Lawrence O'Donnell: "All of us men in make-up on political chat shows share a fear of combat."

[Human Torch]

Lawrence O'Donnell

Rangel Is Right

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lawrence-odonnell/rangel-is-right_b_34667.html

Charlie Rangel is angry about the Iraq war, the one that Henry Kissinger has told us we can't win. Thanks, Henry, but most Americans figured that out before you did. Rangel saw combat in Korea. Kissinger has only seen combat on TV. That might have something to do with why Kissinger thinks our troops should stay in Iraq even though we can't win. Kissinger says that if we leave now, all hell will break loose and Iraq will never achieve stability. Never mind that all hell has already broken loose. Never mind that Kissinger said the same thing would happen if we left Vietnam--all hell would break loose and Vietnam would never achieve stability. Vietnam has become so stable that Presidents Clinton and Bush, both combat cowards during the Vietnam war, have made well publicized, utterly safe visits to the country Kissinger used to think didn't have a chance without us.

In my one conversation with Kissinger, which occurred on TV, I asked him if he knew anyone who got killed in Vietnam. He was completely thrown. He doesn't go on TV to be asked such small-minded questions, he goes on TV to pontificate and TV interviewers are happy to let him do it. Kissinger sputtered and ran away from the question, leaving the distinct impression that he did not know anyone who was killed in the war he managed. His memoir of the period does not mention a single casualty. If you have ever stood at the Vietnam Memorial and run your hand over the name of a relative on the wall, as my mother and I did last month, you can get as angry as Charlie Rangel does about people like Kissinger deciding how long our soldiers should be exposed to enemy fire in a war we know we can't win.

Rangel announced on Sunday that he wants to reinstate the draft. He said the same thing a few years ago but quickly let on that he wasn't serious. He's playing it straight this time and has already introduced a bill. Local New York TV news has given Rangel saturation coverage. You can see his anger and frustration building each time he answers another reporter's question about the draft. The point he keeps repeating is: "There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way."

Rangel could never get such attention to that message without introducing his bill. Nancy Pelosi should let it come to a vote. She should let the House debate the draft. Let the Republicans give speeches listing all the good reasons why we should have a volunteer Army. But let's hear Rangel's speech about how the burden of war is not fairly shared in this country. Let's get America thinking about exactly who is being left in the line of fire in the war Americans have turned against and know we can't win. Let's get America thinking about John Kerry's line about Vietnam--who is going to be the last soldier to die for a mistake? A real debate on the draft will do that. Don't worry, the bill has no chance of passing.

[Skinner]

1. Here's the video of O'Donnell's appearance on Scarborough Country

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x6703

Worth a watch.

[Human Torch]

3. Thanks for posting...Nice comment from "Republican Strategist" Terry Holt...

..."We can't leave Iraq, we've got to get more men in the game."

When does his flight leave?

Scarborough: "Lawrence, you are so out of bounds tonight..."

It's about time that someone got "out of bounds."

:patriot:

[tsuki]

2. I saw Joe "Dead Intern" Scarborough jump O'Donnell for saying

such a thing. The war touches us all. After all, Joe knows somebody who knows somebody whose wife's second cousin once removed has a child serving in Iraq. Yea, like reality really touched the Entitled Republicans.

[Vinca]

4. I agree completely with O'Donnell.

This whole argument has nothing to do with the draft and everything to do with equity in our society. The poor and middle income people have sacrified much for the few: jobs, housing, health care, college educations and, most importantly, sons and daughters. Next time there's a recall of a National Guard batallion, send the pundits instead.

[aquart]

5. Iraq wasn't a "mistake."

It was a deliberate criminal act.

You do not "mistakenly" invade another nation. A nation which has not attacked you. You either do it on purpose or not at all. This invasion was done on purpose.

[enough]

6. Correct.