Major General John Batiste Informing Rumsfeld
after retirement the former commander of the First Infantry division in Iraq — said that it was “outrageous” Rumsfeld was still in charge of the Pentagon. (prior to Bush firing him) Batiste added, “He served up our great military a huge bowl of chicken shit, and ever since then, our military and our country have been trying to turn this bowl into chicken salad.”
He once had this to say.
By PHILIP ELLIOTT Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press - Wednesday, May 09, 2007
CONCORD, N.H.
Three retired generals targeted a dozen members of Congress, including Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, in a new ad campaign Wednesday, saying they can't support President Bush's policies in Iraq and expect to be re-elected next year.
"I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans. I'm a lifelong Republican, but it's past time for change," retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste told reporters in a conference call. "Our strategy in Iraq today is more of the same, a slow grind to nowhere which totally ignores the reality of Iraq and the lessons of history. Our president ignores sound military advice and surrounds himself with like-minded and compliant subordinates."
Batiste and Paul Eaton, also a retired major general, are featured in the ads by VoteVets.org. They challenge the president's argument that he listens to his commanders on the ground in Iraq. Batiste and Eaton, both former commanders on the ground, said the president's Iraq policies endanger U.S. security.
"The fact is, the president has never listened to the soldiers on the ground effectively," said retired NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark, who ran for president in 2004. "This administration is not listening to the troops and is not supporting them."
Other veterans promoted the campaign at a news conference in Manchester, the start of a six-state publicity tour targeting Sens. John Sununu of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, Norm Coleman of Minnesota and John Warner of Virginia, plus nine congressmen. All are Republicans.
"There are probably a handful of senators that have been pretty vocal in their verbal questioning of President Bush, but they don't really back it up with action," said retired Lt. Col. Andrew Horne, a Marine who served in the Gulf War and the current Iraq war. Horne unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House as a Kentucky Democrat in 2006.
"If members of his own party would pressure him, the president would not be standing like he is," Horne said.
Brandon Friedman, a 29-year-old Army veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, said the president's policy is all wrong.
"I think all troops would like to see the government in Iraq succeed, but I think that many troops don't think that this is the way to go about doing that," said Friedman, a Republican who served in the 101st Airborne Division.
Many in the group, including Sununu, have criticized various aspects of administration policy, but all have opposed legislation to establish a timetable for withdrawing American troops.
"Telling members of al-Qaida, militias or insurgent groups the date we will begin and end troop withdrawals is irresponsible," Sununu said.
When VoteVets.org ran ads in February, Sununu said critics of the war have every right to speak out, "but no group or individual should claim to speak for all the patriotic Americans serving in Iraq and around the world in our armed forces."
The House members targeted by the new ads are Mary Bono of California, Phil English of Pennsylvania, Randy Kuhl and James Walsh of New York, Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri, Timothy Johnson of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan and Michael Castle of Delaware.
