I just read a cover story about disgraced North County San Diego Congressman and former Miramar Top Gun instructor Randy “Duke” Congressman in the Union Tribune, my town’s only major paper, which ended with a quote from one of his former military buddies. The quote implied that while Duke was in the Navy as a fighter pilot he was protected from his brash impulsiveness while on the ground by his chain of command and while in the sky by other pilots who would cover his ass, they called it covering your six. Six-o’clock being fighter pilot jargon for your rear-end, your blind spot.
“As long as he was in the Navy there was always someone there to cover his six,” is how the quote read. Reading it, it’s obvious there are people who will try to distance this guy from the responsibility of the gravity of what he did, because, after all, gravity is one of a pilot’s greatest threats. Forget that for now.
Above: disgraced US Congressman and shameful asshole Randy “Duke” Cunningham
Duke’s downfall wasn’t an enemy that snuck up on his rear. It was simple greed. Duke is a crooked polititian, one who is no better than any old-time Tammany Hall boss from post-Civil War New York, and certainly no better than the other great crooked Republican White House of Richard Nixon and his running mate Spiro Agnew, who I think also was found to be a money grabbing polititian who traded integrity for bribes of cash.
Duke, you sold your office for 2.4 million dollars, and you did it during wartime, by selling favors to defense contractors. You’re a traitor and a fool. You said in your speech where you announced your guilt that in your life you have had highs and lows – that in your life you’ve known fame “… And now I have known shame,” you said…
Make that less past-tense, Duke. Shame is your default state and condition for the balance of your life now, asshole. Fuck you to hell.
I wonder if his photo is still up on the wall at Miramar. The Marine’s are there now, but when Cunningham was an instructor I think in the 1980’s it was a Navy airbase. Integrity is a touchstone for the Marines echoed in thier motto of Semper Fidelis – “Always Faithful” in latin. One thing I don’t wonder about is if there are Marine brass out there who are now very grateful that The Dukester wasn’t one of their own. RR