Chambliss: better intelligence South would have won US Civil War

[LynneSin]

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/GOP_Senator_says_with_better_intelligence_0918.html

GOP Senator says with better intelligence South would have won US Civil War.

At a closed door meeting of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said with better intelligence the South would have won the Civil War, today's ROLL CALL is reporting.

Conflicting reports of what was said have emerged, one from a source to Roll Call's Heard on the Hill column, the other a spokesperson for Chambliss. “We need better intelligence. If we had better intelligence in the Civil War we’d be quoting Jefferson Davis, not Lincoln,” The source told ROLL CALL

<<<<snip>>>>

Democratic sources expressed outrage that he compared the Civil War to the Bush administration’s war on terror. "It’s a little disgusting" to be equating the two, one Democratic source said, adding, "You can’t figure out whether he didn’t understand the Civil War, or the war on terror, or both."

Yes, And Mr Chambliss, a man so disgustingly putrid that he would slander the honor of a man who actually served in Vietnam, was a decorated war hero and sacrificed two legs and an arm in that war, is such an expert on Wartime Intelligence.

So I'm guessing, how would that 'intelligence' for the South been of use for this country. I'm guessing he thinks that's not such a bad idea.

Of course Mr. Chambliss is denying this - just like he's denying that there was any wrong-doing in his election run against Max Cleland.

[htuttle]

1. ...and with bigger bombs, the Weather Underground might have won, too

...and if he'd used a larger caliber pistol, Hinckley might have killed Reagan.

But what is the point of this excursion into distasteful alternate histories? Chambliss sounds so disappointed that the South lost...

[hobbit709]

2. "Better intelligence' would have told the leaders

of the CSA that they were way outnumbered, outgunned, outpaced in manufacturing, outmoneyed and no allies. Sort of like george.

[chieftain]

7. Remember you go to war with the army you have, not

the one you want.

[wicket]

3. Are you f'n kidding me?!?!

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[LynneSin]

4. Nope

Not at all

Chambliss, being the weasel that he is, is not backtracking his remarks

[wicket]

10. He's a total weasel!

My comment was meant more as a rhetorical question, these right-wingers stupidity knows no bounds.

[BlueManDude]

5. You mean the War of Northern Agression n/t

[jobycom]

6. Not that I would EVER defend Chambliss...

But what's the big deal? He's not the first to use odd analogies to make a point. He didn't say the South should have won, or compare the Civil War to whatever the Hell people want to define as a "War on Terror." He just used an analogy to promote stronger intelligence. I'm more concerned with what his concept of "intelligence" is. Is he promoting torture, for instance?

I'm all for bashing Chambliss even when he doesn't deserve it, though, so I won't complain. :evilgrin:

[Efilroft Sul]

12. Joby, Chambliss said "we" in the Confederate sense.

So he does deserve to be bashed.

"We," Mr. Chambliss. "We?!"

Speak of "We" when you refer to ALL the citizens of the United States, Senator, not some Johnny Reb ancestors who deserved to lose a war for so many reasons.

[jobycom]

14. Two things. First, that part is disputed.

According to Chambliss's office, he said “If Gen. JEB Stuart had had better intelligence, we’d all be meeting in Richmond right now.” Since the secret source for RawStory's story isn't identified and hasn't provided transcripts, there's no way to be sure his or her memory is any better than Chambliss's. Both would have reason to distort what was said.

Second, I'm a Southerner, and frequently when I talk about the Confederacy in vague terms I say "we," as opposed to "them" from the North. It's just how you identify yourself if you're from the South.

Without more of the context than we've seen, I can't condemn Chambliss. Not for those comments. He's got quite a long list of offenses without it. And as I said, I don't really care if he gets blasted unfairly since he escapes on things he should be condemned on. Well, I guess I do care, or I wouldn't be posting. I'm just not into unfairness, I guess, even against people who don't deserve better.

[Efilroft Sul]

15. You make several good points.

You're also too kind to Chambliss, but I won't hold that against you. :)

[Ishoutandscream2]

8. Jeez, what planet you on again, Saxby?

And to think this was the man who "defeated" Max Cleland. Saxby, do us all a favor and pick up a book. You may have found one clueless revisionist who proclaimed the South should have won. However, we had little or no industry, fewer men, and a blockade that was taking its toll. The arrogance of "King Cotton" winning the war was in itself a true indicator of how the South was totally clueless.

[Wilber_Stool]

9. Better intelligence for the South.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[Clark2008]

11. And I would hope better unbiased people in the North

which you clearly aren't.

I hate people who South-bash. They're such biased, bigoted hypocrites.

[PurityOfEssence]

13. That damned war is still being fought down there

It's just ridiculous, but for so many southerners, it's still stuck in their craw.

The Southerners lost because they thought they were superior and they weren't. It's the same for the Japanese and Germans in World War 2.

The Secessionists thought they were racially and intellectually superior and they believed in a primitive, hierarchical feudalism. Because of this, they didn't promote many of their officers with true talent due to their common origins. Because of this, Davis relegated good officers like Joe Johnston to secondary roles.

The South couldn't get its act together because they couldn't come together as a unified force and fight an organized war to knock out their opponent.

Anyone who doesn't think the South had a real chance of winning just hasn't paid attention to the early phases of it. Over time, the North was bound to win, but during the first two or two and a half years, had the South struck with coherence and coordination, they may very well have broken the political will of the North.

Nonetheless, Chambliss is a twit and a certified asshole. He dodged the draft and his tarring of Cleland as a fellow traveler with terrorists was despicable.