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Beyond blurring the differences - should we increase our military?

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Message Josh Medeiros

 

The case for force expansion has not been made.  For some supporters, growing the ground forces smacks of seizing the moment because the Congress looks willing to spend the money, regardless of the rationale.  For others, it looks like political safety - rather than tell the American public how we should engage the world and what the role of the military should be in that engagement, let's just grow the military and we'll look "tough on defense."

 

Where do our presidential candidates stand?

So given that Bush is asking for almost 100,000 more troops that its very unclear we need or even what they would be used for, and given the Pentagon's questionable recruiting tactics (see here, here, here, and here) and obvious disinterest among Americans to join or even stay, where do our presidential candidates stand?

With all of the discussion on foreign policy lately and attempts to show how Democrats are making the case for a new direction, we would expect a wholesale rejection of a costly expansion without a purpose, but unfortunately that's not the case, at least not among two of the frontrunners.

It ain't a pretty picture folks:

 

What do Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, George Bush, Bill Richardson, and Gen. Pete Schoomaker, among others, have in common?  They all think the U.S. military is on the verge of breaking and the solution is to make it bigger.  Yet, none of them have told us why it should grow.  Every one of them has put the expansion cart ahead of the strategic horse.

 

Hillary Clinton wants more troops

The lastest info is that she is supporing Bush's increase in troops and making it her own. According to The Hill, she is joining Lieberman and others in calling for more troops:

 

A team of Senate and House Democrats today are planning to introduce legislation today aimed at significantly increasing size of  the U.S. Army.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) airland subcommittee, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), a SASC member, and Reps. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.), both members of the House Armed Services committee, are pressing for the passage of the United States Army Relief Act.

This is really a reintroduction of the United States Army Relief Act she introduced with Lieberman in 2005. As Senator Leiberman announced with a press release, with the strong support of the DLC's Third Way:

 

Today, I am pleased to join with Senators Hillary Clinton, and Jack Reed, and Representatives Ellen Tauscher and Mark Udall to introduce the United States Army Relief Act of 2005.

snip

What brings us together today is a shared conclusion that the United States Army is facing a crisis. It is not a crisis of quality, bravery or commitment. The men and women in today's Army are as good as any who have ever worn the uniform.

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Political junkie and neophyte blogger.
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