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Merrill "Tony" McPeak of Lake Oswego advises the Democratic hopeful on military mattersLAKE OSWEGO -- Somewhere on the scale between swagger and shuffle, gruff and glib sits Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, Oregon's answer to the Great Santini. Santini was a fictional Marine pilot whose intense assessments of right and wrong, duty and cowardice got him crosswise with, well, almost everyone he encountered. But he was one heck of a pilot. McPeak? He's Air Force, for starters, keeps his cool a little more and gets along better with others. But he exhibits the same curt impatience for ineptitude, be it moral...

Turns out the most senior retired general to back Sen. Barack Obama crossed paths with Sen. John McCain during their active-duty years. Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, the Air Force chief of staff during 1991 Desert Storm, told The Washington Times he and Mr. McCain sat in the same National War College class of 1973-74. Mr. McCain, then a Navy commander, had been released by North Vietnam in March 1973 and arrived at the Fort McNair campus in July. "We both graduated," Gen. McPeak said of what is considered a ticket-punching step up the ladder to higher rank. Adm. Michael Mullen,...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barack Obama is considering former top military leaders among his possible running mates, according to a senator who met Tuesday with the Democratic presidential candidate's vice presidential vetting team. North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad told The Associated Press said the team asked him about potential candidates from three broad categories _ current top elected officials, former top elected officials and former top military leaders. Conrad would not disclose which names they discussed, and the Obama campaign has been keeping the process a closely guarded secret. "We talked about many names," Conrad said, including "some that are out...

Retired Air Force Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak of Lake Oswego was once again in the middle of a campaign flap Wednesday when Hillary Clinton's campaign questioned his role as an adviser to Barack Obama because of his views on Israel. McPeak, known for his sharp tongue, stood by his position that U.S. policy in the Mideast is influenced by pro-Israeli voters, but he did apologize for last week's comment accusing former President Clinton of McCarthyism. An Obama spokesman said the senator disagrees with McPeak's comments on Israel but continues to stand behind him as a military adviser and co-chairman of...

Richard Carroll asked my opinion of General Tony McPeak, and his current support of the far, Socialist-Left. He is co-chairman of Obama’s National Election Committee. I have been asked the same question by many others. Rich wrote this and asked for as much coverage as possible, so I am sending it to everyone on my list. I consider this a weak version of how I really feel about Wesley Clark, Tony McPeak, the traitor Army Generals, and the rest of their ilk who are supporting the far-left in this election. Most, if not all, waited until they thought there was...

General Merrill "Tony" McPeak, Senator Barack Obama's military advisor and co-chair of his presidential campaign is a longtime anti-Israeli critic who has slammed Israel harshly during his career, according to an inquiry by conservative American media outlets. McPeak, who served as the chief of staff o the US Air Force before retiring in 1994, made headlines over the past week after accusing former President Bill Clinton of McCarthyism. Yet as it turns out, over the years he has criticized Israel for failing to withdraw to the 1967 borders and charged American Jews were preventing American pressure that would lead to...

Retired Air Force Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak's recent comparison between Sen. Joseph McCarthy and former President Bill Clinton is factually wrong and politically misleading ("Obama aide compares Clinton to McCarthy," Page A7, Saturday). Mr. McCarthy was a Marine Corps officer who served his country faithfully and patriotically. As a senator, he staunchly defended the United States against communism. Records revealed after the end of the Cold War indicate he was correct. Mr. McCarthy was vehemently attacked by the left wing in this country, primarily by Democrats, who continue to attack him. Mr. Clinton was a draft dodger who signed an...

A week that started with the good news (from this campaign's point of view) coming out of a Gallup poll (see Jewish Democrats: Half pro-Clinton, half pro-Obama) will end on a sour note. Obama's military adviser and national campaign co-chairman, Merrill "Tony" McPeak, is the new celebrity-suspect, having said four years ago that the peace process is not going well because of "New York City and Miami. We have a large vote here in favor of Israel. And no politician wants to run against it." ... First thing first: the credit goes to Robert Goldberg of the American Spectator. He...

Also compares Muslim terrorists to religious 'radicals' in Oregon JERUSALEM – Sen. Barack Obama's military adviser and national campaign co-chairman has implied U.S. politicians are afraid of Jewish voters in Miami and New York City and that American Jews are the "problem" impeding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Merrill A. McPeak, a former Air Force chief of staff, also compared the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations to what he described as religious radicals in Oregon and claimed "born-again [Christians]" supported the war in Iraq to help Israel. Discussing Middle East politics during a 2003 interview with the Oregonian newspaper...

The Clinton campaign is distributing an article in the American Spectator (!) about Obama foreign policy adviser Merrill McPeak and his penchant for.. well, the article accuses him of being an anti-Semite and a drunk. Principally, the author takes McPeak to task for supporting a Middle East map that would require Israel to withdraw to its pre-1967 border. It also makes the case that McPeak supports the Walt-Mearsheimer view of the influence of the Israeli lobby on foreign policy.

More trouble for presidential hopeful: Inquiry by conservative US media outlets reveals that Obama advisor Merrill 'Tony' McPeak is a longtime anti-Israel critic who slammed American Jews for acting against US interests Yitzhak Benhorin Published: 03.26.08, 01:24 / Israel News WASHINGTON - General Merrill "Tony" McPeak, Senator Barack Obama's military advisor and co-chair of his presidential campaign is a longtime anti-Israeli critic who has slammed Israel harshly during his career, according to an inquiry by conservative American media outlets. McPeak, who served as the chief of staff o the US Air Force before retiring in 1994, made headlines over the...

Last week, Barack Obama's military adviser and national campaign co-chairman Merrill "Tony" McPeak accused former President Bill Clinton of "using divisive tactics and unfairly trying to question Barack Obama's patriotism." McPeak, a former chief of staff of the Air Force, previously supported Howard Dean and then John Kerry. He has campaigned for Obama and cut commercials claiming that Obama has the "right stuff" to be Commander in Chief... Well, it is likely that Obama will soon be having to retract Merrill McPeak. McPeak, who was arrested last year for driving under the influence, apparently has a problem controlling more than...

Republican Jewish group wants Obama adviser cannedBy Sam Youngman Posted: 03/25/08 03:41 PM [ET] The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) called on Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Tuesday to remove military adviser and national campaign co-chairman Gen. Tony McPeak from his team, citing past statements McPeak has made about the Middle East that the RJC finds troubling. Matt Brooks, executive director of the RJC, said in a statement that in keeping McPeak as a surrogate and campaign spokesman, “serious questions and doubts are once again being raised about Sen. Obama’s positions and judgment on Middle East issues.” In its statement, the RJC...

"Merrill 'Tony' McPeak said he was astonished and disappointed by recent comments Bill Clinton made while speculating about a general election between Obama's Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Republican John McCain. Standing next to Obama on stage at a campaign stop in southern Oregon, the retired Air Force chief of staff repeated Bill Clinton's comments aloud to a silent audience...McPeak also had made off-the-cuff remarks to reporters Friday in comparing the former president's comments with the actions of Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator. 'I grew up, I was going to college when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Supporters of both Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton agree on at least one thing -- that Obama's campaign shouldn't have let a retired general accuse Bill Clinton of McCarthyism. The fracas started when the former president spoke last week in North Carolina, saying it would be great to have an election between "two people who loved this country" and focused on the issues instead of other distractions. Retired General Merrill McPeak accused Clinton of questioning Obama's patriotism, and likened the comments to communist-hunting Senator Joseph McCarthy. On "Fox News Sunday," Obama supporter and New Mexico governor...

The war of words is heating up between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton campaign officials are demanding a retraction from retired General Merrill McPeak, who supports Obama. The back and forth stems from a speech former President Bill Clinton made Friday, when he said he'd like to see an election, "where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country." Speaking in Oregon yesterday, McPeak accused Clinton of questioning Obama's patriotism and said he was "astonished" by the remarks. "We will have such an election this year because...

(AP) A new controversy flared up in the Democratic presidential race Saturday over remarks by former President Bill Clinton whom Barack Obama's campaign accused of using divisive tactics and unfairly trying to question the Illinois senator's patriotism. Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a co-chair of Obama's campaign, said he was astonished and disappointed by recent comments the former president made while speculating about a general election between Obama's Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Republican John McCain. Standing next to Obama on stage at a campaign rally in southern Oregon, the retired Air Force chief of staff repeated Bill Clinton's...

Bill Clinton has become embroiled in a new race row after he appeared to question the patriotism of Barack Obama, his wife Hillary’s White House rival. Supporters of the Democratic frontrunner promptly branded Mr Clinton a modern-day version of Joe McCarthy, the red-baiting senator who led a government witch hunt for communists in the 1950s. The former president was accused of taking a dig at Barrack Obama's patriotism. Discussing the prospect of a presidential election between Mrs Clinton and the Republican candidate, John McCain, the former president told a group of war veterans in North Carolina: "I think it would...

The Barack Obama campaign may find itself back in hot water, but this time squarely with Democrats, thanks to one of their premier surrogates. Former Air Force Chief of Staff General Tony McPeak compared a relatively mild Bill Clinton statement to McCarthyism. His remarks about the former President and actual party elder will no doubt stoke outrage just as some of Obama’s other troubles had begun to recede: A retired Air Force general compared former President Clinton to Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator, on Friday after Clinton seemed to question Democrat Barack Obama’s patriotism.Merrill “Tony” McPeak, a former chief...

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A co-chairman of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign yesterday compared former President Bill Clinton to Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s senator whom liberals widely revile as a witch-hunting fascist, after Mr. Clinton seemed to question Mr. Obama's patriotism. Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a former Air Force chief of staff, said he was disappointed by comments Mr. Clinton made while campaigning for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday in Charlotte, N.C. "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to...

SALEM, Ore. - A retired Air Force general compared former President Clinton to Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator, on Friday after Clinton seemed to question Democrat Barack Obama's patriotism. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a former chief of staff of the Air Force and currently a co-chair of Obama's presidential campaign, said he was disappointed by comments Clinton made while campaigning for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a speech Friday in Charlotte, N.C. "I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted...

Iran's bad behavior blamed on Bush March 15, 2008 By Rowan Scarborough - Sen. Barack Obama's most senior military adviser says President Bush is to blame for Iran's bad behavior. The assessment from an interview with retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak provides a glimpse into how an Obama administration would deal with Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called repeatedly for the destruction of Israel, is pursuing nuclear weapons in the opinion of some national security experts, and his Revolutionary Guard is training Iraqis to kill American military personnel in Iraq. Earlier this month, Mr. Ahmadinejad said of Israel,...

Like an honor guard escorting him to his lectern, nine retired generals and admirals entered a room Wednesday with military precision to help Sen. Barack Obama counter suggestions that he isn't ready to be commander-in-chief. Nine American flags, as well as one for each branch of the military, stood behind the Illinois Democrat as he strode along a red carpet into a ballroom at the Chicago History Museum. Calling him "no shock Barack" and "no drama Obama," retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak said the first-term senator has the temperament to lead the military. Obama, meanwhile, repeated his criticism of...

Barack Obama's most senior military adviser says President Bush is to blame for Iran's bad behavior. This assessment provided to Insight from retired Gen. Merrill McPeak provides a glimpse into how an Obama administration would deal with Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly has referred to the ultimate destruction of Israel; is pursuing nuclear weapons in the opinion of some national security experts; and his Revolutionary Guard is training Iraqis to kill American military personnel in Iraq. Just last week, Ahmadinejad said of Israel, "The world powers established this filthy bacteria, the Zionist regime, which is lashing out at the...

Sunne Wright McPeak, secretary of the state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, said she will leave the cabinet in November, regardless of whether Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wins re-election, to run a nonprofit aimed at bringing Internet access to urban poor and rural Californians. McPeak, a Pleasanton resident, former president of the Bay Area Council and former Contra Costa County supervisor, has led the state's largest government agency since November 2003. Hers will be the second announcement in two weeks of a cabinet member from the Bay Area stepping down. On June 23, former San Jose Rep. Norman Mineta announced he...

The governor's office knew California could not afford to finish the Bay Bridge reconstruction at least one month before Caltrans opened bids on the remaining tower. Newly released Caltrans documents, obtained by the Oakland Tribune after a protracted public records request, show for the first time that top state officials were briefed in April 2004 that the bridge would cost more than expected. The memos throw the official line into question. Until now, the Schwarzenegger team had insisted — through heated state Senate investigative hearings earlier this year — that Caltrans sat on a secret April report that showed California...

The state auditor is deepening her probe into why state transportation officials withheld vital Bay Bridge documents and is threatening subpoenas for the first time. In a letter sent Monday to state Transportation Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak, State Auditor Elaine Howle demanded an investigation into why an April 2004 Caltrans report was never turned over to her office. It showed Caltrans knew the bridge repair program had shattered the budget by $1 billion. "I first learned of this document's existence at the (Jan. 26 Senate Transportation) committee hearing. I am very disturbed by Caltrans' failure to provide the draft quarterly...

<p>WASHINGTON — A group of 26 former senior diplomats and military officials, several appointed to key positions by Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) and George H.W. Bush, plans to issue a joint statement this week arguing that President George W. Bush (news - web sites) has damaged America's national security and should be defeated in November.</p>

In the nineteen months since the war in Iraq began, some of the most outspoken critics of President Bush's plan of attack have come from a group that should have been the most supportive: retired senior military leaders. We spoke with a group of generals and admirals that included a former supreme Allied commander and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and they all agreed on one thing: Bush screwed up. Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, Air Force chief of staff, 1990-94 We have a force in Iraq that's much too small to stabilize the situation. It's about half the...

Just got in & listened to voice mail from Gen. Tony McPeak (from area code 617). He said that he served with both Colin Powell & Stormin' Norman & how, like him, I should vote for John Kerry because he has...yes, you guessed it...a plan!!! Methinks, I'll defy Tony because neither he nor Kerry are grrrrrrreat! ;-)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- With five days until the election, Republicans and Independents throughout the country have sent a strong message by supporting Democrats John Kerry and John Edwards. Republicans and independents from all backgrounds have joined a national effort to support the Kerry-Edwards plan to keep America safe and fight for the middle class. Convinced that America needs a fresh start to bring people together, Republicans and Independents nationwide have joined together to support John Kerry for president. On issues ranging from the economy and the outsourcing of jobs, to the refusal of the president to support...

I'm shocked! Distinguished Board of Advisors: Anthony W. Armstrong, GTE, Sacramento, CA. Ray B. Chambers Dr. Herbert J. Ellison, University of Washington. Dr. Donald C. Hellman, University of Washington. Diane Hodgson Hon. Jerome Johnson, Superior Court (RET) Seattle. James F. Lane J. Eugene Marans, Cleary, Gottleib, Wash. D.C. Gen. Merril A. McPeak, Chief of Staff, USAF (RET) Hon. Thomas E. Petri, U.S. House of Representatives.

With Anoka County emerging as one of the front lines in this battleground state, the Kerry-Edwards campaign on Monday deployed a general. Retired Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, spoke at a Ham Lake VFW hall about his deep unhappiness with the Bush administration's handling of world affairs. McPeak supported George W. Bush four years ago, but no more. "We have many more enemies than we had four years ago, and many fewer friends," McPeak told about 225 Democrats gathered. He later added, "We need to get someone there (in the White House)...

To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of Kerry-Edwards 2004; Web: http://www.johnkerry.com News Advisory: Conference Call at 2:30 PM ET Today at 2:30 PM ET, Admiral William J. Crowe (United States Navy, Retired) and General Merrill "Tony" A. McPeak (United States Air Force, Retired) will hold a conference call with reporters to express their outrage at the Bush-Cheney campaign's new, shameful television ad, which shows a blatant disregard for those fighting and sacrificing in Iraq through its lighthearted approach to the war and the deteriorating events on the ground. McPeak and Crowe, distinguished flag...

Merrill "Tony" McPeak doesn't like George W. Bush. But it's more than that. McPeak has contempt for the president, which he freely expresses. Speaking from his home in Oregon, the John Kerry partisan describes Bush in terms usually employed by the likes of MoveOn.org. "Not even his best friends would accuse this president of having ideas," McPeak says. Mild stuff in the age of Michael Moore. Except that McPeak's first name is General. The former Air Force chief of staff is not the only general describing the president in such vivid terms. On behalf of the Kerry campaign, an entire...

Is it just me, or is USAF Gen. Merrill McPeak's TV ad in support of Kerry incredibly stupid? I have seen the ad several times, and I just shake my head every time I see it. Gen. McPeak states that his reason for supporting Kerry is,,,,and I quote,,,,,,,,,,"He has a strategy"! He has a strategy?HE HAS A STRATEGY???? SAY WHAT? Who in the heck doesn't? How about telling us what that strategy is! Howard Dean has a strategy. Al Sharpton has a strategy. Dennis Kucinich has a strategy. Bill Maher has a strategy. Rosie O'Donnell has a strategy. Barbra Streisand...

At about 1:30 EST this morning, General Merrill McPeak, who is virtually the only military figure supporting Spitball, did a quick interview on CNN Headline News. The interviewer asked him to respond to the charge that, for twenty years in the Senate, Kerry voted against almost every major weapons system now in use. I do not know how to get a transcript of the General's response, but a rough paraphrasing -- omitting the various hems and haws along the way -- was something to the effect of: "You can talk about motions, amendments, procedures, and so forth, but that's politics....

This is the Retired USAF General that we have been seeing so much of lately saying, "As a fighter pilot I saw my share of combat. As Chief of Staff I lead the Air Force during the first Gulf War and four years ago I endorsed George Bush for President. But this year I'm voting for John Kerry. ETC..............

On the opening day of the Republican National Convention, Democrats launched a fresh media attack against President Bush's domestic and foreign policy. Opponents of the current administration say President Bush has failed to lead in key areas, such as homeland security, the war in Iraq, and job creation. A few blocks away from the Republican National Convention, Democrats have set up temporary headquarters to try and draw away some of the focus that will be on President Bush and his party this week. Democratic National Convention Chairman Terry McAuliffe says his team plans to highlight what it considers President Bush's...

General Merrill A. "Tony" McPeak "served for over 35 years in the US Air Force, culminating in four years as Chief of Staff from 1990 through 1994. He retired with the rank of 4-Star General. General McPeak has served as President of McPeak & Associates, an aerospace consulting company, since his retirement from active service. He is President and COO of Kitcomm Communications, Ltd, and Chairman of the Board of ECC, Intl., a publicly traded defense contractor. General McPeak also serves on the Boards of Directors of Tektronix, Inc., Trans World Airlines, Inc., and Centerspan Communications, Inc." "McPeak was a...

NewsMax Wires WASHINGTON (AP) -John Kerry's Vietnam War service records run to multiple medal commendations and a notation of "conspicuous gallantry" in combat. President Bush's file tracks the stateside career of a National Guard test pilot. Yet the combat veteran is the one under attack as a wartime pretender in the race for the White House. It's a controversy - Democrats call it a smear - stirred by the president's allies and aimed at undermining Kerry's truthfulness, personal character and fitness for office as much as his claim to the medals he came home with. Smear or not, the charges...

August 20, 2004 Ex-Gen. McPeak in add for Democrats Washington, DC, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Former Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak is featured in a new Democratic ad intended to burnish U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry's national security credentials. The ad features McPeak explaining why he has chosen to support Kerry for president in 2004 event though he backed George W. Bush for president in 2000. "Nothing is more important to me than protecting America. John Kerry has the strength and common sense we need in a commander in chief. And something more -- a real strategy to make America...

WASHINGTON - A retired U.S. Air Force general who endorsed President Bush four years ago says in a new television ad by the Democratic Party that this year he will vote for John Kerry because the Democrat has "a real strategy to make America safer." The ad featuring Merrill A. McPeak was released by an arm of the Democratic National Committee a day after Kerry lashed back against allegations by a veterans group that he exaggerated his combat record in Vietnam. McPeak, Air Force chief of staff during the first Persian Gulf War, claims in the ad that Kerry "has...

From 2000 to 2003, California workers' compensation insurance premiums posted double-digit percentage increases -- helping to flat-line the state economy. Now, four months after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 899 to reform workers' compensation, premiums are dropping by double digits -- facilitating the California recovery. Bipartisan cooperation between the governor and the Legislature produced workers' compensation reform that is delivering results. (snip) Even though some of the most important reforms do not take effect until January, the early results show a system already on the mend, and it is worth looking at how far we have come. The State...

WASHINGTON The man who was Air Force chief of staff during the first Gulf War is supporting John Kerry for president. Retired General Merrill "Tony" McPeak gave the Democrats' weekly radio address today. He says he switched his support from President Bush to Kerry on the strength of Kerry's wartime service and experience in Vietnam. McPeak said it "means an awful lot" to him that Kerry fought for his country as a young man. And he said for him, the "real deal" isn't whether a strategy is Republican or Democrat -- it's "whether it makes us safer." McPeak also questioned...

Senator John Kerry's new television ad is intended to establish his macho credentials, playing up his skills as a pilot, outdoorsman and athlete, as well as to mention his support from military leaders who served during Republican and Democratic administrations. And some of that Pentagon-style backing was on vivid display on Wednesday, when retired Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, a former Air Force chief of staff and a 2000 supporter of President Bush, lashed out at the Bush administration's Iraq strategy in a conference call in support of Mr. Kerry. "I was flabbergasted almost immediately, from the first day of this...