What's the Deal on Sestak?

 "In the summer of 2005, Sestak was administratively reassigned from his position as DCNO due to a "poor command climate," effectively ending his naval career.^[9] His removal was one of the first changes made by Admiral Michael Mullen when he took over as the new Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) in July, according to Navy Times."  Wiki

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Arlen Spector floated a TV ad that says that this man was "relieved of duty."  Sestak says that is a lie.  it appears to me to be a lie..  Mullen fired him.  Sestak then retired from the Navy.   That's not the same thing as being thrown out as Spector implies.   What do the Navy people here say?  

I know that I brought this up before but I was not satisfied with the result.  pl 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sestak

Comments

[par4]

Politically he's too conservative for my tastes but he would make a far better Senator than Snarlin' Arlen. These interchangeable professional politician will be the death of us yet. The corporate owned media loves these bought and paid for Pros though.Notice how little attention Webb gets.Here's one of the most honorable men in government trying to tackle one of the most difficult jobs we've created for ourselves(prison reform) and no one ever hears about it.

[ServingPatriot]

Admiral Joe was indeed fired by Mullen. It as Mullen's first act as the new CNO. Sometimes, alikes cannot abide by each other.

Joe's people handling skills were reported to be the core reason for his termination as DCNO. There's simply no question he was tyrannical, overworking and unconcerned with the development and care of his subordinates. Some would say he was vindictive. I can only report that I could feel that great sigh of relief blowing from the Pentagon when the announcement was made. And I was half a world away!

Now, as a congressman, he seems to be among the few on the Hill that "get it" and remain (relatively) unowned by the big money. And it is always a treat to see Admiral Mike squirm while testifying before the HASC when Joe is there! How well, ill or differently he treats his congressional staff? I cannot tell. But tigers rarely change their stripes.

SP

[ServingPatriot]

I might add, that Specter's dishonorable (but entirely typical) political campaign against Joe ticks me off.

Someone needs to ask Arlen some hard questions about his own conduct. And history. Starting with the Warren Commission.

SP

[ex-PFC Chuck]

Someone needs to ask Arlen some hard questions about his own conduct. And history. Starting with the Warren Commission.

Amen to that, brother. For those who still regard the Warren Report as "case closed," I suggest you take a look at JFK and the Unspeakable by James Douglass. I have some concerns about this account, based not least on the author's world view, but he sure raises some troubling questions and arrives at some ominous conclusions. Here's a link to his Book TV appearance a year or so ago.

[Green Zone Cafe]

He was Surface Line, I believe. The surface Navy produces more than its fair share of what we junior officers called "screamers."

There is something about command afloat which brings out that style of leadership. I started to see it in myself before I left active duty. There's a reason why Bligh, Queeg and Ahab are iconic.

I would not hold it against him, though. He kept his cool enough to get three stars, which is not easy at all. That meant a successful battle group command as a two-star, which would expose any serious weaknesses.

[Fred]

Senator Specter is desperate to stay in office, why? Thirty years of service is not enough? Where are all the like minds he’s nurtured as a legacy of leadership and dedication to his beliefs? Senator Specter left his party off 44 years because he can not win the primary election. This clearly shows his principles as a lifetime politician. The power structure within Pennsylvania appears to want incumbency more than representation. It looks allot like Connecticut and Joe Lieberman’s party switch (How’s that working out for the Democrats?).

Sestak won a congressional district that was safely Republican by 20pts. Sestak’s staff turnover is troubling. He won’t get much done legislatively without talented staff members. I’m sure he’ll find quite a few like minds who will get their tickets punched and move on. As to Sestak’s service it looks like he did not nurture people but used them. Mullen may have fired him for policy disputes also, though the former is enough. I believe Walrus wrote a piece on Narcissistic leaders not long ago. It seems apropos.

[psc]

If Sestak wanted to throw mud at Specter, he should bring up the Ira Einhorn murder case. Specter represented Einhorn at his bail hearing and worked his magic well, obtaining a low bail for Einhorn, considering his girlfriend's rotting corpse was found in his home closet.

From wiki:

When questioned, Einhorn told police that Maddux had left to go to the store but never came back. Eighteen months later, Maddux's decomposing corpse was found by police in a trunk stored in a closet in Einhorn's apartment. Upon being confronted by police with this discovery, Einhorn reportedly replied "you found what you found". Einhorn's bail was reduced to $40,000 at the request of his early-on attorney Arlen Specter; Einhorn was released from custody in advance of his trial by paying 10% of the bond's value, or $4,000. This bail was paid, not by Einhorn, but by Barbara Bronfman, a Montreal socialite and a member of the family that owns the Seagram liquor company.

In 1981, just days before his murder trial was to begin, Einhorn skipped bail and fled to Europe. Einhorn traveled in Europe for the next 16 years, along the way marrying a Swedish woman named Annika Flodin. Back in Pennsylvania, as Einhorn had already been arraigned, the state convicted him in absentia in 1993 for the murder of Maddux. Einhorn was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

[walrus]

SP:

"Joe's people handling skills were reported to be the core reason for his termination as DCNO. There's simply no question he was tyrannical, overworking and unconcerned with the development and care of his subordinates. Some would say he was vindictive. I can only report that I could feel that great sigh of relief blowing from the Pentagon when the announcement was made. And I was half a world away!"

I refer you to the post on Narcissistic personality disorder that Col.Lang was kind enough to publish...here is another one.

Mistreatment of subordinates is a dead give away.

[Paul]

I am always a bit reluctant to trust Spector's comments. But I can say from experience, his ego and imperial expectations know little bounds. When he used to travel to a US Embassy to which I was assigned, the pre-trip coordinating cables always specfically directed the embassy to ensure there was someone available from the staff to play squash with him. This was not a request on his part, but an expectation.

[oofda]

And not only was/is an Embassy required to have someone available to play squash with Spector, heaven help the poor FSO who couldn't procure the 'correct' brand of balls. Even in an overseas environment where U.S. sporting goods were not readily available.

[ServingPatriot]

@Fred and walrus,

Yep. The "narcissistic leader" post goes a very long way to describing Joe. And many, many others including most I've observed traversing the halls of Capitol Hill. Perhaps Joe has found his milieu?

I suspect behind the polished, media-savvy exterior, we'd find a similar personality at play in Arlen, as others are attesting to.

What is desperately needed in our national, military, business and diplomatic leadership these days is serious humility and selflessness. No more narcissists! Sadyl, it will be a long time yet before the havoc made by the current generation of NPD sufferers is purged from the system.

SP

[WILL]

@Green Zone
Sestak was 2 stars
still the highest rank to serve in Congress
the DCNO is now called the Chief of Naval Personnel, i believe as of 2008.

i linked his wiki bio article to the DCNO, but he was listed as a previous DCNO. I don't know what's going on.

Sestak is of Slovak origin & followed his father to the Naval Academy.

[WILL]

sorry my bad. scrivner's error. NOT listed as a previous DCNO at the wiki. i didn't see it at the Navy site either.

[Green Zone Cafe]

@WILL

He was promoted to Vice Admiral, but retired as a Rear Admiral because he did have the required time in grade to retire as VADM.

There's a picture of him wearing three stars here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sestak

[Eliot]

Spector is referred to in polite society as "Snarlin Arlen."

[WILL]

thanks Green Zone. looked at the pix & looked at the discussion at the wiki where that very subject is mentioned in detail w/ comments about john quincy adams (fomer POTUS), jeff davis (sec of war) & others.

somebody deleted the link to DCNO. i didn't revert. don't have time to get into it right now. what the heck, i"ll revert & see if if he does it again.

oh, Sestak is up in the polls. Arlen's neg ad seems to have alerted people that Joe had a 30 year naval career and was an admiral to boot, so the talking heads opine.

[WILL]

before i get back to work, i love the irony. Joe followed his dad to the naval academy. Mullen's dad was a Hollywood press agent to Jimmy Durante.

[different clue]

Serving Patriot,

I have sometimes thought about how funny it would be if Specter's public appearances were met by activists wearing full-body bullet costumes, compete with top hat, cape, and magic wand. Specter would get the joke, even if no-one else does.