Inside the Beltway

Chicken hawks?

Former Sen. Max Cleland, the Georgia Democrat who lost an arm and both legs in Vietnam, is rushing to the aid of prospective Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry. He labeled six Republican lawmaker-veterans critical of the candidate “a bunch of chicken hawks who never went to war, never felt a wound, but are so quick to criticize a man who went to war and got wounded doing it.”

“Ultimate hypocrites,” Mr. Cleland told the State newspaper in Colombia, S.C., after the six congressmen, each a military veteran, demanded during separate appearances on the House floor last Thursday that Mr. Kerry apologize for his “misleading” testimony 33 years ago before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Thirty-three years ago today, John Kerry appeared before the Senate to talk about Vietnam,” said South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, who served in the Army Reserves but never fought in Vietnam. “Many veterans, including myself as a veteran, view John Kerry’s testimony that day as one of the worst public slanders ever against the valor and character of the American military.”

Mr. Kerry, as a 27-year-old leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, testified about U.S. war crimes that ranged from rape and decapitation to the random shooting of civilians and razing of villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan.

Mr. Kerry has since said he regretted his choice of words.

The five additional Republican “chicken hawk” congressman fingered by Mr. Cleland were Reps. Sam Johnson of Texas, John Kline of Minnesota, Jim Gibbons of Nevada, and Duncan Hunter and Randy “Duke” Cunningham, both of California.

Apparently, Mr. Cleland has forgotten that Mr. Cunningham was America’s first pilot ace of the Vietnam war. He downed his first MiG-21 in a treetop-level dogfight in 1972, and later came under attack by no fewer than 22 enemy fighters, three of which he shot down.

The Navy pilot was forced to eject over the Gulf of Tonkin after his Phantom was hit by a missile. He was rescued by helicopter. Among his awards is the Navy Cross for heroism.

War and peace

It is estimated there are 750,000 school-aged children of active-duty members of the U.S. military tasked with concentrating on their studies while faced with the reality that their moms and dads may be serving in danger zones.

So a resolution has been introduced by Rep. Robin Hayes, North Carolina Republican, honoring teachers, administrators and staff of “military-impacted schools” for their added mission: keeping each school day as normal as possible for students who have far more on their minds than learning.

Stinky idea

We’ve been holding our nose while reading the exchanges after CNSNews.com senior staff writer Marc Morano wrote on the 34th annual Earth Day that some in the green movement are advocating “diaper-free” babies to help save the planet.

“Citing concerns about plastic disposable diapers clogging landfills and the amount of washing and detergents that cloth diapers require, many environmentalists are taking a page from tribal cultures and seeking to eliminate the use of the baby diapers altogether,” Mr. Morano observed.

“There is a way to have a baby and NOT use diapers,” says one Web site advocating diaperless babies. Parents are urged to get in tune with their infant’s body signals and hold babies over toilets, buckets and shrubbery or any other convenient receptacle when nature calls.

Writes Belinda of Birmingham, Ala.: “Now I know the environmentalists have gone mad. Who wants to lug a bucket for baby excrement while shopping with a diaperless baby?”

Wonders Ed of Tampa, Fla.: “We are urged to ’hold babies over … any other convenient receptacle when nature calls.’ Does a wacko tree hugger qualify as a ’convenient receptacle?’”

Predicts Debra W. of Wamego, Kan.: “I can see it now — signs posted saying, ’Please remember to clean up your baby poop.’”

Finally, John H. of Pensacola, Fla., weighs in: “Just when I thought the liberals couldn’t get any dumber, they go and prove me wrong. It doesn’t surprise me to see Al Gore’s name mentioned in this article …

“What political party supports these geniuses? Hint: It begins with the same letter that ’diaper’ does. I wasn’t for [President] Bush’s Mars exploration plans, but if we could send these people there, I might change my mind.”

• John McCaslin, whose column is nationally syndicated, can be reached at 202/636-3284 or jmccaslin@washingtontimes.com.