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"Had Mitt and I Won, This Would Not Be Necessary"
Slate ^ | 15 Jan 14 | David Weigel

Posted on 01/15/2014 7:21:15 PM PST by SkyPilot

The feedback continues, with a bunch of military veterans and family members asking me how I could defend the callous COLA cuts to military pensions by way of explaining why Congress is trying to undo them. Another reader email:

I strenuously object to being asked to sacrifice any more! I risked my life in two deployments to war zones, sacrificed my health (I'm also a disabled veteran), and jeopardized my relationship with my family for my country. I find Congress' latest demand a kick in the gut. We veterans and retirees have sacrificed enough without having to endure the pain of COLA cuts. Congress must first reduce the COLA for all current federal retirees (including members of Congress) and Social Security recipients and demand additional sacrifices from non-military Americans. Or better yet, I'm sure there are $6 billion that could be saved by closing corporate tax loopholes, cutting farm subsidies to wealthy corporations, etc. There are at least $6 billion in waste in the defense budget alone. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will cost at least $400 billion, and it doesn't even work! But military veterans and retirees should be the last group Congress asks for more sacrifice.

If I've heard this much, I can only imagine what Republicans have been getting in their voicemails and inboxes. On The Hugh Hewitt Show yesterday, Paul Ryan was handed the hideous job of defending the cuts against a host who found them morally outrageous.

"Had Mitt and I won that election, this would not be required," said Ryan. "This would not be necessary."

Hewitt wouldn't have it. "This will destroy retention," he said. "It will destroy morale, and it is deeply unfair to the American military which has sacrificed more than anyone else."

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: 2008election; 2012election; cola; election2008; election2012; hughhewitt; janesville; jcpenney; military; obamacare; paulryan; pension; randsconcerntrolls; rino; romneycare; wisconsin
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
i imagine that those who play the venal game of moving others around like pieces on a gameboard derive some small pleasure or twisted satisfaction from flexing those muscles. what they may be ignoring, however, is that funny little thing called "karma."

what goes around does come around. you reading this, mr. ryan? think well how you proceed...

161 posted on 01/15/2014 8:58:38 PM PST by alcatrash (larbish soiling undies? FUBOAM)
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To: sickoflibs

Obviously it’s both. you simply don’t understand your own power! ;)


162 posted on 01/15/2014 8:59:11 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: Norm Lenhart

Vets are not about pride. The opposite.

They’ll admit a mistake, and they’ll call out a weasel.

And no way will they buy this headline. The only thing they’ll do with it is remember that they hoped this guy would be Veep. No more.

This is very bad. No republican has ever stolen money from them and their future widows, not even dems have been this bad.

It is a very bad deal.


163 posted on 01/15/2014 8:59:29 PM PST by stanne
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To: GeronL

He’d be attacked here to if the GOP wing on FR wasn’t sure they’d rife lightning.


164 posted on 01/15/2014 9:00:11 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: Norm Lenhart
RE :”And Rubio to head up ICE!”

Good point, Rubio is the enforcement attack dog.

HE would have shut down the government if his Senate bill didn't wall up the border like another Berlin Wall, kept us safe, and saved this country.;

If I was illegal I would be terrified of him.

165 posted on 01/15/2014 9:01:02 PM PST by sickoflibs (Obama : 'If you like your Doctor you can keep him, PERIOD! Don't believe the GOPs warnings')
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To: Repeat Offender

Poor baby. Cry cry cry.


166 posted on 01/15/2014 9:01:57 PM PST by ifinnegan
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To: sickoflibs

lol


167 posted on 01/15/2014 9:02:35 PM PST by GeronL (Extra Large Cheesy Over-Stuffed Hobbit)
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To: sickoflibs

Really?

I don’t see that.

I see a complete schmoozer, and intellectually challenged dufus with the moral character of a snake.


168 posted on 01/15/2014 9:03:29 PM PST by stanne
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To: Norm Lenhart

He was attacked over the (Obama-Reid) shutdown and the all night speech by some freepers.


169 posted on 01/15/2014 9:03:34 PM PST by GeronL (Extra Large Cheesy Over-Stuffed Hobbit)
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To: stanne

My daughter is one of them. I know how pissed she is over this.

This was the inevitible conclusion. You can track the leftward shift since Reagan in the GOP governance/votes. Eventually they had to come out of the closet. After Mitt, they figured that people would have to go along. They counted on it. Because they have voted ‘progressively” in that direction for 30 years as a whole.

But you are right. Vets don’t think like pols. this was a hell of a wakeup. Hopefully the civ world follows their lead.


170 posted on 01/15/2014 9:06:35 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: Norm Lenhart

In one sense he is right. This is what America voted for.


171 posted on 01/15/2014 9:06:59 PM PST by D Rider (Don't give sharp objects to small children)
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To: Norm Lenhart

There is a logic to voting against the person you don’t want by voting for the opposition candidate in a two party system. That way, the median trend goes away from the hated candidate and gives more credibility to those that hold views that oppose those of the more evil candidate.

Democracy is really only functional for throwing out rotten people (sometimes). There’s not much evidence that many uniquely qualified leaders have ever been elected.


172 posted on 01/15/2014 9:09:00 PM PST by JmyBryan
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To: stanne

My daughter is one of them. I know how pissed she is over this.

This was the inevitable conclusion. You can track the leftward shift since Reagan in the GOP governance/votes. Eventually they had to come out of the closet. After Mitt, they figured that people would have to go along. They counted on it. Because they have voted ‘progressively” in that direction for 30 years as a whole.

But you are right. Vets don’t think like pols. this was a hell of a wakeup. Hopefully the civ world follows their lead.


173 posted on 01/15/2014 9:09:36 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: D Rider

Can’t deny it. It’s true.


174 posted on 01/15/2014 9:10:15 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: stanne

He’s kidding. He does that sometimes ;)


175 posted on 01/15/2014 9:11:21 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: Nifster

Ryan is a self serving little political hack just like Cantor, McCarthy and Boehner. He knows he has screwed the pooch for a 2016 presidential run so now he’s hoping to get the Speakership when Boehner leaves.


176 posted on 01/15/2014 9:11:39 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: GeronL

I missed it. But I don’t doubt it.


177 posted on 01/15/2014 9:12:01 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: GeronL; Seaplaner

SP: Mitt had a somewhat reasonable approach to immigration.

GL: Mitt was lying his butt off. Mitt was lying about everything. He is a lefty.
__________________________________________

Whats reasonable about pushing AMNESTY like Willard did each time it came up ???

before the 2008 election Willard said

“We cant send them all back”

and

“We must find a path to citizenship”

Plus while he was gov of MASS he knowingly employed illegal aliens to do his yard work and instructed the MASS LEO not to arrest illegal aliens...

Theres nothing reasonable about that liberal traitor Willard...


178 posted on 01/15/2014 9:13:30 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: sickoflibs

Me too. But the worst would be Issa to head up justice. Can you IMAGINE the dems that would live in abject fear of his investigative powers? The mere mention of his name NOW sends them scurrying!

My God...I can’t imagine!


179 posted on 01/15/2014 9:14:01 PM PST by Norm Lenhart
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To: flaglady47

oh come on Flaggy give it a rest...


180 posted on 01/15/2014 9:14:21 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
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