Demo Chills Ralston’s Chances No Double Standard For Brass, Say Daschle, Other Officials
In a damaging blow to Air Force Gen. Joseph W. Ralston’s chances of becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Senate’s Democratic leader on Friday rejected the Pentagon’s argument that some cases of adultery are more serious than others.
“I think the regulation and the discipline ought to be applied exactly the same in all circumstances,” Sen. Thomas A. Daschle, D-S.D., told reporters. “If it isn’t, then I think the Pentagon needs to revalue whether or not this nomination ought to go forward.”
Daschle’s comment, near the end of a news conference devoted to tax legislation, went to the heart of Defense Secretary William Cohen’s justification for considering Ralston for the Pentagon’s top uniformed post despite an admitted adulterous affair more than a decade ago.
Cohen says Ralston’s affair with a civilian, which the general said came at a time he was separated from his wife, did not damage military effectiveness or bring discredit on the Air Force. He said the circumstances were far different from those that resulted in adultery charges against First Lt. Kelly J. Flinn, the country’s first female B-52 pilot.
Flinn resigned from the Air Force last month without the honorable discharge that she had sought to avoid a court-martial that could have sent her to prison.
But Daschle’s reaction and that of others on Capitol Hill showed that Pentagon leaders have not yet provided a clear and persuasive explanation of the way they enforce military regulations on sexual misconduct, which critics say are applied unfairly to women and lower-ranking service members.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the “burden of proof” was on the Clinton administration to show that Ralston deserved the job.
“Bill Clinton may be able to make the case, but my worry would be, unless it’s a very strong case, what message does that send down the chain of command about what behavior will be tolerated?” he said.
The White House pointedly avoided questions about whether Ralston should be promoted. Asked whether the Pentagon was following a double standard, treating Ralston more leniently than women and lower-ranking officers, Vice President Al Gore said, “We think that there should properly be a high standard and the secretary of defense is in agreement with that.”
That issue is still in Cohen’s hands, and the Defense chief told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday he would wait until he meets with Ralston before making a decision. Ralston has been traveling in Asia on official business and is due back in Washington on Monday.
One problem for Cohen if Ralston’s candidacy fails is that there are few obvious alternatives.
“There’s slim pickings out there,” said a top Cohen aide.
Two possibilities are Gen. Charles C. Krulak, the Marine Corps commandant, and Gen. Dennis J. Reimer, the Army chief of staff.
Two new names emerged Friday: Adm. Joseph Lopez, the commander of Navy forces in Europe and the likely choice to succeed Ralston if he gets the top job, and Gen. Wesley K. Clark of the Army, who heads the U.S. Southern Command.