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Four Color Politics

Mainly the Quotes of the Morning, with occasional Other Crap.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Quotes of the Morning: Respect. Find Out What It Means to Me

“Over the last several years, the services have found it more and more difficult to retain the best people. Our men and women in uniform and their families are the foundation of America's military readiness, yet in a survey last year of more than 1,000 officers and enlisted personnel, more than half said they were dissatisfied and intended to leave the service when their current term of enlistment was up.
I don't care what's said in a political campaign, these are signs of a military in decline and we must do something about it.
The reasons are clear: lack of equipment and material, undermanning of units, over-deployment, not enough time for family, soldiers who are on food stamps and soldiers who are poorly housed.
[…]
We are going to restore morale in the United States military and treat American soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines with the respect that they have earned.
American soldiers must have confidence that, if asked to serve and sacrifice, the cause will be worthy and our support for them total.”
-Gov. George ‘Dubya’ Bush, August 21, 2000

“What? You didn’t expect that Quote to come from Fearless Leader? Shame on you. He is a noble and caring man who respects our troops and only wants the best for them, although admittedly this was said before he became Commander in Chief (funny how power can change you). You people are terrible. You probably think he only says things like this..”
-Skippy


“It would be a heck of a lot easier to be a dictator than work in a democracy.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, 1996

"You don't get everything you want. A dictatorship would be a lot easier."
-Gov. George ‘Dubya’ Bush, Governing Magazine, July 1998

“If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier... just so long as I'm the dictator.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, December 18, 2000
"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it."
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, July 27, 2001

“It's not a dictatorship in Washington, but I tried to make it one in that instance.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, January 15, 2004

“Dictatorships seem orderly -- when one man makes all the decisions, there is no need for negotiation or compromise.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, January 10, 2006

“But you would be wrong. Nope, he said (once upon a time) that he would take care of the troops and make sure that they would have the support that they need, and I’m sure that even if he can’t be the dictator that he has always wanted to be, and no matter how much he needs to compromise with the Legislative branch of the government…”
-Skippy


“President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress where Democrats had derailed Fox's nomination.
Democrats had denounced Fox for his 2004 donation to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group's TV ads, which claimed that Sen. John Kerry exaggerated his military record in Vietnam, were viewed as a major factor in the Massachusetts Democrat’s losing the presidential election.
Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation.
[…]
Fox, a 77-year-old St. Louis businessman, gave $50,000 to the Swift Boat group. He is national chairman of the Jewish Republican Coalition and was dubbed a ‘ranger’ by Bush's 2004 campaign for raising at least $200,000. He is founder and chairman of the Clayton, Mo.-based Harbour Group, which specializes in the takeover of manufacturing companies.
Fox has donated millions of dollars to Republican candidates and causes since the 1990s.
-MSNBC, April 4, 2007

“…nothing will ever change his commitment to show the military the respect they deserve.”
-Skippy


“Two soldiers killed in Iraq in February may have died as a result of friendly fire, Army officials said Wednesday, not from enemy fire, as the press reported.

The military suspected friendly fire later in February but did not inform the dead soldiers' families of these new doubts.
One of the soldiers died just hours after arriving in Iraq -- and was one of those troops rushed to the country in the ‘surge’ who did not receive full training.
The Army said it is investigating the deaths of Pvt. Matthew Zeimer, 18, of Glendive, Mont., and Spc. Alan E. McPeek, 20, of Tucson, Ariz., who were killed in Ramadi, in western Iraq on Feb. 2. The families of the soldiers at first were told they were killed by enemy fire.”
-Editor and Publisher, April 4, 2007

"At least 143 soldiers joined Fort Stewart's 1st Brigade too late to participate in a final combat exercise before their units deployed to Iraq. Last week, one of those soldiers - Pvt. Matthew T. Zeimer, 18 - was the first from the brigade to be killed when he was hit by enemy fire in Ramadi, the stronghold of Iraq's Sunni insurgency.

Zeimer arrived at Fort Stewart on Dec. 18 after basic training and deployed to Iraq just a few weeks later. He missed the brigade's intensive four-week mission rehearsal in October when more than 1,300 trainers and Iraqi role-players came to the post as part of the most realistic training program the Army offers for Iraq operations.
The fact some of the brigade's 4,000 soldiers missed that training raises questions about how well the Army is preparing troops for war in the face of accelerated and repeat deployments."
-Savannah Morning News, February 9, 2007

“Don’t worry though. No matter how much he is forced to work with Congress, he isn’t going to let anything hurt the troops.”
-Skippy


“As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pace, recently stated during his testimony before a House subcommittee, if Congress fails to pass a bill I can sign by mid-April, the Army will be forced to consider cutting back on equipment, equipment repair, and quality of life initiatives for our Guard and reserve forces. These cuts would be necessary because the money will have to be shifted to support the troops on the front lines.
The Army also would be forced to consider curtailing some training for Guard and reserve units here at home. This would reduce their readiness and could delay their availability to mobilize for missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. If Congress fails to pass a bill I can sign by mid-May, the problems grow even more acute. The Army would be forced to consider slowing or even freezing funding for its depots, where the equipment our troops depend on is repaired. They will also have to consider delaying or curtailing the training of some active duty forces, reducing the availability of these forces to deploy overseas. If this happens, some of the forces now deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq may need to be extended because other units are not ready to take their places.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, April 3, 2007

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