E.J. Dionne: Obama's Military Bridge Builder, General Shinseki

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Obama's Military Bridge Builder
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008; Page A19

In naming retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki as veterans affairs secretary, President-elect Barack Obama made what may be the most politically and morally significant choice of his transition.

Politically, Obama has been moving aggressively to close a wide gap between Democrats and the military -- and particularly between the party and the officer corps -- that began growing in the Vietnam era. Shinseki's appointment can be seen as one of several steps the incoming president has taken to win respect and trust within the armed forces. Obama's decision to keep Robert Gates as defense secretary and his choice of retired Marine Gen. James Jones as White House national security adviser are of a piece in sending a strong, sympathetic signal to the uniformed services. Morally, Shinseki's appointment marks the vindication of a man who was punished for telling the truth in the run-up to the Iraq war....

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In naming Shinseki to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Obama implicitly set a high standard for himself by declaring that truth-tellers and dissenters would be welcome in his administration.

There is a link between Shinseki's prophetic courage and the opening Obama has with the military: The Iraq war's impact on the politics of the armed services has been decidedly different from the impact of the Vietnam War. Iraq has created a potential problem for Republicans because many in both the officer corps and the enlisted ranks were alienated by the way President Bush and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld handled the conflict, particularly in its early stages....

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Obama, who promised repeatedly during his campaign to "turn the page" on past cultural and political divisions, has clearly set out to do precisely that where the military is concerned.

He is building on a little-noticed veterans outreach effort launched by Nancy Pelosi before she became House speaker and spearheaded by her former aide Burns Strider. Democrats called attention to shortfalls in programs for veterans in Bush's budgets and built new alliances with veterans organizations....The new president has sent a strong signal that he will listen more closely than his predecessor did to doubters and skeptics in the uniformed ranks. And by making an admired soldier responsible for helping veterans recover from their wounds and rebuild their lives, Obama aims to show that his party's commitment to the needs of those who served their country was more than just campaign chatter....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/08/AR2008120803293.html?nav=most_emailed

[Cha]

1. Thanks for this article, DMM~

Who would have thought years ago when Shinseki was fired by rummy that we would have this to look forward to?

"In naming Shinseki to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Obama implicitly set a high standard for himself by declaring that truth-tellers and dissenters would be welcome in his administration."

More importantly our Vets will Finally get treated right and not just be subjected to photo ops with bush the man who thinks he's the victim.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I love this appointment -- and have been interested to find out more about the General. A hero! nt

[Cha]

3. Life doesn't get

any better..politically speaking:D

[Demeter]

4. I Wish All Obama's Appointments Were This Honorable and Inspired