On Family Members Serving Overseas

Such a small story. Such wide disagreement.

The Hill reports that two of McCain’s sons may be serving in Iraq soon. One is serving there presently.

TPM reporter Eric Kleefeld thinks McCain’s sons being in Iraq will be used as a political weapon. Michael Goldfarb of the Weekly Standard thinks Jim Webb already is using his son as a political weapon while McCain is refusing to do so, and finds Kleefeld indicative of liberals. Meanwhile, the Jim Geraghty of NRO says it means McCain means what he says on Iraq.

Well, I don’t doubt for a second McCain’s sincerity on Iraq; nor do I the sincerity of either Clinton or Iraq. Moreover, the politicizing of this by both sides (and the finger pointing blaming the other) is really annoying. Certainly some Democrats do not play up service of their children, and some Republicans do. For instance of the latter, see Duncan Hunter. I remember grousing about it in a live blog of a debate.

Of course, I’m the type who rolls their eyes when people yell for sons or daughters to enlist to justify a war. It’s a free country, and it has a voluntary army. The absolute worst argument I heard against Iraq was that Jenna and Laura should have to go for it to be justified. The logical conclusion is that if they did go, it would be justified. And that’s just a silly argument. Judging a war on whether a handful of relatives of politicians are participating seems like a sure fire way to engage in terrible foreign policy.

And more to the point, it just seems classless to brag about a relative serving or condemn a relative of a politician for not serving.

I hate to be so bold, but can we judge McCain on his own merits? And the same goes for Webb, if he is chosen as VP. And, for that matter, everyone else.

And can’t we all just recognize the courage of all of the soldiers in Iraq? I wish the media - old and new - had the sort of focus and dedication to the truth that they do. Bickering over partisan politics and electability is just petty.