Posted on 08/03/2007 11:06:41 AM PDT by bnelson44
Via Barnett, this comes from one of the lefts own, Ezra Klein:
AN ODD CLOSE. As the Military and Progressives panel came to an end, a young man in uniform stood up to argue that the surge was working, and cutting down on Iraqi casualties. The moderator largely freaked out. When other members of the panel tried to answer his question, he demanded they stand down. He demanded the questioner give his name, the name of his commander, and the name of his unit. And then he closed the panel, no answer offered or allowed, and stalked off the stage,
Wes Clark took the mic and tried to explain what had just occurred: The argument appears to be that youre not allowed to participate in politics while wearing a uniform, or at least that you shouldnt, and that the questioner was engaging in a sort of moral blackmail, not to mention a violation of the rules, by doing so. Knowing fairly little about the army, I cant speak to any of that. But it was an uncomfortable few moments, and seemed fairly contrary to the spirit of the panel to roar down the member of the military who tried to speak with a contrary voice.
The yKos program lists the panelists but doesnt say who the moderator was. Im going to see if I can find the rules about political speech for soldiers while in uniform; Paul Hackett, of all people, criticized Ehren Watada last year for calling Bush a liar while wearing military dress but that had more to do with insubordination towards a superior officer in violation of the UCMJ than simple political speech.
Needless to say, though, that the left in general and Wes Clark in particular would balk at someone using their Absolute Moral Authority to advance a political agenda is an irony too enormous to be absorbed in one take.
I don’t think that the event is officially a political event as in meeting of the DNC, a convention or political rally.
A political discussion site has no legal connection (yeah, I know but legally) to any campaign or candidate so he probably was ok in uniform.
If he were one of my troops I would probably give him an unofficial dressing down with congratulations on making them look like the traitorous asses they are.
Update: Ironically, Kos himself wrote a post just last month arguing that vets should be allowed to wear their cammies to political events and naturally concluded by pronouncing anyone who disagreed legitimately and objectively un-American. Jeff Emanuel quoted him chapter and verse at Red State by way of an answer. The relevant DoD reg appears to be 1334.01, which provides in pertinent part:
3.1. The wearing of the uniform by members of the Armed Forces (including retired members and members of Reserve components) is prohibited under any of the following circumstances:
3.1.2. During or in connection with furthering political activities, private employment or commercial interests, when an inference of official sponsorship for the activity or interest may be drawn.
3.1.3. Except when authorized by the approval authorities in subparagraph 4.1.1., when participating in activities such as unofficial public speeches, interviews, picket lines, marches, rallies or any public demonstration, which may imply Service sanction of the cause for which the demonstration or activity is conducted.
Even though its almost certainly not true, an inference of military sponsorship can be pretty clearly drawn from the fact that hes asking a question thats in line with current military policy. JD Johannes seems to think so too, as he e-mails to say that taking part in an inherently political event is a violation of the UCMJ. The counterargument, I guess, is that he wasnt really engaging in political activity, just debating the facts about current military strategy, but I dont know if that flies.
The uniform made him an “unimpeachable” person. They knew they could not expel him, really bad publicity. They could not harangue or harass him, more bad publicity. They could not refute him, even worse publicity. So their only choice was to slink off stage like cowardly snakes................
You think?
“But is what he said actually political speech? He said the surge is working. I don’t see that as political speech at all. He is just reporting actual ground conditions in Iraq.”
You must understand that to the radical left, *all speech* is political speech. All life is politics, there is nothing outside of it. Their god is the State; their highest goal, accumulation of political power over other men.
OK, thanks.
I really do not know what makes Wes Clark tick. He seems to have become so loud mouthed and a partisian so quickly. He sounds like a lefty University student. I don’t know if he is just a little off or is a power seeker or is getting rich on the side. An intelligent person would not act and speak as he does. Something about him is strange.
Even with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" I don't thing any commander would go down on one of his troops. :)
2. The Kos suddenly remembered the prohibition when he spoke in favor of the war.
When Kos kicked Cindy Sheehan off he said that the purp;ose of the sitr is to elect democrats. So that makes everything it does political.
Wes Clark is for sale, always has been, always will be.
Besides that, he looks like corpse when he is on TV with all the makeup.
Wesley Clark is a POS.
The moderator was Jon Soltz from VoteVets, a Captain in the Army who issued a lawfull order to a Sergeant violated the rules governing wear of the uniform.
More about Jon Soltz
http://www.votevets.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=80
Was he playing in politics, or was he stating facts that he knows, and defending what his brothers (and sisters) in uniform are doing?
This part is a little murkier:
prohibited from wearing uniforms of the naval service while attending or participating in a demonstration, assembly, or activity knowing that a purpose of the demonstration, assembly, or activity supports personal or partisan views on political, social, economic, or religious issues, except as authorized in advance by competent authority;
Anyone who know DailyKos, knows that they are partisan, in favor of everything that is against the USA.
Got an example?
ahhh - where have you been sleeping for the past quarter century? ;o)
I don't know that CPT Soltz should be pulling rank in a situation like this.
I don't know that CPT Soltz should be pulling rank in a situation like this.
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