Alito: How did he avoid serving in Vietnam?

[scoopmeister]

http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002449.html

His 1972 draft lottery number was 12:

By then, young Sam Alito -- who was graduating Princeton on his way to Yale Law School -- was already in the Army Reserves, which, as this article notes, "became a haven for those avoiding service in Vietnam." The future judge served in the reserves until 1980 and left with the rank of captain.

How did he get that coveted slot? The judge's father, Sam Alito Sr., was the director of New Jersey's Office of Legislative Services in 1972, so he surely knew some powerful politicians. Did someone make a phone call? We're curious.

[Roland99]

1. Is military service (or even combat service) required for the SCOTUS now?

[Mr_Spock]

3. Did he use connections to avoid it? It goes to character...

make sense?

[Roland99]

6. If he did use connections, bully to him!

Making a mountain out of an ant hill.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Roland99]

13. I'm not being a "dick" about it at all.

Who among here wouldn't have tried to get out of combat duty in Vietnam? Clinton did and this place fawns over him.

I would have.

I imagine about anyone with an outside of chance of avoiding combat duty would have done so.

Are we to now criticize Alito over doing what most of us would have done and we actually would have preferred everyone to do, if possible? Or, are we now ardent supporters of the war in Vietnam?


The OP is making a problem where one doesn't exist.

[itcfish]

15. Yeah Let's Fight

among each other. That will truly get us nothing in 2006 and 2008.

:wtf:


:dem:

[BOSSHOG]

19. I joined the Navy in 1972 at 18

and volunteered for Viet Nam duty albeit I would most likely have served on a ship off the coast but volunteered nontheless. I ended up instead in the desert of California for my first tour.

I agree that it was noble in those days to attempt to avoid service in that war, however I would feel so much better about a person who may make life and death judgements on others if he had a little taste of life and death himself. I lost 19 teammates in Saudi Arabia to a terrorist blast in 1996. Nothing solidifies ones thoughts and views better than having to dig dead servicemembers out of a blown up building. I'm sure my life experiences would have me voting in opposition to Mr Alioto more often than not.

[librechik]

5. no, but chicken Hawks should be exposed for the sake of public knowledge

so people can make up their own minds about them.

[Roland99]

7. How is he a chicken hawk? Is he setting policy to go to war?

[librechik]

16. it goes to character--if he pulled strings to stay out of combat

that's different from using legitimate deferments.

And serving in the reserve is a legitimate deferment, if you showed up and dis your required exercises.


who on earth would ever think he would set policy?



He might rule on military stop loss.

and he might rule on detainee issues, for example.


therre are some issues where using elite connections or pulling strings to avoid combat might be an important indication of character.

My argument is for more transparency for all candidates, including to SCOTUS, so that citizens can have better input in their own government.

[Roland99]

17. See my post #13

Also, I'm sure he's the same person he was 35 years ago, too.


:eyes:

[tx_dem41]

18. Would a past draft dodger be ineligible for SCOTUS

in your world then?

I state this because you made the distinction about pulling strings being different from using legitimate deferments.

[librechik]

20. no, I'm merely saying we should know

pulling strings and abusing terms of the deferment (say by not showing up for months at a time, when obliged to do so)shows a different character than showing up and doing your duty Wouldn't you want to know?

I don't know what Alito did, and if he did it 30 years ago, that should be as fair game as Kerry being a war protestor 30 years ago. Those are the right's terms of discussion, not mine.

[MsUnderstood]

2. This doesn't matter!

Don't make this a question--the issue should be if he makes valid judicial decesions based on the law. . .

[VolcanoJen]

8. The character of a Supreme Court Justice should be unimpeachable.

Therefore, I feel this does matter.

It most certainly matters if a law was somehow broken or circumvented to keep him out of the military, vis-a-vis Vietnam.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. 1972-1980

and he only was an O-3 when he left? WOW he did not reach battalion command?

Now that is an appropriate question, as he should have been at the very least a Major, O-4 of not a Lt Colonel after almost 20 years

Yes folks this speaks of competency actually, not just as a judge.

[Roland99]

9. "almost 20 years"? 1972-1980 - 8 years

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. ooops sorry, my math is not working today

and dislexya took over, you are right...

eight years about right

[Catchawave]

12. Depends on your MOS?

Maybe they had enough high ranking legal reservists?

It would be a good question for committee :)

[MemphisTiger]

14. Where have we heard this type of story before?

:puke: