Posted on 02/09/2012 8:25:12 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
Rick Santorum, in an interview with CNN's John King a bit ago, was asked whether he thinks it's a good idea or a bad idea for the Pentagon to relax some of the rules about women taking frontline roles in combat, "perhaps opening the door to a broader role for, ultimately, women in combat."
His answer was both praising of women serving the country, and as a part of the armed services, but he went on to explain why he would take issue with women on the front lines.
"Look, I want to create every opportunity for women to be able to serve this country, and they do so in an amazing and wonderful way. They're a great addition to the - and have been for a long time - to the armed services of our country," Santorum said. "But I do have concerns about women in frontline combat."
He added, "I think that can be a very compromising situation, where people naturally may do things that may not be in the interests of the mission because of other types of emotions that are involved. And I think that's probably - you know, it already happens, of course, with the camaraderie of men in combat. But I think it would be even more unique if women were in combat. I think that's probably not in the best interests of men, women or the mission."
It's not clear exactly what Santorum meant by "other types of emotions that are involved" for women who would be serving in frontline situations. I've emailed a spokesman for a clarification, but haven't heard back yet.
“Santorum was never in the military”
Neither was Obama; at least Santorum isn’t volunteering another group of Americans to fight. He’ll be in charge of the military if he’s president; does that allow him an opinion?
Anyone who pays taxes can have an opinion on the military; we pay for it, and (theoretically) they can draft us & our children.
I have two very good friends currently in the serving in the U.S. Army, in different units and locations. Both are combat vets with time in Iraq and Afghanistan. One’s a staff sergeant, and the other is a 2nd Lieutenant, and both have told me the same thing-—that the women in their respective units are just about useless for combat-related training and missions. They say that most are just in the service to have a good time and to find a husband.
I agree with you completely. All we need is to have women with children being sent into battle and coming home missing limbs and so emotionally spent that they can't care for their families. That would be an incredibly stupid thing to do, but it seems to me that we are smack in the middle of a stupid era in this country. Just take a look at the current administration.
So you love Santorum.
So what?
Ignore Joe’s steadfast posts on communism /s.
I don’t think Santorumn’s all that much.
I dont hate him or nuthin, but I think he is way to narrowed to govern.
Yep. And I'm so disheartened by the choices we have now that I'd be willing to roll the dice.
Santorum = Goldwater. We know how that turned out.
Romney = McCain. We know how that turned out.
Newt = ??? He could be anyone from Abe Lincoln to Jimmy Carter.
Paul = forgetaboutit
So yeah, I'll take my chances at the convention.
Actually I support Rick Santorum and I am against sending women in the combat zone to use our military as some kind of feminist social experiment. The drive-by media thinks Santorum sounds like a nut but I don’t think so, I think he sounds like a FReeper!
Gingrich tough on women, gays in military December 11, 2011 The former House speaker also does not favor women in direct ground combat units.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/11/gingrich-tough-on-women-gays-in-military/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
For the record I was for Barry Goldwater when I was 5 years old because “I liked gold and I liked water”
Not a lot has changed in elections
People are goobers ruled by emotion.
Glad to hear it. When an article has an unfavorable spin for conservatives I like to set the record straight in the initial comment - as you see, this post and a similar one have spawned many “Santorum hates women” type comments.
My great-grandmother, amusingly enough, used to use a similar argument as to why women shouldn’t be allowed to vote. Excluding herself, of course.
Me too. I was not old enough to vote for Goldwater, but I was old enough to understand that he was right about so many things.
How much better this country would have been if Goldwater had won instead of LBJ.
But the bottom line is that Goldwater could not capture the middle, the so-called independents. Santorum would be exactly the same.
We used to be able to buy bubble gum cigars at age 5 with campaign slogans on them them LoL
Now you cant take a whizz in your own backyard.
I find this entire campaign disgusting LOL.
He does have a way with words that could very well end it for him (and give us four more of what we have) if he isn’t careful. Whan asked about homo unions he started on about man-on-dog. He was freaking the interviewer out. Rick Santorum Defends Interview Linking Homosexuality To ‘Man On Dog’ Sex http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2012/01/04/jk-santorum-on-the-issues.cnn
People are going to have to deal with it and to accept these changes.
I was against this policy for years until 3 women in my family enlisted.
They put their country first. Women are just as patriotic as a man. Some express it, as they want to serve. It is unfair to do this against someone's right.
The GOP Establishment -- the so-called Rockefeller Republicans -- sat on their hands, too.
Goldwater's loss had less to do with independents than it did with the total abandonment of his campaign by the Eastern liberal establishment Republicans. They didn't campaign for him, they didn't contribute to him...and they voted for LBJ.
And this same establishment gets royally chapped when they give us a McCain...and we sit on our hands.
Spoiled bastards.
My daughter-in-law was a sgt. in the Army, served based in Fort Hood (1st Cav.) and served in Iraq. As tough and politically conservative as anyone I know and a beautiful blue-eyed blonde to boot. She just graduated cum laude from a university and will start a career as a constitutional attorney. This was one valuable young lady in the military.
Could anyone see Newt making such a remark and having to defend himself? That shows to me a weakness. Yet I’m sure he’s the pit-bull that will tear obama & mitt to shreds.
They can enlist and tats fine, but they cant expect to get the same glory with limited duty as the Guy on the front lines, And I am not dissing Gals in he military.
We need to know that you have our backs and vis a versa
Its difficult to go off to war while holding womens rights high over the constitution and find that they wont do no heavy lifting in that realm.
At any rate the whole deal is disruptive to the fighting force.
“Could anyone see Newt making such a remark and having to defend himself?”
YES....countless times
“They put their country first. Women are just as patriotic as a man. Some express it, as they want to serve. It is unfair to do this against someone’s right. “
It’s great that they want to serve but it creates a problem when they want to be together with other men.
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