Obama Taps Shinseki for Veterans Affairs

Depsite all it’s lies to the contrary, the Bush administration has been very hostile to the military.
General Shinseki told the truth before the Iraq invasion, and in doing so infuriated the Bush administration. So they got rid of him.
Obama’s naming him to the VA post will be good for America’s veterans. And it will send a message that President (elect) Obama will listen to his Generals, unlike Bush who simply replaced the ones who spoke up.
Now Obama should find posts for other Generals, like Genereal Taguba, another fine man who was cast out by the Bush people for being honest about the prisoner abuse that was taking place.

Wow!! This is a 2/4, another Cabinet member who will speak truth to power. Now, can we get a litlle more truthful with one another and — begin taking responsibility for what we say and do? Wall Street! Are you listening? Of course not.

Someone has got to sue that character
Rumsfeld. He was one of the main
reasons for the Republican Downfall.
If most of the charges can’t stick then
stupidity would go a long way.

Bush fired this man because he DARED to tell the clowns running the “war planning” (quotes purposeful) that the war would take far longer and cost much more than the silly “we’ll run in and be out in 3 months” propaganda. Come on Bush flunkies. You SHREDDED this man 5 years ago. Are you men enough to admit YOU (and not he) were wrong? Probably not.

Donald Rumsfeld owes every American under 50 years of age a check. It’s we who will have to pay for the utterly disastrous decisions he made in ginning up this war, a bill that continues to grow by $10 billion a month. It’s utterly outrageous. And the Republican Party wonders why it’s lost an entire generation…

Well when the WAR-Wars started I had faith in Rumsfeld, it was not long after that I felt he was in another power struggle with another administration. This man should have never been appointed to a job he had that he failed at before. Whose fault, history will tell. As to a comment, earlier in this string, He should need to be held accountable. Where the hell has he been anyway, why the media has not focused on him in the last couple of years is well. Go figure

Now here is real change for you. Many veterans were disabled, unable to get proper treatment in facilities in which the paint was pealing off the rooms, denied benefits, and lost their jobs while serving — which is against the law.
I think that Obama is a patsy sent into office in hopes of keeping minorities from revoltion due to there being no money to fund entitlements.

Common sense dictates that certain battles are not worth fighting over.
People who go out of their way to pick a fight and choose to denigrate this nomination show that they’re not very astute politically.
Privately, I’m hoping that a few Republican Senators are dumb enough to make a big stink over this nomination so as to rehash all the old issues to embarrass themselves by.

Rumsfeld???
wasn’t he and Bush senior the ones that
installed Saddam Hussien as dictator???

Good choice.
Only another soldier would understand the veterans’ best- especially how we have had some self-serving politicians previously who messed up the VA/ didn’t bother to give it enough funding.
That area has been over-stretched for such a long time, espeically becaus eof Bush and Rumsfeld’s idiocy in invading the wrong country.
Those finding a problem with the nomination, really. This new cabinet sounds so much more diverse and made up of qualified people, not Yes-men like previously.
Yes, I’m pretty impatient for 1/20/09, you can see, where the nightmare will be over.

God Bless Our President Obama! A Man Of Decency and Common Sense! We Must Pray For Mr. Bush Because If We Don’t Who Will ???????

Timmy,
Guess what the worst President is up to now.
He has just overturned a ban- and now allows people to carry concealed and loaded FIREARMS into National Parks and wildlife refuges for the first time in 25 years.
This ban was enacted during Reagan’s time. This is not just about people shooting protected species- it’s about the safety of the Park rangers- cases of assault on them have been rising-they have 12 times as much a chance of being killed and assaulted more then FBI agents.
We need to stop this man from trashing the wilderness for fun before he leaves.

Nobel said “Of course Obama supporters now say “Wow, good choice.”" And we all expect those who did not support him to complain no matter what. Personally, I choose to wish Obama well and I hope he makes good choices in everything he does. How could any American wish otherwise?

Poetic justice, really.
Shinseki was fired by Bush and Co. because he insisted that they needed more troops when they started the invasion to cope with a long term operation over such a large territory. Guess what, he was right- (The Surge!)
Haha, who’s off the mark now, Rumsfeld, Bush? I think this is also a not-so-subtle intended slap in the face to Bush from Obama- as well as adding diversity and competency to the cabinet.

Bush is an idiot that only a Republican could love.
The nightmare is almost over.

President elect Obama, made the right choice. President Elect Obama know’s that, Gen. Eric Shinseki can do a great job.

What is Obama team’s strategy or intention for employing retired officials for numerous posts and 2 of them had major clashes with Rumsfeld?

More clueless revisionist history from sick Liberal hypocrites.

Beware the 12 division strategy with the 10 division army. These words were spoken by Gen Shenseki in his outgoing speech. The “tougher” comment made earlier is a bit misleading. He wanted the whole army to personify the same strength and professionalism that the Rangers were usually attributed with. Rumsfield hated that ANYONE could dare to challenge his expertise in terms of the military. I’d rather see Rumsfield air dropped into Iraq without arms or armor and told that you go with the Army you have not the one you want. Maybe we’ll be lucky and Bush’s administration will be found to be the criminals they are.

I consider Shinseki a good and sensible choice. Shinseki clearly is a man of principle, as opposed to many career officers who’s main skill seems to consist of kissing up.
Sorry, but being fired for having a clash with former defense secretary Rumsfeld (and later being proved right) is a solid plus in my book.
I’m afraid that Rumsfeld will go into history as the defense secretary who badgered the Pentagon into a war with too few troops to conduct an occupation, and who totally blew the political assessment (supposedly his area of expertise as a politician) of the occupied territory. Something which we are still paying for … in blood, money, and credibility.
Secretary Rumsfeld was a good quantitative consultant (Rand corporation) who applied his quantitative methods to the military with a fair amount of success. Unfortunately he was also the architect of a bout of quite irresponsible politization of the Pentagon, a subversive attempt to give the Pentagon its own clandestine operations department under the guise of “intelligence gathering”, a management style that was stupidly intolerant of criticism, and last but not least a disastrously wrong political assessment on Iraq.
He was an excellent example of someone who tried to show off expertise he did not in fact possess.

Good Job, Obama!
Stick to Bush and his idiots…..if GWB had just listened to this guy, we all would have been better off today……

Concerned in Ohio – You must be having a hard time twisting the facts to accomodate your position. The fact is you could always bring a weapon to “protect yourself” from bear attacks. The thing that’s changed is the fact that concealed weapons are now allowed. In other words, now if a bear sneaks behind you he won’t know if you have a weapon or not. (Snark).
In regards to General Shinseki, I think he is to be held of the highest caliber. I could have placed him in another position in the administration, but he is a truth teller who will have no qualms about telling the President where to go in regards to Veterans. I think it’s a fantastic pick.

The organization of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America released this statement praising the choice of Shinseki:
“IAVA applauds President-elect Obama and the transition team for making this historic selection. General Shinseki has a record of courage and honesty, and is a bold choice to lead the VA into the future. The President-elect has demonstrated an understanding of the urgency of the issues facing America’s veterans by making this announcement early. General Shinseki is widely-respected, honest and experienced. He is a man that has always put patriotism ahead of politics, and is held in high regard by veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. IAVA looks forward to supporting him to implement the historic change that is needed at the VA.
As a wounded, decorated, combat veteran, and the first Asian American in US History to be a four-star general, General Shinseki, has the potential to be an effective and dedicated advocate for veterans of all generations.

If you had any doubts about how gifted a politician Obama is, they should be settled about now.
What a brilliant thumb-in-the-eye to Bush and the creeps that dreamed up the Iraq disaster.

“Bush is an idiot that only a Republican could love.
The nightmare is almost over.”
———-
I don’t think many Republicans love the man. The hurricane was a convenient excuse to keep him away from the GOP convention. Unprecedented for a sitting President not to appear at his own party’s convention.

As Asian American, I am proud we have been chosen one cabinet position. There should be more to be appointed if we look across the table for equality. We are not equally represented in many aspect of this country’s position.
We have stepped up by participating voting, doing volunteer job, creating technological & financial engine for this country. We create jobs by establishing businesses. Excel in education, research, medicine, trade. We desire a piece of pie like everybody else. Good job Obama, but don’t forget, this isn’t the end yet.

Mr. Obama’s choice is fresh, but so was Mr. Bush when he chose Mr. Rumsfeld.

To YoungVoter..
Mr. Rumsfeld was anything but “fresh” he had been in Bush’s Senior administration. Bush Jr. was just following in dads footsteps, anything but “fresh”

young_voter,
It is interesting that you were so politically aware and intuitive 8 years ago that you seem to have captured and remembered the freshness of Bush’s choices when he first made them. And you still consider yourself young. Impressive, really, because I don’t remember anything political from Bush’s early days as I was in my early teens and yet I consider myself old today. I admire your exuberance about your youth though.

young_voter,
Look here, Shinseki was an Army general, who fought in Vietnam and is a wounded veteran himself (stepped on a landmine). If anyone would truly care about veterans or understands them, it’s a fellow veteran, not a someone like Rumsfeld who never saw a real war and was so trigger happy about Iraq, the “cakewalk”, who derided this same general who had insisted they needed more troops from the very beginning.
Poetic justice. Rumsfeld got Shinseki removed because he didn’t conform with him. Now the new President thinks Shinseki is someone’s opinion worth listening too.

Hey Bob W., I read your same exact post on Politico.
“I have no doubt that Gen(R) Shinseki will do a bang-up job as Veterans Affairs Secretary.
But General Shinseki, while seemingly prescient on the amount of troops required for Iraq, was also on the wrong side of many critical decisions that affected the readiness and capability of the army as well.
The typical narrative normally fails to examine his record beyond the one day of testimony before Congress in February 2003; he was Chief of Staff of the Army for four years, after all. . .”
The complaint reminds me a lot of McCain’s infamous lines against Obama. “Do we really know him?” Such vague accusations are enough to sway the unintelligent and uninformed, and it’s important for bloggers to call such lines out when they see them. You are correct in saying that nobody’s perfect. We should note that on every human being out there…on every article. Haha.

Despite his legacy of silly hats made in China I like the choice for head of Veterans affairs.

good choice…good guy…just to clear something up, he wasnt forced out. he retired because his term ended four months after the testimony.

Why are people still stuck on ‘sticking it to Bush’ or ‘Obama is selling out the people who voted for him’?
The difficulty with current politics is the hate and sense of everything being zero-sum. There MUST be a loser, there MUST be a winner. How about we all work together?
You’ve got examples of that already with Bush appointees staying on for the next administration, McCain vowing to help the President-elect. You’ve got Obama putting competent moderates in place for economic policy.
…of course, it could also be just a couple people posting under multiple names. I just don’t get the hate spewed from right or left.

‘invade’ is synonymous with ‘attack.’

This points out the critical difference in outgoing and incoming administrations – Bush-Rumsfield never tolerated different viewpoints.
If I was conservative, and I am, Bush’s policies work against conservative values – implemented with such clumsy knot-headed blindness that the ideals are proven lunacy.
Another example – We wanted a free market, but if we give lobbyists ultimate power, we’re forced to nationalize more than ever before.

Jim, it may be less disrespectful than you think. After all, that gen. Wesley Clark may have made it privately clear that he doesn’t want either of these jobs, or that the president elect is thinking of him for another post.

Good call Obama! Bonzai!

Ol Time Design Checker: That story is a bunch of bunk. The statement, “I’m not going to start WWIII for you, was simply hyperbole. It amazes me how we cherry-pick innocuous statements when we want to defend a act that we know is unfair and indefensible, such as Obama’s obvious disrespect and dismissal of the most qualified and gifted Democrat is the party. He has been sorely mistreated by Obama and his cohorts, and the only reasons I can think of are that Obama and his people do not like Clark. If so, it saids a lot about Obama’s character, or lack thereof, for him to allow Clark to campaign all over the country for him. This shows that he does not mind using people to get what he wants. The only other reason I can think of is that, as a part of the deal that he made with the Jews (Israel Lobby, DLC, etc.) he is ONLY allowed to choose those individuals that they approve of. And since they do not like Gen. Clark, Obama will not appoint him for fear of offending them. One thing I CAN say for certain: I am probably the ONLY African American who cannot stand Barack Obama, because he is a phony and a hypocrite.

After reading some of the comments here it may be best to leave Wesley Clark aside for now as a safety net. I belive Obama will be the best president this country has ever seen and believe he will be around for a full two terms, but since there are some who still doubt him, having Clark on the sidelines would be needed to counter any republican for presidency in near future without appearing to betray anyone. It’s as if this was all to happen as is. Obama is leading beautifully, but just in case there’s any changes Clark would fill the gap. Always best to have plan A and plan B.As they say, hope for the best but prepare for the worse, and we will be double fine. Clark is a decent human being and can’t think of anyone else, other than Obama who would make for a great president.

I guess my bigotry is showing.

Ol Time Design Checker: I guess Obama would rather have liars (Hillary), unethical lawyers (Holder), and war-mongers (Gen. Jones, Gen.Shinseki) in his administration, instead. And you need to go pray and ask God to forgive your lies!

Ray: Shinseki was NOT against the war in Iraq, (nor were Jones, Hillary, Gates, etc.), he ONLY disagreed with Rumsfeld over the number of troops. Obama is bestowing all of this virtue on Shinseki, simply because he was right about the war strategy, not about the war itself.

So, KMB, you were still OK with Obama after the CBS “set up” but his treatment of Clark at the convention, did it huh? And what treatment was that? The fact that Clark was recognized at the convention along with a dozen or so other retired military officers on the final night of the convention?
Man, I know tons of folks who were ready to storm the stage with rage after that despicable treatment!! Ha!
And by the way, you do that that Clark is Jewish, don’t you?

First of all, Obama attempted to throw Clark under the bus after the CBS set-up, but had to back down when the net-roots got in an uproar. Secondly, Obama informed Clark that his services at the convention were not needed. Obama co-oped Clark’s theme “Securing America’s Future”, and then did not even allow him to speak at the convention. That was a low blow. Finally, Clark is NOT Jewish. His father was. You just need to hang it up, because you cannot defend the indefensible. Obama and the Democrats are WRONG for treating Clark the way they do, and they will fail for doing it. The Republicans have found out the hard way that following the Jews only leads to disaster. Now it is time for the Democrats to find out the same.

>>Ray: You are so blinded by the desire to find in Obama a Messiah that no matter what he does, you will make an excuse for it, and pretend that it is great. Obama is NO savior. He is just another ambitious politician who is in way over his head. He will disappoint you and the rest of the country. I don’t care how much people and the media try to pretend that he is the best thing that has ever happened.>>
And you didn’t understand this until Wes Clark didn’t speak at the convention?

So, Moderate: Susan Rice is inferior to Kerry. Rice who is a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD, was widely viewed as an expert on foreign policy during the Clinton administration and Africa in particular is worse than the *odious* Kerry?
Spare me.

Again KMB, I like Shinseki as a soldier and think he will serve his fellow veterans and soldiers with honor and dignity. I don’t think Obama is a messiah or the best thing since sliced bread. I do think anyone is better than Bush. Blinded by Obama? Nah, I’m too much of a cynic to think that anyone is going to “save us”. I also won’t just blindly follow anyone. I do appreciate the smell of burned flesh, especially feet flesh. :). Sorry to burst your bubble, but hey, you’re wrong on my opinion. I started my service with Shinseki involved and I am proud to see him recognized for his accomplishments.

CarolinaGirl: Once again you totally misconstrue what I have said. Obama began going back on his promise of change when he chose Joe Biden as his running mate. Joe Biden has 35 years of Washington experience. How is that change? And yes, I firmly believe that Obama should have chosen Gen. Clark as his running mate. Clark is the ONLY one prepared to meet the challenges we face, with foreign policy, military, energy, and economic expertise. Now why wouldn’t Obama want someone with these qualifications helping him through the crises we face? The only answer is that he is trying not to offend the Jews.

CarolinaGirl: You have absolutely no grounds on which to stand. You are simply flailing. Why? Because you know that there is NO way that you can defend the treatment that Gen. Clark has gotten from Obama and the Democrats. You can make all the excuses you want, but the facts are the facts. So, continue to make irrelevant points all you want. I know the truth and so does God. Unlike you, I do not mistake Obama for Him. Fair is Fair. Obama allowed Clark to go all over the country to campaign for him, and so far, he has totally dismissed and disrespected him. That is a sin. Also, to respond to your accqusation that I did not support Obama, I wish that were true, but I know, and God knows, that my two kids and I sent him hundreds of dollars, and my son and I stood out in the hot sun for three hours registering voters for his campaign. Now, whether you believe that or not, makes no difference to me, because I do NOT respect your opinion at all. However, as I stated, I and my two kids stayed home on election day, because unlike all of the brain-washed minions, like yourself, who were totally mesmerized by Obama, we saw him for what he is, a typical selfish politician who thinks that pragmatism is synonymous with self-interest. And just as he has shifted his positions to lay the ground work for his reelection, he will continue to do whatever he feels is in his own best interest. Finally, to respond to that old, tired, last resort of a response about anti-semetism, first I am not anti-semetic, I am anti-sin. And what Obama and the Democrats are doing to Clark is a sin. Also, Clark is not a Jew. His father was, i.e., his father practiced Judeaism. And it should be said that the fact that it is the Jews that Obama has sold out to is coincidental. I would be saying the same thing if he had sold out to any other special interest group.

CarolinaGirl: You are right. I am NO longer an Obama supporter. And as long as he treats Gen. Clark the way he is treating him, I will NEVER be a supporter of Obama or the Democrats ever again. As I have said: Fair is Fair. Clark’s support for Obama and the Democrats has been substantial. He was very instrumental is helping them win the Congress back in 2006. But all they can do is disrespect such a well-qualified, experienced man. I think it is disgraceful, and whether you believe me is totally irrelevant, because as Jesus says, when it comes to the truth and wisdom, “Do not throw pearls at swine.” Wisdom and morality is wasted on an individual such as yourself.

Concerned in OH
once again I find myself thinking that I might need to provide for my self defense knowing that you are armed and walking freely in America.

Blue: I see you are just as ill-informed as CarolinaGirl. Since when is doing what’s best for the country quid pro quo. And, if Obama did not believe in quid pro quo, he would not have Hillary Clinton, Napolitano, Daschle, et.al., in his administration. Gen. Clark is more qualified than all of these individuals. I want to see individuals who care more about their country than they do their political careers. I want individuals who have a strong work ethic and a strong record of success. Obama has chosen the same individuals who got us in the mess we are in. He is allowing the foxes to guard the hen house, so to speak. And I ask the question: If Obama is simply seeking the best and the brightest, regardless of ideology or political leanings, why does that exclude Gen. Wesley Clark, the most qualified and prepared Democrat there is?

BTW, your arguement that Clark should be secdef…he can’t be. He has to be out of the military for 10 yrs before he is allowed by law to attain that position.

Ray: Gen. Clark is considered an expert in foreign policy, energy independence, the military, etc. He also has a Master’s in Economics and is a successful businessman. I believe the ideal position for him is National Security Adviser. This position is not just about foreign policy, but is also about energy and the economy. Clark is a Rhodes Scholar with a double Master’s in politics and economics.
Also, even though it is generally expected that an individual be retired from the military ten years before he/she becomes Secretary of Defense, there are ways around this requirement, through an act of Congress. And since the Democrats control the Congress, this should be no problem.

Ray: Gen. Jones has a four-year degree, and his only career has been in the military. As I said, Clark is a Rhodes Scholar with expertise in the areas of foreign policy, the military, energy, the economy, etc. He is a successful businessman and former Economics professor. He is also a former presidential candidate. I tried to give you his website address, but the moderator edited my last comment. But if you have time, you should visit his website. General Jones is none of this. He is also a Republican, who would have been appointed by McCain, if he had won. In fact, he campaigned with McCain during the general election. Gen. Jones is in NO WAY more qualified than Gen. Clark, and Clark is a Democrat. As to Gen. Shelton’s remarks, read my post dated 12/7/2008 at1:08:43 p.m.