Old Weird Ward
Unless otherwise noted, that which is posted here is opinion, which is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. If you don't like my opinions, go somewhere else. Nobody is forcing you to actually read this drivel.
The presumption exists that you can read at all.
That may be a large assumption.
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Sunday, June 13, 2004
- - - - - Retired Diplomats and Military People Criticize GW - - - - -
These retired military and diplomatic personnel are criticizing the Prez's foreign and military policies. From reading the article, it's obvious that these guys have been "out of the loop" for at least seven years.
The group, which calls itself Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change, does not explicitly endorse Democrat John Kerry for president in its campaign, which will start officially Wednesday at a Washington news conference.
The Bush-Cheney campaign said Sunday it would have no response until the group formally issues its statement at the news conference.
Among the group are 20 ambassadors, appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents, other former State Department officials and military leaders whose careers span three decades.
Prominent members include retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East during the administration of Bush's father; retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., ambassador to Britain under President Clinton and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan; and Jack F. Matlock Jr., a member of the National Security Council under Reagan and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991.
"We agreed that we had just lost confidence in the ability of the Bush administration to advocate for American interests or to provide the kind of leadership that we think is essential," said William C. Harrop, the first President Bush's ambassador to Israel, and earlier to four African countries.
"The group does not endorse Kerry, although it more or less goes without saying in the statement," Harrop said Sunday in a telephone interview.
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I also detect a little bit of "You should have asked the most eminent me for my opinion."
The fact remains that these guys are not in the circles of power, and I think they really resent not only not having the power, but being shuffled off to one side. And, they may be a little miffed that the lucrative "consultant's fees" that ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and Fox hand out to their "military and diplomatic analysts" didn't come their way.
In other words, sour grapes.
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