A Marine Jumps Party Lines to Join Democrats in Trenches - WSJ

[question everything]

WESTFIELD, N.J. -- On a Friday afternoon last April, a couple of weeks after he returned from Iraq, Marine Lt. Col. Steve Brozak walked into the town hall here and changed his voter registration from Republican to Democrat.

(snip)

It's a mission being embraced by the 42-year-old Mr. Brozak, now running for Congress in a well-to-do swath of suburban New Jersey. A social moderate and fiscal conservative, he's emerging as the Democrats' dream challenger to an entrenched Republican. The son of immigrants, he's an investment banker specializing in biotechnology companies and a Marine who has served three years on active duty and 18 years in the Reserve, including brief volunteer deployments to Haiti, Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq.

(snip)

Mr. Brozak isn't against the Iraq war, and he opposes a withdrawal. But, like Mr. Kerry, he criticizes the Bush administration for failing to assemble an overwhelming international coalition for the invasion, saying the effort to rebuild Iraq may be doomed by inadequate forces and inept planning. His opponent, Mike Ferguson, who was elected in 2000 and didn't serve in the military, is playing up his support of Mr. Bush. "I've stood shoulder to shoulder with the president and with my colleagues in the Congress as we wage this war on terrorism," he says.

(snip)

Mr. Brozak, who plans to retire from the Reserve May 1, began turning against the Republican Party during the South Carolina primary in 2000, when a Bush ally accused Sen. John McCain of neglecting his fellow Vietnam veterans. Mr. Brozak grew even angrier in 2002, when Republican Saxby Chambliss, aided by President Bush, defeated Democratic Georgia Sen. Max Cleland in a bitter campaign. Ads for Mr. Chambliss implicitly questioned the patriotism of Mr. Cleland -- who lost three limbs serving in Vietnam.

(snip)

These days, Mr. Brozak is especially angry about the administration's treatment of National Guard and Reserve troops, the traditional weekend warriors who now find themselves deployed for years. Within the next few months, 70% of the 7,000 members of the New Jersey Army National Guard will be on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Sinai Peninsula or elsewhere -- a higher share than at any time since World War II.

(snip)

Write to Michael M. Phillips at [e-mail]

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB108250044928188538,00.html

[DarkPhenyx]

1. Beware the Trojan Horse.

That was my first thought on reading this. I would not be surprised to see him jump parties after he gets elected. Just a thought.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

5. No, no.

StevieB is real and is bring the fire. He's been vetted. Trust me.

What he is saying is some of the strongest, bravest and truest stuff ANYONE has said in this cycle. Find out more about him. He keeps it up, he's gonna go places.

As you might expect from a Jarhead, he grabs repukes by the neck and rubs their noses in their own shit. With style, flair, finesse and elan.

[DarkPhenyx]

8. *non-commital grunt*

I'll take your advice. I ahve to admit I don't know anything at all about him. This was a gut response.

[Turkw]

13. It's about time the Democratic party and the military service personnel

reconciled. My grand uncle is a retired army officer AND a lifelong Democrat. Why does our party not fight for the military vote? A volunteer military is going to be heavily manned by the poor. We should fight for this vote as WE are the party that wants to protect them before, in, and out of service!

[DarkPhenyx]

14. For some reason...

...in my experience, the louder voices in the Democratic party seems to think that it isn't worth the effort and that military personel don't share out values. Some of us know better fortunately. We'll win eventually.

[IrateCitizen]

18. That's because some mistakenly equate "military" with "militarism"

There are many people in the military who are NOT militarists. Personally, I'm anti-militarism but am still able to see the integrity exhibited by many of our men and women in uniform.

Perhaps that comes from actually being in the military myself, even if I don't much believe in the institution anymore....

[Kanary]

15. "A volunteer army is going to be ..."

and at this juncture, I would say "staffed" as there are many women, as well as the men, now in the military.

Your point about poor folks (of both genders) being heavily represented is very correct, which brings about *my* concern.

So many of these "socially liberal, fiscally conservative" people are NOT supportive of poor folks. IN their zeal to "balance the budget", the first item on their agenda to cut is........... guess what......... the safety net, which is all that keeps some poor people from falling into an abyss too horrible to contemplate. As long as the poor are serving in the military, they'll support them. (I would hope!). But, a mother trying to raise children with inadequate resources...... naw, that's so often not considered worth our *national* resources.

I've seen too much of this to have much trust.

Kanary

[blm]

6. I understand the skepticism, but, don't underestimate

the depth of anger vets have at BushInc's treatment of veterans and their unbelievable gall apparent in their attacks on honorable vets like McCain and Cleland for political gain.

[DarkPhenyx]

7. As I am a vet...

..and a Reservist I don't underestimate it. However.....*thinking scowl*

[MoonRiver]

9. Just one addition to your post, which I agree totally with,

honorable vets like McCain and Cleland, AND Kerry. :hi:

[question everything]

11. Before I posted, I searched DU

and found this thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=167&topic_id=11#121

You may want to visit his website

http://www.stevebrozakforcongress.com/

[NMDemDist2]

2. in the WSJ no less WOW n/t

[question everything]

12. Except for the editorial page the WSJ is a pretty good newspaper

with great writing and excellent investigative reporting.

[KC21304]

3. Thanks for this terrific story.

We need to spread the word.

[AndyTiedye]

4. I wouldn't be surprised...

...If he gets activated and stop-lossed before May 1 to prevent him from running.

[TacticalPeek]

10. A few good men

and women could tip a House.

:)

[Mattforclark]

16. excellent

...

[Democat]

17. Here is his website if you want to donate or help him win

http://www.stevebrozakforcongress.com/