(NOTE: This entry guest blogged by jaime)
General Tommy Franks (ret.), has managed a two-fer of sorts. he has both taken one for the team and ruffled feathers.
In promoting his new book AMERICAN SOLDIER Gen. Franks has upset the right by completing the trifecta of Republican no-no’s by 1) Considering John Kerry ‘Absolutely’ qualified to be Commander in Chief 2) Refusing to condemn Michael Moore or Farenheit 9/11 and 3) being unable to pledge his allegiance to George W. Bush’s re-election campaign. Days later, like the good soldier he is, Gen. Franks takes Dubya off the hook for the Mission Accomplished sign. From AP:
A staunch independent, Franks has rocked the boat which will undeniably lead to attacks by those unwilling to turn him into a tool. The good General becomes the newest battlefield in the world of election year politics. The right can not count on him to be their go to guy and he is already “spending more time with his family” we can only sit and wait to see how the Democrats and Republicans spin this one.
jaime,
this has been bubbling for about a week since Franks sat down for interviews with Hannity, Scarborough, and a couple of others. i think the issue is much more complex than what Frank wanted and we can’t let them forget it. i take Franks at his word that the idea of a speech declaring the end of major combat operations. That’s fine. But nothing demanded that Bush stuff his croitch, the policy speech be made on a carrier; that those seamen have to stay out at sea for an extra day simply for the convenience of the speech, or that Bush stand under a banner proclaiming proclaiming mission accomplished.