Chickenhawk

Chickenhawk is an epithet used in United States politics to criticize a politician, bureaucrat, or commentator who votes for war, supports war, commands a war, or develops war policy, but has not personally served in the military, especially one who opted out of a previous war on dubious grounds.

Think Progress » Kristof: 2005

Chickenhawk is a compound of “chicken” as in “coward” and “hawk” as in “pro-war,” thus a chickenhawk is someone who is in favor of a war as long as someone else does the fighting and dying.

Think Progress » David Broder 2005

Chickenhawk is a compound of “chicken” as in “coward” and “hawk” as in “pro-war,” thus a chickenhawk is someone who is in favor of a war as long as someone else does the fighting and dying.

Think Progress » Kristof: 2005

And two things for the record: While Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi did not serve in the military, they do not fit the prevailing definition of a Chickenhawk, which is "A person enthusiastic about war, provided someone else fights it; particularly when that enthusiasm is undimmed by personal experience with war; most emphatically when that lack of experience came in spite of ample opportunity in that person's youth."

Bob Geiger: Malkin: Just Another GOP Chickenhawk Smearing Democratic Veterans 2008

Escapist literature aside, I'm taking a short break from SciFi/Fantasy to read some history books, currently a book called Chickenhawk, which has been described as the book on Vietnam and the Helicopter War in Vietnam.

worlds in a grain of sand Andrew 2005

The exact opposite of a "Chickenhawk," and after 9/11, Pat Tillman dropped everything, turned down a 3-year, $3.6 million contract and enlisted in the US Army to help his country.

Dave Johnson and James Boyce: Pat Tillman: Anti-War Leftist Worm Dirt 2008

And to think, not one charge of "Chickenhawk"! throughout the entire thread.

"You know, I actually did" -- Obama actually did consider serving in the military. Ann Althouse 2008

To El-Rider- I think our illustrious filmmaker of "Chickenhawk" is well aware of the term, and what it means.

Hiding Under the Bed in the Senate Ellen Beth Gill 2007

That "Chickenhawk" video from the Huffington blog was wild.

Exactly What Madison Was Talking About Ellen Beth Gill 2007

Really, will shouting that a Congressman is a "Chickenhawk" change his mind after years of a war?

Philocrites: What does 'liberal, welcoming' mean at your church? 2007