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One of the richest characters I ever met was a grizzled old "permanent" instructor at the training base in Kingsville Texas. He told us the first time he was shot down it was because he reattacked the target. The second time he got shot down it was when he reattacked the target. He said after that there was one thing he would never do, ever. Reattack a target.

For all the criticism of McCain's flying skills, he kept manning up. He avoided safer assignments that were offered. His motivations could be a mix of character traits that aren't desirable in either a naval officer or a president, but fear wasn't one of them. As far as getting preferential treatment, Naval Aviation is a fickle community sometimes. Some guys get hammered for their first screwup, others survive multiple screw ups only to screw up again. Despite there being a system in place to take care of that, there is variable of human judgement involved. In a much less tolerant system decades later I can think of a couple complete screw ups that kept flying and had no political connections. The one guy was pretty funny, because nobody got hurt. The second killed himself, his RIO and a number of people on the ground.

I voted for John McCain because I knew how bad the alternative was. If I was an Arizona voter I would vote for his opponent in a primary. I don't believe in his politics, but it doesn't bother me sharing the title of Naval Aviator with him. The same cannot be said for the convicted crook, drunkard, and liar, Duke Cunningham. A much more effective aviator, but a total A-hole.

Thank you for your service. :)

Yes, Randy Cunningham became corrupt, but he did sponsor pro law-enforcement off-duty and retired-gun carry legislation that later passed and was signed by G.W.

U.S. SENATE PASSES CONCEALED CARRY BILL FOR POLICE OFFICERS

July 7, 2004—The United States Senate today passed H.R. 218, the ‘National Concealed Carry for Cops’ bill by a unanimous margin. The bill exempts qualified active duty and retired peace officers from state and local prohibitions on the carrying of concealed weapons. Active and retired peace officers will be able to carry concealed weapons when travelling outside their own jurisdictions and in other states.

First proposed in 1992 by Representative Randy Cunningham (R-California), and lobbied for heavily by the Law Enforcement Alliance of America and the Fraternal Order of Police, the bill has met with some stiff resistance over the past twelve years.

Some of America’s most noted anti-gun politicians criticized the legislation, including Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, who spoke on the record about his fears of retired police officers carrying concealed “sniper rifles”.
Another anti-gun politician from Massachusetts said he needed more reassurance that retired officers wouldn’t be allowed to carry concealed “grenades”. It soon became clear that when it comes to promoting gun control, many politicians have no problem restricting even law enforcement officers from having firearms.

The bill was also opposed by the Clinton Administration, and failed to gain traction when the House and Senate were controlled by Democrats.

With the election of a Republican majority in the House and Senate, the bill began to attract more supporters. Police organizations nationwide lobbied heavily on behalf of the bill, finally picking up 297 co-sponsors in the Congress, and 70 in the Senate.

The bill passed the Congress on June 23rd, and was forwarded to the Senate. President Bush has already promised that he would sign the legislation.

Some gun owners have expressed reservations about the bill, and for a variety of reasons. Some, for example, believe that passage of the bill will dilute support from rank-and-file officers for passage of shall-issue concealed carry legislation for “civilians” in states that now lack such systems.

Others feel that the bill drives a wedge between law enforcement and gun owners by creating a two-tier system in which retired police officers have privileges not given to the general public.

Other gun owners, however, have supported the bill because they believe it will make the public more accustomed to people carrying concealed weapons, and thus make passage of shall-issue concealed carry laws more likely.

Regardless of varying opinions, though, passage of the bill is yet another victory over the anti-gun forces in DC.

http://www.gunshopfinder.com/legislativenews/retiredcops_7_7_04.html