Brownback, during the audience Q&A portion of the debate, to a woman whose younger brother died in Iraq eight days before he was due to rotate home:
“Thank you for your family’s service, and what your brother did, that’s incredible, an incredible gift that he and your family have given us.”
Well, no, see, actually this man’s death was not an “incredible gift” to us, it was a tragic loss to his family, and the appropriate response is “I’m very sorry for your loss.” But to say that would be to acknowledge that there’s something to be sorry for when someone dies in Iraq, and no one on that stage can acknowledge that. So the deaths of our troops are now “incredible gifts.” And it’s Christmastime, every fucking day.