Democrats vs Republicans who have SERVED - need help to counter (vanity)

[mandingo republican]

I need help in answering this - sent to me by a NYC fay Democrat angry that the US is at war. I don't know what to say - he lists all these Democrats who have served yet is selective on the Republicans who served. I know Bill Clinton did not serve and I suspect that most of the fighting men in the services are all republicans thus Bush supporters.

Democrats Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71. David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72. Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72. Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan. 1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade. Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam. Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, WWII. John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V Purple Hearts. John Edwards: did not serve. Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea. Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star &Bronze Star, Vietnam. Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-1953. Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74. Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91. Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons. Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, and Soldier's Medal. Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit. Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart. Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V. Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star. Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57 Chuck Robb: Vietnam Howell Heflin: Silver Star George McGovern: Silver Star &DFC during WWII. Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received 311. Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy. Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953 John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters. Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII.Saved by Raoul Wallenberg. Wesley Clark: U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point, Vietnam, Purple Heart, Silver Star. Retired 4-star general. John Dingell: WWII vet John Conyers: Army 1950-57, Korea

Republicans

Dennis Hastert: did not serve. Tom Delay: did not serve. House Whip Roy Blunt: did not serve. Bill Frist: did not serve. Rudy Giuliani: did not serve. George Pataki: did not serve. Mitch McConnell: did not serve. Rick Santorum: did not serve. Trent Lott: did not serve. Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage. John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business. Jeb Bush: did not serve. Karl Rove: did not serve. Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism. Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve. Vin Weber: did not serve. Richard Perle: did not serve. Douglas Feith: did not serve. Eliot Abrams: did not serve. Richard Shelby: did not serve. Jon Kyl: did not serve. Tim Hutchison: did not serve. Christopher Cox: did not serve. Newt Gingrich: did not serve. Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight instructor. George W. Bush: six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (incomplete). Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies. Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII Phil Gramm: did not serve. John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Bob Dole: an honorable veteran. Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam.

Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-1986 JC Watts: did not serve. Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer. G.H.W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese. Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for Valor in Vietnam. Antonin Scalia: did not serve. Clarence Thomas: did not serve

Pundits and Preachers

Sean Hannity: did not serve. Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.') Bill O'Reilly: did not serve. Michael Savage: did not serve. George Will: did not serve. Chris Matthews: did not serve. Paul Gigot: did not serve. Bill Bennett: did not serve. Pat Buchanan: did not serve. Bill Kristol: did not serve. Kenneth Starr: did not serve. Michael Medved: did not serve.

Please pass this on to members of your address book...so we can all contemplate who has the right and the knowledge and the experience to lead us into war...and who has not!

[Darkwolf377]

Who cares?

[OldFriend]

Abraham Lincoln did not serve.

FDR did not serve.

[West Coast Conservative]

Found this:

President George W. Bush - US Air National Guard. Served from 1968-1973. Twice promoted during his service; first, to 2nd Leutenant and then to 1st Leutenant. Honorably discharged.

President George H. W. Bush - US Navy. World War II. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Secretary of State Colin Powell - US Army. Vietnam War. 4-Star General (Ret.). Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993). Awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Solder's Medal, the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge - US Army. Vietnam War. Awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the Combat Infantry Badge.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld - US Navy. Naval aviator. Served from 1954-1957.

Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) - US Air Force. World War II. Awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Air Medals, and the Yuan Hai Medal awarded by the Republic of China.

Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) (Ret.) - US Army. World War II. Awarded two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star.

President Gerald Ford - US Navy. World War II. Served from 1942-1946.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) - US Navy. Vietnam War. Awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) - US Army. Vietnam War. Awarded two Purple Hearts and several other decorations.

Congressman Duke Cunningham (R-CA) - US Navy. Vietnam War. Nominated for the Medal of Honor. Awarded the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other decorations.

Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) - US Marine Corps. Vietnam War. Awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Navy Commendation Medal.

Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX) - US Air Force. Korean and Vietnam War. POW in Hanoi from April 1966 to February 1973.

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) - US Army Reserves. Served from 1973-1986.

Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R-NM) - US Air Force. Served from 1978-1989.

[Militiaman7]

Doesn't matter I served for all of them, even Klintoon, whom I despise.

[AbnSarge]

Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA), Medal of Honor

[SilentServiceCPOWife]

It's entirely possible that I overlooked it, but I didn't see George H.W. Bush in your list of those who served.

[lilylangtree]

Remember the demoncRATS ploy is keep you on the defensive. The pubs have the WH and they'll try to nitpick you to death. Don't bother to respond. Don't play their game. Walk to your own drummer.

[alnick]

"So what" would be my response.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Service in government directing successful wars (Cold War, Iraq I, Afganistan, etc) somewhat outweighs a four month tour in Vietnam when it comes to qualifications for CinC, Vice President, SecDef, etc.

I served during both Iraq wars. I'd much rather my civilian chain-of-command were people who have a track record of success. I could care less if they were drafted forty years ago.

P.S. Ask the sender if his/her own accomplishments in life add up to even 10% of what anybody on the list has done. And then tell them to shove it.

[meandog]

Abraham Lincoln did not serve

Au contraire...Abe was elected the captain of his Illinois guard unit during the Black Hawk War...

[Conspiracy Guy]

Serving in the military is not essential to leading the country during war. Lincoln did not serve. FDR did not serve. Truman did not serve. etc....

I am a USAF Vet, so does that make me CIC material?

So who cares.

[GoBucks2002]

Democrats: Hillary Clinton. Did not serve. John Edwards. Did not serve.

[Izzy Dunne]

Why is Phil Gramm in this list?

He's been out of the Senate since 2002.

[campfollower]

President GW Bush - fighter pilot
Rep. Steven Buyer
Bob Dornan
Bob Dole
Jeremiah Denton

[RebelBanker]

Oliver North - LTCol, USMC, Vietnam Veteran

[lowbridge]

This list is a couple years old, but it will help:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&selm=3C857A13.7225108E%40gte.net&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dserved%2Brepublicans%2Balaska%2Bjeffords%2Bcarolina%2BBachus%2Bkorea%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26selm%3D3C857A13.7225108E%2540gte.net%26rnum%3D3%26filter%3D0

[zahal724]

Theres a reason as to why the military is at least 3:1 for Republicans. At least.

[lowbridge]

From the above link:

92 republicans, 64 (I was off by two) democrats and 2 independents. Move over, there are 9 congressmen who are still in the reserves, all republicans.

Look at the democrats. Most served in WW2 or Korea. Ted Kennedy was an example. As soon as the draft stopped, elected democrats stopped serving.