Photo of Romney protesting in favor of the Vietnam War he eventually dodged with 4 draft deferments

[NNN0LHI]

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/06/06/12085094-the-war-romney-longed-for

&width=380

Romney in 1965, seen on the far right, protesting in support of the Vietnam War.

The war Romney 'longed' for

By Steve Benen - Wed Jun 6, 2012 9:29 AM EDT

At this point in American politics, whether a presidential candidate avoided service in Vietnam is probably an issue that has lost its electoral salience. While the controversy undercut Bill Clinton -- and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush -- its relevance in national campaigns seems to have come and gone.

So, when the AP ran a 1,200-word piece yesterday on Romney's Vietnam-era deferments, it's tempting to think the story just doesn't matter. As the argument goes, his unwillingness to serve, though perhaps embarrassing, doesn't seem to tell us anything important now.

But these assumptions aren't quite right. The story matters in large part because this appears to be yet another area in which Romney hasn't been honest with the public.

[DCBob]

1. Rmoney already looking like a clueless moron even at that age.

BTW, Who's "President Sterling"??

[annabanana]

3. Pres of Stanford at the time . . .n/t

[DCBob]

6. ok, got it.

I guess Sterling was supportive of the war as well.

[Godot51]

4. he was the president of Stanford at the time...

[Berlum]

2. Going AWOL from responsibility is a Standard Republican Family Value

...as they have demonstrated repeatedly in recent decades...

[PotatoChip]

5. Hell no. He won't go...

But everyone else should.

Edited to include --->

[sellitman]

7. Once a wishy washy slimeball, always .....

Has this man every had real convictions?

[sarge43]

8. Company grade officer in the 101st Squawking C Hawks Regiment

No guts, all asshole.

[spanone]

9. pro war, anti participation

[fasttense]

10. And he went to France while a war was going on in his country.

While soldiers were being forced to fight and die in a war he supported, Romney sneaks out and has a rollicking good time in Paris France. Maybe he should have rune for the president of France.

[KurtNYC]

11. Photoshopped

for retroactive accuracy.

[freshwest]

21. Haha. Needed to be said.

[raouldukelives]

12. His family was probably set to rake in big bucks from war profiteering.

Of course he would be for more killing of poor indigenous people to boost share prices. Just as they are today. All that matters to them is gold. By any means necessary. The one thing all stock market investors share in common. That's why no liberal would be in the stock market. It'd be like a PETA member profiting from dog fighting. Except of course that only hurts the dogs & their owners, whereas Wall St is killing us all.

[Kyad06]

13. How many of those douches ended up in Vietnam ?

zero I'm sure. Today they are tea baggers.

[Zambero]

14. Contrast to John Kerry

Who volunteered for service to include training for a potentially perilous assignment, completed a tour of duty in Vietnam, was decorated for his valor and heroic deeds, and subsequently protested against the war once it became apparent that it was no longer worth fighting and dying for. As a soon-to-be married father exempt from service, Romney was able to bide his time doing "missionary" work in France until he was in the clear. How ironic that in 2004 Kerry was somehow derided as being too "French" (which he is not).

[firenewt]

15. Fucking war profiteering chicken hawk - very brave and patriotic with "you people's lives". This

is representative of all that is wrong with Mittens and the right wing wealthy.

[Betty Jo]

16. Romney Car Crash in France One Dead

Google "Romney car crash France one dead".Lots of sites making case that Romney killed a person in France.

[coalition_unwilling]

17. Mitt was all for the war, as long as it was n*****s, sp**s and poor

white trash doing the fighting.

That he's even a contender for the office of POTUS is a sick and scathing commentary on this country's ignorance of history and broad acceptance of hypocrisy.

[_ed_]

18. He would have fought, but he had to go to France

to recruit more members of his LD$ cult.

[Scurrilous]

19. K & R

[progressoid]

20. Fucker. EOM.