Get Rid Of Him
Digby has a post about an active-duty Air Force major general engaged in blatant political activity using government facilities.
Major General Jack J. Catton Jr. has broken his dead father’s code of conduct. His father, General “Black Jack” Catton was commander of the 15th Air Force when I was in the service, and he was a very “by the book” officer, as befits a product of Curtis LeMay’s Strategic Air Command.
From the Washington Post article:
Catton urged his classmates to support Bentley Rayburn, a recently retired Air Force general seeking the Republican nomination for a House seat being vacated this year by Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.). Hefley’s district around Colorado Springs includes the Air Force Academy, several military bases and the headquarters of Focus on the Family, James Dobson’s Christian broadcasting organization.
Both Catton’s e-mail and an accompanying note from Rayburn portrayed him as a candidate who would represent the military and conservative Christians.
“The lack of any Air Force presence within the Congress was particularly telling over the last few years,” Rayburn wrote, referring to controversy over proselytizing at the Air Force Academy and new Air Force regulations on religious expression. “For those of us who are Christians, there is that whole other side of the coin that recognizes that we need more Christian influence in Congress.”
First of all Congress is lousy with “Christian influence”. The whole Republican Party is beholden to the Religious Reich. You couldn’t swing a dead rat in either house of Congress without hitting someone ready to “speak in tongues”. I realize that criminal investigations are reducing their number, but there is a higher percentage of “Christians” in Congress, than in the country.
If these guys were worried about representing the Air Force, why didn’t they come up with some cash for Michael C. Francisco [Lieutenant Colonel, USAF retired] when he challenged Jeff Miller in the First Congressional District of Florida. Catton was stationed here at the time. Francisco got minimal support from retired officers, and was hurting for money.
Catton needs to be nailed to put an end to this type of misconduct.
