On her recent appearance on the Speaking Frankly radio show Jean Schmidt stated that Eric Minamyer was advising her campaign. Given Mr. Minamyer?s recent habit of indirectly questioning Paul Hackett?s service in Iraq this site must ask the question does Eric Minamyer speak for the Schmidt campaign?

I understand that Hackett did not participate in combat at all. It is still dangerous over there as I can personally attest. Let?s just not act as though we led marines in combat if we did not, okay?

I have asked the question time and again, what role did he actually play?

Given all the opportunities he has had to say ?I served in combat? one fair conclusion is that he did not.

Did Mr. Minamyer really ask the question to Paul Hackett? Somehow I doubt that he?s talked to anyone on the Hackett campaign on this issue since if he did he would have heard some very interesting things. When I called last night I talked to someone working on the campaign who had actually served with Hackett in Iraq. He told an interesting story of them almost being killed on a trip to Baghdad. To get further clarification I asked Hackett?s campaign manager about Hackett combat ribbons:

I am not a military guy, but from what I understand he is slated to receive at least 2, but has not been sent them yet.

He does not want to tout his military ribbons for the campaign.

CCW on her blog has this to say about Mr. Minamyer?s comments on Mr. Hackett:

Every attack he makes feels like a slap in the face to those who have friends and family in Iraq. I?m sure that was not his intent, but belittling a service members? function, seems an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the events in Iraq. My brother-in-law spent a little more than a year in Iraq. He was part of a public affairs unit. Public affairs is also considered a non-combat role and my brother?s unit was in a ?secure? area. Did this keep them out of danger? Of course not. Did this keep us from worrying day and night about his safety? Absolutely not. I know with 100% certainty that my brother would have been safer sitting in his living room than being anywhere in Iraq.

Let?s get down to brass tacks: Mr. Minamyer?s attacks on Paul Hackett?s service to our country are nothing more than disgusting partisan attempt to score points against someone who risked his life to follow the orders of our President. Emphasis on OUR President Mr. Minamyer. This site for one would advise the Schmidt campaign to tighten the leash of their advisor Eric Minamyer. He?s not doing her campaign any good by peddling this swill.

As for you, Mr. Minamyer: if you have any questions for Paul Hackett about his service, I suggest that you ask him to his face. He?s easy enough to find these days.

9 Responses to ?A Slap In The Face: Schmidt Advisor Questions Hackett?s Service?

1. Eric Minamyer Says:
July 25th, 2005 at 6:01 pm

I am asking the questions about Hackett?s duties because his ad on tv implies that he led marines in combat. Civil Affairs Officers attached to marine division do not normally do that. I am not attacking his service, just trying to discover exactly what it was.

Being a Civil Affairs Officer is a noble thing and carried the same dangers we all faced in the Middle East. If one?s role was not command or combat, however, one should not imply that it was.

I would not have mentioned ribbons except it raised by a Hackett supporter. The whole ribbons thing came up because one blogger said that the ribbons proved Hackett had been in combat. This is not accurate, however.

Ribbons are given for participating in a campaign. They are not just for combat. Everyone in the theatre gets one. There are insignia that go on the ribbon depending on the exact details.

I offer this as factual background so non-military folks can understand that ribbons do not equal combat. Two ribbons were authorized for the global war on terror and I am sure that he earned those as did all who were over there. There is also one for service in SW Asia and one for being in an expeditionary force no matter where it is. That?s four, same as everyone over there.

I would not have raised the questions about his exact duties except you guys were congratulating yourselves on what a splendid commercial Hackett put together. This glee included the fact that it did a splendid job of disguising his party affiliation and using the president?s image.

I noted also the vague and unusual words used to describe his military service. I still do not know what ?follow my marines? means. I had never heard a marine officer said it that way and it made me curious.

When I have spoken of my role in the war I have said I was the inspector general and this is what my duties were.

I guess to some asking a direct question they don?t want to answer is an ?attack.? I do not see questions as ?attacks?.

Similarly, it is no ?attack? to say a person was not in combat, unless there have been claims or implications that the person has.

I am not disparaging his service or anyone else?s. I just want to know what it was. Nothing in the above post by the editor answers that question.

The article is another example of the straw man argument. The article sets out a distorted version of what I have said and then shoves it over like a straw man. The only trouble is I never attacked Hackett?s service. I asked questions that the above post still does not answer.

Did Hackett lead marines in combat? Did Hackett command marines at all, if so who? Was he a member of division staff? This all I am asking. Note that the source listed is a marine who served with, not under the command of, Major Hackett.

I reiterate that I speak here for myself alone. I am a voter in OH2. Advising Jean Schmidt and speaking for her are two different things. I do not speak for her.

Civil Affairs officers have to go into Iraqi towns and try to make them work. Which means they risk their lives. Hackett, mistakenly, assumed that people would understand that he risked his life on a daily basis. The scumbags in the other campaign, however, want to claim he's lying about his service.

Aren't you tired of these people questioning real patriotism?

I know I am.

It is very easy to be wounded in Iraq. Five female Marines working at a checkpoint were killed on their way back to base by a suicide bomber. Their officials jobs were not all that dangeorus, but Iraq is a dangerous place.

posted by Steve @ 2:23:00 AM