In honor of the great Ray Charles, who died this week.

The lyrical inspiration is also appropriate for the feelings of a group known as Diplomats and Military Commanders for Change. This group of 26 retired US diplomats and military officers are working to convince Americans that the Bush Administration needs to go.

The group includes 20 ambassadors appointed by both Dem and GOP presidents. It also includes former State Department officials and military leaders.

Member William C Harrop is a former Ambassador to Israel under Bush 41 and before that to four African countries. Harrop says he is an independent but usually votes Republican:

"We agreed that we had just lost confidence in the ability of the Bush administration to advocate for American interests or to provide the kind of leadership that we think is essential,"

"The group does not endorse Kerry, although it more or less goes without saying in the statement,"

Other prominent members include retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East during the administration of Bush's father; retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr., ambassador to Britain under President Clinton and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan; and Jack F. Matlock Jr., a member of the National Security Council under Reagan and ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1987 to 1991.

I can't remember a time when in the months leading up to an election we had groups of former prominent officials coming out advocating for the voting out of a sitting President. I know there was a lot of rank and file vitriol on the GOP side for Clinton but I can't remember groups of prominent former officials coming out for his ouster in 1996.