Posted on 09/05/2008 10:33:39 AM PDT by Sergeant Tim
In response to my wondering if VP nominee Joseph Biden dodged the military draft after Vietnam's bloody Tet offensive, in part a reader wrote:
May Have”, “What if” -- [t]his article is presuming much. ... It is a bit refreshing though to see the same B.S. tactics employed against Biden as were/are against Sara Palin, who does have Foreign Policy experience, for no other reason than her State shares borders with two Sovereign Nations. Maybe B.S. is a bit strong -- yet it appears to be over reaching at the moment. I honestly can’t say I got my draft board notification in 1968 immediately after I turned 18 or not. I don’t believe I did because I wasn’t summoned for a physical until the winter of 69. I know I wasn’t dodging the draft for that year and half. My B.S. comment was in regards to the treatment Palin is getting, and if that happens to Biden, So (sic) be it ... tit for tat.
Overreaching? Perhaps. The reader's point is well taken, the delays between registering and classification physicals were often lengthy.
Yet let's remember the Associated Press' report:
Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden received five student draft deferments during the Vietnam War, the same number of deferments received by Vice President Dick Cheney, and later was disqualified from service because of asthma as a teenager... "As a result of a physical exam on April 5, 1968, Joe Biden was classified 1-Y and disqualified from service because of asthma as a teenager," said David Wade, a campaign spokesman.In "Promises to Keep," a memoir that was published last year and became an instant best-seller after he was tapped as Obama's running mate, Biden never mentions his asthma, recounting an active childhood, work as a lifeguard and football exploits in high school.
My point here was not to suggest that we should drag out the records of the millions that received deferments or disqualifying classifications and grill them all on this subject. That said, Senator Joseph Biden is running to be a "heartbeat" away from becoming the Commander-in-Chief.
What is not clear from media reports, past and present, is how Joseph Biden was initially classified, medically fit or unfit, and whether that information was provided to the media by the Obama-Biden campaign. They say he was sent a questionnaire and then received four school years of student deferments, which would have ended when his law school did in the spring of 1968. But, on April 5, 1968, he suddenly received a physical from some unnamed doctor.
Which leads back to the question of whether he was initially classified as 1-A, physically eligible for the military draft.
If so, why did another doctor in 1968 find Biden’s asthma made him 1-Y — when the Vietnam War was at its peak? That same alleged asthma did not stop him from playing football in high school or apparently make him 1-Y at anytime back when Senator Biden was 18, 19, or 20-years of age, when relatively few American troops were in combat.
Those are fair questions, are they not?
If not, why was it fair for a political hack to forge military documents in order to smear President George W. Bush with them? Why did now infamous reporters continue to further the story even after the documents were found to be fake?
Why was it fair to question Richard Cheney and other prominent conservatives on their lack of military service during Vietnam?
The cheap shot attacks by Nancy Pelosi (who never served in the military) and liberal media that repeat such tripe have different rules for the D’s and R’s in or running for political office.
Tit for tat, as the reader pointed out.
Ping!
Ping!
Were section 8s still around in Vietnam?
Yep, it makes little difference now but it sure does point out the double standard and it has infinite value in that regard.
Are you saying that they were right to do so?
It would be interesting to see how many new “asthma” patients the un-named doctor was treating and if his standard of living increased greatly during that period. It would take an act of congress to see those records and you better believe congress isn’t going to open that can of worms on themselves.
Actually, the records are in the Selective Service’s National Archives. Yet, without a release form from Senator Biden, only a summary sheet is available for researchers to view.
Maybe when he suddenly has to resign as VP.
He should be treated the way the Dems have treated Cheney.
Good catch. I should have shown ‘fair’ in quotations. Leading Democrats and the media seemed to think is was fair; others disagree.
Its a reasonable question, as long as you ask others the same question. Not serving doesn't disqualify you from anything, and Cheney has had an admirable career of public service. But if you want to grill Cheney on his deferments, fine, as long as you grill others on the same subject.
Sauce for the goose, as they say.
Yes, at least in 1969. I’ve a brother who went that route after a tour in Vietnam (but mostly because he was already not wrapped real tight).
Sorry but I thought it was stupid and petty to dredge up their deferements then, and it was only done so they could slap the ‘chickenhawk’ label on Heney and Lott and the rest. And if I don’t think it was fair then, then I don’t think it’s wise to try and pull the same stunt on Biden. It just resurrects the same tired old crap against the GOP leadership all over again.
Re Biden and “foreign policy experience”
Let’s say I went to pilot training and:
1) I couldn’t land
2) I couldn’t use instruments
3) I was wrong in almost every question on flight tests
By the rules of the libs, I guess I could still state I had more “flight experience” than one who had not flunked all the requisites for being a pilot.
So, let’s talk about Biden’s “foreign policy experience”, eh?
We’ll ignore all the lies he’s told (about just about everything)
It’s just like back in ‘92 when the Pants Dropper in Chief was running against Bush 41.
President Bush was chastized for mentioning his military service, and nobody could question the pants dropper on his draft dodging.
I would not be surprised if the media does the same thing again.
He should be treated the way the Dems have treated Cheney.
Proud (and saddened) to see such bravery. Most Silver Stars and such are rightly possessed, others are tainted by lies (kerry).
Yawn. hate to say, ancient history with probably little bounce value.
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