Twenty Southern Arizona veterans today condemned Conservatives for Congress for using our troops’ safety as fodder for a cheap political attack ad.

These Arizona heroes, including retired General John Wickham, who served as U.S. Army Chief of Staff under President Ronald Reagan; retired General Bill Van Dyke, former Adjutant General of Arizona; and Joe Reagan, former Commander of the Arizona Department of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW), called upon Conservatives for Congress to take down the ad immediately in a joint statement issued today:

“The bogus ad by Conservatives for Congress takes an issue of life and death for our troops and turns it into fodder for a cheap political attack. What a disgrace. Shame on them for disrespecting our brave men and women in uniform.  As a veteran, I call upon Conservatives for Congress to take down their ad immediately and apologize to Southern Arizona’s veteran community for this garbage.”

“Gabrielle Giffords is a one of the strongest supporters Southern Arizona veterans and military families have ever known. She looks out for our military families and veterans, and her commitment to protecting our troops and the integrity of their missions is beyond question.”

The ad—which cuts off General David Petraeus before he has finished speaking—makes an issue of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ questioning of General Petraeus before the House Armed Services Committee.  Giffords asked General Petraeus about the military policy of reducing fuel consumption.  Many U.S. troops have lost their lives or been injured on fuel resupply convoys; more than 170 in 2007 alone.

Current U.S. military policy calls for reducing fuel consumption as a way to lower the risk to our troops’ life and limb.  In addition, General Petraeus’ 2006 Counterinsurgency Manual specifically notes that the development of a stable electric supply is part of a successful counterinsurgency strategy.

Arizona veterans taking part in today’s joint statement:

Retired General John Wickham, U.S. Army Chief of Staff under President Ronald Reagan

Retired General Bill Van Dyke, former Adjutant General of Arizona

Joe Reagan, former Commander of the Arizona Department of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW)

Stanley Abrams, Captain (Ret.), U.S. Air Force; Arizona Air National Guardsman

Bob Berry, Master Sergeant (Ret.), U.S. Air Force

Carol Borges, former military X-ray technician

Robert Cohen, retired officer second class

Peter Collinson, Retired E 4

Richard Feeney

Gunny Ferguson

Bob Gent, Lt. Colonel (Ret.), U.S. Air Force

Robert Grant, Staff Sergeant (Ret.), U.S. Marine Corps

Donald Gunther, Retired Airman, First Class, U.S. Air Force; Korean War veteran

Tom Hestwood

Glen Huffman

Nelson Miller, retired Navy SEAL

Robert Parsons

Dan Ross, retired A4

Bill Valenzuela

Victor Walker, Master Sergeant Chief (Ret.), U.S. Navy

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Every year, American troops risk their lives guarding fuel transport lines and convoys, with nearly 1,000 casualties in 2004 alone. Giffords for Congress today called on special interest group Conservatives for Congress to cancel its new TV ad that plays politics with the lives of U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan.

The ad—which cuts off General David Petraeus before he has finished speaking—makes an issue of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ questioning of General Petraeus before the House Armed Services Committee. Giffords asked General Petraeus about the military policy of reducing fuel consumption. Many U.S. troops have lost their lives or been injured on fuel resupply convoys.

Arizona National Guardsman Mark Cardenas saw firsthand the dangers of our military’s dependence on fuel. Cardenas guarded more than 4,000 miles of convoys during his 15-month deployment to Iraq that began in August 2006. “As someone who spent 15 months guarding convoys – the vast majority of which were fuel convoys – in Iraq, I find this ad un-American. Our dependence on fuel wastes our resources, puts thousands of soldiers in danger everyday and does nothing to advance our strategic missions. There is a better way to do this overall, and that is by freeing ourselves of this leash so our military can go do the job they were sent to accomplish.”

Current U.S. military policy calls for reducing fuel consumption as a way to lower the risk to our troops’ life and limb. In addition, General Petraeus’ 2006 Counterinsurgency Manual specifically notes that the development of a stable electric supply is part of a successful counterinsurgency strategy. Please see the fact sheet below for relevant information.

“The people behind this group should be ashamed of themselves. Congresswoman Giffords was doing her job by asking General Petraeus about his efforts to keep our troops safe,” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “I think Jesse Kelly will do the right thing here and call for this ad to be taken down.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and creates jobs by investing in solar energy.

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The Facts: Reducing Fuel Consumption Saves Lives

The 2006 Army Counterinsurgency Field Manual written by General David Petraeus identifies a stable electrical supply as critical to military success in counterinsurgency operations.

“2-6. COIN is fought among the populace. Counterinsurgents take upon themselves responsibility for the people’s well-being in all its manifestations. These include the following:

· Security from insurgent intimidation and coercion, as well as from nonpolitical violence and crime.
· Provision for basic economic needs.
· Provision of essential services, such as water, electricity, sanitation, and medical care.
· Sustainment of key social and cultural institutions.
· Other aspects that contribute to a society’s basic quality of life.

Effective COIN programs address all aspects of the local populace’s concerns in a unified fashion. Insurgents succeed by maintaining turbulence and highlighting local grievances the COIN effort fails to address. COIN forces succeed by eliminating turbulence and helping the host nation meet the populace’s basic needs.”

(Petraeus, David H., and James F. Amos. Counterinsurgency. Rep. no. FM 3-24. United States Army, Dec. 2006. http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/coin/repository/FM_3-24.pdf, p. 44.)

Every year, American troops risk their lives guarding fuel transport lines and convoys, with nearly 1,000 casualties in 2004 alone.

(Sustain the Mission Project: Casualty Factors for Fuel and Water Resupply Convoys. United States Army Environmental Policy Institute, 9/17/09. www.aepi.army.mil/docs/…/SMP_Casualty_Cost_Factors_Final1-09.pdf, p.3)

As the U.S. Army’s 2009 Sustain the Mission Project study shows, we can save troops lives by reducing our military’s consumption of fuel in theaters of battle.

(Sustain the Mission Project: Casualty Factors for Fuel and Water Resupply Convoys, United States Army Environmental Policy Institute, 9/17/09. www.aepi.army.mil/docs/…/SMP_Casualty_Cost_Factors_Final1-09.pdf, p. 9.)

Leading U.S. military strategists agree that our military’s dependence on fuel is “a matter of life and death,” and reducing that dependence will save American lives.

Iraq Experience
“Unleash us from the tether of fuel,” said Lieutenant General James N. Mattis, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, on his Operation Iraqi Freedom experience as Commanding General, 1st Marine Division. Comment was made during a March 2003 drive to Baghdad.

Afghanistan Experience
“Increased use of convoys to transport fuel and water — which account for about 80 percent of the weight of everything the U.S. takes to war — was a root cause of U.S. casualties, and there was no sign that the Pentagon intended to shift the strategy it used in Iraq,” Retired U.S. Air Force General Charles Wald, (“Pentagon Could Save Lives by Cutting Fuel Use,” Reuters, 10/11/2009.)

U.S. Dept. of Defense Experience
“Our dependence on fuel adds significant cost and puts US soldiers and contractors at risk,” said Dorothy Robyn, Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment. “Energy can be a matter of life and death and we have seen dramatically in Iraq and Afghanistan the cost of heavy reliance on fossil fuels.” (“Obama puts government on low-carbon diet,” The New York Times, 1/29/10.)

For months, Jesse Kelly has staked out extreme positions on the issues, and Social Security has been no exception.  But now that he has won his primary, Kelly has changed his position to try and fool Southern Arizona.

Kelly’s answers on Social Security read like a multiple-choice exam: Privatize it, Phase it out, Eliminate it… and now… Protect it. If Jesse Kelly went to Congress, which would it be?

Privatize It and Phase It Out. In July 2010, asked by KUAT’s Bill Buckmaster about privatizing Social Security, he said, “You must! … Right now, you have to take steps to reform it, to privatize it, to phase it out.” (http://ondemand.azpm.org/videoshorts/watch/2010/7/30/1648-gop-candidates-in-congressional-district-8/, approximately 46 minutes into the debate.)

Eliminate It. In December 2009, when Kelly was asked about Social Security, he told the Tucson Weekly, “I would love to eliminate the program.” (“Jesse Kelly on War, Health Care Reform, Federal Spending and the Rosemont Mine”, Tucson Weekly, 12/02/2009.)

Protect It? Kelly’s new National Republican Campaign Committee handlers are trying to get their extremist nominee to backtrack from his previous position. This weekend, his spokesman told Bloomberg News that Kelly wants to “protect” Social Security. Kelly repeated this latest position on Jon Justice’s radio show this morning. However, he still has no plan for how current retirees benefits will be met if younger workers stop fully paying into the system.

But the words and statements Kelly repeated for months and months speak louder than his spokesman’s attempt to give him an extreme makeover.

And Kelly himself still refers to Social Security as a scam. The day after he won the Republican nomination, he described Social Security as “this massive Ponzi scheme run by the federal government.” (KMSB, FOX-11, 8/25/10. Watch the clip here: http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/Giffords-and-Kelly-already-at-odds-101596693.html.)

“They say elephants never forget, but no one of any party is going to forget Kelly’s repeated calls to eliminate and phase out Social Security. Some words are too inflammatory to be forgotten, especially when repeated so often,” said Rodd McLeod, campaign manager of Giffords for Congress.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and creates jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Three days after the primary election, CD8 Republican nominee Jesse Kelly still struggles to unify Arizona conservatives.

In today’s Arizona Republic, Arizona’s leading conservative voice, columnist Robert Robb described Kelly as having only “slender ties to the district.“ (“McCain was vulnerable, but Hayworth wasn’t credible,” Arizona Republic, 8/27/10.)

On Wednesday’s KUAT Arizona Illustrated Face-Off, Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash of Tucson disclosed that he had to block the National Republican Congressional Committee from stepping in to support Paton over Kelly: “I was responsible for keeping the national party OUT of this race. There’s a lot of activity to keep the national party out of local primary elections, and that’s what happened there.” (Arizona Illustrated, KUAT, 8/25/10.)

Conservative blogger and Warriors for Congress chairwoman Melanie Morgan described Kelly’s rejection by conservatives in her post about his victory in the CD8 primary: “’No, we can’t help him. He won’t win.’ That’s what we were told by ‘establishment’ folks when we asked them to help Jesse.” (“Jesse Kelly Beats the Establishment,” www.MelanieMorgan.com, 8/25/10.)

“Plenty of conservatives are hesitant to risk their reputations on a guy who wants to eliminate Social Security,” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod. “Mr. Kelly’s comments yesterday about how his victory would cause a rebound on Wall Street couldn’t have inspired much confidence either.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journalin 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and creates jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Today, a right-wing smear group calling itself Americans for Prosperity began running television attacks on Congresswoman Giffords in the Tucson media market.

The new ad attacking Giffords appears to show everyday citizens expressing opposition to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.  However at least one of these “ordinary Arizonans” is an elite Republican operative who has been a long-time Kelly supporter.

Jennifer Leslie is Tucson District Coordinator for leading Republican political blog Smart Girl Politics:http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/profile/JenniferLeslie,  http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/group/arizonasgp.

Leslie is featured in the Americans for Prosperity ad criticizing Giffords. But this is not the first time this elite political operative has stepped up to support Kelly.

In April, Leslie attended an event at Kelly’s campaign office and was all smiles with a Kelly campaign staffer.

Leslie is also a “fan” of Kelly on facebook. She took the time to share excitement about filming the ad on Kelly’s facebook page.

Americans for Prosperity purports to be a grassroots citizens’ movement. It is actually the front group for billionaire oil magnate David Koch. Koch is well known for his award-winning success in sending American jobs to China and funneling millions of dollars into campaigns to privatize Social Security.

“After years of gouging Americans with high gas prices, oil billionaire David Koch has plowed his profits into a rightwing smear campaign against anyone who stands up for the middle class,” said Giffords for Congress campaign manager Rodd McLeod.  “Jesse Kelly and his political operatives are embracing a group that sends jobs to China and wants to privatize Social Security.  We can all see who is pulling Mr. Kelly’s strings.”

Over the past 25 years, the Koch Family Foundation has funneled $132 million into right-wing attack groups, including Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks. This election cycle, Americans for Prosperity is running a multi-million dollar TV advertising campaign attacking those who oppose outsourcing jobs and privatizing Social Security and Medicare.

Koch Industries and its subsidiaries have led the way in shipping jobs overseas to China and India; one even had the distinction of winning the 2006 Outsourcing Center and Forbes Magazine ‘Outsourcing Excellence Award’ in recognition of their work effectively sending American jobs to China.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and creates jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Today, as momentum for Gabrielle Giffords’ re-election continues to build, Giffords for Congress released a new web video, Republicans for Giffords. The video features Republicans from across Southern Arizona voicing their support for Gabrielle Giffords.

Gabrielle Giffords has led the effort to reform corrupt earmarking in Congress. She has refused to vote for a pay raise since taking office, and she sponsored a constitutional amendment that requires Washington to balance the budget.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only military spouse in Congress. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our servicemen and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Americans for Prosperity, the political slush fund of billionaire David Koch, will begin running television attacks on Congresswoman Giffords starting this Wednesday.

This election cycle, Americans for Prosperity is running a multi-million dollar TV advertising campaign against candidates who oppose Koch Industries’ agenda of outsourcing jobs and privatizing Social Security.

The AP reported Saturday that the group “is planning new ads in three Arizona and three Florida congressional districts next week.” Americans for Prosperity is planning to spend $4.1 million on the ads, according to the report.

Koch Industries and its subsidiaries have led the way in shipping jobs overseas to China and India; one even had the distinction of winning the 2006 Outsourcing Center and Forbes Magazine ‘Outsourcing Excellence Award’ in recognition of their work effectively sending American jobs to China.

Over the past 25 years, the Koch Family Foundation has funneled $132 million into right-wing attack groups, including Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks. This election cycle, Americans for Prosperity is running a multi-million dollar TV advertising campaign attacking those who oppose outsourcing jobs and privatizing Social Security and Medicare.

Campaign Manager Rodd McLeod expects this is the opening salvo of the millions of dollars special interest groups will spend this cycle trying to buy control of Arizona’s 8th District.

“Special interests groups like this one are not interested in helping Southern Arizonans,” McLeod said. “They want to get their hands on Arizona’s money by privatizing Social Security and getting tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas–and they’re trying to elect guys like Kelly and Paton to help them do it.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only military spouse in Congress. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our servicemen and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Tucson, Ariz. -- Gabrielle Giffords’ Cactus Roots team is stronger than ever. Giffords for Congress today released Seniors for Giffords. This web video features Southern Arizona seniors testifying about their support for Gabrielle.

Gabriele Giffords fights for Southern Arizona seniors. She is a champion for our veterans and military families. She has promised to protect Social Security, while her opponents want to privatize it or, in the words of one of them, “phase it out.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only military spouse in Congress. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our servicemen and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Tucson, Ariz. – Today, Giffords for Congress released Law Enforcement for Giffords. In this new web video, Tucson public safety officers discuss why they support Gabrielle Giffords.

Earlier this month, Giffords was endorsed by AZCOPS, Arizona’s largest association of public safety officers. With more than 8,000 members from 95 local police and sheriffs affiliates, AZCOPS is the “voice for officers in their hometowns.” Its mission is to ensure officers have the tools they need to keep Arizona’s communities safe.

In his endorsement, AZCOPS President Larry Lopez praised Gabrielle’s “support for public safety officers and willingness to listen to [their] concerns.”

Last month, Gabrielle fought to restore $50 million for local law enforcement agencies in the southwest border region. She has successfully helped secure $13.8 million for local Arizona law enforcement agencies working to secure the border. She has fought diligently to get the federal government to reimburse Arizona for the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only military spouse in Congress. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our servicemen and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Tucson, AZ – Amid growing enthusiasm for Gabrielle, Giffords for Congress today released a new web video, Independents for Giffords.

In the new video, Southern Arizona Independents express their support for Gabrielle’s work for our community.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only military spouse in Congress. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our servicemen and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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