I am not overly enthused by the Democrats these days (that line "hunt them down and kill them" is a bit too much Starship Troopers' Bug Hunt), but I have nothing other than contempt for those people who call themselves Republicans but have no respect for the individual rights of anyone other than their pals, and are in fact not Republicans at all but American National Socialist Theocratic Camo Queen Blood-Simple Flag-Waving Control Freaks who challenge the patriotism of anyone who questions their policies.

So it was amusing to receive this list from a friend's cousin Paul listing which Republicans, which Democrats, and which Talking Heads served in the military and which were Rec Room Patriots who were just too goddamn precious to fulfill an obligation of citizenship.

Republicans

* Dennis Hastert: did not serve.

* Tom Delay: did not serve.

* House Whiip Roy Blunt: did not serve.

* Bill Frist: did not serve.

* Rudy Giuliani: did not serve.

* George Pataki: did not serve.

* Mitch McConnell: did not serve.

* Rick Santorum: did not serve.

* Trent Lott: did not serve.

* Dick Cheney: did not serve. Had "other priorities." Several

deferments, the last for wife's pregnancy.

* John Ashcroft: did not serve. Seven deferments to teach business.

* Jeb Bush: did not serve.

* Karl Rove: did not serve.

* Saxby Chambliss: did not serve. "Bad knee." (He's the man who got elected by questioning triple amputee Vietnam vet Max Cleland's patriotism.)

* Paul Wolfowitz: did not serve.

* Vin Weber: did not serve.

* Richard Perle: did not serve.

* Douglas Feith: did not serve.

* Eliot Abrams: did not serve.

* Richard Shelby: did not serve.

* Jon Kyl: did not serve.

* Tim Hutchison: did not serve.

* Christopher Cox: did not serve.

* Newt Gingrich: did not serve.

* Donald Rumsfeld: served in Navy (1954-57) as aviator

* George W. Bush: six-year Air Nat'l Guard commitment (in four years)

* Ronald Reagan: made war propaganda movies.

* Gerald Ford: Navy, WWII

* Phil Gramm: did not serve.

* John McCain: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit,
Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

* Bob Dole: Army officer WWII.

* Chuck Hagel: two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam.

* Duke Cunningham: Navy Cross, Silver Stars, Air Medals, Purple Hearts.

* Jeff Sessions: Army Reserves, 1973-1986

* JC Watts: did not serve.

* Lindsey Graham: National Guard lawyer.

* G.H.W. Bush: Pilot in WWII. Shot down by the Japanese.

* Tom Ridge: Bronze Star for Valor in Vietnam.

* Antonin Scalia: did not serve.

* Clarence Thomas: did not serve

Pundits & Preachers

* Sean Hannity: did not serve.

* Rush Limbaugh: did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst.')

* Bill O'Reilly: did not serve.

* Michael Savage: did not serve.

* George Will: did not serve.

* Chris Matthews: did not serve.

* Paul Gigot: did not serve.

* Bill Bennett: did not serve.

* Pat Buchanan: did not serve.

* Bill Kristol: did not serve.

* Kenneth Starr: did not serve.

* Michael Medved: did not serve.

Democrats

* Richard Gephardt: Air National Guard, 1965-71.

* David Bonior: Staff Sgt., Air Force 1968-72.

* Tom Daschle: 1st Lt., Air Force SAC 1969-72.

* Al Gore: enlisted Aug. 1969;army journalist in Vietnam

* Bob Kerrey: Lt. j.g. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam.

* Daniel Inouye: Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, WWII.

* John Kerry: Lt., Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with
Combat V Purple Hearts.

* John Edwards: did not serve.

* Charles Rangel: Staff Sgt., Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea.

* Max Cleland: Captain, Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star,Vietnam.

* Ted Kennedy: Army, 1951-1953.

* Tom Harkin: Lt., Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.

* Jack Reed: Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91.

* Fritz Hollings: Army officer in WWII, Bronze Star, seven campaign ribbons.

* Leonard Boswell: Lt. Col., Army 1956-76; Vietnam, DFCs,
Bronze Stars, and Soldier's Medal.

* Pete Peterson: Air Force Captain, POW. Purple Heart,
Silver Star and Legion of Merit.

* Mike Thompson: Staff sergeant, 173rd Airborne, Purple Heart.

* Bill McBride: Candidate for Fla. Governor. USMC Vietnam;
Bronze Star with Combat V.

* Gray Davis: Army Captain in Vietnam, Bronze Star.

* Pete Stark: Air Force 1955-57

* Chuck Robb: Vietnam

* Howell Heflin: Silver Star

* George McGovern: WWII Bomber pilot, Silver Star & DFC

* Bill Clinton: Avoided service with student deferments.
Entered draft lottery but received a safe number 311.

* Jimmy Carter: Annapolis grad. Seven years in the Navy.

* Walter Mondale: Army 1951-1953

* John Glenn: WWII and Korea; six DFCs and Air Medal with 18 Clusters.

* Tom Lantos: WWII, Hungarian underground, saved by Raoul Wallenberg.

* Wesley Clark: U.S. Army, 1966-2000, West Point, Vietnam,
Purple Heart, Silver Star. Retired 4-star general.

* John Dingell: WWII vet

* John Conyers: Army 1950-57, Korea