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Melvyn · Dec 16, 2004, 05:24 pm

The President, who clearly lives in a world about which I have no understanding, this week presented Barney Franks, George Tenet and G. Paul Bremer with the Presidential Medal of freedom. These are three of the most colossal failures of public office in this new century.

After 9/11, I waited for something to happen with the CIA. This agency was charged with gathering intelligence about the behavior of our enemies. The CIA, the lead agency charged with the task of gathering information about the plans of our enemies was completely defeated. Nearly 3000 lives were lost. I waited for the president to fire the head of the agency. Instead of firing George Tenet the President allowed him to be the architect of the Afghanistan strategy. The Taliban were driven out and the country has made some stride toward democracy. On the negative we are left with a country ruled in the center by the U.S. supported Karzai and on the country by the old warlords who are growing rich producing heroin. What does one have to do to get fired by George Bush?

Barney Franks originally proposed a quarter of a million troops for the invasion of Iraq. Donald Rumsfeld demanded that he reduce the number. Franks’s failure came in not standing up to the civilian leadership. He collaborated with Rumsfeld in creating an environment, the lack of troops, that allowed the insurgency to flourish. He managed to get out in time to avoid having his boots soiled by the mud from Abu Grahaib.

G. Paul Bremer also failed to stand up to the administration. He has stated that he always felt they did not have enough troops on the ground to manage the occupation. If the WMD were ever there, they disappeared because none was around to protect potential sites. G. Paul Bremer disbanded the entire Iraqi military and got rid of anyone who had ever been in the Baathist party. We did not even do this with Nazi Germany! Presumably he had something to do with the lackluster early performance of newly trained Iraqi security forces.

Richard Cohen today in the NYTimes wrote a tongue in cheek article suggesting that we should give the medal of freedom to Bernard Kerik. This would spare us the actual devastation of failure and still allow the President to take care of his buddies.

I grieve for all the earlier winners of the medal. The recognition of their great contributions to America has been diminished by the issuance of the medal to these three colossal failures.

Melvyn Polatchek

Milton Bradley · Dec 16, 2004, 05:30 pm

I believe this also indicates that not only does G.W. orate at the sixth grade level, his deductive skills are on par with the rest of his education.

The man does not have a clue, yet he is the (alleged) President. Kind of makes one wonder. (I hope)

bishop · Dec 16, 2004, 05:43 pm

as andrew sullivan put it in his blog:

Quote:

THE THREE UNWISE MEN: The presidential medal of freedom goes to George "Slam Dunk" Tenet, Tommy "We Have Enough Troops" Franks, and Paul "Disband the Iraqi Army" Bremer. It's one thing never to punish error, but to reward it so magnificently!

PatrickHenry · Dec 17, 2004, 12:33 am

Melvyn, are you talkin' about Barney Franks the openly homosexual congressman or Tommy Franks the former CENTCOM commander?

Melvyn · Dec 17, 2004, 11:43 am

Quote:

Quote by: PatrickHenry

Melvyn, are you talkin' about Barney Franks the openly homosexual congressman or Tommy Franks the former CENTCOM commander?

Yes, I made an error. It was Tommy Franks. There must have been something Freudian going on.

Thanks for the correction.

Melvyn

RickSp · Dec 19, 2004, 03:07 pm

From the Borowitz report:

Quote:

FAILED MISSILE DEFENSE ROCKET WINS PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
Latest White House Ceremony Raises Eyebrows

An interceptor rocket that failed to launch last week during a test of a proposed missile defense system confounded its critics today by receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony at the White House.

President George W. Bush presided over the ceremony, placing the Medal of Freedom around the part of the rocket that would be its neck if rockets had necks.

As he presented the medal, Mr. Bush made no mention of the interceptor rocket’s refusal to leave the ground, saying only that the missile had “made our country more secure and advanced the cause of human liberty.”

The Borowitz Report

Dec 16, 2004, 05:24 pm	#1 (permalink) (top)
Melvyn Igneous Magma Posts: 229	Presidential Medal of Failure The President, who clearly lives in a world about which I have no understanding, this week presented Barney Franks, George Tenet and G. Paul Bremer with the Presidential Medal of freedom. These are three of the most colossal failures of public office in this new century. After 9/11, I waited for something to happen with the CIA. This agency was charged with gathering intelligence about the behavior of our enemies. The CIA, the lead agency charged with the task of gathering information about the plans of our enemies was completely defeated. Nearly 3000 lives were lost. I waited for the president to fire the head of the agency. Instead of firing George Tenet the President allowed him to be the architect of the Afghanistan strategy. The Taliban were driven out and the country has made some stride toward democracy. On the negative we are left with a country ruled in the center by the U.S. supported Karzai and on the country by the old warlords who are growing rich producing heroin. What does one have to do to get fired by George Bush? Barney Franks originally proposed a quarter of a million troops for the invasion of Iraq. Donald Rumsfeld demanded that he reduce the number. Franks’s failure came in not standing up to the civilian leadership. He collaborated with Rumsfeld in creating an environment, the lack of troops, that allowed the insurgency to flourish. He managed to get out in time to avoid having his boots soiled by the mud from Abu Grahaib. G. Paul Bremer also failed to stand up to the administration. He has stated that he always felt they did not have enough troops on the ground to manage the occupation. If the WMD were ever there, they disappeared because none was around to protect potential sites. G. Paul Bremer disbanded the entire Iraqi military and got rid of anyone who had ever been in the Baathist party. We did not even do this with Nazi Germany! Presumably he had something to do with the lackluster early performance of newly trained Iraqi security forces. Richard Cohen today in the NYTimes wrote a tongue in cheek article suggesting that we should give the medal of freedom to Bernard Kerik. This would spare us the actual devastation of failure and still allow the President to take care of his buddies. I grieve for all the earlier winners of the medal. The recognition of their great contributions to America has been diminished by the issuance of the medal to these three colossal failures. Melvyn Polatchek

Dec 17, 2004, 12:33 am	#4 (permalink) (top)
PatrickHenry 9/11: Inside Job Location: Hawai'i, Big Island Posts: 10,455	Melvyn, are you talkin' about Barney Franks the openly homosexual congressman or Tommy Franks the former CENTCOM commander? "Arms in the hands of the citizens may be used at individual discretion for the defense of the country, the overthrow of tyranny or private self-defense." -- John Adams

Dec 16, 2004, 05:30 pm	#2 (permalink) (top)
Milton Bradley BANNED Location: Ohio Province, Rep. of Comerica Posts: 7,320	I believe this also indicates that not only does G.W. orate at the sixth grade level, his deductive skills are on par with the rest of his education. The man does not have a clue, yet he is the (alleged) President. Kind of makes one wonder. (I hope)