Kowabunga

Hillary Clinton may have learned from her husband’s mistakes while he was the Commander in Chief; the question is, will be it be sufficient to overcoming her history of disdain for all things military. After all, Hillary is still an anti-military leftist attempting to pass her self off as a pro-American hawk. From the NYTimes:

During his 1992 campaign, Mr. Clinton was attacked for avoiding the Vietnam draft and organizing antiwar marches in the 1960s. After taking office, his early focus on gay men and lesbians in the military drew sharp criticism from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin L. Powell, and other officers. Even his ability to salute properly was called into question.

Mrs. Clinton, to use a phrase, has been practicing her salute. As a senator and now as a presidential candidate, she has cultivated relationships with generals and admirals, prepped herself on wartime needs and strategy, and traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I think eight years in the White House, traveling the world and seeing the United States military doing the nation's business, and now her time in the Senate, has given her a significant appreciation of the military that maybe her husband didn't have before the White House," said Jack Keane, the retired general and former Army vice chief of staff who has become close to the senator.

Maybe she has learned a bit about the military, however, like her husband, she will never be one of us. This is not to say that no one who has never served in the Armed Forces is incapable or unqualified of serving as Commander in Chief of the military. It is Hillary’s anti-military (Vietnam War!) past that will need some over-hauling if she should become our next president (God forbid!). Dereliction of Duty details some of her treatment of military officers during the Billary Administration.

Anyone can practice saluting, attempting some form of perfection that will be perceived as respectful of those who served. It takes far more than practice and a few years in the Senate to truly understand what the military is about and how it should be used.

The article also points out that there are some in the military who are wary of Hillary, and concerned that she will redistribute funding away from the military in order to push a socialist agenda, just as was done in the ‘90s under her husband. It was during their administration that the military was gutted in order to “balance” the budget. With current hostilities, and the potential of having to deal with a nuclear-armed Iran and North Korea, and possibly even al-Qaeda, gutting the military again is not an acceptable option.

If Hillary is elected to our nation’s highest office, will there be a sudden downsizing of the military by soldiers who decide not to continue with a military career? That was a distinct possibility had Kerry been elected in 2004. I knew a number of young Army officers who intended to leave the service had Flipper become president.

In the event of a mass exodus from the military, will Hillary push for re-instating the draft? Or will she do so even if there is not the thundering of boots heading for the nearest exit?

She is playing both ends of the field, attempting to fit in with the military and supporting the ongoing mission in Iraq, all the while attempting to appease the left by criticizing the manner in which the war is conducted. Never mind the fact that it was not that long ago that she, and other leftists in the Senate, were calling for increasing the number of troops in Iraq. It’s amazing how that when they get what they want, they decide it is time to shift gears and find other ways to undermine efforts in Iraq.

"By surrounding herself with military brass, it reinforces an image of her as strong and hawkish," Mr. Carpenter said. "But is that an authentic image? Would she really give dollars to the Pentagon instead of to cherished domestic programs?"

Even money she’ll claim that there is a need to increase taxes in order to push her socialist agenda as well as maintain the military.

I think if there is anything she has learned since 1992, it is that you can’t hope to win the presidency if you are perceived as anti-military.

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Hillary Clinton Military Hillary Billary