Over at Blackfive, Uncle Jimbo is hyping Sarah Palin's position as Commander in Chief of the Alaskan National Guard to give her pretensions of national security experience befitting a Vice President.
He says that because of an Alaskan National Guard unit operating a missile defense base in Alaska she has a "unique role in our national security and homeland defense" and approvingly cites an email from one of his readers to that effect. He goes on to claim in comments that "she's privy to military and intelligence secrets no other governor is. She has to be. There's no way she could function as governor if she weren't." It's a story approvingly accepted by the likes of Jonah Goldberg and Kim Priestap.
There's a bit of a problem with his narrative though.
Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard, considers Palin "extremely responsive and smart" and says she is in charge when it comes to in-state services, such as emergencies and natural disasters where the National Guard is the first responder.
But, in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, he said he and Palin play no role in national defense activities, even when they involve the Alaska National Guard. The entire operation is under federal control, and the governor is not briefed on situations.
A couple of Jimbo's commenters pointed this out to him and he his readers (EDIT: corrected attribution) went apoplectic, going so far as to denigrate the officer in charge of the ANG.
He's the commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The fact that he has no role in national defense activities is a given. All you have to do is read his title.
And to claim that just because the Alaska National Guard's Strategic Plan for 2008-12 was written "in line with Governor Palin's priorities", Palin herself drew up the criteria for that plan - even though that phrase is the only time Palin is mentioned in the whole document.
What a rotten milblogger Jimbo is - or simply dishonestly defending his thesis by focusing on only one of the Adjutant General's duties. Perhaps Jimbo should have corrected his readers, but he didn't. Here's the relevant part of Gen, Campbell's bio:
Major General Craig E. Campbell is the adjutant general for the State of Alaska, commander of the Alaska National Guard and the commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. He is responsible to provide Army and Air National Guard military forces, a State Defense Force, and a Navy Militia that are fully prepared to protect Alaska from any threat, disaster, or emergency. He is also responsible to ensure that Alaska’s National Guard forces are ready to deploy worldwide and accomplish military missions in support of the national defense strategy. As adjutant general and commissioner for the State of Alaska, he is responsible for emergency services, homeland security, veteran affairs, a Counter-Drug Support Team, a Civil Support Team, and a Youth Challenge Program.
What a great way to support the military...by boosting your wingnut Veep candidate at the expense of a general with 34 years in uniform. Classy.
Crossposted from Newshoggers.
(Note: Jimbo emailed to note that I'd wrongly attributed words from his commenter "Tom W" to Jimbo himself. As of this writing, Jimbo hasn't corrected his commenter, but he has my apology for the wrongful attribution anyway. The post has been edited accordingly.)
