Virginia Democrat Suggests Veterans Are Unqualified to Serve In Congress

October 30, 2012 at 4:11 pm (Chris Perkins, Colonel Chris Perkins, Congress, Gerry Connolly, Green Beret, Veterans, Virginia)

A liberal Democrat from Virginia recently told a shocked audience that military veterans are not fit for duty when it comes to serving in Congress.  Gerry Connolly made the comment at a neighborhood civic association meeting.  (Video below)

His reasoning?  Their deployments (vets) prevent them from putting “sweat equity” into the districts they represent.

Connolly then went on to favorably compare his service to country by sitting on committees, while downplaying his opponent who is a veteran, stating that he wished his opponent would honor his service as a representative.

By comparison, Connolly’s opponent, Chris Perkins, is a green beret.

Via the Las Vegas TSG Business News:

Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11) shocked constituents by suggesting that military Veterans are unqualified to serve in Congress because their deployments prevent them from putting “sweat equity” into the districts they hope to serve in Congress.

Congressman Connolly is running against Colonel Chris Perkins, a retired officer who served most of his more than 24 years in uniform as an Army Green Beret deployed overseas. Connolly has repeatedly suggested that Perkins’ lack of local involvement because of his military career makes him unqualified to hold federal office.

In an October 22nd Washington Post interview, Connolly “dismisses Perkins as unqualified” for Congress, despite Colonel Perkins’ many leadership assignments that included command of a Special Forces Battalion of over six-hundred men, and numerous combat deployments.

While speaking to a local Chamber of Commerce a few weeks earlier, Connolly asked the audience, “Where has my opponent been” while Connolly served in local government for 16 years.

Days later at a neighborhood civic association, Congressman Connolly subsequently pressed his line of attack dismissing Colonel Perkins’ extensive military experience saying, “I expect a [Congressional] candidate to have demonstrated some sweat-equity” on local issues, ignoring the 24 years Colonel Perkins served as an Army Green Beret.


Permalink Leave a Comment