Of those in power, who served?

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Did Michael Moore ever serve?

Now DJ, do you really think he would make it through bootcamp?

[nmainguy]

Was it fair for me to ask that question?

Sure it's a fair question if-he had anything to do with this topic. He doesn't because besides all the typical right-wing deflection of H2B and others, this topic was started to identify those in power who served.

Maybe the editor and H2B could start a topic called "Of those not in power, who served".

[Heights2Bastrop]

I guess you could call it a "typical right-wing deflection" to a

[Jeebus]

Sure it's a fair question if-he had anything to do with this topic. He doesn't because besides all the typical right-wing deflection of H2B and others, this topic was started to identify those in power who served.

If this is indeed a topic about those in power who have served, then why did you list Sean Hannity, Rush Limbough, and Michael Savage? What "power" do they hold to send troops to war? They have no more power than Michael Moore, who by your own admission, doesn't count.

Way off topic or not, you started this topic for no other reason that to inflame others via your policital rhetoric. This topic was not to inform anyone of anything, or else you would have presented both sides: In power, and not in power / republican and democrat / those who served and those who did not. Instead you posted you biased opinion with facts of tilted context.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Al Franken didn't serve, either. If that matters.

Actually, you answered my next question. I'm also curious about Colmes from Hannity and Colmes.

Sure it's a fair question if-he had anything to do with this topic. He doesn't because besides all the typical right-wing deflection of H2B and others, this topic was started to identify those in power who served.

Maybe the editor and H2B could start a topic called "Of those not in power, who served".

I think Micheal Moore, Franken, and Colmes very much have as much to do with this topic as Limbaugh, Reilly, and Hannity. How does Moore not have power? Or how does Limbaugh have more power than him?

(Is Bill O'Reilly a liberal, conservative, or down the middle?)

[editor]

Well, if we're going to slam others, I think we should come clean, too.

I have not served. The closest I came was Army ROTC in college, during which I developed a healthy respect for the military culture.

[nmainguy]

If this is indeed a topic about those in power who have served, then why did you list Sean Hannity, Rush Limbough, and Michael Savage? What "power" do they hold to send troops to war? They have no more power than Michael Moore, who by your own admission, doesn't count.

Way off topic or not, you started this topic for no other reason that to inflame others via your policital rhetoric. This topic was not to inform anyone of anything, or else you would have presented both sides: In power, and not in power / republican and democrat / those who served and those who did not. Instead you posted you biased opinion with facts of tilted context.

I agree, I should have deleted the media types from the list I recieved.

I started the topic to highlight the people in power who avoided military service: Cheney in particular. Is the fact Cheney had 5 deferments a fact of tilted context? No. Just as he said he had "other priorities" when confronted with his lack of voting in elections and his 5 deferments help to inform the type of person he is. [bTW, how do you get a marriage deferment? My dad never got one but then again, he never asked for it]Yet he is given a free ride when sending our kids to a war in which they may come home in a box or permantantly deformed. For what? For failing to contain a civil war he and Bush waged on the back of lies?

In the end, I'd hate to be them.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Its probably a good idea some of these people didnt serve that didnt want to. Anyone who has served will tell you that going through the process...bootcamp/naval academy etc etc. there are far too many non committed jackasses there already. You wouldnt believe the amount of grown men that cry over basic training and do some really silly ____ in order to get out.........

[nmainguy]

Its probably a good idea some of these people didnt serve that didnt want to. Anyone who has served will tell you that going through the process...bootcamp/naval academy etc etc. there are far too many non committed jackasses there already. You wouldnt believe the amount of grown men that cry over basic training and do some really silly ____ in order to get out.........

You are probably correct. Perhaps Cheney is one of those as well as Kemp who seems to have the lamest of the lame excuses-seeing how he plead a knee injury throuout his 8 year NFL career and Chambliss's "bad knee" dispite his lies regarding triple amputee Max Cleland-a low point in american politics-even lower than Bush's smear of McCain during the 2000 campaign. I admire the McCains and Clelands of the world.

[editor]

Here's someone to put on your interesting-politicians-to-watch list: Tammy Duckworth.

She's just back from Iraq. Blown up. Lost both legs. Running for congress.

If you're the other guy in the race, how do you compete with an Hispanic minority woman double amputee wounded Iraq war veteran who's not half bad looking?

It's never been so easy to pick a congressional race.

[DJ V Lawrence]

...You wouldnt believe the amount of grown men that cry over basic training and do some really silly ____ in order to get out.........

You have NO idea!! I saw that first hand!

I'm trying to remember what military experience Clinton had prior to sending troops to Somalia. I truly don't know.

Now Nmainguy, I understand your point. However, when you're a guy like Cheney, Clinton, Bush, etc. sending troops out, they think of troops as statistics, not people. 'Cause if they EVER thought of it that way, no one would ever get deployed to a war unless the evidence for going to war was fool-proof and concrete, ad Iraq was anything but.

When you see them visiting military bases to talk to the troops, I do think they care about the soilder's lives, but not when it comes to getting their agendas and/or missions won. It's all about winning and losing to them. There are soilders out there who don't neccesarily agree with the leader, but that doesn't decide who gets deployed and who doesn't.

All these leaders nmainguy mentioned have one thing in common: money. They weren't broke prior to running. Most soilders aren't rich. Businessmen are more likely to run because they have more of a financial influence on their political parties than a person making $15,000-$20,000 a year. Soilders fight for their country everyday, while in the meantime, authors like Al Franken, Micheal Moore, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity are making their millions writing books about their political beliefs. Between a soldier and those four, who has the best chance of going into Congress? Hell, Franken might run for govenor of Minnesota. No joke...

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

You have NO idea!! I saw that first hand!

Yes i do....seen it several times on my trips to Great Mistakes...eerrrhh Great Lakes Naval bootcamp. As part of the welcoming commitee, welcoming the soon to be graduating squids that were destined for the sub nuke program,you get to see some of the going ons and i have to say, the crap some of these guys were doing......the recruiters needed thier asses kicked. Out of those that made it through bootcamp and into sub school, goodness.......you see some real doozies there too :) :)

A couple of the excuses i remember them using to get out of marching/drilling......

1 my shins hurt due to all the marching and i cannot march so much anymore, therefore i need a "limited light duty pass"

2 the dungarees are giving me a rash therefore i cannot march so much, i need a "limited light duty pass"

3 being exposed to the elements so often and so frequently is giving me severe headaches, therefore i need a "limited light duty pass"

Limited light duty was refer to as "sick lame and lazy" passes by the petty officers and officers.

Shouldnt say this but we did place bets on who would use what excuse to try to get out of duty. Thank all that is good, we have an all volunteer armed service. If it were mandatory, oh boy.........

[Heights2Bastrop]

I started the topic to highlight the people in power who avoided military service: Cheney in particular. Is the fact Cheney had 5 deferments a fact of tilted context? No. Just as he said he had "other priorities" when confronted with his lack of voting in elections and his 5 deferments help to inform the type of person he is. [bTW, how do you get a marriage deferment? My dad never got one but then again, he never asked for it]Yet he is given a free ride when sending our kids to a war

Nmainguy, in the days when the US had a draft, there were any number of deferments for any number of reasons. Flat feet would keep you out of the draft as would bad eyesight. If you were in college, you would be deferred until graduation, which resulted in some

[Jeebus]

I agree, I should have deleted the media types from the list I recieved.

I started the topic to highlight the people in power who avoided military service: Cheney in particular.

Then you should have appropriately titled your thread. As it stands now, your thread title eludes to a conversation about all US elected officials that have served in the military. You content however, does not.