Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey (Getty Images)
I seldom agree with Sen. John McCain, but when I heard him say during an interview on Greta Van Susteren’s On the Record show that Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey had “become irrelevant,” I had to double-check what I heard.
Being interviewed regarding the ill-advised Obama deal that freed five top Taliban leaders for U.S Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, Van Susteren mentioned that Dempsey favored the exchange. McCain said he wouldn’t comment on Dempsey because “he’s become irrelevant to me in the whole scenario of talking about national security.”
This isn’t the first time McCain has confronted Dempsey. He threatened to block his re-nomination over the general’s position on the civil war in Syria last year.
Kudos to Senator McCain.
I was reminded of my Feb. 2, 2014 posting, What price integrity?, when I wrote about generals and White House appointees who were all too willing to set aside their better judgment, principles and ethics just to protect the stars on their shoulders or that coveted administration position.
Van Susteren offered that General Dempsey favored the deal, “at least publically,” which causes me to question where he really stands on the decision.
During testimony on Benghazi, Panetta and Dempsey said the president never followed up with a “how’s it going” after 15-minute briefing. (cnsnews.com photo)
Remember, it was also Dempsey, who along with then Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, testified that they told President Obama of the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on our Benghazi consulate during a 15-minute briefing and, that the president did not call back later to check on the situation. Panetta had already announced that he was retiring, but Dempsey was obviously content working for the disinterested Obama.
It’s simply hard for me to understand how Dempsey, with his chest full of ribbons, continues to put his integrity on hold. I expect him to one day author a memoir … Misgivings.
And then there’s Gen. Eric Shinseki.
