Columnist – John Sammon
One of the paradoxes of the last fifty years is that members of the Republican Party, the ultra right of which champions both morality and patriotism, almost never serve in the military. John McCain is a rare exception. Since criticizing others for lacking patriotism is a center pillar activity of the far right, why do the American people not fault the party for its almost total no-show in the military service?

Isn’t backing war when you yourself won’t serve in one, isn’t that a form of hypocrisy?

Democrats in Congress have out-served Republicans in the military almost two to one. Even little Teddy Kennedy with all his millions served in the Navy.

Rush Limbaugh and Romney and Newt and all the rest of them never served. Since patriotism is so important to them, why do they never serve? In fairness to Palin, she did hint that she had some front line experience because she lived in Alaska which is near Russia.

Here are 10 reasons why so few Republicans show up at the military induction center.

1.   World War Two was the last white war. A war fought with a large white participation. Korea saw a growth in minority participation, but by the time of Vietnam, class distinctions had grown, and war was mainly fought by a collection of white trash southern hillbillies, whites on the run from the law in the States, and blacks and Mexicans. War became a half-way house for those perceived as losers, while increasing numbers of whites decided to spend their time going to college on student deferments and amassing cash in lucrative careers.

2.   Many white right-wingers, while they won’t admit it, don’t like blacks because they consider them to be lowly niggers. They don’t want to eat next to one in the mess hall, and certainly not sleep under one in a bunk bed.

3.   Most right wing successful politicians and pundits got where they are because they focused on the prize, advancing themselves. There are some Democrats like this, Slick Willy Clinton for example. It takes a lot of work to achieve a position in Congress or on a network radio hookup. They correctly saw the service as a counterproductive waste of time, as well as a sucker game. However, they like others to fight wars.

4.   John Wayne is their hero. He was a slacker from World War Two. His own former wife said he became an ultra conservative, advising young men to go to war in Vietnam, because he felt shame that he missed WW2. While old Clark Gable flew combat missions over Germany and liberal Henry Fonda sat on a ship in the Pacific, Duke lived the sweet life in Hollywood. Congress gave him a medal for it.

5.   Many white, ultra conservatives are pudgy short men with medical problems which preclude them from fighting. They like to talk about it more than do it.

6.   George Will, the intelligent, urbane columnist of the right wing, when asked why he didn’t serve, answered vaguely that the draft hadn’t started when he was pursuing a Master’s Degree in the early 1960s. In other words, I won’t go in unless I’m forced to. In fairness to George, he does look like he might be raped by other recruits in Basic Training.

7.   Bland mess hall food doesn’t appeal to conservatives, many of whom are overweight (see number 5 above).

8.   Conservatives have a secret agenda that they don’t believe enough in the wars they support to take part themselves. And they don’t want their children to either. This was neatly summed up to me in person one time years ago when a conservative said to me, “I’m not laying my life down for a bunch of gooks.”

9.   Conservatives, especially lately, are too busy pursuing extramarital affairs to bother with service to their country.

10.   Conservatives are hypocrites (all of the above).

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“President-elect Obama dined Tuesday with “some of his fiercest intellectual adversaries,” said Jonathan Martin in Politico, including conservative writers George Will, Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot. The off-the-record dinner was followed by a meeting on Wednesday with liberals and “prominent columnists” like E.J. Dionne, Maureen Dowd, and Frank Rich.” .. [TheWeek.com]

During the general election John McCain, Sarah Palin, and other prominent Republicans portrayed Obama as a liberal, and even as a socialist. They convinced many average Republicans that Obama would rule from the left and lead our nation into perdition.

Obama isn’t a fire-breathing radical, as his actions following his stunning victory have demonstrated. He selected liberals, moderates and even a couple of conservatives to serve on his cabinet. We can expect President Obama to lead from the center, bipartisanship will be the byword during his tenure in the White House.

During his eight years in office President Bush never had a dinner party with leading liberal intellectuals. Bush only consulted with neo-cons who shared vision of American=2 0hegemony spreading throughout the Middle East.

It bodes well for our country that Obama has the wisdom and self-confidence to meet with his conservative critics. I don’t agree with the conservative ideology of Obama’s dinner guests, but they are all intelligent and well-educated. Obama met with conservatives who are respected by everyone, and it’s worth noting that he didn’t extend an invitation to stupid blowhards like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.

I’m sure that they didn’t sing Kumbaya before the dinner, and I’m sure that Obama was under no illusions that he would be able to persuade his conservative guests to become liberals.

Obama’s dinner was a bold statement that he will listen to all sides of an argument, and that’s a breath of fresh air coming after eight years of the imperial Bush presidency.

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Ramesh Ponnuru writes:

If Senator McCain believes that he can help to enact a plan that can stabilize the markets and lay the foundation for future growth, then suspending the campaign and going to Washington was the right thing to do.

But it is hard to see what McCain can do to help, and easy to see how his intervention could hurt. He brings, as he himself has admitted in the past, no expertise to the table. And won’t Democrats be less likely to cooperate on a plan if doing so will help make McCain be the hero of the hour?

So McCain’s move may have been a mistake on substance. It may prove to be a political mistake too: If McCain can’t bring both parties together in an economic crisis after staking so much on it, won’t voters draw adverse conclusions about his leadership ability?

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Some Reactions:

ricinro85212 — When my nephew was born (home delivery with midwife) they asked me to boil water. This way I was doing something without getting in the way. Afterall, I knew nothing about delivering babies.

JJames081 — I think McCain finally cracked. The pressure has finally got to him.

What is he going to do if he’s elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We’ve got a guy like that now!

George Will, columnist, put it this way–yesterday: “Under the pressure of the financial crisis, one presidential candidate is behaving like a flustered rookie playing in a league too high. It is not Barack Obama.”

I guess he knew things brewing in McCain’s camp!

Dave Letterman Reacts to McCain Suspending Campaign

| Top Ten Reasons McCain ‘Bailed’ on Letterman |

Jon Stewart – “The presidential campaign is not like
a football game where you can take a timeout.”

jackjburke — McCain’s grandstanding and insertion of presidential politics into this mess will only make it more difficult to achieve passage of legislation. A compromise was emerging before he made his big announcement. We can only hope that President Paulson tells him to butt out.

john7 — What was the campaign news of the morning when we all woke up this morning:

a) The ABC / WaPo poll showing Obama taking a clear lead nationally.

b) The revelation that Rick Davis has been taking regular payments from Fannie Mae up until last month. Essentially, McCain’s campaign director was selling access to McCain, but the candidate himself disputed that just a few days ago.

It’s clear that the McCain camp realized that they were on the brink of annihilation and had to do something dramatic. So they did. Country first? Not so much. White-knuckled terror that the campaign was getting to a point of no return? I’d say so.

dolph924 — McCain has been hemoraging support in the polls, as he should be, given that his deregulatory efforts and those of his cronies like Phil Graham are responsible for the collapse of financial institutions. He would try ANYthing to avoid more of same, just as his advertising strategy of new lies and distortions daily was designed to avoid talking about issues at all costs.

I think he will be perceived for what he is — a rash man over his head as soon as issues become complicated.

His rash pick of the unqualified Palin, his daily flip flops on economic issues and then desperate attempts to lie his way out of such matters as saying the economy was fundamentally sound the day the collapse began, his saying he would fire the SEC chairman (as if the SEC were somehow at fault as opposed to the Graham Leach Bliley bill), etc. etc. McCain has recurring anger management problems, serious memory problems, and makes decisions as if he has ADD. What a scary thought to have this guy in the White House with the completely unqualified Palin sitting on the front porch waiting for him to die.

| More Reactions |

References:

1. McCain’s Ploy — Slipping in the polls? McCain sees foreign policy as one area where he can outshine Obama. Only by rescheduling the debate after the crisis has passed can he be sure he will have his moment in the foreign policy sun.
2. McCain Loses His Head — George Will | More Articles By George Will |