Soldier shouted down at YearlyKos Convention

Pajamas Media provides the video of an American Soldier attending the YearlyKos Convention being shouted down for daring to disagree with the panelists on a forum called "Progressives and the Military". Panel moderator John Soltz refuses to hear comments made by the soldier stating that the surge in Iraq is working and civilian casualties are dropping. Soltz instead demands instead to have the name of the soldier's commanding officer and indicates that he will try and get the soldier in trouble for attending a political event while in uniform.

The rationale for Soltz's outburst is that the soldier is out of line in appearing at a partisan convention and offering his opinion about how the war is progressing. Well the forum was called "Progressives and the Military" wasn't it? Anyway Soltz, founder of votevets.org who apparently has appeared making political statements while wearing a uniform according to ThePopulist completely loses it over the gall of this soldier doing exactly what he does while wearing the uniform of a member of the armed forces.

Pajamas Media has the video here.

Wesley Clark who attended the conference tries to provide air cover for Soltz by lamely explaining to conference attendees that a member of the military can’t participate in polical meetings in uniform. But as John Lilyea points out, leftists have no compunction about soldiers who ascribe to their points of view attending their political rallies while in uniform.

Lilyea points to the Department of Defense Directive 1334.01 that Clark mentions in his anemic defense of Soltz's indefensible actions.

3.1. The wearing of the uniform by members of the Armed Forces (including retired members and members of Reserve components) is prohibited under any of the following circumstances:

3.1.1. At any meeting or demonstration that is a function of, or sponsored by an organization, association, movement, group, or combination of persons that the Attorney General of the United States has designated, under Executive Order 10450 as amended (reference (c)), as totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive, or as having adopted a policy of advocating or approving the commission of acts of force or violence to deny others their rights under the Constitution of the United States, or as seeking to alter the form of Government of the United States by unconstitutional means.

3.1.2. During or in connection with furthering political activities, private employment or commercial interests, when an inference of official sponsorship for the activity or interest may be drawn.

3.1.3. Except when authorized by the approval authorities in subparagraph 4.1.1., when participating in activities such as unofficial public speeches, interviews, picket lines, marches, rallies or any public demonstration, which may imply Service sanction of the cause for which the demonstration or activity is conducted.

3.1.4. When wearing of the uniform may tend to bring discredit upon the Armed Forces.

Lilyea rightly points out, unless Kos admits that it’s a totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive organization, the guy was within his rights to be there and in uniform. It’s just a lame excuse to keep people from hearing that current operations have improved life in Iraq, while hiding behind a DoD policy that the Left doesn’t agree with when it suits them.

Lilyea adds, in case this Jon Solz dude who dressed down the soldier is wondering - I don’t care what his rank is or was - I’d tear him a new aft-orifice if I ever caught him intimidating a soldier - especially like a lame little puss. “What’s your unit? Who’s your commander?” That’s stuff real leaders stop doing their first day.

Based on how the Kos moderator couldn't handle a challenge to his scripted monologue, he might be able to pursue a reprimand against the soldier on the basis that "this is a totalitarian, fascist, subversive communist organization".

Give credit to ThePopulist he found the cretenous John Soltz's actions contemptible and stated for the record that, for Mr. Soltz to act in the manner that he did is to spit in the face of the United State Military and to spit upon our great Constitution. Further, Repression of free speech of any kind, is un-American, period.

Mr. Soltz, you own the American people an apology.

Hey, maybe we can agree on some things after all!