Report: Obama Taps Gen. Shinseki For Vet Secretary

[EconomicLiberal]

Source: CBS 13

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama has selected retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki to be the next Veterans Affairs secretary.

The officials said Obama will announce his selection Sunday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the official announcement.

Shinseki is the former Army chief of staff who upset his civilian bosses in 2003 when he testified to Congress that it might take several hundred thousand U.S. troops to control Iraq after the U.S. invasion. He was forced out of his job within months for being "wildly off the mark." But his words proved prophetic after President George W. Bush in early 2007 announced a "surge" of additional troops to Iraq after miscalculating.

Read more: http://cbs13.com/campaign08/obama.taps.shinseki.2.88149...

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Ouch. That's going to leave a mark for Bush!

[Faygo Kid]

1. Good choice

[Hekate]

2. Brilliant choice. Shinseki is an honorable warrior--and another Hawaiian. Yay!

I was struck quite awhile ago that out of such a tiny state the US managed to get at least 3 outstanding leaders for this time: Obama, Shinseki, and Taguba.

Mahalo nui loa.

Hekate

[Odin2005]

16. That's a good thing, since this century is going to be the Pacific Century.

And Hawai'i is smack in the middle of the Pacific.

[sandnsea]

3. Very impressive

We need a straight-shooter in there. This choice indicates that Obama is choosing people who will generate as little political backlash as possible. Nobody that can be accused of adhering to a political agenda rather than good governance. He means business.

[w4rma]

4. Wow. Well done. (nt)

[TomInTib]

5. In your face, LittleMan.

You, Cheney, Rummy, Wolfie, et al.

[EFerrari]

30. Loving it!

[HelenWheels]

6. Vindication nt

[eleny]

8. oh yeah.

[MBS]

7. Excellent.

This is the first appointment that I've felt truly enthusiastic about. I haven't minded any of the others (well, one was a head-scratcher), but this one is brilliant: absolutely spot-on.

[MidwestTransplant]

9. Isn't that the fool who thought we needed 500K troops to pacify Iraq? Oh wait....

[DeepModem Mom]

10. K&R

[Kingofalldems]

11. When will the freepers demand his birth certificate?

[Titus Andronicus]

12. Excellent, he knew we needed a larger footprint.

He was right.

[otherlander]

19. The "mistake" of the government

wasn't that they underestimated how many troops it would take to control the situation in Iraq. The mistake was that they thought that we had the right to "control" a soveriegn nation in the first place. Now it's very popular for "progressive" politicians to say that the invasion was a strategical disaster, yet who among them will acknowledge that better strategy, more advanced planning, smarter leaders, and more troops will NEVER provide a good way to do things that every human being has the right not to have done to them?

[Titus Andronicus]

27. We are increasing our troops in Afghanistan, we need

a Shinseki around.

[mainer]

13. now they need to find a spot for zinni

another general who should have been listened to.

[Hekate]

26. And Taguba as well. He's on the lecture circuit talking about AbuGhraib, which upset him exceedingly

Taguba is another honorable warrior.

Hekate

[CBHagman]

14. I'm so glad to hear it.

I hadn't heard much from Shinseki lately, and of course like everyone else, I was always very upset about what the Bush administration had done to him.

[Odin2005]

15. WOOT!!!

Now if that ain't slapping The Chimp in the face I don't know what is!

[Kolesar]

17. I am glad Shinseki took the job after being put through that political humiliation

Those (bush) creeps ended his career because of his comment about needing thrice the troops to control Iraq. (Yes, I know you knew that part).

[elleng]

18. 'Upon leaving his post in June 2003,

Shinseki in his farewell speech sternly warned against arrogance in leadership.

"You must love those you lead before you can be an effective leader," he said. "You can certainly command without that sense of commitment, but you cannot lead without it. And without leadership, command is a hollow experience, a vacuum often filled with mistrust and arrogance."

Shinseki also left with the warning: "Beware a 12-division strategy for a 10-division army."'

Sounds like a REAL leader, to me.

[shanti]

20. a true leader, exactly!

he and obama seem to be cut from the same cloth.

[Doctor_J]

21. Everyone who stood up to * should get a job

David Iglesias for AG

[The_Casual_Observer]

22. When do the war crimes trials start?

[Stand and Fight]

23. Fantastic Choice!

Got to see him when I was stationed at Fort Lewis back in 2002 if I recall correctly. Great speaker and VERY impressive in person.

EDITED TO ADD:
For those that don't know he's not only a war veteran, but a WOUNDED war veteran -- this bodes well for veterans across the world.

[CitizenPatriot]

24. this vindication of a real hero

feels wonderful. Justice is coming soon...to these United States, courtesy of Barack Obama. Our POTUS. I am so damn happy.

[Bigmack]

25. I was thinking... Shinseki might be pissed..

off enough to kick some serious ass in his position in Veterans Affairs. Maybe a little payback? Exposing how the military has treated the warriors/veterans.

What's he got to lose?

[sutz12]

28. Good point...I'm sure Bush is planning to leave some "burrowers" in VA

I'm assuming there will be some needed housecleaning.

Hopefully all of that "privatizing" talk is history.

[lebkuchen]

33. I hope he does kick serious ass

My section of the DoD is hoping to avoid being IDd for its incompetence by moving people between the Pacific and European Commands, aka "Dance of the Lemons." They're RW flat-pin wearing Bible whackers, appointed by Rummy and Cheney, no matter where under the DoD umbrella they work.


No way is Gates going to get rid of them.

[shotten99]

29. KARMIC JUSTICE!

[dynasaw]

31. Great Hawaiins in the Military

Shinseki, Toguba, and don't forget Ehren Watada. They are the conscience of the nation.

During World War II Hawaiins of Japanese descent who were part of of the 442nd became the most decorated military unit in history for their absolute loyalty and outstanding bravery. Of course the repugs and Palins would never acknowledge people like them as "real Americans."

[lebkuchen]

32. Shinseki will be a breath of fresh air compared to Jim Nicholson

who was a disaster. Despite being a vet himself, he was a complete "yes" person and allowed funds that should have gone to the VA be funneled to the bomb makers.

[pam4water]

34. Shouldn't they put him in charge of Iraq or Afghanistan? This seem more like a bone toss to me.

Olbermann and Maddow both called this a poke in the eye to the Bush Administration. But is seems more like tossing a dog a bone to me. If they want to poke the Bush Administration in the eye give him a real military posting. They need to start getting so of the good generals back in the military, because they all left under Bush. Any anyone promoted under Bush has a 99.99% of being a complete incompetent.