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At Hearing, McCain to Clash with Army General on Iraq
Starting at 9:30 this morning, room 325 of the Russell Senate Office Building is only big enough for one reputation -- either Army General George W. Casey's or Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ).
Today the Senate Armed Services Committee takes up Casey's nomination to become the next Army Chief of Staff. For the last two years, Casey has had a far more stressful job: corps commander in Iraq, where he presided over a deteriorating and calamitous war. Consistently during his tenure, Casey promised that stability -- and subsequent troop reductions -- were just a few months away, only to have to renege. Just as consistently, Casey argued that increasing U.S. troop strength would deepen the Iraqis' sense of occupation and build an unhealthy dependency on U.S. troops.
McCain has also been consistent: he's backed a massive infusion of U.S. troops regardless of the changing circumstances of the war. And since he's counting on supporters of President Bush's relentless stance on the war to propel him to the party's nomination, criticizing Bush too much on Iraq has been a danger. Luckily for McCain, Bush renounced Casey's Iraqis-first approach in favor of escalation. Problem solved for McCain: Casey becomes the scapegoat. On a January 21 "Meet The Press" appearance, McCain blasted Casey's "failed leadership" and said he had "serious concerns" about Casey's nomination as Army chief.
What we'll see today is whether Casey -- who has a reputation for loyalty -- will take McCain's slights lying down. According to a well-placed source, last week Casey called McCain and told the senator he didn't appreciate McCain's shots at his integrity. (Yesterday, McCain spokeswoman Melissa Sheffield confirmed that Casey and McCain have exchanged a number of calls, but wouldn't comment on what's been said in any of them.) But McCain hasn't backed down. When prospective Central Command chief Admiral Bill Fallon went before the committee on Tuesday, McCain pointedly said that he hadn't gotten "candid" assessments from top Iraq commanders in the past -- prompting a host of senators to defend both Casey and outgoing CENTCOM head General John Abizaid.
Stay tuned: with the Senate in open revolt over Bush's plans to escalate the war, this may be the most monumental Iraq hearing since a previous Army chief of staff -- General Eric Shinseki -- warned Congress about an earlier failed strategy.
I visited Hawaii last summer. In Honolulu, there is a small Army museum situated in an old fort. Since my son (who is 10) is a serious military history buff, we decided to visit. The last several rooms in this museum are devoted to the career of General Shinseki. I have to say, that his career was incredibly distinguished; the man is a genuine hero. But what moved me, and hugely angered me, about this exhibit is that it concludes with his his "retirement", as though he simply left of his own accord. Nothing about him being forced into retirement simply because he was right at a time and place where being right is unacceptable.
I hope that, someday, the curators of this exhibit will be allowed to tell the real story of Shinseki's career, and how he remained a hero even at the cost of having to give up what he had done so well for his entire life.
I hope as well that General Casey can follow in Shinseki's giant footsteps.
February 1, 2007 10:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
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February 1, 2007 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
This post made me wonder how McCain responded to Shinseki's call for lots of troops. While he didn't respond directly so far as I can tell, he did, in addition to saying we'd be greeted as liberators, say the following.
From http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=1331575&ct=3256287 :
McCain's call for increasing troop levels in Iraq comes three years too late... In October 2002, McCain was asked by MSNBC's Chris Matthews about troop levels. McCain said at the time, "I believe that the kind of technology and the kind of military that we have today doesn't require massive numbers of troops. You might have noticed the conflict in Afghanistan, we had a few soldiers on the ground and used very incredibly accurate air power."
February 1, 2007 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I really should not be astonished by this sort of thing, but I constantly am - the utter disconnect between our most prominent, powerful politicians (and pundits) and the American Public. What McCain is pulling at this hearing clearly is all about deflecting blame from the administration. But how can he (and his fellow travelers) expect this to be seen as anything other than craven by the public? People are not upset with how the war is being fought - they're upset that it's being fought, period. It's the decision to have started the war to begin with that is the place where all criticism of the Iraq War begins. We justifiably criticize pretty much everything that followed that, but all the tragedy and horror flows from one place: The President's decision making. That's inescapable. And this sort of posturing, and blaming underlings - even high-level underlings - only makes the President, and his enablers like McCain - look smaller. Anyone who's ever been in any sort of management position - and heck, even those who've been managed - know that it's the height of lameness to blame mistakes on subordinates.
February 1, 2007 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
By covering for Bush during these hearings, McCain may hope to get political help from Bush supporters. But even then, he might as well pack up his bags and go home. He is clearly not the man to be the next president.
McCain, like so all other Republicans and Democrats, knows that the Iraq war should never have happened in the first place. But their politics were more important than their honor.
You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
February 1, 2007 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
For what it's worth, I'm sort of following the hearings, and Casey comes across as a total tool of the administration. "Not slow failure, but slow progress" he says?!! This guy is going to be Chief of the Army? Oh boy...No wonder Bush picked him. I'm not impressed.
February 1, 2007 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
And I'll add that, even though I have no sympathy for McCain (quite the opposite), I think he is maybe not incorrect in saying that Casey might be part of the issue in the way things unfolded in Iraq.
February 1, 2007 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
So McCain gets the Publican nomination by sucking up to every far-right wing nut in the party. He then does what? to make himself electable?
McCain's candidacy should be the greatest triumph of media minipulation ever! Watch as the media makes every thing McCain said to get the nomination disappear, and turns the post-nomination McCain into a Democrat!
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