Panetta notices that “there is a war going on”
Apparently, the guy in charge of slashing defense spending and leading the withdrawal from Afghanistan is upset that neither Romney nor Ryan mentioned the war in Afghanistan when they rolled out their partnership this weekend according to Politico;
Neither Mitt Romney nor Paul Ryan mentioned the war in Afghanistan during their big running mate roll-out in Virginia Saturday. Barack Obama gives it only a brief mention in his own stump speeches.
Leon Panetta seems to have had enough.
“I realize that there are a lot of other things going on around this country that can draw our attention, from the Olympics, to political campaigns to droughts, to some of the tragedies we’ve seen in communities around the country,” the defense secretary said at Tuesday’s Pentagon press briefing. “I thought it was important to remind the American people that there is a war going on.”
From the guy who spends $33,000 every weekend to be with his family while all of the deployed soldiers in his charge don’t get the same privilege. Speaking of pretentious idiots;
“From watching the campaign debate so far, it’s hard to tell America is still a country at war,” said Paul Rieckhoff, executive directotr [sic] of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “Neither candidate nor party has focused enough on Afghanistan, or on the issues facing our troops, veterans and their families at home. Our men and women are fighting and dying overseas for our country and both candidates have a responsibility to drive the national dialogue about issues of war and defense.”
Says the guy whose main focus over the last few months has been to urge NYC’s mayor Bloomberg to throw Rieckhoff a welcome home parade. I say throw Rieckhoff a parade because it seems that he’s the only one who wants one.
I don’t know why the American public would be disengaged for the war issue. Well, except that the Obama Administration has been ranting and raving about how the war is over because he got bin Laden and focusing on the fact that the troops are coming home.
While I agree that both parties need to talk more about the war, their plans and about veterans, what does panetta really expect? He’s slashing defense spending, eroding veterans’ benefits and yet he expects us to believe that he thinks there’s a war going on?
Category: 2012 election, Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan, Terror War
It is the Peace Dividend dammit! It ain’t about war!
Focus, Jonn, focus.
The sad thing is… it simply ain’t new or news. It IS just politics as usual!
Well. Isn’t Panetta’s concern just so very special.
/sarc
Paul Rieckhoff is a nut sucker. I would like to meet him too.
Obama got bin Laden? I thought the SEALs got bin Laden? Did I miss something? I know I was in the bathroom when that announcement was going on. Did I miss something?
Last time Obama has talked about Afghanistan? He hasn’t even spoken to the press in 8 weeks.
OK all you Green Machine numb nuts, it was Cheney who slashed over the Peace Dividend and ramped up the government contractors. That went on overdrive so there’s a 1:1 contractor to military ratio in this iteration. As opposed to what it was in Vietnam if you’re old enough.
What service did Romney or anybody in his family have? Ryan? Get over the politics, this is about stolen valor. Biden’s son served. Romney has 5 possibilities, none wanted to give up their nice cushy trust accounts to put on the green or a few other colors.
Panetta is SOOOOO concerned because Romney & Ryan haven’t said anything about “the war”? Well, lately, neither has His Obama-ness (but I seldom listen to The One anyway, I might have missed Some Big War Pronouncement). But Panetta dassan’t say anything against his massa, he might get his travel privileges revoked.
Besides that, neither Romney or Ryan are even the official Repugnican presidential ticket candidates yet.
So, all I have to say to MR Panetta is: W-T-F!! Pull up your big girl panties & quit yer bitchin’.
Bring us home, or let us fight. Either way, the status quo ain’t cutting it.
@6 We might not have needed those contractors if Clinton hadn’t gutted the Military.
My question to you is, since having a son serve is so important to you in a candidate, did you vote for McCain/Palin in 2008? Both of them have sons that are combat vets.