Right-wing hypocricsy: Specter demands Perry's resignation, 1996

[scottcsmith]

What happened following the bombing of a barracks in Saudi Arabia on June 25, 1996? Republican senators called for the resignation of William Perry, who was the Secretary of Defense at the time.

From the July 1, 1996 Seattle-Post Intelligencer:

"...Yesterday, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-PA, criticized both the Saudi government and Perry, saying that they had not taken adequate precautions to protect U.S. troops deployed in Saudi Arabia, and the senator questioned whether Perry should resign as a result.

'I think there's a real need to shake up the Department of Defense, and a real question as to whether William Perry is the right man to be secretary of defense,' the senator said on NBC's Meet the Press.'"


From the Nov. 7, 1996 Washington Times:

"...the defense chief (Perry) came under fire from Senate Republicans after the June 25 bombing in Saudi Arabia...Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Republican, called on Mr. Perry to resign after the bombing, blaming him for cutting security funds..."

Of course, when Democrats make a similar demand -- as they have of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for the Iraqi prisoner abuses -- it's all for politics.

Typical.