I just googled David Petraeus’ name. As I scanned the links, I noticed two editorials that essentially called Gen. Petraeus a mouthpiece for the Bush administration’s policies. Call me cynical but I’m having trouble believing that the MoveOn.org types aren’t orchestrating a campaign to discredit Gen. Petraeus. Here’s what Thomas LaPointe said in his Des Moines Register editorial:

As a former Marine, it is difficult for me to argue with a four-star general and a distinguished ambassador. However, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker failed to use their recent appearances before Congress to offer a total reassessment on Iraq. They offered an amended version of “stay the course.”

There seems to be little success getting the Iraqis to secure themselves or govern with a sense of national reconciliation. Now, even with the president’s proposed 30,000-troop draw-down, troop levels will remain at the January 2006 levels. We are where we were 18 months ago; we have not moved decisively.

Obviously, Mr. LaPointe hasn’t been paying attention to events on the ground in Iraq. In fact, I’d bet that he doesn’t realize that they’re shifting their mission from eliminating AQI terrorists in Anbar and Diyala provinces to killing al-Sadr’s militias in the south. Saying that Gen. Petraeus “offered an amended version of ’stay the course’” is insulting. It’s also factually indefensible.

Here’s the key graph from David Mendenhall’s editorial in the Arizona Republic:

Gen. David Petraeus has been so politicized in the past several months that he has become identified with the executive branch of government. As such, he is subject to the same scrutiny as any other political figure, and pejorative comments are to be expected from opposing factions.

When Mr. Mendenhall says that “Gen. David Petraeus has been so politicized”, what is Mr. Mendenhall basing his opinion on? Just because his testimony was seen as central to President Bush’s war strategy doens’t mean that Gen. Petraeus is a political animal. Regardless, it doesn’t mean that he should be subjected to the “same scrutiny as any other political figure.”

It wouldn’t surprise me if similar editorials are showing up around the country. MoveOn.org won’t quit with their anti-war campaign just because their first attack failed miserably. I suspect that they’ve switched to a low profile, editorial-driven campaign.

Technorati Tags: MoveOn.org, David Petraeus, Smear Campaign, Editorials, Election 2008, Anti-War Activists

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

1. Remember Einsteins definition of “INSANITY”

   Comment by John Houghton — September 26, 2007 @ 12:55 pm