YearlyKos and the Military
by Ryan Sager
Fri, 3 Aug 2007 at 3:36 PM
updated Fri, 3 Aug 2007 at 3:42 PM
A soldier tried to view a dissenting viewpoint at YearlyKos (that the surge was working) and was immediately shut down by the panel's moderator. Sometimes LP columnist Ezra Klein gives an account:
AN ODD CLOSE. As the Military and Progressives panel came to an end, a young man in uniform stood up to argue that the surge was working, and cutting down on Iraqi casualties. The moderator largely freaked out. When other members of the panel tried to answer his question, he demanded they "stand down." He demanded the questioner give his name, the name of his commander, and the name of his unit. And then he closed the panel, no answer offered or allowed, and stalked off the stage.
Wes Clark took the mic and tried to explain what had just occurred: The argument appears to be that you're not allowed to participate in politics while wearing a uniform, or at least that you shouldn't, and that the questioner was engaging in a sort of moral blackmail, not to mention a violation of the rules, by doing so. Knowing fairly little about the army, I can't speak to any of that. But it was an uncomfortable few moments, and seemed fairly contrary to the spirit of the panel to roar down the member of the military who tried to speak with a contrary voice.
--Ezra Klein
I also don't know enough about the rules and regulations here. But it sounds more like shouting down dissent to me than adherence to custom.
UPDATE I (5:47 p.m.): See below the fold...
OK, so I've looked up the relevant DOD regulation (you can download the PDF here yourself):
4.1.1. A member on active duty may:
4.1.1.1. Register, vote, and express his or her personal opinion on political candidates and issues, but not as a representative of the Armed Forces.
4.1.1.2. Make monetary contributions to a political organization.
4.1.1.3. Attend partisan and nonpartisan political meetings, rallies, or conventions as a spectator when not in uniform.
4.1.2. A member on active duty shall not:
4.1.2.1. Use his or her official authority or influence for interfering with an election; affecting the course or outcome of an election; soliciting votes for a particular candidate or issue; or requiring or soliciting political contributions from others.
4.1.2.2. Be a candidate for, hold, or exercise the functions of civil office except as authorized in paragraphs 4.2. and 4.3., below.
4.1.2.3. Participate in partisan political management, campaigns, or conventions (unless attending a convention as a spectator when not in uniform).
4.1.2.4. Make campaign contributions to another member of the Armed Forces or an employee of the Federal Government.
4.1.3. Enclosure 3 provides examples of permissible and prohibited political activities. The examples in enclosure 3 do not supersede other specific requirements and policies, such as those established by this Directive and DoD Directives 5200.2 and 1325.6 (references (c) and (d)).
I would have to think YearlyKos counts as a political meeting, partisan or otherwise, meaning that active-duty personnel shouldn't be there in uniform. Therefore, the moderator seems to have been essentially correct. (Was the moderator in uniform? That would also be a violation, it seems. A quick look at this video would indicate he wasn't in uniform.)
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