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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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6

Obama to Tap Shinseki for Veterans Affairs

Ex-general was fired for saying US had to increase troop levels

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(AP) – Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama has selected retired Gen. Eric K. Shinseki to be the next Veterans Affairs secretary, the AP reports. Shinseki is the former Army chief of staff who upset his civilian bosses in 2003 when he testified to Congress that it might take several hundred thousand US troops to control Iraq after the US invasion. He was forced out of his job within months for being "wildly off the mark."

But his words proved prophetic after President Bush in early 2007 announced a "surge" of additional troops to Iraq after miscalculating. Officials said Obama will announce his selection tomorrow. They spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the official announcement.

Eric K. Shinseki, former Chief of Staff of the United States Army, attends a Senate hearing in Washington on February 25, 2003.
Eric K. Shinseki, former Chief of Staff of the United States Army, attends a Senate hearing in Washington on February 25, 2003.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
In this Aug. 4, 2007 file photo, then Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., talks in Chicago.
In this Aug. 4, 2007 file photo, then Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., talks in Chicago.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
President-elect Barack Obama speaks at a press conference at the Hilton Hotel December 03, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.
President-elect Barack Obama speaks at a press conference at the Hilton Hotel December 03, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois.   (Getty Images)
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CNN looks at Shinseki's famous criticism of President Bush's strategy in Iraq.   (YouTube)

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6 comments
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justme
Dec 6, 08 5:59 PM CST
Big difference between "Several hundred thousand" and the surge which reached 140 thousand at most. i guess that anything is ok if it knocks the outgoing administration. I hope Barack is half as good as his rabid fans believe. Reply
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Zebraone
Dec 6, 08 6:31 PM CST
Let's hope that we finally get a man in the VA who has seen the obscene wounded casulaties of war! May be one of O's better selections. USAF Retiree Reply
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GeorgieM
Dec 7, 08 5:31 AM CST
For justme. That's why Iraq is still such a mess. That's why the Bush administration and the US military has lost so much credibility at home and abroad. That's why the US in order to appear to be "winning" has to resort to paying off the militia - is this the real reason the surge seems to be working. The bottom line is this - General Shinseki was right and the idiotic pair of Rumsfeld and Wolferitz have been proven wrong. Tragically wrong. Reply
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Lula
Dec 7, 08 10:38 AM CST
GeorgiaM, you said that right. Reply
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wwwonderer
Dec 8, 08 10:40 AM CST
Well said GeorgieM. The surge was not the ONLY reason Iraq has become more stable. That change can mostly be credited to Iraqis and there desire for change, as opposed to "coalition forces". Corona_king, the thing is Shinseki turned out to be right:"We know where the weapons are", "We're in the last throws", "We'll be greated as liberators"; those turned out to be not-so-right. So if Obama's lack of military background forced to make a bad choice, what about George W. Bush's military record? What about Dick Cheney's military record? Corona_king your name says a lot; you sound like the type who votes for a president you can drink a beer with. Go have a Corona or two with George W. Bush; I'm sure you're invited. Reply
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