Sean Hannity is not a mensch

[pecunium]

Avedon Carol (The Sideshow) posted a link to a Kos Diary about the Freedom Fund of Sean Hannity and Ollie North.

Now, it's no secret that I don't like Ollie North. I think tht the Corps didn't drum him out in disgrace is a black mark on them (my father, who was in the Corps, well let's just say that my feelings about North are practically lovey-dovey compared to his).

But this seems to be a new low. Using people's support for the dependents of dead soldiers to skim off huge amounts of money to themselves, and to further political agendas is stooping to the level of whale shit.

It's not that I begrudge them raising money for causes (or even themselves) but they are lying to people about where the money goes, and using dead troops to soak them for the money.

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I've been told by people who were in a position to know that the Commandant of the Marine Corps at the time, General P. X. Kelly, had decided to retire North when North refused orders to command an infantry battalion at Camp Lejeune and asked to be extended on White House duty. Kelly's efforts were cut short by direct intervention from the White House, I'd guess by Admiral Poindexter. That's the only reason North was still an active duty officer of Marines when the whole Iran Contra scandal broke. He remained on active duty on legal hold, assigned to HQMC, until the investigation was finally over. The day North was released from legal hold Commandant Al Gray demanded his retirement.

If you haven't ever read The Nightingale's Song I'd recommend that you read it. The author is a prior service Marine officer and Annapolis grad who dug deeply into the involvement of various Naval Academy grads in the Iran Contra mess. What he reveals about North is pretty interesting.

Anyhow, that's my long way around the barn of saying that the Corps would have drummed him out if the White House hadn't interfered.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Open square, furled flags, rank stripped, sword broken and leave him there, as the troop file out at the funeral march.

That's what I think he deserved.

My father, well as I said, he's less kind to the man than I am.

I'll have to dig that up.

TK

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I don't think an old fashioned drumming out would have been possible, but I'm morally certain that General Kelly wanted North to retire from the Corps after North refused command of an infantry battalion. What the hell kind of Marine officer refuses that?

I look forward to reading what you have to say about the book. If you can't find it I could mail you my copy.

[cluefairy-j.livejournal.com]

Have you ever heard of The Foremen? Rick Foss turned me onto them.....anyway, there's no mp3, but here's the lyrics and I figure you'll appreciate them......

http://www.royzimmerman.com/lyrics/rest_ollie.html

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

My dad -- who served in the Corps -- probably had similar feelings to yours. He used to yell at the television set when North was testifying. It was then that I learned that a Marine swears an oath to uphold the Constitution, not obey orders from the commander-in-chief. And yeah, he thought only kicking North out was too good for him.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Make that, similar to your dad's.

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's unfair to North, but since he became (in)famous I've considered him as being a major precursor of what I think of as The Sleaze Movement. Sure, we've always had a few people like that in the Military and (more) in Politics, but (at least in my lifetime) not significant _groups_ of them, and the individuals who came to notice were -- at the very least -- ashamed and embarrassed about it (or about being caught). Now... we have a whole Administration, and (almost half of a Congress) composed of people who just blithely brazen it out.

Sadly, I have to admit, it's not clear whether the American Public (admittedly, usually a bit slow on the uptake, but generally reasonably astute in the long run) will let them get away with it, or will hold them accountable. And yes, I think "accountability", for a good many of them, would include a life-sentence of imprisonment without possibility of parole.