http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/15/paul-questions-gingrichs-draft-deferment/


Paul questions Gingrich's draft deferment
Posted by CNN's Kevin Liptak

(CNN) - Ron Paul issued a new hit on Newt Gingrich Thursday, suggesting his rival was incautious by taking a hawkish stance on U.S. defense while having deferred military service himself.

"He's probably as aggressive with the military as anybody," Paul said on Fox News. "He supports all the wars in the Middle East a thousand times more than I would. But you know in the nineteen-sixties when I was drafted in the military, he got several deferments. He chose not to go. Now he'll send our kids to war."

Paul, who has seen a recent jump in Iowa polls, served as a surgeon for the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s after graduating from medical school.

Gingrich was an active student during the 1960s, earning a bachelors degree from Emory University in 1965 and a masters from Tulane in 1968. He later earned a Ph.D from Tulane.

In his criticism of Gingrich Thursday, Paul noted an explanation the former speaker has given about his deferments.

"At that time he said that one person wouldn't make a difference," Paul said. "He didn't see how he could make a difference. So I see that as important information. People should know that. It reflects on him."

Thursday's comments aren't the first time Paul has gone after Gingrich. The Texas congressman released a round of negative television ads last week, painting Gingrich as inconsistent and not sufficiently conservative. The ads ran in Iowa and New Hampshire.

A spokesman for Gingrich did not reply to a request for reaction to Paul's comments.

Just wondering how does someone defer a draft that others can not defer?

Newt was deferred from serving in Vietnam because he was enrolled at Tulane University and he had children...Also he was impaired with flat feet and short-sightedness...True but non the less funny!! Kind of fits doesn't it....

One way was called a college deferment. And the grades had to be at a certain level.

Gotcha, I knew my stepfather didn't go because he had flat feet.

My dad got a deferment as a necessity with the farm. His farm family helped with it.

Yes, the biggest conservative hawks are usually the ones that never put on the green suit when they had the chance. Isn't the term for them 'chickenhawks'?

In the case of Newt, he apparently likes to write about warfare as a spectator from the ivory towers, and if elected, would probably find a new war to declare somewhere.


-Kerry O.

The only problem I have with Newt is he never served in the military and I think ALL US Presidents should have served thats why I keep thinking about Perry.........

Personally, I find it funny that when Paul is questioned about his past, he says, "do we really need to talk about something from 15 or 20 years ago?"

Yes, RP said that in an interview on national t.v.

But here he is, digging back 45 years to throw stones at another candidate. Isn't that called a double-standard?

Personally, I think it's time politicians stopped throwing out the Vietnam draft issue. Back in the '60s a lot of people did things they would never do now. Gingrich may be a liar, a warhawk, and a hypocrite, but the draft issue is getting old.

How soon we forget even "Hanoi Jane".... Viet Nam Vets don't, but MSM wants to laud her in a $20,000 evening gown as "sexy at 60"...

She's a TRAITOR! When she turned over the notes from prisoners to the gooks, instead of trying to get them home to the families, she was "releasing information to the enemy" that they had NOT gotten thru torture of those very prisoners!

Forgive me for thinking that substance matters when I am electing someone to lead a nation I fought for, willing to sacrifice my life for, and KNOWING they have a tendency to turn on EVERTYTHING I believe in makes EVERY sacrifice by our military men and women moot!

Guess patriotism isn't a strong point in that book huh?

yet they laud Manning for doing essentially the same!
Should tie those two together Back to Back,and roll them down a Hill,and I bet that the Same One would always be on top!
Both of them Traitors,putting the Fellows in the Field in danger!
They werent hurting the Brass!