The arguments are already forming and the rationalizing justifications have begun, along with the hint of the topic that Ann Coulter has everyone frothing about:  Moral Authority.

The object of his supporters is to supply him with justification to excuse his crime by either by mitigating it to make it less then a crime, or offer some rational that makes it a crime, but on one that is excusable or necessary.

let me give you some examples.  (All emphasis below was added by me, except as noted)

The Seattle Times for instance mitigates it:

In a rare case of officer dissent, a Fort Lewis Army lieutenant has refused orders….

It isn’t Disobedience or Defiance, it is just dissent.  It isn’t a crime, just him expressing his opinion.

The UCMJ disagrees, even his lawyer admits that, saying in interviews that the Lt faces 5 years hardlabor, perhaps more if multiple charges are filed.

Over at Alternet they gush about his Courage and make stern notification to all that he is "No Coward".  

Agreed, he has not been shown to be a coward, and though many of his critics will indeed claim that, they have no evidence to back that up.  It is just a convenient label.  What he is, is an oath breaker, a person who has betrayed his unit and the men who follow him, and trusted him for guidance and leadership. 

Some will consider him an opportunist, a person who has traded his honor and his sworn word for a spot on Air America, a diary on HuffPo and a free Cindy Sheehan T shirt.  Time will answer how much truth there is there.

He may even be a patsy, a naive dupe whose family and or peers filled his head with romantic comparisons of other legandary heroes who use disobedience as a tool:

Parents of Army lieutenant stand by son

Bob Watada said he would stand by his son, whom he called patriotic and stubborn.

"He knows Nelson Mandela sat in jail for 25 years at least, he knows Rosa Parks went to jail, he knows Martin Luther King went to jail. He knows Gandhi was jailed," the elder Watada said. "There are a lot of people who stood up and said, ‘I will go to jail if that’s what it takes.’ I’m very pleased to stand by him."

He certainly stands in august company, according to his dad. 

He is certainly a tool, perhaps even a willing one.  The anti war and in some cases anti American fringes are flocking to his banner, just as they did with Cindy Sheehan, because he represents the ultimate in moral totems: 

A soldier who refuses to fight.

What better standard bearer then a military man, a commissioned officer who publically refuses to fight.  A sympathetic rallying cry and now a victim of the repressive unfair cruel military that will surely sentence him to prison.  He is the dream child of the anti war agitators.

But if he thinks these people are his supporters, he is wrong.  He is not their friend, he is their noble sacrifice.  Sure, he may see this war as unjust, and let us for this moment assume he sincerely does, but he has openly stated he does not think all war is bad.  Many of his supporters, however, do.  They surely do not respect his sacrifice, for they still despise him for his concession that he supports war, just not this one.

So who does support the Lt?

Atlanta Anarchy and Leftist Group
A conduit for radical leftist people to get in touch.

Campus Anti-War Network
Grassroots network of campus-based antiwar committees.

California Peace and Freedom Party
The Peace and Freedom Party was founded on June 23, 1967, by people who wanted to vote for something they could support.

Courage to Resist
Supporting the troops who refuse to fight

International Socialist Organization
The International Socialist Organization is committed to building an organization that participates in the struggles for justice and liberation today - and, ultimately, for a future socialist society

Iraq Veterans Against the War
Anti-war Active Duty, Reservists, and National Guard servicepersons who have served since September 11, 2001.

Web pages like http://www.thankyoult.org/ stand as an alter to his eventual sacrifice, filled with anti war rhetoric to justify it, primed with supportive notes and signatures.  While he serves time, will it stay up and running? 

Interesting to note that his support website is run by Not in our Name, another notorious anti war group.

Domain ID:D123530763-LROR
Domain Name:THANKYOULT.ORG
Created On:31-May-2006 18:02:32 UTC
Last Updated On:31-May-2006 18:30:39 UTC
Expiration Date:31-May-2007 18:02:32 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Nettuner Corp. dba Webmasters.com (R1310-LROR)
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Status:TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:WM06053189dd
Registrant Name:Jeff Paterson
Registrant Organization:Not in Our Name

How quickly did he go from being a lone voice of dissent to a part of the anti war machine?  Not quickly did they seize him and setup up his support base.

The anti war people are nothign if not inovative.

The liberal blogosphere has notice.  At the Daily KOS they extol his bravery.

Lt. Ehren Watada is a brave man. He has taken on what will be as trying a fight as any he is protesting against participating in in Iraq. This war that was initiated by men who this country somehow rewarded by re-election two years ago, and that has been a disaster from the start, even while early appearances were that the quick dispatch of the Iraqi forces in the first three weeks might be harbingers of a promising future.

When I asked Kossacks if a soldier is right to refuse deployment, 84% of 139 respondents said "Yes".

I would have been surprised to see the poll say otherwise, there.  Of course they think it is justified, it matches their agenda, and their purpose:  That the war is illegal and therefore his disobedience is not only justified, it is moral.  They truly do not understand.

For all of their complaints about the Republican Chicken Hawk leaders, they themselves seem to lack a foundation in understanding military life and law.

The simple, plain raw fact is that they are not just wrong, but grossly wrong.  Not only is it unjustifiable to do so, the penalty could be more severe then his lawyer is assuming.

He faces hard time, up to capital punishment because he has chosen to do this in a time of war, though it is very unlikely to go that far.  Coward?  No.

Surprisingly HufPo is quiet on him.  That will change as the national news picks the story up.

A final note.  The donations for his legal defense are being solicited and are surtely pouring in.  Despite that, hissupporters face a task that will not be easily accomplishe, for he is damned by his own words.  He clearly does not intend to claim moral objection to war, or Conscientious Objector Status.  He has publically said he does not object to war, just this one.

By that alone he is likely condemned.

And by that admission, the anti war groups will have their noble and willing sacrifice, replete with the moral authority of being victimized for his beliefs.

I think it is sad.  Sad that he is willing (or foolish enough) to be used the way they intend to use him.  His sacrifice is not real to them, they will not share his cell, or his pain.  They will not have his criminal record.

They will sympathize, protest and carry out marches using him as a banner…then go home.

He will get to break rocks, with 3 hots and a cot.  Hope it is a fair trade to him.  It clearly is to them…He has Moral Authority.

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