Don't hold your breath waiting for a retraction.

"If we conservatives moved to those seven non-existent States, the government couldn’t find us and tax us to death!" 

if the Great One appointed Shinseki based on what he or his minions saw on the internet. If so, then we have more to fear than we think.

I knew folks who served in the Army under Shinseki and they told me about the 'official' policy of squelching any discourse about changes in the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy.

Could this be the reason?

"Once you've tasted flight, you'll forever walk the earth with eyes turned skyward. For there you've been and there you'll always long to return."

AP = Associated Prevaricators

Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.

Dave:

You are correct, Shinseki was not FORCED into retirement.  In fact, he was retired on schedule.

His replacement WAS named ahead of schedule, and this was the direct reponse to his IDIOCY relating to the "Great Beret FLap" in which he simultaneously pissed off the ENTIRE US army in one move.

He Pissed off the special forces community by putting the common soldier on par with them sartorially, particulalry the Ranger Battalions who he stole the black beret from and forced them to convert to khaki.

He then P.O'd virtually every soldier who was exceedingly comfortable wearing the patrol cap that was a very utilitarian peice of headgear.  He forced us to have a ceremony across the army in which we took off the most excellent softcap and made us don the Black beret - of which damn few knew how to make them look good.

No one in the army except the wanna be's liked this move.  We attributed it to a Shinseki desire to EUROPEANise our forces.

To add injury to insult, the US Army could not procure berets fast enough from American sources and was forced to outsource it - when the Chinese picked up the contract everyone FLIPPED OUT.

We ended up buying them from the Canadians at exceptional prices.

The other services endlessly teased us about "The Great Beret Flap" and have not stopped to this point - not that they have reason to.

In fact, soldiers have begun to wear the old Softcap whenever given the option (it is amzing what is considered the field when you want to justify it) and in a couple of years an Army Chief of Staff will likely recind the idiotic move by SHinseki.

SHort story? Shinseki was an idiot who needed to go.

Is Shinseki one of these officers who thought you could do more with less?

Kind of like when the Air Force when from a uniform to a business suit. And now they want to go back to the Hap Arnold jacket. What next, make the Air Force part of the Army again?

Oh, but wait, we will soon have Obama's NCDF. They will be able to take up the slack for the U.S. Military. Maybe they will be able to give the regulars a break, let them get some R & R. Maybe Obama's NCDF will be able to make the terrorists lay down their arms by preaching their love one another propoganda.

Remember folks, Freedom isn't Free. It is bought with the blood and sacrifice of the men and women who serve and who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know. 

Oh you really should stress the whole causality thing. The "firing" happened first. How do you "fire" someone for something a year before they actually do it? I mean I don't care how evil anybody thinks Bush is, if he needs to break causality to pull this one off then it's just not true.

Shinseki went to the media with his discontent,  a move that should have thrown him or any general out of the military.  Ever heard the term CIC?   No, Shinseki is, was, a member of the "loyal" oppostion.   That only works when you are not a conservative.   As a "disabled vet" I can hardly wait for this guy to make decisions about my future. 

I yam what I yam....Popeye.