The Buzz on 'Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War'

I have ordered this book, part of my Christmas bonanza, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, by Robert M. Gates. I ordered it before all the published reviews of it started to appear in the press. Apparently, the book is causing quite a buzz. Here are some examples ... 

Book review: ‘Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War’ by Robert M. Gates, by Greg Jaffe, a reporter for the Washington Post with extensive experience covering the Pentagon. One of the better parts of Jaffe's review is what Secretary Gates had to say about the vice president ...

“I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades,”

White House pushes back against claims made in former SECDEF's book, by USA Today writer, David Jackson, which relies heavily on quotes from a National Security Council spokeswoman named Caitlin Hayden. I've read and listened to a lot of, so called 'pushback' from Barack Obama since 2008, and this USA Today article is pretty weak stuff. On the Biden issue, all we're given is that the president disagrees with Gates' criticism, saying that (quoting Ms. Hayden) -

"From his leadership on the Balkans in the Senate, to his efforts to end the war in Iraq, Joe Biden has been one of the leading statesmen of his time and has helped advance America's leadership in the world. President Obama relies on his good counsel every day,"

Robert Gates, former defense secretary, offers harsh critique of Obama’s leadership in ‘Duty,’ by the famous, Bob Woodward. From Woodward's point of view, 

"It is rare for a former Cabinet member, let alone a defense secretary occupying a central position in the chain of command, to publish such an antagonistic portrait of a sitting president."

And Fox News' Stuart Varney posted a brief synopsis of what seems to be a brewing storm on his Facebook page, saying -

"The Left is now in full, defensive, spin mode. Democrats take their marching orders from the New York Times, and those orders are: attack the bearer of bad news. In fact, the gates' book is devastating to the President's credibility as Commander-in-Chief, as the leader of troops he was committing to battle. His heart wasn't in it. Worse, gates writes that both Hillary Clinton and President Obama considered the surge in Iraq as mainly a political move. They weren't concerned with winning the war. They were concerned with the vote. The politics. I come from a family that for several generations, has served in the military. I am trying to put myself into the shoes of parents here, who saw their sons and daughters volunteer to fight and die, with Barack Obama as Commander-in-Chief. I would not be happy, reading that a defense secretary is calling out the president for putting politics in front of victory."

Megyn Kelly interviews Brit Hume on the subject at the Fox News website.

Commentary Magazine had this to say ...

"Unless the reporters who read advance copies of the book missed something juicier, nothing in Gates’s memoir seems likely to spoil anyone’s presidential aspirations, and I doubt Gates has any interest in doing so anyway. Picking out excerpts and anecdotes can easily skew the perception of the book, especially before the public has had a chance to read it. But the splash being made by these (mostly unsurprising) insider claims is a testament to the credibility Gates has earned over his distinguished career, and suggests the considerable authority his account of these last few years will carry."

With reviews like that out there, I'm looking forward to reading the book.

Elections have consequences ... even in North Carolina

North Carolina On Cusp Of Passing Worst Voter Suppression Bill In The Nation

Liberals have a unique vocabulary. For example, they describe common sense voter legislation, such as are presently under serious consideration in the Old North State's capitol as "voter suppression" bills. There is much whining and snivelling going on at ThinkProgress.org and in certain state senators' offices.

North Carolina General Assembly
complex in Raleigh, NC

In the North Carolina General Assembly, lawmakers are about to enact legislation requiring voters to prove they are who they say they are. No more same day registration or voting outside of one's district, which plays havoc with the system to the advantage of Democrats. They probably won't even let dead people vote, or convicted felons, or non-citizens.

Man, those Rascally Republicans.

'Bout time!

Vince Flynn

“[He] saw communism for the sham that it was--a bunch of brutes who seized power in the name of the people, only to repress the very people they claimed to champion.”
― Vince Flynn, American Assassin

From Goodreads.

Patton on the Presidential Election of 1932

" ... I am completely disgusted with both political parties.  I cannot imagine two more spineless candidates, and at a time when the country needs backbone for more than brains.  I am glad I don’t vote as I certainly would not dishonor myself by casting one for either of the straw men we have to choose from.”[1]

Practically fits 2012 to a 'T.'

---

[1] George S. Patton, quoted in Stanley P. Hirshson, General Patton: A Soldier’s Life (New York: Harper Collins, 2002), 206.

Imagine John Kerry as SECDEF

From those who served with Kerry in Vietnam ...

Kerry as SECDEF?

There is talk that Massachusetts Democrat Senator John Kerry, who served in Vietnam, may be nominated to succeed fellow liberal Leon Panetta as the next Secretary of Defense.  What kind of defense secretary would John Kerry be?  Democrat Senator Zell Miller (D-Georgia) clued us in on that eight years ago in a stem-winder of a speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention. The "armed with spitballs" line is in the early part of Part II.

Part I Part II

On the Petraeus Thing

Not in any particular order, here are few accounts an opinions about what happened ...

A Fox News account by Jennifer Griffin and Adam Housely.

Jed Babbin's point of view.

Not a particularly bright piece by Tom Ricks.

The kind of article Ricks should have written, authored by Spencer Ackerman.

Amity Schlaes writes a great analysis of Petraeus, the man.  (Pity no one ever bothers to analyze the woman in cases like this).

Here's Don Imus' interview of author Vince Flynn, during which the whole Petraeus matter was discussed.



Since it came up in his interview of Vince Flynn, here is an Imus segment at which his reviews the Paula Broadwell interview.



And the latest from Fox News, via Bret Baier's Facebook page.

Petraeus taking the oath of office as the new
Director of Central Intelligence

Election 2012: Analyzing the Outcome

Andrew C. McCarthy

" ... The story is not about who voted; it is about who didn’t vote. In truth, millions of Americans have decided that Republicans are not a viable alternative because they are already too much like Democrats. They are Washington. With no hope that a Romney administration or more Republicans in Congress would change this sad state of affairs, these voters shrugged their shoulders and became non-voters."

Read more.

Allen West and his Critics

Allen West, R-FL

So Allen West, Republican congressman from Florida’s 18^th District, wants to exercise his right to have a full hand recount of the votes in the wake of Tuesday’s disputed election result.  Here is how he framed the issue on his Facebook page—

“Our race is far from decided and there is no rush to declare an outcome. Ensuring a fair and accurate counting off all ballots is of the utmost importance. There are still tens of thousands of absentee ballots to be counted in Palm Beach County and potential provisional ballots across the district. Late last night Congressman West maintained a district wide lead of nearly 2000 votes until the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections “recounted” thousands of early ballots. Following that “recount” Congressman West trailed by 2,400 votes. In addition, there were numerous other disturbing irregularities reported at polls across St. Lucie County including the doors to polling places being locked when the polls closed in direct violation of Florida law, thereby preventing the public from witnessing the procedures used to tabulate results. The St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections office clearly ignored proper rules and procedures, and the scene at the Supervisor’s office last night could only be described as complete chaos. Given the hostility and demonstrated incompetence of the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections, we believe it is critical that a full hand recount of the ballots take place in St. Lucie County. We will continue to fight to ensure every vote is counted properly and fairly, and accordingly we will pursue all legal means necessary.”

That opens the window a crack and lets us see some of what sort of things a conservative congressman has to put up with.  The wonders of social media, however, allow us to open that window much wider.  Here are some examples …

Leslie Stone, female, a resident of Royal Palm Beach, Florida (not a constituent of Mr. West), commented, “Did anyone really think West would leave graciously?”  I wonder if she had the same opinion of Al Gore’s request for a recount in his 2000 race against George W. Bush.

Tony Salvador, from just north of Palm Beach, writes, “NBC just called Murphy the winner. I am so happy you are out of office after only two years. You are a disgrace to the U.S House and to the United States Military. Fox news has a position for you right next to Sarah dumbass Palin.”  And he probably thinks Congressman West is the problem.

“At long last, congressman,” writes Joe Arthur of Dunedin, Florida, “have you no shame?”  Mr. Athur studied “edumacation at Ohio State University.”  At long last, he still appears to have no clue.

Kilt-wearing Hamish Mitchell, from who knows where, but who posts pictures of himself, one supposes, wearing a skirt, says, “Getting harder to sell Insane these days, ain't it, Allen?”  Methinks “Ms” Hamish should pay more attention to buying than to selling; for he has obviously purchases a bill of goods.

There’s no particular pattern to this.  I’m just picking idiots at random.  At this writing, West’s post has more than 2000 comments.  Not all of them, by any stretch, are kooks.  Some of the posts, one can tell, are by great Americans.  Still, the kooks are much more fun to blog about.

Jim Zimmerman, from Pittsburgh, of all places, sniffs, “Thank god you are gone you are a bigger asshole than Mitt....”  The Z-man studied “Elementary Ed at Slippery Rock University,” and once “worked at Masontown High School.”  He’s a fan of Bruce Springsteen and finds both Bill and Hillary Clinton inspirational.  That pretty much explains Jim’s manners.

Former Comfort Suites employee, Annie Cole Bullock Cox, from Alabama—and maybe that explains her—shouts, “All this shouting about the votes not being counted right in Fla, this is the same thing that happened in 2000 when we had to wait days to find out who really won the election. Do you people in Fla not know how to count. Give it up the election is over.”  Does she really think the candidates count their own votes? 

Then there is Kevin Singh—“ Hey Allen, since you were so obsessed with allowing insurance companies to deny medical coverage to persons like myself, will you be man enough to give up the taxpayer-funded Cadillac health insurance plan that all congressmen are entitled to and keep after they leave office? Since you're so much against government spending, why not set an example?”   Scintillating intellect, that Kevin.  On his Facebook page, under “About,” he has this blurb—“Reclusive. Live and work out of my home. Have two wonderful boys and a beautiful dog. I have what I need.”  Actually, he doesn’t.

The sad thing is that all these critics of West---not one of whom could score above Category IV on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery---are voters.  It's not the economy, stupid.  That was so twenty years ago.  These days, it's the stupids, stupid!

Rush Limbaugh is right.  It's not that the Republican Party has a "messaging problem,"  America has an idiocy problem.  We are outnumbered.  But this Allen West string is really much more fun if you following on his page.

The Day After

On the Eve of Election Day 2012

The Romney of my choice

The Smirk and the Smackdown

The only thing wrong with this video is they put Romney on the left and Smirkface on the right.

President Romney's first act

In a sane world, 

one of President Romney's first acts 

would be to apologize ... 

to the world ... 

for the Obama Administration. 

Of course, in a sane world, 

there never would have been such a thing 

as an Obama Administration.

Reagan on the Democrats' Platform

Classic Reagan.

 

Fred Thompson

Former Tennessee Senator
Fred Thompson

I have "appointed" former Republican senator and famous actor, Fred Thompson as one of my counselors.  In his latest article, he writes about his personal and legal perspective on the trial of disgraced former senator, John Edwards, Democrat from my old state of North Carolina.

My favorite Fred Thompson move role was when he played an Admiral in The Hunt for Red October.

In 2008, Fred Thompson gave a pretty good speech at the Republican National Convention.  It had its corny parts, like all of them, but he let loose with some pretty good zingers.

On his Facebook page, Thompson offers a steady stream of humor.  It's mostly political humor -- which, by the way, is not an oxymoron -- and most of it is actually funny, to me anyways.  A few of my favorites are ...

"During a campaign rally, Vice President Joe Biden said 'imagine where we'd be if the Tea Party hadn't taken control of the House.'

"Sometimes I do. Then I wake up in a cold sweat."

"Three and a half years in, President Obama has held more fundraisers than the previous 5 presidents combined.

"He needed to, because he's added more debt than the previous 43."

 "Greece tightened up on welfare abuse, cutting payments to 200,000 people because they are dead.

"Couldn't happen here. Illinois Democrats would be terrified of losing their votes."

"A new study shows that most Americans who renounce their citizenship do it "for tax reasons."

"Ironic, considering that's why this country was founded in the first place."

There's more at  http://www.facebook.com/fredthompson.

 

Obama, Afghanistan, and the Election of 2012

The president says that "now is the time for us to transition," i.e., to end the war in Afghanistan.  The Army Times puts the headline thus: "Obama: Time has come to wind down Afghan war."

The Army Times is typical of the sycophantic, leftist press.  Not a word in the article about the conditions on the ground in the theater of operations, or of the effect a swift pull-out may have upon national security.  Not a syllable in the article that the president's taking the line that "it's time to end the war" might be a way to enhance his chances at reelection.  Lots of filler about Syria and high gas prices.  And FIVE PARAGRAPHS on the Sandra Fluke story and the president's situation in terms of women voters.

There you have it.  Two national disgraces in a single story:  The Army Times and the president of the United States.

On This Present Campaign

Mrs. Bush was first lady from 1989-1993

So, Barbara Bush, former first lady, thinks the ongoing battle for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States is "the worst campaign [she's] ever seen in [her] life."

H'mmmm ...

We are blessed in 2012 to only have to
put up with one of them.

I've always admired Mrs. Bush.  And I'm tempted to agree with her on this.

But in this instance, I would like to suggest to my readers that her observation on the campaign doesn't quite go far enough.  I mean, look, we should be thankful that we aren't also being subjected to a Democrat Party fight, too!

On Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

Quote of the day -

After sweeping all three Republican primary contests on February 7, Senator Rick Santorum had this to say  ...

"I am not the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney.  I am the conservative alternative to Barack Obama."

People like Donald Trump can't figure this out.

Gingrich on the Media

Said Gingrich, "The American people feel that they have elites who have been trying for a half century to force us to try to quit being American, and become some kind of other system."

What he has not yet articulated is that Barack Obama is the media's president, the media's creation. But that's coming.  But, before that comes, he has to show that Romney, too, is a media creation.

The elite media determined the outcome of the presidential election in 2008.  It was the media who chose the candidates and the media who anointed the winner.  Than must not be allowed to happen again.  To paraphrase Ronald Reagan slightly, in the present circumstances, the liberal media are not the solution to our problems.  The media are the problem.