SubscribeShocker: MoveOn Partnering With The USO?
From a delighted Associated Press:
Deal with MoveOn irks some USO directors
By ANDREW TAYLOR
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the United Service Organizations defended its decision to pair with MoveOn.org to provide phone cards to U.S. troops after some USO board members were outraged by a partnership with a group that opposes the Iraq war.
At least one board member, Vietnam veteran John Gioia, called for USO President Edward Powell to be fired over his decision to accept more than $350,000 from MoveOn’s members to buy phone cards for troops overseas…
There were rumblings of discontent over Powell’s decision last month to accept MoveOn’s offer to e-mail its 3.3 million members soliciting $15 contributions to pay for the phone cards.
"USO is partnering with an anti-war, anti-administration organization that castigates the efforts of General Petraeus and our troops - past and present - who have served in Iraq," Gioia said in an e-mail to other USO directors and employees. "I am disgusted by this action."
William Moll, chairman of the USO’s board of governors, defended Powell’s decision, saying in an e-mail to fellow directors that the organization welcomes contributions regardless of the political slant of the donor. He said special steps were taken to make sure MoveOn didn’t make partisan or controversial statements when soliciting their members to give to the USO.
The Associated Press obtained the e-mails from a USO official who requested anonymity because the messages were not intended for wide distribution…
In a brief interview, Gioia said Wednesday that he hopes the USO will come to the conclusion that it was a mistake to team with MoveOn and return the money raised through the group.
"I think we have a chance to solve it internally," Gioia said.
USO spokesman Mark Phillips said Powell stood by his "carefully considered" decision.
"They were eager to work with us with the caveat that of course it had to be nonpartisan, and of course it was," said Eli Pariser, executive director of MoveOn.org’s civic action program.
The USO should not be working with MoveOn.org. The people behind MoveOn hate our soldiers and want to see them defeated.
Let them keep their money and use it to support their real friends, the terrorists and every other enemy of America.
10 Responses to “Shocker: MoveOn Partnering With The USO?”
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January 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 am
Is that what the phone card will look like?
If so, the problem will solve itself, and the traitors will find themselves sitting on a few hundred grand of wasted money.
Interesting, though, that they tried for $15 million and got a 350,000… According to my calculator function, that’s a little more than 2.3% of their goal–then again, how much support did we expect from move-on members?
If I was still in, I’d refuse to accept USO phone cards. Dumb, dumb move on their part.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I called the USO and was polite, but let them know that they would no longer receive our support. There are too many other organizations out there that I trust to “do the right thing”. I also called their “donation line” and let them know the same thing. That way, USO sees that this will (hopefully) affect their bottom line. I let them know that this is NOT changing my donations of time and money to the troops, but it IS affecting the chance of them EVER getting another dime out of me. I asked for John Gioia and left a message of strong support for him. I’m in DC 7-9 this month and offered to buy him dinner (in response for him calling for the firing of Powell). What a bonehead Powell is.
Bob Hope must be rolling over in his grave right now…and I nicely told them so. I certainly expected more from the USO.
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I am off to email the USO with my disgust with this decision - why not just accept money from OBL - at least he is honest about his desire to destroy the US.
What a bad decision - putting money above the US Armed Forces and the supposed values and goals that the USO used to stand for.
The operative words there being used to. . .Sad
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Steve,
You’ve done a lot more research on the donations of 501C’s than most. How does it work for one 501C to donate to another? Does that fulfil the charitable duties of a 501C? And do you think this donation was just a sliver of a much larger pie that MoveOn gave away as a year end donation?
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Nancy Pelosi? Would that make anybody phone home???????? That would make a soldier vomit!
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
“They were eager to work with us with the caveat that of course it had to be nonpartisan, and of course it was,”
I need to talk to that USO person who believed that anything that Moveon does is nonpartisan. The price on that ocean front property I have for sale in North Dakota has just been reduced and it would be a real deal for them.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
“Let them keep their money and use it to support their real friends, the terrorists and every other enemy of America”
No kidding! Since they are such HATERS, if Moveon wants to help, then I am suspicious.
This is a slap in the face to the Troops and all of us that donate to the USO!
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I can’t wait for the KKK donations to the USO.
After all, I’m sure they’d be “nonpartisan” too.
January 4th, 2008 at 3:14 am
If I were still in I’d use the phone card to call Move On and tell them to kiss my a**.
January 4th, 2008 at 5:45 am
Lie down with dogs and rise up with fleas. What is Powell thinking? Well, I know one group that will receive no new donations from me. I was already upset with them after watching O’Reilly’s interview with them and the lame excuses they gave for not having more celebrities going over to Iraq and Afghanistan. Something smells!