McCain has ‘no confidence’; Schwarzkopf expresses anger

[KingChicken]

Rumsfeld under fire for handling of Iraq
McCain has ‘no confidence’; Schwarzkopf expresses anger
1:34 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2004

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has come under attack from Republican Sen. John McCain and retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf over his handling of the Iraq war.

In separate interviews, McCain, of Arizona, said he had “no confidence” in Rumsfeld, citing his handling of the war in Iraq and the failure of the Pentagon to send more troops, while Schwarzkopf, the allied commander in the first Gulf War, said Rumsfeld seemed to be passing the buck when quizzed last week about the armor supply for troops on the ground.

McCain, speaking to The Associated Press in an hour-long interview Monday, said his comments were not a call for Rumsfeld’s resignation, explaining that President Bush “can have the team that he wants around him.”

Asked about his confidence in the secretary’s leadership, McCain recalled fielding a similar question a couple weeks ago. “I said no. My answer is still no. No confidence,” McCain said.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6708495/

[nickfaldo7]

1. ahhh, McCain starting the presidential run early eom

[Hieronymus]

7. It's too late for McCain to try and win

moderates.
He whored for Junior Bush, and now thinks he can distance himself. He lost me when he allowed Junior to get away with demeaning his wife and child, and continued kissing Junior's butt.
This is just another "flip flop".

[calimary]

14. My sentiments exactly.

If I were his wife, I wouldn't be his wife anymore - he clearly loved bush more than he loved her. OR their adopted daughter - whose honor he sure "defended to the skies," by cracky! (Sarcasm DEFINITELY ON!)

McCain would have to do a LOT more than that to start winning my approval. Not that he'd be all that interested...

[pokercat999]

28. Agreed, the time I was most disappointed in Bill Clinton,

Was when that Congressman? trashed Chelsey and he (Clinton) didn't do anything. I would have beat the shit out of the guy even if I had to have the SS hold him for me. Same for McCoward, what's with these guys?

[nickfaldo7]

17. exactly!

he whored for Bush and now he wants us to love on him again.
Fuck that motherfucker.

[Raster]

18. Yep. What kind of father and husband is that? McCain showed his...

true colors. Fuck him.

[hatrack]

2. Whoop. Dee. Doo.

:puke:

[NNN0LHI]

3. I have no confidence in these 2 fat heads either n/t

[nibbana]

4. They could have fired the bastard on Nov.3..But no..the sniveling

assholes fully supported Bush....

[trotsky]

6. Exactly.

It's not like ALL OF A SUDDEN we see what a crappy job Rumsfailed has been doing. It's been there for years.

[calimary]

16. And they STILL support bushie-boy.

Somehow duh-bya gets away scott-free. Despite the fact that rummy serves at bUSH'S pleasure, thank you very much.

It never quite reaches up to him, does it? Are people so anxious to forget that none of these scums would even be in the same zip code as the White House, were it not for bush. It all goes back to him in my opinion. rummy would NOT be there if bush hadn't put him there. And to those who'd say - well, cheney probably picked him - you made my point again. cHENEY wouldn't be where he is if it weren't for bush. You think for one instant Gore would have nominated him for anything?

[Earth_First]

5. Run it this way, run it that way...

it's still an illegal war of agression. Thanks, McCain. I'll do my own thinking for awhile...

[eaprez]

8. Then why didn't McCain call for his resignation?

because no matter what these people do -- he's still loyal to the party rather than the country.

[Just Me]

9. Wish more people would point out those more loyal to party than country!

Worse, those leading the Republican party are radical ideologues and may very well bring ruin to this country (with the exception, of course, themselves) and world stability, if they haven't structurally already done so.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. no confidence in Rumsfeld = no confidence in Bush

right? John?

[Cocoa]

11. Exactly ONE presidential candidate called for Rummy's resignation

and it wasn't McCain's boy.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. Add another arrow to John Kerry's quiver for '08

and I'll be happy to support him if he runs.

[whalerider55]

23. Arrow for his quiver?

Hard to believe there's any room left in his quiver, what with the 15 mil he sat on instead of spending in '04, and the 45 mil he set aside for electoral challenges that he has been so parsimonious about spending on recalss.

me, i'm looking for a new archer.

whalerider55
a MAsshole from New York

[bamacrat]

12. Has rummy said anything about it?

[rainbow4321]

13. And where were these fools pre-Black Tuesday....

Oh, yeah, I FORGOT, McCain was flying around the country with chimpface trying to get him re-appointed.

They both can STFU..too little, too late, guys.:puke:

[stanwyck]

25. McCain should start wearing

a halter top and platform shoes. Sorry to offend our "working girls" but McCain has been selling to the highest bidder for a while. I used to respect the guy. But he lost his credibility when he started stumping with the guy who totally annihilated him with lies during the 2000 primary. Bush and Co. "push polled" McCain. They implied he was a traitor (shades of swiftboat veterans). They perfected their anti-vet attacks so whoever ran against their boy would go down. And then McCain aided and abetted.
Too late, his legacy is tarnished. He went into the alley with the wrong guy.
Now his reputation, (and his lipstick), is smeared.

[MisterCompletly]

19. Good cop, Bad cop

It was obvious from the beginning for some and appears to be getting through the thicker walls now.

[TahitiNut]

26. Yup. Reichpublicans monopolizing political discourse.

If it's a Democrat, it's marginalized and discarded as "partisan." But if it's a Reichpublican, then it's a "discussion" or an "issue." This is purely a game of freezing out any opposition to one-party-rule. Fascist kabuki.

[Catchawave]

20. Didn't Kerry and Edwards say the same thing?

...waiting for somebody to lob McCain that hardball.

[daleo]

21. Who let the dogs out?

Does Bush want to cashier Rummy? It seems hard to believe that he would go quietly. Maybe Bush just wants a public apology from Rummy - that seems to be all the rage, these days.

On edit - I mean, would it be a coincidence that these two are publicly criticizing Rummy, or is this a calculated thing?

[wakemewhenitsover]

22. Maybe McC just feels slighted 'cause Rummy...

...never kissed him.

[greekspeak]

24. No longer pissing myself when McCains does something quasi-moral

The man is an opprotunist who is going to do what is going to get him the most benefit at any given time. Rummy makes an ass out of himself? McCain wants him gone. Next week, after ShrubCo reign him in again, he will be spit shining Rummy's shoes on FAUX news. The man grovels at the feet of powerful people who dis him, and I don't care what the man says and does any more.

[snippy]

27. Very interesting comment just now on CNBC about McCain's comment.

A big shot hedge fund manager just said that he has been told that Rummy is out within the next six months and that McCain's comment was planned with White House approval. He said McCain was acting as the "messenger" for Bush.

[daleo]

29. I had a hunch that might be the case

We'll see how it pans out.

[Sleepless In NY]

30. Can McCain be anymore two faced?

He loves sitting on the fence, what a phoney. I'll never forget how Kerry pulled that ad showing McCain accusing bush of maligning his record with the military. McCain asked Kerry to withdraw it, Kerry acted like a gentlemen & did and McCain stabbed him in the back. McCain truly disgusts me.

[daleo]

31. The picture of McCain hugging Bush is a classic too. n/t

[juliagoolia]

32. This is who we need to MARCH OVER

WE NEED HIM GONE!@

Hell, I bet a pile of Republicans would join us!

[Angelique]

33. and I have no confidence in Mc Nut either..

I never bought into this guys game. I wouldn't trust him under any scenario!

[The Night Owl]

34. Fun with Freepers: Replace "Schwarzkopf" with "Clinton" in the article.

Post the following on Free Republic...

Hardball answers

Hillary Clinton, interviewed on MSNBC-TV’s “Hardball,” chided Rumsfeld for his reply to a soldier in Kuwait over the lack of armor on many military vehicles used in Iraq.

“I was very, very disappointed — no, let me put it stronger — I was angry by the words of the secretary of defense when he laid it all on the Army, as if he, as the secretary of defense, didn’t have anything to do with the Army and the Army was over there doing it themselves, screwing up,” Clinton said.

Clinton, a Democrat who campaigned against Bush in the last two presidential elections, has previously criticized Rumsfeld on several occasions as arrogant and out of touch with troops on the ground.

Monday, Clinton said the Defense Department had badly misjudged the situation in Iraq. Reserve forces were rushed into urban combat — “toughest kind of fighting” — without adequate training, and “things have gone awry.”

“In the final analysis, I think we are behind schedule” in Iraq, Clinton said. “... I don’t think we counted on it turning into jihad.”

Let the outraged responses mount and then lay the real article on them. Hilarity ensues. Post results here.