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.
  

Iraq ('02)

I sent this letter to the LATimes in Sept. 2002 (not published):

Rumsfeld says, "The issue is not inspections. The issue is disarmament." How would he propose to prove or disprove disarmament without inspections? War?!

Keeping America safe ('02)

I sent this letter to the LATimes in Oct. 2002 (not published):

Our chances of being attacked by Saddam Hussein will only be worsened if we attack him first.

Who deserves peace-lovers trust? ('03)

This letter of mine was published in the Los Angeles Times in Jan. 2003:

[My best letter (so far) on militarism]

In his State of the Union address, President Bush said we cannot trust in Saddam Hussein's restraint. Why not? He has demonstrated far more restraint than Bush has.

In the nearly 12 long years since the end of the Gulf War, Hussein has not threatened to attack, nor positioned troops to attack, the U.S. Bush, on the other hand, in two short years in the White House, is obsessed with Iraq, unrelenting in his warmongering, and well along in preparation for attack.

Who has shown more restraint? Who is more deserving of peace-loving peoples' trust?

- - - - - -

The Times added "President" before "Bush." I refused to address Dubya by that undeserved title between 2000 and 2004.

Military aid ('94)

This letter of mine was published in the Los Angeles Times May 1994:

If the Senate really wanted to take a strong stand, the senators would vote to disarm the Serbs rather than to arm the Bosnians.

Missile defense considered harmful ('88)

This letter of mine was published in the LATimes March 1988:

Times reporters John M. Broder and Melissa Healy have been listening to Ronald Reagan, the great storyteller, too long. They can no longer tell fantasy from reality.

Today's many times revised Strategic Defense Initiative bears no resemblance at all to the original "Star Wars," now admitted as an impossible fantasy. The original goals are undermined by the latest proposed system. Instead of protecting people, it protects weapons. Instead of enabling us to discard some offensive weapons, it defends them. Instead of eliminating the need to threaten retaliation, it increases that threat. Instead of eliminating deterrence, it enhances it.

Even this latest revision is technically infeasible. We will never be able to meet the crucial computer software requirements. If we can't trust the system and the Soviets can't ignore it, it only heightens uncertainty on both sides, making the world less safe. It's no more than a vast, and vastly expensive, escalation of the arms race.

I don't call this reality, I call it fraud!