Larry King Archives - Richard M. Langworth

Churchill, Obama, and the Sacking of Generals

24 June 2010 Comments 1 Comment

“It is difficult to remove a bad General at the height of a campaign: it is atrocious to remove a good General.” —Churchill

What can we learn by comparing President Obama’s dismissal of General McChrystal to Churchill’s dismissals of Generals Wavell and Auchinleck, two distinguished commanders in World War II? I hope it will not be another reminder of how standards of conduct have deteriorated.

Differences first. Churchill’s generals were removed for not sufficiently opposing Irwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps. McChrystal was not underperforming, and his situation bears more resemblance to that of General Douglas MacArthur, the Korean commander relieved in 1951 by President Truman for insubordination.…

Obama and the Churchill Bust -Out

4 March 2009 Comments 0 Comments

Ever since the BBC and The Daily Telegraph revealed that President Obama had sent George W. Bush’s Jacob Epstein Oval Office bust of Winston Churchill packing (while retaining the bust of Abraham Lincoln), the media has been abuzz with speculations over the implied symbolism.

Personally I think the media just demonstrates its degenerate irresponsibility to keep fanning these non- issues. Fifty years ago a different media would have published some thoughtful pieces on the future of the US-UK relationship. Not any more.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose….When President Bush had a Churchill bust in the Oval Office, zealots would occasionally demand its return, since in their view Bush was undeserving, or was using it to proclaim himself another Churchill.…