Republicans are embracing the full Dick Cheney doctrine. I don't mean simply the "let's break international law and bomb the fuck out of people in service to Halliburton." I mean the doctrine that, for all the tough talk, when it came time to serve, the vast majority of these guys who are ready to go to war with Iran, decided, like Cheney, that when it came to serve in the military and put their lives on the line, they all had other priorities.
This is a group of "chicken hawks" who are ready to have more people die--Americans and others--but would never put their own lives on the line.
I thought of this watching John Kerry--Vietnam Vet, Lt. in the Navy, recipient of the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts--testify yesterday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I'm not an unabashed Kerry fan (and think he ran a horrendous presidential campaign). But, what he and the president have done with the deal with Iran is remarkable and potentially a game changer in the relationship with Iran and the region for decades to come. It could certainly mean that hundreds of thousands of people will not die in war for perhaps a coming decade.
I listened to the idiotic questions being lobbed at Kerry. You could see Kerry barely contain himself having to sit there and listen to these half-wits read from prepared questions--and sometimes he got a bit testy, but who wouldn't? In particular, Rep. Tom Marino from Pennsylvania's 10th District--I mean, the man is a fool, asking pre-written questions and, then, as Kerry was answering methodically, intelligently, you could see Marino's eyes moving quickly, looking down at his paper, a bit worried, as in, "What do I say next?"
But, it was Marino that made me wonder: how many of these phony chicken hawks actually served? So, I looked it up.
Of the 25 Republicans who sit on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, only six have been anywhere close to military service (note: I take this info from their official biographies and assume that they would rush to mention military service if such a thing had occurred). Two of them--Joe Wilson and Darrell Issa--had the "Ferris Bueller" version of service--some sort of reserve duty they can throw on their resumes, and appear never to have seen combat.
One, Ron Desantis, from Florida's 6th District, says that, "During his active duty Navy service, he served as a military prosecutor, supported operations at the terrorist detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and deployed to Iraq during the 2007 troop surge as an advisor to a U.S. Navy SEAL commander in support of counterinsurgency operations in Iraq..." which seems to try to imply he was in battle but, ok, he was in a war zone. Lee Zeldin, 1st District from New York, says that he "spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army and served in different capacities including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Federal Prosecutor and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom..." again seems a tad like embellishment about "deploying" as if he was about to be in a firefight, but, fair enough, he was in a war zone.
The only two people who seems to actually have been in combat are Paul Cook, from California's 8th District, who is a Marine Vietnam Vet, with two purple hearts and a Bronze Star, and Scott Perry who served in the PA National Guard [corrected--this was not in his official Congressional bio]
Well, you know, Randy Weber, Republican from the 14th District of Texas, who is a "proven conservative", "built his air conditioning company, Weber’s Air & Heat, in 1981 from scratch, and grew his business by using, what his grandfather used to call, ‘good old-fashion Texas horse sense and a strong work ethic.’ "
Did that work ethic lead him to serve? Nope.
Scott Perry, Republican from the 4th District of Pennsylvania, has been active everywhere: "He was active in the Jaycees and was the regional director for the state organization. He also is a member of Dillsburg Legion Post #26, Dillsburg VFW Post #6771, Lions Club International, Army Aviation Association of America, the NRA, and numerous other associations."
Serve in the military or or even the George W. Bush weekend-retreat style of service? Nope. [see correction above]
And in North Carolina, we find Mark Meadows, representing the 11th District: "After working as a small business owner for 27 years, Representative Mark Meadows brings a business-style approach to Washington, D.C. During his time in Congress, he has championed pro-growth jobs policies, a sensible approach to reducing the national deficit, and a robust national defense." [emphasis added]
Mark is such a stalwart proponent of a "robust national defense" that, you got it, he didn't serve either.
Florida's 3rd District has Ted Yoho. He's a prince: Ted and Carolyn began instilling a strong work ethic in their children early on by making family projects out of real estate investments and building their businesses...When he is not in Washington representing his constituents and serving the country he loves, he is home spending time with his wife and three kids, cheering on the Gators, and if time permits occasionally fishing.
Does he have time to serve in the military? Nope.
Tennessee (the "Volunteer State") rings in with Scott DesJarlais, a doctor...woohoo. Scott is really conservative and he brags about it: "National Journal Magazine has ranked Congressman DesJarlais as the fourth most conservative member of the United States House of Representatives and Congressional Quarterly listed him as one of the top five Members of Congress who has consistently voted against President Obama’s agenda."
Volunteer time for the military, Scott? Nope.
Reid Ribble, from the 4th District in Wisconsin, "owned and operated his family’s small business for over 30 years, so he knows the importance of a balanced budget."
No military service.
To be clear, I don't think you **have to serve** to comment on military affairs. But, I do think that those who want to rush so quickly into battle, and sacrifice the sons, daughters, fathers of other families--mostly working class people in the absence of a draft--should have a special burden to tone down their rhetoric, not engage in phony political posturing to score political points and, at least, ask questions that have a semblance of fact and sober inquiry.
Some Democrats are just as bad. But, for today, I give you the new generation of chicken hawks--who are happy to have people killed while they sit at home.