'Swear Him In'

by Ray McGovern
That's all I said in the unusual silence on Monday afternoon as first aid was being administered to Gen. David Petraeus' microphone before he spoke before the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.

It had dawned on me that when House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) invited Gen. Petraeus to make his presentation, Skelton forgot to ask him to take the customary oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I had no idea that my suggestion would be enough to get me thrown out of the hearing.

I had experienced a flashback to a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in early 2006, when Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) reminded chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) that Specter had forgotten to swear in the witness, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and how Specter insisted that that would not be necessary.

Now that may or may not be an invidious comparison. But Petraeus and Gonzales work for the same boss, who has a rather unusual relationship with the truth. How many of his senior staff could readily be convicted, as was the hapless-and-now-commuted Scooter Libby, of perjury?

So I didn't think twice about it. I really thought that Skelton perhaps forgot, and that the 10-minute interlude of silence while they fixed the microphone was a good chance to raise this seemingly innocent question.

The more so since the ranking Republican representatives had been protesting too much. Practicing the obverse of "killing the messenger," they had been canonizing the messenger with protective fire. Ranking Armed Services Committee member Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) began what amounted to a SWAT-team attack on the credibility of those who dared question the truthfulness of the sainted Petraeus, and issued a special press release decrying a full-page ad in today's New York Times equating Petraeus with "Betray-us."

=====

Since the General was NOT sworn in, we can assume that all of his testimony was lies and Bull$hit?

May they rest in peace, my heart and thoughts are with their families. And 9 more reasons to IMPEACH INDICT and CONVICT this administration from the top down! Speaker Pelosi (Madame President) impeachment should be on the table front and center! NOT one more honorable soldier should give his or her life for this corrupt administration period!
peace

If the troops blindly follow orders over there, they'd certainly blindly follow orders here in the USA if Bush and Dick opted for martial law. Chickens come home to roost. It's something to think about.
.

*

Well, I have finally figured out George's thinking:

1. Since the US is the greatest terrorist state in the world,

2. and troops from the US are the main implementers of the terrorism,

3. and he has a war on terror and any nation that harbours those terrorists,

then,

By sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan to die and be injured ( physically and mentally ) then he sees the war on terror being successful. And of course, to remove them from the Iraq genocide and land grab as well as the Oil resources would mean loosing the war on terror. So, when the troops are exhausted and or dead, the war/genocide will stop.

*

I guess this is proof that the Surge is working.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biX0qI1P7B4 Making Progress

Monday: 13 GIs, 75 Iraqis Killed; 132 Iraqis Wounded

Seven American soldiers were killed and 11 were wounded in a non-combat vehicular accident today; two detainees were also killed and a third was injured. East of Baghdad, another soldier was killed and two more were injured in a separate accident. Yesterday, a Task Force Lightning soldier was killed in a rocket attack in At Ta"mim province. Three U.S. soldiers were slightly injured during a clash in Balad. The DOD also announced the death of a GI in Balad during a small arms attack on Satuday. A Marine was killed in a non-hostile incident on Friday in Anbar. Also, a GI died in Seattle on Friday of wounds received in Baquba in May, and another soldier died in San Antonio of wounds received in July in Baghdad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpy1ybGnwlo Haliburton Convoy Ambushed in Iraq Driver Video & Interview Preston Wheeler, driver, truck disabled by RPG;

But it's safer over there, according to Petraeus. The politicians may have to show restratint when talking about him, but I don't I am a Vietnam era vet, and most of the generals all concerned about their next promotion, most don't give a damned about the underlings.

ANOTHER LIE " PETRASUS " SAID THE DEATH TOLL IS WAY DOWN ?. ARE YOU COUNTING ?.

Kicking the can down the road involves human lives:

09/10/07 Reuters: 13 Iraqi soldiers wounded by mortar fire near Iskandariya
Thirteen Iraqi soldiers were wounded in a mortar attack on their checkpoint near Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said

Requiescat in pace.

Mercy and peace for the souls of the living, whose suffering has only just begun.

THE FINAL INSPECTION

The soldier stood and faced his God, Which always comes to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining, Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, you soldier, How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ? To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and said, "No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns, Can't always be a saint

I've had to work most Sundays, And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent, Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny, That wasn't mine to keep..
Though I worked a lot of overtime, When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place, Among the people here.
They never wanted me around, Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much, But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne, Where the saints had often trod
As the soldier waited quietly, For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, you soldier, You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, You've done your time in Hell."

american soldiers are either BRAVE or IGNORANT.

and please STOP saying US soldiers are America's finest. that's a lie.

How can life be considered so cheap by Republicans.