Open Left

Three and four star generals/admirals (4.00 / 1)

almost have to be officially non-partisan. That is because you don't really get promoted to three stars or four stars, instead you get assigned to a three or four star position. If by some odd chance you decided to stay in the service after your term as Vice-Admiral, Admiral, Lieutenant General, or General expired you revert to your permanent two star rank. Which is why people at this level almost invariably retire after their appointment runs out, unless of course they are moved up to the next level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V...

(Which of course has led some doofi in the blogosphere to claim that Sestak is not really a three star admiral at all.)

But to return to partisanship, all three and four star military positions are subject to specific Senate approval and it is in nobody's interest to have some prospective four star general or admiral be specifically identified with one political party or another. That is nobody cares that some Master Sergeant or Navy Commander is a known Republican, the Captain of the last ship I was on in the Navy was basically a raving wingnut. Which would have given me a lot of pause if years later I heard he was being promoted to head Seventh Fleet.

People on the fast track to top military command are well-advised to keep their political cards tight to the chest, essentially Spector is blaming Sestak for putting country first during his military service.

---

by: Bruce Webb @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 12:02:29 PM CDT