NYT: Who's This 'We,' Non-Soldier Boy?

[Rose Siding]

REPRESENTATIVE Patrick McHenry, a 30-year-old Republican from North Carolina, rose during the recent debate over Iraq in Congress and declared that the struggle against "Islamic extremists" was his generation's great challenge. Unlike the "white flag" crowd on the left, he vowed, he would not shrink from the fight.

That was a little too much for Representative John Murtha, the senior Democrat on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, an ex-marine and Vietnam vet and also — in the current debate — a leading advocate of a speedy withdrawal of the troops.

"It is easy to stay in an air-conditioned office and say, 'I am going to stay the course,' " he said, angrily, after Mr. McHenry, who never served in the military, was finished. "It is the troops that are doing the fighting, not the members of Congress that are doing the fighting."

Behind that exchange was a demographic reality: The debate, which has consumed the House and the Senate for the last two weeks, was largely conducted by men and women who have not served. Twenty-five percent of the House, and 31 percent of the Senate, are veterans, the lowest proportions since World War II, according to the Military Officers Association of America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/weekinreview/25toner.html?ex=1308888000&en=62f91c08b1e6419c&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss


Marine John Murtha, at the boot camp completion ceremony on Parris Island, 1952......

Nice creases )

[Greeby]

1. No kidding, you could cut your finger on those

As to the substance of the article, watch Murtha put this goober in his place:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ_NzM7uJaE

Also, watch Murtha deliver a similar smackdown to Louie Gohmert "Pyle" (Puke- Texas)
"Were you at Normandy? Were you in Vietnam? Were you in Iraq?" :patriot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6nR7mgjfmE

[Eric J in MN]

2. closing paragraph

Charles Moskos, a military sociologist at Northwestern, calls this the era of "patriotism lite" on Capitol Hill — noting that not only are there few veterans, but also few lawmakers with children in the armed services. That first statistic, at least, might change — the war in Iraq has produced a wave of veterans running for office now.


I donated to Democrat and Iraq War veteran Partrick Murphy today.

He's running for US Congress from Pennsylvania. Please consider donating to him.

[Jane Austin]

3. He was standing?

Dang, either he was still seated or he's about 4 feet tall.

(And before you jump me for picking on someone's physical traits, I promise you it wouldn't have occurred to me had he not been a complete blowhard, trying to make like he was a tough soldier.)

[patrice]

4. If you'd rather not spend the rest of your life working for Bush's War

you're a Cut and Run Coward to Republicans.

What part of . . War - death and destruction - CHOSEN as the first resort rather than out of any concrete necessity. . . don't the Republican monarchists Get?

On second thought, the part Republicans don't get is their kids going to Iraq and Afghanistan FOREVER, unless there's Universal Draft.

And another thing: Where does the Government get off telling Parents that, if you've got any kind of trouble with your kids, just give them to the government. Get them to enlist in the Army. Wow! No gaurantee of Public Education except the ARMY, for all of you troubled incompetent Kids and pathetic wimpy Parents, who just can't get it right by yourselves. Let the government solve all of your problems with your kids. WOW. It's confusing to me because Conservatives used to be against Government INTRUSION into the Family. Oh, I guess, that's only when it comes to yourself, the government should be allowed to do anything it wants with Others, especially certain others whom-we-all-know-deserve-to-be-punished-for-whatever-reasons Others, which is the government's real job, punishing and Corrective government.

End of Rant.