Posted on 01/18/2007 3:41:05 PM PST by Racehorse
Florida Democrat, Sen. Bill Nelson, tried what amounted to a frontal assault against four retired generals--
Nelson’s question was premised on the notion that active military generals who had come before congressional committees during the last six years had done Congress and the nation a grave disservice by toeing the Bush Administration line, giving Congress a picture of what was happening in Iraq that was rosier than the reality.
Moments later, McCaffrey continued the counterattack. Members of Congress have gotten the truth from military brass in numerous off-the-record and private conversations both in Washington and in Iraq, he said. If it came down to affixing blame to Congress or the military, McCaffrey wanted it known that Congress should wear the hair shirt.
“So you knew what was going on. And you allowed the secretary of defense and his senior people to come over here and baldly mischaracterize the situation, that there is no insurgency going on, this is just like Germany in ’45, just like the American Revolution. It’s (like the) the crime rate in DC. The denial of the evidence in front of their eyes has been preposterous.
“The broken army equipment, the country is currently at strategic peril and it was the Congress’s job to raise and equip an army and navy and people were telling you that.
“So when you had Dr. (David) Chu (of the Pentagon) come over here and say ‘We’re not having a problem on recruiting, we’re now taking 42-year-old grandmothers into the army'… I wouldn’t focus on the obedient generals and admirals… I think there’s been a huge failure in the U.S. Congress and both parties to speak up and to provide oversight on this disastrously, incompetently, mismanaged war.”
Hoar and Odom disagreed with Nelson too, though more diplomatically than McCaffrey.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsblogs.chicagotribune.com ...
You don't prosecute a war by committe. Congress couldn't run a war on a bet. Hell, they can't even agree between themselves concerning minimum wage. What makes them think they are qualified to decide when, how or where our troops will fight. I know, we need Obama in the Presidents office so we can have a peaceful muslim run our country.....then it's time to leave.
"Incompetently, mismanaged war"? What a cowardly, chickenshit answer from a General in a position to make a difference if he believes what he says.
The Dimocraps are succeeding in dividing and conquering.
Is this the General that was the drug czar a few years ago?
Let the finger-pointing begin......
General Hoar is a huge Kerry supporter- he was on his team during the election.
I would like to know how they would conduct the war on terror?
When we get attacked here again in the USA, it will be up to the common citizens to conduct the war on terror. We will be forced to kick out the current national and state leaders and start over.
If there was any honor left in this crazy political battle between the forces of evil - Dimopcraps and RINOs - and President Bush it has been the military. Now, it appears that some in the military have fallen for their 5 minutes of glory instead of staying above the fray.
Bill Nelson (D-FL) is an socialist airhead. He recently went to Syria and met with the people who are giving aid to the terrorists and insurgents. When Kennedy, Kerry, Clinton etc. say "jump", Nelson asks, "how high?"
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