Vets rally behind Summers

First Congressional District candidate Charlie Summers, a Republican from Scarborough, is getting a push from veterans -- those in Maine and a national group that will air radio ads in support of his candidacy. The Vets for Freedom PAC, based in Washington D.C., is running ads across the country for seven Congressional candidates. The list includes six Republicans and one Democrat, according to the Summers campaign. Summers, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, returned from Iraq earlier this year, just prior to the June primary. His opponent on Nov. 4 is Democrat Chellie Pingree of North Haven. The national veterans group says it will only support "pro-mission candidates" who want victory in Iraq and Afghanistan. Closer to home, several Maine veterans, including Earl Adams, former adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, are supporting Summers. "Charlie would be just the second Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress," Adams said in a statement. "He will take his real-life, on-the-ground experience with him to Washington to shape policies that help our men and women in uniform transition from active military duty to civilian life."