Former Dean Supporter Tom Harkin
Posted on 08/14/2004 9:32:04 PM PDT by nwrep
DES MOINES -- Sen. Tom Harkin called Vice President Dick Cheney a "coward" for avoiding service in Vietnam and called on President Bush to end the "backdoor draft."
The Iowa Democrat was responding Friday to the call-up of a Des Moines police officer who has already completed his eight-year military commitment.
Harkin echoed comments earlier this week by Des Moines Police Chief William McCarthy, who said the military's treatment of Des Moines Police Officer Rodell Nydam was "evil."
Nydam, 26, is being called back to Iraq despite finishing his National Guard commitment in April. He's being called up under the military's "stop loss" exemption, which can extend duty in wartime.
Harkin, who served as a jet pilot in the Navy, said the exemption wasn't intended for situations like the war in Iraq. He said first responders like Nydam are needed to protect the community.
"The part of the U.S. code that provides for this anticipates major wars, major national emergencies," Harkin said. "That is not what we're confronting right now. You think about using this law only in (extreme cases), only when we're really in dire, dire need."
Harkin also shot back at Cheney, who said in a visit to Iowa on Tuesday that presidential candidate John Kerry lacks a basic understanding of the war on terrorism and cannot make America safer.
He noted that Cheney had several student deferments that allowed him to skip serving in Vietnam.
"When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it makes my blood boil," Harkin said. "Those of us who served and those of us who went in the military don't like it when someone like a Dick Cheney comes out and he wants to be tough. Yeah, he'll be tough. He'll be tough with somebody else's blood, somebody else's kids. But not when it was his turn to go."
David James, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, dismissed Harkin's attacks.
"His shrill negative attacks did nothing to get Howard Dean elected or get the nomination during the caucuses," James said, referring to Harkin's endorsement of the former Vermont governor before the Iowa caucuses."
harkin is another socialist jackass that the VP needs to
give a "Leahy" to.
Old "Dung Heap" lives up to his name again.
Tom Harkin is a backdoor draft.
tom harkin, another pinko in drag!!!!
Former Dean Supporter Tom Harkin
Gerard Jackson
BrookesNews.Com
Monday 28 June 2004
Rush Limbaugh was certainly taken aback when he learnt that Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) had proudly announced on 16 June that he had sneaked in an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2005 Defence Authorization bill: an amendment designed to drive the Rush Limbaugh Show off the American Forces Radio and Television Service.
Although Rush Limbaugh's show is only one of the 1200 programs that the Armed Forces Radio Network provides the troops, this one program, 0.08 per cent of the total number of programs broadcast, was just too much for leftwing Sen Tom Harkin.
To justify his sordid attempt to censor Rush Limbaugh Tom Harkin hypocritically claimed that he only wanted the Armed Forces Radio Network to "make a greater effort to provide balanced representation of political viewpoints on its airwaves to American service members around the world."
I live in Iowa. My first vote in a national election two years ago was to oust this loser. We can't seem to shake this Rat.
This is another guy who voted no on the money to fund military operations in Iraq & Afghanistan.
What, oh what, would he say about Bill Clinton? LOL.
When it comes to ANY military service, the Dems have nothing to stand on. They supported Clinton 100% as president. He got his draft card, and ran like hell to Europe. The dems loved him for it.
I never thought I could hate anybody as much as I hated Bill and Hillary Clinton, but these people are DANGEROUS; the Clintons lied to protect their crimes; these people lie with wild abandon about things that threaten the very foundation of this country.
Bill Clinton said that he and Cheney and Bush ALL avoided Vietnam.
More panic in the anti-American party.
I guess harkin needs to have a review of his voting record done to see if he was also one of those who was cutting the military back in the era of Clinton.. rather than making our military a more hospitable place for folks to serve.
Plus , allowing Rats to say what is or is not a major national mergencies is laughable.
And the democrats still love the little man to death! If they can still adore Clinton, they lose all credibility when they bring up the military service of anyone else.
As I understand it, Cheney didn't do anything that wasn't available to other kids in his day. This is an abominable comment by Harkin. He should resign from office for this statement.
its very telling when his only friend in the senate was wellstone. This idiot is just like skerry, hides in the shadows and makes noise only when instructed to do so from the dnc information minister
Harkin is a small little man. I pay him no mind.
Sounds good to me.
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