Who the heck is Michael Tracey?

[James DiEugenio]

Welcome Matt. 

Michael Tracey is a moron.

[Matt Allison]

 

He is without a doubt an utter moron.

And for further proof of that, here's a tweet he sent out today:

 

[Joe Bauer]

6 hours ago, James DiEugenio said:

The evidence that McNamara was Kennedy's point man is pretty obvious.

1. In November of 1961 Kennedy called a meeting, with about 8 men and this included McNamara and Bundy and Taylor. He was upset about the debates over NSAM 111. He said strongly that once policy is decided, the men on the spot support it or get out. Once that sunk in, he asked, "Now who is going to implement my policy on Vietnam?" McNamara said he would.

2. When Galbraith came into town in April of 1962, he had already delivered three reports--which Kennedy advised him to do-- telling JFK that Vietnam was not worth going to war over and Diem was not the guy to back in a war. Kennedy sent him to see McNamara and instruct him about the future in Vietnam.  He did and reported back that McNamara got the message.

3. McNamara told his deputy, Roswell Gilpatric, that JFK was getting out of Vietnam and he had instructed him to start unwinding the Pentagon effort there.

4. The next month, in May of 1962, after Galbraith met with him, McNamara conducted the Sec Def meeting for the Vietnam higher ups.  He told the overall commander, Harkins, to stay after. When the door was closed and just Harkins and his staff was there, he told him that we were getting out of Vietnam and he wanted him to start making arrangements for the withdrawal and final training of the ARVN.  According to Harkins' staffer, the general's chin almost hit the table.

5. At the May 1963 Sec Def meeting, the schedules Harkins ordered were handed into McNamara at the Sec Def meeting in Hawaii.  McNamara looked at them and said they were too slow and should be speeded up.

6. That October, after Kennedy had supplied the people on the McNamara/Taylor report team with the report already written, Sullivan tried to take out the withdrawal part.  Kennedy called a small meeting in his office and had it placed back in.  At the meeting it was McNamara who led the charge for withdrawal to the point it took Bundy by surprise.  Years later he realized that JFK thought he was too hawkish to be trusted with the plan and he had gone around him through  McNamara.

7. At the end of the meeting, Kennedy sent McNamara out to talk to the press.  As the Secretary was walking out, Kennedy opened up a window and told him: "And tell them that means the helicopter pilots too."

8. After LBJ reversed the policy, McNamara began to suffer from depression, and manic moods.  This was as early as 1966.  His secretary said that, at times he would just stare off into space, or walk over to the window, wrap himself in the curtains and start weeping.  LBJ finally had him removed.  To the end, McNamara said he could never figure out if he was fired or he resigned.

9. At his Pentagon exit debriefs, which John Newman heard, McNamara stated that he and Kennedy had agreed that America could supply equipment and training and advisors. They could not fight the war for Saigon.  Therefore, when that training was over, we were leaving, and it did not matter if Saigon was winning or losing. America was getting out.

 

Bingo!