Translate


Sunday, August 11, 2024

Tim Walz and the National Guard Controversy: Does it Matter?

 This article first appeared in New English Review.



Among all the issues surrounding Tim Walz and his liberal policies as governor of Minnesota, the one issue I think really stands out is that of his reserve military service and the question of when he left before his unit was deployed to Iraq. JD Vance, who served a tour of duty as a Marine in Iraq as a correspondent or press officer, has also accused Walz of being guilty of stolen valor, that is, claiming military or other heroic achievements that are not factual, thus diminishing those who truly were in combat or similar situations. Some who were in the same unit as Walz have claimed that he ducked out of the reserves just before they were deployed. Others have disputed that.

Just what the circumstances were as to when and why he left the Army National Guard-to run for political office- are still being argued back and forth, and I am not going to judge until everything is clarified on that point. Another aspect of this issue is when he was once talking about gun control, he referred to taking the weapons of war “that he carried in war” and make sure they were only for military use.  Was he consciously trying to imply that he served in combat, or was it just a slip of the tongue? It brings back memories of when Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal was making reference to the bad way “we” were treated upon returning from Vietnam. Apparently, it hasn’t hurt his standing with the voters of Connecticut because he is still in the Senate.  So the question is how much this issue will hurt the Harris-Walz ticket come November.

I think it is appropriate for all of us when we comment publicly about this issue to disclose what our own military record is. That includes many conservative TV commentators who are accusing Walz of cowardice and leaving his troops in the lurch while they (the commentators) have never served in the military, active duty or reserves. In my case, I am what people call a Vietnam-era veteran-as opposed to Vietnam veteran. I served in the US Army as a military policeman for three years 1966-68, which was during the Vietnam war.  I am proud to be a veteran, however, I am always quick to add that while others were fighting and dying in Vietnam, I was in Germany. Looking back, probably the most dangerous thing about our job was breaking up fights in GI bars. Yes, there were the occasional serious incidents, but you get the point. To be in Germany during the Vietnam war was a picnic. Those who were in Vietnam are much higher on the military totem pole than I. In fact, I would consider it a cardinal sin to ever claim that I served in Vietnam.

I also consider JD Vance to be higher on the totem pole than I am. That’s because he did a stint in Iraq. Whether he ever was in a firefight or not makes no difference to me. Whether he was an infantryman or press officer makes no difference to me. Vance served in a war zone and I did not.

A note about being in the National Guard, in which Walz spent 24 years. During Vietnam, it usually took connections to get into the National Guard. That’s because so many young men wanted to join the Guard, especially when we had the draft in effect. At that time, if you were in the Guard, you were pretty much assured you would not be deployed to Vietnam. Today, that is not the case. Many Guard units have been deployed to combat duty in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9-11.

As a side note, I note that at some point in Walz’s career he was “deployed” to Vicenza, Italy. I know Vicenza well. Back in the 1980s when I was stationed in Milan with DEA, my family and I would make periodic trips to the Army base at Vicenza where, as US Consulate employees, we had PX privileges. I can assure you that there was no hardship involved in being deployed to Vicenza (other than the normal issues of family separation, etc). It was a pleasant little town about halfway between Milan and Venice. On a couple of occasions, we would overnight there, either on post or in a hotel.

None of this is to demean the reserves, especially now when reserve units are being deployed to combat zones. It is hardly a blot on Walz’s resume-unless the worst accusations, outlined above, prove to have merit. But what if they do? If it turns out that Walz decided to get out because his unit was facing deployment to Iraq, and/or he deliberately misrepresented himself as having served in combat, I think that would be a big problem for him and the ticket. There are many reasons to vote against Walz, most of which will not result in his having to withdraw from the ticket. This, however, has the potential, in my view, of forcing him to withdraw.  I’m not making a final judgment, but I think it is a serious issue. If true, it matters.

And if that happens, will Josh Shapiro (with all those Jewish/Israel issues) get another bite at the apple? That would be interesting to watch.

But that’s a topic for a different essay.


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like how this is an issue where he might need to withdraw.

Maybe we should talk about how the other side has a rapist running before we get into these weeds.

Gary Fouse said...

If you could point to a criminal conviction of Trump for rape, that would be one thing. A civil judgment is something else, especially in a biased venue. At any rate, nobody is accusing Walz of a crime. He was legally entitled to retire when he did, although there is a question of the permission needed if your unit has orders to deploy. Walz got permission although his superior is claiming he went around him to a higher authority. We are not talking about proven crimes here as to either one. With both Trump and Walz, it is the voters who have to evaluate the moral fitness of all the candidates and make their choice.

Anonymous said...

I guess you'd vote for OJ Simpson too then if he ran as a Republican since he was never convicted of murder and only found liable for wrongful death.

But I guess I'm jumping to conclusions that the man who bragged about committing sexual assault actually committed sexual assault.

Great moral compass you've got there. I'm thinking that "bias" is just your code for "things I don't want to believe".

I know that Walz wasn't accused of committing a crime. That's my point. Before we address his wrongdoings, let's deal with the fact that Trump is a rapist.

Gary Fouse said...

How do you know Trump is a racist? Inside info? Are you a cop who investigated the accusation? Did he brag about committing sexual assault?

And before you start preaching about moral compasses here, remember that none of us have great choices. It is Trump or Harris. We can vote for whoever we think is the lesser evi, RFK, or just stay home. What's your choice?

Gary Fouse said...

(Cont) Are you talking about that Access Hollywood tape with Billy Bush when he was talking about wanting to grab someone by the p----? If so, let's make a distinction between tasteless locker room talk and actually admitting he did something like that. I've said many times I think he's a jerk, but a rapist? I'm not convinced.

Anonymous said...

Fouse, are you unaware that he was found civily liable for the sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll? The jury decided this. He's had to pay her millions and then millions more as he continued to defame her by saying it never happened.

Go listen to the Access Hollywood tape again. He talks about something he DOES, not something he WANTS to do. (And don't give me his "locker room talk" bull. My male friends and I get pretty blue, but none of us brag about assault.)

And I suppose you're also unaware that there are multiple women who have accused him of sexual assault.

Plus, let's not forget the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA contestants who claimed that he would walk into the dressing room when they were changing (something he even admitted to on Howard Stern).

He's not a "jerk". He's scum.

Gary Fouse said...

OK, I watched the tape. There are a lot of ways that could be interpreted, so what? Specifically, whom do you think got grabbed here? Who was he talking about? And yes, I'm aware he was found civilly liable for the E Jean Carroll case. The burden of proof is 51%. That's why I specifically distinguished between civil and criminal convictions.

So in your vaunted opinion, who should I vote for? You want me to list all the objections I have about Harris and Walz? I won't, but I cannot support their policies. I may not like Trump as a person, but I like his policies, most of them anyway, when he was president, just not his style. If I ever was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that he was a rapist, I wouldn't vote for him,. I'm just not convinced to that level.

So vote as you like and think as you like. Or do you want to continue your rant?

Anonymous said...

What's hilarious about all this is your total lack of self-awareness of how hypocritical you are. You mentioned in another post about Biden's supposed "skullduggery" (nice word, by the way - gotta work that into everyday conversation) even though nobody has provided an iota of evidence or even named a specific crime. And now there's this nothingburger about Walz. Yet I'm 100% positive that if Walz or any other democrat had HALF the list of shenanigans that Trump had, your blog would be bursting at the seams with material.

And as I said, with your logic, you'd also endorse OJ Simpsons if he ran for President as a Republican because he was only found guilty in civil court, and those standards are just too low for you.

I imagine that most, if not all, of the objections to Harris and Walz are either complete fabrications or half-truths at best.

I will be voting for them, not because I agree with everything, but here are some positives about the Biden administration where I assume that they will continue similar policies:

1. Record-low unemployment
2. Infrastructure - Biden passed a bipartisan bill and Trump couldn't even get anything off the ground.
3. The CHIPS and science act which creates jobs and lessens China's influence.
4. Abortion rights - no government has the right to tell a woman what to do with her body, and right now a 12 year old girl has to carry her rapist's baby to term if she lives in Texas thanks to Trump getting rid of Roe.

With Trump, there are policies that I don't like, but there are so many things wrong with him that should instantly disqualify him, including:

1. Saying that he's willing to pardon the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. I mean seriously, how is this even a thing?
2. He's a rapist. Do I know that with 100% certainty? No, but there's so much smoke that you'd have to be very naive to deny the fire at this point.
3, He's a con artist. He's always been one. Just look at Trump University for one of many examples.
4. He's a racist. I'm sure that you're in denial about this one too, but if his recent "Kamala suddenly turned black" statements don't sway you, then he could wear a Klan uniform and you'd still make excuses.
5. He tried to overturn the election with his fake electors scheme, and he continues to push a narrative that makes people lose faith in our democratic system.
6. He is cognitively impaired. He rambles on about batteries and sharks, thinks that windmills cause cancer, and doesn't know the difference between solar and battery power. (Also doesn't seem to understand the concept of a person being biracial.) Try listening to his interview with Musk and tell me that's a guy who's playing with a full deck.

Anyway, his policies also stink. Tax cuts for billionaires? Tariffs on Chinese imports because he thinks that it's the Chinese who pay for this? A giant wall which will not do what it's intended to do and just waste (our, not Mexico's) money? Mass deportations? All of Project 2025?

There are plenty of legit criticisms of the dems, but this is like choosing between being bitten by a mosquito or a great white shark.

As for RFK...the guy is a nut.

Gary Fouse said...

Just think: Instead of all the writing you do to me with your talking points, you could have written a book by now. Why don't you just write a book with all the Dem talking points, autograph it, and send it to me? Then again, if you write a book, you would have to attach your name to it. I wouldn't read it anyway. Come to think of it, I already have.

Gary Fouse said...

And no, I'm not going to waste my time responding to each of your talking points. If you want to argue that Biden has been a successful president, be my guest. If I see something I want to argue, I'll address it. Otherwise, forget it. As I said before, I suspect you are just a Russian bot trying to take me away from my assigned duties. (That's a joke, but you get the message.)`

Anonymous said...

Again, the lack of self-awareness is my favorite part of your blog, and it's what keeps bringing me back.

You accuse me of just giving dem talking points? Your entire blog is a retread of every right-wing talking point with nary an original idea or thoughtful critique in sight. I'm eagerly awaiting you to pick up the "Kamala is going to take away 'Merry Christmas'" one that Trump keeps saying.

If I have enough to fill a book, you have enough to fill a library.

I am really curious as to what your actual objections to those points are. Do you deny the record-low unemployment? Do you think that the Chips and Science act was a failure? Did Biden NOT get an infrastructure bill passed?

Or even the points against Trump. Are you okay with the idea of pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters? Even the ones who attacked police?

Again, nice moral compass you've got there.

Anonymous said...

Gonna chop this into three comments:

1 How do you like the border situation on our hands?

It doesn't seem very good, but I do know that there was a bipartisan agreement on the border that was endorsed by the border guards, but it got the kibosh when Trump told the Republicans to kill it because he didn't want Biden to have a "win".

And yes, that's a talking point. But I know that the situation is far more complex than the right-wing talking points and there are many things that have factored into what is currently happening. (The lessening of Covid restrictions contributed to more people coming.) I also know that many of Trump's policies were inhumane and took away any moral authority that the U.S. might have in the world.

2 How did you like the manner in which Biden pulled out of Afghanistan? I am talking about the final day at the airport.

It certainly doesn't look good. I do know that he was going on Trump's timeline. Is there something specific that Biden did that made the situation go bad? Otherwise, I don't have a reason to believe that it would have gone differently with any other President.

3 What do you think of inflation under Biden?

I know that inflation hit the entire world, so to blame Biden is silly. I also know that the rate has gone down and that the deflation that some conservatives are suggesting would likely have a bad effect on the economy. Lastly, I think that when we talk inflation, we should look at the corporations that have raised prices while claiming record profits.

4 How do you think Biden has handled Iran? China? Russia?

I need you to be more specific. I think that he's doing as much as he can and should when it comes to Russia's invasion of Ukraine though.

Anonymous said...

2/3

5 Do you think Biden is cognitively impaired or not?

I think that he's old and is definitely not functioning like a younger man would. I think that him dropping out was the right thing. I do not believe that he has dementia though, as I'm not qualified to make such a medical diagnosis and neither are all the pundits who say so.

The irony of all of that though is that Trump kept hammering on Biden's mental state and now that Biden has dropped out, the spotlight is going to Trump and his absolutely bonkers ramblings, the fact that he confuses people (not names - people), and that he can only seem to talk about three things.

6 How has Kamala Harris performed as vice president/border czar?

I think that like most VPs, it's difficult to determine exactly how well she's handled anything. I have neither praise nor condemnation.

7 Do you think Joe Biden was uninvolved in Hunter's business dealings with China, Ukraine etc?

I think that what I "think" is irrelevant. When I see some actual evidence instead of all the vague accusations, I'll change my mind. I also know that there are a lot of half-truths and flat-out lies that have been told about this issue, and it seems to me like such a thing would be unnecessary if he really was guilty (and again, I'm still waiting for a specific crime to be named).

8 Are you ok with the way Harris got the nomination to replace Biden?

It's not ideal, but nothing illegal happened. I think that it's the best the Dems could do under the situation, and I'd say the same thing if it was a Republican incumbent candidate. Did she win the primary? No. But she has already been his VP for his first term, and it's understood that when you vote for a President, you are accepting the fact that the VP pick could replace him at any moment (especially when we're talking about somebody Biden's age). I think that it would have been far more problematic (but not illegal) if they went with Gavin Newsom or somebody else.

I was going to say that I'd feel the same if Trump dropped out and it was Vance who replaced him, but that's not exactly a 1-1 comparison as Vance was added after the primaries. Gee, what happened with Trump's old VP again?

Anonymous said...

3/3

Now to go back to your rebuttals:

"I don't know if (Biden's unemployment numbers are) true or not"

Not trying to kill you with condescension here, Fouse, but ya know, there are ways to find these things out.

But yes, you are absolutely right that if we look at this, we have to factor in the Covid situation. However, even with that, Biden's numbers are better than Trump's even before the pandemic. Plus, it has held at this record level.

"I would not agree with pardoning (the January 6th rioters)."

Glad we agree on this. However, to me the very suggestion of doing so is akin to pardoning Timothy McVeigh (not in scale but in motivation). It's immediately disqualifying. If Harris said she wanted to pardon them, then I guess I'm voting for Brain Worm Kennedy.

"I have no idea what the Chips and Science Act is."

You are so close, Fouse. So close to getting it. Again, I'm not trying to be condescending, but maybe it would be a good idea to not just look into it, but to ask yourself why you, a person who is otherwise up on current events, doesn't know about it?

I'll echo this point in regard to your comment about the infrastructure bill. You don't know about it, but you know it must be bad if Buttigieg had anything to do with it.

Gary Fouse said...

4 How do you think Biden has handled Iran? China? Russia?

I need you to be more specific. I think that he's doing as much as he can and should when it comes to Russia's invasion of Ukraine though.

Specifically, he has been guilty of letting China beat us economically, but you can blame the last 6-7 presidents for doing the same. I appreciate the fact he is assisting Ukraine, but he should have given them the planes early. But we are spending a fortune on Ukraine when the goal should be to allow Ukraine to drive Russia out of its territory. The fact is our adversaries don't respect Biden. They know he is weak. He says, "Don't " to Russian and Iran and they DO.

Gary Fouse said...

5" Do you think Biden is cognitively impaired or not?"

"I think that he's old and is definitely not functioning like a younger man would. I think that him dropping out was the right thing. I do not believe that he has dementia though, as I'm not qualified to make such a medical diagnosis and neither are all the pundits who say so.

The irony of all of that though is that Trump kept hammering on Biden's mental state and now that Biden has dropped out, the spotlight is going to Trump and his absolutely bonkers ramblings, the fact that he confuses people (not names - people), and that he can only seem to talk about three things"

-"I don't know how old you are, but I have been watching Biden for 50 years (on TV). I know the way he was. He is not close to being the same man though I never thought he was that bright. He always thought he was the smartest guy in the room, but he wasn't. I don't know whether it's Alzheimer's or dementia, but he has some form of cognitive decline.

Trump has never been an articulate man, but I don't think there's anything going on there other than normal aging. You probably don't watch him on sit down one one-on-one interviews, but he does much better there.

On that note, he held a press conference today and answered questions for a long time. I caught parts of it in the car. Why is it that Kamala Harris has not had one interview since she became the nominee? Eventually, she's going to be shamed into answering questions (which the MSM is not interested in asking).

Gary Fouse said...

7 "Do you think Joe Biden was uninvolved in Hunter's business dealings with China, Ukraine etc?"

"I think that what I "think" is irrelevant. When I see some actual evidence instead of all the vague accusations, I'll change my mind. I also know that there are a lot of half-truths and flat-out lies that have been told about this issue, and it seems to me like such a thing would be unnecessary if he really was guilty (and again, I'm still waiting for a specific crime to be named)."

" As VP, Biden took Hunter along to China on AF2, and Hunter away with big business deals. Was that proper?

When Hunter was on the board of BUrisma, and it was being investigated by a Ukrainian prosecutor, Bdien as VP went to Kiev and told the then-president to fire the prosecutor or he wouldn't get a promised loan guarantee for the US. The prosecutor was fired. Don't take my word. You can view the video of Biden talking to the Council on Foreign Relations and bragging about it. Just google it and the video should pop up.

You don't think that's corruption?

Gary Fouse said...

I'll get around to that Chips and Science stuff sometime. As for my comment about the infrastructure, I was just poking fun at Mayor Pete. He couldn't run South Bend, and I don't see much good as transportation secretary.

That's enough. I must now get back to my appointed rounds.....