That’s not quite what she’s saying, I think, but after years of her barfing up obnoxious soundbites, I can’t blame anyone for not wanting to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Barbara Boxer’s disrespectful comments underscore just how out of touch she has become after her 28 years in Washington,“ Veterans for Carly Coalition Co-Chairman Lt. Commander Paul Chabot said in a press release, in response to Boxer’s comments. “Equating the experiences of members of Congress with those of brave soldiers who have fought to defend our country is just the latest example in a failed career marked by disrespect for our men and women in uniform.”…

When asked for comment, Boxer’s campaign manager, Rose Kapolczynski, responded, “Regardless of what she says now, Fiorina has to face the fact that when she was CEO of [Hewlett-Packard], HP equipment was sold to Iran, a state sponsor of terror, contrary to U.S. law.”…

This is not the first time, however, that Boxer has made comments or taken actions that were considered offensive to those serving in the military. Remember, for instance, Sen. Boxer’s over-the-top rebuke of an Army brigadier general last year when he referred to her as “ma’am” during a committee hearing?

Indeed we do. Who could have guessed that Barbara Boxer was an egomaniac? As for the clip, her comparison isn’t merely between serving in Congress and in the military; she mentions cops and firefighters too, which I think is her clumsy way of saying that public servants in high-pressure jobs of whatever stripe forge a certain camaraderie to cope with the stress. Fair enough, I guess, although it takes a singularly tone-deaf politician to lump her own profession in with those that risk death daily in the interest of saving lives, especially given the mood among voters at this particular moment. Just four days ago, Gallup put out a survey assessing public respect for various American institutions. Go compare the very top of the list to the very bottom. Great work, ma’am.