Bush To Award Gen. Peter Pace With Medal Of Freedom
Bush To Award Gen. Peter Pace With Medal Of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civil award, awarded to individuals who have contributed to: 1) the security or national interests of the United States, 2) world peace, or 3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Yesterday, the White House released a list of the newest recipients, who will be honored at a White House ceremony next week. Included in that list is former Rumsfeld yes-man Gen. Peter Pace:
General Peter Pace, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), is one of our Nation’s most accomplished and respected military officers. His selfless service and visionary leadership have helped keep our Nation safe.
Pace’s tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was characterized less by “visionary leadership” and more by the politicization of the military. He was a consistent defender of the Bush administration’s failed policies, insisting in 2006 that everything in Iraq was “going very, very well from everything you look at” and claiming that Rumsfeld “leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country.”
Pace also stepped in to write a letter during the Valerie Plame leak trial endorsing Scooter Libby’s character, specifically noting his “selfless” nature. In 2007, he defended the military’s ban on gays serving openly in the military, stating, “I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral.”
Defense Secretary Robert Gates effectively forced Pace into retirement last year because the administration wanted to avoid “contentious” Senate hearings over the Iraq war. He was the shortest-serving Joint Chiefs chairman since Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor in 1964, who stepped down during the early years of the Vietnam War.
By receiving the Medal of Freedom, Pace joins old friends who participated in the mismanagement of the Iraq war, including George Tenet, Paul Bremer, and Gen. Tommy Franks.
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How long before he gives one to John Woo and Daivd Addington?
June 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pmChimpy’s probably buying those suckers in bulk at Wal-Mart.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:28 pmA Medal of Freedom from a chimp is meaningless.
Pace would do well to decline this dubious “honor”.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:32 pmfor politicizing the armed forces, he surely deserves the Medal of Honor.
snark
June 12th, 2008 at 1:34 pmheckuva job, Pacey
June 12th, 2008 at 1:34 pmWith this further devaluation of the prestige associated with the Medal of Freedom, it is going to be difficult to find a person of any integrity who will accept it. It is quickly becoming as much an identity mark of militarist fascists as the swastika ever was. It is becoming a symptom of treason.
Further, it is my understanding that the Medal of Freedom is intended to be awarded to civilians only, and to be distinct from military decorations. Why is it being awarded to a general?
June 12th, 2008 at 1:42 pmHere is what I think about Gen. Pace:
Help Gen. Pace find his gonads!
Bush has turned the medal of freedom into a huge joke. It’s given to anyone who sells out the country in return for career advancement.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:44 pmWell, that just took the sparkle off the Medal of Freedom for tom Lantos.
Well done, Chimpy.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:46 pmGuess who else is on the list:
June 12th, 2008 at 1:46 pmAny wager on whether these medals are made in China? Gets them wholesale, like the flag pins.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:46 pmUnder this administration, the Medal of Freedom has become meaningless–it used to be granted for heroism, service and valor-look at the recipients that have been granted one on Chimpy’s watch. Meaningless and trivial–rewarding of his lackeys for keeping their mouths shut.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:47 pmDoris Day got one from Bush, too. What a weird honor. A mixed bag of qualifications there for one.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:48 pmPentagon Chief Robert Gates just canned the top two Air Force leaders for events that occurred on Gen. Peter Pace’s shift. I guess the buck only stops a few rungs below the top.
As for Pete, he recently went to China to lead a delegation on earthquake recovery/foreign policy/private investing/defense collaboration. The only report on the trip came from that closed Chinese media:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ english/ 2008-06/ 05/ content_8317350.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ english/ 2008-06/ 10/ content_8342039.htm
June 12th, 2008 at 1:52 pmThe Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civil award, awarded to individuals who have contributed to: 1) the security or national interests of the United States,
2) world peace, or
3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
When the military does the bidding of the president to ensure that PRIVATE endeavors are secured(read OIL), doesn’t this cross over into FASCISM? The private corporate sector and government intertwined… ?
… Because we all know that the Nation is NOT safer than we were pre-9-1-1 and that the unjustified invasion and international conflicts initiated by the Bush Administration and Loyal Generals is NOT contributing to world peace.
.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:54 pmTanglewood at 11 is absolutely correct. Well said.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:01 pmOT, but breaking news:
Bush just announced he is basically going to ignore the Supreme Court ruling about detainees having habeas corpus rights.
Just what rises to the bar of impeachment in the eyes of Nancy Pelosi?
Impeach the *&^%#$* already.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pmWhy, with that record, he’s a perfect candidate for a Preznitential Medal of Freedom!!!
Why, he can be proud to be in the company of such noted accomplished heros as Paul “I Helped Loot Iraq” Bremer, and George “Slam-dunk!” Tenet…..
On a side note, I think that this is a concerted conspiracy to break the Writer’s Guild union. With so much absolutely hysterical, madcap humour emanating from the hacks in the Dubya maladministration, there’s no need for professional writers….
Cheers,
June 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pmKinda cheapens the shit out of the Medal of Freedumb, doesn’t it?
June 12th, 2008 at 2:05 pmrobbez_92107 Says:
“How long before he gives one to John Woo and Daivd Addington?”
I believe Jeff Gannon allready took care of that!
eyesopen Says:
“hy is it being awarded to a general?”
Because shiny things easily distract Bush syhophants and make them more apt to follow the Chimps orders.
Guido the Loving OBGYN Says:
“Doris Day got one from Bush, too.”
Chimpy thinks “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies” is just good advice. “Avoid the pretzels, too!” he told her as he gave her the medal.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:05 pmThis will continue for the rest of his sorry-arse term because it makes him feel good and gives him a chance for a photo-op and to invade the recipient’s personal space.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:16 pmAnother Bush MOF winner, George Tenet.
Jail Time For Tenet?
June 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pmby Ray McGovern
http://www.commondreams.org
Then afterwards they all joined in with Jeff Gannon in an all out repukian orgy of booze, drugs and butt games.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pmThanks, Buckie Boy.
Please pass the brain bleach…
June 12th, 2008 at 2:25 pmMedal of Freedom… it is amazing How Bush and his imoral administration ‘protituted’ this word! Wherever one reads “Medal of Freedom”, one should understand/read “Medal of Occupation”, “Medal of Torture”, “Medal of War Crimes”, “Medal of War Criminals”. I would like to get one of those medal, tell Bush or Chenney or Rice or Gate, anyone of them to bend over and…
June 12th, 2008 at 2:34 pmBush managed to make the value of the “Medal of Freedom” the same value of the US dollar…
June 12th, 2008 at 2:38 pmThe Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civil award, awarded to individuals who have contributed to: 1) the security or national interests of the United States, 2) world peace, or 3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
I’m gonna go out on a limb and speculate he isn’t getting it for #2 :)~
June 12th, 2008 at 2:50 pmIf Gen. Pace were a “true” military “Man” he would decline the honor on the behalf of all of the Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines that he muted by forgetting his duty as a leader. This man became a lapdog for this administration like so many others, and because of it so many of us (Military) have just totally lost all respect and confidence in our so-called superiors (by rank only).
My medal goes to Gen. Shinseki. Well done Sir!!
RIP
June 12th, 2008 at 2:51 pmSGT Stephen R. Sherman
C CO 1-5 In (STRYKER)
KIA 3 Feb 2005
Mosul, Iraq
By receiving the Medal of Freedom, Pace joins old friends who participated in the mismanagement of the Iraq war, including George Tenet, Paul Bremer, and Gen. Tommy Franks.
This will be the hallmark of the Bush administration. Where only loyalty is recognized as a virtue, trumping honesty, integrity and competence.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 12th, 2008 at 3:52 pmIt’s unfortunately that George Bush has been giving out the Medal of Freedom to political and military hacks who only accomplishment was following his disastrous policies. The Medal of Freedom has lost it’s value as a meaningful award, a real honor. Instead, it’s just a good ol boy’s slap on the back for being a good little Nazi.
Shouldn’t General Pace’s incompetent management of the Iraq War have something to do with reputation? If it did, the only thing he would be receiving is his retirement pay. Medal of Freedom, what a joke.
June 12th, 2008 at 5:15 pmLet it now be known that all yes men or women and Bush loyalists to King George qualify for the Medal of Freedom. Next thing you know Bush will give himself a Medal of Freedom. What a joke.
June 12th, 2008 at 6:28 pmGee, RePugniScum PresentDunce GW Botch lovin’ a bunch of big Peter with a steady Pace? I’m shocked!!
June 12th, 2008 at 8:17 pm