‘Vanity War:’ Former Air Force chief of staff criticizes Bush actions on Iraq

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

While stumping for Sen. John Kerry in Las Vegas Tuesday, retired Gen. Merrill McPeak, former Air Force chief of Staff, called the Iraq war a "vanity war" and accused President Bush of creating an imaginary world.

"We've lost 1,000 of our sons and daughters, the situation on the ground is a mess and it has cost us $200 billion," McPeak told a group of about 30 veterans at a downtown American Legion Post. "It's not a test of patriotism to call attention to this stupidity.

"This administration has been careless with our sons and daughters and careless with our money. We have to make a change."

McPeak, a former Thunderbird pilot who was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, is the subject of a national television ad that calls attention to the fact that he was a Republican and supported Bush in 2000, and is now an independent supporting Kerry.

McPeak, who lives in Oregon, was the chairman of Oregon's Veterans for Bush group in 2000, and said he voted for Bush that year and Sen. Bob Dole in 1996.

After voting for Bush, McPeak said he, "very rapidly convinced myself that I had made a mistake."

McPeak said he watched as the Bush administration made what he characterized as a series of mistakes in foreign policy capped by the Iraq war. He did say that he agreed with the decision to go to Afghanistan, but said the administration has since spun out of control.

"Unfortunately, after legitimately going into Afghanistan the administration diverted the attention to Iraq," McPeak said. "Afghanistan is a key battle in the war on terrorism, but now it has turned sour on the edges as attention is shifted to Iraq II."

McPeak entered the Air Force in 1957 and was a pilot in Vietnam. He was joined by other veterans for Kerry who also spoke for the senator and against the president.

State Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, who attended Tuesday's rally, said he felt President Bush has not shown the needed leadership called for in his office.

"We've heard a lot about the events of 30 or 35 years ago in Vietnam, but it has been nothing more than an obvious attempt to take the attention away from where it should be focused: Iraq," Care said.