Cliff LyonBush Boots CENTCOM Commander Admiral Fallon
Yesterday Bush booted CENTCOM Commander Admiral Fallon for refusing to assist in the distruction of American and The World. Today, we have already forgotten, thanks in part to Dick4brains Spitzer.
Does this man look like a traitor? Where is Sean Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter, George Will, or that Daddy’s girl William (Wanker) Kristol? What about John Donovan, Ken Bingham, or any of the “righteous Utahns” like Oblogatory Anecdotes, Politicial Civility (Lyall Swim), Reach Upward, Utahania, UtahOpinions (these appear to be the only right-leaning blogs left in Utah).
Last September, ThinkProgress reported, “CentCom Chief Fallon: Petraeus Is ‘An Ass-Kissing, Little Chickensh*t,’ ‘I Hate People Like That’”
In January, President Bush replaced Abizaid and Casey, who were “surge†skeptics, with Adm. William Fallon and Gen. David Petraeus. This week, Petraeus — in the first public hearings since taking on his new role — delivered his Iraq assessment to great media fanfare. But where was his boss, Admiral Fallon?
Admiral Fallon: A Resignation in Protest
The only reason — ONLY reason — that Fallon wasn’t put out there was because he didn’t believe Iraq was making America safer, and knew that Iraq was a drain on the war in Afghanistan. He wasn’t going to put his neck out there and repeatedly shill for the administration. At the same time, like many brass, he was going to give his best shot, behind the scenes, to change the policy.
Now, it’s become clear that the policy won’t change. So, today, Admiral Fallon essentially said, “Forget this. I’m out of here.”
Another voice of reason bites the dust.
Once again, this White House has seen to it that another senior level military commander has been censored with a loss of command for daring to challenge the Bush-Cheney “unconventional wisdom” regarding the Middle East. This was George Bush’s going away present to his Vice President on the eve of Cheney’s tour of the Middle East… Cheney just did not want this “Fox” around his Middle East henhouse. When assessing the troubled, turbulent Middle East, there is just no seat in the Situation Room for anyone, least of all the likes of an Adm. Fallon, who dares to speak his mind. So much for Bush’s willingness to defer to the judgment of his commanders in the field.
March 12th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Over on VetVoice, Brandon Friedman has a good analysis. I don’t think Admiral Fallon resigned– he was relieved of command. He didn’t back President Bush’s Middle East policy, and his opposition was pretty open. This might not be all about the planned attack on Iran. General Petraeus is due to report to Congress soon, and nobody wanted Fallon to be around to contradict claims of progress in Iraq.
March 12th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
CentCom Chief Fallon: Petraeus Is ‘An Ass-Kissing, Little Chickensh*t,’ ‘I Hate People Like That’â€
Seeing that Fallon was Patreus’ superior in rank, and the only grade higher is bubbles himself, and Fallon stated Iran would never happen on his watch, it is pretty safe to say he was forced to stand down, so bubbles might have his bloodbath.
So are we turning this blog into a copy of the Onion? I’m down with that, at least for an April 1 edition.
March 12th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
It seems to me that Mr Bush has mellowed and matured during his recent incarceration as ‘The President’. I believe he senses that his youthful misbehaviors are not the ball and chain we had supposed. He is emerging, in the last leg of his administrations time in office, as a masterful statesman and wizened pillar. Bravo, George, we thought you were a lost cause.
March 13th, 2008 at 7:12 am
How appropriate is the Bagley cartoon in this mornings’ trib? I think the man is a genius.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Cliff you should be happy, a troop has been sent home, just a couple of hundred thousand left to go. The thing is General Fallon has become a loose cannon and that can be dangerous during war time. Not like I don’t appreciate loose cannon generals. Case in point General George S. Patton. The difference however was that Patton was successful while being a loose cannon and he always respected his commander in chief even though sometimes he bitterly disagreed with an order. Sometimes Presidents do make mistakes, just look at Truman’s firing of General MacArthur. That act extended the war, we lost North Korea and the repercussions remain to this day.
March 13th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Ken,
Where does “being a loose cannon” end, and and “speaking truth to power” begin?
There is another was you can tell Fallon is not a “loose cannon”;
When someone in authority speaks out on an issue in of great interest and shared passion by the great majority of the country (and the world) , you would not say loose cannon would you?
Where does “being a loose cannon” end, and and “speaking truth to power” begin?
Before we kill another 250,000 innocent Iraqis, or after?
Before another 15,000 disenfranchised Iraqi teenagers join Al Queda, or after we piss them off some more?
Before Ken Bingham finally realizes Bush is fucking nuts, or after we drop the nuke?
March 13th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Hmmm. As much I would like to believe otherwise, the more I listen to Ken Bingham, the more I am convinced he is nothing but a young college-Republican chicken-hawk! While being great at spouting the classic apologist rhetoric for the Bush administration, Ken B. has no more balls than a 5-year old girl!