Former general: Obama only leader in field

[babylonsister]

Former general: Obama only leader in field

By DOUG McMURDO - Associate Editor
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:41 PM PST



ELKO, Nev. - Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has a lot of baggage, America's intelligence agency failures are legion and President George Bush is not a smart man.

So said Merrill “Tony” McPeak, the retired Air Force four-star general and a national co-chair of the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

McPeak met with roughly 65 people - many of them veterans - to discuss Obama's national security and foreign policies at VFW Post 2350 Monday afternoon, where he offered a candid assessment of the war on terror and other critical issues related to America's perceived blunders since 9/11.

A longtime Republican who campaigned for Bush in 2000, McPeak opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq and switched parties soon thereafter. He was frustrated by what he called a lack of leaders - on either side - in the 2004 election and declined to endorse a candidate despite efforts to recruit him.

All that changed when Obama announced he would run in 2008.

“Nobody really turned me on (in 2004),” he said, “but Obama is an inspirational leader.”

He said he met with the Illinois senator on several occasions. “I was enormously impressed,” said the former Air Force chief of staff. “I'm 71 years old, so puppy love is not my specialty. This guy is flat-out amazing.”

more...

http://www.elkodaily.com/articles/2007/11/14/elections2008/presidential%20politics/blinging9.txt

[Texas_Kat]

1. Didn't McPeak support Dean in 2004?

Am I mis-remembering?

[MNDemNY]

2. And Dole, than Bush in 2000

Headed "Oregon Veterans for Bush"

[Jai4WKC08]

6. Yes, and it says something about McPeak

that NOW he would say, “nobody really turned me on (in 2004)” when he was all for Dean in 04, going out of his way to smear Clark (when in fact they didn't know each other at all). Then when Dean dropped out, McPeak was all for Kerry and Clark was suddenly "my good friend."

Credit where credit's due... McPeak appears to have had an honest change of heart about Bush and that's a good thing. But he is a jerk and I always sort of thought McPeak hurt Kerry more than helped him, since so many military people thought so little of him. I worked in the Pentagon toward the end of McPeak's assignment as Air Force chief of staff, and the zoomies joked that changing the Air Force uniform was his only accomplishment.

Obama has some strong retired military leaders behind him. He doesn't need McPeak.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Merrill McPeak, I salute you!

[AtomicKitten]

4. My thoughts exactly.

:)

[BlueButGlad2]

5. Disappointed in Obama

I am so disappointed in Obama. First he panders to the middle class with tax cuts that given our defecits, the country can't afford. Then it's paid family leave. More pandering. I think that is just going too far. Then he keeps on this guy to entertain religious supporters who thinks being gay is a choice. If the guy had inaccurate racist attitudes he would have been dropped in a second, but Obama sticks with him. I took myself off the Obama email list and I explained why. Join me in saying No to Obama (and I hate that it has come to that!)