Surge Idea Belonged To Gen. Shinseki Who Was Forced Out Without A Peep From McCain

[Median Democrat]

People may forget, but Rumsfeld fired Gen. Shinseki who in 2003 honestly answered a question regarding the number of troops that would be needed to stabalize Iraq. John McCain did not say squat at the time to defend Shiseki, and in fact, McCain was praising Rumsfeld during this time frame. Here is a story about the vindication of Shiseki.

So, the irony is that McCain is taking credit for Shiseki's original idea while McCain did nothing to oppose Shiseki firing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/12/washington/12shinseki.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

But the president’s new strategy, with its explicit acknowledgment that not enough troops had been sent to Iraq to establish control, was a vindication for General Shinseki, who as Army chief of staff publicly told Congress as much just before the war began in 2003.

First vilified, then marginalized by the Bush administration after those comments, General Shinseki retired and faded away, even as lawmakers, pundits and politicians increasingly cited his prescience.

“We never had enough troops to begin with,” Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said just before the president’s televised address. “A month or two ago we found out the Army is broken, and they agreed that General Shinseki was right.”

[AzDar]

1. K & R ...

:kick:

[Andy823]

2. Another K&R here. nt

[babylonsister]

3. Not according to this; all the commanders on the ground opposed

'the surge' (Shinseki was gone by then).

http://www.americablog.com/2007/04/bush-just-lied-in-his-press-conference.html

[JerseygirlCT]

4. Good reminder - thank you! nt