John Bruhns: A Veteran's Story

By David Swanson

John Bruhns came back from Iraq strongly opposed to the occupation he'd been a part of, believing the Bush administration had misused his patriotism. He began speaking out, and after he won Moveon.org's Video Vets contest he was hired as the Legislative Representative of Americans Against Escalation in Iraq (AAEI). Bruhns met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He spoke at events with them in the Capitol and lobbied for legislation.

But Bruhns became disillusioned with AAEI and came to believe that organization had also misused him. He describes AAEI as a backdoor for the Democratic Party, an organization more devoted to promoting one party than to ending the occupation of Iraq. Some in AAEI, according to Bruhns, actually do not want the occupation ended. “I feel duped,” Bruhns said of the Democrats' 2006 election promises. Bruhns now believes the Democrats are keeping the occupation going in order to campaign against it again in 2008.

Here's a new interview in which Bruhns discusses all of this at length: WAV.

It's a large file. As soon as someone can compress it I'll post a smaller file at http://www.afterdowningstreet/bruhns If someone can transcribe it I'll post the text. Contact me: david@davidswanson.org

BACKGROUND:

John Bruhns on Hardball: Youtube.

Politically savvy ex-soldier fights against war
By the Hill, July 2007

Arming Our Enemies in Iraq
By John Bruhns, Washington Post, August 2007


Prominent Iraq veteran Bruhns quits major anti-war organization
By the Hill, October 2007