To all those who would denigrate President Bush, credit needs to be given to him on the need for better education in this country. People may disagree with the methods put into place to further that goal, but no better example of the failure of our country’s civics and social studies education can be found than that provided recently when the president vetoed the war spending package passed by Congress.

The president, in his speech following his veto, said, “Instead [of doing what I wanted], members of the House and the Senate passed a bill that substitutes the opinions of politicians for the judgment of our military commanders.” And he said this to deride the Democrats’ efforts to bring an end to the president’s Iraq war folly.

No media commentator or reporter pointed out the fact that it is entirely appropriate, nay, required under our Constitution for the “judgment of our military commanders” to be subordinate to the “opinions of politicians.” A short 56 years ago, a U.S. general and commander of all United Nations forces in Korea was fired for his outspoken criticism of the opinions of the politician who fired him.

Civilian control of the military is a bedrock of our Constitution. Soldiers of any rank, from private 1st class to general, refrain from public involvement in foreign affairs policy debates while still in uniform because if critical they can be charged with insubordination. If President Bush, as the civilian politician who leads the military, truly has delegated his authority to his subordinates, the way his speeches make it appear, then that in and of itself should be an impeachable offense.

President Bush has time and time again used the American public’s ignorance of the founding principles of our country to his advantage. It’s high time Congress gave us a civics lesson of their own.

Ben Lamborn

Levant