Remember Former Cencom Commander (Ret.) Fox Fallon? Contrast With Patraeus

[Median Democrat]

Lost in the focus on Obama meeting Patraeus is Patraeus's former boss, Fox Fallon, who was forced to resign for expressing doubt regarding the Bush administration's efforts to justify a new war against Iran. Fallon was reported to have referred to Patraus as an "ass-kissing chickenshit." The question is whether Patraeus simply tells his bosses what they want to hear or whether he is truly in the Bush/Cheney camp in favoring a permanent presence in Iraq, as well as a confrontation with Iran.

http://www.esquire.com/features/fox-fallon

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1721491,00.html?imw=Y

[Captain Hilts]

1. Fallon had a 'plays well with others' problem in the military hierarchy.

It wasn't really about policy, but style.

[Median Democrat]

2. Remember Gen. Shinseski - Did he have a problem playing with others?

It seems that a lot of military commanders who do not simply repeat Bush's rhetoric seemed to have problems playing with others. For example, prior to Fallon, there was Gen. Shinseki who pointed out at the very outset that it would take several hundred thousand troops to stabalize Iraq contrary to the estimates offered by Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/12/washington/12shinseki.html

[Captain Hilts]

4. Gates liked Fallon but found him hard to work with.

Gates appointed him, and is not a toadie for Bush.

Shinseki was completely snubbed by the White House because of his views. He had support within the army.

[90-percent]

3. BUSHWORLD

In BUSHWORLD, all that are competent and make decisions based on truth and facts get canned in favor of incompetent sycophants.

The number of government and military careers ruined by BUSHCO must be in the thousands by now. sure sux when competence and hard work can get you fired!

-90% Jimmy