Thomas Lipscomb writes a great column in the Chicago Sun—Times asking the key question about the disgruntled generals: why didn't they resign in protest when they had a chance?

... no one seems to have bothered to ask which, if any, of these generals had ever submitted his own resignation in protest against the conduct of the Iraq war, or the bumpy transition we are locked in now. The demands for Rumsfeld's resignation began with Gen. Anthony Zinni. [....]

At least Wesley Clark got himself fired and summarily retired as NATO commander in comparative disgrace for submarining the Balkans policies of his Oxford classmate President Bill Clinton and his defense secretary, William Cohen. Gen. Billy Mitchell is regarded by many as having saved American military aviation by accepting a court—martial and resigning from the service he loved because of his differences in policy with the federal government.

Retired military and civil servants are receiving ongoing retirement pay from American taxpayers. If they want to give the public the benefit of their experience in consideration of current policies, we are fortunate to get it. But policy differences are one matter and calls for a specific resignation are quite something else.

Anyone who make Wesley Clark look good is pretty far over the edge.

Thomas Lifson   4 17 06