November 29, 2006, Political Equivalent of an "Old Navy" Ad
Full credit to Mrs. TD for the post title, referring of course, to the composition of the Jim Baker headed "Iraq Study Group" referenced at the very end of the Grey Lady's discussion of its non-finding findings and non-recommendation recommendations that "aren't stay the course OR cut and run"... because they aren't anything at all. Gradual pullback. Huh?
I'll let the Times speak of the cast-list:
In addition to Mr. Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman, the group included two Democrats who are veterans of the Clinton administration, Leon E. Panetta and William J. Perry, and a Clinton adviser, Vernon E. Jordan Jr. Charles S. Robb, former Democratic governor of Virginia, and Alan K. Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming, were also on the panel, along with Sandra Day O’Connor, a former Supreme Court justice who was nominated by President Ronald Reagan.Other members included Edwin Meese III, who served as attorney general under Mr. Reagan, and Lawrence S. Eagleburger, a former secretary of state under Mr. Bush’s father. Mr. Eagleburger replaced Robert M. Gates, who resigned when he was nominated to be the next secretary of defense. If confirmed he will have to carry out whatever change of military strategy, if any, Mr. Bush embraces.
I vaguely remember Larry Eagleburger as having been in some kind of legal trouble, as was (my former boss) Ed Meese. But Sandra Day O'Connor? LMAO, I think is the expression. Bad enough Jim Baker is in charge... so we have O'Connor, who proved so instrumental in getting Bush elected in 2000, along with Hamilton, who was so helpful in getting him reelected in 2004. And Vernon Jordan for good measure... so helpful to the last President (Panetta and Perry, who were supposed to be helpful to the last President, as our tax money paid their salaries, are less interesting.)
Well, what can I say? Given the firepower of that group and what it concluded, why not add Morgan Fairchild, Sherman Hensley, and Carrie Donovan... I'm sure they could have at least added some fashion sense to "gradual withdrawal."