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Denis Poroy / Reuters
Mitt Romney, center, war veteran Nick Popaditch, left, and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., applaud during a Memorial Day event at the Veterans Museum & Memorial Center in San Diego on Monday.
SAN DIEGO-- Mitt Romney took advantage of one of his largest crowds of the campaign season on Memorial Day to warn of the dangers of a shrinking U.S. military in a dangerous world.
Echoing portions of his stump speech in which he cites the threat of a resurgent Russia, a nuclear Iran and a rising China as obstacles to an "American Century," Romney closed his speech at this Memorial Day tribute to veterans with a political message about a choice between divergent military philosophies this November.
"We have two courses we can follow: One is to follow the pathway of Europe. To shrink our military smaller and smaller to pay for our social needs. And they of course rely on the strength of America and they hope for the best. Were we to follow that kind of course, there would be no one that could stand to protect us," Romney told an audience his campaign said numbered roughly 5000 people.
"The other is to commit to preserve America as the strongest military in the world, second to none, with no comparable power anywhere in the world. We choose that course. We choose that course for America not just so that we can win wars, but so we can prevent wars."
President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney both marked Memorial Day with speeches and politics wasn't far below the surface. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.
Regular rally trappings like pro-Romney signage were absent at this event, which took on a more solemn character than a traditional campaign stop. Romney did not mention or attack the President in his remarks today, which were instead focused on saluting military veterans and their families, including his predecessor in the role of Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, who joined him on stage Monday.
"We're a nation that has been formed and preserved by heroes," Romney said. "John McCain is one of them."
Obama honors fallen troops on Memorial Day
McCain, for his part, also praised Romney, calling him "fully qualified to be commander in chief."
The two men and their pro-military message were warmly received here under the blazing midday sunlight. San Diego is home to the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, and Naval Base San Diego is the largest such military community on the West Coast.
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If Mitt thinks the U.S. military is too small, he should encourage his sons to enlist.
Romney is an idiot. Does he realize we spend more of defense than the rest of the world combined. I think we can sustain some cuts.
He says a strong military will help us prevent wars at the same time he is talking very lightly about going to war with Iran.
Bill, right on!
Mr. Romney, to balance the budget the agreement is to cut cost.
Besides education, health care, and other domestic needs, what are you going to cut D/A.
The military cuts now are "from the military" and thought out plans, what is your
plan besides cutting your opponent. You have no plans except plaster your name on
the door of the White House.
What a pathetic sell out for any price maggot you are. If you are elected president,
lets hope you have advisers of the century to steer you on the right path, because
you don't have a hint or indication of where you are going with the presidency.
Memorial Day was a day to honor the dead,not a day for politcal speeches.
It was a day for me to visit the wall and pay my respects .I hope someday we all get to regroup.
Why do we need a military budget the size of the rest of the world's?
We need to put our federal resources into rebuilding our economic power, not our military power.
Doug, I think when they say "the size of the rest of the world" they mean "combined".
Be afraid. Be very Afraid.
(if Romney gets in)
Our military defense budget is the largest in the world, and it's Republicans' "Honey Pot" where Republicans go when they want to spend like there's no tomorrow.
After that, Republicans get addicted to spending and start on the "borrowing", they they progress on to the "deficit spending" and more "borrowing.
The defense budget certainly could be lowered, because, after all, the United States Military already has enough weapons to destroy the entire planet 10 times over.
Obama/Biden 2012
I have an idea, let's not go to war with anyone and we won't need to have the worlds largest military.
On a side note, if a North American is attacked, or even one of our NATO allies and we don't have enough troops, I will enlist.
What causes the military to shrink is peace. Romney must believe that the way to solve his imagined military problem is have two wars going simultaneously or start a confrontation with Russia. We spend as much on military preparedness as the rest of the world combined. Can't we find a different planet to destroy?
Of course Mitt doesn't want to down size the military he has to stay true to that republican ritual, we have to attack someone and of course he has his sites set on Iran, but then again it's probably russia. War mongers
I believe people are misstating the facts when they say we have a larger military budget than the rest of the world combined. The last data I saw showed that our budget was only as large as the other top 9 combined. I think in comparison of overall world military spending we are probably closer to 35% to the total. This of course is also a ridiculous amount especially if you consider most of the other countries in the top 10 are our close allies.
The naive, anti-war, Libidiots are out in force here tonight.
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!
God Bless our Troops.
I think you are the naive one and a true brainwashed idiot !
Hey rigth wingers imbeciles, the GOP does not give a damn about your troops, they use them for their own profit ! When will you get it ??
You're just numbers, to them and they don't give a d a m n about how many of you, die !
The people who hate the government of the United States are already here. It's time to bring the military home, where the threat is the greatest. Have we an anti-tea weapon in our arsenal? We need fewer seditionists, not smaller government. Government is not the problem; politicians are the problem. Republicans have yet to link their budget with civilization, let alone natural capitalism.
Romney should make the Trump his VP - they totally go together like a white bread and egg salad the perfect tea party sandwich...sitting in the sun for a whole day waiting for America to partake. Bon apetite!
Given that we have an arsenal of weaponry strong enough to blow-up the planet 5 TIMES OVER, it's evident that: 1) the U.S. doesn't need a larger military, but quite the opposite, and; 2) Mitt Romney is already planning on greasing the wheels for his buddies who want more military contracts. It's time for Americans to stand-up against these losers that are ruining our nation, go to the polls, and vote for candidates that want to downsize the military and defense spending, and revert dollars back into rebuilding America.
This coming from a candidate that also got deferments to live in a castle in the south of France during the Vietnam War. Every time he opens his mouth and the people he is associating with now are making people see what type of person Mitt really is. We're still waiting to get a look at those tax returns and we want to know how much money is in those foreign bank accounts. I think we also need to get a look at his birth certificate, since there are questions regarding whether he was born in Mexico.
Warmongers.
More chicken hawk crap. Mitt send a few of your sons to wear the uniform then talk to me about service. President OBAMA is a great C&C. Cutting waste, no bid contracts, showing the real cost in $$$$$ of the wars and increasing VA budget. NcCain I lose respect for you the more I see you standing with chicken hawks.
Romney and his family know nothing about Veterans,service in the military,or honorable matters towards the UNITED STATES Government. The Shortage of military people is due to the amout dying in GOP wars that interfere with Romney types and there hiding war gained money in overseas banks.
Note to Romney and his republican cohorts: Stop the scare tactics. We no longer believe you or your lies.
If you still have such great fears, how about sending your sons and daughters (in laws, too) off to war?
Re "Trust_Verify": It was actually 6 SEALs to take down OBL and technically only 2. Ultimately 1.
So we can cut social services (although the min. wage increase was denied so as to allow the poor to have access to liberal "big gov't." assistance); cut education, applaud Canada for eliminating ocean sea life research....but less military? No way, Jose!
Hey!!! Anybody see where the Republicans have gone?
Remember the Repubs who told us how desperately important it was to lower the deficit?
Last I checked, Defense spending ADDS to the deficit.
YEAH< LET'S GO WITH FEAR AND HATE instead of peace and love worked well so far, hasn't it? Let me see, 75 million dead in WWII, 5 million in Viet Nam, a million in Iraq. Guess it didn't work for those people, huh?
Read the U.S News, article on Navy grads where there our headed. And what the Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, to them. "One of the Key projects that your
generation will have to face is sustaining and enhacin America STRENGH (KEY WORD) ACROSS THE GREAT MARITIME REGION OF THE PACIFIC. WHERE do you think the order are coming from? I think the word out of Romney mouth was STRENGH our military.Now Obama is saying the something people. Where is all comment on these subject? So call your Congressmens that you do not want out Troop over in harms way in Asia Pacific. GoD Bless our grads in U.S Navy thank you are protecting country made God watch over you.
Exlax ETCH-A-SKETCH at it again! He doesn't have to be killed or maimed, just keep the soldiers out there protecting his corrupt Republican OIL & FINANCIAL corporate MONARCHY! To hell with the 99% Americans & their children! Just keep them out there fighting so the 1% can get richer!
99% Americans, vote 100% STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC and let's rid our selves of these corrupt Republican corporate political puppets once and for all!