In 2017, Senator Rand Paul was attacked by neighbor Rene Boucher. Paul suffered multiple broken ribs and a complicated recovery. Boucher was sentenced to fines, community service, and prison time. Mocking an injury such as this could be expected from career politicians and their families. For example, in 2020, Christine Pelosi (daughter of Nancy Pelosi) tweeted, “Rand Paul’s neighbor was right.”
Mocking an injury is not expected from a retired Navy admiral. On his official campaign @FrankenforIowa Twitter page, Retired Admiral Michael Franken tweeted on January 20, 2021: “Wasn’t Rand’s neighbor more than a little in the right?”
Franken is the Democrat nominee for the 2022 Iowa Senate election. Predictably, he is running on his Navy service, appealing to public respect for his rank. His website has 3 stars above his name, presumably for the 3 stars he earned before retiring as a Vice-Admiral. The site also has several pictures of Franken in his uniform saluting. His Senate campaign webpage states, “Michael Franken has dedicated his life to serving our country and doing what’s right.” The gestures and imagery appear to betray his attempt to portray himself as a respectable, respectful retired naval officer. Praising a personal physical attack against a sitting Senator and defending the attacker are not exactly virtues of military officers, not to mention flag officers. Such contemptuous behavior instead describes an individual willing to descend into the gutter to score quick political points with his far-left base.
His campaign site goes on to brag about how he opposed President Bush’s war in Iraq while praising President Obama’s foreign policy successes in the Middle East. Franken served as the Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa from 2012 to 2013. The escalating turmoil that occurred in Yemen and other countries in the region after his “successful” command indicates he is as partisan as he is untruthful about US military operations and takes no responsibility for world events that happened on his watch. Both actions serve to promote his image and campaign. Neither reflects the honorable actions expected of a retired 3-star flag officer.
2021 witnessed the end game of 20 years of lies from flag officers on the war in Southwest Asia. It also saw the naked display of political partisanship by senior US military generals and admirals who openly rebuked a sitting President (Republican) and enthusiastic execution of hyperpartisan Critical Race Theory and other Democrat social justice causes. Franken’s actions are not surprising. Retiring in 2017, his career ended during the time US military leaders began to sully the honor of their office.
Iowa voters should be wary at the polls.
.jpg){kind=link}