Rob Diamond is his own prop
I found an article on Huffington Post about Republicans using the troops as props most disingenuous written by some illiterate buffoon named Rob Diamond. In the article he complains about all of the times that Republicans have included veterans in some of their events. Mostly, Diamond was upset that a Staff Sergeant sat behind Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell during his Republican response to the State of the Union Address Wednesday night;
Slight problem, you see. That is probably against the law.
Look it up for yourself right here in the Department of Defense (DoD) Directive entitled “Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces.” The purpose of this DoD Directive is to mirror the Hatch Act, which prohibits government employees from engaging in partisan political activity in an official capacity. Since a DoD Directive is considered to be in the same category as an order or regulation, and military personnel violating its provisions can be considered in violation of Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, our Republican friends may have just caused this brave young soldier to break the law. Thank you for that, Governor McDonnell.
Ya know what I’d do before I laid out a legal case against this Staff Sergeant? I’d check to see if he’s in the Virginia National Guard and therefore not subject to DoD policy – and under the command of his governor. But that’s just me – my readers hold me to a higher standard for accuracy than Diamond’s readers, apparently.
Diamond goes on to point out all of the times Republicans have used the troops for props;
“Mission Accomplished?” Remember that one! Or just consider Sarah Palin’s latest attempt to hold a rally (aka “book tour”) on Fort Bragg this past November. Well, you can now add “Republican Response 2010” to what is a rather endless list, actually.
An endless list? And those are two that Diamond came up with first? Really? When I was stationed at Fort Bragg, back when books were popular and pretty much had a corner on the reading media market, every author worth his salt who wanted to sell books went to Fort Bragg. According to the 2000 Census, it has a population of 29,000 soldiers and their families who all have jobs and money. It spreads across four North Carolina counties, and there were probably some locals in that line to buy books.
Our friend Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette provides some examples of Democrats using troops for “props”, but I submit that Rob Diamond, the self-proclaimed arbiter of what qualifies as using troops for props, uses his own career in the Navy as a prop for Democrats;
Robert Diamond is an investment banker focused on the commercial real estate industry. Before his career in finance, Robert served for seven years as an officer in the United States Navy. A Surface Warfare Officer by training, he was stationed onboard the guided missile destroyer USS BULKELEY (DDG-84) and completed deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Robert served as the aide to the Navy’s Chief of Legislative Affairs in the Pentagon, and as a Navy liaison officer to the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project and a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He speaks and publishes regularly on issues related to national security, the military and veterans affairs. Robert lives and works in NYC.
I swear, every news story leading up to the State of the Union Address mentioned some military member who was invited to attend by some member of Congress. Like this one who was invited to sit next to the First Lady. But I guess that doesn’t rise to level of a prop at HuffPo.
If you want a real giggle, read this paragraph from the HuffPo piece;
It has taken a Democratic President and a Democratic-led Congress to end the war in Iraq as well as finally commit the troops, resources and strategy necessary to win in Afghanistan. And yes, it has been President Obama and a Democratic Congress that has given the VA the largest budget increase in its history ($15 billion dollars in 2010) and is working tirelessly to create a 21st Century VA to care for our newest generation of Veterans.
Yep, the Democrats are claiming they ended the war in Iraq. All the while, Republicans are using the troops as props.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Bloggers, Military issues
The dems ended the Iraq war? Why, that would “require the willing suspension of disbelief”, would it not.
Puffington Host wrote: ‘Democratic President and a Democratic-led Congress’
Tsk tsk tsk make that democrat president and a democrat majority congress. Suckers can’t help but lie can they? I’d label the administration as something else though …
Checking facts doesn’t matter for liberals, only what offends them matters.
Wonder if the Insurgents, Iraqis and our troops still in Iraq know that the war has ended.
Yep, the Democrats are claiming they ended the war in Iraq.
What you mean he didn’t inherit something from Bush?
the dude was in the Army, not the National guard:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/01/post_560.html
Staff Sergeant Robert Tenpenny will be in Class A Army uniform. He served with Jeanine McDonnell, the Governor’s daughter, in Iraq.
As far as I know, being in uniform with an elected state governor is not a political protest, a political campaign rally, nor seeking to overthrow the union of the United States of America. That dude on the stage looks like a turd for being in uniform when off duty, but he’s not wrong. The proper off-duty uniform is jeans and a t-shirt with a can of PBR.
Jim Arkedis:
The governor said his daughter was a platoon leader in Iraq, but I don’t remember him saying which branch or if active, reserve or National Guard.
. . . And you wingnuts delight in accusing “the liberal media” of selective reporting. Why did you leave out Mr. Diamond’s first sentence? “You did not have to be paying much attention during last night’s Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union address to notice a young Army Staff Sergeant IN FULL DRESS UNIFORM seated prominently right behind Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY APPLAUDING AND CHEERING AT THE GOVERNOR’S ATTACKS ON DEMOCRATS.” [my caps] From the DOD directive: “4.1. General “4.1.1. A member of the Armed Forces on active duty may: “4.1.1.9. Attend partisan and nonpartisan political fundraising activities, meetings, rallies, debates, conventions, or activities as a spectator WHEN NOT IN UNIFORM AND WHEN NO INFERENCE OR APPEARANCE OF OFFICIAL SPONSORSHIP, APPROVAL, OR ENDORSEMENT CAN REASONABLY BE DRAWN. [my caps] “4.1.2. A member of the Armed Forces on active duty shall not: “4.1.2.6. Participate in any radio, television, or other program or group discussion as an advocate for or against a partisan political party, candidate, or cause. [Cheering and applauding are pretty accurate indications of advocacy, are they not?] “4.1.2.15. Attend partisan political events as an official representative of the Armed Forces, except as a member of a joint Armed Forces color guard at the opening ceremonies of the national conventions of the Republican, Democratic, or other political parties recognized by the Federal Elections Committee or as otherwise authorized by the Secretary concerned. “4.1.2.1. Participate in partisan political fundraising activities (except as permitted in subparagraph 4.1.1.7.), rallies, conventions (including making speeches in the course thereof), management of campaigns, or debates, either on one’s own behalf or on that of another, without respect to uniform or inference or appearance of official sponsorship, approval, or endorsement. Participation includes more than mere attendance as a spectator. (See subparagraph 4.1.1.9.) “4.1.5. Activities not expressly prohibited may be contrary to the spirit and intent of this Directive. Any activity that may be reasonably viewed as directly or indirectly associating the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security (in the case of the Coast Guard) or any component of these… Read more »
Hi, fuckstick.
I would have included the first sentence if I had seen the Staff Sergeant “enthusiastically applauding and cheering” – I didn’t. I saw him applaud politely just like everyone else who was there.
You can cut and paste all you want, numbnuts, however if you want to call his activity “political”, then you have to mention that the folks who were at Obama’s speech were also there for political reasons. Was the Staff Sergeant in the VANG? Was he invited by his C-in-C? Funny how you leftwing bomb throwers are quick to call everything a political event when it involves Republicans and can get troops in trouble, but you’re blind to the other side.
Got any other names you’d like to call me, butt nugget?
Where is the luv? Group hug? Anyone? Damn I miss the unPC crowd.
How about “Wrong”?
Still don’t understand the difference between partisan and non-partisan, do you, Jonn. Obama was speaking as the POTUS, as mandated by the Constitution; the Joint Chiefs are there at every SOTU speach. The Governor was speaking explicitly as a Republican, and explicitly representing his party, as in “The Republican Response”. Re-read E2.5. That makes it a partisan political activity. I am not looking to get the SGT in trouble, nor was Diamond; apparently the same cannot be said for the Republicans.
Sincerely,
Jim “fuckstick/numbnuts/leftwing bomb thrower/butt nugget”
So, the war in Iraq is over? Someone ought to inform the 1/64 Armor, because they killed 3 insurgents and wounded one on 1-30-2010, all of whom were planting IED’s. They may have violated something that the Puzzle Palace or the idiots at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave put out.
JHM how about the Army SFC sitting behind Mrs. Obama at the SOTU, would that be covered by 4.1.2.6? Seemed like this was partisan political cause. Or E2.5? Just asking, the JCS being there, is there any reason for a SFC to be there, “in full dress uniform”? Seeing as the SOTU has devolved into political speech, is the Sergeant applauding a line from the speech endorsing political activity?
UpNorth quit confusing liberals with facts… If I remember correctly the democrats were saying the war was lost back in 2007? I guess what they consider winning is taking the credit for shit they had nothing to do with. I never saw good ol O out doing a route clearance mission…