Pentagon policy, military prosecutors noted, limits military members' political speech while in uniform. But beyond handbook regulations, talking smack about your boss, specifically, the president, will almost always cost you your job.
If you didn't catch the Facebook message, here's what the Marine said: "Screw Obama and I will not follow all orders from him."
Naturally, the American Civil Liberties Union has stepped in to defend Stein, citing First Amendment rights. "Since the days of Valley Forge, I seriously doubt that there haven't been members of the armed forces who haven't complained about their government," ACLU's David Loy told the Los Angeles Times.
Of course, there is "complaining about their government" and there is publicly calling the president "an economic and religious enemy."
Superiors had warned Stein about his online diatribes -- but he ignored those warnings. It probably didn't make him look any better when he photoshopped Obama's face onto a movie poster with the title "Jackass." Or when he called the president a coward, or when he said he wouldn't salute the commander-in-chief.
Even worse, he posted all this under the banner of the "Armed Forces" group.
Stein has been demoted from sergeant to lance corporal. The "other than honorable" discharge means that Stein, who served in Iraq, is ineligible for most veteran benefits -- which is the example of how you really shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you. Stein's lawyers say they will appeal the case.
Of course, any money he loses from this he'll just gain tenfold if Fox News signs him on as a contributor.
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