Why is Ilario Pantano our best hope for defeating Mike McIntyre and Barack Obama?

Friend,

We figured we could give you all of our policy positions and white papers and articles, but you have read or seen most of them already.  Because with me, what you see is what you get.  If you send me to Washington, I will do exactly what I have promised you I would:  keep America strong, secure and prosperous. 

We've seen a lot of mudslinging in this race, and as we approach primary day, it's only going to get worse.  I'm writing today to remind you that this is it.  Everything we've worked so hard for over the last 2 years will soon be decided.

So who do you want to stand up to Obama and the tax-and-spend liberals for you?

Mothers, fathers, veterans, lawyers, cops, teachers, doctors, and small business owners have something to say about my candidacy, and they want you to hear them. Please click on the image below or follow the link to hear for yourself.  Then, please commit to either voting for Ilario, sharing this email with friends or making a contribution to his campaign so he can win?



Click on the image or click on this link to hear from Pantano supporters on why they support Ilario: http://www.youtube.com/user/FriendsofPantano?feature=watch

I'm counting on your support, so please act today.
 
Thanks,
Ilario Pantano

P.S.  Go here to learn your early voting location: http://www.pantanoforcongress.com/posts/find-your-early-voting-location-here

STAR-NEWS FANS PRIMARY FLAMES, MOCKS PANTANO, SPARES ROUZER, THEN PUNTS.

ILARIO PANTANO AND DAVID ROUZER
GOP/7 CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES

  

WILMINGTON STAR-NEWS ONLINE

Published: Friday, April 13, 2012 at 5:28 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, April 13, 2012 at 5:28 p.m.

It’s always amusing watching candidates in the primaries trying to convince the faithful that they are more of a Democrat or Republican than their challengers. In the bare-knuckled 7th Congressional District race between Republicans Ilario Pantano and David Rouzer, sometimes it’s easy to forget that they are vying for a common goal – unseating incumbent Democrat Mike McIntyre.

Republicans and independents who choose to vote in the May 8 primary will see a stark contrast between polished, slick Pantano of Wilmington, a former Marine who covets the national stage and has latched on to illegal immigration as his wedge issue, and Rouzer, a state senator from Johnston County who has less flash but more experience in actual governance. The third candidate, Randy Crow of Bladen County, is merely a distraction.

Who is more “conservative”? Who better aligns with Republican Party ideals? And who has the better chance of beating McIntyre in November? Those three points are what voters will consider as they head to the polls.

The StarNews Editorial Board will make no recommendation in this or any other primary race (although we will do so in the general election and on the ballot issue on same-sex unions), but we will comment on the horse races and the issues.

The truth is, neither can be labeled liberal, although Pantano likes to paint Rouzer as a political insider who wants to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants and doesn’t deserve to call himself a conservative.

According to the Civitas Institute, a Raleigh think tank funded almost exclusively by discount-retail mogul Art Pope, Rouzer voted “conservatively” on 95 percent of the bills on which the institute ranked legislators in 2011, giving him a grade of A. He received poor marks in the two previous sessions. However, in 2010 only one state senator received a grade higher than a C, and Rouzer (D-) was listed as the eighth most conservative senator on the Civitas scale.

Since conservative kingmakers like candidates who sign pledges to vote only one way, it is worth noting that Rouzer signed a pledge to secure the borders.

As a lobbyist representing North Carolina tobacco interests and other clients, he did push for a bill that would offer temporary residence and a possible path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who met certain work requirements. 

At one of the debates with Pantano, Rouzer noted that a similar bill was supported in the 1990s by prominent Republicans, including former Sens. Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Trent Lott of Mississippi.

Pantano’s track record is based on his previous campaign for office and his Marine Corps career, which ended after he was accused of murdering two unarmed Iraqis (using 40 to 60 rounds of ammunition), charges that were dismissed in an Article 32 hearing. He’s been running for the 7th District seat nearly full time since he lost to McIntyre in the 2010 general election.

But the national Republican Party noticed him, and he was a hit at GOP fundraisers outside North Carolina. 

His delivery and the initial impression he makes on people cannot be underestimated. The question is whether he is more interested in representing his constituents inside the state or in making a national name for himself.

McIntyre has spent his congressional career focusing on the 7th District. He has a penchant for passing out oversize checks to veterans groups and other causes that are difficult to argue with. He has carved out a reputation as a Blue Dog Democrat, one who leans conservative especially on social issues and spending that doesn’t specifically involved his district.

But his district has changed. Republican state lawmakers strategically placed him in a different congressional district as they redrew election maps. By law he can still run in the 7th District, and that scenario is not unprecedented.

Even so, McIntyre will face a tough challenge because many voters in his new district don’t know him. This election will be a difficult test of his ability to woo voters.

It will test his electability like never before to win over both conservatives and traditional Democrats, whose votes he will need to beat whichever Republican becomes his eventual challenger.

But first, we have to get through the primary.

VERNE STRICKLAND/ USA DOT COM BLOGMASTER  041312

Pantano has repeatedly pressed Rouzer to admit he has been paid to lobby for a bill offering amnesty to illegals.

 ROUZER CAVES ON ISSUE -- ADMITS HE WAS PAID FOR LOBBYING SERVICES


 By Patrick Gannon
Patrick.Gannon@StarNewsOnline.com

Last Modified: Friday, April 6, 2012 at 5:57 p.m.

Congressional candidate Ilario Pantano started running TV ads attacking David Rouzer's federal lobbying background back in November.

He renewed that line of attack this week. During a taped debate moderated by Jon Evans of WECT, Pantano repeatedly pressed Rouzer, his main opponent in the May primary for the GOP nomination in the 7th Congressional District, to admit that he received a paycheck to lobby for a 2007 agriculture bill that would have provided amnesty to many illegal immigrant farm workers.

Pantano, who has made illegal immigration one of his main issues in the primary campaign, said Rouzer's lobbying on behalf of that bill was a "betrayal" of conservatives.

"It's not a conservative position to be paid to do something that's antithetical to the conservative value," Pantano said.

Rouzer, after repeated questioning by Pantano, acknowledged during the segment that he received money for lobbying for the bill. Rouzer said that his career has focused on solutions and that the agriculture bill was a proposed solution to farmers' problems in finding enough labor to get their crops out of the field.

He said the federal government has failed to put in place common-sense solutions so employers can get the labor they need.

"You're either going to import food or you're going to import workers," Rouzer said. "We in this country, we need to decide what we're going to do."

Rouzer also said he wouldn't apologize for seeking a solution to a problem. He added that it's easy to demagogue the issue for political gain.

"I'm not in it for political gain," he said. "I'm in it to move this country forward."

Rouzer said a solution to the illegal immigration problem is to secure the border, put in place good guest worker programs that employers can use and then allow employees who are doing work that no American will do to continue to work. He added that many illegal immigrants are paying taxes. Rouzer repeatedly questioned whether Pantano had a solution.

Pantano said he supports a national border fence, as does Rouzer. Pantano also said he would support bringing troops home from around the world and stationing them on the Mexico border. He also supports requiring employers to show they aren't hiring illegal aliens.

Pantano, Rouzer and Randy Crow are vying for the GOP nomination in the 7th Congressional District. The winner will face U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-Lumberton, in November.

Patrick Gannon: (919) 854-6115

On Twitter: @StarNewsPat

Verne Strickland Blogmaster  30 March 2012

Friend,

This has been quite a journey and if I haven’t thanked enough for all your previous support, then I am sorry.  You are making this possible and we are very close to realizing our goal of sending a conservative to Washington who will challenge President Obama and his liberal agenda.

I am running hard for the U.S. Congress and I spend 15 hours a day meeting with people all over the 7^th District of North Carolina.  I have traveled over 100,000 miles in the past two years and made thousands of new friends.

I have looked folks in the eye. They have taken my measure and they have shared with me their concerns.  They know who I am now and they trust that I am going to fight hard for their families and for yours.

With 2012 getting away from us and a radical president POSSIBLY getting another 4 years in the White House, a fighter in Washington is what this district needs.

You and the people of southeastern North Carolina have told me so. Our 24,000 volunteer phone calls have told us so.  Even our recent 27-point lead in the polls confirms that our district wants a fighter.  My primary opponent is not the candidate that our district is looking for at this crucial moment in our nation’s history. I am.

We don’t need more politicians who went to Washington in the early 90’s and never looked back, we need patriots that will do the hard thing to actually change the CULTURE in Washington. As a lobbyist, my opponent will conform to what he knows.  On the other hand, as my history of service and sacrifice demonstrate, I will not be afraid to roll up my sleeves, rock the boat and work to reform an institution that 90% of Americans agree is rotten!

 We have come a long way, and now it is time for the final push.

Now is the time for you to dig deep and consider a contribution for this primary campaign.  With the way the new maps have been drawn, the winner of this May 8 Primary will be your next Congressman.   Even Congressman McIntyre knows this.  That is why he considered running for Governor and giving up the seat he has held for 15 years.

In less than 2 months the voters will choose. While I am humbled to report that we have managed to steadily grow our 2-to-1 lead over our opponent (48% to 21%), the final fight is about to begin. I need your help to finish strong.

A contribution today of $250, $100 or even $50 will go a long way to help me continue to get my message across to the voters. 


In the eight months since we opened our volunteer office in Wilmington, our campaign has invested heavily in building a volunteer Army that is over 1,000 strong.  We have over 11,000 contributors who have worked to help us change the political landscape both here and in Washington.

Many of our supporters continue to send us $10, $15 and $25 - almost once a month.  We are grateful to them because it comes from their subsistence. Not their surplus.  They are believers that one person can make a difference. Jill and I agree or she would never have agreed to the sacrifices we have had to make.  Not only have we personally invested over $15,000, we have invested our family’s precious time, and even our family name…Yes, the Democrats STILL run an attack site, slandering my mother my wife, and me. No wonder most good people choose not to run.

The past two years have taught us so much about this district and about what lies ahead in Washington.  That is why I am more committed than ever to reform the culture of corruption. From ending the insider trading, eliminating the pensions and gold-plated health care for members of congress and instituting TERM LIMITS, I am serious about trying to fix the root of the problem.  My opponent however does not support real reform and does not support term limits.  I see this race as service he sees it as a career.

Anyone can talk a good game about the Conservative platform and spurring growth in the private sector. But I am the only candidate that has achieved success in the private sector in FORTUNE 100 companies and small business. Anyone can talk about national security and energy independence, but I have fought two wars to prove my priorities and I have actually worked in the energy markets. Anyone can talk about conservative social values, but as a husband and father of two young boys I work hard everyday to live my witness and make the world a better place for my children. And for yours.

I won’t need as much money as my opponent to win in the May primary, but I do need to be able to be on TV in the final few weeks of the campaign.  That is why I am asking you to consider a contribution now of $50, $100, $250 or even more.

I have worked very hard to get to this point. Serving as a United States congressman will be the greatest responsibility and privilege of my life.  Thank you for all your support.


I remain “Always Faithful”-Semper Fidelis


Ilario Pantano

I'm Verne Strickland. I have bone cancer. It will not take my life."

By Verne Strickland / March 27, 2012

I have bone cancer. Multiple Myeloma.

“But,” my doctor says, “it probably won’t kill you.”

He is smiling.

My wife Durrene and eldest son Martin are there with me. We have come for “the report”. They are smiling too. I’m sure I am as well. 

In years not too far behind us, the news likely would have not been so cheery.

“We owe much to modern medicine,” observes Wilmington oncologist Dr. William McNulty. “It is exciting, it is at our disposable, and we apply it gratefully.”

The past month has been a roller coaster ride of ups and down -- biopsies, CT scans, x-rays, MRIs, blood tests, counseling, radiation treatments, trips to hospitals, visits with an impressive array of medical specialists, and the opportunity to meet dozens of cancer patients like myself. 

Through it all, I am impressed and reassured by the one constant that clearly runs through all the waiting rooms, operating rooms, and recovery rooms I pass through.

That unexpected constant element is calm. Serenity. Stoicism. Resilience. The irrepressible human spirit .

What is the source of this confidence, or, should I say, this optimism, or better yet – faith that what we patients share is not a sentence, or even a burden, but an opportunity to interact with others who labor gamely, even joyously, to see this experience through, profit from it, use it to grow in strength and in an appreciation of life.

Some of those I met are at the beginning of this journey. Others near the end of it. But there is a dignity here that I did not expect to encounter. It has meant much to me.

Whereas I am a writer, my tendency here has been to hold the subject – cancer – at arm’s length, and describe what I see. But I am daily brought back to the realization that I observe this from inside the bubble. I too have cancer. I have an uncertain future. And I am suffering.

Let me delay no longer to cut to the chase. I have been given a reprieve. The cancer which has gnawed secretly at my bones has not had much of a head start.

Signs of a real problem came in the form of a mighty pain which slammed into my hips and legs. I soon became almost unable to walk. I had no energy. My appetite vanished. I quickly lost weight, and within a short period was down to within five pounds of my weight when I was a 145-pound soldier in basic training at Fort Jackson. Then I was running my butt off, so to speak. Now, I was simply losing it. No way this was right.

There is a wonderful medical community here in the Cape Fear Region, and I was swept quickly into it. We who live here – in particular the seniors (I am 75) – are fortunate to have such an asset at our doorstep – world-class hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and a cadre of high-caliber physicians – many board-certified -- who guard our quality of life. I have seen it in action, benefited from it, and am proud of what I know and see.

In future columns I will write more about this personal journey seeking escape from cancer. I know that I am a stronger, more compassionate man for the experience.

Although I am a survivor, I am not one who has “escaped” from cancer. Radiation has struck a blow at this malignancy in my bones, but it continues to visit many parts of my body, where it lurks and will become problematic.

My oncologist today shared treatment options which are capable of detecting and killing the cancer cells, hopefully keeping them in check while I succumb eventually to some other malady which will do the same job in a different way.

Sound spooky? To me that sounds great. I may not know the identity of what will eventually claim me. But it won’t be Multiple Myeloma. We live to fight another day. 

The main weapon in the medical arsenal being readied for me will be IV chemotherapy using a new “Wow” drug which specifically targets multiple myeloma, is very dependable and efficient, but has few troubling side effects. I signed up. Treatment starts within a week. 

From the outset of this experience, I have seen God – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ -- in the midst of it all. He hears our prayers, and he answers them. I’m grateful to friends who have sent up many of those prayers. They matter. They have been a comfort. 

It is through the campaign of my dear friend Ilario Pantano that I have come to know so many of you. This is my real community, and I love and feel close to every one of you. I lean on you at this time.

Ilario Pantano reminded me when he learned of my illness: “Oftentimes the answers from on high are not of our own choosing. But they do come from God. And that is awesome.”

That it is, Ilario. That it is.

Pantano for Congress volunteer Lois Dixon: 'Ilario is not moved by money, influence or power. He just has a heart for service. There's no hidden agenda."

By Verne Strickland / Blogmaster / March 25, 2012


Lois Dixon, a fiercely loyal volunteer for Ilario Pantano, is a mother, grandmother, and successful real estate agent. She is Christian, conservative, Republican, and she'll challenge you in a second if you want to debate politics, social issues, illegal immigration, or who the Seventh Congressional District needs in the U.S. Congress.


I recently interviewed her for this USA DOT COM Pantano Volunteer 2012 feature article:

"When I pick up the phone in the Pantano for Congress volunteer office, I always like to lead off with where this country is taking our children. We desperately need to get outstanding conservative Christian leadership in Washington. 

VS: And let’s add that we need combat-seasoned U.S. military veterans. I think we have only around two percent of our members of Congress who have been in combat, met the enemy on the field of battle, and understand that when force is in the right, it should be used.

Yes. That’s one thing with Ilario and so many like him. Ilario is one of America’s sons. One of America’s soldiers who go on battlefields around the world and are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. To protect the homeland, to protect what we stand for. That speaks volumes to me, that he has served honorably in our fighting forces, and loves America do much. Why would he have stepped out and fought in two wars had he not had a real reverence from our freedoms? 

He's honest and he's sincere. People recognize that the moment they meet him. When average American citizens have the chance to meet Ilario and talk they like him, they see why so many of us are passionate about this outstanding American and his willingness to serve. 

It’s just so obvious that he has a heart for service.  He’s not moved by money or power. What consumes him is to make use of the opportunities to honor America by service – in the military, in the United States Congress – day in and day out. This is how we build our future.

He is steady and dependable. We know who Ilario is. We know what to expect of him, and he will deliver.  Few bets in life are sure things. This candidate, Ilario Pantano, is a sure thing. 

As most of us know, Ilario is a wonderful husband and father. He’s a family man so I know he understands my own concerns about what America’s future holds for my children and grandchildren. 

I want everyone to look seriously at Ilario Pantano, compare him to others in this race, in terms of character, in terms of vision, intellect, and heart. You'll find there is a clear choice between these two men. Please do that. And pray on your decision.

VS: How did you first become aware of candidate Ilario Pantano, and, later, David Rouzer?

My son Jay, who is 35 now, and employed at GE, brought Ilario to my attention He called and said, “Mom, I’ve heard this man speak, and I really like him. Mr. Pantano. If we could get him to Washington, it would be such a great step forward. He’s very bright, he was in the military, and I want you to meet him. I listened, and did as Jay asked. This was even before the primary last year. Following that I had a meet and greet featuring Ilario at my home. That started the Pantano ball rolling for my family and many of our neighbors. 

We need some straight talk from Mr. Rouzer on who he really is, on issues like terms limits, immigration, integrity, fiscal matters, abortion. I think, although I’m not sure, that Rouzer is anti-abortion. I'd like to get his statement on that for the record.

I have sat in meetings where several issues came up that concern me about David Rouzer. I frankly don’t know him. He may be a nice guy. I can't say. I do know Ilario, who he is and what he stands for. I trust him.

I think Ilario’s run for Congress has become a heartfelt crusade for many conservative Cape Fear families and individuals. He's the leader we've been waiting for.

VS: Well what about Mr. Rouzer? How do you size him up?


One of my many concerns with David Rouzer is his ties to big agriculture in Johnston County, where he makes his home. Now don't get me wrong. How can being close to the farm sector be a problem? Johnston County has a proud agricultural history, but when you're David Rouzer, native son, and you're running for the U.S. Congress, you can't escape the fact that you are the Big Ag guy. 

Many of his contributions are coming from the big agricultural interests, the corporations, the factory farms, and with that being what he's most familiar with, I don't see how there's much room for loyalty to our coastal areas, which make up most of the Seventh Congressional District, and have a unique set of problems and opportunities.

He lobbies for amnesty for illegals, and that directly benefits big agriculture. But this fact is not a blessing for all of us in North Carolina who pay taxes, and pay to educate illegal populations and tend to their health care. I think all this is going to be a huge conflict of interest. 

This needs to be looked at very closely before David Rouzer comes before Seventh District voters in the May primary as he faces conservative Christian Republican Ilario Pantano, a Marine combat veteran, family man, a gentleman, a leader, and a true conservative.



The winner of the primary will face off against incumbent Democrat Mike McIntyre in the November general elections.


The stakes are high. We need a host of informed voters to go to the polls committed to supporting Ilario Pantano. 

A smear that lingered for far too long: Liberal media won't let Ilario Pantano off the hook. That's criminal.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster/ December 22, 2011

** NOTE: Thanks for conservative activist Jude Eden for bringing this story to my attention.

Last Updated: 10:57 PM, December 19, 2011

Posted: 10:43 PM, December 19, 2011

More Print

Arthur Herman

Five years late, Ilario Pantano has been fully vindicated. Now where does he go to get his reputation back?

A dogged NCIS investigator has proven that Pantano, then a Marine lieutenant, should never have been put up on war-crimes charges back in 2004-5. But that doesn’t wipe away the endless smears thrown at him since.

Maybe the media and the bloggers hated him so much because he lived the classic American success story.
Born to a poor family in Hell’s Kitchen, Pantano showed the smarts to get a half-scholarship to the elite Horace Mann School — then put off college to join the Marines in the first Gulf War.

Pantano: Now fully vindicated by NCIS.

After that tour, he came back and worked nights to finish college, then landed a job at Goldman Sachs — until he re-enlisted shortly after 9/11.

In April 2004, 2nd Lt. Pantano was leading his squad in Iraq’s deadly Sunni Triangle when they stopped two Iraqis fleeing in a car from what turned out to be an insurgent ammo dump. Pantano ordered the pair to search their own vehicle to make sure it wasn’t booby-trapped.

When they charged at him instead, he opened fire. But one Marine, a disgruntled sergeant Pantano had disciplined more than once, claimed the two men had been kneeling and that Pantano shot them from behind.

All other testimony contradicted him, yet that was the witness the Judge Advocate General’s investigating officer chose to believe when he charged Pantano with murder.

Since the witness kept changing his story and no evidence backed him up, the charges were dismissed in May 2005. But Pantano’s career as a Marine was over — and his nightmare was just beginning.

It was the crazy season after Abu Ghraib — a time when Rep. Jack Murtha was accusing Marines of murder in Haditha and Sen. Dick Durbin was comparing military personnel at Gitmo to Nazis and Pol Pot.

For the media, it was the charge against Pantano, not the verdict, that mattered. New York Magazine pilloried him on its May 21, 2005 cover — sneering at his rags-to-riches story and using his “post 9/11 fervor” to portray him as a trigger-happy nut. Pantano received death threats from a jihadist Web site, and two retired Marines felt obliged to maintain a security watch around Pantano’s house.

Eventually, it all helped with his decision to leave New York. But he still wanted to serve his country. Last year, he won the endorsement of Tea Party groups to run for Congress in North Carolina. Liberal bloggers immediately went into high gear. Slate’s Matt Yglesias said it proved that “Love of violence and brutality is deeply engrained in the conservative world view.” Other bloggers labeled him a Jack Bauer Republican, implying that he was a ruthless renegade who believes that the end justifies the means.

Pantano lost in the general election, and might have faded into oblivion — except for William Rodriguez of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, who’d always been bothered by the “lynch mob” atmosphere, as he put it, surrounding Pantano’s trial, as well as the fact that there’d been no autopsy of the two Iraqis.

After five years of trying, Rodriguez finally convinced the Marines to exhume the bodies, and this last month proved that the two men had indeed been shot from the front, not the behind.

Five years too late, Ilario Pantano has finally found justice — as have those Marines accused in the Haditha case, who had the charges against them dropped over time, as well.

But two nagging questions remain. When will the media quit treating every war incident involving Americans as if it were My Lai? And when will our military justice system stop second-guessing our troops on the battlefield and let them do their job?

Arthur Herman is an American Enterprise Institute visiting scholar.
 

Have a comment on this PostOpinion column? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/smear_that_prospered_far_too_long_TRpBphwm8VFHIiel7BXqcM#.TvB_KRhxynw.facebook

CAN MIKE McINTYRE BE CONVINCED THAT THE NC SEVENTH DISTRICT DOESN'T NEED HIM ANYMORE?

Mike appears to be telling this crowd to stop chanting
Republican slogans. Sorry the photo is a bit blurred.
It was free. You get what you pay for.

By Verne Strickland / December 14, 2011

One of my most adorable (I did not say ‘adoring) fans told me in an email recently that I am “terminally partisan” or something like that. I can’t remember the exact words. I did not see that as an insult, but as a badge of honor.

This gentleman, who claims he’s one of the two people who regularly read my vapid drivel (my words) says I should just leave Mike McIntyre alone.

But why? Mike is such a natural foil and fop – before an election, during a campaign, and even after an improbable win – that I, an inveterate conservative punster and renegade, cannot resist poking sport at the guy.

I ask again – why? Because, since my political schooling at the knee of Jesse Helms, one of my greatest pleasures in life has been skewering liberals, atheists, effete poseurs, cynics, Mormons with more than six wives, and most of all – phony politicians. 

Mike may fit into one or more of those categories, although I wouldn’t want to fathom a guess as to which ones might apply. I am fairly certain about at least one of them.

I used to also delight in trashing communists and communism, although I’ve become less fascinated by them since the rise of the upwardly mobile and infinitely more threatening radical Muslim hordes of the world, who have proven their affinity for insufferable arrogance, ignorance, ambition, deceit, killing, persecution of women and Christians, and world domination. 

Some things do change, don’t they? But not Mike. We’ll soon get to see the Robeson County flash – now an excessively incumbent insider Democrat – as he limbers up for another go at it. 

He’ll be back with the same old schtick – talking like Jesse Helms when he’s in the district, but acting like Nancy Pelosi’s lapdog when he’s on the Hill.

Can Mike be convinced that the Seventh doesn’t need his “service” anymore? 

Conservative GOP candidate Ilario Pantano, gearing up for a return match with the Mikemeister, will have plenty to say about that. And, after almost taking McIntyre down for the count in 2010, he looms as an even more formidable challenger when the starting gun sounds for 2012.

It promises be the shot heard from Leland to Lumberton. Can't wait.

ILARIO PANTANO'S NEW BOOK SOLD OUT AT BARNES & NOBLE -- BUT FRESH SUPPLY ON THE WAY.

By Verne Strickland:

Ilario Pantano's launch of his new book drew a standing room only crowd last week at Barnes & Noble's Mayfaire location in Wilmington. It was an exciting send-off for this compelling personal story of North Carolina's favorite Marine.

Ilario himself wrote a wonderful lead-in to this USA DOT COM feature about the event, and I pitched in with some of the comments I was able to record with Pantano supporters who were in line to meet their hero, a hard-charging candidate for the U.S. Congress from the Seventh District.

Here is Ilario's comment about the book-signing event, with some great personal revelations:

"ICYMI: The Wilmington Book signing event was SOLD OUT! All kinds of folks gathered for an opportunity to share the gift of the gospel in a non-traditional (retail) environment. A Chaplain from my time on the New Hanover County Sheriff’s office was there as well as one of my men from Iraq! “Doc” introduced himself to me while he was getting books signed. You see “Doc” was not planning on being in the store, in fact he had just relocated back to Camp Lejeune from California a few days ago. He heard my voice booming while he was shopping for toys for his daughter, and low and behold, two WARLORDS (E co/2nd BN/2 Mar/2 Mar div) were reunited 7 years after the war.

"Also, friends had just returned from Washington DC, where the story of my exoneration through scientific Autopsy evidence was on the COVER of the WASHINGTON TIMES."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/30/for-marine-a-rush-to-judgment-and-belated-vindicat/?page=all

"Many of you who read/commented on this story have been stunned that our local NC media has completely ignored this newsworthy story. As my friend Rep. Allen West says, “you don’t get FLAK, unless you are over the target.” Friends, when you become a threat to the liberal establishment, you are treated “differently” and that is a sad fact of “journalism” today. Regardless, God provides us so many blessings, and even his challenges are to bring us closer to him. I hope we can all make the time to thank him with our whole heart. Let’s not forget that HE is the REASON for the SEASON."

— with Verne Strickland and Ilario Pantano.

Among the crowd of well-wishers at the book signing was Merry Pantano -- Ilario's Mother:

Do you think this guy is going to autograph your book?

Well I certainly hope so. Actually it's not for me, but for a friend.

This is a great crowd tonight. 

Yes. I always enjoy listening to Ilario speak to a group like this, because it was very painful for him to go back and write this book. He just had to return and visit so many dark places. It's good to see that he can talk about it and get it out of his system. And I think it's good for Americans to understand what it's like to fight for our freedom.

You're a wonderful Mama. Most of us haven't been to war, and we learn about the trauma through a warrior like your son.

I'm very proud of him.

                                                          

 Hi, what's your name?

Chris Thorpe.

Why are you here tonight?

To support Ilario, my friend and brother in Christ. I came to see him when he was baptized, and just wanted to be here at his book-signing. It's been standing-room only in the first hour or so. 

How did you first come to know Ilario?

Actually through CrossFit Wilmington. Clint Horsley at the gym introduced me to Ilario, and I've enjoyed seeing him there. He has a loving heart, and demonstrates that constantly to people.

Could I get a brief interview with you?

Sure. I'm Joyce Britt. I'm here to come out and support Ilario Pantano. I drove over from Bladen County. I'm part of the Young Republicans. He came and spoke at some of our meetings, and is a really good man. I'm going to buy two of his books. 

What do you like about him -- his policies, his character, for example?

I think the thing I like most about him is that he's a Christian. I'm not worried about him when he gets to Congress, because he is going to make decisions based on Biblical principles, and what's right.

Well God bless you and thanks very much.

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WENT -- A SMASHING KICK-OFF FOR ILARIO'S SECOND MAJOR TITLE. BE SURE TO GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL COPY!

ILARIO PANTANO ASKS: WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THE ISSUES?

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Dear Fellow Patriot,

Later this month the Iraq war will draw to a close after more than 8 years of fighting, and we’ll welcome home nearly 40,000 troops.

But with stateside unemployment nearly 10%, what are these brave men and women going to do for work?  America needs jobs right now, more than ever before.  But Congress can’t even agree on a way to slice $1 trillion out of the budget!  Washington’s inability to lead is pathetic, and it’s time for change.

I’m running for Congress to bring fresh ideas and the courage to make difficult decisions to Washington.  As we head into the election year,I’d like to know where you stand on a few of the key issues.  So will you take a moment right now to take the brief American Patriots Survey? 

Please follow this link to take the survey.  After you complete it, I hope you’ll make a generous donation to my campaign.  If you are able to give $40 or more, I’ll rush you an autographed copy of my recently released book Warlord: Broken by War, Saved by Grace.

In the past, the focus of elections changed from year to year.  Some years foreign affairs dominated the debate, other years the economy did, and still others social issue did.  But in 2012, I believe we’ll see all three areas play an important role in the political dialogue.

In fact, I think all three must be discussed at length by candidates at every level!  Although it sounds clichéd, this really is the most important election of our lifetime.  We’re in a battle for the heart and soul of this country, and this is our chance to choose the men and women who’ll lead us to the next stage in our history.

Whether America will choose Barack Obama and his allies’ socialist track or the Republican Party’s pro-economic growth path remains to be seen.  But I want to know where you want America to go right now.

So will you follow this link right now to take the American Patriots Survey?
 
It won’t take you more than few minutes, and your answers will provide invaluable insight to my campaign.  Also, don’t forget that for your generous donation of $40 or more to my campaign, I’ll rush you an autographed copy of Warlord: Broken by War, Saved by Grace.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Ilario Pantano

P.S.  Will you take a moment right now to complete the American Patriots Survey and share with me your thoughts and ideas about where America needs to go?  After completing the survey, I hope you’ll take a moment to make a generous donation to my campaign.  If you’re able to give $40 or more, I’ll send you an autographed copy of my book, Warlord: Broken by War, Saved by Grace.  Thanks—Ilario

NOTE FROM VERNE:

ILARIO'S BOOK-SIGNING EVENT TOOK PLACE TONIGHT AT BARNES & NOBLE, WILMINGTON, NC. WONDERFUL CROWD, MUCH EXCITEMENT. WE TOOK OUR USA DOT COM CAMERA AND MICROPHONE TO THE EVENT. LOOK FOR COVERAGE RIGHT HERE!

PANTANO BOOK SIGNING AT WILMINGTON BARNES AND NOBLE

What:   Pantano will be signing copies of his book: Warlord: Broken by War, Saved by Grace. For more information on the book, on Ilario's work as an author and future book signings please visit:


www.authors.simonandschuster.net/Ilario-Pantano/36292079 or www.ilariopantano.com

 

Where:     Barnes and Noble
                  850 Inspiration Dr. 
                  (Mayfaire Shopping Center)
                 Wilmington, NC 28411 

When:      Thursday December 8th, 2011                               

FREE AT LAST? BUT NC MEDIA SAY: 'NOT SO FAST, ILARIO.'

 By Verne Strickland / December 3, 2011


Ilario Pantano, candidate for the U.S. Congress from the Seventh District of North Carolina, has shouldered the weight of suspicion of guilt in a murder charge sparked by the 2004 killing of two Iraqi terrorists in Fallujah, Iraq.

While Pantano was exonerated of the charge by his commanding officer, Pantano's enemies and detractors continued to hint that he was actually guilty -- guilty until proven innocent.

 

Pantano: Washington Times


It must have been excruciating for the former Marine officer, a family man with two young sons, to endure this for so long. But he never showed it. Never lashed out in anger at his relentless accusers. He remained a class act through it all.

But the time recently arrived when the bogus verbal evidence was eclipsed by forensic science, as the bodies of the Iraqis who had attacked Pantano were exhumed and examined.

The new information yielded would prove conclusively that Pantano had been innocent all along, as he had claimed.

Everyone apparently was convinced except the NC media, which even to the late hours of Saturday held on to this major story and stayed mum, cruelly denying Ilario Pantano the victory which was rightfully his.

Here is this blockbuster story, first reported in The Washington Times on November 30, 2011.

***********

By Rowan Scarborough

The Washington Times

As William C. Rodriguez inspected the badly decomposed bodies of two Iraqis, he was troubled by the large crowd of observers in the military’s national morgue at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Mr. Rodriguez, a renowned forensic anthropologist, had been called in to settle the most sensational murder case to come out of the years-long Iraq War.

The defendant, Ilario Pantano, had abandoned a comfortable life on Manhattan’s Upper West Side after the Sept. 11 attacks and persuaded the Marine Corps to induct him, at age 31, to help fight the war on terrorism.
But the war turned into a courtroom struggle for his own freedom.

Lt. Pantano fatally shot two insurgents in Iraq’s so-called “Triangle of Death” during a raid on an insurgent hideout in 2004. He said he fired as they rushed toward him. A disgruntled sergeant said he shot them in the back.

“When the remains arrived, I didn’t expect the large crowds of people to [be] present at the mortuary. Most were NCIS agents and various representatives of the Marines. Prior to the exams, there was much discussion concerning the case, talk of court-martial, prosecution and being guilty. The image that came to my mind … was that of a lynch mob: ‘Let’s make an example of him.’ ” - William C. Rodriguez III, Forensic anthropologist

At the Dover morgue a year later, Mr. Rodriguez was troubled by all the murmuring of “guilty” he heard from investigators as he began to scrutinize the skeletons of Ali Hamaady Kareem and Tahah Ahmead Hanjil.


He also wondered why the Marine Corps lodged premeditated murder charges against Lt. Pantano without benefit of an autopsy of the two dead men — the chore he was now performing after the officer endured a grueling pretrial hearing.

“I think there was a rush to judgment,” Mr. Rodriguez, who retired last month, told The Washington Times.

“In a case like this, if I was charged with something, I would insist that the forensic evidence be looked at before I would be found guilty. They were looking at really going after him, making an example of him.

“People were kind of second-guessing the soldier in the field in a wartime situation. That to me, personally, upset me for people try to second-guess a soldier who’s in the field facing danger every day, not knowing who is their friend or foe.”

Mr. Rodriguez is taking the unusual step for a military medical examiner of going public in his criticism. He wrote a letter to Mr. Pantano in April, telling him how for years he had felt bitterness over how the Corps and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) treated him.

“I openly expressed on numerous occasions to my colleagues in the office, including a NCIS agent assigned to our office, that I found it unconscionable to bring charges against you with simple hearsay,” he wrote.

“I informed the NCIS agent and others in the office that the remains of the two deceased Iraqis should be exhumed and examined, as that is the only way one can scientifically prove what happened.”

He wrote about the day he examined shattered bone and bullet residue to try to determine where Lt. Pantano’s shots entered the bodies.

“When the remains arrived, I didn’t expect the large crowds of people to [be] present at the mortuary,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “Most were NCIS agents and various representatives of the Marines.

“Prior to the exams, there was much discussion concerning the case, talk of court-martial, prosecution and being guilty. The image that came to my mind … was that of a lynch mob: ‘Let’s make an example of him.’ “
Charles Gittins, the civilian lawyer who represented Mr. Pantano, said it is unusual for a military medical examiner to take on the high command.

“The medical examiner’s letter underscores the fact that [the] government proceeded to murder charges and the hearing without doing their homework,” he said. “For the medical examiner to contact Ilario Pantano demonstrates a concern the doctor had for the political ramifications for the case.”

The remains arrived at Dover at a critical time in the case.

On May 12, 2005, a Marine hearing officer recommended that the Corps drop the murder charges. He said Mr. Pantano’s chief accuser was disgruntled over being demoted within the platoon and repeatedly changed his story.

No autopsy reports were submitted into evidence. Mr. Gittins said he was told that it was too dangerous for Navy investigators to try to exhume the bodies.

After the hearing verdict jolted and embarrassed the high command, things changed. The military won approval from the wives and village elders and dug up the remains.

If the examinations showed they indeed had been shot in the backs, the Marine general overseeing the case could cite the results as a reason to overrule the hearing officer and send Mr. Pantano to a court-martial.

“I don’t think it was to exonerate Ilario,” Mr. Gittins said. “I think they did the autopsies to implicate Ilario because we had blown up the hearing. The purpose of the autopsies was to get inculpatory evidence, not exculpatory evidence.”

On May 24, 2005, in Dover, Mr. Rodriguez, who had viewed the mass slaughter at the Pentagon after Sept. 11 and seen Saddam Hussein’s mass graves in Iraq, had been called on for his knowledge of skeletal remains and what they can tell about how someone died. He began at about 8 a.m.

The bones told the first story.

“Examination of the bones such as the ribs revealed fracturing patterns indicating that they had been struck by a bullet entering the front of the body,” he told The Times. “As the bone fractures, it does in a predictable manner, based on the external force placed upon it. … A similar example would be if you drive a sharp spike through a piece of wood. The opposite side of the wood, where the spike exits the wood, you have a hole with outward beveling and splinters facing outward as well.”

The bullets told a second story. Shells leave telltale copper fragments. This residue over time oxidizes, forming a blue-green discoloration.

“This, along with microfragments of the cooper jacket and bullet fragments on the anterior surface of the bone, corroborate the defect and fracture pattern exhibited by the bones, clearly indicating that the bullets struck the front of the bodies,” Mr. Rodriguez said.

Mr. Rodriguez said the investigators left him little time to absorb his findings and write a report after finishing the exam at 2 p.m. They wanted it right away. When it was complete, the report went straight to the Pentagon.


Two days later, Marine Maj. Gen. Richard Huck announced that he was dropping all charges, citing the autopsy report among other evidence.

Science proved Mr. Pantano had been telling the truth. If only the Marine Corps had insisted on an autopsy before bringing charges, the volunteer Marine would have been spared the financial expense and emotional wear.

Mr. Pantano quickly resigned his commission and started a new life in North Carolina with his wife and two sons. He ran for the House of Representatives in 2010 as a Republican and lost to a popular conservative Democrat. He plans to run again in 2012.

A paperback edition of his memoir, “Warlord: Broken by War, Saved by Grace,” was released this week, complete with Mr. Rodriguez’s letter.

Mr. Pantano said his political enemies in North Carolina have used the murder charges, even though dismissed, to smear him on various Web pages.

“The letter from Dr. Rodriguez explaining his scientific determination of my innocence finally puts my case to rest,” he told The Times.

“His letter is the ultimate proof to the world of politically motivated skeptics that have relentlessly attacked me because my unapologetic Americanism stands in defiance to their world of liberal victimization.

“My case was a political football in 2004, and it continues to be so today as I take a stand in defense of conservative values.”

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC.

VERNE STRICKLAND POSTSCRIPT  December 4, 2011

As I was stunned by the fact that what is called by some "the most important murder case to come out of the War in Iraq", with deep ties to the Lower Cape Fear Region, with a former Marine now running for the U.S. Congress, challenged by a State Senator in the upcoming GOP primary, and with the winner to face off against Democrat incumbent Mike McIntyre -- I could not contemplate how or why our local news corps would tuck this major break away for later release.

The Washington Times actually broke the story on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. And now, on Saturday evening, December 3, four days have elapsed since the news was reported.

Friends, this just ain't right.

So I took the step of calling one of the top Wilmington area journalists to ask how this could be justified. The response was that -- well, this is a long campaign, and the GOP primary won't be held until the Spring of 2012.

But, I countered, at this stage of the game, this is not a political story. It is a personal story of a former U.S. Marine fighting trumped-up murder charges, and winning exoneration not once, but twice, before he can finally say he is cleared. 

To which the reporter responded -- well, I'm just so busy and piled up with so much stuff that it's tough to get through it all. I'll get this out when I can.

I didn't win this little dust-up, but I think the reporter understands why I was disappointed with what could be seen as skewed priorities when deciding which stories to hold, and which should be moved without delay into the news line-up. I rest my case.