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Eleanor Clift displays her contempt for our troops
CNSNews.com ^ | 30 August 2005 | Susan Jones

Posted on 08/31/2005 10:46:46 AM PDT by Howie66

Excerpted from article:

"A group that supports the U.S. military is demanding an apology from Newsweek magazine's Eleanor Clift, who recently characterized America's armed forces as a "mercenary Army."

Her comments -- made this past weekend on the syndicated TV program "The McLaughlin Group" -- were "unfounded and grossly inappropriate," said the Freedom Alliance.

In an Aug. 30 letter to Clift, Freedom Alliance President Tom Kilgannon asked her to retract her comment and apologize to the armed forces and their families.

Clift made the comment during a discussion about military recruiting efforts:

"But I think what we're coming to grips with is the fact that we actually have a mercenary Army," Clift said, according to a transcript of "The McLaughlin Group" program.

"And it doesn't have a nice ring to it. We call it 'volunteers,' but we're basically paying people to serve their country. And if you're going to pay people and have a mercenary Army, you're going to have to pay the market rate. And so the bounties are going up -- more money for tuition, higher enlistment bonuses -- and I think it's appropriate."

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200508/CUL20050830b.html


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: clift; eleanorclift; leftists; liberalmedia; mercenary; military; newsweek; treason
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To: Bob

heh, heh, heh, that's good.


61 posted on 08/31/2005 4:20:54 PM PDT by longfellow (Bill Maher, the 21st hijacker.)
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To: Howie66

Wonder if Clift still has the hots for Bill Clinton?


62 posted on 08/31/2005 4:43:33 PM PDT by swampfox98 (How American became a nation of traitors: Greed, corrupt politicians and religious leaders.)
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To: RobbyS
Except for the emergencies of WWI and WWII, our military has always been composed of volunteers.

Mercenaries were in abundance during the Revolution (von Steuben, Polaski, Lafayette, J. P. Jones). A French mercenary was among the defenders of the Alamo (but he stole away before the fort fell). Several European mercenaries served on both sides during the War Between the States.

In WWII, the Flying Tigers were probably the most famous mercenaries, outside of the French Foreign Legion (which fought on both sides).

Biblically, David served as a mercenary to the Philistines before he became king.

"Mercenary" is not a perjorative. Indeed, mercenaries have often played pivotal roles in fighting for freedom. The most famous example might be Count Carl Gustav von Rosen, who flew gratis for the Biafrans during their abortive secession from Nigeria.

63 posted on 08/31/2005 5:26:59 PM PDT by Junior (Just because the voices in your head tell you to do things doesn't mean you have to listen to them)
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To: Howie66

"Anti American" idiot is far too kind, I'm assuming she has'nt had a bowel movement in decades, she exudes the pained and uncomfortable expression of the constipated!


64 posted on 08/31/2005 5:40:19 PM PDT by Eighth Square
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To: Howie66

Eleanor Clift is Cindy Sheehan with a sprinkling of sanity.


65 posted on 08/31/2005 5:42:25 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (Liberals...they're so quixotic...)
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To: Howie66

"But I think what we're coming to grips with is the fact that we actually have a mercenary Army,"

Eleanor...I'd like to "Come to Grips" with Your scummy greasy, chicken ......naaah, I wouldnt soil my hands.


66 posted on 08/31/2005 5:42:28 PM PDT by LtKerst (Lt Kerst)
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To: swampfox98; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; MeekOneGOP; Eaker; TexasCowboy; Sam Hill; The Sailor; ...

"Wonder if Clift still has the hots for Bill Clinton?"

Gee....ya think? I'm betting that she'd "take one" for him any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Just a hunch, ya know.


67 posted on 08/31/2005 5:47:24 PM PDT by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: Keith in Iowa

"Eleanor Clift is Cindy Sheehan with a sprinkling of sanity."

One would have to wonder just where the "sprinkles" landed, eh? Or..........just where did the aforementioned "sprinkles" come from...? You don't think.....nah.....Clinton is supposed to be on vacation with his wife and daughter in Hawaii....


68 posted on 08/31/2005 5:52:09 PM PDT by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: Eighth Square

""Anti American" idiot is far too kind, I'm assuming she has'nt had a bowel movement in decades, she exudes the pained and uncomfortable expression of the constipated!"

I know...I just worded it this way so that I would not get permanently banned from this site. If you want to know what I really think of this slime laden, treasonous POS....just take a que from any George Carlin diatribe on words that you can't say on tv....


69 posted on 08/31/2005 5:56:05 PM PDT by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: Howie66
Apparently Eleanor Clift only has lemons in her Green Room! And they wonder why nobody watches while they insult 75% of their Customers???

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

70 posted on 08/31/2005 6:01:54 PM PDT by bray (Pray for the Freedom of the Iraqis from Islam)
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To: RexBeach

A smile would rip the hide right off their numb skulls.


71 posted on 08/31/2005 6:01:54 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Hell may well seem heavenly, to those whose mortal lives were ruled by Islamic tyrants.)
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To: F.J. Mitchell

"A smile would rip the hide right off their numb skulls."

Just imagine the complete and total devastation that would result if one of these liberal/socialist knobs were to ever be struck by an actual thought.


72 posted on 08/31/2005 6:19:35 PM PDT by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: Junior

Sorry, but the term does not apply to American forces. And it is perjorative when applied to them. The lady should should know that the present structure of the US military can be dated back a hundred years, when after the disorder of the Spanish-American War Elihu Root was brought in to effect reforms. But the US has never used troops like the Hessians employed by George III or even had anything like the Foreign Legion, or even the Ten Thousand Greeks protrayed in the Anabapsis. People join the milititary for the today for some of the same reasons that they joined in 1935. Don't dare call the American soldiers whom Wainwright surrendered "mercenaries."


73 posted on 08/31/2005 6:56:29 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: Junior

Let's examine this, shall we?

Take your standard issue E-5 with 6 years of active duty, shall we? The monthly salary for this soldier, sailor, airman, coat guardsman or Marine (in caps because I'm a Marine) is a whopping $2,205.30. This translates to $26,463.60 annually. Or since our military personnel are "on duty" 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year, a princely sum of $3.02 per hour.

I don't know about you, but I can't imagine in my wildest dreams where any "self-respecting" mercenary would put his keister in harm's way for this kind of money.

Then again, it is painfully obvious that liberals/socialists like Eleanor Clift think that our troops are basically dumber than a box of rocks.


74 posted on 08/31/2005 7:21:14 PM PDT by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: Howie66

Amen!


75 posted on 08/31/2005 7:46:20 PM PDT by Eighth Square
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To: Howie66

Most mercs don't do it for the money (what kind of money would make you put your life on the line daily?). They do it for a cause. One need only look at the various folks that rallied to the Republican cause during the Spanish Civil War, or Count von Rosen to see this.


76 posted on 08/31/2005 8:05:00 PM PDT by Junior (Just because the voices in your head tell you to do things doesn't mean you have to listen to them)
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To: RobbyS

I never called the folks serving today "mercenaries." I did say that mercenaries have served in U.S. ranks throughout history. The two are not synonymous.


77 posted on 08/31/2005 8:07:21 PM PDT by Junior (Just because the voices in your head tell you to do things doesn't mean you have to listen to them)
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To: Junior

Having never been a "merc" I can't argue with you one way or the other. Having served in the Corps, I know that I sure as hell didn't do it for the money.


78 posted on 08/31/2005 8:19:40 PM PDT by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: RexBeach
Another ugly and bitter feminist. Good Lord. Does anything make these people smile?

Maybe Ms. Clift is jealous.

Strange, Clift with Rummy.

Newsweek columnist Elinor Clift,
Donald Rumsfield and Sen.
John McCain in San Diego in 1996.

79 posted on 08/31/2005 8:30:51 PM PDT by Major_Risktaker
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To: Howie66

In this time of national disaster, Elenor Clift is sooooo insignificant, along with the Hollywood left-wing losers, who incidently have said absolutely nothing about the terrible tragic event in the South.


80 posted on 08/31/2005 8:44:58 PM PDT by CommandoFrank (Peer into the depths of hell and you will find the face of Islam...)
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