Politics, yeeeech

Don, I feel your pain. I am sure Capitol Hill, on both sides of the aisle, do not know what they have here.

 

News to me. But then, I primarily get my news from Conservative blogs.

I did a cursory search on Web and Blogs and the only debate I can find on this in the more 'mainstream' outlets is that 'He's too Close to the Military'.

Well, that beats being too close to other groups of interest.

Oh, somewhere someone objected to something about "He claims Saddam's WMD are in Syria"

As Letterman might say:
Nothing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Added: Far more serious to me, and I'm writing this from a non-political POV, are rumors I hear of dissension in the JCS on repeal of DADT.

The MilBlogs - who are far closer to the troops, many of them being Jr Officer and Sr Enlisted - have come out in FAVOR of the repeal.

While a bunch of retired Flag and General Officers have petitioned NO, on the basis of discord and morale.
Sorry old boys, but I'm prolly older than you, and I'm NOT of those who think 'Gayness is moral', but your juniors serving in-country have a better handle on it than you do and 15 years is time enough to get used to the idea.
Get over it! There's more pressing problems, and those guys with their boots on know it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shame you couldn't have had the advantage I did, Don. Grew up in a Mil-Town knowing everyone from Brig Gens on down and later, as an enlisted man, had slightly different views of Brass.

Just like everyone else. Have to do their jobs as best they can. Some are assholes but overall no more so than asshole E-5 through E-7's.

Funniest thing ever happened to me in boot camp was on the night I arrived at Great Lakes and assigned to Brasso-ing hardware in the HQ bldg, Captain Somebody, the NTC commander, walked in and asked us where we were from and I said 'Fairborn, Ohio' and we talked about who we both knew.. {He was an Airdale} deliciously noted the other Squids' jaws dropping.
Even at my duty station when I went before the Squadron Commander for 'Article 15' on a scapegoat charge, I felt he knew the facts and treated me as fairly as he could and didnt at all look down on me as 'inferior by rank'

After I mustered out out of Active, I was trapped under an asshole active duty blackshoe (E-4 in 3rd year) 'supervisor' in the Reserve unit and a full Commander (O-5) helped me (E-4) figure out the best way of getting the hell out of the assignment.
added:
- for you non-mil, he couldn't just come down on the miscreant without screwing up the natural order of things. But he said he'd be watching and having a talk with the guy on how to 'supervise'. Said it was over for me because the guy would no doubt find a way to get even.
So yeah.. even mid rank officers know their leadership, if they got their rank the right way.

 

What an absurd concept.