Chiefs of Staff Quotes
There was no way of reopening the investigation into the assassination without the public finding out that the CIA and FBI both had deliberately misled the Warren Commission and the House Investigating Committee in the original investigation. Nixon and other politicians who likely knew of the scandal did not want the confidence of the public eroded in this important agencies, and that was probably his motivation for the turn down rather than trying to cover up facets about the assassination itself.
While running for office he was trying to win the support of Republcian Conservatives who were very unhappyt with their percieved lack of progress in fighting ISIS. However, this was insulting to many military people--especiually since ISIS was being deprived of they sources of funding and oil trade, their leaders were being killed at a rapid rate, and they were losign most of their territory. After he won the Presidency, on the very night of his inaguration he then flip flopped and paraised the general leadship of the military with this quotation. While most politicans had a certain degree of hypocricy, Trump could make totally contrdictory statements without any embarassment. See his earlier contracictory Quote 644332.
Eisenhower was referring to MacArthur’s decision, as Army Chief of Staff, to take personal command of infantry, calvary and battle tanks he had ordered assembled to oust the WWI Veterans and their families from the shantytown they had erected in Washington DC to protest the fact that they had not been paid the bonuses that the law required. The attack on the protesting veterans was one of the great disgraces of American history. Eisenhower, knowing full well MacArthur’s penchant for strong attack, thought a more prudent officer should take charge of the delicate operation, and not the heavy-handed, aggressive General. See Quotation 643961.
Not every president feels the need for one. Nixon however had several.
The Supreme Court had decided to hear an important case on gun rights. Cheney had discovered that Solicitor General, the Administration’s chief lawyer before the Supreme Court, Paul Clement planned to file a brief that was very different from Cheney’s own personal views. In protest, he signed his name to a much stronger brief filed by 55 pro-gun senators and 250 members of the House of Representatives. The President’s Chief of Staff called Cheney on the carpet for doing something that was unforgivable—the Vice President had publicly criticized the position that the President’s (and the Vice President’s) chief lawyer was taking. See Cheney’s excuse {633773} . Bolton let the vice president know that if he ever tried something like this again, he would be frozen out of most government activities. In Bush’s second term Cheney had less and less influence, in part because of his unethical behavior like this.
The Kaiser was very interested in the details of the German military activities and would often micro-manage by instructing individual officers about anything that struck him as important, Motke and the other Chiefs of Staff had the management of the Kaiser as one of his most critical tasks.
He was Chief of Staff and was trying to calm the nation. However, he created a real problem. By saying he was in control, he alarmed many people as the Constitution did not give him any authority to be in control of anything. Many people saw this as a sign of his extreme personal ambition. Others, that he had just made a mistake.
In his relationship with FDR General Marshall was the Senior Army Officer and Chief of Staff of the Army during WWII. What was amazing about Marshall was how he argued forcefully from his narrower perspective as the leader of the army, but did not resent it when President Roosevelt decided differently citing wider, non-military consideration. Roosevelt had the almost unique ability to make decisions from the big picture perspective and have most of his subordinates with narrower responsibility and perspective accept understandingly.
The Supreme Court had decided to hear an important case on gun rights. Cheney discovered that Solicitor General, the Administration’s chief lawyer before the Supreme Court, Paul Clement planned to file a brief that was very different from Cheney’s own personal views. In protest, he signed his name to a much stronger brief filed by 55 pro-gun senators and 250 members of the House of Representatives. The President’s Chief of Staff called Cheney on the carpet for doing something that was unforgivable—the Vice President had publicly criticized the position that the President’s (and the Vice President’s) chief lawyer was taking. This was Cheney’s excuse—ie that he was not protesting as the Vice President but as President of the Senate, the only other Constitutional Role of the Vice President. Bolton let the vice president know that if he ever tried something like this again, he would be frozen out of most government activities. See {633772} . In Bush’s second term Cheney had less and less influence, in part because of his unethical behavior like this.
