Whether we like or not, we are in a war. Granted, it's a war in the air and not on the ground, but it's a war nevertheless.
In times of war it's perfectly fine to protest it, refuse to support it, vote against it, and speak out against it. But it is not perfectly fine to be an elected representative encouraging active-duty generals to resign to undermine the President's foreign policy. That's what Doug Lamborn claims he and others are doing:
"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,'" Lamborn said Tuesday, adding that if generals resigned en masse in protest of President Barack Obama's Middle East policy, they would "go out in a blaze of glory."
As Steve Benen notes, he might be talking smack, or he might not be. And if he isn't, then there's a real problem.
But if Lamborn was serious, and a member of the House Armed Services Committee actually met “behind the scenes” with U.S. military generals, suggesting they should resign in order to undermine U.S. foreign policy during a war, that’s … a little crazy.
It’s not exactly clear from local reports what it is about Obama’s foreign policy that Lamborn doesn’t like, but under the circumstances, it doesn’t much matter. If a member of Congress has concerns about a president’s approach to international affairs, he or she has a variety of options, including introducing legislation limiting the scope of the administration’s policy.
The options do not include – or more to the point, the options aren’t supposed to include – meeting privately with generals, during a war, to urge them to “go out in a blaze of glory.”
Indeed, because that would be full-scale treason, which those same insurrectionists like Lamborn and whatever crew he's hanging out with hope would result in a coup or utter failure of our foreign policy in the Middle East. Which would, in turn, lead to more deaths of Americans here and abroad.
I don't have to like or support the actions in Syria to know this is treasonous talk, if it did in fact take place.
And if it didn't, I hope Lamborn's opponent -- who happens to be a retired General, by the way -- causes Lamborn to be sent into mandatory retirement on November 5th.
Enough of this. We have watched these seditious, treasonous, billionaire-loving jerks long enough. It's time for action now.
Update: Allen West is also out there calling for the military to disobey their Commander-in-Chief.
[Corrected Rep. Lamborn's first name from Steve to Doug]
