No shortage of evidence that Bush is slipping

[Harper_is_Bush]

'(Ray) McGovern's dust-up with Rumsfeld may go down in history.''
Donald P. Russo

Ray McGovern's 27-year career as a CIA analyst spanned administrations from John F. Kennedy to George H.W. Bush. McGovern is now co-director of the Servant Leadership School, which provides training and support for those learning how to work with the poor. The department Ray McGovern presides over at the Servant Leadership School stresses the biblical admonition to ''speak truth to power.'' In conjunction with McGovern's background in intelligence analysis, his writings and media appearances over the past year begin to gel and make perfect sense. McGovern's recent publicly expressed concerns about the deception underlying the Bush administration's war in Iraq is inspired by the passage carved in marble entrance to CIA Headquarters: ''You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.''
snip
As it turned out, McGovern was destined to make international headlines. On May 4, he confronted Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in a forum in Atlanta on May 4. McGovern skewered Rumsfeld with facts that contradicted Rumsfeld's previous statements about the war. McGovern asked Rumsfeld whether he lied or was misled about Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction and significant ties to al-Qaida. As Rumsfeld dissembled, McGovern urged him to be forthcoming with the American people. As McGovern put it: ''These people aren't idiots. They know the story.''

McGovern's dust-up with Rumsfeld may go down in history as one of those sea-change moments in American politics. It reminded me of a similar event that occurred more than 50 years ago. Attorney Joseph N. Welch was counsel for the Army while it was being investigated by Joseph McCarthy's Senate Subcommittee on Investigations for Communist activities.
snip
At a June 9, 1954, hearing, McCarthy accused Fred Fisher, one of the junior attorneys on the case, of association (while in college) with the National Lawyers Guild, a group that the attorney general was seeking to designate as a Communist front organization. Welch wrote off Fisher's association with the NLG as a youthful indiscretion and famously rebuked the senator:''Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?'' When McCarthy tried to pursue his attack, Welch cut him off and demanded the chairman ''call the next witness.'' At that point the gallery erupted in applause.
http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-columnmay13,0,643201.column?coll=all-newsopinionanotherview-hed

Have you no sense of decency, Mr. Rumsfeld?

[rodeodance]

1. thanks, great article.

[rodeodance]

2. but for me-the defining moment was Cindy's S. stakeout in Crawford.

[Harper_is_Bush]

3. For me as well, but that was portrayed as just another

communist-pinko-leftwingnut type protest. Obviously it was more than that...but what really filters through to the public?

Ray McGovern laid it down on the table in easy to understand terms that can be replayed in a minute or two and carries the weight of his obvious calm intelligence and long distinquished career.

[Harper_is_Bush]

4. One shameless kick. n/t