Obama's military

In late August head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Martin E. Dempsey attacked ex-SEALs for criticizing the egregious security leaks emanating from the White House.

He said

"If someone uses the uniform for partisan politics, ... I’m disappointed in that, I think it erodes that bond of trust we have with the American people.

This displays an amazing ignorance of the relationship between the those who serve America in the military and our Democracy."

While we all agree that active duty members of the military should not campaign in uniform Dempsey seems to be saying that veterans who are no longer on active duty can’t use their service as a credential when speaking out on politics.



That would be news to Dwight David Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and John Kerry. 

It would also be news to the veterans who fought for our Constitutional rights that they are expected to give up their First Amendment rights not just when they were in the military but for their entire life.



In fact at the time many thought that Dempsey’s comments were being pushed as part of a partisan agenda in support of the President who appointed Dempsey.  But many held out hope that Dempsey would condemn all speech by all veterans thereby being ill informed but not biased.



Sadly the DNC has provided more evidence that Dempsey, and hence the military, is being politicized just as Holder has politicized the DOJ.

At the DNC retired Admiral John Nathman spoke at the DNC. While you may have heard his speech described as extolling the troops it was far more than that. The retired admiral said



"And since the day he took office, the president has demonstrated that he respects and understands the challenges for those who wear a uniform. For every branch of the service, for those in civilian clothes or the uniform, President Obama gives us a foreign policy worthy of the men and women on this stage, to ensure that wherever they serve, their uniform and dedication is respected, and that their service makes a difference for America.

For every veteran who comes home wounded, the president invested in the VA and expanded care to more than a half million returning troops who deserve that care."



The speech is a paean to the glories of all things Obama.  It is far more political than the ex-SEALs condemning publicly acknowledge security leaks.



Just as President Obama said the troops were fighting for him not America

"When I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf... "

Admiral Nathman seems to think that it’s Obama’s money, not the taxpayers, that goes to the VA.  Similarly the Admiral fails to note that the Republicans in Congress fully supported the increase in VA funding.



Yet General Dempsey has been quiet.

By condemning veterans who criticize Obama and staying silent when veterans support Obama General Dempsey is doing precisely what he supposedly opposes; politicizing the military.



While the average soldier has not been corrupted by Obama’s Chicago style of management it appears a watchful eye needs to be trained on the DoD to see if the leadership is putting Obama or America first.