Smith interviewed Evan Thomas, Assistant Managing Editor of "Newsweek" magazine regarding an article that appeared in today’s edition of the publication, particularly the portions of the article that dealt with a chat Thomas had with former Army Chief of Staff, General Eric Shinseki. Smith’s first question contained erroneous information:
"You guys talked to, uh, uh Eric Shinseki the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and we should do a little reset here. He was the Chairman before the war and got in hot water. Why?"
At least Thomas was paying attention to Smith's misstatement and began his response to the question by correcting it
Evan Thomas: "He was Chief of Staff of the Army."
Smith went on to inquire about one of the events Evan Thomas highlights in the article, and that was last fall, General Shinseki went to his 40th class reunion at West Point and some of his classmates were wearing caps emblazoned with the phrase "Ric Was Right."
Thomas answered this inquiry:
"The caps said, Ric was right. Ric Shinseki. Ric was right, meaning Rick was right, we needed more troops in Iraq."
Why is Thomas hyping the "Ric Was Right" storyline? Could it be because Shinseki has become a rhetorical point for Democrats?
In addition to Harry Smith’s error, and the focus on the "Ric was right" storyline, there were 2 facts left out of this interview. First, there was no mention that General Shinseki was originally appointed to his post as Secretary of the Army by President Clinton.
Second, while there are generals who are opposed to Secretary Rumsfeld and his handling of the situation in Iraq, there are also generals who have come out publicly in support of the Secretary of Defense. Yet there was no mention of this fact. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Richard Myers, spoke favorably of Secretary Rumsfeld on Sunday. In addition, a joint op-ed written by four Generals, Generals Thomas McInerney, John Crosby, Burton Moore, and Paul Vallely, in support of Rumsfeld was published in the "Wall Street Journal" this morning. These four put the whole "controversy" into perspective:
"Some may feel that he's been unfair, arrogant and autocratic to some senior officers. But those sentiments and feelings are irrelevant. In the end he's the man in charge and the buck stops with him. As long as he retains the confidence of the commander in chief he will make the important calls at the top of the department of defense. That's the way America works. So let's all breathe into a bag and get on with winning the global war against radical Islam. In time the electorate, and history, will grade their decisions."
Despite the sentiments of generals who support Rumsfeld and feel it is inappropriate for retired military officers to criticize civilian leadership, Harry Smith still lauded Evan Thomas and his "Newsweek" article:
"Evan Thomas, amazing piece in 'Newsweek' this morning. Thank you so much."
