Pat Tillman: Mix-Up or Cover-Up?
"All of you had some indication before the [Tillman] ceremony that he was killed in the line of duty... and the system failed... The president avoided calling [the appropriate parties] in to ask about the 'P For' memo... Nobody knows who dropped the ball...'The system didn't work; errors were made'. That's not good enough. We're adjourned."
--Henry Waxman at the Tillman hearing

Yes, I took quick notes. Yes I'm posting the highlights. And yes, as usual, the notes are fairly accurate representations of what was said, with some paraphrasing. Here we go:

• A "P For" is a personal memo , very highly classified, from commander to commander. The P For in this case, warned against public embarrassment if Bush's speech omitted that Tillman's death was a result of fratricide.
  
• Re: The whole fiasco: It was the army's responsibility. They do the notifying, not us.
  
• Abizaid: There was a delay of information to me. Information flowed poorly through the chain of command. The Tillman family paid the price for it.
  
• I don't recall. I don't remember. I cannot recall. I don't recollect.
  
• Rummy: Ditto above, plus: Oh goodness. Oh, and this: I would not engage in a cover-up. (Note: Not did not, would not.)
  
• Rep. John Mica (R-Fl): Rumsfeld was a hero on 9/11. The Dems are trying to blame high officials all the way up to the White House. All Rummy wanted to do was strengthen the military that Clinton destroyed. Our hearts go out to the Tillman family, but, just as Corzine's car accident got misreported at first, so did the Tillman death. The press reports were wrong, as first reports usually are, so what's the problem again?
• Who would have told Bush that this was friendly fire? Nobody knows.
• Philip R. Kensinger, USA Retired, who was censured in this matter, ducked his subpoena.
• Christopher Shays to Rummy: We're wasting our time, as usual. You called their [the Dems'] bluff. We're not saving any lives here.
  
• My favorite moment: Tussle between Dennis Kucinich and Rummy. Kucinich challenged the panel on press strategies re: the events of the war. There was no White House press strategy? Rummy: Non-answer. No Department of Defense strategy? Rummy: If there was, it wasn't very good. Kucinich: It must have been good. It covered up the Abu Ghraib and Tillman scandals. And thank you for acquitting yourself and not the Department of Defense.
  
• What do we do about the lack of accountability of top leadership? Rummy: Gee, I don't know. Land-o'-Goshen, golly gee, gosh, should I use the old "ask myself questions" technique?
  
• Battle of Fallujah was happening. Abu Ghraib was happening. There were so many things going on! So many issues, so little time!
• Nobody, not one panel member, knew that the policy of press access to soldiers' remains had been changed since the Viet Nam War. "Ask the Department of Public Affairs people." "I thought it was up to the families." "I don't know the policies about press coverage." "The remains go to Dover." The Viet Nam was a war of minorities, due to the draft (college deferments, etc.). Our present military is all-volunteer. But we do not so much as allow the press to cover their return when they come home. And this panel didn't know that? I'm sorry, what?!
  
• Someone rewrote the eyewitness statement of Specialist Bryan O'Neal. How did this happen? Rummy: I don't know how or who. Myers: It's extremely difficult to divine that. Abizaid: [I don't know how] we screwed this up, but we screwed this thing up.
  
• Myers: I know this sounds harsh, but with Fallujah and Abu Ghraib taking up our attention, this didn't take up that much of our attention. This wasn't my position, to get involved. It would have been unusual for me to ask questions. It didn't occur to me.

I wanted to throw my TV set out the window. But I'd miss Keith, so I didn't.