Military records of politicians ('05)

Comparing military records of prominent politicians and pundits.

Some of the Republicans are shown here. The full list, including Democrats (many of whom had distinguished service records), is at the link above.

• George W. Bush: failed to complete his six-year National Guard; got assigned to Alabama so he could campaign for family friend running for U.S. Senate; failed to show up for required medical exam, disappeared from duty.
  
• Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
  
• Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor.
  
• Dennis Hastert: did not serve.
  
• Tom Delay: did not serve.
  
• Mitch McConnell: did not serve.
  
• Rick Santorum: did not serve.
  
• Trent Lott: did not serve.
  
• Phil Gramm: did not serve.
  
• John McCain: Vietnam POW, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.
  
• Sean Hannity: did not serve.
  
• Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')
  
• Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.
  

On supporting military actions ('05)

Link: Ahh, the good ol' days
from Daily Kos, August 2005

Quotes from when Clinton committed troops to Bosnia:

"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."
--Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
--Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."
--Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

Funny thing is, we won that war without a single killed in action.

The Republican Dictionary ('04)

Link: The Republican Dictionary

by Katrina Vanden Huevel
The Nation, Nov. 2004

[excerpted; full text at the link above]

BI-PARTISANSHIP – When conservative Republicans work together with moderate Republicans to pass legislation Democrats hate.

CLARIFY – Repeating the same lie over and over again.

FAIRER – Regressive.

FAITH – The stubborn belief that God approves of Republican moral values despite the preponderance of textual evidence to the contrary.

HONESTY – Lies told in simple declarative sentences: "Freedom is on the march."

MORAL VALUES – Hatred of homosexuals dressed up in Biblical language.

MANDATE – What a Republican claims to possess when only 49 percent of the voting public loathes him instead of 51 percent.

THE MEDIA – Immoral elitist liberally-biased traitors who should leave Republicans alone so they can complete God's work on Earth in peace and quiet, behind closed doors.

PHILOSOPHY – Religion.

SIMPLIFY – To cut the taxes of Republican donors.

Remembering Reagan ('04)

(Click the cartoon to enlarge)

Kirk Anderson (Kirktoons) (June 2004)

Reagan's hypocrisy ('07)

This letter of mine was published in Time magazine in April 2007:

Hypocrisy is at the root of the sad situation on the political right, and Ronald Reagan started it [March 26]. He said the right things in a most seductive manner. Despite his talk of small government and fiscal responsibility, the federal bureaucracy and the national debt both grew tremendously under his guidance. Politicians say whatever the audience wants to hear, even if their words are completely divorced from reality. Whether discussing budget forecasts, civil liberties, the environment or reasons for war and the readiness of troops, they are just uttering patriotic-sounding lies.

- - - - [ As I wrote it: ] - - - - -

Hypocrisy is at the root of the sad situation of the Right, and Reagan himself started it.

He said the Right things, in a most seductive manner, but he didn't live up to it, and he would never admit it. Despite his talk of small government and fiscal responsibility, the federal bureaucracy and the national debt both grew tremendously under his guidance.

This led directly to today's pervasive political double-speak and denial. Politicians simply say whatever the audience wants to hear, even if that is completely divorced from reality. From the names of Congressional bills, to budget forecasts, to professed devotion to fiscal restraint, civil liberties, the environment or scientific research, even to the reasons for war and the readiness of troops -- it's all patriotic-sounding lies, repeated endlessly and never questioned by the press.