Posted by
Grampus on Friday, September 22, 2006 2:23:37 PM
One has to question recent actions by General Powell and Richard Armitage. It was a shock to learn that while serving as Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State respectfully, both were singularly lacking in moral courage. Men who should have been paradigms for integrity betrayed the trust given them by the President. Their silence and refusal to step forward and admit responsibility or knowledge of the key elements in the Plame/Wilson scandal, Powell and Armitage have been sadly revealed as devoid of moral courage. It is one thing to disagree on policy different than their own principals…however, there are built-in mechanisms for expressing disagreement. There are options when confronted with a dilemma on policy. Make your point. If overruled, you can either subjugate your objection and carry out the policy or you can resign. These choices are morally correct. Sabotaging the policy undermines the trust that is imparted by those above and below you and the general public is not a valid, honorable action. Both men schooled in the tradition of honesty, courage and leadership selected that under-handed and sordid option.
Then General Powell recently teamed with McCain, Warner and Graham in creating major obstacles for the President in dealing with captured terrorists, thus causing a disunion for the Republicans prior to the very important elections in November.
Now we learn that 60 Minutes in a show that airs Sunday, Pakistan’s President Musharraf said that Richard Armitage (while still Deputy Secretary of State) is the one that told Pakistan’s Intelligence director that the U.S. would “bomb them back to the stone age” if it did not help in the fight against terrorists.
Given the history of television with the creation of false stories to discredit Republicans and Richard Armitage’s denial of the allegations, ( you have to wonder about his credibility after the Plame/Wilson scandal)…it will very interesting to see how all of this comes out of the wash.
Grampus