Romney Went to France to Dodge the Draft

An interesting bit of background information on GOP hopeful Mitt Romney:  according to the Boston Globe, Mitt Romney has said he "longed" to fight in Vietnam and was "frustrat[ed]" by the fact that he was never drafted.  

Aside from the obvious flaw in this complaint -- the services all accepted volunteers, and there was no need to wait for the draft board to make its call -- the Globe reports that Romney obtained a draft deferment as a Mormon "minister of religion," and that he relied on that deferment to avoid the draft during the height of the Vietnam war.

Rather than take his chances in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Little Mitt went to France.

Most young Mormon men serve a two-year "mission" proselytizing on behalf of their faith.  Romney avoided the draft not just for the length of his mission -- he also managed an extra half-year exemption.  During the bloody months from July 1966 through February 1969, Romney was off limits to the Army.  In fact, according to the Globe, Romney wasn't considered "available for military service" for nearly two more years, until December 1970.  Not a bad outcome for the son of a powerful GOP politician.

By then, of course, the United States was drawing down its ground forces, and Romney won a high draft number.  Despite his professed eagerness to fight for his country, Romney wasn't drafted, and never found it in himself to volunteer.  

Now, of course, Romney claims his faith is off-limits to political discussion, even as he cheerleads for a war very much like the one his religion gave him an excuse to avoid.  "Double Gitmo" Mitt even manages to bluster about how he would have served, if he'd just been drafted, all the while knowing full well there was no chance of that happening until after most of the fighting was over.

Once again, the familiar right-wing paradigm asserts itself: pain and suffering are for the children of the little people.  If you're rich, if you're powerful, if you're above all Republican, you can stay safe at home, or head off to spend some time with the French, while your countrymen are dying in your place.