Former officials to condemn Bush foreign policy

Newsday ^ | Sunday, June 13, 2004 | AP

[quixote2005]

WASHINGTON -- Angered by Bush administration policies they contend endanger national security, 26 retired U.S. diplomats and military officers are urging Americans to vote President Bush out of office in November.

The group, which calls itself Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, does not explicitly endorse Democrat John Kerry for president in its campaign, which will start officially Wednesday at a Washington news conference.

The Bush-Cheney campaign said Sunday it would have no response until the group formally issues its statement at the news conference.

Among the group are 20 ambassadors, appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents, other former State Department officials and military leaders whose careers span three decades.

[FairOpinion]

They should be ashamed of themselves.

[BlkConserv]

AIDS policy

I guess that $15 billion spent for AIDS in Africa isn't enough for liberals.

[Ragirl]

Kerry is gonna love this and use it to his advantage.

[counterpunch]

Ooooo.. former Clinton appointees speaking out against Bush...
Who woulda thunk it?

The John Kerry Files

[M Kehoe]

Welcome to FR.

Why didn't the article at Newsweek list the 26 people? Would be nice to know who they are.

5.56mm

[M Kehoe]

Newsday not Newsweek. Sheesh.

5.56mm

[A.A. Cunningham]

Kerry already knows about it:

Kerry Announces Sr. Military Advisory Grp of Retired Admirals & Generals

[fr_freak]

He said the group was disillusioned by Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and a list of other subjects, including the Middle East, environmental conservation, AIDS policy, ethnic and religious conflict and weapons proliferation.

This sounds like a jumble of leftist crap to me. I think if they make their motivation clear when they issue the statement, most people who hear about it will see right through it.

[tenthirteen]

You can bet your last dollar that that slime McAuliffe is behind this. No matter though, this will all be taken out by Clinton and his ilk, who want no part in a BUSH defeat this fall.

It's great when the shanty neighbors get to brawling; all we have to do is sit and enjoy the riff-raff kill each other off.

[Joe_October]

President Bush did in 1 year what we failed to do in 50 years sucking (very generously) off the public teat. Losers.

Yea, I wonder why they would be upset. Get real jobs.

[FairOpinion]

It's not just Clinton appointees -- I don't understand what's the matter with these people.

"Prominent members include retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East during the administration of Bush's father; retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., ambassador to Britain under President Clinton and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan; and Jack F. Matlock Jr., a member of the National Security Council under Reagan and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991. "

[Ragirl]

"Kerry already knows about it"

OH, NOW I SEE! Thanks for the link.

[alnick]

Did Newsday give the Swiftboat Veterans Against Kerry equal time??

[jnarcus]

Ah these are the same guys who thought that Ronald Reagan was pyschotic for calling the Soviet Union the evil empire...It gets tiring and oh soooo boring to hear the rabble howl

[dts32041]

Crowe was always a drunk and hoar lives up to his name. <P. Crowe was ambasador to the court of st james under klintoon.

[FairOpinion]

News Advisory:

Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, a group of retired ambassadors and senior military officers, will hold a Morning Newsmaker news conference Wednesday, June 16, at 8 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club (Zenger Room), 13th floor, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

The topic will be "The Need for Change in U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy."

The group includes former ambassadors Jeffrey Davidow, William DePree, Charles Freeman Jr., William Harrop, Arthur Hartman, H. Allen Holmes, Samuel Lewis, Princeton Lyman, Jack Matlock Jr., Donald McHenry, Richard Murphy, David Newsom, Phyllis Oakley, John Reinhardt, Ronald Spiers, Nicholas Veliotes and Alexander Watson; and Adm. William Crowe, Gen. Joseph Hoar and Adm. Stansfield Turner.

News Advisory:

Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, a group of retired ambassadors and senior military officers, will hold a Morning Newsmaker news conference Wednesday, June 16, at 8 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club (Zenger Room), 13th floor, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

The topic will be "The Need for Change in U.S. Foreign and Defense Policy."

The group includes former ambassadors Jeffrey Davidow, William DePree, Charles Freeman Jr., William Harrop, Arthur Hartman, H. Allen Holmes, Samuel Lewis, Princeton Lyman, Jack Matlock Jr., Donald McHenry, Richard Murphy, David Newsom, Phyllis Oakley, John Reinhardt, Ronald Spiers, Nicholas Veliotes and Alexander Watson; and Adm. William Crowe, Gen. Joseph Hoar and Adm. Stansfield Turner.

[clintonh8r]

Fortunately for Jean sKerry active duty officers can't make political endorsements...

[Dane]

It's not just Clinton appointees -- I don't understand what's the matter with these people.

"Prominent members include retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East during the administration of Bush's father; retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., ambassador to Britain under President Clinton and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan; and Jack F. Matlock Jr., a member of the National Security Council under Reagan and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991. "

Someone on another thread stated that those three are practicing sour grapes.

Hoar because Schwartzkopf got the job to direct Desert Storm. Crowe it seems is a political whore like David Gergen(who also took a job in the Clinton administartion).

[RobbyS]

There is obviously a tension between some members of the first Bush Administration and the W's administration. Many of them belong to the liberal wing of the Republican Party which is not happy about being excluded from positions of power and influence. Bush II has cracked the egg of the status quo which they left in place after the Gulf War.