Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Philadelphia Daily News
December 2, 2006
Protesters cause fuss at fete to hail defense sec'y
By Dan Geringer
Arriving in tuxedos and gowns to honor departing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld last night, members of the Union League of Philadelphia were greeted by Celeste Zappala holding a sign: "Rumsfeld Betrayed My Son. Betrayed My Country. Gets A Medal... For What!"
Standing among dozens of protesters outside the Union League building on Broad and Sansom streets, the grieving West Mount Airy mom wore a poster with a large photo of her late son and the words: "We Mourn Sgt. Sherwood Baker. Killed in Baghdad. April 26, 2004."
"Rumsfeld is the symbol of the failed policy that has killed 2,888 American soldiers and wounded over 20,000," Zappala said, "and they're giving him a medal for that? This is appalling.
"If they want to give out a gold medal, give it to our soldiers who somehow made it home alive."
When the league gave Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor its Gold Medal in 2004, the event received full press coverage.
But the league kept the Rumsfeld medal cloaked in secrecy until the Daily News broke the story on Thursday, after club member James A. Ounsworth told a reporter that he was "astonished and ashamed" because "Rumsfeld is a failure. I don't think you should give an award for failure."
When asked about the secrecy surrounding the Rumsfeld medal, league spokeswoman Patricia Tobin said, "It's up to the awardee. We always try to respect the wishes of the awardee."
Asked why the league had chosen Rumsfeld to receive the medal, Tobin said, "I'm not going to be sharing that with anyone."
One of the protest's organizers, Sandra L. Cadwalader, whose great-great uncle was a Union League founder in 1862, said, "The invasion of Iraq is probably the greatest foreign-policy disaster in our history, but somehow the Union League has managed to put on a happy face, give a black-tie dinner and celebrate... what exactly?"
Elizabeth Doering, whose grandfather and father were longtime Union League members, held a sign that read, "Rumsfeld Award Demeans Union League."
"The Union League was part of my childhood," she said. "I came here for dinner with my dad a lot. After the Mummers Parade, we would duck in here to get warm.
"My family is traditional Republican, and they are sick about the Union League giving Rumsfeld a medal. It's such a crass gesture. He's been deposed because of what he's done. Why give him a citizenship award?"
Last night, the Daily News received an e-mail from Joan Myerson Shrager, who had planned to hold her 50th Philadelphia High School for Girls class reunion at the Union League, where several former classmates are members.
"We are canceling this event because of the Gold Medal award to Donald Rumsfeld," wrote Shrager.
"I have received e-mails from dozens of classmates saying they will not attend the reunion if we continue with our plans to hold it at the Union League. We will not. Rumsfeld has blood on his hands, the blood of our kids."
December 2, 2006
Protesters cause fuss at fete to hail defense sec'y
By Dan Geringer
Arriving in tuxedos and gowns to honor departing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld last night, members of the Union League of Philadelphia were greeted by Celeste Zappala holding a sign: "Rumsfeld Betrayed My Son. Betrayed My Country. Gets A Medal... For What!"
Standing among dozens of protesters outside the Union League building on Broad and Sansom streets, the grieving West Mount Airy mom wore a poster with a large photo of her late son and the words: "We Mourn Sgt. Sherwood Baker. Killed in Baghdad. April 26, 2004."
"Rumsfeld is the symbol of the failed policy that has killed 2,888 American soldiers and wounded over 20,000," Zappala said, "and they're giving him a medal for that? This is appalling.
"If they want to give out a gold medal, give it to our soldiers who somehow made it home alive."
When the league gave Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor its Gold Medal in 2004, the event received full press coverage.
But the league kept the Rumsfeld medal cloaked in secrecy until the Daily News broke the story on Thursday, after club member James A. Ounsworth told a reporter that he was "astonished and ashamed" because "Rumsfeld is a failure. I don't think you should give an award for failure."
When asked about the secrecy surrounding the Rumsfeld medal, league spokeswoman Patricia Tobin said, "It's up to the awardee. We always try to respect the wishes of the awardee."
Asked why the league had chosen Rumsfeld to receive the medal, Tobin said, "I'm not going to be sharing that with anyone."
One of the protest's organizers, Sandra L. Cadwalader, whose great-great uncle was a Union League founder in 1862, said, "The invasion of Iraq is probably the greatest foreign-policy disaster in our history, but somehow the Union League has managed to put on a happy face, give a black-tie dinner and celebrate... what exactly?"
Elizabeth Doering, whose grandfather and father were longtime Union League members, held a sign that read, "Rumsfeld Award Demeans Union League."
"The Union League was part of my childhood," she said. "I came here for dinner with my dad a lot. After the Mummers Parade, we would duck in here to get warm.
"My family is traditional Republican, and they are sick about the Union League giving Rumsfeld a medal. It's such a crass gesture. He's been deposed because of what he's done. Why give him a citizenship award?"
Last night, the Daily News received an e-mail from Joan Myerson Shrager, who had planned to hold her 50th Philadelphia High School for Girls class reunion at the Union League, where several former classmates are members.
"We are canceling this event because of the Gold Medal award to Donald Rumsfeld," wrote Shrager.
"I have received e-mails from dozens of classmates saying they will not attend the reunion if we continue with our plans to hold it at the Union League. We will not. Rumsfeld has blood on his hands, the blood of our kids."