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OPINION by Don Bendell

A MATTER OF SELF-PRESERVATION

            Figuring out which candidate to support for President is a bit like sleeping with an elephant. Although a unique and different experience, it is nonetheless a bit unsettling. There is one thing I know that some with their heads in the clouds don’t; Our country is facing a grave danger right now, and the one elected must clearly understand the need for a powerful national defense posture.

I read an article by Fred Barnes in the WEEKLY STANDARD in which he said that the republican nomination, regardless of Iowa and a few other primary states, will ultimately be a two-man race simply because of economics, Romney and Giuliani. Winning Florida, for example, requires lots of TV ads which will cost lots and lots of money.

            Then, a close friend sent me an incredible email. My friend, retired US Army Special Forces Command Sergeant Major Billy Waugh is a legend with the CIA and the USASF, personally tracked down and captured the infamous Carlos the Jackal, has been face-to-face with Usama bin Laden 4 times, and served in a special operations capacity in 55 different countries, including 7 and a half years in Vietnam’s top secret MAC-V/SOG project. Like E.F. Hutton, on such matters, “when Billy Waugh speaks, people listen.”

            Billy sent me several links showing that Mitt Romney, unlike any other politician, really “gets it” about the mission and role of the US Army Special Forces.  Unlike the Rambo films, the main mission of the Green Berets (Special Forces) is to infiltrate behind enemy lines and train and equip the indigenous people in foreign lands so they can fight their own wars, so American soldiers do not have to. Romney plans to not only expand the role of the US Army Special Forces but wants to create what he calls a Special Partnership Force which is “Focused on locally-targeted efforts to win support in the community while identifying, isolating and eliminating terrorist elements, highly integrated and able to mobilize all elements of national power, including humanitarian and development assistance and rule of law capacity building, and closely coordinated in partnership with local governments.” And it contains other elements that really make sense.

Romney’s website shows these tenets, as well as a well-planned commitment to significantly strengthen our military.  In his printed statements and his website, Romney has said, “The Clinton Administration also devastated our military capabilities and left us dangerously unprepared.  Today we need to add at least 100,000 more troops and commit to spending at least 4% of our Gross Domestic Product to the defense of our country.  Promises to support our troops mean little without devoting the resources needed for the equipment, modernization, training, and health care that is critical to our military and their families.”

Calling on advisors such as former CIA anti-terrorism brain Cofer Black, Mitt Romney has consulted, on his own and through advisors like Black, with the real experts such as the legendary Billy Waugh and several former Special Forces commanding generals and others Specops flag officers to learn what really needs to be done to win the Global War on Terrorism and prevent any more 9-11’s from coming to our shores.

Mitt Romney with his bearing and demeanor in the Iowa Republican Presidential Candidate debate on December 12^th, showed that he is a man who has carefully researched and understands the issues, and clearly understands that one of the keys to unlock the mysteries of winning against the radical Islamists is the time-tested, combat-proven US Army Special Forces.

            It is critically important that Republicans nominate a man who can actually win the national election and Mitt Romney has really thought this out, walks-the-walk, and has the money behind him to beat Hillary Clinton, who I believe will be the democratic candidate and has tons of money behind her. It is more important to back who can win than who we like the most. This is the real world, not Hollywierd. Mitt Romney has the dollars and makes sense.

Don Bendell, 60, is an author of 25 books with over 1,500,00 copies in print worldwide. A 1995 inductee into the International Karate Hall of Fame, he and his wife also own karate schools in Colorado. An 80% disabled vet, Don served as an officer in 4 Special Forces Groups, including a 1968-1969 tour on an A-team in Vietnam as well as in the Top Secret Phoenix Program.. He has appeared on FOX NEWS LIVE and many national radio shows and his editorials have been published all over the world. He lives in Florence, Colorado. Write him at don@donbendell.com .