Baldilocks offers an open letter to Senator John McCain in response to the trashing of his running mate, Sarah Palin.  As one retired member of the military to another, Juliette calls on McCain to demand honorable behavior from his campaign staff and act to end the smears and gossip:

Governor Palin committed herself and her family to your cause, moreover, to the cause of America, provisionally for four years. She did so with gusto–even after the Mainstream Media saw fit to go after not only her, but two of her children–and we, the Republican electorate, were glad for her decision. She nearly saved your candidacy.

But, now that Senator Barack H. Obama has become President-elect Barack H. Obama, the finger-pointing has begun and I would expect such from the average political candidate. However, sir, you are not the average political candidate. You are a retired US Navy officer and, on top of that, a Vietnam POW and a survivor of the horrendous accident on the USS Forrestal. You know what it’s like to be looking to your leaders in the worst of times and to have your subordinates look to you at similar points in time. You know about Faith, Loyalty and about Leadership.

Well, sir, it’s time for you to Lead again. Stop the dishonorable actions of your subordinates toward another–not just for the governor’s sake but for yours–because it is not the governor who your aides are dishonoring; it’s you.

I’m a little bemused by the intent of all this kneecapping gossip anyway.  If McCain really picked a dolt as running mate — which he did not — doesn’t that reflect more on McCain than Palin anyway? And are we to believe that the woman who blew the whistle on corruption in her own party and negotiated a tough deal for a multi-billion-dollar pipeline doesn’t know the difference between a continent and a country, or which nations comprise the NAFTA trade agreement, a pact that has significant import for Alaska?

Juliette correctly states that the real damage done will not be to Palin, who will demonstrate the silliness of these smears.  If McCain wants to show leadership, then he needs to interrupt his well-earned break after a bruising campaign and publicly take these gossips to task on live television.  Issuing press releases won’t cut it.  He needs to get angry and defend the honor of his partner, who did nothing but sing his praises as a hero for the last nine weeks.

John McCain is an honorable man.  We don’t question that.  In fact, we rely on it.