Zinni's comments to the joint meeting in Arlington of the U.S. Naval Institute and the Marine Corps Association, two professional groups for officers, were greeted warmly by his audience, with prolonged applause at the end. Some officers bought tapes and compact discs of the speech to give to others.
Tapes and compact discs?! Professional officers' groups? They can report this of course, but it's just a thinly disguised "puff piece" on Zinni, (the "reformed" EX-supporter of President Bush...how convEEENient!) and a "hit piece" on Bush! Wonder what the reactions of the rest of the military (aside from the mentioned groups) would've been to this speech?
"Retired General alert", indeed, and quite possibly add "targeted audience alert"...no offense to the majority of retired generals like McInerny and his ilk, or to any "professional officers' groups"! There's always a couple of the Zinni ilk that the big media can't wait to "cover", and I suppose even "polite applause" as well as "some" (?) purchases (he's a General, after all!) can be construed as unrestrained enthusiasm and endorsement of Zinni's views...(coming next..."Armed Forces start campaign to draft Wesley Clark for President"...LOL!!)