Someone did the research. This is great!

[ObaMania]

Sorry if it's been posted before! :smoke:

MILITARY SERVICE OF MAJOR POLITICAL FIGURES

DEMOCRATS:

Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71

David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.

Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.

Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam Jan.1971 as an army journalist in 20th Engineer Brigade.

Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.

Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, WWII.

John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat, Purple Hearts.

John Edwards: did not serve.

Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea

Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam.

Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-1953.

Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.

Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.

Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.

Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, Bronze Stars, & Soldier's Medal

Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver Star and Legion of Merit.

Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne,Purple Heart.

Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. Marine in Vietnam; Bronze Star with Combat V.

Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star

Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57

Chuck Robb: Vietnam

Howell Heflin: Silver Star

George McGovern: Silver Star &DFC during WWII.

Bill Clinton: Did not serve. Student deferments. Entered draft but received 311. (note: also objected to the war)

Jimmy Carter: Seven years in the Navy.

Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953

John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.

Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII. Saved by Raoul Wallenberg.

Wesley Clark: U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point, Vietnam, Purple Heart, Silver Star, Retired 4-star General.

John Dingell: WWII vet

John Conyers: Army 1950-57


REPUBLICANS:

Dennis Hastert: did not serve.

Tom Delay: did not serve.

House Whip Roy Blunt: did not serve.

Bill Frist: did not serve.

Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.

George Pataki: did not serve.

Mitch McConnell: did not serve.

Rick Santorum: did not serve.

Trent Lott: did not serve.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: did not serve

Dick Cheney: did not serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.

John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.

Jeb Bush: did not serve.

Karl Rove: did not serve.

Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." The man who attacked Max Cleland's patriotism. (Cleland was permanently disabled by wounds received in Vietnam.)

Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.

Vin Weber: did not serve.

Richard Perle: did not serve.

Douglas Feith: did not serve.

Eliot Abrams: did not serve.

Richard Shelby: did not serve.

Jon Kyl: did not serve.

Tim Hutchison: did not serve.

Christopher Cox: did not serve.

Newt Gingrich: did not serve.

Phil Gramm: did not serve.

JC Watts: did not serve.

Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight instructor.

Ronald Reagan: due to poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making movies.

Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII

John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. (and POW)

Bob Dole: permanently disabled by wounds received during World War II.

Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star,Vietnam.

Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-1986

Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.

G.H.W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese.

Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for valor in Vietnam.


PUNDITS AND PREACHERS:

Sean Hannity: did not serve.

Rush Limbaugh: did not serve

Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.

Michael Savage: did not serve.

George Will: did not serve.

Chris Matthews: did not serve.

Paul Gigot: did not serve.

Bill Bennett: did not serve.

Pat Buchanan: did not serve.

Bill Kristol: did not serve.

Kenneth Starr: did not serve.

Michael Medved: did not serve.


AND OF COURSE:

Current resident of the White House and candidate: George W. Bush: Six-year Nat'l Guard commitment (incomplete). Also worked for failed Senatorial campaign in Alabama during the time he was suppose to be on active duty in that state after transfer from Texas. Specifically given a deferment by family connections not to be sent overseas.


SO, A FEW QUESTIONS:

1) Which group is better prepared overall, based on their personal experiences, to lead this country in time of war and terrorism?

2) Which Republicans, past or present, have the best military service record? Is the current crop of Republican leaders the best that party has to offer on this issue?

3) Based on this measure (others aside), which group is more patriotic?


--this material was adapted from a current email making the rounds (mid-October 2004), removing some invective and adding a few facts here and there
:smoke:

[Paradise]

1. bookmarked. thanks. n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Once again, proof that those who control the media, control

the minds of the people. The Republicans have fabricated so many myths and the remarkable thing is, that they are easy to debunk with facts. What is difficult to do is change people's minds. And I suspect it's because Repub talking points appeal to the most unkind instincts in white Americans.

[GOPEC]

3. A small point

I read Arnold Schwarzenegger's first book "The Education of a Body Builder" when I was 10 years old. I remember a story about him going AWOL from the Austrian army in order to attend a bodybuilding competition. He was punished for a week, but it made him something of a hero in his unit. So, it may be more accurate to say that he never served in a U.S. uniform (save in Commando and Predator), and it gives on the opportunity to point out that he only went AWOL for a week.