In The Spotlight

Until recently, it's been even money which issue -- the Iraq war, pushed hard by the Dems, or national security, the focus of Repub scare tactics -- would take precedence in framing the mid-term elections.

As evidence, I was drawn to this "Spotlight" feature, titled "The Vet Offensive," in the just released Vanity Fair. 

Given that Iraq proper long ago disappeared from the domestic media space, and these "Fighting Dems" are now fully deployed on the Congressional battlefield, this stark image, and the prominence of the tank, signifies the war is looming large on the home soil.

These four (of five) Democratic vets of the latest Iraq war convey a confidence and assertiveness that wouldn't have fit the pose even a couple weeks ago.  Just as significantly, the image challenges the Republicans and this terminally-civilian Administration over the use of war imagery.  Imagine the return to a day in which even spinmeisters would be constrained by reality to proffer weapons as a weapon, as much as props.

(image: Mark Seliger/Vanity Fair.  October 2006.  p. 134)

Comments

[Jake]

Good to have you back dude.

[Doctor Jay]

The strong backlighting in the photo makes it difficult for me to focus on their faces. I don't know how that plays.

My favorite quote from one of our soldiers came when a woman in uniform was interviewed. Her job was support, but it involved riding around in jeeps a lot, exposing her to lots of danger.

All she said about it was, "I came here to do a job, and I'm gonna do it." People will follow that kind of attitude. A long way.

[margaret]

They certainly are a decent looking group, aren't they? If they win, I hope they won't end up with the kind of countenances you showed the other day on the House leadership: the bloated self-indulgence of Hastert, the calculating Roemer, the hardened Blunt. (Gangsters!)
They look, by contrast, ready for reform. I hope they achieve it.

(I'm glad you are back with the depth we have come to enjoy and anticipate in your posts.)

[Wolves in Sheep Camouflage]

First, I love the picture. It is definitely "Old West" looking with the high contrast. BUT....

We should be VERY concerned that there are so many vets running for congress; are we up to 50+ vets running now? They happen to be Dems --because that is where the momemtum is--but they are still military. Who's orders do you think they are following now?

To be clear, the iraq war has and will have many long lasting effects. One of which is the sour taste of military conflict returning to this country. It will be a MUCH higher bar to convince the people to war. This could mean that the natural course is to curtail the military industrial complex by resisting action and new military spending.

The powers that be realize this so they are working to combat this by stocking our congress with soldiers who will continue to vote for more military spending. Militarizing the Congress. That is what is happening and it is VERY intentional. This must be fought and resisted.

Do not be suckered in by a vet running for congress whatever their party is. If there is an option in your dem primaries, vote for the other one.

peace
box

[Rafael]

The U.S. has along tradition of having people from military background becoming politicians. It should not be a prerequisite. Some have been good, like George Washintong others bad like Randy Cunnignham. The question is, do they walk away from the military and embrace their civilian roles or ae they still attached to the military ahdn and foot?

[donna]

From what I've seen of those running, they are tired of the abuse of the military. And that's a good thing.

I'm very impressed with the fighting Dems.

[ummabdulla]

It's an interesting picture; with each at a different height, you keep looking from one to the other. Of course, it's Tammy Duckworth who stands out - not only because she's the only woman but because her shirt is in such contrast to the men's... while theirs are professional, hers is very casual. The men are all looking straight at the camera, maybe to come off as direct and honest; it's hard to see her eyes, but she seems to be turned slightly to the side. A lot of photos I've seen of her show her prosthetic legs, but I guess the tank is enough to make the point in this picture.

I don't think that veterans of the Iraq War are necessarily going to be supporting the government line or the military. If the war is an important issue, then they're the ones who will have the credibility to stand against it.

[Darryl Pearce]

Here's a picture of Maj Duckworth in uniform. I don't seem to mind so much that she looks "casual"... with a will to live.

[Mad_nVT]

Looks like they are ready to work- hopefully ready to clean House . . . . . . ready to force people to tell the truth about War, about the military, about Vets.

Perhaps they can speak to why Wars-of-Choice so often fail, and why diplomacy is so important.

[PTate in MN]

This is a fantastic picture. If I were Bushco, I would be feeling the cool wind of doom on my neck. These individuals look so attractive and focused. They stare straight out at us, and--amazingly enough since the venue IS fashionista Vanity Fair!--they look like real people, a little rumpled, but as you say, confident, honest, ready for action. If they were a band, they could be Tammy and the Competents.

Each has his or her arms in a different posture--I am reminded of "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil." But as prospective, non-Republican congressmen, the hand positions of the men suggest, "we're taking no crap and we're not lying, we care about you, and we aren't going to pick your pockets."

And Tammy Duckworth's hands and arms remind me of a Madonna. She exudes feminine strength and authenticity.

[Aunt Deb]

Was Ms. Duckworth's right arm also injured? She seems to be supporting it by resting it across her leg.

As for the effect of this photo, I find it interesting to look at but I'm not sure about the tank. What's the point of that? It seems to me that a Humvee would be more emblematic of this war and certainly of the injuries suffered by ground troops. Perhaps the tank is really all about rolling over the opposition. Which surely has not happened in actual combat so this is about the election.

[seajane]

The serious faces and poses reminds me of the posed Bonnie & Clyde photos. Tammy's crutches fill in for Bonnie's guns. They are a gang to contend with!

Tammy is distinct with her stripes and bare arms but her facial expression (and I guess because we know her history) she still definately belongs.

Good photo!

[acm]

The strong backlighting in the photo makes it difficult for me to focus on their faces. I don't know how that plays.

interesting point. you can, in fact, focus in on each face, but the more important effect is of the overall composition, a tough group, ready for a fight -- not aggressive, but serious business.

striking. I share another commenter's concern that military service is taken as a prerequisite for leadership, but it's not entirely inappropriate either, and this is a good year for Dems to shake off the crap about how serious they are about national defense. I suspect that these folks aren't cavallier about the use of troops...

[KansasKowboy]

I am just guessing, but I think the image may be in black and white and not color to maybe give it the feel of a photo from the Vietnam era, or maybe Korea in the 50's or even WWII, when most of the images you saw then was black and white. Especially in the newspapers and even the magazines. I thinbk this photo is more effective in black and white for that reason. Also, the pose in front of a tank places them anywhere in the U.S. where Vets are remembered. What community doesn't have a tank or helicopter or pieces of old military equipment displayed in a park somewherre commenmerating vets from their town or county who gave their lives, their limbs or their service for the USA?

Someone above posted how maybe even though the new veterans that are running for office my be Democrats,maybe we shouldn't trust them because they are military. Well I live in a military community and I can tell you from experience and from knowing soldiers that have returned from many different kinds of wars, nothing is better at creating a pacifist than actually participating in a war and seeing the real hell of it all. I am a pacifist, but I have never been in war, I imagine that if I ever went to war and survived it I would be even more "militant" about my pacifism than I am now.

[KansasKowboy]

I don't use a laptop much. I am using one today. I should have proof read my post above before submitting it. Sorry for all the typo's. I meant to ad that I hope that Karl Rove has lost his power to "fool" the voters, I think maybe he is losing that power. Which only makes me a little worried. What will they do in desperation?

[Cactus]

I am so glad that seajane mentioned the Bonnie an Clyde connection because that was the first thing that came to mind for me, too. But I was too timid to post it since everyone else was buffo about the photo. It has a sort of 'duelin' banjos' feel to it. Four people at the family picnic somewhere in the southern US. But these four don't mix well with the others; they are the rabble-rousers, the ones who don't accept things as they are.

One thing that troubles me is, why did they cut off the fourth guy on the right? It seems totally capricious.

The tank troubles me, also: militaristically, it's almost archaic, a relic from another time and totally inappropriate to a political endorsement photo. But as for former military becoming legislators, remember Eisenhower, who was a military commander warning future generations about the military-industrial complex. He was right. Perhaps these folk will be also.

Did any one else notice the title, "The Vet Offensive" as a subliminal connection to the 'Tet offensive' of the Vietnam era? First reaction could be just the 'cutsie' jargon of VF, but in reality it's heavier than that. Also, the high contrast seems phony and detracts from any reality of the situation. Another thing that troubles me is that all the males are dressed in shirt-and-tie uniforms whereas Duckworth is in a rather casual (striped!) tank top. I'd like to know if that was her choice or the photographers. Either way, it's odd.

[Jonathan Berhow]

Aunt Deb, Kansas Kowboy, and Cactus,

KK's 1st paragraph comment about the "dating" of the photo was what first came to my mind as well. Also, Cactus’ comment on the tank being a relic and the Eisenhower reference may be relevant. The tank is an M47 Patton. Entering service with the US Army in 1952, its development was in part a response to the war in Korea. Now most folks probably don’t know this, and the choice to stand in front of this particular tank may have been accidental or insignificant (or, any tank will do). But did the “Fighting Dems” know? And if so, what are they implying? Where was the photo taken and was there a descriptive plaque? Was the M47 a Dem effort to harken back to an era of supposedly more strength, stability, bipartisanship, security, etc.? Does WinSC’s comment figure in here? What might change if Dems regain political power? In terms of the military and the MIC, I hear only tactical differences from them.

[Chris Black]

As I'm an ignorant Brit, can plese somebody tell me who these good people are, and where they are standing?

[LanceThruster]

I first became aware of Ms. Duckworth from a C-SPAN piece on wounded veterans. The extent of her injuries, the stoic manner in which she dealt with her wounds, and the support of her husband and family made me tear up then. Her tenacity now in regards to her run for office brings the same tears to my eyes. She is exactly the sort of person we need guiding the ship of state as she knows what sacrifice is all about. She is an honor to her nation and as a human being.