The Weekly Standard [1] notes something which should amaze nobody… particularly nobody’s that’s been reading here the last several days.:
Tomorrow–as General David Petraeus provides his Iraq assessment to Congress–the antiwar group MoveOn.org is running a full-page advertisement in the New York Times under the headline: “General Petraeus or General Betray us? Cooking the books for the White House.”
Let’s be clear: MoveOn.org is suggesting that General Petraeus has ‘betrayed’ his country. This is disgusting. To attack as a traitor an American general commanding forces in war because his ‘on the ground’ experience does not align with MoveOn.org’s political objectives is utterly shameful. It shows contempt for America’s military leadership, as well as for the troops who have confidence in him, as our fellow soldiers in Iraq certainly do.
Yes, well, they gave up any pretense of supporting the troops sometime ago. Though, admittedly, the mainstream media hasn’t gotten the message as yet. But you’d think, that it the least, the argument could make a little sense. As I suggested last week [2]; what they’re suggesting here…
[3] …is that so bereft of honor is Petreus, that he’s sending men to fight a battle he knows is lost. And why? To curry favor with a lame duck administration with approval numbers in the 30’s?
Sorry, but I don’t buy it. One does not get to his position of importance by being that blind to the political conditions surrounding them. That he is quite so tone deaf , simply does not ring true.
Further, as Joyner [4]says:
…questioning Petraeus’ integrity is simply stupid. They confirmed his appointment with fanfare mere months ago; to accuse him of being a shill for the administration at this point is sure to backfire.
McQ [5] agrees, saying in part:
How political has this war become? Well I think this sort of an attempt to destroy the credibility of someone who has taken a very difficult job with the unanimous backing of the Senate and who has apparently done his level best to implement a new strategy and make it succeed is, frankly, despicable, and points to how sick party politics have become in this country.
Those who have preemptively attacked Gen. Petraeus and impugned his character before ever hearing a single word the man has to say aren’t statesmen, aren’t leaders and aren’t worthy of the title of “representative”. They’re small minded political hacks more interested in the welfare of their party and the power they can gather for it and themselves than the best interests of the nation they claim to serve. They are intending to willfully ignore obvious progress in Iraq for the sake of political gain.
…
I think what is going on is both shameful and disgusting, and for those engaged in such, yes, I do question their “patriotism” for whatever good that will do. I also question their intelligence, judgment, credibility, ethics and most of all their principles.I’m in full agreement, here… and believe me when I tell you, that it will, next week when the General delivers that report. If he comes at this thing, in his usual style, which is to simply whose with credibility, the democrat leadership is going to find its credibility seriously damaged with the American people. But perhaps, there’s the rub; can it possibly be more damaged with non democrats ? I doubt it. And that’s the reason behind this action.
And I will suggest here, that it is Moveon and their followers who are without honor. But then, you knew that, right?
Thing is, it all comes down to a matter of trust as the Weekly Standard article suggests:
MoveOn.org has helped frame the core choice: Whom do we trust to run this war–MoveOn.org and its allies in Congress, or Gen. David Petraeus and his colleagues?
Yet, the Democrats don’t have the courage of their convictions to frame the question in quite that fashion , least not publicly….
MoveOn.org has been working closely with the Democratic congressional leadership –as an article in today’s Sunday New York Times Magazine makes clear. And consider this comment by a Democratic senator from Friday’s Politico: “‘No one wants to call [Petraeus] a liar on national TV,’ noted one Democratic senator, who spoke on the condition on anonymity. The anticipation is that the outside groups will do this for us.”
Just so you know what the truth is up against.
Once again, I call to your attention the graphic in the right sidebar … “Stand by The Mission Petition”. You know what to do
Addendum: (David L) So by MoveOn.org logic, dissent to the point of treason, is patriotic, but loyal service to your country is somehow betrayal. If MoveOn does not profess loyalty to the United States, just to whom do they profess loyalty – George Soros?