![\"tomphilpott\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tomphilpott.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nChief Tango sends us link from Stars & Stripes<\/a> from some fellow by the name of Tom Philpott entitled “Vets should be wary of CVA pitchforks and torches”. It’s to warn us poor stupit vets that Concerned Veterans for America is *gasp* partisan. <\/p>\n I can\u2019t claim to have covered VA medical appointments and wait times with enough depth or regularity to know if there\u2019s gross mismanagement and deceptive bookkeeping at some or many VA facilities. That will be verified, or not, by independent audits and criminal investigations now underway.<\/p>\n […]<\/p>\n But in my 37 years covering veterans\u2019 issues, I have never seen veteran issues used more cynically or politicized more thoroughly than during the past several years. At times the intent seems to be to shake trust in government generally rather than to address veterans’ needs.<\/p>\n In the thick of this is Concerned Veterans for America, posing as a vet advocacy group and being rewarded for it. CVA press releases usually are partisan attacks. Its spokesman, Pete Hegseth, an Iraq war vet and Republican who ran for a U.S. Senate in 2012, is quoted often by major news outlets without mention of press reports associating CVA with the Koch brothers, libertarian billionaires who create public interest groups to oppose big government. That\u2019s fine. That\u2019s protected speech. A CVA spokesman told me last year it don’t reveal donor information. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n So, basically, Philpot, whoever the Hell he is, says that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about in regards to veterans’ issues, but that we should listen to him anyway. According to his bio<\/a> he was in the Coast Guard back in the ’70s and then went into journalism and worked at that cesspool at Military Times. And now, he’s sounding the warning about Pete Hegseth, who happens to be one of those evil Republicans who are calling for Shinseki’s resignation.<\/p>\n Mr. Philpot, sir, when the Hell did you ever write a warning to veterans about VoteVets or Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America? They are both partisan organizations run by Democrats and espouse Democrat policies, sometimes in contradiction to the welfare of veterans. VoteVets doesn’t disclose their donors either. <\/p>\n Paul Rieckoff of the IAVA was a Democrat before he founded IAVA, he rubbed elbows with the likes of Jesse Ventura and Code Pink and gave a Democrat address in response to a presidential weekly radio address during the Bush Administration. So where’s your warning about them and their partisan activities, Tom?<\/p>\n Now, I’ll admit right up front that Pete Hegseth and I are friends, we email a couple of times every week. His staff emails me a few times a week. He once gave me a CVA bottle opener. With a magnet.<\/p>\n Pete is a real patriot who cares about veterans, and his political views are much in line with mine and you know that I tear up whoever is wrong, regardless of their political party. Can you say the same about IAVA or VoteVets – one only cares about himself, the other is trying to cram green energy down our throats.<\/p>\n So, Tom Philpot, cram green energy down your throat or words to that effect. You’re just another liberal partisan hack like Soltz and Rieckhoff. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"