Nobody Knows War but the McCain Family

It's been another week with a one-two punch, slapdown for our military and the ones who love them. This week, the insults are courtesy of the current Commander in Chief and a surrogate for the Republican who wants to be the next Commander in Chief. One hopes that the leader of the US Armed Forces would respect the men and women who volunteered to serve their country, but apparently, it just doesn't cross the mind of George Bush. The 43rd President of the US has shown his arrogance and disrespect for the troops time and time again. We were shocked back in July 2003 when Bush taunted Al Quaida by telling them to "Bring it On" inspiring hundreds of thousands of soldiers he theoretically leads.

In an interview on 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Bob Woodward discussed his new book, The War Within with reporter Scott Pelley. Woodward revealed the strife between President Bush and the commanders in Baghdad in 2006. The Washington Post posted some transcripts from the book here

Background
Gen. George Casey, the Iraq commander throughout 2006, came to believe that the president didn't understand the very nature of the war. Bush regularly asked about body counts, as if only killing enough of the enemy would lead to victory. The president insisted he understood the nature of the war, whatever Casey might have thought. "I mean, of all people to understand that, it's me," he said.
Transcript
President Bush: You know, what frustrated me is that from my perspective it looked like that we were taking casualties without fighting back because our commanders are loath to talk about, you know, our battlefield victories.

AND

Background
The president insists he was not preoccupied by body counts, but simply asked for numbers on occasion to be certain that U.S. troops were fighting.

Transcript
Woodward: And you were asking questions. "Well, how many have we killed?"

President Bush: I ask that on occasion to find out whether or not we're fighting back.

Woodward: Okay.

President Bush: Because the perception is, is that our guys are dying and they're not. Because we don't put out numbers. We don't have a tally. On the other hand, if I'm sitting here watching the casualties come in, I'd at least like to know whether or not our soldiers are fighting.<

For George Bush, to insinuate that the US troops weren't fighting (hard enough) is an insult to members of the military who he deployed to Iraq under difficult conditions and flimsier reasoning.


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As the mother of a soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2004, I am outraged that a Commander in Chief, who has never served a day in combat, would question the commitment of our fighting military and their commanders, especially from 6000 miles away. President Bush has frequently stated that he relies on his generals to tell him what they need in Iraq, but this is another example of the president marching to the beat of his own drummer.

The number 2 punch comes from Meghan McCain, daughter of proclaimed "famous war hero", Republican presidential candidate, John McCain. On the Today Show, in an interview, she defends accusations against her father that he doesn't "get it". Meghan responds "No one knows what war is like other than my family. Period." Oh yeah? How about the 4155 US families of dead troops from Iraq? How about the 584 US families of dead troops from Afghanistan? How about the families of troops who committed suicide either while in theater or after their return home? How about the the families of the more than 1.6 million troops who have served in Iraq & Afghanistan since 2001? And how about the nearly 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians or the 4 million displaced Iraqi's?

I have no doubt that Meghan's father's time in a POW camp affected the family in many ways. Meghan, your family is only one family who has been affected by this war- some more than the McCain's, some less, but your family isn't the the only one who knows what war is like. PERIOD.


I'll take my apology now, Meghan, and while you're at it, stay off the campaign trail until you can figure out how to respect the sacrifice made by millions of troops and their families over the years. Playing the POW card isn't any more becoming on you than it is on your father.

The Great Sacrifice, giving up Golf

President Bush and those in his family and administration can't seem to grasp the meaning of sacrifice or understand the impact war has on military families in this country. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Barbara Bush said 'Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? It's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?' (yes, she did!)

In January 2006, when the Commander-in-Chief visited wounded troops at Brooke Medical Center and said As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself -- not here at the hospital, but in combat with a Cedar. I eventually won. The Cedar gave me a little scratch. Their Commander-in-Chief said this to soldiers wounded in a war of his choice. I'm pretty sure those wounded warriors didn't find the humor in his comments.

In April 2007 First Lady Laura Bush revealed how far removed she was from the American public when she said “believe me, no suffers more than their president and I do when we watch this (news of Iraq on TV)” The First Family will never suffer enough until they lose a child in a war that should never have begun. They will never suffer enough until they accept a folded flag that recently covered the cold coffin of their dead child as the mournful tones of Taps plays in the background.

When I first heard that George Bush gave up golf to show solidarity to the families of troops who have died in Iraq, I thought that was a little bit like a kid giving up green beans for Lent, a bit disingenuous. As it turns out, giving up golf might be a huge sacrifice in the mind of our 43rd president, who has a handicap of 15, which I am told is pretty good. Comparing giving up golf to the sacrifices of a Gold Star family, one who has lost a loved one in war, however, may well be the worst attempt at empathy, solidarity or sympathy that this president has ever shown. Bush was interviewed by Politico and was asked questions submitted by online listeners. Let's listen in:

Q Mr. President, you haven't been golfing in recent years. Is that related to Iraq?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, it really is. I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the Commander-in-Chief playing golf. I feel I owe it to the families to be as -- to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.

Q Mr. President, was there a particular moment or incident that brought you to that decision, or how did you come to that?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life. And I was playing golf -- I think I was in central Texas -- and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, it's just not worth it anymore to do.

This interview, of all the malignant narcissist interviews this President has given, rendered me speechless. That those thoughtless words could come out of any public figure is appalling. That this public figure could ever imagine that those words would provide solace to any grieving family is unimaginable, yet this president continues to disgrace his office and offend. Golf, indeed! This president gave up golf in some pathetic attempt at solidarity with me, while I wonder what it would be like to hear my son's voice one more time and while I wonder what it would be like to feel his arms hug me, just one more time. I go to bed clutching my son's baby blanket in hopes that long ago memories will bring me precious sleep to escape from the reality of my new normal and this president gave up a game!

People may wonder why we Gold Star Families just don't get on with our lives, perhaps they think this grieving thing is going on a little too long. I explain that until the last soldier comes home, until this dying ends and until January 19, 2009, when this pathetic, poor excuse of a president leaves office and shuts his mouth will I even be able to consider getting on with my life.

This President has never demonstrated one bit of empathy, one bit of sympathy nor has he ever shown a glimmer of recognition that anything has gone wrong in his presidency, nor a hint of recognition of individual responsibility for anything that has occurred in the past 7 years. Whenever George Bush opens his mouth I know what comes out is likely to be full of malapropisms and other mispronunciations, but I steel myself that he will not say anything painful or hurtful to or about anyone. In this interview, he stepped way over any line of decency or respect. When Ken was killed 4 years ago, I did not expect to be continually abused by the uncaring words of the president.

Playing golf doesn't send the wrong signal to Gold Star Families. The fact that this president is still in office sends the wrong signal. If giving up golf is the best he can do to show solidarity, then George Bush needs to leave the White House today, not in 252 days, but now.

I'll give thanks

Stem Cell Presidential Veto- Part II

Back in July 2006, George Bush vetoed the first embryonic stem cell research bill that was presented to him, saying "It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect. So I vetoed it." and If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers for the first time in our history to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos. I made it clear to Congress and to the American people that I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line This veto is another example of how George Bush has not listened to the will of the American people, 60% of whom support this legislation.

The problem is, Bush doesn't have a moral bone in his body and is therefore unqualified to make such a judgement and I would prefer that he leave my moral choices to me.

I wish George Bush knew where that moral line was that values life when he crossed it and sent our military into an endless war in Iraq.

I wish that George Bush had the same morality concerns for the life of my son, Ken and the other 3533 US troops whose lives weren't that valuable in the eyes of this president and who were killed in this president's misadventure in Iraq. These precious men & women, sons and daughters had full lives ahead of them before their lives were cut short.

I wish that George Bush had the same morality concerns for the quality of life of the soldiers & marines who returned home from the battlefront, broken and paralyzed and who would surely benefit from this promising science.

I wish George Bush had some, any, morality concerns with the lives of the Iraqi people who have been devastated by Bush's occupation of their country.

I wish that George Bush would listen to the experts in this science and not pander to his religious base............again.

How dare he deny treatments and cures of fatal and life-threatening diseases to sufferers of Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cancer and paralysis. How dare he deny hope?

I wish I could think of one good thing to say about this president, but I can't.