While almost all of this nation was grateful that our president took a 33-hour trip around the world to share Thanksgiving with our soldiers in Iraq, Joe Lockhart, former press secretary to convicted perjurer President Clinton, had the following to say, which the Washington Times published on page one:
This is a president who has been unwilling to provide his presence to the families who have suffered, but thinks nothing of flying to Baghdad to use the troops there as a prop.
What an unbelievably malicious thing to say – even by Lockhart – who was by far the worst of all of the 10 press secretaries I have covered at the White House.
In the course of driving out of Iraq one of the most brutal and rapaciously sadistic governments in modern world history, we have lost 437 of the lives of our servicemen – 299 of them since May 1. That is close to the murder rate in Washington, D.C.
How can Lockhart, as a former presidential press secretary suggest that the president should, or even could attend all servicemen’s funerals?
Did Commander In Chief Clinton attend any of the funerals of those U.S. Army Rangers killed in action in Somalia because the Clinton administration refused to send them equipment for which they pleaded?
When, in Normandy, Clinton got near the father of one of those honored dead, his father refused to shake the president’s hand.
The Washington Post, which did not report Lockhart’s unforgettable statement reported and quoted “top Democrats who refrained from criticism”:
- Sen. John Kerry: “It was “terrific … the right thing for a president to do.”
- Sen. Edwards: “A nice thing for the president to do.”
- Retired Gen. Wesley Clarke: “I’m glad he went.”
- Sen. Hillary Clinton, while on her own trip to Iraq (about which Lockhart had no reported comment): “His visit sent a strong signal of national support for the military.”
Only the likes of Lockhart could refer to the large number of our troops – who loudly cheered their Thanksgiving visitor – as “props.”
How much lower in the gutter can this one-time presidential press secretary manage to crawl?
