Posted on 08/21/2012 4:32:35 PM PDT by kristinn
ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT — US military chief General Martin Dempsey denounced ex-officers Tuesday for waging a campaign against President Barack Obama, arguing that soldiers had a duty to stay above the political fray.
Wading into a potential minefield during a hotly contested White House race, Dempsey voiced his disapproval of a group of retired military members and CIA officers who have accused Obama of spilling sensitive national security details to help secure his re-election.
Asked if the group's criticism was valid or useful, Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he would not comment on the substance of their allegations.
But he added: "As to the latter, is it useful? No, it's not useful. It's not useful to me."
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Dempsey says officers should be above the fray, but here he is in the fray....and he’s active duty, the very time at which they are to be above the fray.
When retired or exited service, they are perfectly free to speak of anything except classified information.
Hey Dempsey, SFB you're to support & defend the CONSTITUTION not a political party, any real general would know that.
And what "prior" service members (like any American) think & do, are none of your business, its called exercising their "First Amendment Rights"
Punk ass cowards (just like you) are a dime a dozen.... So STFU and continue servicing your master.
Just sayin
Just how many former military officers actually did become President?
*************************
You forgot the first one....George Washington; as well as
Eisenhower. Of course there were also military officers who served as President of the Republic of Texas before Texas agreed to join the USA.
NO cheers, unfortunately.
SOMEBODY obviously considers Gen. Dempsey to be irreplaceable. I was looking at the General's bio and noticed that he served as Army Chief of Staff before being picked to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He only served 145 days as Army CoS. Less than 6 months! That's it! I could see giving him a bump if he'd been in the position for a couple of years, but... This suggests that the General has some 'political utility' to the current administration. Probably been carrying the water for the Homo Agenda -- must be the "Rainbow Ribbon".
David Hackworth used to call guys like this the Perfumed Princes of the Pentagon
Yes; it’s disturbing how many “delicate doilies” are high ranking in our military.
Dempsey is correct for “ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL”. When military members are no longer on active duty or have been discharged or retired they have the same rights as any other citizen to voice their political preferences. Reserve and National Guard members not on active duty have the same rights as long as they don’t express them in Military Uniform. The Nation has a long history of Veterans becoming involved in politics and General Dempsey shouldn’t confuse Veterans rights with Active Duty Personnel Restrictions.
Your comment was my immediate first thought. My second thought was...and by going public with his denouncement, active-duty Dempsey is doing exactly what he falsely condemns others of doing.
As well as Harrison, McKinley, and Truman ...
“Article 88, UCMJ applies to all commissioned officers, even after discharge or retirement”
When Clinton became CoC, my commander told me to mind my P’s & Q’s and not criticize the Draft Dodger while on active duty, citing Article 88. I looked up its history in the Manual for Courts Martial. It dates to 1867 (not 1967 as some thought) and was intended to restrain general officers in the Union Army with presidential ambitions from criticizing the then incumbent President, the very unpopular Andrew Johnson.
I do not believe Article 88 can be practicably applied against retired officers simply because court-martialing a retiree requires bringing him/her back onto active duty for the duration of the trial. This is rarely done and only under charges of extreme moral turpitude or embezzlement.
Years later I got an opinion from the commandant of the U.S. Army JAG School that an active duty service member can indeed criticize the policies of an elected official, even to his face, if there is no personal insult given.
It reminds me of Clinton blustering in 1995 that those flag or general officers who disagreed with his policies vis-a-vis the military “should be willing to come to my office and lay their stars down on the table” by which he meant resign their commissions in protest & forfeit their retirement benefits. A fine lecture in moral courage from a draft dodging coward, by the way.
General Dempsey does himself and his office no service by being seen as a political toady of the White House. He should stick to exercising his duties as Joint Chiefs chairman.
Then, General, “sir”, please STFU ‘Sir’!!!!
This general is an idiot...and an nobama bootlicker.
I would agree that some PC/Cultural Marxist hack liked this guy as well as the rest of the Joint Political Whores plus the next batch of Generals (Who long ago traded honor for ass kissing and back stabbing) and serves as an invaluable to some point of view. In the end with this current crop of military leaders is that whoever was advising Bush/Congress that promoted these incompetents should be tried for treason. Half /s
Btw, these horrible creatures need to be stopped at the 0-6 - 07 level which is why I mentioned the previous administration and Congress.
Unless they are “gay”....
Then they can march in uniform in a “pride” parade....
Not political at all, I guess.
General “Benedict Arnold” Dempsey can Rot in hell for all I care. These ex-soldiers have every right to denounce the communist scum occupying the White House.
I would submit that this comment by the Gen to retired military infringing on their First Amendment rights is more offensive than Akin’s comment...
The Gen should know better.
General, unless you press them back into service, you have no say. So, shut yer damned corn-nibbler.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.