by Patrick Lang (bio below)
“St. Patrick,” as Fitzgerald is being referred to in some quarters, pronounced on Friday that it was up to the Congress to find out if the country had gone to war in Iraq in a righteous way.
Today, the senate exploded as the Democrats made a serious move to get something moving to learn the truth about that.
In the best tradition of Washington statesmanship the two parties erupted into an orgy of mutual spite and recrimination over procedure and party interest. “You can’t do that,” one group cried! “That breaks the rules!”
“Gotcha?” The government is about “Gotcha?” and “Let’s change the subject?” That’s what the US government is about? “Gotcha?” The briadcast media wer filled with such trash tonight.
Evidently, the Democrats and the Republicans and the media people still want to play political games with each other while American soldiers are having their arms and legs blown off in the service of a country they thought loved them as they love it? Is that the truth? Can that really be the truth?
Tonight, I listened to Ken Mehlman, the RNC chairman spin and spin and dance in defense of his PARTISAN INTERESTS while Christopher Matthews, “a being darkly wise and rudely great,” tried to discipline himself into not focusing on political bull. He did a creditable job of pushing Mehlman into a corner and demanding substantive answers. After a while Mehlman babbled pitiably and detestably and moaned on with the bag of non sequiturs available to him in today’s talking points. … Continued below:
Meanwhile the Democratic Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid, has actually called for an accounting into what the Bush Administration has done to us in Iraq. His motives are debatable, but the action is not.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) produced an investigative report a year and a half ago which opined that the intelligence community failed in the run up to the war in Iraq.
That was Phase 1 of the process of finding out what went wrong in the government decision to invade and occupy Iraq. The two parties agreed on that report. It is always easy for the elected government to agree on blaming the spooks. They are easy meat.
There was supposed to be a Phase 2. That phase was to clarify what the Bush Administration had done with that flawed intelligence. Had they hyped it? Had they spun it? Had they caused some of it to be created and then injected back into the information stream of the intelligence community? Had they made claims about Iraqi behavior that were untrue? That was 18 months ago. Since then, unsurprisingly, the Republican controlled SSCI has produced nothing.
I choose to believe that Harry Reid is actually angry about that. Take a look at his press conference today. You can see it on “Crooks and Liars.” I saw it live.
Below, a comment about “Joe Lunchbox Went to War”:One of my friends wrote today to comment on Alan Farrell’s poem, “Joe Lunchbox Went to War.” I quote his message below.
Thanks Pat..
My Daughter owns One of those Flags. It was Presented to her on Behalf of a Grateful Nation..
More that being Just a Flag..It is a Piece of His Soul..It Represents a Human Life..A Good Man Who Served when His Nation asked Him to..
He just wanted to Come Home for the Birth of His Son..Come Home to Hugs and Family and Friends..
We all Know What Price Rick Paid for that Flag. And All others Who Have Paid the Same Price..Because those Flags are PRICELESS. Those who Serve are Americas Finest. That is the True Price for FREEDOM..
The First Duty of Government..is to HONOR Human Life..”
“Duty Faithfully Peformed.” Surely we all believe in that, surely.
Pat Lang
……………………………………………………..
Col. Patrick W. Lang (Ret.), a highly decorated retired senior officer of U.S. Military Intelligence and U.S. Army Special Forces, served as “Defense Intelligence Officer for the Middle East, South Asia and Terrorism” for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and was later the first Director of the Defense Humint Service. Col. Lang was the first Professor of the Arabic Language at the United States Military Academy at West Point. For his service in the DIA, he was awarded the “Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive.” He is a frequent commentator on television and radio, including PBS’s Newshour, and most recently on MSNBC’s Hardball and NPR’s “All Things Considered.”.
Personal Blog: Sic Semper Tyrannis 2005 || Bio || CV
Recommended Books || More BooTrib <a href="Posts
Novel: The Butcher’s Cleaver (download free by chapter, PDF format)
“Drinking the Kool-Aid,” Middle East Policy Council Journal, Vol. XI, Summer 2004, No. 2
More that being Just a Flag..It is a Piece of His Soul..It Represents a Human Life..A Good Man Who Served when His Nation asked Him to…
I have handled enough of those “priceless flags” as a member of an honour guard. (A job that would often fall to Infantry soldiers at times of peace.) I didn’t particualrly like having to go to funerals of people I did not not know in life. BUT I honoured that commitment given what those soldiers had sacrificed in their previous service. (Gulf War, Korea, Nam, WW11 vets)
How many of you have had to go to 10 or 20 funeral services of people you don’t know in a span of a few weeks? It is quite an uncomfortble feeling. Yes, it is an honour (IMHO) to have paid respects to about 70 soldiers from various wars (people that I did not know personally) but is still an odd feeling to be there and have people treat you like you are part of their family simply because you were associated by enlistment.
In retrospect I think that we provided more comfort to those “Old Soldier” surviving battle buddies than we could ever offer to the surviving family members since they would gravitate towards us with their “stories”. In that way I think we (possibly) provided them a theraputic way to vent their grief.
I know… This has little to do with the posted topic. Call it my own therapy, ok?
Larry, once again a brilliant and succinctly put summation. We need you, Pat Lang and others like you constantly on the SCLM “NEWS??” shows.
I have been following Harry Reid very closely this year. From what I have seen he is a very fair, gentlemanly, smart, straight shooter type of guy. At least I want to believe he is. We have all been so disappointed in opposition leadership the last 5 years, and Harry has shown some backbone-at least a lot more than Daschle. Of course this is just my hopeful opinion.
Further, according to research done by Larisa Alexandranov of “Raw Story”, it seems that Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts has been actively involved in the cover up and white wash. Not only has he ignored 20 requests by Dems to look at what the white house was doing, he re-wrote the intelligence report to “scrub” the Administration of any blame. The link is here:
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/HowSenate_Intelligence_chairman_fixed_intelligence_and_diverted_blame_
fromWhite_House__0811.html
If the above is true, does that make Senator Roberts liable for “Obstruction of Justice” charges? Can he be charged as an accessory to TREASON to the American people? Accessory to War Crimes? What laws are available to unmask this fraud and have him removed not only from any and all committees, but also from the Senate for “Un American” type of activites?
Hopefully, the Dems stand behind Harry Reid and back him. I am well beyond believing you can “reason”, in a collegial way with the Ideologues and Sociopaths currently everywhere in Republican Leadership positions. Even the DMHS statics manual says it is impossible to try and effect change with these type of people.
Grandma, welcome to BooTrib! And thanks for a very thoughtful post.
Thank you Susan. I have been “lurking” for a long time. The tone of the comments here appeals to me. And I really like the international flavor as well as links to so many resources. Seems like some of the Politicos have also discovered that BOO Tribune is a good place to be.
Again thanks. It feels good to be part of a smart, savy but civil group