Thrown on his sword – Rummy’s out and it’s a shame that somebody who served so loyally is going to be the goat of these elections. But then Rumsfeld hatred was the bulwark of the Democrats’ position on Iraq; now they have to come up with a real policy.
Extra - James Joyner has a roundup on Bush's press conference and the Rumsfeld resignation.
3 comments:
it’s a shame that somebody who served so loyally...
Um, I think you've missed one of the main premises of this election.
So loyally? How about so competently? So competently would be good.
The "shame" here is that the White House has been ready to shift gears in Iraq for weeks, if not longer. Rumsfeld's replacement is coming from the commission meant to give Bush the political cover to belatedly adopt some of the "defeatist" recommendations Democrats offered months if not years ago. (You remember the Democrats; they're the ones with "no plan.")
But Karl Rove decided that announcing any changes in advance would be "political suicide." George Bush promised Rumsfeld would remain through 2009, after already having picked Robert Gates. Dick Cheney shouted "full speed ahead," knowing that the brakes were coming.
Go find the family of a Marine killed three or four days ago, while playing out the string on a policy that's about to be revised. Tell them that their soldier's brave sacrifice helped the GOP hold Tennessee. And tell them what a "shame" it is that a good man like Donald Rumsfeld had to be embarrassed.
Sure, Rumsfeld served, but I wouldn't say 'loyally'. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard Rumsfeld gave Bush his resignation 3 times, and each time Bush refused it.
Though why he refused it, I'm not sure. People in the Pentagon have been complaining for years about Rumsfeld trying to make the military smallerfastercheaperbetter and the mil didn't like it. But I'm not in the military, so I could've heard the sentiment wrong.
Now, Democrats; we've thrown one of ours on the sword, now it's your turn.
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