This is unprecedented, and if we pretend it isn't, people here will have a rude awakening.
The people who supported Bush 4 years ago, ~ 90% of the country, are still here and are just as patriotic now as they were then. They weren't supporting Bush at the behest of the MSM then, and their concern isn't based on the MSM now - but the administration, including Rumsfeld, was giving folks the impression that this would be relatively quick, and that's not how it turned out. People can only take "victory is just around the corner" for so long. Second terms should be the time for a change
I saw Bush 4 years ago, sure, decisive and focussed. I'm not seeing that now, and it isn't because of the Dems - who are powerless and completely irrelevant, or the MSM. Bush could call a conference and take the generals' questions directly, live on TV.
This nagging doubt of the populace on the Iraq war is going to negatively impact everything, including the elections, and can only be remedied by the leader. If the leader doesn't take charge of the story, the media will do it for him.
But, if you're okay with the POTUS' approval below 40%, then I guess you see no problem...
Hi troll. How's Skinner?
I can't recall any, which makes one wonder why. Certainly, Les Aspin should have been a prime candidate. General Powell asked Aspin to approve the request of the U.S. commander in Somalia for tanks and armored vehicles for his forces. Aspin turned down the request. Shortly thereafter Aideed's forces in Mogadishu killed 18 U.S. soldiers and wounded more than 75 in attacks that also resulted in the shooting down of three U.S. helicopters and the capture of one pilot. In the face of severe congressional criticism, Aspin admitted that in view of what had happened he had made a mistake.
The president publicly defended Aspin but made clear that the White House was not involved in the decision not to send armor reinforcements to Somalia. Several members of Congress called on Clinton to ask for Aspin's resignation. Where were the generals?
As I stated earlier, we have had a politization of the military (and our diplomatic corps.) When was the first time you ever saw a parade of flag officers trotted out at a national convention nominating a President? When have you seen a petition signed by US career diplomats and flag officers urging Americans not to relect a President as was the case in 2004. Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change The answer is never until the Dems have pulled out all the stops to get back their power.
Kerry has called for the resignation of Rumsfeld repeatedly over the last several years. Biden wanted him fired. In May 2004 Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, demanded Rumsfeld's ouster "for the good of our country, the safety of our troops, and our image around the globe." If he does not resign forthwith, the president should fire him," Harkin said.
The top House Democrat indicated she, too, wanted Rumsfeld out. Asked if she thought Rumsfeld should quit, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., replied, "Yes, I do."
In a Thursday editorial [May 2004], the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called for Rumsfeld to resign over the "botched handling" of the investigation into the prisoner abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and over earlier Iraq war decisions. And, a column in The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman called on President Bush to fire Rumsfeld "today, not tomorrow or next month."
It is painfully obvious that there has been an orchestrated campaign to get rid of Rumsfeld for years. I venture to say that Colin Powell has had a hand in some of this. It is also an attempt to get Bush.
This is unprecedented, and if we pretend it isn't, people here will have a rude awakening.
It is a very disturbing trend that threatens the integrity and non-partisan nature of our military and diplomatic corps. I attribute much of it to personal ambition and the lure of making money after leaving government service. The MSM has been hiring them as analysts. They are asked to write books. Political parties curry their support and then give them plum positions in government as part of the spoils system. Others go into the military industrial complex with high level management jobs or spots on boards of directors. Others go into politics to capitalize on their new found fame. In many instances, it is more lucrative to be a contrarian and naysayer against the establishment using your insider information to lend an air of legitimacy to your views.
I saw Bush 4 years ago, sure, decisive and focussed. I'm not seeing that now, and it isn't because of the Dems - who are powerless and completely irrelevant, or the MSM. Bush could call a conference and take the generals' questions directly, live on TV.
Now that would be dumb. It places the ex-generals on a par with the CIC. What is the point? What is to be gained? What kinds of questions would the generals ask and why should the President be subjected to them? What kind of precedent would that set?
This nagging doubt of the populace on the Iraq war is going to negatively impact everything, including the elections, and can only be remedied by the leader. If the leader doesn't take charge of the story, the media will do it for him.
There you go again. The President held a series of national addresses on the war in Iraq. He layed out the reasons for being there and our strategy for victory. The more defensive he gets, the weaker he appears. The MSM and the Dems will continue to distort and attack. It is foolish to believe that the President can remedy all of that via the MSM. Hell, Tony Blair can't do it and he is far more eloquent and persuasive.
But, if you're okay with the POTUS' approval below 40%, then I guess you see no problem...
Everyone, including the President, would love to see higher approval ratings. But I don't want to see him make decisions based on poll numbers. He must make his decisions based on what is right in the long term for this country. Let history be the final poll on whether his actions and decisions deserve our approval. It worked for HST.
YOu keep spreading the LIE that our leaders have claimed this would be quick. That is NOTHING but a flat out LIE. Show ONE quote supporting your LIE.