Families United]], '''Vets for Freedom''' and the [[Veterans of Foreign Wars]]," Jim Kuhnhenn reported September 28, 2007, for the Associated Press.<ref>Jim Kuhnhenn, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/28/politics/p105148D06.DTL&type=politics "Outsiders Aim to Frame Political Debate,"] Associated Press (''San Francisco Chronicle''), September 28, 2007.</ref>

===VFF staff and members have extensive ties to George W. Bush, Bill Kristol and Republican Party===

* '''VFF Executive Director wrote article in pro-War ''Weekly Standard'':'''
**[[Pete Hegseth]], VFF's Executive Director since May 2007, wrote the article "What Would Lincoln Do? Civil War Woes Emblematic Of Those Faced In Iraq," published June 26, 2007, in [[neo-conservative]] [[William Kristol]]'s ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' magazine. Hegseth addressed statements made by Sen. [[Carl Levin]] (D-Mich.) in a June 21, 2007, ''Washington Post'' op-ed<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/20/AR2007062001870.html "Lincoln's Example for Iraq,"] ''Washington Post'', June 21, 2007.</ref> which "bothered" Hegseth, "all of which run counter to realities on the ground in Iraq," Hegseth wrote.<ref>Pete Hegseth, [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/26/opinion/main2980809.shtml?source=search_story "What Would Lincoln Do? Civil War Woes Emblematic Of Those Faced In Iraq,"] ''The Weekly Standard'', June 26, 2007.</ref>

:*Note: William (Bill) Kristol is an original co-founder of the [[Project for the New American Century]], as well as a member of and an advisor to the [[Foundation for the Defense of Democracies]], with which Vets for Freedom has become associated.<ref>[https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vets_for_Freedom/%22Win_the_War%21_Victory_in_Iraq%22_campaign#Foundation_for_the_Defense_of_Democracies Vets for Freedom (Foundation for the Defense of Democracies section),] SourceWatch article.</ref> 

* '''VFF National Field Director has worked for other pro-War groups and works for McCain's presidential campaign:'''
** An Iraq veteran, VFF National Field Director [[Joel A. Arends]] is a U.S. Army Reserve Captain <ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/about/ About: National Leadership Team,] Vets for Freedom, accessed August 14, 2007.</ref> who served 2003-2005 as Platoon Leader and Company Commander for the 1st Cavalry Division.<ref>[http://www.kcrw.com/people/news/programs/tp/tp070112can_us_get_out_of_t/arends_joel?role=news_guest Joel Arends,] KCRW.com, accessed August 14, 2007.</ref><ref>Joel A. Arends, [http://publiusforum.blogspot.com/2006/08/help-us-soldier-spread-truth-about.html "Help a US Soldier Spread the TRUTH About Iraq,"] ''Publius' Forum'' Blogspot, August 31, 2006.</ref> He is a member of<ref name="Bret">Bret Hayworth, [http://www.familiesunitedmission.com/cgi-data/news/files/62.shtml "Soldier says Iraq a place of great progress,"] ''Sioux City (Iowa) Journal'' (Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission), April 9, 2006.</ref> and previously worked with [[Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission]], another pro-war in Iraq organization.<ref>Joel A. Arends, [http://publiusforum.blogspot.com/2006/08/help-us-soldier-spread-truth-about.html "Help a US Soldier Spread the TRUTH About Iraq,"] ''Publius' Forum'' Blogspot, August 31, 2006.</ref> In 2000, Arends ran unsuccesfully for the Iowa Statehouse "while living in Sioux City".<ref name="Bret"/> He is listed in May 2007 as a paid staffer for [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[U.S. presidential election, 2008|2008 presidential]] hopeful [[John McCain: U.S. presidential election, 2008|John McCain]]<ref>[http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=95925 "IowaPolitics.com: First quarter Iowa-related spending by presidential candidates,"] ''IowaPolitics.com'', May 15, 2007.</ref> and, when appearing at an August 8, 2007, O'Brien County Republican Summer Gala in Paullina, Iowa, Arends was described as "now a surrogate for Senator McCain's campaign".<ref>Don McDowell, [http://cycloneconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/08/obrien-county-republican-summer-gala.html "O'Brien County Republican Summer Gala,"] ''Cyclone Conservatives'' Blogspot, August 9, 2007.</ref> Also in August 2007, Arends was identified as the replacement for [[Craig Dewey]] as [[Americans for Prosperity]]'s South Dakota Assistant State Director.<ref>PP, [http://dakotawarcollege.com/?p=2758 "I hate when that happens...,"] ''South Dakota War College'' Blog, August 12, 2007.</ref>

* '''VFF member wrote article in pro-War ''National Review'' and is a "course assistant" for William Kristol at Harvard:'''
**VFF member [[Alex Gallo]], a West Point graduate who served in 2004 as an infantry officer in Samarrah, Iraq, wrote a pro-war in Iraq article<ref name="Gallo 7/18/07">Alex Gallo, [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTk5MDFmZDM0Y2JmOGZjNzRiYTIxZGUwOTVkZjcxODk= "Duty, Honor … Reelection? Conduct unbecoming senators,"] ''National Review Online'', July 18, 2007.</ref> that was published July 18, 2007, by ''National Review Online''. 
** Gallo is currently a "masters in public-policy candidate" at Harvard University's [[John F. Kennedy School of Government]],<ref name="Gallo 7/18/07"/> where he is "course assistant" for Kristol's "Can America be Governed?"<ref>Thomas Park, [http://media.www.ksgcitizen.org/media/storage/paper223/news/2007/02/21/Features/From-North.New.Jersey.To.Iraq-2730663.shtml "From North New Jersey to Iraq,"] ''The Citizen''/Kennedy School of Government, February 21, 2007.</ref> Kristol, whom [[David Corn]] calls<ref>David Corn, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701456.html?hpid=opinionsbox1 "Why Bush Is A Loser,"] ''Washington Post'', July 18, 2007.</ref> "the No. 1 cheerleader for the Iraq war," in 2006 assisted VFF-AF in its pro-war in Iraq campaign support of Sen. [[Joe Lieberman]] (I-Conn.).

* '''VFF member organized against Democratic congressional candidate in 2006, is challenging Republican congressman in 2008 primary, published essay in pro-War, Kristol-owned ''Weekly Standard:'''
**[[Eric Egland]], another VFF member who is a Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve who served on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan<ref>Jason Probst, [http://www.thepresstribune.com/articles/2005/08/10/news/top_stories/01danger.txt "Major Danger. Roseville's Egland has worked on WMDs, drug interdiction, other high-profile jobs with the Air Force; Major returned home recently from tour in Iraq,"] ''The Press-Tribune'', August 10, 2005.</ref>, announced July 31, 2007, that he will challenge Rep. [[John Doolittle]] (R-Calif.) in the 2008 Republican primary.<ref name="Egland declares">David Whitney, [http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/300214.html "Doolittle faces primary fight. As Eric Egland declares he is in the GOP race, incumbent's aide says competitors welcome,"] ''Sacramento Bee'', July 31, 2007.</ref> 
**Egland helped Doolittle "defeat Democratic challenger [[Charlie Brown]]"<ref>[http://www.politics1.com/ca.htm California Candidates: District 4], ''Politics1.com'', accessed July 18, 2007.</ref> in the [[2006 congressional elections]]. In the fall of 2006, he "organized a group of veterans to oppose Doolittle's Democratic challenger, Brown, a retired Air Force officer who is seriously weighing another run next year." <ref name="Egland declares"/>
** Egland is the author of the March 2007 self-published ''The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help Them Win'', <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Troops-Need-You-America-Living/dp/0979339405 ''Troops Need You America''], Amazon.com.</ref> a book "based on an essay he published" in Kristol's ''Weekly Standard''.<ref>Eric Egland, [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/930jbmte.asp?pg=1 "Six Steps to Victory. The bottom-up plan to defeat the insurgency,"] ''The Weekly Standard'', November 16, 2006.</ref> The book "shows average Americans how to help the troops win in Iraq." <ref>[http://www.troopsneedyou.com/eric-egland.php5 Eric Egland], TroopsNeedYou.com, accessed July 18, 2007.</ref>

* '''VFF State chapter leader was recruited by GOP to challenge Democratic congressman in 2006 elections; was profiled in ''Weekly Standard:'''
** [[Vince Micco]], VFF's New Jersey chapter leader, was recruited by the [[GOP]] in March 2006 to challenge five-term [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Rep. [[Steve Rothman]] in the [[U.S. congressional elections in 2006|2006 congressional election]].<ref>Wally Edge, [http://nj.politicsnj.com/gop-recruits-iraq-veteran-challenge-rothman "GOP recruits Iraq veteran to challenge Rothman,"] PoliticsNJ.com, March 28, 2006.</ref> Micco was profiled in an October 23, 2006, article in Kristol's ''Weekly Standard'', in which he was described as "unabashedly pro-Bush and hawkish in his political outlook."<ref>Brendan Conway, [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=12835&R=112AD509E "A Vet Runs in New Jersey. The longshot effort of a Republican challenger,"] ''The Weekly Standard'', October 23, 2006.</ref>

* '''VFF media contact is former Bush administration PR flak for Iraq War, interned with the [[Republican National Committee]], worked on Bush 2004 campaign, tried to get Nader on 2004 ballot in AR:'''
** The contact person for VFF's press releases is [[Adriel Domenech]],<ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/news/Read.aspx?ID=274 "Iraq Veterans Go to Capitol: Don't Declare Defeat,"] Vets for Freedom, July 16, 2007.</ref> VFF's "Field Director"<ref>[http://dadmanly.blogspot.com/2007/07/media-call-to-action.html "Media Call to Action,"] ''Dadmanly'' Blogspot, July 16, 2007.</ref>, who most recently "worked for 13 months"<ref>Anne Flaherty, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6848274,00.html "In the Debate Over Iraq, It's Vet Vs Vet,"] Associated Press (''The Guardian'' (UK)), August 14, 2007.</ref> as a member of the [[U.S. Department of State]] Public Affairs Iraq GO (Global Outreach) Team.<ref>[http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/81371.htm "Iraq GO Team Event: Iraq Continues To Move Toward Recovery and Growth,"] U.S. Department of State, March 2, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://iraq.usembassy.gov/iraq/20061107_go_team.html "Prosperity. Global Outreach Team,"] U.S. Department of State, February 12, 2007.</ref>   
** In Fall 2001, Domenech, a graduate of Texas A&M who interned with the [[Republican National Committee]], had completed the Colorado campaign and was a "72-Hour Director in Arkansas"<ref>[http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/bush/bushorgar.html "President George W. Bush-Campaign Organization, Arkansas,"] George Washington University, 2005/2005; accessed July 17, 2007.</ref> for [[Bush-Cheney '04 Inc.]].<ref>[http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/bush/bushorgco.html "President George W. Bush-Campaign Organization, Colorado,"] George Washington University, 2004/2005, accessed July 17, 2007.</ref>    
** In August 2004, Domenech's name was found amongst recognized "Republican signatures on petitions to get third-party candidate [[Ralph Nader]] on the presidential ballot in Arkansas." At the time, a "news release from the [[Democratic Party of Arkansas]] said at least two dozen state Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller's chief of staff, had signed the petitions to get Nader included on the state ballot. ... Conventional political wisdom [was] that Nader [would] take votes from the Democratic nominee." <ref>Dennis A. Byrd, [http://www.arwar.org/Nader/Republicans_among_Nader_petition_signees.htm "Republicans among Nader petition signees,"] Arkansas News Bureau, August 20, 2004.</ref>

* '''VFF co-founder was assisted by former Bush White House spokesman's PR firm in attempt to get dispatches published in mainstream newspapers, got credentials from the ''Weekly Standard'', was assisted by Kristol:'''
** In 2006, former White House spokesman Taylor Gross's [[public relations]] firm the [[Herald Group]] helped VFF co-founder [[Wade Zirkle]] and "fellow Iraq veteran [[David Bellavia]] approach mainstream newspapers to offer dispatches from the two as war correspondents [[embedded]] [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vets_for_Freedom#Embedded:_Connecting_the_Dots with the military.] The two eventually got press credentials<ref>David Bellavia, Owen West, and Wade Zirkle, [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/443zhpmy.asp?pg=2 "Birth of an Army. With the Iraqi forces in Ramadi,"] ''The Weekly Standard'', July 24, 2006.</ref> through ''The Weekly Standard'', whose editor, William Kristol, became an informal adviser to the group and helped put it in touch with" Republican strategist [[Dan Senor]], who was "on retainer to help with fundraising."<ref>Julie Kosterlitz,  [http://www.iraqvetsforprogress.org/national_journal.htm "Lobbying & Law - Veterans of Political Wars,"] ''National Journal''/Iraq Vets for Progress, undated 2006.</ref>

See the [[Vets for Freedom Action Fund]] article for more details on VFF's Republican connections.

===[[Freedom's Watch]]: the cavalry has arrived===

"For the past few months, Vets for Freedom has been on the front lines of the Iraq war debate in America, with only a few allies. But this morning, in a very real sense, the cavalry appeared on the horizon in the form of a new organization called Freedom's Watch," [[Pete Hegseth]], VFF Executive Director, wrote in an August 22, 2007, viral email posted by [[Free Republic]].<ref>Pete Hegseth, [http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1884899/posts "Powerful New Pro-Mission Ads,"] Vets for Freedom (Free Republic), August 22, 2007.</ref>

"Freedom's Watch has launched a multi-state advertising campaign featuring powerful stories from veterans and families that every household in America should hear. 

"It's time that the rest of America heard the words of soldiers who have served (and been wounded) in Iraq and the stories of families who have lost loved ones there," Hegseth wrote.

===VFFers respond to bleak, soldier-authored ''NYT'' op-ed in the ''The Weekly Standard''===

The VFF "seven", all veterans of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, responded in [[William Kristol]]'s [[conservative]] ''Weekly Standard'' on August 24, 2007,<ref name="VFF7">David Bellavia, Pete Hegseth, Michael Baumann, Carl Hartmann, David Thul, Knox Nunnally, Joe Worley, [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/006bzlfl.asp "Iraq Vets Respond ...to the New York Times seven,"] ''The Weekly Standard'', August 24, 2007.</ref> to an August 19, 2007, ''New York Times'' op-ed <ref>Buddhika Jayamaha, Wesley D. Smith, Jeremy Roebuck, Omar Mora, Edward Sandmeier, Yance T. Gray, and Jeremy A. Murphy, [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/19/opinion/19jayamaha.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin "The War as We Saw It,"] ''New York Times'', August 19, 2007.</ref> by what is being called the ''NYT'' "seven": all "infantrymen and noncommissioned officers with the 82nd Airborne Division soon heading back home" from 15 months duty in Iraq. They wrote a less-than-glowing assessment of the conditions on the ground in Iraq.

The ''New York Times'' "seven" were Buddhika Jayamaha, Wesley D. Smith, Jeremy Roebuck, Omar Mora, Edward Sandmeier, Yance T. Gray, and Jeremy A. Murphy. (Note: On September 10, 2007, Yance Gray and Omar Mora were among seven American troops killed near Baghdad in vehicle rollover accident.)<ref>[http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou070911_tj_tcsoldier.c4dda8ba.html "Texas City soldier killed outside Baghdad,"] KHOU.com, September 11, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/global/story.asp?s=7060258 "Soldier, Ismay native, dies in vehicle crash in Iraq,"] Associated Press (''MontanaNewsStation.com''), September 11, 2007.</ref><ref>Brandon Friedman, [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/12/0926/28618 "Two of the Seven NYT Op-Ed Soldiers Have Died in Iraq,"] ''The Daily Kos'', September 11, 2007.</ref>

The VFF "seven" were [[David Bellavia]],<ref>Army Staff Sergeant David Bellavia served in Iraq in 2004.</ref> [[Pete Hegseth]],<ref>Lt. Pete Hegseth served with the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq 2005-2006.</ref> [[Michael A. Baumann]],<ref>An August 9, 2007, blog posting by Michael Mannske, [http://freedomdogs.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2150&Itemid=2 "Town Hall Meeting: Part II,"] ''FreedomDogs'' Blog, August 9, 2007, cites U.S. Army (Ret.) LTC Michael A. Bauman, ''who retired in October 2005''&mdash;two years ago&mdash;as VFF's Minnesota state chairman. Also see [http://www.revealingiraq.com/ ''RevealingIraq.com''] website.</ref> [[Carl Hartmann]],<ref>U.S. Marine Corporal Carl Hartmann, who served three tours of duty in Iraq (dates unknown), is the local VFF leader for Nebraska.</ref> [[David Thul]],<ref>Army Staff Sergeant David Thul of the Minnesota National Guard returned from Iraq in 2007.</ref> [[Knox Nunnally]], <ref>U.S. Marine Infantry Captain Kevin Knox Nunnally served three tours of duty in Iraq, beginning in 2001.</ref> and [[Joe Dan Worley]]<ref>U.S. Navy Corpsman Joe Dan Worley, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines in Iraq, was wounded September 17, 2004.</ref>

The VFF "seven's" Op-Ed noted that none of the authors had served in Iraq during the "surge," unlike the ''New York Times'' seven:

<blockquote>
"Of the almost 3,000 soldiers from the Army's storied 82nd Airborne Division currently serving in the hottest of Iraqi neighborhoods, seven felt confident enough in their misgivings to sign an opinion piece. They should not be surprised that many of their comrades--including the seven undersigned here--find their work to be misguided, ... The portrait these soldiers painted, while surely accurate and honest, is more representative of pre-surge Baghdad: sectarian strife, lawlessness, and indiscriminate slaughter" the VFF "seven" wrote.<ref name="VFF7"/><br><br>

"We understand the frustration our fellow soldiers feel. All of us were in Iraq before the 'surge' and lament never seeing a coherent, security-based counterinsurgency strategy. In truth, we were only clearing--not holding. ... But we also know what's possible when even small portions of counterinsurgency strategy are applied. Insurgents are exposed, leaders stand up, and stability occurs. ... It's unfortunate that soldiers in the 82nd Airborne have not yet benefited from the new strategy, but it will ensure that their actions, and those of their fallen brethren, will not have been in vain," the VFF "seven" wrote.<ref name="VFF7"/>
</blockquote>

'''Note''': VFF's ''Weekly Standard'' op-ed was also published online by the Assyrian International News Agency. The names of the authors are stated, as is the fact that they are all members of VFF; however, the op-ed itself lacks a title. The source for the article cited at the bottom of the page is [[News Corporation]]. Additionally, following the names is the following: "This Op-Ed was originally submitted to the New York Times, which declined to publish it."<ref>[http://www.aina.org/news/20070824084844.htm No title,] News Corporation (AINA.org), August 24, 2007.</ref><ref>Also see [http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:wqhEf_XAkzIJ:edschultz.invisionzone.com/index.php%3Fshowtopic%3D31007%26view%3Dgetnewpost+%22Vets+for+Freedom%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=171&gl=us&client=news this (cache file)] discussion on the ''Ed Schultz Show message board about the ''New York Times'' not running VFF's article.</ref>

==Catapulting the propaganda==

VFF's Missouri chairman, [[Brandan Mueller]], has reportedly called on [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Sen. [[Claire McCaskill]] "to return $16,000 she received from [[MoveOn.org|Moveon.org]] during her election campaign in 2006," according to the September 13, 2007, ''The Source'' Blog.<ref>[http://thesource.typepad.com/thesource/2007/09/give-more-back-.html "Give More Back, Claire,"] ''The Source'' Blog, September 13, 2007.</ref> McCaskill was also asked to "denounce" the MoveOn.org ad "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" published in the ''New York Times'' September 10, 2007, the first day of [[troop surge in Iraq: The Petraeus Report: Testimony|testimony]] on the progress of the [[troop surge in Iraq|surge]] and [[war in Iraq]] by Lt.Gen. [[David Petraeus]] before Congress,<ref>[http://pol.moveon.org/petraeus.html "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?"] MoveOn.org, accessed September 13, 2007.</ref><ref>Nick Juliano, [http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Republicans_focus_on_attacking_MoveOn.org_Gen._0910.html "Republicans focus on attacking MoveOn.org 'Gen. Betray Us' ad during 'surge' hearing,"] ''The Raw Story'', September 10, 2007.</ref> calling the ad "a disgrace". Mueller "went on to say she [McCaskill] should 'take the lead on this issue and return the money that she has taken from the organization that has libeled an American patriot who has served his country selflessly for many years.'" 

It should be noted that, on September 9, 2007, the day before MoveOn.org's controversial ad was published, it was VFF's executive director [[Pete Hegseth]] who accused MoveOn.org in the article "MoveOn.org Calls Petraeus a Traitor" published in the [[right-wing]] publication ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' of calling Lt.Gen. Petraeus a "traitor".<ref>Pete Hegseth, [http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/091rhesh.asp "MoveOn.org Calls Petraeus a Traitor. Do Democrats in Congress agree?"] ''The Weekly Standard'', September 9, 2007.</ref>

As Jeffrey Feldman wrote September 11, 2007, in ''The Daily Kos''<ref>Jeffrey Feldman, [http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/11/8323/75329 "Frameshop: How Rt-Wing Lie About MoveOn Ad Became The Story (update),"] ''The Daily Kos'', September 11, 2007.</ref> 

:"The only problem: the word 'traitor' appears nowhere in the MoveOn.org ad nor anywhere on the MoveOn.org page about the ad. It is Hegseth's article that introduced the word 'traitor' into the story--an outright lie intended to silence dissent against the war. Less than 24 hours after the Hegseth piece ran and the MoveOn.org ad appeared, the mainstream media picked up the Weekly Standard's lie and repeated it until it became the story."

The phrase "catapulting the propaganda" comes from a comment made on May 24, 2005, by President [[George W. Bush]]: "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."<ref>Tom Engelhardt, [http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0829-21.htm "Catapulting the Propaganda. The President, Cindy Sheehan, and How Words Die,"] ''TomDispatch.com'' (''Common Dreams''), May 29, 2005.</ref>

==[[Vets for Freedom/ad campaign supporting pro-war candidates|Ad campaign supporting pro-war candidates ... again]]==

==Rose Garden [[photographic manipulation|photo-op]] [[Bush administration opportunism|props]] with President Bush==

[[Image:VFF_Hegseth_Bush.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom, left, and others, look on as President Bush, center, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on July 20, 2007. White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian.]]

On July 20, 2007, President [[George W. Bush]], who "has relied on veterans for support and credibility" since the [[war in Iraq]] began, met for an hour in the Oval Office<ref>Scott Johnson, [http://powerlineblog.com/archives/018289.php "Lt. H. and Major E. go to the White House,"] ''Power Line'' Blog, July 20, 2007.</ref> "with members of four organizations that formed since the war began to represent Iraq veterans and military families." The group formed the "backdrop<ref>Scott Johnson, [http://powerlineblog.com/archives/018289.php "Lt. H. and Major E. go to the White House,"] ''Power Line'' Blog, July 20, 2007: "others in attendance" included Merrilee Carlson, Ron Griffin, Chief Warrant Officer Pat Ivory, USN (Ret.), Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Terri Ivory, USN (Ret.), Becky Davis, Sergeant [Mark] Seavey, USA National Guard (Ret.).</ref> for a Rose Garden speech in which Bush asked [[Congress]] to let his [[troop surge in Iraq|'surge' strategy]] work and for passage of a defense-spending bill that stalled last week when [[U.S. Senate|Senate]] [[Republican Party|Republicans]] blocked an amendment calling for withdrawal," Cory Reiss wrote July 23, 2007, in Lakeland, Florida's ''The Ledger''.<ref>Cory Reiss, [http://www.theledger.com/article/20070723/NEWS/707230387/1004 "War Effort Relies on Veterans Groups for Support, Credibility,"] ''The Ledger'', July 23, 2007.</ref>

While urging Congress to pass the defense spending bill before its August recess, Bush "repeated the words said to him" by VFF's Eric Egland&mdash;"We live in the world's oldest democracy and have been blessed with the strength to protect our freedoms and to help others who seek the same," Donna Miles reported for the American Forces Press Service.<ref>[http://www.blackanthem.com/News/corner/Bush_Urges_Congress_to_Pass_Defense_Spending_Bill_Before_August_Recess8708.shtml "Bush Urges Congress to Pass Defense Spending Bill Before August Recess,"] American Forces Press Service, July 20, 2007.</ref>

Bush met not only with VFF's Egland, who is also the founder of [[Troops Need You]], but also with members of [[Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission]] and [[Military Families Voice of Victory]], Miles wrote. 

Meeting with Bush on behalf of VFF were executive director [[Pete Hegseth]], "retired Marine Capt. [[Knox Nunnally]], retired Army Sgt. [[Mark Seavey]], and retired Marine Lt. [[Wade Zirkle]]," Miles wrote.

==[[Vets for Freedom/"Win the War! Victory in Iraq" campaign|"<u>Win</u> the War! Victory in Iraq" campaign]]==

==Vets for Freedom redux==

On May 18, 2007, Vets for Freedom reverted to using its original name.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070518075113/http://vetsforfreedom.org/ Archived copy of VFF home page showing reversal of Vets for Freedom Action Fund back to Vets for Freedom], May 18, 2007.</ref> Established in January 2006 as a non-profit organization, on July 25, 2006, its founders registered it as the [[Vets for Freedom Action Fund]] (VFF-AF)<ref>[http://forms.irs.gov/politicalOrgsSearch/search/Print.action?formId=22747&formType=E71 IRS Form 8871: Vets for Freedom Action Fund], July 25, 2006.</ref>, a [[527 committee|Section 527]] [[political action committee]] which functioned as a [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[lobbyist|lobbying]] [[front group]] to promote the [[Vets for Freedom: Opposing John Murtha and Supporting Joe Lieberman|re-election]] of Sen. [[Joe Lieberman]] (I-Conn.).

==="The Freedom Update"===
VFF added a new section on its website called "The Freedom Update", which is described as "Your daily source for the best Iraq war news and opinion."<ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/freedomupdate/ The Freedom Update], Vets for Freedom website, accessed July 16, 2007.</ref>

===Another mission change===
VFF, self-described as a "nonpartisan organization" established by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, now states that its mission is "to educate the American public about the importance of achieving success in these conflicts by applying our first-hand [knowledge] to issues of American strategy and tactics—namely '[[troop surge in Iraq|"the surge" in Iraq]]" and that it "support[s] policymakers from both sides of the aisle who have stood behind our great generation of American warriors on the battlefield, and who have put long-term national security before short-term partisan political gain."<ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/about/ About], Vets for Freedom, accessed July 5, 2007.</ref>

VFF states on its new donation page<ref>[https://www.donationreport.com/init/controller/ProcessEntryCmd?key=O4E5C7P0C6 Vets for Freedom donation page], DonationReport.com, accessed July 5, 2007.</ref> that it "needs your help to communicate America's strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan" and, "Without your support, the war debate will be dominated by defeatists like [[Harry Reid]] and [[Nancy Pelosi]], along with powerful anti-war groups. We cannot allow this to happen. Too much is at stake," VFF states. "Please donate today to make your voice heard. Your money will help us fight radical fringe groups who want to steer our country towards defeat in the name of gutter-ball partisan politics."

For background, see the article on VFF's [[Vets for Freedom/mission changes|previous mission changes]].

==[[Vets for Freedom Leadership|Leadership]]==

==Funding==
A disclaimer on the bottom of each VFF web page states<ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/about/ About], Vets for Freedom, accessed July 17, 2007.</ref> "Vets for Freedom is a nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization. Contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes."

Originally, the organization's precise tax status ([[501c3]], [[501c4]], [[527 committee]]) was not stated and virtually no information was available on the Vets for Freedom website about the funders and organizations behind Vets for Freedom, making it difficult to evaluate the degree to which the organization might have been part of a [[war propaganda]] campaign interacting with the Bush Administration, the [[Pentagon]], the [[American Legion]] and/or other ideologically-driven [[public relations]] and [[lobbying]] efforts that have exploited for political purposes the issues of US war veterans and their families, such as [[Move America Forward]] and the [[Swift Boat Veterans for Truth]].

On February 19, 2007, the VFF-AF donated $4,227 to Vets for Freedom. The expediture was identified as a "Contribution to non-profit organization."<ref>[http://forms.irs.gov/politicalOrgsSearch/search/Print.action?formId=27106&formType=E72 Form 8872: Political Organization Report of Contributions and Expenditures: Vets for Freedom Action Fund,] January 1-June 30, 2007; filed July 31, 2007.</ref> 

For more VFF-AF financial information, see "VFF-AF Funding."<ref>[https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Vets_for_Freedom_Action_Fund#VFF-AF_Funding Vets for Freedom Action Fund/VFF-AF Funding,] SourceWatch.</ref>

Also see the [[Vets for Freedom Action Fund|VFF-AF]] article for information on VFF's and VFF-AF's donation endeavors, as well as the article on the [[Vets for Freedom/Donatelli Group & the Swift Boat Connection|Donatelli Group & the Swift Boat connection]].

==Headquarters==
Although the mailing address for VFF is a post office box in Woodstock, VA,<ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/contact/ Contact,] Vets for Freedom.</ref> in 2006 Julie Kosterlitz wrote<ref>July Kosterlitz,  [http://www.iraqvetsforprogress.org/national_journal.htm "Lobbying & Law - Veterans of Political Wars,"] ''National Journal'' (Iraq Vets for Progress), undated 2006.</ref> in the ''National Journal'' that Zirkle ran the 527 group Veterans for Freedom "out of a basement sublet in Washington, D.C."

==Contact information==
'''Fundraising / mailing address'''<br>
Vets for Freedom - Donations<ref>The reference to Vets for Freedom Action Fund is no longer listed on the group's [https://www.donationreport.com/init/controller/ProcessEntryCmd?key=O4E5C7P0C6 donation page]. Accessed July 5, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/contact/ Contact,] Vets for Freedom, accessed August 14, 2007.</ref><br>
P.O. Box 314<br>
132 North Main Street<br>
Woodstock, VA 22664<br>

'''FEC/IRS filing address'''<br>
12097 South Middle Road<br>
Edinburg, VA<br>
E-mail: pete AT vetsforfreedom.org<ref>[http://forms.irs.gov/politicalOrgsSearch/search/gotoSearchDrillDown.action?pacId='24988'&criteriaName='Vets+for+Freedom+Action+Fund' IRS Forms,] Vets for Freedom Action Fund.</ref><br>
E-mail for Owen West: '''owen.west AT gs.com'''<br>

URL: http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/ and http://www.veteransforfreedom.org (redirect)<br>

Note: The [http://www.pbase.com/woodstock_ec/image/9006180 132 North Main Street], Woodstock, VA, [https://www.prwatch.org/node/4916#comment-1007 address] is the same as that given for Denman Zirkle, contact for [[Sons of Confederate Veterans]] Camp 1657 (Turner Ashby) [http://www.southernmessenger.org/scv_camps.htm], named after Confederate General Turner Ashby.

===Weblog===
On May 8, 2006, Vets for Freedom established its blogsite "Vets for Freedom's Troop Blog" at  http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/blog/, with the first entry by then Executive Director Wade Zirkle.

==Resources==
===References===
<references/>

===External resources/background===
*John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, [http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html "The Israel Lobby,"] ''London Review of Books'' (UK), March 23, 2006.

[[category:war in Iraq]][[category:elections (U.S.)]][[category:politics (U.S.)]][[category:political dirty tricks]][[category:pro-war in Iraq front groups]][[category:pro-war lobby]]
[[Category:Front groups]]
[[Category:Web fronts]]