Cavett on Petraeus/Crocker

[calmus]

But I must hand it to his generalship. He did say something quite clearly and admirably and I am grateful for his frankness. He told us that our gains are largely imaginary: that our alleged “progress” is “fragile and reversible.” (Quite an accomplishment in our sixth year of war.) This provides, of course, a bit of pre-emptive covering of the general’s hindquarters next time that, true to Murphy’s Law, things turn sour again.

Back to poor Crocker. His brows are knitted. And he has a perpetually alarmed expression, as if, perhaps, he feels something crawling up his leg.

Could it be he is being overtaken by the thought that an honorable career has been besmirched by his obediently doing the dirty work of the tinpot Genghis Khan of Crawford, Texas? The one whose foolish military misadventure seems to increasingly resemble that of Gen. George Armstrong Custer at Little Bighorn?

Not an apt comparison, I admit.

Custer sent only 258 soldiers to their deaths.

I can’t look at Petraeus — his uniform ornamented like a Christmas tree with honors, medals and ribbons — without thinking of the great Mort Sahl at the peak of his brilliance. He talked about meeting General Westmoreland in the Vietnam days. Mort, in a virtuoso display of his uncanny detailed knowledge — and memory — of such things, recited the lengthy list (”Distinguished Service Medal, Croix de Guerre with Chevron, Bronze Star, Pacific Campaign” and on and on), naming each of the half-acre of decorations, medals, ornaments, campaign ribbons and other fripperies festooning the general’s sternum in gaudy display. Finishing the detailed list, Mort observed, “Very impressive!” Adding, “If you’re twelve.”

[headhuntersix]

Wow ur making fun of a highly decorated and extremely highly intelligent-----FAR MORE THEN U-----soldier serving in ur Armed Services..u really are a douchebag. I'd love to see ur ass in Ranger School.

Petraeus was the General George C. Marshall Award winner as the top graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College—class of 1983.[3] He subsequently earned a Master's degree in Public Administration (M.P.A.) (1985) and a PhD (1987) in International Relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He later served as Assistant Professor of International Relations at the U.S. Military Academy and also completed a fellowship at Georgetown University. He has a BS from the U.S. Military Academy—class of 1974—from which he graduated as a distinguished cadet (top 5% of his class).


he was accidentally shot in the chest during a live-fire exercise when a soldier tripped and his rifle discharged. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, where he was operated on by future U.S. Senator Bill Frist. The hospital released him early after he did fifty push ups without resting, just a few days after the accident. Pussy too huh? 



Wow what a loser huh.Well worthy of ur scorn. What exactly have u accomplished?

[240 is Back]

Patraeus is a very accomplished American.

There is an argument that he's being used to sell the agenda now.  I can't argue against that, seeing the change in tone from his first report, then this one. 


Plus...the repubs couldn't praise him enough.  Repub Lindsey Graham said "If I could give you a 5th star I would" right after the general told us he has no timeline for any assessment on any benchmarks for year 6 of the war, but he'll still need $148 Bil and 140,000 men just to hold this unknown status.

He's a great man, and it's rumored he has political aspirations (secretary of defense under prez mccain?)

[calmus]

Plus...the repubs couldn't praise him enough.  Repub Lindsey Graham said "If I could give you a 5th star I would" right after the general told us he has no timeline for any assessment on any benchmarks for year 6 of the war, but he'll still need $148 Bil and 140,000 men just to hold this unknown status.

He's a great man, and it's rumored he has political aspirations (secretary of defense under prez mccain?)

You crack me up, 240.   

[w8tlftr]

Patraeus is a very accomplished American.

There is an argument that he's being used to sell the agenda now.  I can't argue against that, seeing the change in tone from his first report, then this one. 


Plus...the repubs couldn't praise him enough.  Repub Lindsey Graham said "If I could give you a 5th star I would" right after the general told us he has no timeline for any assessment on any benchmarks for year 6 of the war, but he'll still need $148 Bil and 140,000 men just to hold this unknown status.

He's a great man, and it's rumored he has political aspirations (secretary of defense under prez mccain?)

If he's smart he'll run far far away from Washington and it's politics.

When I watched him during the political inquisition I got the impression he was wishing he was back in Iraq since it was probably safer for him there.

[240 is Back]

If he's smart he'll run far far away from Washington and it's politics.

When I watched him during the political inquisition I got the impression he was wishing he was back in Iraq since it was probably safer for him there.

This was the first time he'd every defended Bush policy though, instead of just defining his own goals and work.  He'd love a cabinet position, and every republican on that panel was treating him like gold while every dem was badgering him.  Watch him become Secretary of Defense.  He knows the region where we'll be at war for, oh, the next hundred years.

Also I was hoping someone would attack me for this statement, tell me what's wrong about it:
Repub Lindsey Graham said "If I could give you a 5th star I would" right after the general told us he has no timeline for any assessment on any benchmarks for year 6 of the war, but he'll still need $148 Bil and 140,000 men just to hold this unknown status.

[w8tlftr]

This was the first time he'd every defended Bush policy though, instead of just defining his own goals and work.  He'd love a cabinet position, and every republican on that panel was treating him like gold while every dem was badgering him.  Watch him become Secretary of Defense.  He knows the region where we'll be at war for, oh, the next hundred years.

Also I was hoping someone would attack me for this statement, tell me what's wrong about it:
Repub Lindsey Graham said "If I could give you a 5th star I would" right after the general told us he has no timeline for any assessment on any benchmarks for year 6 of the war, but he'll still need $148 Bil and 140,000 men just to hold this unknown status.

That remark made my stomach turn over.

Total ass kissing by Graham and more tax payer dollars and service members in harms way without any accountability or measure of success.

[24KT]

Cue HH6 to come in and call you a lib who wants the US to lose the war...

...in 3

...2

...1

[240 is Back]

Cue HH6 to come in and call you a lib who wants the US to lose the war...
...in 3
...2
...1

HH6 knows I'm not a lib.  I'm okay with the war, and I think iran needs to be piledriven for killing our men.

I am all for accountability.  If you're spending 1000 lives and 148 billion a year, at the very least, you need to have a set of goals, so when 2009 rolls around we'll know if we reached our goals.

Since 2003, there have been no clear goals in this war, due to the repub congress.  When the DEM congress tried to add benchmarks in 2007, Bush VETOED it.  He doesn't WANT accountability.  Better to just spend and lose men and not give the other party any way to point out their failure.

Many said the surge was just a stall tactic.  Looks like they were right.

[24KT]

HH6 knows I'm not a lib. 

I've found his memory to be rather selective.

I was actually refering to w8tlftr's comment tho. I figured HH6 would throw in a stupid 'Lib' pejorative or two.

I'm okay with the war, and I think iran needs to be piledriven for killing our men.

I am all for accountability.  If you're spending 1000 lives and 148 billion a year, at the very least, you need to have a set of goals, so when 2009 rolls around we'll know if we reached our goals.

Since 2003, there have been no clear goals in this war, due to the repub congress.  When the DEM congress tried to add benchmarks in 2007, Bush VETOED it.  He doesn't WANT accountability.  Better to just spend and lose men and not give the other party any way to point out their failure.

Many said the surge was just a stall tactic.  Looks like they were right.

[w8tlftr]

I've found his memory to be rather selective.

I was actually refering to w8tlftr's comment tho. I figured HH6 would throw in a stupid 'Lib' pejorative or two.

I'm a lot of terrible things but socialist progressive liberal is not one of them. 

I think HH6 knows this.

[headhuntersix]

The media and the elements of Congress have been trying to recreate a Patton or Macarthur since Korea ended. They tried it with Stormin Norman and are still looking. P4 is a very smart guy and I would hope that he would stick to soldiering. We could use him as our Chief or head of the Joint Chiefs after this mess is over. I agree with my Navy brother...Jag ur attempts to pigeon hole me have once again failed.

[Decker]

Petraeus was exploited by the White House to put a face of competency on the Iraq disaster.  The Surge was a PR stunt to cover the fact that the US was escalating the war while bribing the enemy to not attack.

In his first report to Congress, Petraeus read from a script authored by the White House.  As far as I'm concerned, his second show was no better.

This administration has already ruined Colin Powell's reputation.  Now it's working on Petraeus's.

[calmus]

This administration has already ruined Colin Powell's reputation.  Now it's working on Petraeus's.

Powell can at least say he didn't know what he was getting himself into.  Petraeus knew exactly what this admin was, is, and will be ... and he hopped into bed with them.  I hope history remembers this.

[War-Horse]

Powell can at least say he didn't know what he was getting himself into.  Petraeus knew exactly what this admin was, is, and will be ... and he hopped into bed with them.  I hope history remembers this.

General "Betrayus" will allow the murder of hundreds of more civilians, in order to further a career that will turn on him like a pack of hyenias.

He is a yes man and will enjoy the hot weather of hell with hh6.....who Jag "pigeon holed" perfectly.

[headhuntersix]

No real clue huh....with the lib playbook in ur laps..u spot bs that u know nothing about.

[calmus]

Hahahaha. HH6 getting all worked up because he's exactly the same kind of "yes man" that Petraeus is. 

[w8tlftr]

Hahahaha. HH6 getting all worked up because he's exactly the same kind of "yes man" that Petraeus is. 

So? You're a YES man, Mr. I work for the corporate machine. 

[War-Horse]

So? You're a YES man, Mr. I work for the corporate machine. 

Yeah ,and its killed a million civilians.

[w8tlftr]

Yeah ,and its killed a million civilians.

So you're saying corporations don't kill innocent civilians?

[calmus]

So? You're a YES man, Mr. I work for the corporate machine. 

Catch me bragging about it, c ock suc ker? 

Jesus, what's with the censorship?

[War-Horse]

So you're saying corporations don't kill innocent civilians?

Yes, but it pays well.

[w8tlftr]

Catch me bragging about it, c ock suc ker? 

Jesus, what's with the censorship?

Sorry, Corporate Lackey Boy, I'm straight. 

[calmus]

Yes, but it pays well.

 

Navy trained cryptologists have a hard time distinguishing between primary and secondary actors.

[w8tlftr]

Yes, but it pays well.

Meh... whatever pays the bills.