GOP Congressmen urge U.S. military generals to resign en masse

Posted on October 7, 2014 by StMA | 5 Comments

Six years into his presidency, all signs point to Barack Obama’s relations with the U.S. military — both top officials and rank and file — being in disrepair.
Obama seems to routinely ignore the counsel from military leaders. For their part, active and retired military officers publicly have stated their differences, while the rank and file distrust and have no confidence in their commander-in- chief. A recent Military Times survey found that support for Obama among the military has plummeted to less than 15%. See, for example:

• Former U.S. defense secretary: Obama incompetent; suspicious of military
• Terrorism waiting to happen: Obama admin ignores Congress in lifting 30-yr. ban on Libyans training in U.S. flight schools
• Obama ignored advice of military & CIA against Bergdahl prisoner swap
• The law that Obama violated in releasing 5 terrorists from Gitmo in exchange for Bowe Bergdahl
• US Marine Corps commandant openly blasts CIC Obama
• U.S. military does not support Commander-In-Chief Barack Obama
• Retired 4-star admiral: Benghazi was an Obama false flag that went wrong
•  70% of active military oppose ground troops in Iraq because they distrust their commander-in-chief
• Obama at West Point: speech panned by media; 25% standing ovation,

It is in the context of Obama’s deteriorating relations with the military that reports of members of Congress having covert talks with U.S. generals take on significance.

On Sept. 23, 2014, Obama was deplaning Marine One after landing in New York for the UN General Assembly. This pic of Obama saluting the Marines while holding a beverage container has gone viral because it’s symbolic of his contempt for the military.

Rep. Doug Lamborn

Corey Hutchins reports for Medium, Sept. 25, 2014, that according to Congressman Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado), members of Congress have been talking to U.S. generals behind the scenes and urging them to publicly resign “in a blaze of glory” if they disagree with how the White House is handling conflicts in the Middle East.
Lamborn represents Colorado’s military-heavy Fifth Congressional District anchored by Colorado Springs, a Christian conservative stronghold that’s home to Focus on the Family and five military installations including the Air Force Academy. In 2012, Mitt Romney carried the district with 59% of the vote. Lamborn was named the Most Conservative Member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009, 2010, and 2011. His committee assignments include serving on the House Armed Services Committee and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. His top five campaign contributors include Lockheed Martin and Koch Industries.

Lamborn made the startling remarks at a Sept. 23 liberty group meeting in the basement of a Colorado Springs bar.

During a question-and-answer portion of the forum, a military service member urged Lamborn to work with his congressional colleagues in both parties to “support the generals and the troops in this country despite the fact that there is no leadership from the Muslim Brotherhood in the White House.”

Lamborn responded, “You know what, I can’t add anything to that, but do let me reassure you on this. A lot of us 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. You know, let’s have a pubic resignation, and state your protest, and go out in a blaze of glory.’ And I haven’t seen that very much, in fact I haven’t seen that at all in years.”

The congressman’s comments didn’t stir much of a response from a crowd of about 50, not all of whom were friendly to the four-term incumbent who narrowly squeaked by in a bitter Republican primary.

Irv Halter

But Democrat Irv Halter, a retired Air Force major general who is running against Lamborn, seized on his opponent’s comments, accusing the congressman of politicizing the military. Halter said in a statement, “Our elected officials should not be encouraging our military leaders to resign when they have a disagreement over policy. Someone who serves on the House Armed Services Committee should know better.”

Halter so far has raised more money than Lamborn. The latter, when asked by a voter why his Democratic challenger is out-fundraising him in a conservative district, said, “If you’re perceived as being in a safe district, there is a limit to people contributing to you. I’m just not considered to be in a dangerous situation.”

A Pentagon spokesperson did not reply to an e-mail for comment by the time this story was published on Medium.com. Nor did a spokesman for the House Armed Services Committee or Lamborn’s communications director.

~StMA