Why Don't the Troops Support the Troops?

I was in the Army for 14 years, including four years at West Point. During that time, as far as I could see, everybody, from the generals down to the privates, active duty, reserve and family members read The Army Times. I'm sure it was and is the same in the other four services with their respective "Times" papers. The editors and writers are very much "in the know" about what goes on in the services. In many cases they are ex-soldiers.

In short, it's pretty much impossible to get more "Support the Troops" than these papers.

That's why this is so devastating:

Just days after President Bush publicly affirmed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's job security through the end of his term, a family of publications catering to the military will publish an editorial calling for the defense secretary's removal.

That this editorial will be published just the day before the mid-term elections is particularly damning. This timing cannot be accidental. This is just a step (or two) shy of a revolt of the generals. I do not believe that I'm overstating the gravity of this.

AmericaBlog has the entire text here.