09
Reaction to the sorry spectacle of the prime time one hour special on ESPN, in which former Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James announced he would be leaving the team to join Dwayne Wade in Miami to play for the Miami Heat.
____________________23
President Barack Obama ousted Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. Here is reaction to this event.
“And one can’t help but wonder if Barack Obama were white, would McChrystal have made the assumption that he could defy military protocol by undermining the Commander in Chief and remain above the fray?”
–Molly Secours, The Huffington Post
“War is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general or president. As difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe it is the right decision for national security. “I welcome debate among my team, but I won’t tolerate division.”
–U.S. President Barack Obama
“…One could argue – or at least wonder – whether McChrystal didn’t willfully commit to this article and the unlimited access the reporter received to circuitously make the point that the U.S. war strategy must be midcourse corrected before it’s too late.
Maybe the general thought it was better to fall on his sword in this public — and perhaps suicidal — way in order to rescue a mission that, if he remained silent and dutiful to his commanding officer, would likely fail.”
–Fraser Seitel, Foxnews.com
“Gen. McChrystal’s remarks about senior officials exposed what has been an open secret in Washington and Kabul for months: The fissures that emerged during the Obama administration’s three-month review of war strategy last year remain, and many of the personalities involved have strained relations that have festered for months.”
–Jonathan Weisman and Peter Spiegel, The Wall Street Journal
“By pairing the decision on McChrystal’s departure with the name of his replacement, Obama is seeking to move on as quickly as possible from the firestorm.”
–MSNBC.com
“Barack Obama, as candidate and president, in effect created the IED known as Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Now that improvised explosive device has blown up in the midst of the Obama presidency. The damage is severe, if not crippling.”
–Howard Fineman, Newsweek.com
____________________He has fired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, his combat commander in Afghanistan, in such a way that not only will the general go unmissed but his name will likely soon be forgotten.
Obama’s decision to replace McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus is a stroke of brilliance, an unassailable move, politically and strategically.
–Fred Kaplan, Slate.com
05
John Wooden
John Wooden, legendary basketball coach died Friday, June 4th, 2010 at the age of 99. Here are some reactions to his passing.
For what he was able to accomplish, for some of the people he coached — who he not only turned into great basketball players, but into greater people — says enough about John Wooden’s legacy.
–2002 Wooden Award honoree Jason Williams
When you talk about the definition of the word “class,” you could go to Webster’s Dictionary and there should be a picture of Coach Wooden right there.
–ESPN Broadcaster Dick Vitale
You need not be a sports fan to mourn the passing of John Wooden. Coach Wooden took the self-sacrifice and teamwork required to be successful in basketball and modeled them into a paradigm for life. Through basketball, he taught generations of players and fans the values of love, friendship, responsibility and humility. `Make friendship a true art’ and `Give thanks for your blessings and ask for guidance every day’ were among his favorite maxims. I give thanks to God for the life and wisdom of John Wooden. May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace.
–Cardinal Roger Mahony
____________________So saddened about Coach Wooden’s passing, but so thankful for the impact he had on me & countless others. Thank you, Coach.
–Former USC and current NFL coach Pete Carroll
Read the rest of this entry »
13
In one paragraph, from the Wall Street Journal:
In the German legend, Faust was a scholar who sold his soul to the devil many years hence in return for a life now of intellectual brilliance and physical comfort. In our version of the legend, Europe’s governments told the devil that, more than anything, they wanted a life of social protection and income fairness no matter the cost. Life was good. A fortnight ago, the bond devil arrived and asked for his money.
Dan Henninger, The Wall Street Journal
____________________