Don Bailey's military service:
"After college he entered the US Army, serving with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions in Vietnam. He was awarded Silver Star, three Bronze Stars, two with the Valor device, one for meritorious achievement, Army Commendation Medal, with "V" for Valor, Air Medal, and a second Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service."
Perhaps it would be telling to print the rest of the biographical information:
After a very contested primary and very close general election, Bailey was elected to the US House from PA-21 in 1978. He won an impressive reelection bid in 1980, despite the general Republican victory that year, garnering about 70% of the vote. Bailey served on the House "Ways and Means" Committee.
In 1982, after redistricting by the state legislature, Bailey's district was largely merged into the Twelfth Congressional District of Pennsylvania with fellow Democrat John Murtha, who had been serving since 1974. In a strongly fought primary, Bailey lost. Interestingly, when the Republican nominee for the seat withdrew the same year, Bailey was seriously considered as a replacement; he came in a very strong second at the Republican nominating convention held that year. This underscores that he was viewed as a conservative Democrat.
In 1984, Bailey, after yet another contested primary, became the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania Auditor General that year; he handily won the General Election; he was the only Democratic nominee to win statewide that year. During his tenure as Auditor General, Bailey established the first work-site child daycare facility in Pennsylvania government, established minimum education standards for state auditors, and generally modernized auditing procedures.
Despite Bailey's electoral success in 1984, he lost a bitter primary battle with then Congressman Bob Edgar (D, PA-7) for the US Senate seat in 1986. In a close race in 1988, he lost his reelection bid for Auditor General to Barbara Hafer (her first statewide run).
Bailey ran for the Auditor General position again in 1992, and lost the Democratic primary. He also lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to Ivan Itkin in 1998.
Hmmm.. lost an election to Murtha, was proposed as a Republican candidate.. Can we say "unbiased" without choking?