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Alexander Haig, former secretary of state, dies
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6876752.html ^ | 02/20/2010 | AP

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 ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alexanderhaig; haig; obituary
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To: Daisyjane69

See my post 51 and try not to be a press Muppet.


61 posted on 02/20/2010 6:46:43 AM PST by Peter Horry (Those who aren't responsible always know best.)
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To: US Navy Vet

Don’t forget the question. Some reporter had asked “Who’s in charge (control?) here now?”

Shortly after this exchange I remember some anchor (can’t remember which, I had 2 TVs and a radio going at the same time) started jumping all over this and it just got worse and worse.


62 posted on 02/20/2010 6:46:52 AM PST by Roccus (POLITICIAN.....................a four letter word spelled with ten letters.)
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To: Vaquero

Not at all.

From Wiki:

Reagan assassination attempt

Secretary of State Haig speaks to the press after the attempted assassination on President Ronald Reagan
In 1981, after the March 30 assassination attempt on Reagan, Haig asserted before reporters “I am in control here” as a result of Reagan’s hospitalization.
Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State in that order, and should the President decide he wants to transfer the helm to the Vice President, he will do so. He has not done that. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.
—Alexander Haig , Alexander Haig, autobiographical profile in TIME Magazine, April 2, 1984[13]
It was assumed by many who heard this that Secretary Haig had an antiquated familiarity with the order of succession to the presidency. Rather than being seen as an attempt to allay the nation’s fear, the quotation became seen as a laughable attempt by Haig to exceed his authority.[14]
Haig would have been incorrect if this were an interpretation of the U.S. Constitution concerning both the presidential line of succession and the 25th Amendment, which dictates what happens when a president is incapacitated. The holders of the two offices between the Vice President and the Secretary of State, the Speaker of the House (at the time, Tip O’Neill) and the President pro tempore of the Senate (at the time, J. Strom Thurmond), would be required under U.S. law (3 U.S.C. § 19) to resign their positions in order for either of them to become acting President. This was an unlikely event considering that Vice-President Bush was merely not immediately available. Haig’s statement reflected political reality, if not necessarily legal reality. Haig later said,
I wasn’t talking about transition. 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?”
—Alexander Haig, Alexander Haig interview with 60 Minutes II April 23, 2001
[edit]


63 posted on 02/20/2010 6:47:01 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: US Navy Vet

I know his words....I saw him say it...live on TV..what he meant by it went to the grave with him...which is why I put the caveat that we really don’t know what he meant by it...

get a life pal.


64 posted on 02/20/2010 6:47:12 AM PST by Vaquero (BHO....'The Pretenda from Kenya')
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To: Roccus

Maybe...and you know?


65 posted on 02/20/2010 6:47:44 AM PST by Vaquero (BHO....'The Pretenda from Kenya')
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To: US Navy Vet
What he said was NOW GET THIS FUCKIN STRAIGHT “I am in CHARGE HERE (w/in the Reagan White House evirons) while we await the arrival of VP Bush” HE NEVER SAID THAT HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE GOVERNMENT! CONTEXT CONTEXT CONTEXT!

If you are going to shout like everyone else is an idiot, you should at least get the quote right.

"As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course."

66 posted on 02/20/2010 6:47:57 AM PST by Doe Eyes
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

And we thank the Moderator.
67 posted on 02/20/2010 6:49:30 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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To: tsmith130

RIP. Prayers for his family.

An American patriot who served our country well. I wish there were more of him.


68 posted on 02/20/2010 6:49:39 AM PST by dervish (I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself)
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To: reagan_fanatic

you are most likely right...

I saw it live and was stunned by his words....


69 posted on 02/20/2010 6:49:42 AM PST by Vaquero (BHO....'The Pretenda from Kenya')
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To: tsmith130

Very sad. RIP.


70 posted on 02/20/2010 6:49:56 AM PST by PghBaldy (Like the Ft Hood Killer, James Earl Ray was just stressed when he killed MLK Jr.)
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To: Vaquero
RIP Al, it was an honor to have had you at the top echelons of our government. FWIW, his comment about being “in control here” was a directed response to the Soviets. He was notified by Weinberger that he had bumped up our DEFCON status in response to the assassination attempt of Reagan. Haig was acutely aware the USSR monitored our defense postures AND there was pandemonium in DC after the shooting so he was concerned they may consider the government out of any controlling authority (pre Al Gore). That was why he said he used that particular language, which had morphed in the press to being in charge. IMO he would have been a great president.
71 posted on 02/20/2010 6:51:19 AM PST by Mouton
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To: tsmith130

Rest In Peace General.


72 posted on 02/20/2010 6:51:20 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs said?)
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To: Vaquero

I believe it was more a case of trying to calm the public.


73 posted on 02/20/2010 6:51:26 AM PST by PghBaldy (Like the Ft Hood Killer, James Earl Ray was just stressed when he killed MLK Jr.)
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To: gussiefinknottle

never said he was....I worked midnight shift....was home and watching TV when he said it and was stunned by his words...afterward I felt it was just a poor choice of words...but I was never 100% sure of that....


74 posted on 02/20/2010 6:51:26 AM PST by Vaquero (BHO....'The Pretenda from Kenya')
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To: My Favorite Headache

The liberal media HATED him.


75 posted on 02/20/2010 6:51:47 AM PST by kjo
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To: Vaquero

I had no doubt whatever when I saw him look up from the papers he was bending over to answer that question.


76 posted on 02/20/2010 6:52:10 AM PST by Roccus (POLITICIAN.....................a four letter word spelled with ten letters.)
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To: myprecious

i watched it live and was shocked by his words....different people take things differently


77 posted on 02/20/2010 6:52:22 AM PST by Vaquero (BHO....'The Pretenda from Kenya')
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To: Daisyjane69

His comments were directed at the press who were acting like hysterical papparazi.

His intent was to establish a measure of calm reassurance over chaos, for the watching public.

Military order & discipline - without bullets! The media still does not understand competence.


78 posted on 02/20/2010 6:52:52 AM PST by sodpoodle (Despair - Man's surrender. Laughter - God's redemption.)
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To: STONEWALLS
I started to make a list of presidents who did serve in the military, but the list of those who did not serve is much shorter. It includes, of course, Hussein, Clinton, and Wilson among others.

Those serving in a high rank with combat experience include: Washington, Grant, Taylor, Jackson, Harrison, Hayes, Garfield, Pierce, Harrison, T. Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. Many more served and saw combat in lower ranks including Bush, Kennedy, and Nixon. In fact, military experience is almost a prerequisite to running, unless you are a democrat.

79 posted on 02/20/2010 6:53:16 AM PST by Former Proud Canadian (How do I change my screen name now that we have the most conservative government in the world?)
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To: Peter Horry

I did read it, and I respectfully disagree.

I was alive at the time, saw the whole thing in real time, read the contemporaneous accounts. It was a regrettable way of doing things, diminishing the memory and history of a remarkable career.

Let me put it this way:

Let’s pretend something happened to the Idiot in Chief right now. Then imagine that HRC would get her mug in front of the camera and claim she is IN CHARGE right now (Until Biden sobers up or whatever)

FreeRepublic would be ON FIRE.


80 posted on 02/20/2010 6:53:39 AM PST by Daisyjane69 (Michael Reagan: "Welcome back, Dad, even if you're wearing a dress and bearing children this time)
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