Posted on 09/12/2003 5:46:59 PM PDT by 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."
If Mr Dolan had returned to vote yes to allow Gay Predators to attack young defenseless boys in school, he would have been overjoyed.
Don't forget karen mcCarthy, democrat congresswoman from kcmo. She is a raging alcoholic and is back in town gladhanding every hand-out hungry crowd that will listen to her. She should be easy to beat with the public record of her addiction and outrageous behaviour in D.C. but no one wants to take on the democrat machine in KCMO. There aren't even good Republican candidates for mayor in KCMO.
Race baiting by democrats is so pervasive, ingrained and fundamental to the culture that it's a pain to even run for office if you're not part of the plantation mentality in KCMO. Our current mayor - Kay Waldo Barnes spent a large chunk of her life as a sex therapist but was never exposed since the newspapers, TV and media know how to keep a public secret.
Nevermind that over 1.5 billion was spent to fix up the KCMO school district - the playing field is never level for the inner city Kansas Citians!!!
We have a very old, established tradition of democrat ownership of government, the unions, and most mainstream civic enterprises in KC. 30% of all employees in the KC area work for state, federal or county governments. It's bureaucrats heaven.
They could probably claim exemption as US Marshals.
Quite a few federal legislators have gotten themselves sworn in as US Marshals, so that they can CCW in "gun-free" DC (and anywhere else in the country they so choose, unlike us commoners).
I've always thought that there was a Constitutional prohibition against a person being part of two branches of government at the same time. Since the Marshal's Service is part of the Executive Branch, and legislators are clearly members of the Legislative Branch, you'd think they'd be in trouble.
But I guess that "above the law" status makes it all OK.
I presume the IRS will land on that church like white on rice for the same reason they smash any conservative church that dare so much as put out a pamphlet explaining candidates positions prior to an election?
What an absolutely disgusting dual standard.
Why is it tolerated?
Why???
PS: Grayout issued his (newly) standard "god and me" statement, as he whipped out a plastic-baggied picture of Jesus, which came out of his breast pocket, image-side out, to show the crowd, which burst into "heartfelt' (yeah, right) applause.
Funny how he carries a picture with him in his pocket, placed there so that he can view the backside, isn't it? (I presume he was aware of which side was facing out, since I don't recall him looking at it to make sure it was right-side-out/right-side-up.)
Shameless leftists.
And equally shameless "churchmen", to let themselves be pandered to by those two-bit opportunists, who would piss on their faith, if the cameras weren't aimed on 'em.
Me, cynical?
Nope. Not this time. Just realistic.
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