Voice of Bush’s Pentagon Becomes Harder to Hear

In today’s New York Times there is an article concerning General Petraeus’ changing profile with the Obamites.  With the Bushites he was a treasured insider, privy to Dubya’s secrets and his hopes and dreams.  With the Obamites he is merely a high ranking general and he is playing the part well. Good for him.  The article is here.

I have to be honest and tell you my secret dream.  When are we going to get a high ranking military or naval officer (four stars) who has retired from the Service who is willing to run for office in my party, the National Democratic Party? Is it going to happen in what is left of my lifetime?  Probably not.

 Am I the only guy in this country who spent time in naval or military career that sees value in the Left wing point of view for the American people?  I am really getting tired of all the Republican generals and admirals who are trotted out every convention to show how partiotic the GOP must be.  Democrats are not patriotic?  We practically single handedly allowed the labor movement to blossom. 

We gave political backing to the forty hour week for labor, the original GI Bill (WWII – FDR), diversity at the Service academies among the student body (JFK), women and minorities among the flag rank officers(LBJ), integration of the Armed Forces (Harry Truman), respect for gays in the Service – at least to some degree – known as ‘don’t ask and don’t tell" (Bill Clinton), elevation of special operations troops to star rank and Pentagon level command and control (JFK) and a hundred other military and naval connected advances.  That would include the famous MacArthur – Truman incident when Harry Truman fired MacArthur and forced him into retirement for his straying out on his own and refusing to accept the simple fact that civilians control the Army. When are we going to get our generals and admirals to run for office in our party?  We probably won’t.  And that really bothers me.

Now I realize that this is blatantly political and partisan.  I realize that practically any GOP election anywhere in this country from local dog catcher up to and including a campaign for the presidency can drum up five or six admirals or generals at will to stomp for the candidate.  This is wrong.  National Democrats have moved mountains for the Armed Forces and for veterans and we never get the credit for it.

And that is our fault. 

We never blow our own horn on this issue.  We melt into the background and allow the GOP to continue the myth that they are the friend and spokesperson for the sailor, soldier, airman and marine.  We allow the GOP to call itself the party of national defense issues.  It is no such thing.  It is the party of the war industries.  There is a very, very big difference.

When in the hell are we going to realize that in this country?

I have the answer.

Probably never.

CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)