Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is a wounded U.S. combat veteran, of mixed Thai and U.S. parentage. She has said some things recently, in reference to the President's Mt. Rushmore speech, that have bordered on ridiculous. When criticized she has fallen back on reminding us of her suffering for the nation.
I am moved to observe that suffering for our nation does not automatically make a veteran a brilliant politician. Both Sens. Duckworth and the late John McCain are examples of this. Both served bravely, suffered mightily, and I honor their sacrifices.
On the other hand, as politicians both have shown deficient judgment and crankiness. In the same way that being photogenic and having acting or music talent does not make one an expert on domestic and foreign policy, being a veteran likewise doesn't guarantee wisdom.
One could wish this wasn't true, but it is demonstrably the case. Some veterans, like President Eisenhower, Sens. Dole and Cotton, also have political talent; others like Sens. Duckworth and McCain ... not so much.
