Barack Obama RIPPED By Bayonet Co. "We're Still Relevant!!!"

tmz.com ^ | 10/23/12

[Justaham]

President Barack Obama has offended the bayonet community ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ spoke with multiple people in the bayonet industry who tell us they were shocked and even offended when Obama brought up the weapon during last night's debate.

FYI -- Obama was going after Romney when he said, "You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military's changed."

According to the official U.S. Marine Corps website, every Marine is STILL required to complete a bayonet training program ... because "the weapon becomes just as effective [as a rifle] in close combat situations."

We spoke with Dan Riker from Bayonet Inc. -- a leading military surplus outlet that specializes in bayonets -- who tells us he believes Obama's comment was "ignorant ... because our soldiers still use bayonets."

He adds, “[Bayonets] are still distributed to the military all the time -- he should get educated on it”

For the record, Riker says he won't be voting for Obama ... "and I didn't vote for him last election either."

[GraceG]

Someone needs to make a chair using bayonets as the legs and welded together horseshoes as the back of it...

[Goldsborough]

I wonder how many times we need to go through fleet drawdowns and fleet build ups to get to the point of understanding that a stable and capable naval force in peacetime ensures the very maritime peace we seek to keep.

Yes, the current wars are in navally insignificant Iraq and landlocked Afghanistan, but the maritime threat is the same as it has been since the end of the Cold War, the burgeoning naval power of China, and its threat to what used to generally be called Taiwan, before the cowards in DC began referring to it as Chinese Taipei.

Now, the Chinese Navy seeks to become THE hegemonic maritime power in the Western Pacific and has already rattled its sabers at the PI, Japan, Taiwan, and India. By backing NK, they have also indirectly threatened S, Korea.

Supporting naval power sufficient to the task is an essential guarantee to our allies in the region. 316 ships, at the operational tempo they are asked to operate at, especially with an oversized fraction of our naval power located rather foolishly on the Eastern Seaboard as some sort of welfare project, isn't getting the geopolitical task done.

The fallacy of government planners is always taking the current conflicts to be the future of conflict. With China practicing shooting down satellites and practicing submarine warfare against our carriers, the future of naval conflict, if anything, looks more dangerous and complex than it ever was. However, the CINC apparently thinks we need more Kerrys on Swiftboats, and more frogmen even if they can't make them very fast without lowering standards, and fewer advanced warships and submarines, which could actually keep China's territorial ambitions in check.

[ExCTCitizen]

According to the official U.S. Marine Corps website, every Marine is STILL required to complete a bayonet training program ... because "the weapon becomes just as effective [as a rifle] in close combat situations."

Jeez and this NUTCASE we have as a C-in-C doesn't know that?

The 'USS BARRY SOTO Obama' should be a GARBAGE BARGE for the MILITARY!!! It would be Fitting!!

jeez, remember when we had a REAL DEMOCRAT Presidebnt who was in the MILITARY... Jimmy Carter....(Not the worst president ever...thanks to the KENYAN.)

[ansel12]

The Army still trains some troops in the use of horses, such as some units received/receive before deploying to Afghanistan.

Some troops still carry and fight with tomahawks, I think there have been at least 2 cases where tomahawks were used in hand to hand.

[Rappini]

I just had a horrendous thought, when Barry Hussein Soetoro finally buys the farm he will be buried in Arlington Cemetery. Maybe we should submit a proposal to Congress to have everyone else moved, or put him somewhere else.

[castlegreyskull]

I thought he would like the idea of the military using horses and other livestock as part of the green initiative he is trying to implement on the military. /S

[NCC-1701]

Did anyone notice Zero called a submarine a ship? A sub is a boat and carriers, destroyers, etc are ships. Bet a lot of submariners caught that incorrect terminology.

[COBOL2Java]

I would have thought a bayonet, not a fist. ;-)

That too! You'd be awestruck at how seriously the Old Guard soldiers take their sacred duty to the honored dead. I can tell you my Son-in-Law's buddies have some choice words for you-know-who.

[trebb]

I think Obama’s a tool for that but his point is still valid. Romney is using a date that reflects a VERY different time of war strategy with our fleet. I agree, though, that Obama showed his own cluelessness but the lazy voter will see Obama’s point more than Romney’s in that sound bite. Remember, our culture is all about soundbites and Obama bit him on that one for the shallow voter.

The shallow voter is already in Zero's camp; it's the not-so-shallow voter that will see the inanity of using a one-liner to try to make fun of a comment that started with, "the Navy says it needs 313 ships to accomplish its mission, we now have 280 and it may drop to 200 with sequestration". Zero's quip was both irrelevant and made light of a serious topic - the Navy says it is unable to fulfill its commitments with curent numbers and the numbers are fixing to head south in a big way. Obam's reply made as much sense as telling us we could save as much oil as he was stopping us from producing by airing up our tires and tuning our cars..

[CrazyIvan]

Keep in mind that the only dem with any submarine experience was Ted Kennedy.

[knittnmom]

I’ve been to a couple of funerals that had military presence - one Army, one Navy. Good men, every one.

[TADSLOS]

Yes, tactical tomahawks are standard issue with infantry and special operators. Tomahawks are a versatile tool and, of course, a deadly close combat weapon when used in properly trained hands.

[smith288]

The shallow voter is already in Zero's camp;

That's false. There is plenty of uninformed voters out there who are naturally lean to the right due to family, workplace, friends....

To claim ignorance is only on the left is folly. If an uninformed right leaning voter hears that soundbite, it may effect them if they aren't as engaged in Obama's past, policies, motives etc etc etc.

[ansel12]

I knew privately owned tomahawks were allowed and have been in continuous use in the army, but I didn’t know that they were available as standard issue.

As someone who never even got to see the Airborne switchblade that was always claimed to exist, and was supposedly ready to be issued at some mysterious point, do you have any links to mention of tomahawks as being formally issued?

[I still care]

My impression was TMZ leans quite left. Notice they have been coming out with more Romney sentiments lately - wonder if they are changing a few minds there?

[TADSLOS]

Army ATCV Rapid Fielding Initiative

Army Magazine Article

[Sherman Logan]

Let’s try to be fair to the C in C.

In our Civil War, in which there were a fair number of actual massed bayonet charges, out of every 1000 men killed or wounded, 4 suffered injury from a bayonet thrust.

I would assume the numbers have gone way down since then.

So while bayonets may still be around and issued to soldiers, they are apparently very seldom used.

[ansel12]

Thanks, now that I see the word breaching, I recall that I had read about this before but it didn’t really soak in as a formal issuing of the tomahawk until seeing it in the context of today’s discussion.

I won’t forget it this time, the United States Army issues fighting tomahawks.

[matginzac]

Oh har har...!
Funny....

[Army Air Corps]

Yes, and all of Admiral Ted's crew perished in the maiden voyage of USS Oldsmobile.