Photo of Romney protesting in favor of the Vietnam War he eventually dodged with 4 draft deferments

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/06/06/12085094-the-war-romney-longed-for

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Romney in 1965, seen on the far right, protesting in support of the Vietnam War.

The war Romney 'longed' for

By Steve Benen - Wed Jun 6, 2012 9:29 AM EDT

At this point in American politics, whether a presidential candidate avoided service in Vietnam is probably an issue that has lost its electoral salience. While the controversy undercut Bill Clinton -- and to a lesser extent, George W. Bush -- its relevance in national campaigns seems to have come and gone.

So, when the AP ran a 1,200-word piece yesterday on Romney's Vietnam-era deferments, it's tempting to think the story just doesn't matter. As the argument goes, his unwillingness to serve, though perhaps embarrassing, doesn't seem to tell us anything important now.

But these assumptions aren't quite right. The story matters in large part because this appears to be yet another area in which Romney hasn't been honest with the public.