The argument this week is once again about qualifications to be the Commander-In-Chief, with one side arguing that military experience may not have much weight towards that particular job. The other side argues that any questioning of the qualifications of a "war hero" is a direct insult to all veterans and somehow degrades the service of that "war hero". Below is my observation of the validity of the "war hero" President argument.
According to the McCain camp, this man should be supremely qualified to be President.
During his service, he and his RIO became the only Navy aces in the Vietnam War, flying an F-4 Phantom from aboard aircraft carriers, and recording five confirmed kills. He was one of the early graduates of the Navy's TOPGUN school that taught dogfighting techniques to F-4 Phantom pilots and Radar Intercept Officers (RIOs).
He was one of the most highly decorated United States Navy pilots in the Vietnam War, receiving the Navy Cross once, the Silver Star twice, the Air Medal 15 times, and the Purple Heart for wounds he received under enemy fire.
His visibility as a CNN commentator led several Republican leaders to approach him about running in what was then the 44th District, one of four that divided San Diego. He won the Republican nomination in 1990, promising to be "a congressman we can be proud of." He won by just one percentage point, meaning that the San Diego area was represented entirely by Republicans for only the second time since the city was split into two districts after the 1960 census.
Congressional freshmen usually do not get much media attention outside of their home districts or states, but his status as a Vietnam War hero made him an exception. Colleagues and the media admired him for his special knowledge of the armed forces: he played an important role in the debate on whether to use military force to make Iraq end its occupation of Kuwait.
He was reelected six times with no less than 55 percent of the vote.
He was a member of the Appropriations and Intelligence committees, and chaired the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Human Intelligence Analysis and Counterintelligence during the 109th Congress. He was considered a leading Republican expert on national security issues.
He was also a champion of education, using his position on the Appropriations Education Subcommittee to steer federal dollars to schools in San Diego. After surgery for prostate cancer in 1998, he became a champion of early testing for the disease.
Who is this man and why is he not the current nominee? He seems just as qualified and just as heroic as John McCain.
He is not the Republican nominee because it is difficult to campaign from prison.
This man is Randy "Duke" Cunningham.
Good judgment, intelligence, integrity, and flexibility are the attributes we need for a President. Military service is appreciated and even desired, but not necessary to be qualified for the job. It definitely should not serve as a shield against criticism for bad judgment, poor knowledge of current events, and dead end policy ideas.