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RIGHT-WING SMEAR: EATING ‘RAOUL’

Will SwaimMon. November 12
 

Why do Bush backers hate Iraq War vets

Following Raoul Deming’s admonition that we Google Iraq Vets Against the War to discover the roots of their conspiracy to overthrow America, I’ve dug slightly deeper into the Adam Kokesh story. Turns out the Marines are, as Deming suggests, upset with Kokesh–but only because he wore his military uniform during a theatrical street protest in Washington, D.C. The Marines have since dropped the charge and moved on, but not apparently Deming.

Deming claimed in a comment on this website that Long Beach officials were right to ban from Saturday’s Veterans Day Parade such “hate groups” as Iraq Vets Against the War. He offered Kokesh as evidence of the perfidy of war critics, alleging that Kokesh “got thrown out of the USMC and told, ‘Don’t Come Back’” because he “bought a Saturday Night Special from an Iraqi policeman.”

I can find no evidence that Kokesh bought that gun, but, really: Given the Bush team’s track record on supplying our boys and girls, is it so hard to believe that U.S. soldiers are buying homemade guns from Baghdad cops?

CBS.com, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer and Kokesh’s attorney say Sgt. Kokesh is still in the military–part of the Marine Corps’ Ready Reserve.

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  • jesus
    Jesus gives his blessing to Will Swaim. Here he speaks for the side of the divine. In this instance Mr. Swaim is correct. Mr. Demming serves the cause of evil. Raoul, like so many in the Republican party of the 21st century walks under the banner of tyranny disguised as the banner of freedom. He excoriates those with other views as anti-american. Ronald Reagan spoke of Viet Nam as a mistake. In 1980 at the Republican National Convention in Detroit Jesus was present when he commited that he would enter no war without a clear mission and a clear path to victory. Jesus does not recall seeing George W. there. Jesus recalls he was drinking wild turkey with some frat boys back at the Hotel. Too bad. Anyway, listen to my good son Will. He's right most of the time (except for the odd footwear).

    Jesus out.
  • wswaim
    Will says leave my boots out of this. Cher gave 'em to me.
  • Raoul Deming
    Adam,

    http://www.radaronline.com/features/2007/06/ada...

    "But in February 2006, two days before he was to be deployed on his second tour, he was told by his commanding officer that he was under investigation for bringing back a pistol he had purchased from an Iraqi policeman. His car had been broken into on campus and the pistol was missing. He was charged with three felonies, but accepted a plea bargain for disturbing the peace—a misdemeanor—and his case was passed along to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. After an eight-month investigation, he was demoted from sergeant to corporal and given an honorary discharge."
  • Raoul Deming
    Adam,

    Saturday Night Special is not a homemade gun as you state. It's a cheap gun. Typically sold in unregulated transactions.

    A homemade gun is called a "zip gun".

    In the post Coumbine, Virginia Tech environment, Kokesh's breaking the law and sheer stupidity resulted a gun in the hands of a criminal on a college campus.

    Given Clark McKenna Campus Police a call. Ask what the three felonies were.

    And as far as your straw man about it being a supply problem, I seriously doubt Kokesh was authorized a sidearm.

    Your lack of basic knowledge on this topic is staggering.
  • wswaim
    So now we have the anatomy of a smear.

    Of course my ignorance is "staggering," Raoul. But I have an excuse. See, the difference between us is that I never claimed to be an expert on the subject of Adam Kokesh. I didn't dial up a random website across the country and make outlandish accusations about the guy--didn't even know who he was. I just read your post and then did what you told me to do: I sat on my skinny ass on a couch and Googled and found that on the one fact I examined (Adam Kokesh was booted from the Marines for gun possession) you were dead wrong.

    So this is how it works: In order to malign Iraq Vets Against the War, Raoul implies that Kokesh (one of IVAW's members) was thrown out of the Marines for illegal possession of a firearm. What turns out to be true is, well, almost none of it. There was a gun, but (a) the Marines never pressed charges and (b) Kokesh was honorably discharged. Confronted with that, Raoul attacks me and urges me to investigate accusations. He could just supply me with the document to support his claim, but no.

    As for Clark McKenna: I owe you one, Raoul. You've supplied me an entire evening of delightful conversation about just one of your targets. But I think you mean Claremont McKenna, and I'm not calling anybody to check out your claims.

    What really is your beef with Adam Kokesh? I mean, given that he's not guilty of the crimes you say he is, and that you refuse to document your attacks, is it just that he disagrees with your position on the war--and that that alone makes him (in your mind) a jihadi? Is that what this is about?
  • Raoul
    LOL Bill, you never claimed to be an expert, yet you pontifcated with such smugness about it. And still do.

    Again, Kokesh was thrown out of the Marines and given a General Discharge. For bringing a gun back in violation of regulations.

    It was the police on campus that charged Kokesh with three felonies (subsequently plead down to a misdomeaner), as the result of him taking the gun on campus and having it stolen.

    The guy's a screw up and the Marines cut him a break by not giving him an Other Than Honorable. Likewise the judge cut him a break too.

    But the guy keeps screwing up.

    Yeah, you're not googling or calling, but you corrected the college name to Claremont. Psychic powers or just a psychotic liar?
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