I'm sorry, I cannot countenance this importance being given to everything military. Our country was forged to be a civilian nation with a civilian leadership. A melding of military and politics leads to only one thing. Sinclair Lewis wrote once, "It Can't Happen Here."

I've always argued that it could happen here; and we must fight to not make it so. For if it were, we might get more than we bargained for; we might find ourselves consumed with nothing but working...

I have not seen this posted but thought it relevant to the whole Gen. Clark dust-up. I have watched as pundit after pundit has attacked Gen Clark for "attacking McCain's military service" or when they don't use that canard they talk about how McCain NEVER talks about his military service. Well, this Meet The Press interview shows quite the opposite. http://www.youtube.com/...

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing


click to enlarge

It's funny how the MSM is all in a lather over what Wes Clark said. I think Clark's point about honoring McCain's military service while stating that the service is not sufficient experience for being President is a respectful, valid point.  But to realize this would require the MSM to actually read and think about what Clark said ... it's far easier and sells more papers and gets more viewers by inventing a controversy.  Watch how it has evolved, and why, after the jump.

Nancy Benac on HuffPo has a terrific story that on reported donations over $200 from military personnel Obama outdoes McCain:

That Obama attracts support from some in the military is evident in dollars and cents: Among people who have donated at least $200 to a presidential campaign this election cycle, Obama has collected more than $327,000 from those identifying themselves as military personnel, while McCain has collected $224,000, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data by The Associated Press.

It's not all roses and sunshine as McCain will obviously garner military support. But the signs are there that is not going to be a cakewalk.

Surely the MSM is able to distinguish between honoring someone's service and questioning their qualifications to be POTUS. Conflate they will, have a counterstrategy we must. Below the fold is a idea I hope people will comment on. The McCain camp (with the help of the MSM) with their outrage are attempting to make McCain's claim that his military experience (as POW) makes him more qualified to be the POTUS bulletproof. Their choral histrionics sung refrain after refrain as you can see at TPMtv's HYPERVENTORAMA is unfortunately all too revealing. Rather than feel powerless I turn to writing this diary to suggest something that might be good idea but would still need vetting.

I'm deeply frustrated at MSM's inability to reflect on their judgement. They cling to their image of their great American hero, their Vietnam G.I. Joe fighting to save the day. When they feel their dream or "hope" questioned, they react as if attacked and immediately call 'foul' on anyone questioning their hero. Let's pull a Tim Russert and press McCain to disclose his FULL military records! (COMPULSORY DISCLAIMER) I'm not denigrating McCain's service or his sacrifice for the country-just asking for a real vetting!!

In today's WaPo David Ignatius wrote an important column. Ignatius is probably the best-connected commentator on the subject of the Middle East and reflects official thinking in Washington. When the Neocons were in their glory he wrote admiringly of them; recently he has distanced himself considerably.

The argument this week is once again about qualifications to be the Commander-In-Chief, with one side arguing that military experience may not have much weight towards that particular job.  The other side argues that any questioning of the qualifications of a "war hero" is a direct insult to all veterans and somehow degrades the service of that "war hero".  Below is my observation of the validity of the "war hero" President argument.

Cross-posted at Blue Jersey

Chris Smith voted to double the cost of prescription drug co-pays for military families. In 2006, the Bush administration doubled the cost of prescription co-pays for military families under Tri-Care health coverage. Democrats introduced legislation restoring the original co-pays of $3 for generic drugs and $9 for brand name drugs, but Chris Smith and other Republicans voted to block the legislation. [HR 5122, vote #139, 5/11/06; Leadership document, "Democrats Are Fighting for Military Families," 5/11/06]

According to research, many military families face difficult financial challenges. Over 20% of military families report having received WIC aid or food stamps from the government. While a few dollars saved might not mean much to Chris Smith, who has voted to raise his own salary by $32,600 since 1999, every dollar helps our military families afford basic necessities.[Washington Post/Kaiser Foundation Military Families Survey March 2004 CRS: Salaries of Members of Congress Updated January 8, 2008; 1999 Vote #300; 2000 Vote #419; 2001 House Vote #267; 2002 House Vote #322; 2003 House Vote #463; 2004 House Vote #451; 2005 House Vote #327; 2006 vote #261; 2007 Vote #580]

As noted at Politico:

After saying, "I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war," he added that these experiences in no way qualify McCain to be president in his view:

"He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron," Clark said.

"I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president."

Here comes the swiftboating.

You knew it wouldn't take long for the right wing hate machine, the swiftboaters, the Republican Party, the McCain surrogates, right wing talk radio, the conservative bloggers, and the corporate media to make the FALSE CHARGE that the Obama camp or those associated with the Obama camp were somehow attacking McCain's service in Vietnam.  We've done no such thing and neither did General Wes Clark.

And we need to call out every single person, whether they are a media personality, a politician, or an McCain staffer who attempts to unfairly smear Wes Clark and tens of millions of Americans.

All of this talk about McCain's war record has made me curious --- I mean, is it usual to crash 5 planes?  I know his daddy and granddaddy were admirals, and that presumably McCain meant to carry on that tradition.  Why did that fall through?  

Those Kossaks staunchly defending Wesley Clark today should watch how they do it: Wesley Clark wasn't wrong in what he said, but he sure as hell was wrong in how he said it.

So, General Clark had the temerity to speak of the would be emperor's clothes, but somehow the 4 star generals commentary on military leadership wasn't welcomed?  Go figure.  Yes, we should respect McCain's service.  However, shouldn't we also respect the voter's right to a civic debate on the merits of military service as it relates to the Commander in Chief role?  

Without sullying McCain's service, could America get the message that donning a uniform as a low-level officer 30 years ago might not only not help, but hinder?  Does America need to be reminded that Bush's flyboy experience doesn't seem to have created much insight in helping groundpounders deal with an insurgency?  Indeed, does that famous flyboy machismo sometimes work against a fellow - and even lead to a touch of arrogance?  Certainly the Army's official history on Iraq (released in the same week as Clark's salvo) suggests that a military perspective does not help 'win the peace'.

I think America very much wants this debate.

I've been writing my senators and representative frequently on FISA.  It's something I'm concerned about, for a lot of different reasons, but mainly because I had a brother stationed overseas in the Marine Corps for several years.  We talked on the phone at least once a week.  We never once talked about anything that would have been a concern for national security, but we did occasionally talk politics.  And I'd have hated it if my political views got him in trouble with the military.  

I'm a lifelong Republican who has voted straight democratic tickets in the last three national elections.  George W. Bush turned me into a rabid, raging Democrat.  

I could easily see some REMF turning my views into an issue for my brother, in a Dick Cheney world.

Given that as background, you can see why FISA in its current incarnation scares me.

I live in Wisconsin, so Russ Feingold has my back.  No worries there.  But Senator Kohl's votes worried me.  So I asked him to give me his position.  His response is below.

U.S. Military is now poised for a 2 weeks surgical strikes inside Iran.  The American public and the Obama campaign better be ready because with the pending bill  on Iranian Naval Blockade in the congress, engagement is now inevitable.  And it’ll occur at the earliest September 5 and no later than October 13, 2008.  

i'm an amateur with something bothering me....

A call to action for McCain to sign SF-180 and release his full military records so he can be properly vetted. The MSM must stop giving McCain their blessing. Please stay with me.

crossposted from unbossed

Only a true chickenhawk president and his chickenhawk advisors could have brought the US military so low. The story is just pouring out from GAO this week in report after report. Yep! It's the shame ol' shame'ol!