Keep Gen. Batiste’s Ad On TV

As you probably heard last night on Olbermann, Gen. John Batiste was fired from his CBS consulting job for courageously speaking out in VoteVet.org’s new TV ad, which is the #1 download at YouTube.

Our fourth story on the COUNTDOWN, retired general John Batiste the latest example, one of two generals who actually commanded troops in Iraq, one of three generals in total now appearing in a series of scathing ads sponsored by a veteran‘s group alarmed at the effect the president‘s decisions are having on the military they love. … General Batiste says he resigned because he couldn‘t stand what former secretary of defense Rumsfeld was doing to the military, and he is still paying the price. The general, who describes himself as a diehard Republican, has been asked to leave his position as a consultant to CBS News because of that ad.

VoteVets needs our support to keep this ad on the air, and to air two new ads featuring retired Major General Paul Eatom and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, retired General Wesley Clark. Here’s the YouTube of the Batiste ad:

Olbermann played the ad before interviewing Gen. Batiste:

OLBERMANN: In the military, it is a given, an active general who disobeys or publicly criticizes the commander in chief pays a price, an indecisive McClellan removed by Lincoln, an unraveling MacArthur fired by Truman. But the generals are not always wrong, and the badly bungled war in Iraq may be setting a new standard for career military officers willing to criticize the competence of the president, even if it means their early retirement.

Our fourth story on the COUNTDOWN, retired general John Batiste the latest example, one of two generals who actually commanded troops in Iraq, one of three generals in total now appearing in a series of scathing ads sponsored by a veteran‘s group alarmed at the effect the president‘s decisions are having on the military they love.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, TV COMMERCIAL)

BATISTE: Mr. President, you did not listen. You continue to pursue a failed strategy that is breaking our great Army and Marine Corps.

I left the Army in protest in order to speak out. Mr. President, you have placed our nation in peril. Our only hope is that Congress will act now to protect our fighting men and women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OLBERMANN: General Batiste says he resigned because he couldn‘t stand what former secretary of defense Rumsfeld was doing to the military, and he is still paying the price. The general, who describes himself as a diehard Republican, has been asked to leave his position as a consultant to CBS News because of that ad.

That means he is free to join us tonight for an exclusive interview.

And we‘re honored to have you with us, General. Thank you for your time.

BATISTE: Thanks, Keith. Good to be with you.

OLBERMANN: From Eric Shinseki, the four-star general who was criticized by, of all people, Paul Wolfowitz when he said at the start that the war would require several hundred thousand troops, do these ads that you and General Eaton and General Clark have done for VoteVets.org, there seemingly has never been this much public friction between the military and the civilian leaders. What moved you to make these ads and moved you to make them now?

BATISTE: Keith, it really is quite extraordinary. I was moved to make this ad working with VoteVets because I care about our country, and I care about our soldiers and Marines and their families.

I‘m a patriot, as are the rest of us in VoteVets. VoteVets is not an antiwar organization. We‘re focused on what‘s best for this country. We‘re focused on being successful and winning the effort against global terrorism. And we‘re damn sure focused on doing what‘s right for our great military, which, by the way, is doing incredible work in Iraq and Afghanistan. God bless them all.

OLBERMANN: In a piece for MSNBC.com called “America‘s Angriest General,” Mike Hirsch from “Newsweek” says that you wish more generals would speak out. But last year you had said at the end of the day, you either salute and execute, or you make a decision to retire or resign, that‘s the way it is. Is this what you‘re trying to change? What are you hearing from the colleagues of yours who are still in uniform?

BATISTE: Keith, I‘m in a very unique position. I have a platform upon which I can speak. I‘m no longer wearing the uniform of our country. I have no ties to the defense industry. I can speak honestly. I have a duty to do so.

And I know there‘s other generals, both active duty and retired, that are doing all they can within their means. In my case, I‘ll continue to speak out. …

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