| I live in a city that has a high military presence. Today we had a comprehensive article regarding military opinion of the Clinton administration. As you know, active duty military are not supposed to be political activists. However, we have three retired Admirals in our city and they are all for Bush. Also, there is a quote that Bush supporters run 8 to 1 in the military. Admiral Kevin Delaney said, "For officers who spent much of their career during the Reagan defense buildup, the existing administration and its military budget defers too much. A shortage of spare parts, an unwillingness to keep equipment up to date and the decision of many of the more experienced sailors to leave the Navy threaten to make the service hollow. Retired Admiral Michael Kalleres who oversaw the Navy's sea-lift command said he recently attended a function put on by the Roosevelt family for the commissioning of the new destroyer named after Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. He said there were several hundred people assembled and one of the Roosevelt family asked how many were democrats and only a handful raised their hands. Kalleres said his pro-Bush sentiment was also shaped by his feeling that the Clinton-Gore administration has not fought for veterans. Furthermore, those in the military pledge to uphold duty, honor and country, but Clinton and Gore have failed to uphold all three. Jonathon Howe, a retired admiral echoed the sentiment. He said he has voted for democrats and republicans in the past but the Clinton-Gore presidency evokes a visceral reaction that works against the Democrats. For officers, the president isn't just another politician, making promises he doesn't keep. To them, the President is the commander-in-chief and they evaluate him according to the standard they use for their own senior commanders. For officers, "the most important thing is honor and integrity," Howe said. The Monica Lewinsky scandal and Clinton's impeachment were viewed by many as evidence the president didn't live up to this standard. "I personally think there needs to be a clean sweep," Howe said. "We just have had too much in this last eight years." |
