In the days leading up to D-Day, General Eisenhower wrote two speeches.  One was the famous "Great Crusade" speech he gave to the troops as they prepared to mount the invasion of Fortress Europe.  Lots of people have heard that speech.  The other one, which very few people heard at the time, was kept private until after his death.  It was the "failure" speech...a short message, really.  The one he would deliver if the invasion had failed and we wound up repeating the Dunkirk experience of four years earlier.  The interesting thing about the two speeches is that he praised the soldiers for their efforts and their courage and such.  In the failure speech he never once passed the blame to anyone else...he accepted full responsibility for the decisions that were made and the plans and strategies of the invasion...he took full blame.
Some historians point to this as a sign that Ike didn't have full confidence in OPERATION OVERLORD.  I think it points out that Ike was a real leader who realized he wasn't infallible and didn't want any of his subordinates to suffer for his folly.  What a concept!  
When I think of D-day and all the events of that day, I marvel at the wealth of leadership our nation had at its disposal.  Where are the Marshalls and Eisenhowers and Pattons and Bradleys of today?  They stepped onto those French beaches knowing that the invasion was not the be-all and end-all...it was the first baby step in a long road to unseat the Germans from their hold on the rest of Europe.  They stood and watched as 10,000 of their soldiers died in a day.  At one point there was some thought that they would have to pull the soldiers off of Omaha, the resistance was so strong and the casualties were horrendous.  But the price was paid and the prize was won...a toe-hold.  I know we have some pretty smart guys in our military today...and thank God for them.  But where is the resolve, the political leadership, the determination to defend this nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic?
Believe it or not, this article is not about the war.  Or what passes for war today.  It is about leadership and being responsible.  I watched our folks in charge of this country the last few weeks and it amazes me that we can do anything at all.  Our community doesn't need organizing...it needs a LEADER.
Moms Mabely used to have a cute story about the President coming to Harlem to announce the first black astronaut being selected by blowing a feather out into the crowd and whoever it landed on would be the man.  She laughed at the sight of all them pretty, black young men blowing that feather around so it wouldn't land on them.  That is the way I have felt about the leaders of the different corporations and levels of government when it comes to accepting responsibility for this oil leak crisis.  Everyone is blowing that feather to keep it from landing on their shoulder.  Our Commander-in-Chief can't decide if he is the guy making the calls or not.  He takes time out from his celebrity dinners and golf games to express his anger and threaten the people who are actually doing something to stop the mess.  The only guy in Lousiana who has a solid plan can't do anything because the Marshlands he wants to save are protected by the very bureaucracy that won't allow him to build berms that will disturb the pristinity of the area.  I can see her, the faceless, nameless bureaucrat,  at her desk filing her nails with her best friend on hold while she explains that no action can take place until the study has been completed and filed.
This morning on the news shows, ADM Thad Allen explained the chain-of-command very clearly and made it clear that he was the guy to point at and talk to and get a decision from.  That must have made the Community Organizer-in-Chief relieved to have someone else to blame.
Emmy Lou sings "My Baby Needs a Shepherd"....Big Fat Daddy sings "My Country Needs a Leader"...a leader driven by principles, not polls, justice, not convenience, by correctness, not political correctness, by action, not photo-op, by adherence to the oath of office, not the ideology of Marx and Engels.  I am anxious for Mr O to join Mr C on the speaking tour and leave governing to those who are qualified to do so.