Press Wants to Know if Pro-War Officials Will Send Their Own Kids to War

[Ian David]

Press Wants to Know if Pro-War Officials Will Send Their Own Kids to War

By E&P Staff

Published: August 27, 2005 7:45 PM ET

NEW YORK It's a question from the press sure to be posed more and more as the months go on, directed at public officials who continue to support the Iraq war: If you believe in the cause so deeply, why aren't your own kids signing up? Most prominently, President Bush (through his press spokesmen) is now hearing it, but it's now trickling down to the congressional and state level.

Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, a strong backer of Bush policy in Iraq -- who has give sons age 24 to 35 -- heard the query yesterday, from a Boston Herald reporter. Romney, who has promoted National Guard recruitment, replied, a bit angrily, that he has not urged his own sons to enlist -- and isn't sure whether they would.

The Herald tossed the question as Romney as he was honored by the Massachusetts National Guard. "No, I have not urged my own children to enlist. I don't know the status of my childrens' potentially enlisting in the Guard and Reserve," Romney said, his voice tinged with anger, the Herald reported.

Neither the Romney children nor the governor have served in the military, a Romney spokeswoman said.

More:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001050097


On edit (more):

See also:
http://operationyellowelephant.blogspot.com/2005/08/mass-gov-romney-r.html

[fooj]

1. "Tinged with anger"...but why? Freedom is on the march!

Peace.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Let's hope the press ask all the GOP big shots this question!!

[ArkDem]

3. Wouldn't that be the kid's decision?

[blondeatlast]

7. Not necessarily, check this out:

http://www.leavemychildalone.org/

They are now going into middle schools.

[Frances]

8. "the kid"?

I think that's the point.

Should wars be made by middle-aged, super-rich elites and then be fought by poor youth with no prospects for the future?

[npincus]

4. Tighten those thumbscrews, press...

it's ABOUT TIME.

People who make elective wars possible ought to answer "yes" to the following: "would you send your own kids to fight in this war and perhaps die?"

[blondeatlast]

5. The press? Courage? Obvious questions, not culled from the HF's press

room?

What is the world coming to?

Kudos to the reporters with courage!

[gratuitous]

6. Why should this question anger them?

Unless they think that the military isn't supposed to be for the children of the overrich?

[zbdent]

9. I think it should be asked of ALL GOP candidates

Hey, they're the ones who have said that they are strong on the military - if they are physically able, why aren't they enlisting for the noble cause? The Hell with their kids, why not them?

We've seen stories of people in their 40s or so being shipped over, right?

Maybe we should ask that tough guy who called the police on another congressperson because he felt threatened - the quote was "Come over here and make me" or something like that. Instead of backing up his words, the Repuke called the cops . . . comical, since the Dem was about 70 or so . . . big threat . . .

[jonnyblitz]

10. I wouldn't let pro-war or "we have to stay and fix it" DEMS off

the hook either.

[blondeatlast]

11. Some issues MUST transcend politics,

and this is an perfect example.

I guess all I really want is a tough press. I often try to imagine GD and GD/P with a ballsy press like I remember from the Watergate era--how different would it all be... (sigh)

[Booster]

12. To be fair, they should also ask the Dems who voted for this war.

[xxqqqzme]

13. I seem to recall a scene ot

2 in a movie..........Hello whorporate media - where have YOU been?

[hughee99]

14. I'm sorry, but I think this is assinine...

No one "sends" their adult age child anywhere. Isn't it, and SHOULDN'T IT be the child's choice? If you want to ask these questions, you should ask the children DIRECTLY! "Your father/mother supports the war, do you disagree with them?". If they disagree with them, you've got an anti-war child of a pro-war politician. If they agree with their parents, then you can ask them why they don't enlist.