Monday, September 25, 2006
Democrats recycle Batiste
On Sunday, I commented on a David Broder column in which he gets in a few shots at the Administration while waxing lyrical on some of the new, so-called independent faces on the rise. One blurb stuck out even while I ignored in my original comments:
“Instead, we had George W. Bush, a president who…repeatedly has used the war on terrorism as a partisan weapon against Democrats.”
Today on Capitol Hill:
“Three retired military officers who served in Iraq called today for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, telling a Democratic "oversight hearing" on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon chief bungled planning for the U.S. invasion, dismissed the prospect of an insurgency and sent American troops into the fray with inadequate equipment.”
“In testimony before the Democratic Policy Committee today, retired Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 and served as a senior military assistant to former deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, charged that Rumsfeld and others in the Bush administration "did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq." Three Retired Officers Demand Rumsfeld's Resignation
As the Wesley Clark ongoing media love-fest dramatically demonstrates, anyone who once wore the uniform and agrees to criticize this Administration gets all the air time and ink they need. General Batiste is a grizzled vet at the dump-Rumsfeld shtick; he blasted the Secretary back in April in the Washington Post: Maryland Conservatarian: General Batiste recycles. Thomas Hammes wrote Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century which just came out in paperback earlier this year. He, too, is a veteran Bush-basher having written on Op-Ed for the NY Times this past June. Not to be left out, the member of the trio, retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, also has previously gone on record with his own tirade against the Secretary.
In other words, the Democrats trotted out some reliable Administration critics to rehash previous criticisms in front of Democratic pep rally. For the Washington Post, this qualifies as big news.
“Instead, we had George W. Bush, a president who…repeatedly has used the war on terrorism as a partisan weapon against Democrats.”
Today on Capitol Hill:
“Three retired military officers who served in Iraq called today for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, telling a Democratic "oversight hearing" on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon chief bungled planning for the U.S. invasion, dismissed the prospect of an insurgency and sent American troops into the fray with inadequate equipment.”
“In testimony before the Democratic Policy Committee today, retired Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 and served as a senior military assistant to former deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, charged that Rumsfeld and others in the Bush administration "did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq." Three Retired Officers Demand Rumsfeld's Resignation
As the Wesley Clark ongoing media love-fest dramatically demonstrates, anyone who once wore the uniform and agrees to criticize this Administration gets all the air time and ink they need. General Batiste is a grizzled vet at the dump-Rumsfeld shtick; he blasted the Secretary back in April in the Washington Post: Maryland Conservatarian: General Batiste recycles. Thomas Hammes wrote Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century which just came out in paperback earlier this year. He, too, is a veteran Bush-basher having written on Op-Ed for the NY Times this past June. Not to be left out, the member of the trio, retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, also has previously gone on record with his own tirade against the Secretary.
In other words, the Democrats trotted out some reliable Administration critics to rehash previous criticisms in front of Democratic pep rally. For the Washington Post, this qualifies as big news.
