The nation’s top military official scolded a group of veterans for criticizing President Obama in a new online documentary, saying in an interview that he is “disappointed” by their partisan comments.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the anti-Obama comments are “not useful” when asked about the documentary during an interview with Fox News while flying back to the U.S. from the Middle East.
“One of the things that marks us as a profession in a democracy – in our form of democracy – that’s most important is that we remain apolitical,” Dempsey said. “That’s how we maintain our bond of trust with the American people. The American people don’t want us to be another special interest group.”
Scott Taylor, a former Navy SEAL who founded the group, defended his political activity when told about Dempsey’s criticism during a later Fox interview."Well, I have nothing but respect for the general. He’s active duty; we are not. We’re now citizens and we have a First Amendment right to be able to speak out and we feel as though we’re doing the right thing,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2010, said he does not encourage active duty service members to join his group and speak out against the president.
“One of the things that marks us as a profession in a democracy – in our form of democracy – that’s most important is that we remain apolitical,” Dempsey said. “That’s how we maintain our bond of trust with the American people. The American people don’t want us to be another special interest group.”
In “Dishonorable Disclosures,” the documentary released online last week, a group of former special operations and intelligence members slam Obama for taking credit for the death of Osama bin Laden.
The group, which calls itself the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, also criticizes the president for alleged security leaks under his administration — saying the lapses are putting overseas military members at risk.
Scott Taylor, a former Navy SEAL who founded the group, defended his political activity when told about Dempsey’s criticism during a later Fox interview.Taylor, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2010, said he does not encourage active duty service members to join his group and speak out against the president.
But Dempsey said it makes little difference that the group members are ex-military, rather than active duty.
“If someone uses the uniform, whatever uniform it is, for partisan politics, I’m disappointed by that, because I think it does erode that bond of trust we have with the American people,” Dempsey told says.
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