Drama Queen du Jour

You may have heard that the Navy is naming a new ship after Harvey Milk. Via Crooks and Liars:

Credit:  AP Photo

The Navy is set to name a ship after the gay rights icon and San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, according to a Congressional notification obtained by USNI News.

The July 14, 2016 notification, signed by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, indicated he intended to name a planned Military Sealift Command fleet oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206). The ship would be the second of the John Lewis-class oilers being built by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, Calif.

The Secretary of the Navy’s office is deferring releasing additional information until the naming announcement, a Navy official told USNI News on Thursday.

Mabus has said the John Lewis-class – named after civil rights activist and congressman Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) – would be named after civil rights leaders.

Well, as might be expected, this is not sitting well in some quarters. Enter that shining example of mendacity, Tony Perkins:

While the rest of the world was focused on the terrorist attacks in France, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus was busy putting another politically correct stamp on the military. On July 14, outlets are now reporting, the political appointee (and one of the staunchest activists for special LGBT privileges) inked his name to a notice that he planned on naming a new ship in honor of the late gay icon and San Francisco politician Harvey Milk. The news should be astounding to anyone familiar with Milk and his less-than-honorable life story. Although he served briefly in the Navy, nothing he did merits the kind of tribute Mabus is giving him.

Let's see -- apparently, Perkins believes (or wants his gullible audience to believe) that the Secretary of the Navy is personally involved in naming new ships. Somehow, I doubt it.

And the honor is not because of Milk's Navy service; if that were the case, none of the others in line for this honor would be considered:

Other names in the class include former Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren whose court ruled to desegregate U.S. schools, former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, women’s right activist Lucy Stone and abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth.

None had notable Navy careers. As noted in the report from USNI, the ships of the John Lewis class will be named after noted civil rights activists. But then, Perkins doesn't believe in civil rights for everyone. Come to think of it, he doesn't believe in civil rights for most people. (As I recall, that mailing list he got from his good buddy David Duke didn't work out so well for him. Maybe if he hadn't lied about it on the campaign filings. But this is Tony Perkins -- lying comes as naturally as breathing.)

Perkins goes on to quote the reprehensible Peter Sprigg -- another reason the FRC is a designated hate group -- digging up all the dirt he can find on Milk's life.

And this is choice: Perkins concludes:

If you’re as disturbed by Mabus’s plans as we are, bring this up to your House and Senate leaders while they’re home campaigning and hosting townhalls. Let them know that the Navy’s idea is an outrageous one when there are so many other deserving men and women, whose courage mattered — not in the bedroom — but on the battlefield.

This from someone who isn't at all hesitant about referring to his service as a Marine -- except he doesn't mention the fact that he was an MP (and somehow, that's just so fitting) and was never deployed to "the battlefield." (And have you noticed that the "Christian" right is all about sex? And gay sex, at that.)

As far as I'm concerned, good for the Navy.

(And where is Elaine Donnelley when you need her?)