Passions were running high at today's House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting over travel to Cuba -- but perhaps none more so than Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen who tussled with retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey.
McCaffrey raised the Miami Republican's hackles with his testimony that Cuba represents no risk to national security and the travel ban should be scrapped since it hurts longtime U.S. interests.
But during questioning, he took exception to Ros-Lehtinen, whom he said appeared to question his national security credentials and called him "Mr. McCaffrey,'' rather than "General.''
"To refute the argument that I had offered to the committee, she seemed to be implying my lack of commitment to U.S. national security, which is a silly thing for her to do,'' McCaffrey told reporters after the hearing. "She stated a very carefully chosen way to denigrate my military credentials, which she is not authorized to do.''
Ros-Lehtinen -- who often notes she has family members in the service -- said she disagreed with McCaffrey's stance on Cuba, but "did not mean in any way to not respect his service by calling him Mr. and not General.''
She said she had written down the questions she wanted to pose to McCaffrey and that "General'' appears in her handwritten notes
Gee, Conservatives are you going to jump down the General's throat for being so petty and taking offense at being called Mr. instead of General?
I mean Senator Boxer was ripped to shreds, and her possible republican opponent Fiona ridiculed her for demanding a different General refer to her by Title.
None of the yakking frothing at the mouth uber extremist conservatives slamming Boxer seemed to understand it wasn't Petty.
In the military to use a Mr. or Mrs. Sir or Ma'am in a PROFESSIONAL setting is NOT respectful.
In a professional setting (like a senate hearing) using their title is mandatory.
NOT using their rank/title is as the General said "A very carefully chosen way to denigrate credentials.''
So when the OTHER General who kept calling Senator Boxer Ma'am rather than Senator he was being PURPOSEFULLY DISRESPECTFUL - and Senator Boxer was RIGHT to call him on it.
The RULE goes both ways. It is NOT just demanded of military to military, it includes government officials in elected office and judges.
Posted by: JonathanSeer | November 19, 2009 at 10:15 PM