Congressional Candidate Investigated By Military

It looks like the Republican dirty tricks have started. I should have guessed that "Smokey" Joe Barton, the congressman from Arlington, would be among the first to reach into that bag of dirty tricks. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting this morning that Barton's opponent in the November election is being investigated by the United States Military. Barton is being opposed in the election by [Major] David Harris - a veteran who returned from Iraq in 2005. Mr. Harris is in the Veterans for Peace movement.

It seems that Harris is being investigated by the military for having a "close and continuing relationship" with a female sergeant from 2003 to 2005. Sergeant Jennifer Vaughan filed the complaint with the U.S. Army after she was demoted for the relationship. She also wrote Joe Barton with her complaints, and turned over copies of her e-mails to the Star-Telegram. Sgt. Vaughan said, "Why do I, as an enlisted person, have to lose a stripe over this while nothing happens to the officer? I'm doing it because I've been treated so bad as an enlisted [person]. And as an officer, he's getting away with it, and now he's running for Congress."

To me, this sounds like it is either a case of a vindictive ex-lover, or the Republicans are now using the military against veterans running on the Democratic ticket - probably both. If this was really such a serious problem, the Army should have dealt with it while Harris was still on active duty. To wait until he is making a run for Congress, just smells of dirty Republican politics. The Harris campaign believes that Rep. Barton was the one to spread this story. They are probably right.

Harris says, "While I have made mistakes in my marriage and personal life, I remain committed to my relationship, my family and moving forward together. These personal attacks against me are an all-time low for the persons responsible for them....I will not engage in a campaign of negativity and I will not tolerate attacks against my family. Everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect. I believe that the voters understand that."