Pentagon employees give Rumsfeld a standing ovation

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Pentagon (news - web sites) employees gave US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld a standing ovation at a meeting at which he said the scandal over abuse of Iraqi prisoners should not be allowed to define the way the US military is seen by the world.

The audience at a Pentagon auditorium rose to their feet in applause after General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, urged them to thank Rumsfeld for his leadership.

"There is not a single human being in this government and certainly not in this building who works harder or is more dedicated or is a better patriot than is Secretary Rumsfeld," Pace said.

(snip)

"It is a body blow when we find that we have -- as we have in past week or so to date -- a few who have betrayed our values by their conduct," Rumsfeld said.

"As Pete Pace can tell you, the look on the face of the people who have viewed the photographs and the videos of what took place there, they were stunned, absolutely stunned, that any Americans wearing the uniform could do what they did," he said.

more…
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040511/pl_afp/us_iraq_prisoners&cid=1521&ncid=1480

or were these "employees" bussed in from Tom DeLay's office, like the "rioters" in Florida in 2000?

and not at command level. The lieutenants on up will get promotions.

and not at command level. The lieutenants on up will get promotions.

Shoot, delete please.

You know, Rummy seems to hold a remarkable amount of power in this administration -- at least as much as Cheney...and apparently more than Bush.

Reminds me of the scene in Blazzing Saddles with Mel Brooks as the Governor.

I'm sure that reports of this event will really help improve US-Arab relations.

Pentagon is enormous and has little auditorium's throughout the building. As an employee it's hard not to obey the order to stand when the big cheese enters....this is SOP in the government. Been there...done that.

from the cited article -

"applause after General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, URGED them" (my caps)

Not exactly spontaneous.

Where have I heard that term before?

n/t

I think it's time for the little plastic cups to be deployed.

the "unsinkable," unthinkable sHiP of sTaTe as it starts to go down.

More fervent will true believers become,
in spite of the truth.

All integrity, all honor is lost.

And the band played on..."Nearer my Skull & Bones to Thee..."

That's what the GOP House members did just before Bob Livingston bit the dust for extramarital affairs.

now he can ride off into the sunset.

time as well - and you better not stop clapping until the chief buttboy (apparently Gen. Pace in this case) stops.

they changed some of the rules in the civil service where the King Shits can now walk around dispensing MONEY at will..

I don't have the link, but it was considered an outrage and a payoff and another way to groom the loyal..

I think they could give out $10k at a whack..

Something wicked is in the air, and I can't put my finger on it.

The air is indeed thick. Let us hope it clears.

Since when is something like this news? Did they send somebody over just to observe whether or not the employees would clap or not, and then write this story? What is the purpose of this, other than to confirm with some kind of half assed written proof that the "people of the USA are 100% behind Rumsfeld". That is their implication here.
Pete Pace is a nit wit shithead career politico lifer who I wouldn't trust to sweep my floor.

All we need is more bullshit propeganda. I rated this a big fat 1.

should not be allowed to define the way the Nazis are seen by the world.

Its getting harder and harder to distinguish between the two...

What about those NOT in uniform like YOU and your neocons that are guilty as hell!

Can you seriously imagine anyone at the Pentagon wants to acknowledge that their own bloodthirst and simplistic crusade against evil messaging had anything to do with the systemic human rights abuses we're seeing these days? What could be more natural than that they would applaud a message which reassures them that they of course had nothing whatsoever to do with these horrific crimes against humanity, oh no, it's just a few bad apples, no reflection on them at all. They can continue to cherish their beloved vision of themselves as knights in shining armor, riding up to the rescue, and the blood on their lances is purely that of evil doers who received their just desserts! Ra, ra.