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GOP rep. tells army generals to resign en masse in protest of Obama's foreign policy
A sitting member of congress, a Republican, has taken his dislike and disagreement with all things Obama to an entirely different, and very likely treasonous, level.
According to the Colorado Independent newspaper, US Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) told a secret meeting of Army generals that it is their duty to resign en masse in order to not just protest but to derail President Obama's military moves in the Middle East. His remarks came just as US-led air strikes continued Friday near the Syrian border with Iraq.
Lamborn, who is running for reelection against a retired Air Force General, told a group of voters of his prior meeting with the generals – and he allowed that he was not the only Republican congress-creature who advocated mass resignations by Army generals:
“A lot of us," he said last Tuesday, "are talking to the generals behind the scenes, saying, ‘Hey, if you disagree with the policy that the White House has given you, let’s have a resignation.’” (Emphasis added).
And, to make a mass walk-out by Army leaders attractive, he assured the generals that if and when they resigned – as a unified group – they would be seen by real Americans as true American heroes, and “go out in a blaze of glory.”
Even more interesting (and frightening) is that Lamborn is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Throughout his eight years in Congress, Lamborn has remained pretty much a “back bencher,” never attracting any real attention to himself beyond one doomed legislative proposal: the championing a House-approved measure to defund National Public Radio.
The Independent suggests that this congressman could not possibly be serious about urging mass defections among the army's general staff. It seems to think that this may just be a publicity stunt geared to energize his flagging reelection campaign.
I, however, believe he is serious, and reflects the views of not just a number of fellow GOP congressmen and women, but their far right constituencies as well. Indeed, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, there is little doubt that he regularly meets “behind the scenes” in “executive” or classified sessions, with military generals. In these meetings, it is quite possible, if not probable, that he and other Republicans suggest and explore all manner of ways and means to undermine Obama – including resignations to disrupt Obama-led foreign policy during a war.
In past administrations, when a member of Congress disagreed with a president’s foreign policy, he or she usually made passionate speeches against the policy and/or introduced or supported legislation limiting or defunding the particular policy with which they disagreed. Not so with this current group of Obama-haters. The "normal" and "usual" ways of expressing disagreement with this president have long ago gone by the boards -- if civil discourse and disagreement by conservatives and Republicans were ever in place at all vis-a-vis President Obama.
Private meetings with generals in the midst of a war and calling upon them to “go out in a blaze of glory,” is patently, obviously treasonous and this congressman and/or the generals who heed his advice should so be charged.
As stated, Lamborn is up for re-election against retired Air Force Gen. Irv Halter (D). Halter agrees that Lamborn is way "out of bounds" with this call for mass defection. He told the Independent that, “Our elected officials should not be encouraging our military leaders to resign when they have a disagreement over policy. Congressman Lamborn’s statement shows his immaturity and lack of understanding of the American armed forces. Someone who serves on the House Armed Services Committee should know better.”
Commentary
This move by Rep. Lamborn demonstrates once again the depth of the outright hatred of President Obama by so-called conservatives generally, the right wing, and most Republicans particularly.
It seems that these people would rather see the entire country fail rather than allow any “success” whatsoever by Obama's administration. The call for army generals to resign in protest is only therefore one step removed from calling upon rank and file soldiers to desert their posts.
Yet, this is what Lamborn's “call to arms” really means.
A follow-up step would logically be for these selfsame generals and deserting soldiers to turn their weapons on the White House itself.
Amazing.
A video of Lamborn's remarks may be viewed here.
References
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-rep-urges-us-generals-behind-the-scenes-resign
http://www.krdo.com/news/lambron-under-fire-for-controversial-comments-on-obamas-military-policies/28290324
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/doug-lamborn/
