Ella Adams
State House News Service
Sen. John Velis blasted Progressive Massachusetts Policy Director Jonathan Cohn last week in a press release for what he called "anti-Veteran rhetoric" directed at fellow Democratic Sen. Mike Rush.
In a post on X on July 27, Cohn wrote, "Senator Mike Rush's lawn signs have such a strong conservative vibe. If I were a voter who didn't know anything about him, I would think he was a Republican. Because I am a voter who knows a lot about him, I *also* think he's a Republican."
Velis described Rush's lawn signs as navy blue, white and red with stars and the word "veteran" on them.
"To suggest that the use of red, white, and blue and the word, 'Veteran' on a lawn sign automatically makes you a Republican is absurd," Velis wrote, noting that Rush has served in the U.S. Navy for more than 30 years.
"This is exactly the sort of head scratching mindset that turns people away from the Democratic party. Rejecting patriotism is not the way out of the wilderness for Democrats."
Velis has served in the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Reserves and the National Guard.
He was most recently deployed for six months at the Southwestern border of the U.S., from late October through early May.