The Skinny On Those Political “Military Magazines” Calling For Rumsfeld's Resignation

The UPI and many other news sources are headlining “Military mags to call for Rumsfeld ouster”. 

Four publications of the Military Times Media Group plan to call on U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times and Marine Corps Times will issue the call in an editorial scheduled to run Monday, the newspaper said.

The Chronicle published the text of the editorial on its Web site Friday.

The editorial says the truth about the war in Iraq “been difficult to come by from leaders in Washington.” Instead, the editorial says President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Rumsfeld have issued “one rosy reassurance after another.”

The editorial notes that Bush recently said Rumsfeld would keep his job for the remainder of Bush’s term in office.

“This is a mistake,” the editorial says. “Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large.”

The power behind this news is that it makes it appear to be a military endorsement. 

First, the article implies that four different “military magazines” are calling for Rumsfeld to resign. That is FALSE. These are the same publication except they are “wrapped up” Army Times, Air Force Times, Marine Corps Times, Navy Times.

These are not “professional military publications.” Examples of military professional publications are “Proceedings of the Naval Institute” and “The Officer” by the Reserve Officers Association.

The Army Times used to have wide circulations. They are now part of the Gannett Group (USAToday) and the writers for these four “military papers” also work at USAToday!

The bottom line is that the “Military Times” weekly papers are not professional military publications, circulation is collapsing, and the staff is shared with USAToday.  These publications do not represent any official views of the military and have no more authority than any other of the many media outlets that have expressed similar views.

(H/T) Oak Leaf at Stop The ACLU