Iraq Veteran Ponders Run for Office
I wrote a bit about Army Staff Sgt. Jason Leisey, a local soldier wounded by a suicide bomber in Iraq, here and here. But it's been nine months and I meant to give you an update before now.
The Associated Press interviewed Jason as part of a Pennsylvania package it ran at the end of the year on the wounded from the Iraq war. Here's their report:
It's an inspiring story, no matter who you are. I didn't know this young man before this, and I still haven't met him. But to those of us who follow the war from a safe distance he's a good reminder of the stories behind the statistics.
Chances are, though, you'll be hearing more from Jason Leisey. It seems there's quite a recruiting drive underway in the two political parties to woo intelligent, articulate veterans into upcoming campaigns. Leisey has indicated he is considering a run for the Pennsylvania state Senate. He said both parties approached him.
If he does run, he'll do so as a Democrat in a rural, conservative, and heavily Republican district. But the popular incumbent Republican is retiring, and so far the GOP candidates who have lined up to replace him are an unimpressive bunch, some lacking experience, some tainted by scandals, some appearing to be mere party apparatchiks.
Furthermore, this state is still simmering with resentment against all business-as-usual politicians, thanks to a scandalous pay-raise vote in the Legislature last year. Lawmakers approved a pay raise for themselves of up to 54 percent, and some, including the man Leisey may replace, took the extra money through an unvouchered expense.
That gives an outsider like Leisey a chance.
“I just feel that I can bring integrity and honor back to a position that has been tainted,” he said in an interview with the local newspaper. “They have just gotten complacent with their jobs."
The local Democratic leadership seemed to not know a whole lot about him but were delighted to have him on board.
“He seems like an articulate young man,” said the chairman of the county Democratic committee. “He wants to continue serving his country and his community, and his injuries unfortunately prevent him from doing that in the military. He’s seeking other ways.”
For sure, keep your eye on this one.
The Associated Press interviewed Jason as part of a Pennsylvania package it ran at the end of the year on the wounded from the Iraq war. Here's their report:
Though he knows it's impossible as he recovers from severe burns, Staff Sgt. Jason Leisey tells himself that someday he may return to the infantry.
The thought is what keeps him going through grueling physical therapy at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas.
"I think to myself, 'What do I have to do to be able to stay in?' I push myself to get back to the way I was before, just like a regular soldier," says Leisey, 25, of Lancaster, Pa.
"If I could stay in the infantry, I wouldn't want to do anything else."
On April 7, 2004, his Humvee was rammed by a car packed with explosives in Iraq's Salahuddin province. He was burned over 20 percent of his body, on his arms, hands, face and legs. He lost most of his left ear and all the fingers of his left hand, and his vocal cords were damaged. His left armpit is still an open wound. He's undergone five surgeries, with three more to go.
Katie, his wife of 14 months, changes his dressings and massages his scars every day.
Leisey hopes to go back to school to finish a degree in finance, and a defense contractor offered him a job after college.
Leisey has been with the National Guard for eight years and volunteered to go to Iraq. He says he'd do it all over again.
For now, however, twice a day, a physical therapist stretches newly grafted skin, a painful procedure that will give his left arm better range of motion.
"It's like "Groundhog Day,' the same thing every day," he says. "To make sure you are getting a good stretch, they put you in a pretty decent amount of pain."
It's an inspiring story, no matter who you are. I didn't know this young man before this, and I still haven't met him. But to those of us who follow the war from a safe distance he's a good reminder of the stories behind the statistics.
Chances are, though, you'll be hearing more from Jason Leisey. It seems there's quite a recruiting drive underway in the two political parties to woo intelligent, articulate veterans into upcoming campaigns. Leisey has indicated he is considering a run for the Pennsylvania state Senate. He said both parties approached him.
If he does run, he'll do so as a Democrat in a rural, conservative, and heavily Republican district. But the popular incumbent Republican is retiring, and so far the GOP candidates who have lined up to replace him are an unimpressive bunch, some lacking experience, some tainted by scandals, some appearing to be mere party apparatchiks.
Furthermore, this state is still simmering with resentment against all business-as-usual politicians, thanks to a scandalous pay-raise vote in the Legislature last year. Lawmakers approved a pay raise for themselves of up to 54 percent, and some, including the man Leisey may replace, took the extra money through an unvouchered expense.
That gives an outsider like Leisey a chance.
“I just feel that I can bring integrity and honor back to a position that has been tainted,” he said in an interview with the local newspaper. “They have just gotten complacent with their jobs."
The local Democratic leadership seemed to not know a whole lot about him but were delighted to have him on board.
“He seems like an articulate young man,” said the chairman of the county Democratic committee. “He wants to continue serving his country and his community, and his injuries unfortunately prevent him from doing that in the military. He’s seeking other ways.”
For sure, keep your eye on this one.
