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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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Why should I listen to a single word Romney has to say about the military?
Mitt clinched the nomination?
This is news of biblical proportions! Who would have thought?
And the fear mongering starts churning its wheels with comments that Obama or the Dems. are soft on defense. It worked with war criminals Bush/Cheney, so maybe the imbeciles and delusional hordes of GOP voters will listen again to the fabrications of the right wing war machine and vote for them.
We are dealing with two wars, started by ignoring advice from the UN and NATO during the Bush administration, and now we are expected in another administration, to diplomatically sweep the floors for these cultures and pay for the spoils of war by playing by the rules set forth by the international overseers who were ignored in the first place.
Put an Oil man from Texas and a Defense contractor in the top two slots as leaders of the free world and see what happens.
Shame on you George Bush! Shame on you Coward Cheney. Both of you should be held accountable for crimes against humanity in countries abroad and in those crumbling towers on 9/11. It is YOUR fault!
We can only hope to bring our people home from those atrocities overseas and return the survivors to their families.
uh...it was the un that said sadaam was making wmds.
it was bill clinton that killed 1 million iraqis with sanctions in the 90s
...trust me, i wont let democrats forget THEY drew us into removing sadaam by force.
...and joe biden is one of those democrats that said we needed to take sadaam out.
...sorry....but i will keep reminding you guys....always.
I don't know who to be the most outraged at: Romney or McCain.
I'm outraged at Romney for his hypocrisy. He chose a religious/ academic exemption, rather than serve his country. Instead, he spent his time in France.
I'm outraged at McCain because he's putting politics ahead of the safety of our young people who join our military forces. Romney constantly beats the drums of war, in an attempt to appear strong. He sees no conflict between his unwillingness to risk his safety (or the safety of his sons) and his willingness to send others into danger for dubious reasons.
Now our fellow citizens are being given a choice for approving a new leader. The contender is a silver spoon fed fancy man who could probably kick your butt at badminton (on his court), but little else.
Good luck, Mitt.... I think it's your serve.....
Oh... and you look simply smashing in those Bermudas......
Ha,ha,ha,ha... Mitt Romney and the military. That's like calling Dubya a linguist. Hilarious. In case anyone wants to know, Mitt has been a severe militant all his life. LOL...
What does a "government" do when they have an angry and cynical public to deal with? So far, it goes along just fine. The angry and cynical public are too busy fighting among themselves to grasp what is being done to them by BOTH Republican and Democrat Yes-men. How many of you have a grasp of what has been passed, BIPARTISAN-LY, by our "representatives?
I think it's already a done deal, the military will be trimmed back to a more productive and efficient fighting force that is needed in the world. We can't go back in time like you other idea's and storm other countries beach's. We have passed the year 1960 Mr Mitt
Of course he does not want to shrink this insane military machine, it profits his friends, Halliburton, Cheney, blackwater mercenaries and others like weapon dealers ! Those criminals make their money on death, misery and destruction ! And they use your hard earned taxes that should go for universal health care, free college education, free job training programs, repair of infrastructures et other good programs to better american's lives !
Those morons with all their artillery can't even win a war ! WHAT A WASTE !!!
Vote all republicans, OUT !
As a european, I just cannot stand right wingers narrow minded view of the world !
Nobody will ever invade america, so why are these criminals wanting this insane military machine ??? He and his gop's friends are fear mongering and war mongers ! IT PROFITS THEM and in the mean time, america is becoming a 3rd world country with its ran down infrastructures, the millions of americans living on the streets and the hundreds of thousand suffering and dying because they can't afford health care !
Those people are true inhumaine, they have lost all common sense, all morals and all ethics !
FOR A BETTER AMERICA, FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD, VOTE DEMOCRAT !
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 !
Romney is pro-military, but neither he nor any of his 5 sons has ever served.
The military is irrelevant for the biggest threats today: Non-state actors. 9/11, Taliban, Somali pirates are not deterred by the US military. Saddam, NK don't care either.
Even with cuts the military is still slightly larger than it was pre 9/11. If the Tea Party takes hold and gets into the white house and takes congress we will not only see cuts in education, social programs but also the military.
Where else can Obama Cut but the military that needs better equipment and after care? He has no where else to find money he spent with taxpayers dollars creating a defect in three years of $16 Trillion USD.
He personally picks from a book of pictures of the Radicals he wants killed by drones and it makes one wonder even why the Muslims appear to like him. We all know Iran will build a nuclear weapon and has vowed to destroy America, we have seen the faces of the children killed.
In any case it goes beyond even his birth because the man that was going to close Guantanamo is a killer. He picks not the his advisers who will live and who will die. It is unconstitutional and the Congress must act both Republicans and Democrats.
This is a drug addict that hates America, spit on US soldiers during the Nam war, and has allowed his Attorney General to turn his back on the constitution with the help of the Marxist Press. America is dead and so is the constitution.
obama hates america and spit on vietnam soldiers? lol.
What's sad is most of your republican, racist friends are going to believe all the lies you just told.
Obama/Biden....2012!!!!
As if Romney's view/stance/decisions would be any different than Obama's or Bush's. The war machine doesn't answer to the President. They don't have to.
We know he NEVER served in the Military, BUT, maybe if he got his five sons to give 3 years each, that could help out, none of them have ever served either, oh, that's right, they are privileged, they send other off to fight their wars.
Their grandfather fled Mexico during the Mexican Revolution to keep from fighting, it's in their blood...LOL
Obama/Biden....2012!!!!
Well said. It seems the Romney family line have milk in their bloodline.
Yet another draft dodging Republican talking tough. He went to Paris instead of Vietnam. Just like the cowards before him, Dick Head Cheney and Party Boy Bush, they talk a good fight - as long as they are safe and sound and far from the front lines.
While our troops were dying in the jungles, Willard was playing with his Mormon friends, helping the Mormon Corporation (which are people, too!!! lol) recruit new victims into their money making cult.
I just love all these war-mongering Republicans. Dick Cheney who took five deferments but never saw a war he didn't like. Guess his residuals from Halliburton are shrinking. George W. Bush who fought his way into the Texas Air National Guard to avoid going to Vietnam and then deserted for 14 months. Mitt Romney who using a religious deferment fought the battle to convert French Catholics to Mormonism. Rush Limbaugh who avoided service by having a boil on his butt. Karl Rove who avoided service in Vietnam but had no trouble getting his friends to support "swiftboating" a real Vietnam veteran. The list goes on but that is just a few. Why are almost all the chickenhawks Republicans?
Damned good assertion and statement!
The English believed that they had to maintain a fleet at least three times as large as all their enemies combined during the height of their empire in spite of having better ships and sailors. America now spends more on its military than ALL OTHER NATIONS COMBINED.
Both nations faded into history forgetting the lesson that a nations military is build on its economy and not the other way around (just ask the Soviets about that). It is the way of empires on their way out. "American Exceptionalism" indeed.......
Its like a 900 pound man worrying about starving to death.
cut military spending is more like it. by 50% simpson bowles is on the right track just not draconian enough. Mittens is an idiot. just laid down the Geral Ford (another aircraft carrier we can not aford named for a non elected president. God we are bankrupt
Raygun started shutting down the Military way before any Democrat. But the GOP hopes everyone has GOP amnesia.
YOU WANT TO FEAR SOMETHING...?
Which party was in power in the White House when these occurred?
THE GREAT DEPRESSION 1929 (stock market crash led to Depression)
BLACK FRIDAY 1987 (stock market crash led to Recession)
THE GREAT RECESSION 2007 (stock market crash led to Recession)
(hint: GOP)
Thought this was interesting and worth passing on.
Dhimmitude -- What does it mean?
Obama used it in the health care bill.
Now isn't this interesting?
It is used in the health care law.
Dhimmitude -- I had never heard the word until now. Type it into Google and start reading. Pretty interesting. It's on page 107 of the healthcare bill. I looked this up on Google and yep, it exists.. It is a REAL word.
Dhimmitude is the Muslim system of controlling non-Muslim populations conquered through jihad. Specifically, it is the TAXING of non-Muslims in exchange for tolerating their presence AND as a coercive means of converting conquered remnants to Islam.
Respectfully, is the Mit serious? Repubs for Iraq kicked up funding for the Pentagon but over deployed National Guard and Reserve members to fight the war. Seriously, after poor lil Mitt and his kittens never served but he sure seems eager to push others and fatten the coffers. We heard this talk before appears he has a war or military action in mind already. Love it when candidates speak boldly about POTUS plans and how they would do things differently. Problem is these lip servers have no inside knowledge on the real details as they are not yet in the loop.
Exactly right! Historically when the US cuts defense spending both DOD and Congress go after the low hanging fruit...personnel/benefits/support/medical. As to taking care of the injured...VA is currently over 900,000 appeals backlogged, that's appeals over 125 days.