Casper Weinberger has died

[kpete]

Former Defense Secretary

Just in CNN 8:13 pst

[babylonsister]

1. Weinberger's political career, from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspar_Weinberger

snip//

Political career

Governor Ronald Reagan named him chairman of the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy in 1967, and appointed him State director of finance early in 1968. Weinberger moved to Washington in January 1970 to become chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, subsequently serving as deputy director (1970-72) and director (1972-73) of the Office of Management and Budget, and as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (1973-75). For the next five years, Weinberger was vice president and general counsel of the Bechtel Corporation in California.

Although not widely experienced in defense matters, Weinberger had a reputation in Washington as an able administrator; his powers as a cost cutter earned him the sobriquet "Cap the Knife." He shared the president's conviction that the Soviet Union posed a serious threat to the United States, and that the defense establishment needed to be modernized and strengthened. Belying his nickname, at the Pentagon Weinberger became a vigorous advocate of Reagan's plan to increase the DoD budget. Readiness, sustainability, and modernization became the watchwords of the defense program.

As Secretary of Defense, he oversaw the massive rebuilding of US military strength that contributed to the tripling of the national debt. Weinberger pushed for dramatic increases in the United States' nuclear weapons arsenal, and was a strong advocate of the controversial Strategic Defense Initiative, popularly known as Star Wars, which proposed a space-based missile defense shield.

Though he claims to have been opposed to the sale on principle, Weinberger participated in the transfer of United States TOW missiles to Iran during the Iran-Contra Affair. By 1987, the disclosure of the Iran-Contra Affair and increasing difficulties with Defense budgets weighed on Weinberger. When he resigned on November 23, 1987, Weinberger cited his wife's declining health as the reason, but the press speculated that he was unhappy with the prospect of a successful conclusion of a U.S.-Soviet INF arms control agreement. He specifically denied that he was opposed to the INF treaty, scheduled to be signed in Washington in December 1987. In fact, he took credit for proposing the substance of the treaty early in his term at the Pentagon.

Following his resignation as Secretary of Defense, Weinberger was placed under indictment by Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh. The formal indictment charged Weinberger with several felony counts of lying to the Iran-Contra independent counsel during its investigation. Weinberger received a Presidential pardon from President George H.W. Bush on December 24, 1992, just days before his trial was scheduled to begin. It was thought by some that the purpose of the pardon was to keep Weinberger's diary, which was said to have contained confirmation of President George H.W. Bush's knowledge of and involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair from being introduced as evidence at trial and therefore becoming a public record that could be used against him.

snip//

[kenny blankenship]

2. Gone to join Josef and Adolf in that great bunker in the sky-just kidding

Actually he's gone to Hell.

[im10ashus]

3. Caspar Weinberger.

Good riddance.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. RIP

[reichstag911]

9. May he rest in the same peace...

...which he and his ilk allow the rest of the world.

[reichstag911]

5. Good riddance.

Another Iran-Contra BFEE crony gone.

[dogday]

6. I don't like to speak ill of the dead so I will

just say Great, RIP!!!!!

[Hobarticus]

7. Caspar the friendly ghost-maker, on to meet his eternal reward...

So long, sucker.

[Jim Warren]

14. Casper the hungry-ghost

"Greed is the emotion of the hungry ghost realm. The hungry ghosts are beings with huge, hungry bellies and tiny mouths and throats. Some inhabit parched lands where there is not even a mention of water for hundreds of years. Others may find food and drink, yet if they swallow even a little through their tiny mouths, the food bursts into flames in their stomachs.

Generosity unties the hard knot of greed."

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

[Hobarticus]

17. Ye gods....that's fitting enough n/t

[BuyingThyme]

8. Weinberger was one of the big-shots. Get ready for a huge

propaganda push to cover up this killer's crimes.

The man never did a good thing in his life.

[annabanana]

13. bingo . . It's already started. . . . eom

[slaveplanet]

10. I wonder if some

demon is jabbin his ass with a pitchfork right now?

[annabanana]

11. the hagiography commences

newsblonde: "Many people remember him for his role in Iran-Contra Scandal, ..but he was so much more than that, right?"

Buchanan: "He helped Reagan in the big military build-up, star wars, blah blah.. that brought about the destruction of the Soviet Union."

[grasswire]

24. Pat's looking ahead to his own epitaph, no doubt.

Crooks and liars!

[tabasco]

12. Burn in hell war criminal.

If there is one, you're there.

[Richard Steele]

15. "How I love to watch the morn..."

How I love to watch the morn,
With golden sun that shines,
Up above to nicely warm
These frosty toes of mine.

The wind doth taste of bittersweet,
Like jasper wine and sugar,
I bet it’s blown through others’ feet,
Like those of Caspar Weinberger.

B. Breathed

[Coventina]

19. ROFL! That's what immediately came to my mind also!!!

:D

:thumbsup:

[Richard Steele]

20. Nice epitath, innit? I doubt I'll be so blessed. nm

[BuyingThyme]

16. Did you use the ghost spelling on purpose?

[KG]

18. Cthulu hungily awaits this war pig.

now, how long before somebody suggests we moderate our language about the demise of this asshole?

3,2,1...

[Jim Warren]

23. heh, heh

Arrrgh matey, 'tis the problem with liberals, no instinct for the throat.

[catmandu57]

21. Maybe he'll do a Marley

and visist his old pals weighted down with chains.

[CountAllVotes]

22. hmmm

The 1st job I ever had in my life was working for this freak's nephew. :puke:

RIP anyway Casper Weinberger

[SidDithers]

25. Don't forget the Bush 1 pardons on Christmas Eve ...

Wonder if Bush2 will be doing the same thing at the end of his term.

Sid

Credit to Bartcop for the photo, he alwasy runs it whenever Weinberger is in the news.

[chaumont58]

26. Weinberger was a competitor of Joe Kennedy, Jr

Talk about reaching into the past. Years ago, I read a book titled The Kennedys and the Fitzgeralds. When Joe Kennedy was at Harvard, one of his competitors was Cap Weinberger. At the time I read it, I couldn't believe it. Joe Kennedy, Jr, seemed almost from the 19th century, Weinberger was ole Raygun's Secretary of Defense.
It still boggles my mind some.

[tabasco]

27. I see what you mean.

The guy really was a dinosaur.