Campaign

GOP Candidates Address National Security

At veteran’s issues forum in Des Moines, Iowa.

Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry all addressed a veterans’ issues in Des Moines, hours before a GOP debate is scheduled to take place in Iowa. Gingrich indicated that the U.S. needs to take the nuclear threat more seriously. He said, “We could lose an American city. As bad as 9/11 was, it was tiny compared to what could happen if terrorists get nuclear weapons. We need to have a seriousness about national security which we don’t have today in this country.” While Santorum addressed the issue of torture, saying, “I don’t think we torture our men and women in uniform, because our men and women in uniform are water-boarded. To suggest the United States in deliberately tortures our people…well, I just don’t believe we would do that.” Michele Bachmann was also scheduled to take part but dropped out to focus on her debate prep.