Posted on 06/11/2007 10:41:16 AM PDT by conservativecorner
Back in July 2003, President Bush, in response to a question about stepped up attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, famously and defiantly declared, “Bring ‘em on!” Oh, how that tune has changed.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates - using the old tactic of releasing controversial news just before the weekend in the hope of minimizing press coverage - announced Friday afternoon that “he will advise President Bush to replace Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (this fall), fearing that a contentious renomination hearing in the Senate would focus too heavily on six years of war.”
Apparently, President Bush has accepted the advice.
So let me get this straight, and borrow a famous scene from the movie “Animal House.” The Bush administration’s old attitude toward mass-murdering tyrants and terrorists around the world has been akin to this: “Hussein. He’s a dead man. Bin Laden? Dead. Kim Jung ll? Dead. AHMADINEJAD!!!”
But when it comes to standing up to pasty-faced Harry Reid and the Democrats in the Senate?
“I have decided that at this moment in our history, the nation, our men and women in uniform, and Gen. Pace himself would not be well-served by a divisive ordeal in selecting the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” said Gates.
What a crock.
Pace was/is eminently qualified (http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=85) to run the nation’s joint military operations. Which is not to say Pace’s replacement isn’t an eminently qualified military professional, as well. He is. But the success or failure of the U.S. effort in Iraq will ultimately be determined by what happens over the next year or so following the “surge.” Why change horses midstream?
As CBS News reports, “Pace’s departure will put nearly an entirely new slate of leaders and military commanders in charge of the war.” Why oust Pace at this critical juncture and bring in a whole new team? It makes no sense.
And it’s a first-degree insult for Gates to suggest that he’s trying to save this Marine general from “a divisive ordeal” before Congress, as though Gen. Pace might not be able handle such a traumatic experience. Get real.
We’re talking about a guy with military decorations up the wazoo, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, with two oak leaf clusters; Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with Combat V; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with gold star; Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”; Navy Achievement Medal with gold star; and the Combat Action Ribbon.
I’m pretty sure Gen. Pace didn’t earn all those medals for baking cookies.
A lot of us have been losing faith in this administration’s ability to wage this war for some time now, fearing that political considerations were taking precedence over military ones. If President “Bring ‘em On!” Bush is willing to throw Gen. Pace under the tank for the sole reason of avoiding a political fight with Senate Majority Leader Harry “The War is Lost” Reid and his band of cheese-eating surrender monkeys, then maybe it IS time to bring the troops home immediately.
Semper fi.
Gee I guess if you are a knee jerk Bush hater you simply ignore the fact that it was Democrat Senator Carl Levin who threw Pace under the bus. Said Pace would not get confrimed because of his opposition to “Don’t Ask, don’t Tell” so the nomination should not even be submitted
But of course for the ignorant Bush hater crowd, facts don’t matter, only what they FEEL is real.
He will continue to fight the WoT, but he also has to deal w/political realities. That is why Rumsfeld was booted, and that is why Pace is out.
Damn shame, if you ask me.
OTOH, before the '06 elections his political tea leaf reading was good, too: that is also why Harriet Miers wasn't pushed....so that was a good thing in the end: Alito (a known conservative) was put on the bench.
General Pace got the heave ho because Senator Levin does not like him.
You probably meant he can (or could) not care less.
An unlikely casualty in the culture war. I guess a man who dares to speak up for moral values cannot be tolerated in any position of power. How can he be confirmed in the immorality defending and promoting (and practicing) U.S. Senate?
They are confused people.
I make it a point to notice the service ribbons worn by General Officers on teevee. General Pace may well be the very last General Officer on active duty who actually served in boots-on-the-ground combat (1968) in Vietnam.
snip:
General Pace was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Teaneck, NJ. A 1967 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security program. The General is also a graduate of the Infantry Officers’ Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Ga.; the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, in Quantico, VA; and the National War College, at Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
In 1968, upon completion of The Basic School, Quantico, Va., General Pace was assigned to the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam, serving first as a Rifle Platoon Leader and subsequently as Assistant Operations Officer.
http://www.defenselink.mil/bios/biographydetail.aspx?biographyid=85
I heard talking-head speculation over the weekend that Pace is a Rumsfield guy and that his ouster has more to do with Gates than anything else.
Ah, there you are! I thought all the Bushbots had gone AWOL.
So are you one of those trailer trash KKK types you refer to?
In reality, President Bush enjoyed the full support of the conservative element of the party until he tried to shove this down our throats. He is now being rejected as a result. We still support the War on Terror, but his failure to seal the borders will be the downfall of that same War on Terror.
Do what?
Typical of the Know Nothings. More then happy to dish it, go right into hysteric pout mode when their own debate tactics are directed at them
Don’t act like a punk, you will not be treated like one.
Sen. Clinton has a way of getting senior men of both parties to do her work for her. Pre-emptive removal of Gen. Pace excuses candidate Clinton of the responsibility to vote for or against re-confirmation. As a bonus, Hillary and other feminist senators get to vote for a liberal admiral, CNO Mike Mullen, an ardent advocate of “diversity” quotas and other controversial goals for the military.
In order to help out Hillary with her fudge-packing Democrat base, the guy Bush has appointed to replace Pace is a liberal "perfumed prince of the Pentagon". The perfect Democrat foil. Wow, did Bush ever turn out to be a cowardly scumbag. He's taking the military down with him. Here come the homos.... here comes co-ed Marine Corps boot camp.... there goes the USA.
Can I go throw up now?
Semper fidelis,
LH
Oh, for Heaven's sake. If you're really serious, why don't you sign onto the wacko Dem efforts to impeach both the President and VP?
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