Put Down Your Books, Pick Up A Gun
Remember the Clinton Administration? Clinton dodged the draft - but to the left-wing pundosphere, it was OK; he really belonged at Oxford, and soldiers were all icky anyway.
E.J. Perkins of the Arizona Republic has published a side-by-side comparison of figures in the Clinton and Bush II Administrations, prominent politicians from both parties, former presidents, and, oddly, a limited selection of bloggers.
Suddenly, the left is all about military service:
Next, look at the military records of prominent Democrat politicans and their Republican counterparts. It's not even close. In fact, the entire Republican leadership has either not served, or went AWOL playing pool volleyball with ambitious secretaries.
Kos is wrong, of course; read Perkins' article for yourself, the comparisons are fairly close (and it's worth noting that Dick Gephardt also served in the Air National Guard during Vietnam to boot - I didn't think good working-class Democrats were supposed to have followed that route?)
And as Kos has taken to reminding us fairly regularly since his screw'em gaffe, he served (albeit not in Vietnam):
But I don't mind a reminder to the world that I've actually served my country and wore combat boots. Unlike the vast majority of the chickenshit war-cheerleading wingers.
So, Kos - once and for all, is military service a prerequisite for having an opinion, or not?
Because either Bill Clinton needs to just shut up, or you do.
Oh, by the way - there's something in his comments that I pray some dimwit Democrat tries to run with. More tomorrow.
Posted by Mitch at
August 9, 2004 06:01 AM
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Nearly all of my cow-orkers are former career military, with 20+ yrs. One woman was in the army for 4 yrs, and she is rabidly anti-Bush. She informs me that the only reason any military people agree with Bush is because they are constantly being brainwashed via psy-ops. But the guys who actually spent former lifetimes in the military tell me that there are a lot who only made it thru 4 yrs, and didn't continue because they were washout losers. I think I know how they would categorize Kos.
Posted by: Ebeth at August 9, 2004 06:41 AMA fair point, but I'm not going to rip on Kos, absent evidence. I know a lot of people who served three years, earned their college bonuses, and got out.
I know that among serving military Bush is currently up by well over 10 points - I think it's closer to 20. I'd love to see the numbers for E7s (senior Noncommissioned officers) and O3s (captains/Navy lieutenants) on up - the lifers who are the backbone of the military.
Posted by: mitch at August 9, 2004 07:07 AMclinton was a draft dodger. . . as was quayle. I can eye-for-an-eye you all day on peoples war records. Buchanan? Dodger. Gingrich? Dodger. W being awol? the right cries "foul! that was a long time ago it doesnt matter! w being a drunk and a coke head "foul! he changed hes born again now" But when a democrat was accused of the same thing it somehow was of top import to his moral standing. Which way would you like it, either it was a long time ago and it doesnt matter anyway (w, quayle, 1/2 of the republican congress) or its of dire import now (kerry, clinton, dole) because im frankly sick of watching you guys trying to have it both ways.
Posted by: JasonDL at August 9, 2004 10:12 AM