You know, this whole thing is interesting, from just a simple statement, of Truth.
For McCain Hasn’t Always Mattered
For the third straight day, Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign has raised a ruckus over comments suggesting that his military service may not, in and of itself, qualify the Senator to be commander-in-chief.
I’m not going to make this long and drawn out, it already has been, especially on the wires from folks who just plain don’t get it, and including some who should:
On Tuesday, the campaign hosted a conference call with reporters during which chief surrogate Sen. Lindsey Graham said that McCain was “the best-qualified person to be commander-in-chief” since a previous military-political figure: Dwight Eisenhower.
“He has walked in the shoes of those in uniform. He understands their language. He has grown up in a military family,” said the South Carolina Republican, “and quite frankly his military service is extraordinary.”
I want to point out something here. His shoes were on his feet in the air, not on the ground with most of the grunts, there Lindsey. And a McCain/Eisenhower comparison? Give me a break, and you’re a JAG?
By the way, if McCain thinks Now that his Military Service, and POW status wipes out any questions about being the CiC, why did he vote for the Guard Member (who’s last year still isn’t accountable) over his friend and fellow ‘Nam Vet Kerry, who’s shoes, by the way, were on the ground and over the muddy waters of ‘Nam.
Than of course you followed with this:
But a more telling example may have come more recently, when McCain found himself campaigning against one of the few Iraq War veterans who was running for office. In 2006, the Senator appeared at a late-stage but crucial fundraiser for Illinois Rep. Pete Roskam, who was being challenged by Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a veteran who had lost both her legs in Iraq.
Now I’d like to see Tammy in an Obama Administration, Veterans Administration. I gained a lot of respect for this young lady following her run in ’04 and since she took over Ill. VA. But if not in the Administration some are saying she might run for Obama’s old seat. Either way, or if neither, I think she’d make a great pick for the Keynote Speaker at the Convention, look what that did for Obama.
And I leave you with a reply from Chris LeJeune (over at VetVoice) in one of the front page posts that you can read here about McCains thoughts on Military service and the CiC.
I cannot claim credit for the below comment. It was posted at The American Patriot Institure by Cafkia:
Comical Ignorance
Except it isn’t funny. Pitiful perhaps, dangerous maybe but, funny it aint. “It” is the response of the reich-wing bloviators I half heard on CNN late at night responding to General Wesley Clark’s well considered denunciation of the idea of flying and/or crashing a fighter plane as qualifying one for the job of POTUS. I suppose it will come as a shock to no thinking person that General Clark is waaaaaayyy more likely to be right when it comes to military issues than the chickenhawk guild. However, there are a couple of points worth expanding.
In the USN, unless you are the CO or XO of a squadron, a pilot is in command of nothing. (S)He does not lead men and flying is not generally considered a command path. Even the term/job “plane captain” does not refer to the pilot but instead, to the enlisted (wo)man who has the responsibility for just damn near everything on the bird except when it is actually in flight. Yes, pilots are officers but, few of them turn out to be leaders. Their training focuses on what they can do to avoid costing the U.S. and USN a shitload of money by giving gravity primary control of an airborne plane.(Such training apparently did not take with McSame as evidenced by his time as a POW.) They also receive some training on delivering death, destruction and mayhem on command. As a general rule, with acknowledged exceptions, O3 and below flyboys know less about leadership and command than your average E6 and up. Yea, sure the E6 will have to salute the O3 but that is more tradition and general orders than it is respect.
“Line” officers are the command path officers. They learn to drive boats and head up divisions on a ship and they cross train in a lot of different shit. In running a division, they will be the leader of the enlisted men who make up that division (if the Chief lets them) and they can dream of their own command. Interestingly enough, John Kerry was a line officer with command experience. When he was being unfairly dissed and outright lied about by veteran and chickenhawk alike, such experience wasn’t especially valuable to the GOP. Even to the point of the rank and file rethugs making graphic fun of Purple Heart earners at the national convention.
In short Barack Obama has just as much command experience as John McSame. Both have “commanded” political campaigns. It is comical ignorance indeed to believe that all military service is the same or that all military jobs are command prep. But, these comically misinformed individuals have huge misinformed audiences. Even worse, none of them seem to even want to know the truth. The relevant truth here is that Clark is right. Flying and/or crashing airplanes is in no way, shape, form, or fashion, suitable or significant preparation for the job of POTUS. Serving as a POW does not give one special insight into how to prosecute a war or, how to lead the nation in times of peace. Physical suffering for one’s nation does not entitle one to high political office. It just doesn’t.
I interacted with a lot of officers during my time in the military and, like just damn near any other enlisted puke, I learned to size them up pretty quickly. If I was being recalled into the military tomorrow and I had to choose one of the two presidential candidates to be the officer I reported to, the nation would be in trouble because with my life on the line, I would pick the intelligent, analytical, clear-headed, quick thinking one of the two. I’d pick Obama.
CAFKIA
I’ve heard much the same, from two Annapolis grads, one leaning towards McCain, one towards Obama.
The funny thing is, McCain’s fater and grandfather were both high-ranking Admirals, that really would have had “executive experience”.
Oh Shut Up Already.
Want to fight the Vietnam war. Go there and fight it.
I am sick of it and I’m sure Obama is as well.
BTW, I worked for Tammy Duckworth in her congressional campaign.
She lost because the Progressives were a bunch of whiny assholes that thought Cegalis deserved the nomination more. Tammy was talked into running by Dick Durbin. She was a great candidate, and will be a great senator when she replaces Obama.
But she would be in the Congress right now if not for asshole Progressives that would rather put a Republican win rather then admitting they were beaten in a primary by a better candidate.
Beaten by DCCC money that should NEVER have been spent in a primary.
Losing your legs doesn’t qualify you to be a Representative any more than being a POW qualifies you to be President.
Isn’t the loss of her legs!!!!
Little character aren’t we!