Democratic Underground

GOP = Gutless Old Pols
October 19, 2001
by Tom Plachta

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July 1863. A small town in Pennsylvania. Union troops have been fighting Confederates for 2 days. Shot and shell are flying. Men are dying by the thousands. It is the battle of Gettysburg, the outcome of which will decide the question of the war.

A Union officer on the battle line looks over his shoulder. To his surprise, he sees a corps commander, one of the North's best generals. It is Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, walking among soldiers shooting and being shot at. More general officers have already died in this war than in all other US wars, past and future, combined.

The officer approaches Hancock. "Sir, what are you doing here? You could be killed! Please return to the rear area."

"Son," Hancock says, "sometimes the life of a Major General is less important than the fact the men know he shares their dangers with them."

Hancock is later seriously injured, helping repel Pickett's charge.

October 2001. Washington DC. Some white powder appears. It may contain anthrax spores, a disease fairly easily combated. Apparently, Republicans in the House of Representatives do not agree with General Hancock.

Despite the statements of Mr. Bush that we should act normally:

- his cabinet members fly with air marshals pulled from high risk flights

- his vice president hides for days and weeks at a time

- the House of Representatives votes to flee the nation's capital

- the president spends as much time as possible away from the White House (from Camp David to China)

- Bush flees like a rabbit when America is attacked, and then goes to one of the sites only after being shamed into it.

We hear about courage being shown by firemen, police officers, and plain citizens on an airplane. We see exactly the opposite from our GOP elected officials.

Ladies and Gentlemen, there are times when the leaders must take risks to show people that they will share their dangers. Apparently, though, not in the mind of the Gutless Old Pols who are Republicans in Washington.

For shame.