FIGHTING DEM VETS SPOTLIGHT: The KY and PA Primaries

Crossposted from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/14/14597/0519">kos

FIGHTING DEM VETS SPOTLIGHT: The Kentucky and Pennsylvania Primaries
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Fighting Dem Vets, Band of Brothers, Veterans for a Secure America, vets running for congress, Democratic primaries
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First things first:

Happy Mothers Day Karen Marie Otter (CA-52)
The mother of two "remarkable" teenage sons




Today we are surveying two crucial primaries, both on Tuesday, May 16th.

1. THE KENTUCKY PRIMARY - May 16th, 2006



There are five Fighting Dem Vet candidates in Kentucky. Only Ken Lucas (KY-04) is unopposed in the Dem primary.

John "Eric" STREIT for Congress (KY-01)



U.S. Navy.
Stationed aboard the USS Simon Lake in Holy Loch, Scotland for two years before serving aboard the USS Paul and USS Gallery; both deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
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Mr. Streit has pursued a career in the entertainment industry, accepting a variety of internships and entry level jobs in Orlando, rising through the ranks in LA as an associate producer, writer, development executive and segment producer before finally becoming a member of the Director's Guild of America. Mr. Streit's recent work includes Animal Planet's That's My Baby, Travel Channel's Underway: Life at Sea, and Intervention, the critically acclaimed documentary series which reveals the harsh realities of drug addiction.



Andrew HORNE for Congress (KY-03)


LtCol, U.S. Air Force.
Iraq War vet. Commissioned as a Marine, Col. Horne was deployed to the Mediterranean, the Far East and Northern Europe, entering the Marine Reserve. He was recalled for Operation Desert Storm, and then was once again recalled to duty to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Throughout his legal career, Horne has advanced in the military from his enlistment as a private to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Along the way, Horne was eventually promoted to company commander of the unit in which he first enlisted! Though he was eligible to retire after 20 years of service, Horne continued to serve because the corps needed him. He will mark his 27th anniversary as a Marine in March 2006.

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After honoring his six-year active duty commitment to the Marines, Horne re-joined the USMC Reserve and entered the Brandeis School of Law at U of L. During school, Horne was awarded a Leon Seidman Memorial Award for demonstrating honesty, integrity and a commitment to community service, and clerked for a prestigious local law firm. He also honed his interest in the environment as a member of the Environmental Moot Court team. Following Desert Storm, Horne returned again to Louisville and to law school, where he met his wife, Stephanie. Horne graduated in 1993 and established a successful legal practice. Today, he and Stephanie are proud parents of two young sons Ty and Nick.



Ken LUCAS for Congress (KY-04)



Major, USAF, USAR.
Served 12 years in the Air Force, later in the Air National Guard, retiring as a Major.
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Ken Lucas is an ex-Representative from Kentucky, elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Sixth and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1999- January 3, 2005); he was not a candidate for reelection to the One Hundred Ninth Congress in 2004 due to a promise to keep to a term limitation, but is returning now because of the grave situation facing our nation. Ken was born in Kenton County, Ky., August 22, 1933; graduated from University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., 1955; M.B.A., Xavier University, 1970; Florence, Ky., city councilman, 1967-1974; Boone County, Ky., commissioner, 1974-1982; Boone County, Ky., judge-executive, 1992-1998, and, of course, ex-Rep from this district and a retired Major in the USAF.


Kenneth STEPP for Congress (KY-05)



Lieutenant, Junior Grade, USN.
Vietnam era veteran. Trained in Naval OCS, in Naval Operations, Weapons, Engineering, and Navigation; Graduate of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California with an M.S. in Management. Kenneth served as Gunnery Assistant and Second Division Officer with supervision over eighteen fighting men who ran the gun mount, the gun fire control system, the anti-aircraft missiles, and the anti-aircraft missile fire control system in addition to the small arms gun locker. Kenneth Stepp was proud to serve alongside such patriots in the United States Navy on the USS Blakely.
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Born 9/8/1947, Kenneth, his wife Wilma and their two children reside in Barbourville, Kentucky. Ken is a lawyer with Law Offices at Carl A. Short II. He graduated from the University of Georgia, School of Law, juris Doctor, law degree; M.S. in Management, Clemson University, South Carolina, B.A. in Industrial management with a minor in Economics.

Mike WEAVER for Congress (KY-02)



Colonel, U.S. Army.
Mike joined the Navy at 17, serving on a Destroyer Escort. Later he served as an enlisted man in the 1st Cav in Korea. Attending OCS he was commissioned and served as an officer in Vietnam with the 1st Cav and the 73rd Airborne Brigade. During his 30 year military journey, Mike rose in rank from a Private to a Staff Sergeant and from a Second Lieutenant to a Colonel. Along the way, Mike received a military scholarship for undergraduate school and another for graduate school.
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Mike Weaver was born and raised on a farm in southern Davies County, Kentucky. In 1996, four and a half years after retiring from the Army, Mike was elected to fill a vacant seat as State Representative for the 26th District. For eight years, Mike has sponsored, co-sponsored, and voted for legislation that had to meet a simple test: "is it good for family, faith, and freedom, and will it be good for our community?"


2. PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY - Tuesday, May 16th, 2006




Joe SESTAK for Congress (PA-07)



Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy
Joe graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree. He left the naval service after almost 31 years in January 2006, after having reached the rank of Vice Admiral. During his career, he served six sea tours with units of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets during which he made seven deployments to Europe, the Persian Gulf and the western and South Pacific. He served in command of USS Samuel B. Roberts and as Commander, Destroyer Squadron Fourteen. He also served at sea as Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Two and George Washington Battle Group deploying to both the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea. As the Battle Group Commander, he led an international coalition force of 30 U.S. and allied ships and 15,000 sailors, exercising command of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as senior diplomatic engagements throughout Southwest Asia, Europe and Africa.
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Between tours at sea, Joe earned a master's degree in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. He served on the Joint Staff in the Force Structure Resources and Assessment Directorate and also served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as Head of the Strategy and Concepts Branch and Director of the Strategy and Policy Division. Joe was then the Director of the Navy Quadrennial Defense Review and became the first Director of the Navy Operations Group (Deep Blue) following 9/11, where he formulated a comprehensive redefinition of strategic, operational and budgetary policies in the Global War on Terrorism. Joe also served in the Office of the President of the United States as the Director for Defense Policy on the National Security Council staff at the White House, and later served as Director, Assessment Division / Capability Analysis Group, reporting directly to the Chief of Naval Operations. Joe was then appointed to the grade of Vice Admiral and served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs. Joe is married to the former Susan L. Clark and they have a daughter, Alexandra.


Patrick MURPHY for Congress (PA-08)



CAPT, USA
From being a cadet in the Army ROTC, Patrick was commissioned as an officer with the rank of Second Lieutenant.
After serving on active duty for over five years, he was mobilized after 9/11 and served for another year of active service. Patrick went on to become a West Point professor, airborne and air assault qualified, a JAG Corps attorney, and that he served two deployments after 9/11 — the first to Bosnia in 2002 and the second to Baghdad, Iraq in 2003-2004 as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. In Iraq, Captain Murphy advised on offensive operations, initiated reconstruction efforts within the justice system, trained the new Iraqi Civil Defense Corps on the rules of engagement and was instrumental in the prosecution of Sheik Moyad, a radical lieutenant of Muqtada Sadr. For his service, Patrick earned the Bronze Star and his unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation. He has been a West Point professor and has lectured at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
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Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Naval Reserves
A Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, Chris Carney served multiple tours overseas and was activated for operations Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, and Southern Watch. After 9/11, Chris served at the Pentagon as an intelligence analyst and senior advisor on intelligence and counterterrorism issues. Chris coordinated counterterrorism activities in the Middle East and later worked on the integration of national-level intelligence products in the effort to destroy international terrorist networks.
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Chris grew up in rural Iowa, near Cedar Rapids. He graduated in 1981 from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa where he double majored in Environmental Science and U.S. Diplomatic History. After college, Chris did graduate work at the University of Wyoming, where he met his future wife Jennifer. After enjoying teaching at the University of Wyoming, Chris decided to pursue a career in higher education. In 1992, Chris and Jennifer moved their young family to Northeastern Pennsylvania when Chris was offered a position at Penn State University in Scranton. As an Associate Professor at Penn State, Chris teaches courses in U.S. Foreign Policy, American Government, and U.S. Security Policy. Chris lives in Dimock, Pa. with his wife Jennifer and their five children. Their oldest is a freshman in high school and their youngest just started kindergarten.


Tom KOVACH for Congress (PA-18)



U.S. Navy
Tom was a nuclear machinist mate, serving as a chief reactor watch on the USS Nimitz, CVN-68.
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After the Navy, Tom and his wife Betty wanted to be around family, so they moved back to western PA in 1990 to start a family of their own. Tom and Betty have two daughters, ages 15 and 11. In the past few years, the Kovach family has added another member, Jean Pierre, a student from Rwanda. He began living with the Kovach family in the spring of 2004, but became a member of the family not long after they met him in the fall of 2000. Tom used his veteran’s benefits to get a Master’s Degree in Public and International Affairs, graduating in 1995 from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Since then, he has taught classes in macro and micro economics at Pitt and Waynesburg College as an adjunct faculty member, as well as several other history and public policy classes. Tom is currently employed by an insurance company as a risk control engineer, servicing a variety of accounts throughout western PA, including steel mills and plastics and chemical plants.


Phil AVILLO for Congress (PA-19)



Captain, U.S. Marine Corp
Phil enlisted at age 17 in the United States Marine Corps and was commissioned Second Lieutenant upon graduation from college; promoted to Captain he became an Infantry platoon leader/Air Observer; he volunteered for service in Vietnam during the first months of the war and flew nearly 70 combat missions. He has been awarded the Purple Heart, three Air Medals, and a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V".
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Phil is a Professor of History, York College of Pennsylvania since 1975 and was Chair the Department of History and Political Science, 1990-2002. He is active in community affairs having been elected to York Suburban School Board on which he has served 12 years, 7 as president; he has served on the Lincoln Intermediate Unit Board, the York Suburban Dollars For Scholars, the York Symphony Orchestra Board. In addition, Phil is a volunteer Coach: York Little League, York Youth Soccer, EYC Basketball, American Legion Baseball, and York County League Baseball

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One primary occurred during the past week in which there was a vet candidate.

3. WEST VIRGINIA PRIMARY - May 9th, 2006

Richie Robb for Congress (WV-02)
Sergeant, U.S. Army, Vietnam Vet (Bronze Star)
Mayor, South Charleston, WV

Richie Robb was the Republican elector who started to reconsider his political affiliation last year as one of five Republican electors for the state of West Virginia. This year the South Charleston, WV, Mayor decided to run for Congress and switched parties, officially changing his voter registration. The longtime Republican says he didn't leave the GOP, rather, the party left him behind. The mayor, who earned a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam as an NC O, caused a stir when he introduced a resolution calling on President Bush to withdraw troops from Iraq.

In this three-way race, the candidate who won had the image of a newcomer, a prosecutor, and one who would be strong on the environment and energy.. The state legislator and the mayor, career politicians, lost. The first factor that might have helped the winner was his image as a newcomer, never having been elected to office. A second factor may have been that the people's disgust with the corrupt politics of Congress as the winner inclined them to a former federal prosecutor. Since the environment and energy are large concerns in WV, the fact that the winner had served as cabinet secretary for the state Depart of Environmental Protection. A final factor may have been the fact that the winner was chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party.

Best of luck to you in your races, and thanks for your continued service to this Nation.

This mother sure appreciates your hard work and service you continue to give to our country.

for Oregon CD 2. Decorated Vietnam Vet, successful business man, all around great guy!!!!

Go DAN!!!

who are true leaders trustful and able to make Americans truly proud once again. I thank them all, and hope them victory.

Keep believing.

and keep fighting! :patriot: