DNC Enlists Ohio Vet To Slam John McCain: Went From Factory Floor To Army Rangers

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former Army ranger Roger Martinez delivered today's Democratic radio address, and the Ohio vet who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan wasn't saluting GOP presidential candidate John McCain. He sees the Arizona senator continuing the policies of George Bush and described him as totally out of touch with the economic struggles of working families. Martinez did three separate deployments with the 1st Ranger Battalion and says U.S. troops are "fighting valiantly in Iraq" but cannot overcome that nation's political problems.

The complete text of his radio address is here. While much of it is about the war, Martinez also speaks about his days in an Ohio factory alongside his father and brother, and how the veterans on the shop floor encouraged him to enlist. Unfortunately, the plant's location isn't mentioned. Here's Martinez, now a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, about his time in Ohio:

"Before I joined the U.S. Army, I worked with my father and older brother in a factory in Ohio and have many friends still working in those same factories. It was on that factory floor where veterans from all eras of the military encouraged me to serve my country and to see the world. But it was my brother joining the Army Reserves that really opened my eyes to the great opportunities that military service can provide. I am so thankful that I followed their advice. But it was also on that factory floor that I learned that all the hard work in the world isn't enough for so many working families, when Washington is more interested in helping the ultra-rich than the working families.

"After working in Washington for 25 years, and admitting that he does not understand the economy, John McCain is out of touch with the struggles of American families like mine. He says the economy is strong, but how can he not see that families just like mine are struggling to pay for out of control health care costs, home heating bills, gasoline, and college tuition? He hasn't even put out a plan to address the mortgage crisis."

A military-related blog called VetVoice could have some interesting comments later today about Martinez and his partisan take on the McCain candidacy. VetVoice generally is opposed to the war.

Iraqi Claims Job Bias In Ohio: Court Rules He Was Properly Canned

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A federal appeals court says Campbell Soup Supply Co. was within its rights to can Sarmad Abdulnour, an Iraqi national who worked at the company's NW Ohio plant. Abdulnour contended he was dismissed due to hostility over the war in his homeland. But the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said the Iraqi was sacked because he was an incompetent supervisor, and noted Campbell Soup had taken steps to protect him from harassment.

The complete-text of the six-page decision (pdf) is available here. U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley, who sat on the three-judge panel and wrote its decision, noted that Abdulnour filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. The complaint was rejected. Marbley said there were discussions about the Iraq war at the Campbell Soup plant in Napoleon, which is the company's largest factory.

"Contrary to plaintiff's assertions, the fact that employees discussed the ongoing war in Iraq during their lunch break does not make it more likely than not that Defendants fired him because he is Iraqi. The ongoing war is a common topic of discussion among the citizens of this country. Furthermore, plaintiff stated that he never heard any disparaging comments toward him based on his nationality and, in fact, the record reflects that his supervisors took proactive steps to stop potential harassment."

Marbley ruled the fired Iraqi supervisor had failed to put forth any evidence that he was dismissed for a reason other than poor job performance.