Colorado Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn told a group of conservative voters in Colorado Springs last week that he was encouraging military generals who disagree with President Barack Obama’s foreign policy to publicly resign in “a blaze of glory.”
The Colorado Springs Gazette has now published a video of the small gathering, in which an audience member can be heard encouraging Lamborn and other Republican congressmen to support U.S. soldiers “despite the fact that there is no leadership from the Muslim Brotherhood in the White House.”
Lamborn assures the crowd that he’s speaking with military leaders “behind the scenes” to publicize their displeasure at Obama’s approach to the military.
“You know what, I can’t add anything to that,” he said. “But do let me reassure you on this: 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. Let’s have a public resignation and state your protest and go out in a blaze of glory.’ And I haven’t seen that very much. I haven’t seen that in years.”
Lamborn told the Gazette that he’s not organizing a coordinated effort or even referring to current events. He told the paper that he’s heard private complaints from military brass over the years on everything from budget cuts to ending the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for homosexuals.
“We would say if you want to make your displeasure known, go public with this and if that means resigning, do it,” Lamborn told the Gazette.
Lamborn’s comments have given ammunition to his political opponent, Democrat and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Irv Halter, who accused Lamborn of politicizing the military.
“When I joined the Air Force, I swore an oath to execute policy, not make policy,” Halter told the Gazette. “All of our service members take seriously their obligation to serve our nation honorably and follow the chain of command. Our elected officials should not be encouraging our military leaders to resign when they have a disagreement over policy.”
Another general contacted by the paper, Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Terrance McWilliams, said military leaders have ample opportunity to address concerns facing the military when addressing Congress. Generals have used those occasions to address the gripes Lamborn said he’s heard from top commanders.
“If we have an elected official going to current, sitting active-duty generals, officers or military leaders, trying to encourage them to resign, I have issues with that,” he told the paper. “It’s unethical.”
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