August 11, 2024

I've gone back and forth on my feelings about former governor of Minnesota and former Navy SEAL Jesse Ventura, who rightfully spoke out about Dick Cheney and waterboarding on more than one occasion, but then turned to conspiracy land with the likes of Alex Jones when contemplating a presidential run in 2016.

Regardless of Ventura's past, I was happy to see someone mention the fact that the deployment Vance was falsely accusing Walz of dodging was one that never should have happened in the first place, and someone again whacking him for his support of Trump who dodged the draft.

Here's the exchange between Ventura and CNN's Laura Coates from this Friday:

COATES: Governor Ventura, thank you so much for joining me this evening. I'm really eager to hear your take on this because you are a former Navy SEAL. You served in Vietnam. And I have to ask you what you think of this attack from the Trump-Vance ticket on Governor Walz's military service.

VENTURA: Well, Laura, I'll tell you what I think. I think it's shameful. I think it's shameful that a veteran would attack another veteran. Governor Walz served honorably for 24 years in the National Guard. After 20 years, you are eligible to retire at any time you deem necessary. They talk about him missing his deployment. Well, maybe Mr. Vance should ask the real question.

What is the National Guard doing deploying to a foreign country in a foreign war? Well, let's go into history and figure out how that happened. That happened because George W. Bush and Dick Cheney went into the Iraq war based on lies. No weapons of mass destruction. No ties to al-Qaeda. Nothing with 9/11. And they ran out of bodies.

They needed more bodies. They couldn't implement a draft. That would be political suicide. So what George Bush did was sign an executive order sending the National Guard into foreign deployment. The National Guard is not for foreign deployment. Their name says what they do. They guard our nation from within. So this hogwash about Governor Walz missing a deployment, not only that, he's 24 years, he's an E9.

I deployed twice. We never even had an E9 with us when we deployed. E9s are not going to walk the point. They're not going to be involved in any combat whatsoever. They're figureheads being the most senior enlisted within their company, and that's what it's all about. So I think that Vance is doing a disservice to himself and a disservice to the United States Marine Corps.

I know a lot of great Marines, and Marines show respect, and Vance is not showing respect. And let's continue. Who does he have respect for? Donald Trump, the biggest draft dodger from the Vietnam War, the rich white boy who bought his way out of it. I come from south Minneapolis. My friends and I didn't get out of it. We either got drafted or we enlisted. I know six or seven or eight of my friends.

Donald Trump was your typical rich white boy who didn't have to serve in Vietnam because he could buy his way out of it, and that's who Vance is standing with, this guy who leads from the rear?

COATES: Then why do you think, given all that you've described, from the politics, the history, and of course the person who's on the top of the ticket who has been criticized for the bone spurs reason for not going to serve, and I, frankly, I have not served. I am a civilian and have the ultimate reverence for those who have and thank you for your service. So why do you think this is the line of attack to choose politically? Obviously, it would offend and alienate voters on one level and also people who have served the armed forces on the other.

VENTURA: I don't know. You'd have to ask Mr. Vance that. I don't understand his motive whatsoever, how he could turn against a fellow veteran. You know, there's kind of an unwritten rule amongst us veterans. You don't criticize another veteran. Not every veteran's a knuckle dragger, and I'm not going to define knuckle dragger because if you've been in the service, you'll know what a knuckle dragger is.

But, you know, as a frog man in the United States Navy, my job was to ensure the Marines could get to shore to do their job. We went in ahead of them. We went in before them to ensure the Marines could land. And his point of being a Marine like he is and then criticizing the governor after 24 years of service, it's despicable on his behalf for doing that.

And I hope all veterans feel like I do about it. You don't criticize another veteran and how they served, whether they're a cook or whatever they do, they all have a job to do. And if you're going to be successful, everybody has to do their job and pitch in to be successful.

Ventura went onto discuss the fact that RFK Jr. had approached him as a running mate before choosing someone else, before endorsing the Harris/Walz ticket and saying he wants "to be alive to see the first woman president of the United States of America and the first woman commander-in-chief."

So good for him for moving away from wingnut land. And good for him for reminding everyone on how Bush abused the National Guard and on Captain Bone Spurs isn't fit to be Commander in Chief.

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