Principal Architects of War
October 25, 2004, 1:00am

I find it appalling that the Bush Administration, most of whose members have never served in the military, have questioned the patriotism of Democrats that oppose the President’s handling of the war in Iraq. Many of these Democratic leaders have clearly shown their bravery and loyalty in combat through their own military service. The architects of the Iraq war and the Republicans who stand by the Bush administration with unwavering support for its policies of pre-emptive war have painstakingly tried to deflect attention away from their own lack of military service. The policy of pre-emptive war first became part of the debate in a report called The Project for a New American Century, published in 2000 (written in 1999) and supported by many currently serving in the Bush Administration. The document promotes the ideology of total U.S. World domination through force. The Defense Policy Board, composed of an influential group of advisors to the Pentagon, review and assess the country’s strategic defense policies. Under the leadership of Richard Perle, who never served in the military, the Defense Policy Board has been transformed from a nonpartisan advisory body into a megaphone for the rigid policy preferences of the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld. The people that are making decisions to go to war, have never been there themselves! I’ll let you decide, based on the litany of hard facts below, who you feel is more experienced and credible to make decisions on what circumstances warrant putting our young men and women into battleathose who have experienced war firsthand or those who just have seen it on TV.

Principal Architects of
War on Iraq in the Bush Administration:



  • Dick Cheney: did not
    serve. Several deferments, the last by marriage.
  • Richard Perle: did not
    serve.
  • Paul Wolfowitz: did not
    serve.
  • Don Rumsfeld: served in
    Navy (1954-57) as aviator and flight
    instructor.
  • Douglas Feith: did not
    serve.
  • John Ashcroft: did not
    serve. Seven deferments to teach business.
  • Karl Rove: did not
    serve.

Other Important
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.
  • Jeb Bush: did not
    serve.
  • Saxby Chambliss: did not
    serve. “Bad knee.” The man who attacked Max Cleland’s patriotism.
  • Vin Weber: 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.
  • Antonin Scalia: did not
    serve.
  • Clarence Thomas: did not
    serve
  • Ronald Reagan: due to
    poor eyesight, served in a non-combat role making
    movies.
  • Gerald Ford: Navy,
    WWII
  • Phil Gramm: did not
    serve
  • John McCain: Silver Star,
    Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart
    and Distinguished Flying
    Cross.
  • Bob Dole: an honorable
    veteran.
  • Chuck Hagel: two Purple
    Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam.
  • Duke Cunningham:
    nominated for Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Silver
    Stars, Air Medals,
    Purple Hearts.
  • Jeff Sessions: Army
    Reserves, 1973-1986
  • JC Watts: did not
    serve.
  • 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.

The Democratic Record:



  • 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 V
    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, and
    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.
  • 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, Korea

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