BOOMER CHICKENHAWKS AREN'T GOING TO STOP PLAYING THE VIETNAM CARD

William Kristol in today's New York Times:

....Obama chose to present his flag-pin removal as a principled gesture. "You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin. Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq war, that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest."

... It's fitting that the alternative to Obama will be John McCain ... his patriotism has consisted of deeds more challenging than "speaking out on issues."

William Kristol turned 18 on December 23, 1970. That year there were more than 300,000 U.S. servicemembers in Vietnam and nearly 10,000 were killed. A total of 162,746 Americans were drafted in 1970, and 94,092 the following year.

Needless to say, William Kristol, who now uses John McCain's military service as a stick with which to beat Barack Obama, avoided service in Vietnam.

And it's hard to think of anything William Kristol has done in his adult life that doesn't fall under the rubric "speaking out on issues." Pot, meet kettle.

Saigon fell on April 30, 1975. Barack Obama was 13 years old at the time.