Hanaguma

He served well. He quit poorly. His fellow Guardsmen largely agree that his behavior was reprehensible. And his post Guard BS storytelling is similarly bad.

Think I answered about Vance. What is your interest in munitions, and why do you think it is so important? You obviously have little experience or knowledge of military affairs.

He learned about his unit's deployment in late 2004. Promised his fellow Guard members he would stay. He lied.

Deflect away. Now how about Walz?

I put the uniform on myself. Served my full enlistment. How about you?

Wow, did Walz say that?

He was in the National Guard, not the regular Army. Any American veteran would distinguish between the two. You apparently do not have the ability to do so. The Guard is a part of the Army, but the two services are very different. The Guard is part time and lets the members carry on their normal lives while training one weekend a month. After 20 years, Walz could have retired. But he chose to sign up for an additional 6 years. Then he failed to complete that contract, coincidentally (?) with his unit being readied for overseas deployment. His fellow Guardsmen are virtually unanimous that it was a weak and selfish decision at best. Further, his distortions and 'mis spokes' afterwards are not good. Thought I answered about Vance already. As a Marine, his training would have included things like hand grenades, anti personnel mines (like the Claymore) and so on. And he did spend 6 months in Iraq in a combat zone. Six months more than Walz ever did, by the way. He was not a combat soldier, as you well know. But during an insurgency everyone in the combat zone is at risk.

Actually, the BS is Walz' false and inaccurate characterization of his Guard service, from the day he quit to the present. He has constantly inflated (to be charitable) his achievements and activities. He has let others inflate it as well, without correcting them. Where is the BS in Walz quitting before a major deployment, and before his enlistment contract was finished? Or his conduct afterwards?

Why is it relevant? AFAIK, Marine basic training includes basic safety and handling of explosives, from grenades to land mines to Claymores. Also extensive weapons training, to a higher level than the regular Army or the Guard. Now, back to Walz and his decision to leave his unit in the lurch before a major deployment...

OK, enough of the b-b-but Trump. I played along a little, but enough. If you want to talk about Trump and the military, feel free to start your own discussion.

This matters why?

True, if he served 24 years in the regular Army. He didn't. He was National Guard- one weekend a month and summer training. Guardsmen also all keep their civilian jobs and civilian lives. He also committed to serving until 2007 when he signed a 6 year enlistment contract in 2001. He had the option to retire at that time, but did not.

Vance is not the topic. He was a Marine, served in Iraq, and actually completed his enlistment contract. Unlike Walz.

If you mean guys like Trump or Biden or Cheney or Clinton.... not a fan. But at least none of them lied about serving, or exaggerated what they did while in the military. They didn't abandon their unit when the going was getting tough, like Walz did.

Not if ABC is getting on the game it isn't. Like I said, guys who misrepresent their service is a sore point for me. If you don't care, feel free not to toss in your two bahts' worth.

No, it is republished from her blog at MSNBC. Written by the producer of the Rachel Maddow Show. Intentional bias? Yeah.

Numerous examples of Walz exaggerating, or not correcting people who spread inaccurate information about his service. For example, he was introduced on CSPAN as follows; "Enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17 and retired 24 years later as Command Sergeant Major," she said of Walz, "and served with his battalion in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan." Walz nodded in agreement at that statement, despite the fact that -- according to military records and his own admission -although he served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Italy, he never served in Afghanistan. The man BS's about his service for political gain. It's shameful. https://abcnews.go.com/US/walz-previously-faced-criticism-characterized-military-service-records/story?id=112833386

True. And he doesn't need to. Like many other countries, the popular vote has no meaning. Campaigns need to focus on the Electoral College. It was one of Hillary's biggest mistakes in 2016.

Based on? RCP is a poll aggregator so generally is fairly accurate.

Oh yeah, it's going to be interesting to see how the Democrats deal with the Hamas Wing of their own party. Also, will Joe Biden show up and attempt to speak?

Real Clear Politics has Harris up by 1% in the national average. Trump winning 5 of the 7 swing states, and up by 0.6% overall in them. Crucially, the vast majority of voters think the country is on the wrong track, 65-25%.

Ah yes, an OP citing the well known and non-partisan Maddow Blog... ...anything to deflect from an actual discussion of policy and positions on important issues.

True, but he dropped out a month ago.

And the first thing out of Mayor Pete's mouth is "b-b-but Trump!". Then Jesse Ventura says, "b-b-but Trump!". I notice that nobody in that clip actually served with Walz. Why is that? Nobody is disputing the 24 years that Walz put in. They ARE disputing the suspicious timing and reasoning for his abrupt departure. Whe he did not fulfil his 6 year commitment to the Guard. And his constant (not just one slip up, Mayor Pete) references to himself as a CSM and combat veteran. How about listening to those who actually knew Walz at that time- his unit chaplain, his CO, his immediate superior in the chain of command? They are all in agreement that Walz slunk away to avoid deployment overseaes. Pay attention to the first hand accounts, not the latecomers and political operators. ETA: the commentator also gets some very basic facts wrong. Calling Vance an "ivy league brat" when serving in the Marines. In fact, Vance enlisted after high school from 17 to 21 years old, completed his enlistment, then went to college. And then, inevitable, "b-b-but Trump" for most of his time. Give it a rest. Look at the facts and the eyewitness accounts.

But one of those things is a direct result of the other. Gaza would be untouched if Hamas and their Gazan supporters had not attacked Israel.