This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Oath Keepers

  • Kokesh in remake of “Footloose”

    Yes, he’s finally found an issue that can get him back his former glory which he lost when he quit associating with IVAW. It’s right out of “Footlose” – Adam Kokesh is the new Ren McCormick and Suzie Benjamin will be at his side as the latest Ariel. I wonder if they’ll cast John Lithgow as the Park Police.

    Yes it’s an important issue – should ritarded anti-war charlatans be allowed to dance at the Jefferson Memorial? Oh, I found this link, thanks to Bev Perlson who sent it from the Daily Paul – the home of Kokesh lovers and associated with the OathKeepers. Toss in Code Pink and there’s a perfect circle. IVAW, Code Pink, Ron Paul and Oathkeepers.

  • Infowars: bin Laden has been on ice for a decade

    I thought Gordon Duff was a nutbag, but, he’s got nuthin’ on Alex Jones’ Infowars. Their writer Paul Joseph Watson claims that bin Laden’s body has been on ice for a decade waiting for the politically appropriate moment;

    In April 2002, over nine years ago, Council on Foreign Relations member Steve R. Pieczenik, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State under Henry Kissinger, Cyrus Vance, and James Baker, told the Alex Jones Show that Bin Laden had already been “dead for months”.

    Pieczenik would be in a position to know such information, having worked directly with Bin Laden when the US was funding and arming the terror leader in an attempt to drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan in the late 70?s and early 80?s (a documented historical fact that talking heads in the corporate media are actually denying today in light of developments).

    “I found out through my sources that he had had kidney disease. And as a physician, I knew that he had to have two dialysis machines and he was dying,” Pieczenik told Jones during the April 24, 2002 interview.

    So, I guess the close 2004 election wasn’t reason enough to stage an event like last night’s. Or the inevitable losses by the respective sitting administrations of the 2006, 2008 or 2010 elections weren’t reason enough. But releasing the birth certificate and shutting up Donald Trump was somehow the imperative moment.

    By the way, notice these ads in the right sidebar on the website;

  • Brett Paul Broussard; Oathkeeper phony

    Brett Paul Broussard
    Photo added 12/1/14 from mugshot.

    On it’s surface, the Oathkeepers organization seems like a worthwhile association for first responders and military members. However, This Ain’t Hell has uncovered some of it’s seamier side. Like when founder, Stuart Rhodes, contemplated welcoming IVAW members into his organization, and finally relented. And the time that Bev Pearlson discovered a Kokesh connection to the Oath Keepers.

    Well, apparently they’re mirroring IVAW in another manner – failing to verify their members’ profiles. Take Brett Paul Broussard, for example. He’s in charge of the Lousiana chapter in Region 2. A couple of members have contacted me about Broussard’s story line – that he claims he was in “Lebanon in the Kohbar Towers incident while serving as a Petty Officer”. Well, the Khobar Towers and Lebanon are two different places separated by a lot of sand, for one thing.

    It would have been difficult to be a petty officer in either incident according to his records;
    (more…)

  • Tea Party Marine’s speech “chilled”

    TSO sent this link to an article about a Marine at Camp Pendelton who has been counseled by his supervisors about his Facebook group “Armed Forces Tea Party Patriots“.

    After his superiors at Camp Pendleton learned of it and that he was slated to appear on MSNBC to talk about it, they directed him to sit down and review Defense Department policy that governs what political activities are acceptable for members of the armed forces.

    Stein said he agrees with that policy and will abide by the limits it sets, which include barring troops from taking part in partisan political fundraising or using the uniform to influence an election. They also prohibit soliciting votes for a particular party and taking part in any radio or television broadcast as an advocate for or against a candidate or cause.

    “The last 24 hours has been a learning experience and I know a lot more about the directive and will continue to moderate the page and stick within the guidelines,” he said.

    The Marines emphasize that SGT Stein is not being disciplined or investigated. But the ACLU was prompted to weigh in;

    “The ACLU strongly supports the First Amendment rights of service members to discuss and critique the government’s policies and conduct,” the organization said in a written statement. “Speech on issues of social and political concern is recognized by the courts, including military courts, as “the core of what the First Amendment is designed to protect.”

    The Marine Corps was prompted to curtail Stein’s activities after an interview in TPMMuckraker during which Stein declared;

    “People in the military need to be heard,” the group’s prime organizer, Gary Stein — a Marine Corps sergeant stationed at Camp Pendleton in southern California — told TPMmuckraker in an interview. “Our opinions do count.”

    Many people in the military “feel like they can’t speak out against Obama or Congress,” said Stein. “The armed forces should have a little bit more say than we think we do,” he said.

    Stein also mentioned that he is a firm supporter of Oath Keepers.

    ADDED: I don’t really fault Oath Keeper members for their membership in the organization. Oath Keepers’ basic message is seductive to members of the military, LEOs and First Responders. I fault Stewart Rhodes for not being upfront with his intentions and political aspirations. If he were, the membership would flee in droves.

  • Oathkeepers feel the heat

    Apparently, I have spies inside Oathkeepers about which I know nothing. One of them sent me this missive from Stuart Rhodes, the founder of Oathkeepers and a former Ron Paul stafferl

    [S]elf identified IVAW members are NOT allowed to post on our forums, period. I simply don’t want them in this org. That is why Eric [Orseske] has been given the boot. They are just too divisive, and also have too many links to radical leftists and outright Marxists. Marxists are just as much enemies of our Constitution as Fascists. I’m not saying ALL IVAW are Marxists, because I know for a fact not all are. But they have some among them, and I just don’t have time to try to separate them out. And they have certainly gotten into bed with some high profile, self-identified far leftists who I consider Marxists. And, as Eric shows, they tend to be one issue people who can’t resist getting in the face of active duty with their opposition to the war. So, until a person resigns from and renounces membership in IVAW, I don’t want them here.

    Oath Keepers is neutral on the issues of the constitutionality of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars because we are focused on what is happening here at home. Yes, the constitutionality of a war certainly matters, but this org is focused on the rapid destruction of our Republic here at home. I want to reach ALL current serving, whatever their opinion of the war. I want to reach the ones in the sandbox as well as those who are here at home, most of whom support the war and are obviously emotionally invested in it. Whatever your opinion on it, how will it help to beat them over the head on it? The main point of Oath Keepers is to keep them from being used as tools of force and oppression against our people, not to debate foreign policy. So, it is counterproductive to have people here who don’t know how to leave those topics alone

    That’s 180 degrees from last September when I first posted about Oathkeepers. After that post, Rhodes and other Oathkeepers not only defended IVAW, they quoted Ron Paul’s endorsement of Adam Kokesh as justification for allowing IVAW members to broadcast their propaganda on Oathkeepers’ website. From some of the comments left here at TAH, it appears that Oathkeepers has been hemorrhaging membership as a result of their brief foray into the Left side of the political spectrum.

    It also appears that when their true thoughts about US foreign policy is known, it hurts their organization, why else would they forbid discussion of the subject? In fact, I’m sure the more we discover about the oathkeepers the less we’ll like them. Not at level of the SPLC or Mark Potok, though.

  • More Stewart Rhodes, Adam Kokesh, Oathkeeper and IVAW

    Bev Perlson of Band of Mothers has been writing to me this weekend about the Oathkeepers and what she saw at CPAC two weeks ago. Apparently, they had Michael Maresco manning the Oathkeepers booth at CPAC for a while. Michael Moresco was the 2009 Oathkeepers Citizen Activist of the Year for his cross country bike ride from Liberty Island to Alcatraz, ostensibly to symbolize our journey from Freedom to Fascism. Along his route, Maresco handed out Ron Paul propaganda. I guess that’s why no one ever heard of him.

    Anyway, Maresco told Bev that he recruited Adam Kokesh to run for that seat in New Mexico. When Bev confronted Stewart Rhodes about Maresco’s claim, Rhodes denied that he even knew Maresco – that’s pretty strange since it seems to me that the Citizen Activist of the Year of Oathkeepers, who happened to be working at Oathkeepers’ table at CPAC would be someone the leader of Oathkeepers would know.

    Bev went on to tell me that Larry Baily, a relatively famous phony SEAL buster, told Rhodes that he should drop his support for Kokesh’s congressional campaign and announce that on the Oathkeepers’ website. Of course, Rhodes did no such thing.

    Bev went a step farther and called the New Mexico Republicans;

    I called the Republican party in New Mexico and spoke with a girl by the name of Tiffany. I told her I was calling about Kokesh and that I understand they can’t stop him from running in the Primary as a Republican, but they sure should issue a statement that they do not support a candidate that actively works to impede the efforts of our recruters and our troops. Tiffany told me they are gettting so many calls like mine, they are aware of the problem, and are looking into their legal options to separate themselves from Kokesh.

    Jonn, I hope you will post the phone number on your website to the GOP in New Mexico and ask folks to call. We need to keep the pressure up on the Republicans over this.

    Here’s the contact information for the Republicans in New Mexico;

    Mailing Address:
    P.O Box 94083
    Albuquerque, NM 87199

    Office Address:
    5150-A San Francisco Rd. NE
    Albuquerque, NM 87109

    Phone: 505-298-3662
    Fax: 505-292-0755
    Email: administrator(at)gopnm(dot)org

    Several readers have emailed me and asked me if they should continue their membership in Oathkeepers. I’ll tell everyone that it’s your choice what you do with your money, but me personally, any organization that ignores Adam Kokesh’s transgressions so that they can have a pretty candidate that mouths the words they want to hear is not one to which I would belong. Kokesh has proved himself to be a poor NCO and a poor citizen. He’s shown that he disregards laws he doesn’t like, and he has no problem lying. He’s covered up his misbehavior on his blog to facilitate his campaign. The DD214 he posted on his campaign website misleads voters.

    And that’s what Oathkeepers supports – just because Kokesh is a Paulian.

    Me? I’m going to start checking out ever member of Oathkeepers from Stuart Rhodes through the Board of Directors down to the newest member. Everyone that claims they have military service is going to have me crawling up their ass for proof. So you Oathkeepers better get your narratives straight.

    And, oh, Michael Maresco, let’s see how you have membership in Oathkeepers since I can’t find a military record, nor a First Responer’s record. Are you OK’s activist of the year just because you’re a propagandist for Ron Paul?

    Added: It appears that we’re having an impact on Oathkeeper’s support. Ol’ Broad at An Old Broad’s Ramblings has just dissolved her relationship with them because of the post I wrote last week..

  • Mother Jones on Oathkeepers

    In the comments, BOHICATwentyTwo left this link to a Mother Jones article about the Oathkeepers. It was written by Justine Sharrock who visited us last year when she erred in writing an article about Adam Kokesh. Sharrock quotes folks like Glen Beck and Lou Dobbs as they praise the Oathkeepers, but I think Beck and Dobbs don’t know Oathkeepers like we know Oathkeepers.

    In fact, in a companion photo essay of the Oathkeepers, Mother Jones calls them “The Tea Party’s Military Wing” and they tout the participation in the Tea Partys. But on the last last page of the article, she quotes founder Stuart Rhodes, former Ron Paul Congressional staffer on the IVAW;

    After an Oath Keeper who is also a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War touted IVAW repeatedly on Oath Keepers’ Web forum, Rhodes deleted the guy’s online testimonial. “The IVAW have their own totalitarian mindset,” he told me. “I don’t like communists any more than I like Nazis.”

    Yeah, Rhodes didn’t delete the online testimonial voluntarily. It took four days for members of This Ain’t Hell to convince Rhodes to take the testimonial down. It began here and ended here. What hasn’t ended, however is Oathkeepers’ support of Adam Kokesh which Bev Perlson told us earlier today. So, apparently Rhodes gets his marching orders from Ron Paul…still.

    When the Oathkeepers first came to my attention, right after the 2008 election, it smelled a little fishy to me. All of the American servicemembers I know don’t need a group to tell them to uphold their oath – in fact, I take offense that Stuart Rhodes thinks they will not. Supposedly Rhodes was a member of the military – does he honestly think that the mothers’ sons with whom he served needed a boy scout troop to tell them to obey the law?

    Maybe some of the assclowns who Sharrock interviewed in that article need adult supervision, but they are the exception, not the rule.

    The bottom line is this; the Tea Party Movement, Glen Beck, Lou Dobbs, Dick Armey and any other Conservative group needs to back away from the Oathkeepers and their secret alliance with IVAW unless they want to be tainted by that special brand of crazy that comes with being a paulian.

  • An open letter to New Mexico voters

    There’s a letter going around the internet that’s an open letter to the voters of New Mexico warning them of IVAW’s Adam Kokesh. I’ll lend my voice to it. Bubba of What Bubba Knows sent it to me first – he posted it on the Gathering of Eagles website. Our buddies ConcreteBob and DanNY posted it on United Conservatives of Virginia and American Patriots Against Kokesh, respectively.

    My suggestion, though is to target Kokesh’s sources of support like Stuart Rhodes of Oathkeepers, Ron Paul and Rand Paul. Kokesh’s membership in IVAW should be problematic for Oathkeepers since the IVAW is currently engaged in activities to encourage active duty members of the military to ignore their oaths of service – it seems to me that an organization called the Oathkeepers would consider that activity radioactive – but we’re not dealing with rational people here.

    I’m pretty sure that Ron and Rand Paul don’t want to be associated with those activities either – although Ron Paul accepts all tainted money, apparently. I don’t thin associating himself with Kokesh would go over very well in Texas – nor would it seem a successful association in Kentucky. I’m pretty sure voters in Texas and Kentucky would be dismayed to find out that their candidates associate themselves with Kokesh who planted racist posters around GWU in an attempt to frame a student group on campus. I’m pretty sure New mexico voters don’t know about all of Kokesh’s antics either.

    UPDATE: Just as I published this post, I received an email from my buddy, Bev Perlson, founder of the Band of Mothers who says she is dropping her support of the Oathkeepers for the same reasons. I hope she won’t mind me sharing a bit of her email;

    Stewart Rhodes finally did show up at the booth. I would describe my conversation with Stewart as very disappointing. He said the fellow sitting at the booth was a volunteer and he had told him to take the pin off???!!!!!!!!!!!!

    So taking the “Kokesh for Congress” pin off was good enough for Stewart Rhodes, President of Oathkeepers, but not for me.

    I asked Stewart about Michael Maresco who told me that he was the Activist of the year for Oathkeepers and he recruited Adam Kokesh. Stewart’s answer was vague and he denied knowing Michael Maresco. Funny thing though, I had seen Maresco at the booth. I told Stewart of my personal observations of Kokesh associating with marxist groups like the SDS, Code Pink, World Can’t Wait and ANSWER, and Kokesh’s involvement in the Winter Soldier Hearings, not to mention his involvement in impeding our recruiters at recruiting stations. I told Stewart I was very disappointed in his associations with Kokesh supporters and I would inform others what I observed at the Oathkeepers booth at CPAC.

    What I observed at the Oathkeepers booth at CPAC leaves me no choice but to disassociate The Band of Mothers with the Oathkeepers. The Band of Mothers do not support any groups who support Adam Kokesh or the IVAW or any groups who who impede our troops mission and discredit them in anyway. Oaths mean nothing to traitors.

    Updated March 10, 2010 1800 hrs. Bev sends this response to Michael Maresco;

    Michael,

    The fact of this entire matter is that anyone who seriously thinks Adam Kokesh is a Republican has lost sight of reality.
    Kokesh’s reputation precedes him.

    I don’t lie and my reputation precedes me.

    Your fantasy that my Marine friend is your friend, you are naive and almost childish. Ever hear that expression “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?”

    Sorry, but Kokesh cannot get up one day and put on a suit and tie and declare himself a Republican without backlash from every Patriot who has stood against him and his Marxist friends in DC.
    Enjoy your fantasyland, the rest of us will continue to fight the good fight and support our troops and we will continue to fight those who impede their efforts and mission.

    Beverly Perlson
    The Band of Mothers