This nation has been cursed with legions of lazy people who vote Democrat. The Democrats in Congress cut spending for the military (except their own little pork barrel projects that the military want). Republican Presidents have never had a clear Republican House and Senate to help them steer the "ship of state" onto a proper course.
Where were YOU when the 1994 Republican House and Republican Senate were pilloried by the Democrats and the Media for their "Medicare Cuts", "School Lunch Cuts", "Shutting down the Government" .. .. that effort cut the heart out of the conservative movement ... and too few conservatives were speaking out against the lies. Where were you when the Democrats forced the military cuts onto Bush(41). Were you rallying your friends and family to speak out, letter write, etc.?? Were you writing to Bush to ask him to "stay the course" and resist the Democrat Congress.
It is convenient to blame someone else ... but fact is, it is more your own DAMN FAULT than it is Bush's. He probably wondered where the moral support was when he got boxed into corner after corner by the Democraps and the Media, and groups failed to speak out to support him.
I go back to the bottom line . .. Bush respected the military, and did not mis-use them. He tried, and for that, I will forgive him his mistakes. Clinton - his actions weren't mistakes, they were deliberate, and are unforgiveable. You lack clarity to see the difference, you lack charity to forgive an honorable man, and thus you show you lack honor and don't deserve any charity for YOUR mistakes.
I will retract this harsh condemnation against you if you can show me that the PUBLIC wanted different than what the Democraps delivered and the public fought against the Congress for more military funding. Or show me that Bush wanted the same or less military spending than the Congress forced him to accept ... but absent that .. . you have no claim to be accusing others when in fact you too might be part of the "silent masses" that silently acquiesed to the gradual deterioration of the military because no one stood up to the Democraps and called them for what they are ... "TRAITORS and SOCIALISTS". It is convenient to "BLAME" ... but what the heck have you done that is so good and helpful to the military? Right now, you seem to give aid and comfort to the Democraps - ("everyone does it" and "it started with Bush" is the Democrap mantra to shift blame away from Clinton.) Heck, the military growth started under Reagan, but the peak spending year was in 1986, so some Democraps say that the decline started with Reagan in 1987 - another variation of "it's not Clinton's fault".
I would suggest that you look at G.H.W.Bush's military record, his record of service, including V.P. under Reagan, how he waged the Gulf War . ... and give him the respect that he has EARNED ... and cut him some slack over his mistakes. I have yet to find any serious conservative who is ready to trash R.Reagan for the 1983 Beirut barracks massacre ... give R.Reagan's overall record ...he earned the respect of the military.
Mike
Oh please stop the GOP apoligies. The cowards sold out. They fought for position, got it, then concentrated on keeping it rather than the very agendas that got them in power to begin with. The GOP leadership did what it did to itself and they continue to do so today by refusing to clean up their own corruption and useless chair warmers. What next an accusation of forcing Newt & others to have an affair?
The ones who did fight the good fight have my upmost respect. Notice though it was the Senate 10 including Lott who spat in the faces of the house managers. Oh I forgot we are to forget that also. You see unlike many who cursed, yelled and screamed about the Clinton Excutive Orders, Deals with China, and so on I don't support Bush doing so either. I do not support Fast track trade and I was angrier when he used 9/11 as an excuse for it. If GWB was half the POTUS and supported half the things some persons mistakenly think he does he would do OK. Bush is a created legend and there are myths galore on what stands he took on issues. Nobody bothered to read them. They are Clinton/Gore LITE. Pro 2nd Ammendment? Youbest read the fine print on that one.
But as for Bush Srs Gulf War? Let's put it like this shall we? Any POTUS who takes this nation to war for any intention other than elimination of the enemy to a point where they are never a threat again including stopping just short of achieving that victory has my profound disgust. I put them to the same level as LBJ. You fight to win complete unconditional victory or you stay home. If the intention is not to remove the enemy then no I do not support it. We lost in effect three wars because POTUS of those times failed to do this. We as a nation owe the vets of those wars a profound apology for sending them to wars we had no intention of actually winning.
I have no problem with us going to war. JUST DECLARE IT AND DO IT RIGHT!