Steve Sarvi : An Enigma Wrapped In Shifting Stories
June 23rd, 2008 by 
Kevin
Many know that Steve Sarvi, former Mayor of Watertown, is the endorsed DFL candidate challenging John Kline for the Second Congressional Disctrict Two seat. While many liberals have focused on his military past as a way to counter one of Kline\’s strengths, what is even more noticeable are his constant shifting stories, including his military career.
It would be nice to get a straight answer from Sarvi.
First he was a Republican, now he\’s a Democrat. He\’s shifted his stance on the issues as well. Now evolving viewpoints is okay on some issues, but on others it certainly raises the eyebrows. For example, previously he was Pro-Life, now he\’s Pro-Choice.
And most perplexing is the very issue he has made a centerpoint of his campaign….his military service. He\’s in the Army for a number of years, attaining the rank of Captain. Then he leaves the service to rejoin later at a greatly reduced ranked….Sergeant.
I\’ve talked with a number of military, active or otherwise, who have indicated that while this isn\’t unheard of, it\’s a little odd. What makes it even more odd, is that his reasons for this discrepancy have changed over time.
As of May 19th, 2007, on his website, the story was as follows :
\”Because of the demands of my civilian career, I came back to the service as a Sergeant\”
Then as of June 6th, 2008, at a press conference, the story changed to
\”I came back as a Sergeant because I like working with young soldiers. I like training them. I like being around them. And sometimes you don\’t get to do that as much as an officer.\”
If either one of those is true, then why the change in stories. Especially since the most recent story is much less believable, or outright false. Plus, the National Guard doesn\’t just let you pick whatever rank you want.
Typically, as has been explained to me, if you joined up with the National Guard later on, especially from the Army, you would typically just be assigned your former rank, or at least an officer rank. What is there to justify the reduction in rank, especially from officer to enlisted?
Sarvi is trying to use his supposed leadership in the military against Kline. However, unlike Sarvi, Kline continued to be promoted and continued to lead. Sarvi on the other hand gave up his leadership position and instead picked a position where is led. A true leader doesn\’t typically like to be led.
Sure there are legitimate reasons for the above situation, but given that the supposed reason for it keeps changing, it\’s hard to trust Sarvi\’s word. One would imagine that if he released his military service records, it would set aside many questions. I don\’t think that is an unreasonable request since he\’s chosen to make himself a very public figure, running for public office on his military service.
Or else we just have to take his rather questionable word that a Sergeant is a better leader than a full-bird Colonel.
Email This Post
| 
Print This Post
Posted in 2008 Elections, True North | 
28 Comments »
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:27 pm
You should read “Beyond Band of Brothers” by Major Dick Winters. He was featured in the HBO Mini-series Band of Brothers.
One key point he makes that relates to this story is how devastated he was when promoted from Company Executive Officer to Battalion. He wasn’t leading “his” men anymore.
Now Sarvi was a tank platoon leader and Company Executive Officer being being promoted to Battalion. I don’t think its that far fetched he didn’t want to return to the Guard for Battalion duty. He in all likely hood missed that bond with the enlisted men at the Company level. Secondly, he probably didn’t want to rejoin as a junior officer and above since they can be recalled years later. That can definitely screw over your civilian career.
We should be focusing on the issues and not the man’s service to this country.
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Sarvi has made his military service an issue himself. I’m merely pointing out discrepancies that could be very very easily answered with the simple act of releasing his military record.
You’re right, in that your explanation could very well be the real answer. However, I’m funny in that I like one version of the truth….and that’s all I ask for.
June 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I talked to the Logical Husband about this (he is former Army) and he said that it is also possible that the National Guard unit already had their quota of captains and in order to stay in the Guard and in his MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) that he would have had to take a cut in rank (but not necessarily a cut in pay grade).
That would be a logical and totally acceptable reason for the loss of rank – voters would have understood the reason and probably made a big deal out of it(taking a cut in rank just to stay in service). The fact that he has come up with two different stories though does make one wonder what the real deal is…..
LL
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I don’t know much about Sarvi and couldn’t care less about this little squabble.
I know MUCH about John Kline, and despite how honorable his service in the military was (and I’m happy to give him blanket approval for that) it’s as a Congressman where he sucks, and ANYBODY would be better for the people of this district.
He’s arrogant, bought-and-paid for by the oil and military contractors lobbies (in my opinion, based on research of his donations and votes) and does not serve his District with honor, distinction or even interest.
This carpetbagger can go back to Texas for all I care.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Kevin, Just for your information — I checked with the Sarvi campaign and they have had his military record available to the media since May of this year. (It goes back several years and a lot of it is only available on bulky paper copy) But they sent out a blanket press release to all media offering to give them access to any and all information.
One might ask the same question of Col. Kline…has he made his entire military record available???
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Not being a part of the MSM or even the Soros-media I received no such invite. However, I would be interested in taking a look at it.
Other than knowing a few people working on the Kline campaign I don’t keep in contact with them, so I have no idea what the status of his record is. However, it is my understanding that he has never had a problem with this in the past.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Hey Kevin,
Doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re going to make accusations, check the facts. It appears you never even called the Sarvi campaign to check out if Sarvi’s military record had been publicly released. There’s more to reporting than “Google”. Pick up the phone and find out what’s really going on.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:12 pm
So in other words it’s okay for the Sarvi campaign to cater only to the media? Last I checked media organizations don’t have a vote.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
No. It’s called getting off your butt and going to get the story instead of it coming to you. I strongly suspect if you called the Sarvi campaign and asked to be on their media list they would gladly add you to it. But just like any reporter in town, you have to make the first effort.
And last I looked, oil companies don’t vote but John Kline takes a lot of money from them. Media companies don’t vote but John Kline sends them tons of press releases at government expense.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Ahhh, but you miss an important distinction. I’m not a reporter, I’m just a lowly voter. I don’t even collect a Soros “stipend” so I don’t even pretend to be a reporter. And I have no desire to be one. Reporters rank only slightly below politicians on my scum-o-meter.
I ask the question as a voter. A biased voter to be sure, but a simple voter. Last I check the electorate was made up solely of people like me.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
So in other words, you don’t feel you have to be held to any standard and can make up stuff. Ahh, that makes you a real reliable source of information. Since you’re wrong about Sarvi not having released his military record, (and still haven’t corrected your post), then I guess no one should take anything you write very seriously.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Point out where I made anything up?? He still hasn’t released it to the general public…only the media.
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
It’s available to the public. You’re either not interested in presenting information that doesn’t fit your story or you’re too lazy to pick up the phone and call to find out about it.
June 24th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Smith – You seem to not know the difference between a poor representative and a representative with whom you disagree. By all objective measures, Kline is a fantastic Member of Congress. He has quickly risen through party leadership, was appointed to the bi-partisan ethics committee and has a reputation (with everyone who isn’t a liberal hack) as a stand up guy who tells you what he is thinking whether you like it or not.
If you disagree with his policies, that’s just fine, but at least be honest about it.
As for Sarvi – he’s a career government-worshiper who doesn’t have a chance against Kline. That is all.
June 24th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
“career government-worshiper”
And when has Kline worked in the private sector (other than the Republican funded think tanks)?
June 25th, 2008 at 4:06 am
“…. a stand up guy who tells you what he is thinking whether you like it or not”. Please! Give me a break. As a constituent who would love to hear what John Kline is thinking, let me just say……In my personal experience, there is not another member of Congress more unreachable and totally out of touch with his/her constituents, than is John Kline. In my personal experience (and that of many others with whom I’ve spoken) Rep Kline is totally non-communicative with constituents who don’t parrot his neo-con views. I have never had him respond to a letter or email – and know many other constituents who report this same experience. I have gone to his office to request an appointment, and been told that he has absolutely no time available for at least 3 months – and maybe not even then. I have been told that if I fly to Washington, he could possibly make time to see me for a few minutes. I have requested the opportunity to be part of one of the groups that he does take time to meet with when he is here “in the district”, and been told that all of those meetings are private and by invitation only. I have friends who, upon going to John Kline’s office to request the opportunity to discuss his support of the Bush Administration’s manufactured war, have been threatened with arrest, with police called on site. I was part of the citizen group that had to visit his office for 7 consecutive weeks, before the Congressman relented and agreed to hold a public forum about the war – and then had staff orchestrate that meeting in such a way as to minimize the opportunity for dissenting opinions. I know progressive bloggers who have been told that they will be asked to leave if they try to live blog about anything the Congressman says – while right-wing bloggers who glorify and praise John Kline, were free to say whatever they wish from the same venue. I have requested information on his schedule and been told that no part of his schedule is ever made public. I have been on the receiving end of his notorious “robo calls” which, by all appearances, his staff structure to insure that he never has to speak with anyone who disagrees with him in any way. Only those calling with praise and/or softball questions, are allowed to comment. John Kline has chosen to totally isolate himself from constituents who disagree with him in any way. By no reasonable standard, or stretch of the imagination is the representative I’ve experienced, “…. a stand up guy who tells you what he is thinking whether you like it or not”. Even those of us who disagree with him deserve something better than this. If we can’t get it from John Kline, we’ll be happy to get it from Steve Sarvi – who, as you hopefully now understand has made his entire military record available for anyone who wants to see it. Perhaps you should contact your Congressman and ask that he do the same. It goes without saying, there’s no point in me trying to get through to him to make that request.
Roxanne Mindeman
June 25th, 2008 at 7:00 am
If you get a copy of his 201 file, give me a call and I’ll help you translate it.
June 25th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Mike – let’s be honest, which of the following backgrounds is more likely to create a “government worshiper?”
– Option A: A career Marine Corps Officer who had to compete every day to work his way through the ranks and develop a depth of leadership skills which are seldom even seen in the private sector.
-Option B: A career City Employee/Administrator weekending as a solider whose toughest decision outside of one year in Iraq was whether or not he should buy the blue pens or the black ones.
If you say Option B, you should have your head checked.
And Roxanne – has it ever crossed your mind that maybe Kline just got sick of your illogical ramblings? It would be entirely understandable if the Congressman prefers to focus his attention and limited time on reasonable and sane constituents who have something to offer to the public debate other than just being self-righteous attention whores?
Did you notice that all of your examples of Kline being “inattentive” come from your group of easily identifiable leftist screwballs? I’ve heard plenty of stories from folks ranging from the Teamsters to Education Minnesota who disagree with Kline, but are consistently surprised and pleased by his candor and steadfast beliefs. That doesn’t mean they’ll be supporting him, but you don’t hear any rational Democrats using the kind of rhetoric about Kline that you screwballs throw around with such haphazard glee.
The reality is that if Kline treated all of his constituents (not just you and your “activist” friends) with the type of disdain that you insinuate, his vote total would go down every election. However, the fact is that his margin of victory grows every two years and will continue to do so in 2008 because rational Minnesotans appreciate and respect John Kline.
June 25th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Kevin, If you are still following all of this, I have one more question to ask. In the last sentence of your post you mention that Cong. Kline retired as a “full bird colonel”.
Really? I would like you to get a statement from the Kline office, verify that, and post it on this site. Let’s just say that I am skeptical that that is a factual statement. Thanks.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:35 am
David – this is from Kline’s bio: “He retired from the Marine Corps with the rank of Colonel.”
But let’s get back to the topic at hand. The more I think about this whole situation, whether or not Sarvi has released his records from the last few years is irrelevant. What I want to see are his records from the time that he was on active duty. He doesn’t give a good explanation for why he left the service at that point, but I’d be willing to bet that Sarvi left because he was passed over for promotion. Why else would a Captain leave the service after only 5 years of duty in the pre-Clinton era?
June 27th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Nice try,
In the pre-Iraq war Army, it would take nearly 4 years to make Captain. For someone to leave after 5 years after making Captain is pretty consistent with what I witnessed with a lot of officers I worked with.
Passed over for promotion? It usually takes 10 years to make Major.
Nice try, shift your focus onto a subject you can understand.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Kevin:
You are one of the more reasonable members of the ScafieNet wannabe set. Why do you continue to scrub comments, specifically Hal at Blue Man, that demonstrably refute the whole point of your screed.
I mean, if the truth is on your side, rebut the defense or admit you are off base. But Scrub a dub dub . . . that is something Mitch would do. You are better than that.
Flash
June 27th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Flash,
Unfortunately I do not live and breath for the convenience of you and your lefty cronies.
I keep comments locked down tight (hate spam!), so first time commenter’s generally get automatically funneled into a moderation queue. Where they remain, unseen to everyone but me, until I approve them…to ensure it’s not a spammer. And to be honest 90% of my moderation queue is very clever spammers.
Those so called deleted comments?? That’s where they were. Now typically by the end of the day I’d approve them when I got home from work. In this case I’m very ill and my number of conscious hours of the day are minimal.
But guess what, when you can’t even wait a measly couple of hours before pulling out the conspiracy theories and making wild accusations then guess what? Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Plus Flash, while I’m not against being proven wrong. In this case, what all you lefty cronies some to think is me being debunked, is essentially someone with military experience looking at it and saying “no that doesn’t sound wrong”.
Well guess what? I talked to quite a few people in the military active, reserve, both in the Army and National Guard. Their answers/experience varied. However, they did agree on one thing, that while it’s not unheard of, it is at the very least rather odd. And they all agreed that yes it was worth questioning and getting an answer to.
That’s what I’m trying to do here.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Thanks for the reply.
Lets put your candidate under the same scrutiny, though. If you want to go there, then don’t cry shenanigans on the other side.
I hope you feel better!
Flash
June 27th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I believe Kline’s military record has been heavily scrutinized before. Besides they generally don’t let just anyone carry the nuclear football. My guess is his military record is just fine.
So while you have no reason to even suspect there is something goofy going on, I have good reason to suspect, which has been confirmed by several others I know.
June 27th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I say your challenges are suspicious at best, and when clearly and specifically refuted in your comments, you scrub a dub dub. I say poor form
“”Unfortunately I do not live and breath for the convenience of you and your lefty cronies.””
According to your colleague Swiftee, tho, anything short of immediate response is considered “awkward silence” so just using the standards set by your ilk!
“”I believe Kline’s military record has been heavily scrutinized before””
Really, can you point me to where these records are ‘publicly released’ by your definition. I would LOVE the same opportunity to review Kline’s as you would Sarvi’s. Let;s work together to make each persons request become a reality
August 12th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
[…] despite a recent change in a campaign manager I’m not sure much has changed. First he had to change stories on his military record and hope nobody noticed. Then he made a real rookie boneheaded mistake by allowing the results of […]