Posted on 02/20/2010 6:17:25 AM PST by tsmith130
WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, who served Republican presidents and ran for the office himself, has died.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Read your whole post,
What a great man,
What petty freepers who belittle this man, this day!
RIP, and Thank You, General, for your service and I’m glad Ronald Reagan had you there that day!
Not sure I wanted him as president but he was an outstanding soldier and a dedicated servant to many presidents. I hope he is received into Heaven with honors.
I was in the Navy at the time with Soviet subs shadowing us and heard on radio the entire context of his statement. I felt re-assured that he stepped forward during the cold war to tell the Soviets there is a still a real man in charge so don't try any shit, until the Vice-President arrives. I thought it was the right thing to do and so did my shipmates. This is just another example of the MSM eliminating certain phrases to suit their anti-military Utopian bias.
One more time, Haig specifically included the phrasing "until the Vice-President" arrives or takes charge or words to that effect. However, Haig was wrong about the succession of Constitutional power. Read below:
When a reporter asked who was running the government, Haig moved toward the podium.
“It was a moment of high tension,” says Allen, the national security advisor. “And I became alarmed when I had seen him I was standing right next to him, watched his hands and his knuckles were white and his knees were wobbling and his voice cracked.”
Haig answered the reporter: “Constitutionally gentlemen, you have the president, the vice president and the secretary of state [wrong...Speaker of the House and the Senate pro tempore President were next in line, but who knew where they were?], in that order, and should the president decide he wants to transfer the helm to the vice president, he will do so. As for now, I’m in control here, in the White House, pending the return of the vice president and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.”
Haig was wrong to say “constitutionally.” The constitution mentions the secretary of state only in an actual transfer of power and then it places him fourth in line.
“I wasn’t talking about transition,” Haig says now. “I was talking about the executive branch, who is running the government. That was the question asked. It was not, ‘who is in line should the President die?’”
Haig says he knew the order of succession better than anyone. In 1974 he was chief-of-staff when Nixon resigned. Haig insists the briefing room appearance was meant to reassure the world and ease the pressure on the nuclear trigger.
Again, that's why in the era of Soviet aggression I was glad to see a man come forward and say I've got the "football". Don't even think about it you Soviet sh*theads. I'm a highly decorated Veteran and know war.
I ask again, where was the Speaker of the House AND the President pro tempore of the Senate? Who cares? I saw a real man take charge. I thank him for that. We all should. It was a real opportunity for the Soviets to make a move. We needed balls at that moment, not to take time to hunt down the Speaker or Senate President and instruct them on the "football" and all the Strategic implications.
RIP General.
IIRC, U.S. Grant, Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower, George Marshall, etc. did the same thing. You do realize that White House Chief of Staff is a special counselor to the President, a type of position that has been filled by innumerable active-duty officers, don’t you? Or do you just object to “neo-cons” or Republicans that do that? Do you have a link for Washington, because I recall him putting back on his uniform and leading several state’s militias during the Whiskey Rebellion??
Well said, ANV.
RIP, General.
May he RIP.
Amen.
I will admit to a bias for him, as he was NATO CinC when I was stationed in Germany. It was a difficult time for everyone, considering that Carter was POTUS.
stank to high heaven of coup d'etat
You are so wrong.
The statement indicated the line of succession from vice-president onward. Haig limited his control to what was happening at that moment at the White House. He followed up by saying that he was in touch with the Vice President and if anything should happen he would act in concert with the Vice President.
There was no hint of a coup d'etat. What there was was deliberate press manipulation of the facts.
I had the same pleasure to meet GEN Haig, as a young Army officer on an AF Base. In the receiving line after his speech, I told GEN Haig that I wish my soldiers could have heard his speech, adding "if they had, the Wing Commander's Weekend Incident Report wouldn't be as lengthy."
The Wing Commander and my boss blanched, but GEN Haig laughed, well aware of the inclinations of Army soldiers to get rowdy when they're off duty.
I was proud to serve with GEN Haig.
i recall hearing at the time of Watergate that it was Haig who told Nixon that his only option was to resign and that this came about because the lies told by Nixon about Watergate, as revealed by the tapes, violated Haig's sense of honor. I don't know if this is true; in any case this part of history seems to have been overshadowed by the events surrounding the Reagan assassination attempt.
The current CiC is a disgrace to everyone in uniform. His Muslim/International appeasing ROE is killing our kids, not to mention our clandestine people.
Can you say, "rendition"? I can and I want more. Let the Pakis give them their Miranda rights with a large dose of HELL to make them talk. I read that the recently captured al-Queda No. 3 is spilling his guts to the Pakis. Think of all the intel that will come of that, and how many innocent lives will be saved.
Oops, I forgot, harsh interrogation only gets you what you want to hear. As if such intel can't be verified. But we can't put panties on the heads of the worst.
BTW, have you noticed we had little problems after Bush declared war on Islamofacists? Now, within one year of obambi, it's happening every few months. Oh, sorry, they are isolated incidents. End rant.
Thank you for serving, Sir.
Is that Cap Weinberger in the front row far right?
Shouldn’t Cheney be in that picture? To my shame I don’t recognize much of anybody else.
No, he was still in Congress.
I don’t recognize much of anybody else.
Donald Regan, David Stockman, Jean Kirkpatrick, Ed Meese. That's about it for me.
I'll never understand why he never spoke up about Club Gitmo after he personally saw what Socialist/Communists tried to do with Koje Island Prisoner of war camp in South Korea. He watched bad history repeat itself.
When two of his companies were engaged by a large hostile force, Colonel Haig landed amid a hail of fire, personally took charge of the units, called for artillery and air fire support and succeeded in soundly defeating the insurgent force...the next day a barrage of 400 rounds was fired by the Viet Cong, but it was ineffective because of the warning and preparations by Colonel Haig. As the barrage subsided, a force three times larger than his began a series of human wave assaults on the camp. Heedless of the danger himself, Colonel Haig repeatedly braved intense hostile fire to survey the battlefield. His personal courage and determination, and his skillful employment of every defense and support tactic possible, inspired his men to fight with previously unimagined power. Although his force was outnumbered three to one, Colonel Haig succeeded in inflicting 592 casualties on the Viet Cong... (HQ US Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2318 (May 22, 1967)
Haig was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart during his tour in Vietnam, and was eventually promoted to Colonel, becoming a brigade commander of the 1st Infantry Division (United States) in Vietnam.
It makes me sick to think a marxist hippy like Hillary Clinton could occupy the office of such a hero and patriot. This bunch isn’t fit to shine the shoes of such a one.
From a communist killer to a cummunist sympathizer in one generation. Puke.
Politically or even on a personal level I could never see Reagan in any way except perhaps being in a same building as being associated with Obama. Obama is everything out forefathers ever warned us about. If the process the founders gave us works he'll be fired in 3 year by "We the people".
Donald Regan, Secretary of TREASURY (Chief of Staff during President Reagan's second term).
BTW I also understand a Commissioned Officer's oath is one for life and can not legally be rescinded. In 1974 Ford recalled him back to active duty as Commander in Chief, United States European Command. The positions he held as a soldier he held active duty. The positions he held in government he was retired military not on active duty.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.