All You Need to Know
Posted on | September 9, 2008
So the governorship of Alaska, as with that of most states, is largely ceremonial in many ways. It’s no secret, but don’t you dare suggest that a Republican running mate wasn’t a hands-on Commander-in-Chief of the state’s National Guard. Not unless you’re willing immediately to contradict yourself for a promotion:
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has promoted an adjutant-general in the Alaska National Guard to Lieutenant General after he reversed course on remarks that seemed to criticize the now-Republican candidate for Vice President.
Last Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell suggested to the Boston Globe that Gov. Sarah Palin’s role as commander of the state’s National Guard was largely ceremonial, thus blunting attempts by the McCain campaign to assert she had foreign policy experience…
Later in the week, however, Campbell appeared on Fox News to tout Palin’s candidacy.
“I’ll tell you, in the last few days, I’ve been watching the press, and I’ve not been very pleased with what I’ve been seeing about the chastising of the National Guard by having it diminished by the insinuation that a commander-in-chief of the National Guard doesn’t really control the military,” he remarked. “The National Guard has 500,000 people in it around this great country, serving in states and overseas. National Guards are state military forces run by governors, and Sarah Palin does it great.”
On Monday, he was quietly promoted. A statement — issued by Palin’s office — asserted that the promotion signified “Governor Sarah Palin’s support of the Guard and her commitment to reinforcing the cooperation between federal and state military assets.”
Enforcing cooperation, at least. Well, the fix is in. We know the minimum corruption requirements are steep for getting on the GOP ticket, of course; what’s new, I guess, is the shamelessness of the quid pro quo.
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