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Category: OP-ED

The Michael Smerconish Program: Paul Rieckhoff on 3rd Party Candidates After New Hampshire

Independent voters, like the two of us, played a powerful role in the New Hampshire primary, driving support for Nikki Haley and Dean Phillips. Neither won. But both overperformed and showed the challenges both Trump and Biden will face this November if they are indeed the Democratic and Republican nominees. Could 2024–finally–be the year in which independent voters get some respect? Or will they continue to suffer the same fate as Rodney Dangerfield in a political culture driven by partisan actors with unlimited budgets and powerful algorithms? Read the rest of Paul Rieckhoff’s exclusive Op-Ed on Smerconish.com, “Will Anyone Listen to Independents After New Hampshire?” The Michael Smerconish Program, 02/05/24.

CNN Opinion: Combine Election Day with Veterans Day and give democracy a boost

Veterans Day has been recognized as a federal holiday each November 11 since 1938, but it means little for most Americans beyond a day off from work. Attendance at Veterans Day events is regrettably low—and declining rapidly. And so is the veterans’ population in America. World War II’s “Greatest Generation” is almost entirely gone. And the Korean and Vietnam War generations are aging. Over the next 20 years, the overall population of veterans like me will drop dramatically from about 19 million people to roughly 13 million. If, as they often say in politics, demographics is destiny, the social, economic and political power of veterans is about to fall off a cliff. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/10/opinions/opinion-veterans-day-election-day-combine-rieckhoff/index.html

Someone Finally Steps Up To Stop Tuberville. And It’s a Veteran.

by Paul Rieckhoff Finally someone in Congress has stepped up to do something about radical Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville and his political assault on our military. And no surprise, it’s combat veteran, West Point graduate, former IAVA Board member, my fellow New Yorker and friend, Pat Ryan. As first reported by NBC, this week Ryan introduced legislation demanding Tuberville lift hold on military nominations amid Israel-Hamas war. It’s about damn time somebody in Congress took action. The impact of his months of delays has never been clearer than it is now, as critical components of our response to the unfolding crisis in Israel are paralyzed by Tuberville’s stubbornness. And action like this is why Ryan continues to have support from vets of all political sides, and why he won a purple district in a victory that sent shockwaves across the political world. He’s willing to take a stand. You can read his full statement introducing the legislation here. Everyone in Congress should sign on to support Ryan’s legislation. Tuberville’s holds continue to be radical, reckless and damaging to our national security. And, hurt our Ukrainian and Israeli allies deep in the fight right now. I’ve been on MSNBC talking about it for months. As I told Ryan, I do wish he’d go further and demand that Tuberville resign. The man I’ve called “Senator Redneck” is a disgrace to the Senate, has embraced white nationalism, and repeatedly shown he is willing to undermine our national security and hurt our troops. He’s also dangerously dumb.  I also shared with Ryan that I think the term “MAGAists” is not precise and effective enough. Tuberville is radical, extreme—and part of what I call the #AmericanInsurgency. “Anti-American” or “Trumpist” are also more effective. Especially with people who are not Democrats. Dems overuse “MAGAists”. It’s Trump’s language. It’s counterproductive to repeat it. And critics can and should do better. “MAGAists” also unnecessarily drives away some Republicans (and some independents). I’m glad at least they’ve stopped using “MAGA Republicans”—which is also less effective and definitely drives away Republicans who object to the connection of the two.  Needless to say, Dems can definitely do much better on messaging and messengers overall. But Ryan is a strong and effective outlier for his party.  If Democrats (or Republicans) want to attract independents like me–especially veterans–they should sound like him.  And it takes courage to be first. Especially in politics. And Pat Ryan has again shown courage again. I’m proud to know him. And hope that all Senators and Reps from both parties will follow his bold lead. Our national security is at stake. And every day Tuberville continues his asinine hold, Putin, Hamas and our enemies are celebrating. Courage and effectiveness like this is one reason I asked Ryan to be my guest on Independent Americans back in Episode186. And I hope he’ll join me again soon. With news of many new co-signers to his legislation. From both parties.  Paul Rieckhoff is an independent political and national security analyst, frequent MSNBC guest, activist, US Army infantry combat veteran, the host of Independent Americans, President of Righteous Media, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and the author of “Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq, A Soldier’s Perspective.” 

MSNBC: This is Israel’s 9/11. Here’s how it can learn from America’s mistakes.

There is no harder time to have discipline than in the face of atrocity. And yet that is when it is required most.   Oct. 11, 2023, 9:56 PM EDT   By Paul Rieckhoff, political and national security analyst and U.S. Army infantry combat veteran   In 2009, I was honored to lead a group from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America on a historic trip to Israel. We traveled across the country, toured military bases and historical sites and focused on spending time with Israeli vets and vet-focused programs. I have also visited with, learned from and become friends with Palestinians throughout the region.   The threat that is Hamas must be neutralized. It threatens Israel, Palestinians, America and to the world. Even if you are not normally a supporter of Israel, you must now stand up against Hamas and the culture of war crimes exposed by this week’s violence.   This is Israel’s 9/11. We have already heard that often.   I was there in New York on 9/11 as a first responder myself. I taught a college course on the history of 9/11 to undergraduates who were not yet born on that fateful day. And I have worked in support of 9/11 first responders and survivors ever since.   But I believe what Israel has experienced — and continues to experience — is even worse than 9/11.   9/11 was indescribable. It still is. The surprise, the scope, the scale, the number of civilians and heroes murdered in an instant. And the carnage that only those of us who were up close saw and experienced. I saw gruesome images that will forever be burned into my heart.   But it was not like this.   All of the bodies we found at Ground Zero were those of adults. And after the first few days of rescue operations, we switched to recovery. Anyone who made it out alive was safe. Or at least, safe from the immediate health risks.   But there were no additional planes to watch for. We did not have a stream of rockets raining down on Manhattan and Washington, D.C. The terrorists did not kill and maybe even decapitate, rape hostages or drag kidnapped men, women and children back across our borders. Even today, Hamas’ brutal crimes are ongoing, elongating the suffering and the terror.   After 9/11, America felt like it had to act. Now, Israel is in the same terrible position.   After 9/11, America felt like it had to act. Now, Israel is in the same terrible position. This is the exceptionally hard part. The decisions made now in the face of unimaginable pain and anger will help determine the trajectory of the world going forward.   Hamas does not represent all Palestinians, just as the Taliban did not represent the people of Afghanistan. The challenge now for Israel, for the U.S. and for all nations who stand with them, is to carefully separate the two and eliminate the true enemy — without making more.   Israel must fight tenaciously to hold the moral high ground. IDF soldiers must abide by the Geneva Conventions. Every military unit and member must limit civilian casualties. Israel and its allies must demonstrate a mastery of strategic communications on a level rarely seen before Ukraine’s recent dominance in the fight against Russia for global hearts and minds.   And Israel cannot allow or encourage torture (something U.S. leaders struggled with tremendously and openly debated after 9/11).   Doing otherwise would only encourage more young people in Gaza and around the world to take up arms against Israel and its allies.   Israel’s military and political leaders must learn from America’s mistakes. They can — and must — do better. There is no harder time to have discipline than in the face of atrocity. But that is when it is required the most.   I am committed to helping Israel do that in any way I can. I know other 9/11 survivors and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are committed, as well.   Because there will be many more dark days ahead. But one day, like now in New York decades later, there can and will be light. Israel and the world can be stronger at the broken places, while always ensuring that the world never forgets.   That is how we truly honor the dead and how we defeat a detestable enemy. That is our way forward: united against those who would (and will) do this kind of unforgivable brutality. Now, and forever.   We can and must be better than Hamas.   This is the moment to prove it.   – Paul Rieckhoff   Paul Rieckhoff is an independent political and national security analyst, frequent MSNBC guest activist, U.S. Army infantry combat veteran, the host of Independent Americans, president of Righteous Media, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and the author of “Chasing Ghosts: Failures and Facades in Iraq, A Soldier’s Perspective.”

14th Amendment Push a Bad Move for Democrats, America

by Chris Rosenthal There’s been a lot of recent buzz on cable news and podcasts and discussed in articles and columns, primarily on the liberal side of things, about the idea of Trump being disqualified automatically under section 3 of the 14th amendment. The concept was advanced by Professor Lawrence Tribe and received the backing of the conservative former Judge J Michael Luttig. It states: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. It’s exactly the sort of maneuver you’d expect would get legal scholars excited. It’s an extremely rare instance where they get to test the limits of the law. To push the boundaries and theorize about new and novel applications of our legal codes. And so they argue that this clause creates an opportunity to disqualify the former President from running for office again. Automatically. Without need for any sort of conviction. Simply as a result of his own involvement. While the law may allow for this, it is a horrible idea. The results of this theory do not seem to have been thought through thoroughly — if they had it’s hard to think that the authors of it wouldn’t have recognized it as a bad and dangerous idea that can and will be subverted to be used against the Democrats in the future. Applied with a felony conviction of some sort it makes sense and becomes plausible, but without the weight of a felony conviction it feels un-American, a cheat or hack to work around Trump, and will enrage the right wing while creating a precedent that we will all surely come to regret. How hard is it to see a scenario where a bunch of far right Secretaries of States get together and say, “We’re going to keep Biden off of the ballot because we have credible reason to believe he supported his son’s criminal enterprises with a foreign country (China) and thus has given aid and comfort to our enemies?”  The same legal precedent applies and there is no burden of proof for a conviction so end of story. Quasi legal, sure. But do you really think that matters to people who would storm the capitol? Do you really doubt that they would hesitate to use this to get or maintain power? In the end it is a move we will all come to regret. But liberal media outlets are pushing it without thought of the consequences to fill air time while once again creating false expectations of its actual chances of success at the same time.  I’d love a magic pill that could make Trump go away. I think almost the entire country would.  But the reality is that until he is convicted of a felony the way to beat him is with the ballot. Not legal trickery. Not technicalities. The ballot.