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May 09, 2006
What's the big deal?
I've been hearing pols and pundits decrying the fact that Pres. Bush has nominated Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden to head up the C.I.A., claiming that it's somehow troubling to have a military man running the Agency.
Let's see who's made the same "mistake."
Rear Adm. Sidney W. Souers, 23 January 1946 —10 June 1946
Lt. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, 10 June 1946 —1 May 1947
Rear Adm. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, 1 May 1947 — 7 October 1950
Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, 7 October 1950 — 9 February 1953
Vice Adm. William F. Raborn, Jr., 28 April 1965 — 30 June 1966
Adm. Stansfield Turner, 9 March 1977— 20 January 1981
Pres. Truman appointed the first four flag-rank officers to head the CIA; Pres. Johnson put an admiral into the top spot at the Agency; and Voluptuary to Tyrants Jimmah Carter did so, too.
I can't recall reading about anyone being troubled by these military men having been chosen to run the C.I.A.; can you? Of course, many will point to Hayden's role in the NSA terrorist surveillance program, the one the Democrats and the ACLU hate.
Pres. Bush and Rove would love to have a fight about this program, as most Americans see nothing wrong with monitoring conversations with terrorists, even if the other party on the line is in the U.S.A.
Hayden seems like a solid choice. It'll be interesting to see what the confirmation hearings reveal -- more so about the questioners than the nominee, I think.
Posted by Mike Lief at May 9, 2006 01:07 AM
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Comments
Here goes G.W. again trying to move the country toward another war. The Bomber In Chief should just make his entire cabinet a bunch of old white dudes who believe in just blowing stuff up Texas style when they have a problem. I can hear OOAL now saying "Condi isn't an old white guy!" My African-American friends believe that she's a Tomisina. She can't run from that. She's more right wing than Strom Thurman.
Instead of war mongers in every branch of government, we need a Peacemaker in Chief, a Peacemaker of Defense, a Peacemaker of State. How many people have to get killed and wounded before "W" wakes up?
Posted by: Sbarro at May 9, 2006 07:16 PM
Sbarro's right. If we only had different people in the U.S. government, nobody, anywhere, would ever get killed or wounded.
Posted by: LT at May 13, 2006 09:56 AM
That's great stuff. It doesn't help the fundamentalist hate, and their hate is not based on Bush or his cabinet.
From the USS Cole to the embassy bombings and the original WTC attack in '93, we have terrorists who are determined. To continue to try a peaceful, non-combative approach is useless. If it had relevance, we would have peace by now. What we got is 9/11; and all other potential plans or possible attacks have been averted.
Hand it to Bush. He's messed up the domestic part of his second term but war was brought on by Saddam Hussein. Who, if you'll remember, did give refuge to extremists following anti-American acts; he did defy Resolution 1441.
War is not pretty, but just because it can be seen on TV doesn't make it any less necessary. We only view part of the world's political machinations from the comfort of our Lazy Boys.
And to make a slur against Dr. Rice, especially as a presumed liberal and proponent of diversity... Ridiculous. She's conservative and has ethics and values.
A Tomasina? You and said friends need sensitivity training, and acceptance of highly educated people who simply don't make the political choices you want. Using a derogatory label of any type is absurd.
Posted by: Vermont Neighbor at May 14, 2006 01:20 PM