MILITARY TO INVESTIGATE LEAVE GRANTED TO MISSOURI LAWMAKER WHO CAST DECIDING VOTE ON GUNS

AP Breaking News ^ | 12 September 2003 | Paul Sloca & Robert Burns

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The U.S. military will investigate whether regulations were violated when a Missouri state senator was granted leave from duty in Cuba so he could return home to cast the deciding vote to override a veto of concealed guns legislation. State Sen. Jon Dolan, a Republican and a major in the Army National Guard, had been serving at Guantanamo Bay for only two weeks, and military regulations say a newly deployed soldier must be on duty at least two months before getting a leave.

Lt. Cmdr. Barbara Burfeind, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Friday that the matter will be investigated by the U.S. Southern Command in Florida, which oversees Guantanamo Bay, where Dolan is stationed as a public affairs officer. U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., sent a letter Friday to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld seeking an investigation into why Dolan was granted a six-day leave to cast his vote Thursday. The override of Democratic Gov. Bob Holden's veto gave most Missourians the right to carry concealed guns.

"I am most concerned about whether Senator Dolan's case establishes a precedent that allows members of the National Guard who have certain political affiliations to be permitted privileges that other members of the National Guard are routinely denied," Clay wrote. Dolan said Friday the push for the investigation was politically motivated. "I did my duty and I would do it again," Dolan said. "If my career ends, that's fine. This is simply political retribution."

Dolan received approval for leave from his boss, Lt. Col. Pamela Hart. Burfeind said his leave was granted on a special exception, which is not uncommon. Burfeind referred other questions about Dolan to Southern Command, which said the issue was being handled by public affairs officials in Guantanamo Bay, who did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press. Also at issue is whether Dolan violated federal law and military regulations by performing duties of his political office while on active military duty. The rules apply to a reserve officer serving on active duty under a call to active duty of more than 270 days. Dolan said military lawyers told him before he left Cuba that because he hadn't served 270 days of his tour, the rule didn't apply to him. "My position in that issue remains clear," Dolan said. "I knew about the directive before hand and did not feel it applied in my case."

[Terp]

I see NOTHING wrong with special leave to a senator to go back for a crucial vote. I DO see plenty wrong intentionally keeping a senator away from a vote.

Oh really? Lets think about this. I was stationed active duty Navy in Japan during the last general election. I had people who worked for me who never recieved their absentee ballots. Should these military personnel have been given special leave so they could fly home to their home of record so they could vote in person? For additional information none of these guys were registered Democrats [surprise/surprise]. This Senator was given special treatment that the poor grunt wouldn't see if his or her life depended on it.

[FairWitness]

Did Tom Deleay ever write a letter or make any public statement about redistricting? I think not.

Just so. I forgot the "sarcasm" tag, trying to make a point about Democrat hypocrisy (oxymoron, I know).

[Freedom2specul8]

Thank you for the ping bump..will send my thoughts monday for sure...

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Yeah, but this is a NEW low. That was last week's low. Making the new low lower than low. (^;

[Bogey78O]

The question is would the Dems demand leave for a Democrat Senator who the president called up under the argument that the president did so to get that senator out of the country.

Because if this is struck down all Bush has to do is order the guard to acxtivate in key areas when a critical vote is in session and all the reservist representatives would be pulled away.

If the Dems win this then they've set an interesting precident.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Sour grapes. Pure and simple. The military grants exceptions to the rule all the time.

[MarkL]

Lacy Clay is a U.S. representative; why is he meddling in state government affairs? Isn't that what the "Texas 11"/Texas Democrats say about (alleged) influence by Tom Delay on the Texas redistricting question? That he has no business trying to influence state government?

This is nothing... 4 years ago, when there was a ballot initiative to allow CCW in MO, and it just barely failed... The only places where it was defeated was KC, Columbia, and St Louis. And it was later determined that more votes were cast in St Louis County than there were registered voters... And even better, US Attourney, Steven Hill, actively campaigned against CCW, going so far as to use a telephone number that belonged to his office for "information" and sending letters out on Justice Department letterhead. As I recall, when my mother worked for the IRS, it's against the law for any federal employee to actively work for any sort of political campaign...

Mark

[Just another Joe]

Just a side note: He's never been in the military himself either. I just checked his bio.

Lacy Clay was born in St. Louis on July 27, 1956, but moved to Washington in 1969 when his father, William Clay, Sr., was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives where he served for 32 years. Wm. Lacy Clay graduated from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1974 and then worked as the Assistant Doorkeeper in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1976-1983. Also during that time, he attended night school at the University of Maryland and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in government and politics.

Congressman Clay won his first election to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1983. He attended Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and, eight years later, he successfully won a seat in the Missouri Senate where he remained for the following nine years.

When did he move back to Missouri? Strange that he would get elected the very first year back.

[Just another Joe]

Lets think about this. I was stationed active duty Navy in Japan during the last general election. I had people who worked for me who never recieved their absentee ballots. Should these military personnel have been given special leave so they could fly home to their home of record so they could vote in person?

I understand your point, but did any of them request leave so that they could go home and vote?
This state senator requested, and was granted, leave. I assume he informed his superiors where he was going, and probably for what reason.
The state senator did nothing wrong. If his superiors goofed, their superiors can come down on them.

[cardinal4]

He will be hearing from me on Monday. But were any laws broken? I think Clay knows Dolan did nothing wrong. This is just another smear attempt by the Dems. Except now they appear to be doing at local levels. Whats next with these America Haters? Influence peddling at the Schoolboard level?

[Just another Joe]

BTW, save me some room there.
That's where I'm going to retire also.
Spent 5 1/2 years there in the Navy and came home with a sweet Philippina for my wife. 20 years and counting on our marriage.

[Squantos]

The rep's career is safe in the DOD . They will hose the officer who approved the leave if any wrong doing is involved which I seriously doubt. During my 26 year military career servicemen and women didn't approve their own leave. Never , not once .

Demon RAT POS is just pissin in the wind while the Missouri Citizens can now rent their RKBA and provide revenue to pay this socialist trashes pay.

Doom on Clay !...........Stay Safe

[Jeff Gordon]

William Lacy Clay

JAWL (Just Another Whining Liberal)

JAWLs have been in the news a lot these days. That is good. When you stick a pig and it squeels, you know you are hurting it.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

It's called "being given your father's seat because you are one of the few black politicians who bother to run in a black district." He won it on his name and the fact that he was black.

If he is concerned about legislative behaviour, perhaps he could speak to his good buddy Dick Gephart about is 90% absenteeism on votes while he's running for president.

[steplock]

Same here. but the senator/representative is elected to REPRESENT a large number of people who would have their legal representation blocked by his/her absence of a critical vote.

Yes - there really are some more equal to others - in certain conditions.

As a watch leader, you were responsible for your crew. You should know the drill - on board ship, you have the chain of command first - second - the chaplains are extremely good help.

In Japan? you were on land? well, there is NO excuse then for not paying a short visit to the Red Cross - if you were prepared for the backlash from the navy (I did that in the Phillipines when our Col left 20 of us in Olangopo for a month with NO MONEY!)

If you prefered to be less obvious, a telephone call to your home representative or --- what the heck is your mother for if it isn't to call your representative when needed --- but there is no reason for not being able to vote. your rep could have overnighted ballots - especially for the publicity of having helped the military.

You have to learn to finer points :>)

ps...I was an enlisted Marine Sgt at the time in PI and as it turned out, the Red Cross rep I spoke with was the wife of CincPac. Talk about backlash from my CO!! But all my people got "health & Comfort" pay.

[Hot Tabasco]

Should these military personnel have been given special leave so they could fly home to their home of record so they could vote in person

Of course not but there is certainly a REAL BIG difference between a military person voting on a public referendum issue compared to a state law being decided by a vote by an elected official of the citizens of that particular state who just happens to be deployed in a reserve capacity.

[csvset]

Drederick Tatum come to life.

[Terp]

In Japan? you were on land? well, there is NO excuse then for not paying a short visit to the Red Cross - if you were prepared for the backlash from the navy (I did that in the Phillipines when our Col left 20 of us in Olangopo for a month with NO MONEY!)

On land stationed there. We called, we e-mailed, we wrote and the ballots never showed. The whole chain of command was aware of the problem, there were Officers who didn't recieve their ballots also.

your rep could have overnighted ballots - especially for the publicity of having helped the military.

California, your kidding right?

[Terp]

Of course not but there is certainly a REAL BIG difference between a military person voting on a public referendum issue compared to a state law being decided by a vote by an elected official of the citizens of that particular state who just happens to be deployed in a reserve capacity.

I was talking about the general election, the election for President. If the Dems hadn't played around with the military's ability to vote we more than likely wouldn't of had the viasco [sp] in Florida.

[Conservababe]

Well, scuse me, but Dolan could have been waivered out in the first place, and stayed home. But he chose to go and did.

And now the dems are trying their best to invalidate an override of a veto of Gov Holden.

I am spitting mad.