Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

Duncan Hunter and the Swiftboating of Jack Murtha

UPDATE III: A Democratic veteran has a message for Ms. Amanda.

UPDATE II: Update 6: Now this and this are interesting, as reader Dekkard notes: This is about Irey's run against Jack Murtha . . . did some digging. . . went to corps watch. It seems that Ireys husband Bob.. was involved with a gentleman who was killed in iraq and not a solder.. a contractor(and as I read, arms dealer). Here is the url.. its good reading. Also found a blog post From Roger Morrow(Gerald Ford's speechwriter), that you can read here.
Now I may be wrong. . . but it seems that some calls were made to our favorite Penn aparatchik, Mr. Santorum. Hope this helps.

UPDATE: Sean-Paul has much more on Murtha.

Meet Amanda and where she lies.

It began yesterday and kept on rolling when I was directed to yet another vile
spewing Republican anti-veteran blog.

Then reader Vanmojo wrote this little beauty
in the comment section this afternoon.

We did a little more digging. Murthalied.com's apparent connection to Kerrylied.com is through the registrant. She is connected to both. The parent of Kerrylied.com is \”Vietnam Vets for Truth\” started by an old Southern California GOP operative named Tony Snesko, who, now, along with his brother,run a private investigation, process service, skip tracing operation out of D.C. His name also comes up as an organizational contact for Rep. Duncan Hunter. There is also a Valerie Snesko who is apparently a staffer for Hunter… Clarification: Tony Snesko was listed on the NRCC's website as the RSVP contact for three or four 2004 fundraisers for Hunter. Vanmojo

Valerie
Snesko is indeed a staffer for Rep. Duncan Hunter who is Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. She is his office manager and
personal appointment
secretary.

Tony
Snesko was a Swiftboat for Smears punk. His beef, however, wasn't with Kerry's
medals or service. Snesko was part of the group that has never gotten over Kerry's
Senate testimony in 1971. Snesko is listed as a contact for Hunter at an upcoming event.

July 14, 2006 7:30am Rep. Duncan Hunter Invites you to join him for Breakfast in the Grill Room Capitol Hill Club / Grill Room- 300 1st Street, SE Washington, DC $1,000 per PAC $500 per Person RSVP to Tony Snesko- (202)255-4945 or Snesko@aol.com National Republican Campaign Committee

How nice, we even have Tony's email. That's handy, now isn't it?

Tony and Valerie are married. Reader gag alert ahead.

Check out this week’s video, The Intern Project 2, @ www.theaterchurch.com (eye candy). Tony and Valerie Snesko have been happily married for more than thirty years, but it started with Tony taking some initiative. He bought her a pack of Dentyne gum. And then he hired a skywriting plane to ask her to marry him! I think he would have swum the English Channel or circumnavigated the globe if that’s what it would have taken to get her to marry him! Dating Tip #7 – Take Some Initiative

According to Kerry himself, the part of the Swiftboat argument he was prepared
to defend was his Senate testimony and antiwar stance after serving in Vietnam.
What blew him out of the water was the slanderous attack on his actual service and heroism.

Besides, as I've written about for years, Republicans like their soldiers serving, silent and standing for photo ops, not talking back. When a vet speaks out he's targeted. Murtha is just the latest.

The real issue for me, like with John Kerry, is that the Marine Corps awarded Murtha's
medal, which he received with honor. He's trusted by many soldiers and military
men throughout the civilian and Pentagon establishment. Republican war horse,
Senator John Warner, backed Kerry's service and his medals. Warner signed off
on Kerry's Silver Star. I believe the Marine Corps when it comes to Murtha, as
well as the many, many people, including soldiers, who stand behind him.

But does anyone really believe it's a coincidence that Snesko and his wife are attached
to Duncan Hunter's office? I would like to know if yet another Republican is involved in the
swiftboating campaign of yet another veteran. Is Duncan Hunter, who was part of the 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers and served in Vietnam, or his office,
involved with this latest campaign to swiftboat Jack Murtha? Ask
him. Or is this just a coincidental chain of people reaching back to the Swiftboat for Smears that targeted John Kerry? Frankly, I'm not a big believer in coincidences, but that's just me.