Semper Fidelis
and you bureaucrats can go to hell
By haystack Posted in War — Comments (24) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
We are all aware that Senate Majority leader Reid considers General Pace incompetent, and we know just what a man HE is, and further we are rather well aware of his anatomical complications. Further still, we know what leadership skills he does NOT possess, and perhaps saddest in all of this is the lack of leadership from the President, to the Secretary of Defense, to even the Republicans in Congress for not knowing any better than to let a great man go down in flames like this without so much as a whisper, other than to let his reputation take such a hit just to cover everyone ELSE'S (expletive removed in deference to the posting guidelines).
Reid et. al. has even succeeded in getting on the last nerve of UncleJimbo which, my friends, is no place you want to be. UJ even sent a little love to the toddlers on the Hill this morning, complete with a video message because he couldn't get to them in person. [lucky for them]
You REALLY need to go below the fold, and consider THIS from the US Marine Corps Commandant, General James T. Conway...
Our Nation is at war - our Corps is at war - fighting a determined enemy bent on terror and domination. Make no mistake, it is a war we must win! Success by the enemy will dramatically change the world as we know it, leaving a harsh environment for our children and grandchildren to endure.
I don't need to tell you that over five years of deployments to the fight have put a strain on our Corps. Acknowledging that, and the necessity to win this struggle, the President has recently authorized the Marine Corps to grow. In a larger Marine Corps, we will need the leadership, savvy, and determination that experienced Marines like you provide. Now, more than ever, your Marine Corps needs you.
Many of you have already sacrificed a great deal - and have already served your country in a courageous and honorable manner. However, in this hour of national crisis, I encourage every Marine who is considering closing the chapter on his or her Marine Corps service to reconsider. You are elite among the Nation's warriors. America and your Corps need you now, and I ask you to re-enlist - or to extend your commitment - to help us defeat this enemy and see us through the crisis. Think about the experience you have to offer and what it could mean to your fellow Marines still engaged in the fight. I know that any decision to stay in the Corps is both very important and very personal - one that has far reaching effects on both you and your family. In light of this, I have authorized new incentives for your extension / re-enlistment in recognition of your experience and honorable service.
Contact your Commanding Officer, First Sergeant or Career Retention Specialist for more information.
You are part of a new generation of Marines - carrying the battle-tested colors of our Corps. You have carried them with pride and with honor; I ask you to carry them with me for just a while longer.
Now I ask you, with Pace leaving, is it because HE has tired of the Corps, or wants to just walk off the battlefield? Has HE had enough of standing up and standing against his enemy, like those Political heroes of ours right here at home as they stand against their POLITICAL enemies?
Not only no, but HELL no.
Here's what General Pace says about leaving his post:
"One thing that was discussed was whether or not I should just voluntarily retire and take the issue off the table," Pace said, according to a transcript released Friday by his office at the Pentagon.
"I said I could not do that for one very fundamental reason," which is that no soldier or Marine in Iraq should "think — ever — that his chairman, whoever that person is, could have stayed in the battle and voluntarily walked off the battlefield.
"That is unacceptable as a leadership thing, in my mind," he added.
"The other piece for me personally was that some 40 years ago I left some guys on the battlefield in Vietnam who lost their lives following 2nd Lt. Pace," he said. "And I promised myself then that I will serve this country until I was no longer needed — that it's not my decision. I need to be told that I'm done.
"I've been told I'm done.
"I will run through the finish line on 1 October, and when I run through the finish line I will have met the mission I set for myself," he said.
But the closer quote for me is here [bold emphasis mine]:
"He [SecDef Gates]brought me in the office and sat me down and said `Pete, this is what's happening. I want to re-nominate you. I want you to know that this is what I'm beginning to hear, this is what I'm going to go do, this is how I'm going to go do it."'
"He went out and did exactly what he said on television, and exactly what he's been saying in his interviews, which is he went out and pulsed various members of Congress and he heard back from them the things that he said that he heard," Pace said.
At that point, Pace said, he assured Gates that he was willing to go through even a contentious confirmation process.
"I also told him that what he needed to do, in my opinion, was what was best for the institution, and whatever he and the president decided was going to be best for the institution was what Pete Pace was going to do," he said. "Oh and by the way, I can read the Constitution, which says the president gets to nominate and the Senate gets to confirm, or not, and neither one of those two things is going to happen, therefore I'm not staying."
Remember that next time you hear about decisions being made in the best interests of getting votes, or staying in or ascending TO majority status and assumption of power over and control of a thing. Reid and the kids couldn't give a (expletive removed in deference to the posting guidelines) about the "institution". All these losers care about is themselves.
If only our employees, you know, Congress were as "always faithful" to their bosses as this American Patriot and Warfighter has been and continues to be to his Marines and the Corps.
None in Congress is worthy of polishing Pace's boots.
Pace, already a hero in my eyes, is forever immortalized on the Wall of Heroes after this.
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Founder and contributor to The Minority Report and Senior writer for The Hinzsight Report
______________________________
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
Absolutely astounding. When people like this who have dedicated their lives to serving our country are treated like this we are certainly doomed.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein
It would be interesting if someone would ask General Reid something to the effect of "Senator, with your vast military experience [he has none], how would you run the war in Iraq better than General Pace?"
But pandering reporters will be afraid to ask such a question, lest they lose the right to the next interview, and our Congress (which has so little experience in military service, Democrats and Republicans both) would not have the guts to comment.
Our politicians care little about more than reelection; Senator Reid gives not a whit about his constituents (many of whom have served), nor The People, nor the men and women of our military who preserve his right to election.
General Pace graduated Annapolis a year before Harry Reid won his first election as Assemblyman.
Believe it: respect for one's senior in serving our country is absent in politicians: risk of life and limb is trivial to the importance of reelection.
When Republicans had courage, and would no more leave a man like General Pace twistng in the wind than they would give amnesty to lawbreakers simply because there were too many of them.
A clean conscience makes a soft pillow. There are only a handful of elected Republicans that sleep well these days, and President Bush is not among them.
I know it doesn't look good as of right now, but I believe in my heart that Reid and all politicians who cheer defeat and ridicule our military will end up losing their jobs because of it.
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Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words...-Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes
there is a good man available for your team.
" in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
Abe Lincoln
Oooraahh!
--
Gone 2500 years, still not PC.
Great follow on to the letter to reid.
It never ceases to amaze me that our nations warriors adhere to a far higher standard than thier civilian leaders are held to. Neither the Commandant nor any other General/Flag Officer has had to redefine "is" lately.
Feel free to check out my personal Blog or discuss anything in a rational, civilised manner at TalkAmerica.
The Honorable General Pace took an oath and fulfilled it!
Those in Congress no longer deserve that appellation for they have also taken oaths which they violate daily!
The soul that has conceived one wickedness can nurse no good thereafter.
SOPHOCLES, Philoctetes
Democrats were sure to fight Pace, demand answers hold hearings, all expected, all reprehensible, but to be expected.
But a "Bug Out" by President Bush?
Too busy passing "Shamnesty"
Too busy defending Gonzo?
Not enough of that "Capital" that the President spoke of spending after the last election.
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Fred...Fred...Fred..!
I was truly starting to believe Gates was principled. Sadly, I was wrong.
It takes alot to impress me, but Pace did that in a very short period of time (not that he cares, mind you).
What is the penchant of this administration to run from a fight? Frankly. if I had Pace by my side I would take on Godzilla.
IMO Gates has proven himself nothing more than another useless political hack with no stones. Who's got your back now, Bob? Feel the breeze buddy.
Hay, once again you are spot on.
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"
Contributor to The Minority Report
to brush the dust off this Marine's combat boots.
General Pace is the picture of a Man of Honor. Truly one of the few and the proud.
His detractors and those too cowardly to let him stand in his own defense are pathetic cowards. That includes the President.
Semper Fi! General.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
That's all I can say to those who protect us. Reid -- just as you said -- a punk.
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Life is not fair, but It's still a Wonderful Life!
I simply don't know what to say.
I'll think of something, though.
White House, are you listening? Do you care?
This whole thing is sickening.
Who is this dude, George Walker Bush? He doesn't appear to be the man whom I walked neighborhoods for in November 2004.
I will continue to follow this president, because I must. But, he should do the civil thing and find some reason NOT to go to General Pace's retirement ceremony. The general shouldn't have to bear one final indignity of listening to the false, cover-my-Bush-butt platitudes the President will surely fill the air with at Pace's retirement. Of watching as the President uses Pace's penultimate moment, after 40+ years in uniform, as a venue in which to rehabilitate the White House's image among servicemen, by talking oh-so-nice to the man whom the Bush White House just tossed out, like a used Kleenex.
"Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?" (Macaulay)
"I will continue to follow this president, because I must." And that my friend makes you an idiot. Here, have some koolaid.
I would blame the Bush Administration, not Secretary Gates. Gates would have received little backing in trying to get Pace approved by the Congress. Pace would have brought out a lot of adverse publicity about Iraq which the Bushies don't need. The two armed services committees control the military, not Gates. If the chariman or ranking member of these committees say no to Gates, the SECDEF says, "aye, aye, sir."
In the past, Marine generals were not named Chairman, Joint Chief of Staff. One of the reasons
was direct involvement with politicians. It was considered the duty of the Navy to run the political screen for the Marine Corps, through the Chief of Naval Operations. I think this wasn't bad because we want Marines to be fighting generals, not politicians in uniform.
General Pace’s commendations include:
Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal with Combat V
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with gold star
Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”
Navy Achievement Medal with gold star
Combat Action Ribbon
Harry Reid's commendations include:
Waving the white flag
Your Humble Servant
http://www.liberal-hypocrisy.com/blog/
and what of Bush's commendataions....hmmmm.....uuuugh.......lemme think......get back to me later. Oh yeah, he fired the guy!
W is NOT aiding and abetting the enemy. Whereas Kerry, Reid, Murtha, etc are aiding and abetting the enemy.
Your Humble Servant
http://www.liberal-hypocrisy.com/blog/
By not confronting KRM etal, Bush is in league with them.
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CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
This just strikes me as another argument in futility. Another one of those ideological smack downs. It's not about Reid he doesn't even matter. Reid had nothing to do with the demise of Pace. Pace is not the first General this commander and chief has thrown under the bus. Heck he has single handedly fired about 500 years of military experience since the occupation began. Of course with george's vast military expeerience who would even think to question that? Anyway Pace was eliminated to keep him from having to answer any questions about this little fiasco in the desert. The political landscape has changed and confirmation hearings to continue with Pace were going to be contentious. The reconfirmation of Pace would require some level of accountability. It is obvious the best move for the WH was to play musical chairs with the generals again. A new general will have plausible deniability. He will be able to say with conviction, he was out of town that weekend. It's kind of like chapter 11, it's called reorganization, or buying time. Oh and I would submit to you that generals are just as much politicians as they are military commanders. It takes an act of congress to create one so believe me they are skilled at playing every angle and both sides of the fence as well.
That is all.
It's war -- so when can we start shooting back at the
enemyDemocrats?