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Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) on Thursday asserted that the U.S. war in "Vietnam was winnable, but people in Washington decided we would not win it!"

"One of the things that we've heard over and over again since Vietnam is, you know, we don't want to get in another un-winnable war like Vietnam," Gohmert told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). "I'm not going to debate the merits of whether we should or should not have gone to Vietnam, but what I will tell you is, Vietnam was winnable, but people in Washington decided we would not win it!"

"Folks, when you hear people talk about the lesson of Vietnam, it ought to be this: You don't send American men or women to to harm's way unless you're going to give them the authority and what they need to win and then bring them home!"

The Texas Republican went on to suggest that former President Jimmy Carter should have gone to war with Iran in 1979.

"When our embassy was attacked, it was an act of war in 1979," he explained. "Nobody really wanted to go, but we had been attacked. We expected the United States to respond."

"And I still believe today, we have Americans dying for our country because we did not send a message in 1979. You don't attack American soil, and that's what an embassy is. We should stand up. There is a time for war! There's a time for peace. But if you go to war, you better mean it."

I guess Ted Nugent is itching to get himself another visit from the Secret Service:

Nugent At Gun Industry Trade Show: "If You Want Another Concord Bridge, I've Got Some Buddies":

National Rifle Association board member and Washington Times columnist Ted Nugent alluded to the start of the American Revolution in an interview with Guns.com during the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show, claiming that the Obama administration "is attempting to re-implement the tyranny of King George" and that "if you want another Concord Bridge, I got some buddies."

NUGENT: I'm part of a very great experiment in self-government where we the people determine our own pursuit of happiness and our own individual freedom and liberty not to be confused with the Barack Obama gang who believes in we the sheeple and actually is attempting to re-implement the tyranny of King George that we escaped from in 1776. And if you want another Concord Bridge, I got some buddies.

And here's more with Nugent attacking President Obama.

NUGENT: But here is what is wrong with America today. We have a president, and everybody better write this down, and memorize this. The president of the United States goes to the Vietnam Memorial Wall and pretends to honor 58,000 American heroes who died fighting communism and then he hires, appoints and associates with communists. He pretends to pay honor to men who died fighting communism, and then he hangs out with, hires and appoints communists. He is an evil dangerous man who hates America and hates freedom. And we need to fix this as soon as possible.

What a guy. From the man who was spending his time out there chasing after underage girls and crapping his pants to avoid the draft in Vietnam.

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Fox News on Tuesday aired a discredited "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ad in response to reports that Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) was being considered as the next secretary of defense.

"This would be a remarkable brute insult to the men and women in uniform," Fox News strategic analyst Ralph Peters told host Megyn Kelly in reaction to a Monday Washington Post report that President Barack Obama was considering Kerry to replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. "To nominate for secretary of defense a man who made his military career trashing our military, criticizing it, who told lies about war crimes in Vietnam... and I don't want to hear, 'John Kerry's a combat veteran.' So is Benedict Arnold."

"Are you out of your mind?" shot back Michael Meehan, who served as senior communications advisor to Senator John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign. "John Kerry got the Silver Star for his service in Vietnam. He went twice -- signed up, volunteered twice to serve in the war. This is not about running for president and 'Swiftboating' people."

Without noting that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads were misleading, Kelly played a portion the commercial that was used to undermine Kerry's military credibility during the 2004 campaign.

"It was remarkable that veterans came out so vigorously against him because I'll tell you, vets stick together," Peters opined. "And for them to criticized John Kerry as vociferously and specifically as they did tells you a lot."

"That ad was taken out of context," Meehan disagreed. "He was reading a report about what was happening in war and war is not pretty. It's unfair to sort of rerun that and say it's all the truth without pushing back that he was at that testimony in the 70s, he was reading what others were writing about what was happening in war. So, I don't find that to be a fair charge."

Peters, however, insisted that Kerry had "never been interested in our military except to trash it. So please, don't insult our troops, don't nominate this guy for secretary of defense."

In 2006, Steve Hayes, an early member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, broke with the group and lamented twisting Kerry's record.

"The mantra was just 'We want to set the record straight,'" Hayes said a the time. "It became clear to me that it was morphing from an organization to set the record straight into a highly political vendetta. They knew it was not the truth."

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I would have loved for someone to have asked why dodging the Vietnam draft as a missionary in France is in any way, shape or form something that qualifies as foreign policy credentials, but sadly, neither the host Candy Crowley or the other guest, Bill Richardson said a word about it to Newt Gingrich when he made these remarks.

Gingrich Makes Case For Romney On Foreign Policy:

Newt Gingrich outlined Mitt Romney's credentials on foreign policy in an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, ahead of Monday's final presidential debate on foreign policy.

Gingrich mentioned Romney's time spent abroad as a missionary, his work at Bain Capital which was an international company, his dabbling in foreign policy as the governor of Massachusetts, and finally his work with other nations while running the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Gingrich also took aim at Obama's foreign policy, which he said was falling apart in the Middle East.

No one bothered to point out that Romney has surrounded himself with George W. Bush's foreign policy team and what that might mean for us if we're unfortunate enough to see him elected either.

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The wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Thursday said that her husband and sons had not joined the U.S. military but had found "different ways of serving" by going on religious missions as part of their obligation to the Mormon church.

During an interview on ABC's The View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked Ann Romney how she would explain to the families of fallen soldiers why her husband and sons had not served their country.

"When I read about your husband, what I had read -- and maybe you can correct this -- is that the reason he didn't serve in Vietnam was because it was against the religion," Goldberg said.

"That's not correct," Ann Romney insisted. "He was serving his mission, and my five sons have also served missions. None served in the military, but I do have one son that feels that he's giving back to his country in a significant way where he is now a doctor and he is taking care of veterans."

"So, you know, we find different ways of serving," she added. "And my husband and my five boys did serve missions, did not serve in the military."

The candidate's wife explained that Mormon missions were like military service in that "you're going outside of yourself, you're working and you're helping others. And it changes you. And are we so grateful in this country for those people -- men and women -- that are volunteering, they're sacrificing their life for us, and we cannot forget that or we have to acknowledge that always."

"So, when you're facing these mothers whose children have not come back, how will you explain to them that your sons haven't gone?" Goldberg pressed. "Will you talk about the missions they've gone on?"

"I would say it's probably the hardest thing that a president and a first lady probably do is to comfort those that have lost a love one and have gone in harm's way," Ann Romney replied, not directly answering the question. "It is an amazing country, we have the most extraordinary fighting men and women, and we have to be so grateful for them. Of course, it's hard, and I don't think that any of us can understand the sacrifice that are being made by families."

Mitt Romney announced earlier this week that he had canceled his Thursday appearance on The View due to "scheduling problems."

In a secretly-recorded video released by Mother Jones last month, the former Massachusetts governor told wealthy donors that going on The View was a “high-risk” proposition because the “sharp-tongued” co-hosts were not conservative enough.

“Apparently the idea of sitting next to Whoopi Goldberg was just a little too intimidating,” media critic Howard Kurtz told Daily Download founder Lauren Ashburn. “Doesn’t this make Romney look like he’s avoiding a confrontation with the ladies of The View? He said he would go.”

“It opens him up to the argument that, how is he going to negotiate with Vladimir Putin if he’s afraid of sitting down with Whoopi Goldberg?” Kurtz continued. “When he agreed to go on, he was down in the polls. And now: Bye, bye, Barbara.”

(h/t: Mediaite)

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Lawrence O'Donnell skewered Mitt Romney for his time writing love letters in the sand to Ann on the beach in France during the Vietnam war, and for being one of the few people out there to actually protest in favor of that war, while simultaneously getting draft deferments.

And he wrapped things up with Sen. Jim Webb who while introducing President Obama at a campaign event in Virginia, reminded Mitt Romney of just who that 47 percent he was talking about that fundraiser includes and what they're owed -- Webb to Romney: A ‘thanks’ would have been nice:

Introducing President Obama in Virginia Beach, retiring Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), condemned Mitt Romney for failing to mention veterans or the military in his GOP convention speech.

The omission was all the more damning, Webb suggested, because Romney is of an age where he might have served in Vietnam but did not.

“If nothing else, at least mention some word of thanks and respect when a presidential candidate who is their generational peer makes a speech,” said Webb, a former Navy secretary and decorated Marine who served in Vietnam. Romney was exempted from the draft, first as a student and then as a missionary.

“This was a time when every American male was eligible to be drafted. People made choices,” Webb said. “Those among us who stepped forward to face the harsh unknowns did so with the belief that their service would be honored.”

Webb also tied in Romney’s much criticized remark that 47 percent of Americans believe they are “victims” who feel entitled to federal handouts, saying some of those benefits go to veterans.

“Those young Marines that I led have grown older now. All gave some. Some gave all. That’s not a culture of dependency,” he said. ”They paid. Some with their lives, some with their wounds, disabilities. Some with emotional scars. Some with lost opportunities. Not only did they pay, they are owed. They are owed.”

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Lawrence O'Donnell gives us “Another Episode of When Republican Draft Dodgers Run for President”

After taking a shot at Mitt Romney last week for his “evolving” comments on the Vietnam war, O'Donnell took another bite at the apple with Romney's supposed support for the war while obtaining one deferment after the other to avoid actually serving there. This week it was for “utter, nonsensical, gibberish we heard from Romney while out on the campaign trail in Ohio.

ROMNEY: I noticed there weren't as many second World War vets as there used to be at memorial days when I was younger and they're a little older. They can't hold the torch quite as high as they used to. That torch is now going to have be seized by us, by our generations. It's a torch of freedom and hope and opportunity. It's not America 's torch. But it's America 's duty and honor to hold that torch high so it can be seen by the world.

Lawrence O'Donnell took Mitt Romney to task for his evolving comments on the Vietnam War and his deferments that he could have easily turned down if he was ever serious about his statements that he felt the need to serve there.

O'Donnell also laid out a stark contrast between someone like boxer Muhammad Ali and his principled stance against the war and refusing to serve there, and Romney who was more than willing to support it as long as it meant someone besides himself being the one to go over there and put their life at risk by joining the military.

Since Romney thinks it's a good idea to bring in a bunch of war mongering former Bushies to serve as his foreign policy advisers who may very well want to get us into yet more conflicts in Iran and who knows where else, I'd be glad to see more segments like this calling him out for being more than willing to send others off to die, whether it was those who served in Vietnam instead of him ages ago, or those who might serve now if he's going to push for more military interventions, and being held to accountable for those stances.

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As Rachel Maddow noted, with the recall election in Wisconsin this Tuesday, this story fell off of the radar and wasn't covered by much of the media, but hopefully that will change soon. After the swift-boating of John Kerry, the ousting of Dan Rather after he reported on George W. Bush and how he managed to avoid combat service in Vietnam and John McCain running on his military record and making it central to his campaign, Maddow wondered if the press will pay similar attention to Romney's revolving stories about his draft deferments and his claims that he actually desired to serve in combat in Vietnam.

We can add this to the long list of lies and flip flops that Romney has been telling since running for various political offices and as Maddow rightfully pointed out, I guess we'll find out before long which version of the story Romney is going to settle on during this presidential campaign.

Mitt Romney Faces New Scrutiny Over Vietnam War-Era Draft Deferments:

On a stage crowded with war heroes, Mitt Romney recently praised the sacrifice "of the great men and women of every generation who serve in our armed services."

It is a sacrifice the Republican presidential candidate did not make.

Though an early supporter of the Vietnam War, Romney avoided military service at the height of the fighting after high school by seeking and receiving four draft deferments, according to Selective Service records. They included college deferments and a 31-month stretch as a "minister of religion" in France, a classification for Mormon missionaries that the church at the time feared was being overused. The country was cutting troop levels by the time he became eligible for the draft, and his lottery number was not called.

President Barack Obama, Romney's opponent in this year's campaign, did not serve in the military either. The Democrat, 50, was a child during the Vietnam conflict and did not enlist when he was older.

But because Romney, now 65, was of draft age during Vietnam, his military background – or, rather, his lack of one – is facing new scrutiny as he courts veterans and makes his case to the nation to be commander in chief. He's also intensified his criticism lately of Obama's plans to scale back the nation's military commitments abroad, suggesting that Romney would pursue an aggressive foreign policy as president that could involve U.S. troops.

A look at Romney's relationship with Vietnam offers a window into a 1960s world that allowed him to avoid combat as fighting peaked. His story also demonstrates his commitment to the Mormon Church, which he rarely discusses publicly but which helped shape his life.

Romney's recollection of his Vietnam-era decisions has evolved in the decades since, particularly as his presidential ambitions became clear. Read on...

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It appears Ted Nugent's violent rhetoric at the NRA convention over the weekend may not be the only problem facing the Romney campaign with their acceptance of his endorsement. Jason Easley at Politicus USA reports that Nugent apparently had a penchant for messing around with underage teenage girls when he was in his thirties and out on the road touring.

The term "pedophile" is not technically correct for what Ted Nugent was doing, but it doesn't make it any less disgusting that the man was out there talking the parents of teenage girls into allowing him to have sex with their underage daughters.

Here's more from their post -- Is Mitt Romney Aware That Ted Nugent Is a Self-Admitted Pedophile?:

Mitt Romney’s Ted Nugent problems are much worse than the rocker’s threats against President Obama. Romney’s real issue is that he has accepted the endorsement of an admitted pedophile.

The Romney campaign reacted to Nugent’s comments tepidly, “Divisive language is offensive no matter what side of the political aisle it comes from. Mitt Romney believes everyone needs to be civil.” What Mitt Romney didn’t do was distance himself from Ted Nugent, or else he risks alienating the fringe right that he is still oh so desperately trying to court.

Romney’s Ted Nugent problem is about to get a whole lot worse if the mainstream media ever decides to report that Mittens has not rebuked a self-admitted pedophile. In a 1998 episode of VH1’s Behind The Music, Ted Nugent admitted to being a serial pedophile. VH1 politely phrased this as, “his weakness for young women.”

Lawrence O'Donnell went after Nugent for his draft dodging during Vietnam tonight, but he didn't mention this. I wonder if Romney is still going want Nugent's endorsement if the media picks up on this story as well. Given Nugent's history of violent rhetoric, you've got to wonder why Romney thought chasing after this guy for an endorsement was a good idea in the first place. Now we can add bragging about potential serial statutory rape, depending on just how young and what states these girls lived in, to the list of why his campaign should not have touched Nugent with a ten foot pole.