Here's Donny! In His Defense, a Show Is Born (NYTs headline) LOL

[IChing]

WASHINGTON, April 18 — It has become a daily ritual, the defense of the defense secretary,
complete with praise from serving generals,
tributes from the president and, from the man on the spot, doses of charm, combativeness and even some humility.


"There are no indispensable men," Mr. Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon.

But the Bush administration sought to drive home the message that Mr. Rumsfeld was not going anywhere,
no matter what critics might desire.
But the Bush administration sought to drive home the message that Mr. Rumsfeld was not going anywhere, no matter what critics might desire.

Again, Gen. Peter Pace of the Marines, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was at Mr. Rumsfeld's side, a visual prop to counter the message from a half-dozen or so retired generals that Mr. Rumsfeld should step down.

President Bush, having defended Mr. Rumsfeld on Friday from Camp David, had appeared before the cameras hours earlier, to make the case in person.

>>>>>>snip http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/19/washington/19rumsfeld.html?ex=1303099200&en=4c2f263db2cd935e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
on note:
I know this sorta a repeat but gotta love the headline

[LynnTheDem]

1. "There are no indispensable men," Yeah Donny, they're FUNGIBLE.

You MFer.

[IChing]

3. Including the one's that are dieing in Iraq

Obviously on how you treat our troops and have run this war.

Each life is indispensable you asshat, war criminal

[northzax]

2. right, which generals to listen to?

the retired ones with nothing to lose, or the ones still under UCMJ discipline?

hm, I can't decide.

[saigon68]

8. That War Criminal Myers was on TV

His face was so deeply embedded to Rumdumb's crotch, he had a hard time coming up for air.

[calimary]

4. Every time I heard that soundbite I thought "Yeah, there aren't, pal.

And neither are you. OR anybody else around there, either."

[rodeodance]

5. "6,000 or 7,000 retired generals and admirals"--whow--large # ??

... The appearances have been layered with the verbal flair, acerbic wit and defiant touches that Mr. Rumsfeld has made his trademark. But on Tuesday, there was also an uncharacteristic flash of humility — an olive twig, if not a branch — from a man better known for his combativeness.

Mr. Rumsfeld, who has said he offered to resign two times after the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, said he was "not inclined to be instantaneously judgmental" about what his critics were now saying, a message that has included complaints that his headstrong style causes him to disregard much of what anyone in a uniform tells him.

"Because of the importance of these matters being discussed, I'd like to reflect on them a bit," Mr. Rumsfeld said.

Within minutes, though, he said the views of the six generals who had called for his resignation were hardly representative, noting that the nation's 6,000 or 7,000 retired generals and admirals were not "unanimous on anything."

[rodeodance]

6. Rummy's listening session is sure getting a lot of press.

.....

There are signs that the efforts to keep Republicans from defecting are working. On Tuesday, Representative Duncan Hunter, the California Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued a news release taking on Mr. Rumsfeld's critics point by point. The statement notes that the secretary had 273 meetings with senior commanders last year, illustrating "that Secretary Rumsfeld respects and relies on the judgment of the Pentagon's uniformed leadership."

After taking questions for a half-hour, Mr. Rumsfeld went to meet the retired military officers and civilian analysts. Many of those invited comment regularly on CNN, Fox News and other television and radio outlets and are part of the same community that is proving a problem for the secretary.

In past meetings with the group, Mr. Rumsfeld has opened with lengthy statements. This time he said he would go straight to questions, participants said. He was asked about the criticism, said Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Wilkerson, who retired from the Marines and who attended the meeting.

[rodeodance]

7. "He said it's a diversion'-----He is dissing it in other words.

.....In past meetings with the group, Mr. Rumsfeld has opened with lengthy statements. This time he said he would go straight to questions, participants said. He was asked about the criticism, said Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Wilkerson, who retired from the Marines and who attended the meeting.

"He said it's a diversion, and that it's taken him away from the full-time focus on things he needs to do," he said. Mr. Rumsfeld "was not chastened. If anything, he looked like he was energized by it."

[onager]

9. Oh, WAAAH. A pity party...

"He said it's a diversion, and that it's taken him away from the full-time focus on things he needs to do," he said.

:nopity:

The only thing he "needs to do" is pack his toothbrush for a trip to The Hague.