If you haven't noticed, the right wing defenders of McChrystal all call him a "warrior".

[EFerrari]

This is not accidental or flowery speech. It refers very specifically to a change Rumsfeld made when he revised the "Soldier's Creed".

Soldier's Creed:

I am an American soldier. I am a member of the United States Army – a protector of the greatest nation on earth. Because I am proud of the uniform I wear, I will always act in ways creditable to the military service and the nation that it is sworn to guard. I am proud of my own organization. I will do all I can to make it the finest unit of the Army. I will be loyal to those under whom I serve. I will do my full part to carry out orders and instructions given me or my unit. As a soldier I realize that I am a member of a time-honored Profession, that I am doing my share to keep alive the principles of freedom for which my country stands. No matter what situation I am in, I will never do anything for pleasure, profit or personal safety, which will disgrace my uniform, my unit or my country. I will use every means I have, even beyond the line of duty, to restrain my Army comrades from actions, disgraceful to themselves and the uniform. I am proud of my country and it’s flag. I will try to make the people of this nation proud of the service I represent for I am an American soldier.


Rumsfeld's revision:

I am an American soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the Unites States and live the Army values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American soldier.

Robert Fisk talks about this switch at length in this video, The Age of the Warrior:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfQYhU1IfbQ

Details of implementation here:

Casey tapped to lead Army

Reshuffling also will bring new leadership at CentCom, Iraq posts
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : January 15, 2007

snip

he Pentagon also announced the retirement this summer of Gen. Peter Schoomaker, chief of staff since 2003. August would mark four years in the job, the standard term for a chief of staff.

Rumsfeld called the career special operations officer out of retirement to serve as the Army’s top uniformed officer early in the Iraq war.

Schoomaker soon directed big changes in the way soldiers train and fight.

Leading the Army while it was fighting on two fronts and undergoing a massive transformation to a lighter, more mobile force, he overhauled training for officers and enlisted soldiers, ordered “every soldier a rifleman,” and implemented a warrior ethos and soldier’s creed that soldiers recite by memory. He also outfitted the force in a new combat uniform.

http://www.armytimes.com/issues/stories/0-ARMYPAPER-2464382.php

I just wanted to point out that the word "warrior" is being used in a very specific way by these defenders of McChrystal.

[liberal N proud]

1. Now they will use this to crucify Obama for not supporting the military

Every chance they get, they stick his voodoo doll with another pin.

[EFerrari]

3. Yes, Obama showed strength today so they have to attack it. n/t

[Cant trust em]

7. If Obama would have kept McChrystal, they'd say that he was getting punked by subordinates.

It would have shown his weakness.

[EFerrari]

9. Yep. n/t

[Blue-Jay]

2. Warrior?

[ingac70]

4. They said the same about that nut MacArthur. n/t

[EFerrari]

11. Really? My point is that the use of that particular description shows us

how much influence Cheney/Rumsfeld still have.

[ingac70]

15. Repubs haven't changed mush over the years.

This cracked behavior on the part of Repubs didn't come with Cheney and Rumsfeld.

[immune]

5. A warrior ....

Nope, MickeyC is not a warrior.

[malaise]

6. Is that scumbag dead yet

or just rotting in some ReTHUG hole.

[EFerrari]

8. His ethos lives on. I wonder who's going to take over McChrystal's

black sites. :shrug:

[spanone]

10. he's a bad soldier. probably an asshole too.

[Bluebear]

12. Onward Christian Soldiers!

1. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
with the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
forward into battle see his banners go!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
with the cross of Jesus going on before.

[Octafish]

13. To Rumsferatu and the BFEE, 1 Warrior = 1 Fodder Unit

Why they feel that way.

[niyad]

14. I was unfortunate enough to catch wolfie and co on cnn whining about how mcfired wasn't invited to

the national security briefing--and how disrespectful that was.

the commentary was pretty unbelievable--and reminded me why I don't bother listening to cnn.