The LCDR is junior. He doesn't understand the game. The reason this is out there is because he became personally, morally offended that the official version of the "truth" was going to be sealed with the government not having known a thing about Atta and co. before September 11th.
But that isn't true, and there are plenty of bright-eyed boy scouts in the junior ranks who can't abide a lie, and are willing to self-immolate over a point of honor like that. The LCDR's coming forward was not a calculated political act. It was spontaneous.
Scotty Philpot is a seasoned veteran. He's been in the Navy since he was 18 years old, 22 years of active service, plus four years at Annapolis. He's not a political type either, not by half, but he does understand the chain-of-command, following orders. He did his duty and sent the info up the chain. Faced with his junior's sudden, embarassing eruption into the media, Scotty had a pair of choices: keep quiet and let his junior be mauled as a liar. Or step forward, very reluctantly and unenthusiastically, stand by the truth of what his subordinate said (if not the wisdom of saying it), and hope to God that the men above him are as loyal and honorable down the chain as he has been.
Philpot went public only because his junior went public. It was not calculated. It was a gut-check moment. He stood by his man. Now we'll see if the admirals and Rumsfeld and the President have as much personal honor as Captain Philpot. I may have been a little too hard on the C-in-C up the chain. I will judge them on their solidarity with their officer here. He's told the truth, they should stand by him.
If they don't, captains are popcorn and peanuts in Washington. Scott will be out, forced retirement.
It's a test.
Scott passed his.
Let's see how Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush do.
You said it all very well. My congratulations.
It is indeed gut check time all the way to the top.