Posted on 11/30/2006 7:59:36 AM PST by WmCraven_Wk
PRESIDENT Bush's departing defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, will be given the Union League of Philadelphia's Gold Medal tomorrow - and at least one distinguished member of that elegant institution is "astonished and ashamed."
In a blistering letter to League president Frank Giordano, longtime member James A. Ouns-worth called Rumsfeld "an arrogant and dishonest human being" who "with his blundering ahead with the war in Iraq, with his pigheadedness when faced with mistakes and failures... has presided over what may well be one of the great disasters of U.S. history."
Ounsworth, a Navy nuclear engineer who became a prominent Philadelphia lawyer, said he was "reconsidering whether I should continue as a member of such an organization."
Giordano did not respond to a Daily News request for an interview.
Union League spokesperson Patricia Tobin said that Giordano had received Ounsworth's letter, but would not comment on it publicly.
"We're pleased and honored to host [Rumsfeld]," Tobin said. She declined to say anything more.
"This is like the CEOs who are awarded huge severance packages even though they're failures," Ounsworth told the Daily News yesterday. "Rumsfeld is a failure. I don't think you should give an award for failure. I thought the Union League stood for more than that."
On its Web site, the Union League states it was "founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the policies of President Abraham Lincoln," has "given local support to the American military in each conflict since the Civil War, and continues to be driven by its founding motto, 'Love of Country Leads.' "
But Ounsworth said that honoring Rumsfeld violates League principles because he "was directly involved in the deaths of over 2,800 U.S. soldiers and the wounding of more than 20,000. I can't imagine why they would want to honor him."
Ounsworth, a Naval Academy graduate who was a fullback and linebacker on quarterback Roger Staubach's legendary teams, said, "I call myself a true Republican. I believe in my country. I believe we should support the administration in time of war. But get someone else to honor, not someone who so prominently failed.
"The young men and women who are putting their lives on the line in Iraq," he said, "deserve more than the Union League honoring people who don't measure up, and honoring this guy in particular, who I don't think has ever admitted he made a mistake."
Sandra L. Cadwalader, a socially prominent Center City Philadelphian who is equally outraged by the Rumsfeld medal ceremony, said a friend who is a Union League member "facetiously" invited her to the black-tie event weeks ago.
She and some friends had planned to protest, she said, but "once Rumsfeld resigned, that kind of took the steam out of trying to plan a major protest march at the Union League. If you see a couple of people holding a candlelight vigil, that'll be us."
The Gold Medal recipients, she said, include "Lincoln, Pershing, Eisenhower, George Bush Number One and Supreme Court justices Rehnquist and Sandra Day O'Connor. Giving it to Rumsfeld is a travesty. He is definitely no Sandra Day O'Connor.
"The invasion of Iraq is probably the greatest foreign policy disaster in our history," she said, "but somehow the Union League has managed to put on a happy face, give a black-tie dinner and celebrate... what, exactly?
"I wouldn't mind if the dinner were in New York, but it is humiliating, somehow, to have it in Philadelphia."
Looks like the self declared Republican likes to support the other party with his $$$$'s.
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/james-ounsworth.asp?cycle=06
He gave to Sestak and ACTBLUE PAC.
Who is this Rickover dropout to define Rummies actions as a failure? I served 26 years in the Navy and I thought the guy did a great job and I was fried when he resigned. This a-hole helped give us Sestak the "Perfumed Prince", that should define his credibility.
James A. Ounsworth, When has it ever been done better?
With Republicans like this jerkwood, who needs enemies?
I should hope not.
Perhaps you should read the story. The Union League is the organization honoring Rumsfeld. If you like Rumsfeld, you should be happy the League is honoring him, not blasting them. It's just one disaffected idiot from the Naval Academy who is criticizing the honor.
I fear for America when the descendants of her founding population no longer really seem to care so much about this country or its common people.
I call myself Thumper, Lord Protector of All that is Good; Baron of the Air at 2000'; King of the blonde haired, blue-eyed lithe and supple virginry; Master of all I survey........no one believes me.
I believe in my nations principles and destiny.
This dude's a lawyer???
I wonder how many of his clients have successfully petitioned for new trials on the basis of ineffective defense.
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