Ask W to require military service of pardoned!
Thu Aug 24, 2006 at 05:42:09 AM PDT
I was inspired by the recent words of Howard Dean but more so by the spirit shown. It's time to move beyond the technical concerns of framing and pull out the torches. The Dems are on the attack and it's time to join in the hunt. See an exposed yellow elephant flank and bite down.
We can expose the moral bankruptness of the party of personal responsibility by outdoing them on the patriotism angle where they are especially vulnerable -- cronyism, self-protectiveness, and their avoidance of accountability. Something which is almost too easy to paint on those whom a presidential might pardon.
When the president, whose own military career seems a collection of ciphers, gets around to looking at the list of people he's going to need to absolve and pardon, it's going to be huge. Their freedom from prosecution will be important to the president since they were loyal to him. That's where I want the DNC to stand up and call for this president to do more for this nation, to offer those pardoned instead an opportunity to loyally and honorably help ensure America's freedoms are better defended as their price of freedom and immunity.
It's high time this nation be given something in return for the
Get Out of Jail Free cards a president can issue, especially with all the 'war-time' exuberance shown by the executive. It's time to expect something more from those pardoned, more than they just walk away, especially when this president is calling back into active duty for service in Iraq citizen soldiers who are in their 60's.
Below is what I just asked the good folks at Democrats.org to consider routing to the right people...Howard Dean are you ready to raise it another notch? Here's a wicked challenge to throw back at those who dare try to link Dems with any lack of patriotism and aiding terrorists.
Here's a challenge I'd love to see issued by Howard Dean or Rep. Murtha or Sen. Finegold direct to Pres. Bush:
When this president reaches that inevitable point in his lame duck term where he issues pardons, in light of the difficulties of recruiting for the military, it's high time those presidentially pardoned be required to give something back to their generous America, especially to the so-called 'war time' president.
It's high time for the GOP call for personal responsibility and duty to country to mean something bigger and go on to include penance and to meet real and urgent needs. The era of handing out a free pass and walking away, of cutting and running is over, especially if being tough on crime truly means something to the Executive of this nation.
I call for the Congress to pass a law requiring 2 to 6 years of military service of those pardoned by the Commander in Chief, before he issues these. Each one pardoned by the president should be reviewed, like any appointee, by Congress, and a minimum term of 2 years to a maximum of 6 years of military service assigned as condition of pardon.
If our reactivated boots on the ground in Iraq have to defend the freedoms of those freed from being prosecuted by the Pardoner in Chief, then it seems fitting they be asked to relieve some of those boots on the ground with service to the nation's Commander in Chief who is granting them this fresh start.
This seems especially needful in light of recent reactivations of thousands of people, especially Special Forces personnel, some of whose ages range into the 60's. If the president is willing to send the aged back into Iraq, there's no reason to exclude any of those he pardons from noble service preconditions, and especially for whom a debt to society would otherwise go unpaid--at the stroke of a pen. This seems pointed especially in light of the presidents comments indicating it won't be he who ends the war in Iraq...perhaps that would change if his pardoned people would be required to do their penance duty there.
One should also point out this idea could go along way to eliminating the perception of cronyism which dogs this current administration, along with the overall impression being created of Pardoners in Crime. Especially as the DoJ attempts to squelch the testimony of Verizon and other phone companies in the once secret, presidentially ordered Warrantless Wiretapping programs, and the administration works so hard to provide cover for those involved.
We don't need to doubt these pardonees their patriotism and willness to serve God and country. Let's just ask such as these, whom the president sees as worthy, to reflect that worthiness and put on a uniform to channel that energy in a way to help make things right. Someone handed a Get Out of Jail Free card by the President of the United States ought to be asked and be willing to defend the freedoms of our fellow Americans, especially in this time of need.
Think of this as the moral equivalent of Plan B for Yellow Elephants. The looks in their eyes as they back away from this proposal ought to be priceless. If they take it, the nation gets the satisfaction of seeing W's shock troops put on the frontlines and learning what defending OUR freedoms really means. The party of excuses and excesses, except when it comes to real demands for sacrifice will be faced with the bitter swords they've been forging for everyone else to carry into battle.
Then I want to see the DNC calling for a responsible tax plan that doesn't cut and run from the massive national debt this war is creating, or shirk our duty to meet the needs of returning veterans and the wounded. I want to see a tax plan that gives America back a fair share of all the war time profiteering, the billions in windfall profits, and rectifies the disparity of CEOs making 400 times what the US worker on the line makes. The war-time president shouldn't have a problem with asking his CEO class to start to making a few sacrifices of mere cash when the president expects his boots on the ground to be willing give their blood. Real American leaders should be leading the way in such sacrifice, even in civilian life, especially his Pioneers. Now that's supporting the troops.
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