According to the Navy Times, the two SEALs who were recognized at the Republican National Convention “violated regulations against active-duty service members participating in politics” but it was not their fault and they will not be punished. An agreement between the Navy and GOP was violated by the speaker, a former Marine POW named Swindle, who pointed to them in the crowd.
When it comes to using service members to garner public support, both parties play it as close to the line as they can get and cross it if they can get away with it. Michelle Obama played it safe by meeting today with military spouses in New Mexico, although a retired Air Force General who was on the stage “suggested McCain’s policies stemmed from a ‘lack of adequate psychological care’ after his service in Vietnam.” The Obama campaign quickly distanced itself from his remarks.
As a civilian spouse I am not subject to the military regulations on political activity that my active-duty wife must follow, although of course I have to answer to her if she finds out I am carting a life-size picture of her around Capitol Hill.
Of the Republicans and Democrats I contacted to request a photo opportunity for the Flat Mommy book, the Edwards campaign contacted me almost immediately. They were holding nationwide events to honor service members and veterans on Memorial Day and his staff wanted to include Flat Mommy on the website.
At first I thought it would be pretty cool. I did not care about party affiliation: I just wanted ‘famous people’ and politicians are about it in Washington DC. You take what you can get.
With John Edwards running for President it quickly dawned on me that I would be viewed as participating in a political campaign despite my intentions. I figured I might face the wrath of military spouses everywhere. Not only from those who did not like him; it would also be mortifying to be a poster child for hardship when other military families have made much greater sacrifices. This would not be lost on the military community and others, and it could get ugly. I turned down the request.
Between now and the election it will be interesting to see how the candidates align themselves with military families. So far we have received one campaign letter from a Republican who obtained a list of military absentee voters, but this guy was a bit different, a little too fervent. Wikipedia shed some light:
Born in New York City, Beren states that he was raised in a nominal Jewish home and later became an atheist. From 1968 to 1990 he was an activist for the Socialist Workers Party and a defender of Fidel Castro. By 1990 he quit the SWP due to exhaustion with it. After that he joined the Democratic Party. In 1995 he converted to Christianity. He remained with the Democratic Party until 2004. The September 11, 2001 attacks led to his turn toward to the Political Right and at 52 he became a Republican.
He has no chance of unseating Congressman Jim McDermott but has been described as a “rising star” in Washington State’s Republican party. That might be a debate worth watching.
