Texas Gov. and presidential aspirant Rick Perry believes the Obama administration is using "over-the-top rhetoric" and shows "disdain for the military" in its handling of the Marines videotaped urinating on dead fighters in Afghanistan.
Speaking to CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley Sunday, Perry said, "What's really disturbing to me is the over-the-top rhetoric from this administration and their disdain for the military."
"When you're 18 or 19, you do dumb things. These kids made a mistake, there's not any doubt about it," Perry continued.
He added that those involved in the incident should be "appropriately punished," but that charging the Marines with a criminal act is "over the top." He maintained that the soldiers were following in the tradition of Gen. George Patton, who he said acted similarly in war times.
Now that's the kind of Commander in Chief we've been waiting for: the kind who says that urinating on corpses is a part of the great American military tradition.(Just don't do it on an American flag or you'll regret it.)
I'm not surprised that this is Perry's strategy in South Carolina.Only a few years ago it would have been a huge winner there. It's a testament to changing times (and Perry's remarkable inability to appeal to anyone but bloggers at Red State) that it's not working. Standing up for crude martial violence is usually quite successful in that state, but it doesn't appear to be working. Baby steps?