We had a good laugh about this the other day. Not, as you might guess, about the unfortunate Mr Greene, but more about some of the lines from his evals, which I think ought to make most military folks laugh, because, well, we all know someone like that.
“COLUMBIA, S.C. — Surprise U.S. Senate nominee Alvin Greene frequently mentions his 13 years of military service, but records obtained Thursday by The Associated Press show that the veteran who has called himself an “American hero” was considered a lackluster service member at best.
“The records, which document his superiors’ decisions to pass over Greene for promotion, cite mistakes as severe as improperly uploading sensitive intelligence information to a military server, and as basic as an overall inability to clearly express his thoughts and perform basic tasks.”
I say “the unfortunate Mr Greene” because this guy is getting an anal MRI from the press, and he has no hope of winning. He got nominated through a fluke, and he’s not a serious, viable candidate. I mean no insult, and I’ve nothing against him; on the contrary, I wish him success in life, and don’t wish this scrutiny on him.
The press is, in this case, correctly performing due diligence on a potential (!) Senator. But do they have to hammer him? Quote every unsat evaluation?? Yes, they do. Because that’s what you get– or SHOULD get– when you run for high office. Sorry Mr Greene, but you’re the Dog Target in the 300-meter rapid fire.
But I also call the media cowards for this. No reporter need fear personal or professional retribution for exposing Mr Greene’s shortcomings or inadequacies. He has no powerful friends or deep base among the ruling class.
But where were our brave reporters to apply the same scrutiny to a flashy and charismatic Senator from Illinois in 2008? NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, for the most part. Those who could be found were mostly in the tank. They failed in their duties. They, who are the first to scream about the sacrosanctity of their profession, never asked the hard questions about a guy (and his associates) who had a lot of issues to be examined.
Mr Alvin Greene is enduring a national colonoscopy, after which he will almost certainly get his distended ass handed to him. We have the media to thank for detailing his qualifications, or lack thereof. We have the same media to blame, ad infinitum, for failing to do so with Our Current President.
When journalists scream about ethics and standards, laugh at them. Or maybe not, because it’s really not funny. It’s a crying fucking shame.
