Dumb as a sack of hammers. The question is, who were his handlers, and how did he get elected (and re-elected)?

Cunningham served in the U.S. Navy from 1966–1987 and was awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star (2), Air Medal (15), and Purple Heart for wounds he received under enemy fire. He was one of the early graduates of the Navy's TOPGUN school that taught dogfighting techniques to F-4 Phantom pilots and Radar Intercept Officers (RIOs).

After returning from Vietnam in 1972, he became an instructor at the Navy's TOPGUN school for fighter pilots at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego. Cunningham retired in 1987 with the rank of Commander, after a proud and distinguished Naval aviator career.

Jake, are we on for our normal meeting at the Twin Cities airport? Thursday, noon?

Drew (cont.):

As just one example, the Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States which was established by Executive Order 9158, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt, on May 11, 1942. The Air Medal is retroactive to September 8, 1939.

The Air Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity in or with the Armed Forces of the United States, shall have distinguished himself/herself by meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

Awards may be made to recognize single acts of merit or heroism, or for meritorious service. Award of the Air Medal is primarily intended to recognize those personnel who are on current crew member or non-crew member flying status which requires them to participate in aerial flight on a regular and frequent basis in the performance of their primary duties. However, it may also be awarded to certain other individuals whose combat duties require regular and frequent flying in other than a passenger status, or individuals who perform a particularly noteworthy act while performing the function of a crew member but who are not on flying status. These individuals must make a discernible contribution to the operational land combat mission or to the mission of the aircraft in flight.

Examples of personnel whose combat duties require them to fly include those in the attack elements of units involved in air-land assaults against an armed enemy and those directly involved in airborne command and control of combat operations. Awards will not be made to individuals who use air transportation solely for the purpose of moving from point to point in a combat zone.

Subsequent decorations of the Air Medal are denoted in the U.S. Army by award numerals displayed on the medal and ribbon. The Army originally used oak leaf clusters, however changed to numerals during the Vietnam War when the number of Air Medals awarded became too large to be annotated on a single ribbon. The Army and the Air Force also awards the Air Medal with a Valor device for acts of heroism.

The Secretary of the U.S. Air Force approved the award of the "V" Device for valor to Air Medals awarded for heroism effective 21 Oct 2004. It applies to all Air Force members (Active Duty, ANG, AFRes), retirees and veterans, but this change is not retroactive to any earlier date; only decorations approved on or after 21 Oct 2004 are affected by this policy change.

The Air Force does not utilize numerals on the Air Medal. Subsequent awards are annotated with the traditional oak leaf clusters.

The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps have two types of Air Medals awards: "individual" for singular meritorious acts and "strike/flight" for participation in sustained aerial flight operations. Bronze Strike/Flight numerals denote "strike/flight" awards. As of September 27, 2006, gold award numerals are used to denote "individual" Air Medals. This is a return to the standard used before November 22, 1989. In the interval between November 22, 1989 and September 27, 2006, gold and silver award stars denoted subsequent "individual" Air Medals. Gold stars were used for the second through the fifth, seventh through tenth awards, and so on. Silver stars were used in lieu of five gold stars, and denote the sixth and eleventh (and so on) awards. For "individual" Air Medals, the valor device may be authorized.

Notable Recipients
Buzz Aldrin
Henry Arnold
Patrick Henry Brady
George H. W. Bush
Roger Chaffee
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.
George E. Day (officer)
Jimmy Doolittle
Michael Durant
Clark Gable
Francis Gabreski
John Glenn
Gus Grissom
David Hackworth
Joe R. Hooper
Robert L. Howard
Jack H. Jacobs
Daniel "Chappie" James, Jr.
Johnnie Johnson (RAF officer)
Clyde Lassen
Curtis LeMay
Jim Lovell
Barry McCaffrey
John C. Meyer
Wayne Morris (American actor)
Michael Novosel
Stephen Pless
Colin Powell
George Preddy
Chesty Puller
Robert Rosenthal (USAF)
H. Norman Schwarzkopf
James Stewart (actor)
James Stockdale
Charles Sweeney
James Gregory Neuburger(USAF)
Paul Tibbets
Chuck Yeager
Hubert Zemke

I hope that addresses your first point. How I can answer your question: I don't know who were his handlers were, but he was elected and re-elected by a majority every single time.

Those who served with Cunningham in the Navy (as I did) knew him to be very dull intellectually. Although he obviously was a superior pilot, he was always a sub par-performing officer.

In fact, Cunningham was in the process of being involuntarily separated from the Navy because of poor officer performance, prior to May 10, 1972. Of course he was subsequently retained on active duty after his aerial heroics on that date, but his remaining naval career was otherwise, unremarkable.

It is a common myth, often perpetuated by him, that he was a “graduate” of TOPGUN. He was never selected for, did not attend, nor did he ever graduate from TOPGUN. He was however, an instructor there later. Also, he was never the commanding officer there (again as often implied), but rather was the CO of an instrument training and adversary squadron – and never TOPGUN nor a prestigious, “command at sea” reserved for better performing officers.

Cunningham was a fundamentally flawed character who was able to parlay one day of superb heroics into a lifetime career, based primarily on self-aggrandizement and a selfish sense of entitlement.

The extent and scope of his corruption is surprising and stunning. But the seeds to his felonies were visible many years ago. And the electorate was fooled.

It would appear that "dumb as a sack of hammers" is an inappropriate description(even though witnesses in the Wilkes trial have testified that he was dumb and therefore susceptible to BRIBERY). The real untarnished description should be "He IS as crooked as a dog's hind leg.
footsore

Oh, wow. If Curtis LeMay and George H. W. Bush both got that medal, then it's got to be really something. Go, Dukestir!

Seriously, this is meaningless -- it's like talking about how well the nominee can play the piano at a Senate confirmation hearing.

Thanks, thornbush -- I'm not saying that medals license crime -- just double-checking the rest of his bio, that's all. I already confirmed that he did, in fact, retire in 1987 with the rank of Commander.

Duke's electoral success was in part due to the effectiveness of the religious right in San Diego. In the early 90s, ultraconservative right wing christian groups made a massive push to take over school boards, and after that, any elective ofice from water boards to congress. At first these people did not even identify themselves as being part of a greater agenda. There goal was to take over as many electoral offices as possible and eventually to shape GOP platform.

Duke's first primary win was very close. He actively courted the christian right- he especially spewed an anti-gay message. It resonated with a lot of voters, sortof in the same way people who don't know the "joke" are attracted to Stephen Colbert.

Duke wasn't very bright, and he wasn't very christian. His personal life was really messed up. He had trouble relating to people, especially women. But he voted exactly as the christian conservatives wanted as was re-elected every time he ran.

Isn't it funny how Duke Cunningham, and Thomas Kontogiannis were two of the Three Cooperators against Wilkes and the Government only used WADE a man who obviously Hated Wilkes and was his Adversary. Additionally, isn't it funny how the Government has Condemned wade for purchasing Mr. Cunninghams' home for an overinflated price; yet Mr. Kontogiannis purchased USAS Halpern
s Poor Widowed aunt's home in Old brookville, NY the neighbor of Mr. Kontogiannis, for 1.8 million dollars in June of 2005 and didn't record deed or mortgage until a week after Mr. Kontogiannis signed a plea deal, which cost Mr. Kontogiannis $450,000.00 in penalties and interest for recording a mortgage 2 years later!!!` , but the courts call that a coincidence--How convienent!!! buying overinflated property as a form of a bribe is Mr. Kontogiannis' MO for all of his convictions (3)bribing Public Officials, yet in this case Mr. Halpern and Mr. forge are of such moral character that they are above the law and are defending their Client, Mr. Kontogiannis even if it cost them their Career ---was what Tommy K gave them so good that the payoff is worth their career the truth behind Mr. K's lies will come out and Mr. Halpern and Forge will be the next Knifhung ---the truth will prevail the crooks are prosecuting the "scapegoats"
Mr. Forge and Halpern are using their immunity to be above the law but the payoff can be proven and so can 1/12 !!!!

Sleep well For NOW!!!!