The Military Times group of newspapers (Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, Marine Corps Times) is generally a fairly conservative voice. Coming from that corner, a frank demand that the Secretary of Defense be fired has to count as man-bites-dog:
Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear its brunt.This is not about the midterm elections. Regardless of which party wins Nov. 7, the time has come, Mr. President, to face the hard bruising truth:
Donald Rumsfeld must go.
Hat tip: Daily Kos
Billmon has a useful warning: “That’s usually not a good sign for a republican government — and I’m not talking about the political party.”
http://billmon.org/archives/002925.html
This potshot at civilian authority, the day before an election, is not a good precedent, regardless of how deserving a target. Combined with the recent “repeal of the Bill of Rights” and other measures, this seems like a further ominous milestone in the breakdown of the Republic on the road to Empire.
Didn’t those military guys vote for King George?
Say what?
They drank a little too much Rum before they went in and voted?
Well guess what?
Tough.
Rummy ain’t going anywhere.
You can bet King George’s entire realm on that one…
Sometimes… you get the kind of incompetency you voted for in an election.
Enjoy it.
I really don’t see how military personnel complaining about the incompetence of their appointed leader is a threat to the republic.
This is a bit like thinking you know the politics of hotel guests from reading USA Today. Pretty good evidence of where the Gannett chain stands, though.
During the early Clinton administration, the military did everything they could to undermine Clinton. Colin Powell committed gross insubordination with regards to Clinton’s attempts to fulfill his campaign promise on gays in the military. If there was a time to draw the line, that was it. I don’t see this as breaking new ground. That line was already crossed by Colin Powell a decade and a half ago.
Brett, better cut down on that Kool-Aid. It’s starting to get to you. Do you really think Gannett would run an editorial like that if the management thought the customers (military personnel and their families) would strongly disagree?
Actually, given the rapidly-expanding supply of military men who were already willing to say publicly that they think Rummy is an [expletive deleted], I’d say it was quite an acceptable gamble for Gannett to run it.