Posted on 11/13/2002 2:27:19 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., didn't sound too happy during a home-state Wednesday morning radio interview over the fact that his party had lost control of the Senate, especially when he called one of the incoming freshmen Republican senators who will soon take over a "a draft dodger."
Responding to a caller on WVMT Burlington's "Charlie and Ernie Show", Leahy complained that President Bush had won the Senate by supporting the Republican candidate in Georgia, who, Leahy added, "was a draft dodger who attacked Sen. (Max) Cleland on his patriotism."
In one of the biggest upsets of last week's election, Rep. Saxby Chambliss, R- Ga., defeated Cleland, a victory that left Democrats stunned.
The Vermont left-winger, who will loose his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee within weeks, went on to attack Chambliss as someone who had "avoided the draft several times."
In fact, Chambliss never received a draft notice. Instead, like millions during the Vietnam war era, the Georgia Republican took advantage of student deferments and eventually received a medical deferment due to a knee injury.
Leahy leveled the "draft dodger" charge after a caller asked if Democrats were likely to return to the bipartisanship that dominated Congress immediately after the 9/11 attacks.
A recording of Leahy's comments obtained exclusively by NewsMax shows the top Senate Democrat fuming:
"I don't think anybody agrees more with the fact that we need to work together. I have been disappointed in both ends of Pennsylvania Ave. The president has to make efforts also to do that. As you know, the president and his own advisors have said they took the most partisan attempts ever in an election, and it paid off for them. He won a lot of seats.
"He supported a man, for example, in Georgia who was, well, the best way to put it - was a draft dodger who attacked Sen. Cleland on his patriotism. And the president joined in that. Sen. Cleland lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam. But the man who avoided the draft several times won.
"Now, it's going to take a little bit to get over that kind of partisanship. In this case the president won his point but I think you have to ask, at what cost? And I think that attacking the patriotism of one of the most decorated war heroes in our country - doing these kind of things - that's going to take a little bit for that to wear off."
(Just poking a little fun)
Not redirecting the subject at all.
If Leahy is leveling the "draft dodger" charge at Chambliss in a public, political context based on Chambliss’ use of student deferments, that’s fine, though I disagree with that characterization unless he did something unethical ala Clinton in obtaining them.
In fact, other than in cases of unethical behavior I think these contests of deferment vs reserves vs military journalist vs something better to do are stupid, and frankly an insult to those serving in the reserves or support positions today.
However, in the context of a personal attack by Leahy, Leahy’s status is a perfectly legitimate area of inquiry.
What did Chambliss do wrong? Why didn’t Leahy serve after law school, several years pre lottery? Probably legitimate reasons, perhaps physical, perhaps deferments, perhaps both, maybe just something like teaching better to do. Far, far more legitimate than Chambliss’, I'm sure, because if not Leahy would be exposed as a insincere hypocrite.
Not at all. By Leahy's dubious criteria, Leahy himself is a draft dodger.
The bolded portion has already been proven false. Thanks for dropping the pretext, jbind. Some people on this board might not have noticed that you are a liar.
My recollection is that till the lottery went in in 70 (69?), from his graduation from law school in 64 (actually 4 or 5 months prior to graduation, earyl 64) until 67 or 68 (age 27 or 28), based on his prior deferments he would have been at the absolute front of the line? And I'll bet the JAG was shopping for draftees at the time.
I'm sure Leahy was up to something honorable, but how was it more honorable than Chambliss.
Put some ice on in Pat, you rodent liar obstructionist leaker of Top Secret national security damaging traitor!
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