So... Sanchez is out; Casey is in? Who is General Casey?

[displacedtexan]

Just reported on MSNBC: General Casey is in... and Sanchez is out, but, of course, "this was planned for a long time." And all is well on Planet Oh Right Sure!

So, I googled Casey:

General Casey became the 30th Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army, on October 17, 2003.

EDUCATION:
Georgetown University, Undergraduate
Denver University, Masters in International Relations

MOST RECENT ASSIGNMENT:
Director, Joint Staff

Vice Chief of Staff, Army. The VCSA serves as the principal advisor and assistant to the CSA and is a full participant in the EOH. Among the responsibilities of the VCSA are—

(1) Advising and assisting the CSA in the execution of the CSA’s responsibilities for those missions and functions related to manpower and personnel; logistics; operations and plans; requirements and programs; intelligence; command, control, and communications; and readiness.

(2) Under the authority, direction, and control of the SA, advising and assisting the CSA on missions and functions related to auditing, inspector general, legislative affairs, and public affairs activities and in the planning and coordination of matters related to acquisition and supportability, comptroller and financial management, and information management.

(3) Assisting the CSA in the management of Army installations and facilities.

more...
http://www.army.mil/leaders/leaders/vcsa /

VCSA Remarks (As Delivered):
US Army War College
November 19, 2003

First, we are a Nation at war and will be for the foreseeable future. Make no mistake about it, and never forget the events of September 11th, 2001, our way of life is under attack by a global network of cunning and determined foes, and our freedom and liberties and those of our allies are threatened in ways that they have not been since World War II.

This war is about defending the US, its interests and its allies from the attacks of those that would use terror—the indiscriminate killing of innocents—to achieve their political ends. Our goal is to create a global environment that makes terrorism unacceptable as a means for attaining political goals. That is a goal worthy of this Nation, and one that will require patience, commitment, and the focused application of all elements of National power. For our Army, it will require fundamental change.

snip

The always-insightful Tom Friedman expanded on this notion in his book, the Lexus and the Olive Tree, stating that “The Cold War system was a system built around weight…The globalization system is built on speed. In the Cold War, the big ate the small. In globalization, the fast eat the slow.” Where does your Army fall on that continuum today?

more...
http://www.army.mil/leaders/leaders/vcsa/speeches/2003N...

[0007]

1. I guess pistol packing Sanchez has drawn some heat at Abu Ghraib

and its quite obvious that this little jerk General may be a loose canon. Anyone that would pack a pistol to a press conference gotta be a little off.

[displacedtexan]

3. Rising to the top in this admin isn't exactly a good thing, is it?

The fact that Casey quotes Thom Friedman gives me the willies!

[comradebillyboy]

12. but at least he reads the news papers, unlike

rummy and our dip-shit prez. so he may be less of an ignoramus than his boss.

[Hubert Flottz]

2. WOW!

Lt. General Sanchez will take the fall for Bushco's latest scandal, like the CIA chief has for the lies about the WMD! The scandal leads on up past Sanchez to the top of the chain, but the Shrub is counting on this to provide a smoke screen!

[Kahuna]

8. The quandry for bushco is to keep "Sanchez" from taking the fall..

Wouldn't want to disgrace a hispanic general in an election year, would ya? Probably, the same goes for the Democrats.

[Hubert Flottz]

10. I think Sanchez was just following orders like the soldiers on trial!

That defense did not work for the SS, so will it work in these cases?

[htuttle]

4. I don't think Mudville should get it's hopes up

[displacedtexan]

5. Unless someone asks why Sanchez is out, BushCo will pull this off!

If the newsies focus on Casey, Sanchez will likely skate, as will his higher ups.

This stinks!

[0007]

11. Naw, Sanchez is gonna go down. It will take a little time to get the

ducks lined up.

[Jacobin]

6. His main claim to fame is probably that he wasn't present

during the torture episodes, as General Sanchez was.

[sundancekid]

7. looks like Casey is more neo-con than Sanchez could ever dream of

and, IMHO, Sanchez is being scape-goated because during his testimony it became quite clear that he had sent ALL changes up the chain (including JAG in Baghdad and Pentagon) to get approved BEFORE he sent anything back down; sooooooooooooooo, this would put Sanchez in perfect position to sing loud and clear on higher ups in Pentagon because he would have the puppy paws trail. Also, at the same hearing, the very proud JAG (Col. Warren) was all into himself about how RIGHT Gen. Sanchez was about his memo of Oct. 12th and his Frag Order of Nov. 19th CONFIRMING that Sanchez had full JAG and Pentagon approvals and assurances that both the Oct. memo and the Nov. Frag Order did NOT violate the Geneva Conventions.

On background, Gen. Sanchez had been Gen. Wesley Clark's XO, so I doubt very much that this guy would be the kind of slime some DU'ers have guessed, or that he would be clueless about being set up, or being willing to shut up ---- at least, that's if he learned anything from Wes Clark!

[Hubert Flottz]

9. When Sanchez was on the hot seat, I detected Shame on his......

face several times as the others there with him spoke! Something I never saw on most of the other's faces during the hearings!

[sundancekid]

25. yes, indeed, he was utterly ashamed of that behavior from anyone ...

... let alone soldiers under his command; and he said so very plainly when he was interviewed on TV during Rummy's "cheerleading" visit to the troops following his own day in the hot seat in Washington.

[displacedtexan]

14. Excellent analysis, sundancekid!

Maybe Clark will aid Sanchez! I hope it's possible!

[BeFree]

13. Vedddy interesting

(2) Under the authority, direction, and control of the SA, advising and assisting the CSA on missions and functions related to auditing, inspector general, legislative affairs, and public affairs activities and in the planning and coordination of matters related to acquisition and supportability, comptroller and financial management, and information management.


In the above Casey bio, it is apparent that Casey has control of the Army's money. This step up for Casey is nothing but a reward from Halliburton for his past and future financial decisions.

That's how Republicans run the government. We need to impeach the sorry bastards.

[LagaLover]

15. He doesn't have control of the Army's money

the SA and the CSA do. Also, Congress has the biggest say in how the Army's money is spent.

[BeFree]

17. Right....

He has no control. None whatsoever. According to you. But I'm not buying your story. I'll place my trust in the official bio, thank you very much.

"...Congress has the biggest say..." Say what?!?!?

The man is in Halliburton's pocket. And Halliburton has it's hand in your's!

[LagaLover]

18. His bio says:

Under the authority, direction, and control of the SA, advising and assisting the CSA on missions and functions related to auditing, inspector general, legislative affairs, and public affairs activities and in the planning and coordination of matters related to acquisition and supportability, comptroller and financial management, and information management.

He ADVISES and ASSISTS and PLANS and COORDINATES. He doesn't control.

BTW, ever hear of AUTHORIZE and APPROPRIATE? The congress of the US tells the Army on which weapon systems to spend money. If the don't authorize AND appropriate the funds, the money doesn't get spent.

[BeFree]

19. Hello!

Did you watch the Congressional proceedings on the $87 billion appropriated for Iraq?

Did you ever hear about the Trillion$ missing from Pentagon budget. Hello!!

[LagaLover]

20. Did CONGRESS

NOT appropriate the funds? Does CONGRESS NOT have the authority to tell the military how to spend those funds? Buy a clue.

What Trillions? The Pentagon budget for this year was what, $450B?

[BeFree]

21. Thanks and goodbye

"What Trillions" you ask? Please, someone else inform this poor soul, I'm tired of the banality.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

24. OK

"According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions,"

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/m...

[oneighty]

23. But was the good General ever in a war?

No? Where he and his fellow warless warriors get all that chest candy? Will he conduct the war in a military manner? Will he honor his troops with love and caring? Will he step into harm's way show us/them how it is done? Will he have civilian mercenaries guarding his gold plated ass?

Nope, his goal is to gain another star, and nothing more.

180

[Crachet2004]

16. Interesting. Not a West Point graduate? The 'ole boys' must believe

Iraq is radioactive...and of course, they would be right, in more ways than one! This guy is expendable.

I wonder what is next?

Sanchez cannot go back on what he told Congress...cannot turn on the civilians in the Pentagon....hmmm. Unless Congress gives him immunity!

Nah, the GOP Congress would never do that, would they? Are they pissed off enough to actually carry out their oversight responsibility? Those old GOP guys like John Warner and John McCain can sure be cranky sometimes...But are they men enough to recognize America's fate hangs in the balance if they DO NOT take this opportunity to act? And the fate of their Party? Are their eyes sharp enough to see the next time a Republican mentions taxcuts, or a balanced budget, or family values after the torture in Iraq, that they will be laughed at?

Will they let this gang of thieves and worse, continue to infest the highest levels of the greatest nation in History?

This is a Golden Opportunity for Congress to step up and bust the whole unsavory bunch...of course, it will cost the GOP the Presidency in the fall...but that is gonna happen anyway-and would that be such a bad thing for REAL Republicans?

I would suggest not.

[displacedtexan]

22. The GOP helped to bring Nixon down...

I doubt that they'll do it again.

Besides, this bunch is meaner than the last bunch.

[Crachet2004]

26. You are right, they did, and are meaner this time...

But that same sense of self-preservation that finally kicked in against Nixon is what I keep waiting for.

If this keeps up, and it will unless somebody reigns Bushco in, the GOP stands to lose not just the Presidency and both Houses of Congress...but their very identity as taxcutters and budget-balancers; lose the moral high ground of 'family values that has worked so well for them at the polls...they will have to start over and reinvent themselves-and that will take decades!

Bush has destroyed the legacy of the 'Reagan Revolution'. I keep waiting for the GOP elder statesmen to realize just how much he HAS destroyed. McCain knows, but I don't know about the rest...they may never get it, until they stop drawing a check because they have been defeated at the polls.

It can happen. Hope it does.