By Guy Page
Before his surprise victory in Tuesday’s race for the Vermont Republican nomination for U.S. House, few Vermonters knew anything about Liam Madden. Even most political “insiders” knew only that he was a former U.S. Marine, an advocate for solar power, and a political independent who for some reason had thrown his hat into the GOP’s ring.
Attention intensified after his win, as Republicans wondered about their party’s challenger to Democrat nominee Becca Balint, and also whether they should back #2 finisher Ericka Redic’s decision to make the November 8 election a three way race by running as the Libertarian nominee. And most Republicans were stunned when he told WCAX the day after the election he didn’t want the GOP nomination. A day later he agreed to accept the nomination, but only because he couldn’t run as an independent with no Republican on the ballot.
Who is Liam Madden?
According to his Federal Election Commission filing, he lives in Bellows Falls. In a May, 2022 Vermont Daily Chronicle op-ed, he says he was raised in Stowe and after a disillusioning hitch in the Marine Corps became a leader in the nation’s largest veterans’ anti-war organization. He won an MIT award for climate change innovation. He is a young dad and husband.
According to his Linked In page, he has been the Solar Energy Director at HB Energy Solutions since Feb 2020.
Long before most Vermonters had ever heard of him, Republican U.S. House nominee Liam Madden was well-known in the national media and among anti-war circles for his opposition to the war in Iraq, where (according to his Wikipedia entry, see below) he served for seven months.
He is also the author of a blog post about his experiments on the relationship between human sexual energy and plants.
Madden describes his Vermont childhood on his rebirthdemocracy.com website, republished below verbatim.
1989: Moved to Stowe, Vt at 4 years old after my mother and father decided to re-imagine our family’s life following my father’s recovery from severe addictions and the trauma they caused.
1989-96: I fell in love with Vermont. I spent my childhood catching frogs, causing mischief, tromping into the forest to imagine entire worlds, swinging from trees and jumping off rocks into swimming holes.
1996: My family moved to Stowe Vermont’s polar opposite, a mill town struggling to find an identity – and an economy – now that it didn’t have any mills – Bellows Falls, Vermont
1996-2002: I went from experiencing what it was like to be among the least wealthy families in Vermont’s most affluent town, to being kind of middle of the road in Vermont’s poorest town. I was an abysmal student (except for math) and a bona fide trouble maker in high school. I learned a lot about hard work, focus, and discipline as the captain of the wrestling team. I learned about perseverance, resourcefulness and unconditional love from my mother who worked in, and eventually owned, her own restaurant, and my father who worked as a traveling salesman until he earned a Masters in Social Work.
2002-2005: I joined the US Marine Corps because I knew I needed to grow up before I went to college. The U.S. invaded Iraq while I was in basic training.
While in Iraq I had only a handful of scary experiences. What saddened me most was the look of hatred, fear, and humiliation in the eyes of most of the Iraqis I saw. I could tell they did not want foreign soldiers on their streets. I imagined I’d be an insurgent too if I was in their shoes.
Once, an 18 year old kid in my unit… all machismo and Napoleon complex, shot his machine gun into a car of innocent civilians because they tried to pass our trucks on the road. He did it out of fear and in compliance with his understanding of our rules of engagement. I was so angry and ashamed to be part of this disaster.
* * * * * * * *
The following is excerpted from the Wikipedia entry about Madden.
Liam Madden is a former United States Marine and a veteran of the Iraq War. Shortly before leaving the military, he founded the Appeal for Redress, an antiwar petition by active-duty U.S. service-members. He subsequently served as a leader of Iraq Veterans Against the War, serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors.
Military service
Madden served in the USMC from January 2003 to January 2007, as a Communications Electronics Specialist, attaining the rank of Sergeant. During this time, he deployed to Kuwait, Thailand, Okinawa, Japan, and Korea,[1] and spent seven months in Iraq.
Appeal for Redress
While still in the military, Madden worked with sailor Jonathan Wesley Hutto to write and begin circulation of the Appeal for Redress, taking advantage of a legal right for U.S. military personnel to petition their Congressional representatives. The Appeal, which had been signed by over 2000 active-duty military personnel as of January, 2008, states:
“As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home.”
The Appeal attracted media coverage from 60 Minutes, NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Nation, and the Army Times, among others.
Discharge hearing
After the end of his term of service, but while still a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, Madden was investigated by the Marines for his antiwar activities. He was charged with making disloyal statements and with wearing his uniform at a political event, and he was threatened with having his Honorable Discharge status revised to “Other Than Honorable”, which would prevent him from receiving benefits. The Marine Corps dropped its case. [End Wikipedia excerpt].
Idea Sex Lab CEO
According to Madden’s Linked In page, he was CEO of the Idea Sex Lab from Mar 2017 – Mar 2022 – 5 years 1 month. The Idea Sex Lab is a platform for writing, classes, art and events focused on the evolution of cultural and personal narratives. In September 2018, he wrote Experiments with Sexual Energy Meditation- Initial Results and Insights, he described an experiment on the effects of sexual meditation on the growth of plants.
Categories: politics
Huh?
It’s OK GOP, I’m not laughing at you, I just saw a funny meme on my phone at the same time that I was reading this.
Stunningly brilliant.
Madden is full of surprises. Looks like a classic BS artist. Another Bernie Sanders wannabe who got his start writing porn.
Liam is certainly an interesting and appealing person. I’m very interested in learning the name of the 18 year old American soldier in his unit who he says shot into a group of civilians. Those cases are vigorously prosecuted by the armed forces. I want to check the status of that case! I wonder if Liam’s story can be verified.
Why then aren’t they digging into the police at J6 who fired into the crowd and heaved tear gas to stir angst into a docile groups of spectators? Hope this gets the attention and public airing this is overdue, too.
Dianna,
I’m a Veteran of the Iraq War, 2004 to 2005. Iraq was an active war zone at that time. Almost all multinational convoys traveling the roads utilized armored HUMVEEs for convoy security. It was Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for at least one armored HUMVEE to lead the convoy, and at least one trailing the convoy, regardless of which allied country was conducting the convoy. Prominently mounted on the bumpers of the HUMVEEs were large signs warning: “CAUTION!: STAY 100 METERS BACK OR YOU WILL BE SHOT!” It was printed in Arabic and English. The civilians of Iraq, by the end of the initial incursion in 2003, fully understood the Rules of Engagement (ROE) and the use of the highway. Civilian vehicles following a convoy were to stay 100 meters back. Those vehicles approaching a convoy were to pull to the side of the road and STOP! The soldiers manning the weapons mounted on top of the HUMVEE were responsible for the lives of the HUMVEE occupants, and for the safety of the convoy and it’s personnel. A car bomb, usually a small Toyota crammed with hundreds of pounds of explosives, if driven in close proximity to an armored HUMVEE and the explosives were detonated by the suicide driver, the resulting explosion would totally destroy the Toyota, the HUMVEE and kill all the civilian passengers or military personnel within the blast radius. The SOP to counter a civilian car driving with the 100 meters distance and in adherence to the authorized ROEs was to fire “…one in the road, one in the radiator, then one in the front windshield…”
If Madden was viewing a civilian vehicle in Iraq errantly trying to pass a multinational convoy displaying the “CAUTION! STAY BACK!” signs and saw the top gunner fire into the vehicle to stop it, then he saw a trained soldier following orders and perhaps saving his comrades before the Toyota driver yelled Allah Akbar! and blew himself and the soldiers in their vehicle to smithereens.
Was that soldier maybe frightened? Yes, probably; no soldiers I know of want to be blown to pieces. That soldier’s conduct doesn’t need to be investigated; he was following orders. Good on him.
It’s Madden’s service in Iraq, and the character of that service, that needs to be investigated and made known. From what little I know of him, I wouldn’t put it past him to exaggerate and make stuff up. This guy gives me the creeps…
Doesn’t “Other Than Honorable tell us something.
He got an Honorable Discharge. Don’t try to slyly spread lies about any soldier. Vets stand together and have long memories.
Lots of questions. Not vetted by the party nor the voters.
Yeah, John Kerry got an Honorable Discharge also. It doesn’t change the fact he dishonored his oath to uphold the Constitution.
Thank goodness Redic is still in the race.
Agree with you 100%, Wendy.
Go, Ericka, go! Use this backdrop to your advantage and expose the darkside of the Dems as well as the Independents – maybe some GOP house cleaning, too.
I agree with both comments Wendy. I’m still in awe that the VT. GOP allowed him to appear on the Republican Ballot, AND Go Redic!!
Sounds like a real nut job. I’d even go so far as saying he’s loonier than Nancy
Any chance that the Dems organized an effort to vote in the Republican primary for Liam Madden? Just a question.
It appears as though that exactly is the case.
More likely the Progressives.
This is hilarious – guess it proves the Republican party is open to all including those who study the effects of meditation on the sex life of plants. I needed a laugh – or many – on this week which saw much of the media and certainly Merrick Garland assuming that we are all forgetful idiots who really should believe whatever the FBI says or does. Check out Ericka Redic – Libertarian for Congress! It’s time
Again, the Republican party surmises who we should have to vote for come November. They shove another Rino down our throats like Christina Nolan because they think they can syphon off enough Commiecrat votes to try to get some kind of victory. Don’t they realize they lose in the end when they can’t get enough conservative votes.
This guy Madden has an Other Than Honorable discharge. As a veteran with an honorable discharge, I would never consider voting for him.
RUN ERICKA RUN
Your last sentence is very telling and true. You completed your service with honor, others not so much. You support my feelings, as well. As my father would say, “Something’s rotten in Denmark” meaning something about this, stinks.
Something about his campaign simply doesn’t seem to “add up”.
A Progressive trying to undermine the GOP?
He does not. As stated the Marine Corps dropped the case. Whether or not they should have pursued it is another matter. Certainly he wore his uniform at a political rally, which is an infringement.
Discharge hearing
After the end of his term of service, but while still a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, Madden was investigated by the Marines for his antiwar activities. He was charged with making disloyal statements and with wearing his uniform at a political event, and he was threatened with having his Honorable Discharge status revised to “Other Than Honorable”, which would prevent him from receiving benefits. The Marine Corps dropped its case. [End Wikipedia excerpt].
So, Madden still has an ‘Honorable Discharge’.
Yes, it was challenged, briefly. But the Marines dropped the case. I repeat – Madden has an ‘Honorable Discharge’.
Please don’t fall into the misinformation trap. Just because someone comments that something is the case doesn’t make it so.
My question is why so many people voted for Mr. Madden when his history was so vague and questionable? Is it any wonder why we have so many unpredictable politicians who have changeable standards? In the final analysis it’s a reflection on us, the voters.
P.S. I didn’t vote for Mr. Madden.
Yea! We have our very own Beto.
He reminds me of Patti Hurst, the daughter of a wealthy newspaper entrepreneur of the 60s. REDIC is wonderfully competent and well respected. She will represent Vermont citizens who love our country, the constitution and family values. Remember, remember the 8th of November. REDIC for U.S. CONGRESS of VERMONT. Make sure to camp out and record all dropoff ballot boxes in your town and county. 2000 Mules never again.
Good question – I never heard of him before the election. Also, the race is for Congressional representation – the only seat VT has – currently held by Peter Welch. Besides Becca…who else is going after that coveted seat? Smells high to Heaven. Shenanigans – DC style.
Fraud. Vermont style. Thank you Jim Condos.
Condos’ is a colluder and a liar…
This just ensures that a far leftist, crazy Marxist will be the first & next U.S. Congress(wo)man from Vermont! Another sad day in Vermont because of the destroying Leftist.
Redic easily wins this one. I’m so joyous that she has the balls (no transgender here) to run as an independent. I don’t care about labels and no one does either. We’re tired of being manipulated. Can’t wait to see her sworn in as the one and only representative in Congress from Vermont. We are truly blessed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, Liam ! I am not inclined to vote for someone who uses others for self-aggrandizement. You used the Republican primary to build name recognition. Real hypocrisy! Go back to one of your other fantasies!