Good for her. And she's right. The Pentagon has decided to play banana republic politics and take a swipe at the incoming Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the person two steps away from the presidency of the United States.
Why are they doing this? Because, in my view, the Pentagon brass think that if they damage Pelosi at the outset, like they smeared their commander in chief Bill Clinton at the beginning of his term, this will somehow make Pelosi injured and more docile when they deal with her in the future - i.e., she'll have to prove that she really loves the military and they'll own her.
Well, boys, you screwed up. Democracy is back, and the new folks in town don't look kindly on generals who think they're politicians - we don't like it in Uganda, and we don't like it in America. In our country, civilians rule the military, not the other way around. Perhaps if the generals running the Pentagon paid as much attention to building democracy in Iraq as they do fighting democracy at home, maybe we wouldn't be getting our asses kicked in the biggest military blunder since Vietnam. Our men and women are getting killed over there and their bosses are busy playing politics at home. Pathetic.
Here is what Pelosi just said, as reported on CNN:
Why would the Department of Defense be putting forth any of this information, which is misinformation and mischaracterization of a request by the Sergeant at Arms [of the US House] for security? I know that it is not coming from the president of the United States because he has really been insistent that I have the security that I need. And I myself would rather not have security.
So, no we haven't asked for any larger plane.
B, this is not my request, it is a request of the Sergeant at Arms.
C, I don't know why they would say this was necessary for the previous speaker but it's not necessary for you. And that's what the Department of Defense seems to be saying. So if you want to take it to a place... I'm not saying I'm being discriminated against because I'm a woman, I'm just saying I have no intention of having any less respect for the office I hold than all of the other speakers who have gone before me.
