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 ...
See my post 51 and try not to be a press Muppet.
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.
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]
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.
Maybe...and you know?
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."
RIP. Prayers for his family.
An American patriot who served our country well. I wish there were more of him.
you are most likely right...
I saw it live and was stunned by his words....
Very sad. RIP.
Rest In Peace General.
I believe it was more a case of trying to calm the public.
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....
The liberal media HATED him.
I had no doubt whatever when I saw him look up from the papers he was bending over to answer that question.
i watched it live and was shocked by his words....different people take things differently
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.
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.
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.
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