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Here's a link to Webb's speech:

http://www.jameswebb.com/speeches/navalinstitute.htm

I've got to agree with S.B. on this one. Boorda was not a universally popular CNO. A lot of people (including myself) felt he let the Clintoons rake the Navy over the coals for Tailhook for far too long. His abandonment of ADM Arthur was especially disgusting. The fact is, he didn't have the balls to stand up for the Navy against the politicians.

he didn't have the balls to stand up for the Navy against the politicians.

Right. Had he stood up to them he would probably be enjoying a long and healthy retirement.

The fact is, he didn't have the balls to stand up for the Navy against the politicians.

/ / / / / /
Name one general or admiral in recent history (last 20 years) who has?

The closest to that would be Eric Shinseki over the Bush Administration's decision to canx the Crusader program -- and he pretty well got his clock cleaned.

During the Clinton years, when I chose to retire from the AF, I saw nothing in the higher ranks that inspired me with enough confidence to stick around. It was truly discouraging.

A good case in point is the recent story of the former female USAFA who claim they were raped at the the USAFA, and were reprimanded for reporting they were raped.

The real issue is: Women don't BELONG in our military academies, and NO GENERAL, ADMIRAL, COLONEL, or (Navy) CAPTAIN has -- to the best of my knowledge -- in the past 20 years, chosen to fall on his sword over women in the military academies, or (in the case of the Air Force, anyway) over co-ed "dorms" (no more barracks in the AF, you know).

There is a universal lack of spine in the higher ranks today -- and there has been for some time. The last guy that I can remember making a gutsy stand (and paying for it by resigning) was General Singlaub, when he publicly disagreed with President Carter over proposed radical reductions of force strength in South Korea.

Hell, even the vaunted James Webb, who had built a reputation (in civilian life) for denouncing the ill effects of integrating women into the ranks of the service academies and naval ship crews caved on the issue in order to serve as some sort of Navy Secretary under the Reagan Administration.

I attended my stepson's Naval Academy Commencement May 1994 at Marine Stadium.

What a contrast: the valiant battles listed on the walls of the stadium and the entrance of traitorrapist42 via Marine One and the limo from the lz for thirty-two minutes of lies.

He would not put our people at risk in Bosnia--which he did and which it has fallen to Bush to remove.

He would not unilaterally arm the Bosnians--no need, as he was contemporaneously allowing Iran to do that.

There was of course the electrical engineering exam scandal, handling of which reminded me how ONI had botched the espionage in our Moscow Embassy (viz. Moscow Station).

We enlisted the aid of professor emeritus of Brooklyn Law and Army intel veteran Henry Mark Holzer (Fake Warriors) and my stepson was acquitted handily.

I recall nothing but positive comments regarding Boorda from him.

I have seen Webb's writings frequently in Proceedings and know his blast at Boorda re Arthur.

The actions of traitorrapist42 vis a vis the Navy went far beyond Tailhook's wake.

Independence and Nimitz were sent to the Taiwan Strait in response to January 1996 PLA intimidation.

Charlie Trie's "Dear President" letter of March 21 was accompanied by a half million in dirty donations.

Trie's threat was ventriloquism from Clinton's PRC donors.

[Trie was seated on our senator's commission to Beijing as a personal favor to tr42--a fact which did nothing to prevent the senator's reelection, treason being off the radar in Entitlementland.]

Boorda termed his Arthur decision his worst mistake.

He wasn't allowed to recover, being given the DC death-by-a-thousand cuts.

By an eight-year regime which hosted PLA Gen. Xiong Guangkai for frequent "military-to-military" conferences, and cut defense 40% while tripling deployments.

Webb had the privilege of serving under Reagan, the giant of the Twentieth Century, while Boorda was in the two-headed beast's prison camp.

Kelso was driven out and Boorda was "suicided".

We've not plumbed the depths of the crimes of those eight years--though China's 100% missile reliability is a result.

We had the photo of tr42 handing my step-son his diploma--that's gone to his new family home.

That year of 1994 saw tr42 giving North Korea nuclear reactors under the Agreed Framework.

North Korea being in the words of tr42's guest Gen. Xiong "as lips and teeth" with China.

So as the detritus of that nightmare we have General CNN running for president--and calling his CNN employers for permission to speak.

Isn't that special.