Service records of Dems vs. Repubs?

[ljm2002]

There have been a few discussions on this topic, but I've lost the threads. I would like to know if there is a list somewhere of who in Congress has, and has not served militarily. If I recall, there were a lot more Dems than Repubs on the list of those who have served.

I ask because when I mentioned this to a friend the other day, he looked shocked -- he did not believe it but was too polite to say so. And that made me realize that, by ceding the "strong father" role to the Republicans, we have also allowed the public to make the natural inference that these guys have actually served. When they have not. And our side needs to get that message out there, and hammer it home.

They are vulnerable right now, although they are not on the ropes. We need to put them on the ropes, and this is another way to help do that. Take that "strong on defense" label and wrap it around their collective neck. It really will help -- people make assumptions, and when they are shown to be incorrect, it will help them to begin to question other things -- like why the Republicans, who rarely serve, should be able to carry that "strong on defense" mantle. Especially when they are not strong on defense, being that they are actually offensive (pun intended).

[MissMillie]

1. here's a list

http://www.awolbush.com/whoserved.html

[ljm2002]

3. Wow, that was quick!

Thanks!!!

[TwilightGardener]

7. Look at all the prominent Dems who served, compared to the prominent

R's--why are Dems considered "weak" on military affairs? I will never understand that.

[Elwood P Dowd]

8. I must be going blind in my old age. Didn't even see your post

and posted a list below. Sorry.

[Monkeyman]

2. Replugs on Defense is a Myth

People just for some reason think they are strong on that Issue. Far From The Truth Now

[krispos42]

4. Strong on defense spending and on military use

As long as the spending involves gold-plated gadgets that cost billions to develop and that don't work very well.

Everything else, like pay, benefits, basic equipment, medical care... eh, can't afford that.

[blm]

5. With all the corporate media protection the GOPs get, it hardly matters anymore.

The media can create any image they want if it suits their owners' needs.

Ever see a deserter get such constant protection from the corpmedia the way Bush did?

Hell - Rather and his producer lost their jobs because they TRIED to shine a light.

[ljm2002]

9. Oh, I hear you all right...

...but there is the little matter of the 2006 election, which in spite of Rove's and the DOJ's best efforts, still went strong to the Democrats. What I believe this shows is that people are at long last wising up -- not so easily snookered. But we need to keep pressing, and this particular factoid is a powerful one, that can help people continue to wise up as they see that the facts are diametrically opposed to what they assumed must be the truth.

Bottom line, I do not at all accept that "it hardly matters anymore". In fact for the first time in a long, long 6 years, we are on the upswing. This is not the time for defeatism!

The biggest mistake the Democrats have made all along is not fighting harder. We were pathetic as an opposition party, probably due in large part to the aftermath of 9/11 and the lockstep that Bush and his minions expected and got for the most part. But that is no longer true, that iceberg is breaking up, and it's our job to finish it off.

I really do want to see the Republican party (what it has become) destroyed and ground into the dirt. And I want to see the Democratic party move away from its DLC contingent and become again a more populist, progressive voice for Americans.

[blm]

11. I was being a bit tongue in cheek about the hardly matters anymore part.

Just a way to illustrate the VAST difference in how our corporate media treats Democrats and Republicans.

It TOOK the excessiveness of their protection of BushInc on the debates, Schiavo and Katrina to finally shake some of the people from their previous belief in the press.

[ljm2002]

12. Yes, the Schiavo and Katrina things helped...

...as you say, they helped to expose the press's corruption.

[Elwood P Dowd]

6. Here is the list

It's an old list. Add Jim Webb to it.

Service Records – Comparing Democrats To Republicans

Democrats

David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72
Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs, etc
Jimmy Carter: Lt. Commander in the Navy 1946-53
Wesley Clark: Army 1966-2000, Vietnam, Silver star, purple heart
Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver/Bronze stars, Vietnam
Bill Clinton: Did not serve (opposed war)
Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72
Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze star
Michael Dukakis: Army 1955-57
John Edwards: Did not serve
Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71
John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs; Air Medal w/18 Clusters
Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969; sent to Vietnam as journalist
Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74
Howell Heflin: Silver star WWII
Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII; Bronze star
Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-47; Medal of Honor, WWII
Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-53
Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam
John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver/Bronze stars, purple hearts
Tom Lantos: Served in Hungarian underground in WWII
Jim McDermott: Navy 1968-70
George McGovern: Silver star & DFC during WWII
Zell Miller: Marine Corps, 1953-56
Walter Mondale: Army 1951-53
John Murtha: Retired US Marine officer and decorated Vietnam War combat veteran
Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart, Silver star, etc
Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze star, Korea
Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-79; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91
Chuck Robb: U.S. Marine Corps, 1961-70, Vietnam
Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57
Mike Thompson: Staff Sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart
John Conyers – US Army


Republicans

Spencer Abraham: Did not serve
Eliot Abrams: Did not serve
Richard Armitage: Navy, three tours in Vietnam
John Ashcroft: Did not serve
Roy Blunt: Did not serve
Michael Bloomberg: Did not serve
George W. Bush: Dodged the draft through the National Guard. Refused to attend most of his required drills the last two years. Refused to take his flight physical in 72 and 73.
Jeb Bush: Did not serve
Saxby Chambliss: Did not serve. Dodged the draft yet attacked the patriotism of Max Cleland, who lost three limbs in Vietnam
Dick Cheney: Did not serve
Christopher Cox: Did not serve
Tom DeLay: Did not serve
John Engler: Did not serve
Douglas Feith: Did not serve
Bill Frist: Did not serve
Newt Gingrich: Did not serve
Rudy Giuliani: Did not serve
Lindsey Graham: Avoided the draft through the National Guard
Phil Gramm: Did not serve
Dennis Hastert: Did not serve
Tim Hutchison: Did not serve
Jack Kemp: Did not serve. "Knee problem," yet continued to play NFL football
Jon Kyl: Did not serve
Trent Lott: Did not serve
John McCain: POW in Vietnam, Legion of Merit, Silver star, DFC, many more
Mitch McConnell: Did not serve
John McHugh: Did not serve
George Pataki: Did not serve
Richard Perle: Did not serve
Colin Powell: 35 years in Army, 4-star general
Dan Quayle: Avoided the draft through the National Guard
Dana Rohrabacher: Did not serve
Karl Rove: Did not serve
Don Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as flight instructor
Rick Santorum: Did not serve
Arnold Schwarzenegger: AWOL from Austrian army base
Richard Shelby: Did not serve
JC Watts: Did not serve
Vin Weber: Did not serve
Paul Wolfowitz: Did not serve
Andy Card – no service
Condi Rice – no service
John Bolton – no service
Don Nichols – no service
David Dreier - no service



Pundits, Preachers, and Judges

Bill Bennett: Did not serve
Wolf Blitzer: Did not serve
Pat Buchanan: Did not serve
Charlie Daniels: Did not serve
Lou Dobbs: Did not serve
Paul Gigot: Did not serve
Sean Hannity: Did not serve
Bill Kristol: Did not serve
Rush Limbaugh: Did not serve
Chris Matthews: Did not serve
Michael Medved: Did not serve
Ted Nugent: Did not serve
Bill O'Reilly: Did not serve
Dan Rather: Army Reserves
Ralph Reed: Did not serve
Michael Savage: Did not serve
Antonin Scalia: Did not serve
Kenneth Starr: Did not serve
Clarence Thomas: Did not serve
George Will: Did not serve
Roger Ailes (Fox) – Did not serve
Anne Coulter – Did not serve
Fred Barnes – Did not serve
Gary Bauer – Did not serve
Neil Bortz – Did not serve
Tony Snow - Did not serve
Pat Robertson - US Army
Jerry Falwell - Did not serve

[onenote]

10. Veterans in Congress

I believe that if you focus on Congress (which is what the OP asked), the numbers are pretty close. I haven't found a complete list, but just in terms of Army service (as opposed to other branches of the military), it appears that in the previous Congress there were a few more Democratic Senators that had served in the Army than Repubs, and more repub army vets in the House than Democratic army vets. http://www.ausa.org/webpub/DeptGovAffairs.nsf/byid/KCAT-6DCM6K

The numbers of vets in Congress overall dropped with the 2006 elections.
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,124180,00.html?ESRC=topstories.RSS