The anti-Bush October surprise

[ozymandius]

With increasing regularity, threads appear on the DU discussion boards that suggest the military will defect from the Republican camp in a flood. This defection may be aimed at Bush, personally, or it could be aimed at the Republican party in general (as a reation against its chicken hawk hijacking) as we approach the 2004 elections.

Army reservists are leaving in droves. Career military personnel privately advise potential recruits to find something else to do than enlist. Angry letters in (of all places) Stars and Stripes denounce the deplorable conditions under which soldiers must live here at home and overseas, particularly in Iraq. This all points to a military apparatus that could take the wheels off the Bush campaign.

After all, who among the Bush faithful is going to argue with someone who has been in combat and may have left a piece of themselves half a world away?

Or else, who can argue with a veteran who has seen his combat pay and health benefits cut all at the behest of the Squatter-in-Chief and his party faithful?

The 2004 campaign is not followed nearly as closely by the population at large. That is the job we here at DU and other political junkies have taken upon ourselves. My speculative belief is that we will hear from members of the armed forces when the most people are paying attention. Like, say, October of 2004 when the endorsement would have the heaviest impact.

At least that is my wish.

Just as the Democratic presidential contenders jockey for the lead, one must wonder if the potential nominee has already liased with our nation's rank-and-file military to throw their vocal support behind a Democrat in 2004.

What say you?

[izzie]

1. Did not congress do something with over time and who would get it?

Has that been signed into law? I do try to keep up as you say we do here but I said something of this to my son as he had to pick up a part time job for a bit as his compamy knocked off his over time.He said he had not heard of this. Now here is a man that thinks the war on terror is good so Bush can not be that bad. He did not like Bush or vote for him. He is also ex service. You can see the Dems problem.I have also explained my own problems as a re-tired person and still the war on terror seems more important to my son. Maybe this should be one aim of the DLC? People thinking Bush is saving us from the terrorist is more important than we may know.

[nostamj]

3. you might point out that we're NOT fighting terror

* gave up that fight to go after saddam and iraq's oil.

we're fighting an 'insurgency' because we illegally invaded and occupied iraq.

we're fueling terrorism, not fighting it.

[Nlighten1]

2. I had this conversation with a friend the other night.

I think if martial law is declared in America the military is going to do its job. They won't have people saying "no I won't fire on innocent Americans". History is repleat with instances of countrymen turning on each other. Look at Kent State and Milgram's 37 for examples.