The most important things to remember about Rummy and Bush

[Atman]

NPR summed it up perfectly this morning; Bush doesn't want Rummy to resign because it would supply red meat to his critics. IOW, America, our reputation, our money, our safety, and the lives of our soldiers are all secondary to Bush's EGO. It may well be the best thing for him to resign, but what if someone says "neener neener neener, told ya so!" to Commander Bunnypants? We just can't have that now, can we?

As for Rummy, those on the inside of BushCo aren't calling for his resignation because he is doing exactly what PNAC mapped out. He isn't doing anything wrong. He and Cheney and Jebbie, et al (but curiously -- or incuriously -- not W) invented this strategy, and are determined to stick with it, and so far, with the exception of the deaths of some dark skinned foreigners, their plan for a permanent presence in the Middle Eastern oil fields, while not going along exactly as intended, is nonetheless relative on-target.

Why should Rummy resign when he is doing just what he was charged with doing?

[ginnyinWI]

1. removing Rummy would break up the "act"

They're like the Three Stooges:

Cheney is Moe--the meanest and the idea man--but he's only smart by comparison with the other two.

Rummy is Larry--a nasty disposition and stupid solutions to problems!

Bush is Curly --so stupid that he's funny. Says strange words. Makes strange faces. Has a temper!

[0007]

2. LOL!! You got it right, but don't forget the back room players

that applaud these three morans on.

[Redstone]

3. Good Lord, I think you've got it! Good analogy there. Perfect, in fact.

Redstone

[Mandate My Ass]

10. OMG!

The 3 stooges are running the show. I don't know whether to :rofl: or :cry:

:shrug:

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Bush has defended Rumsfeld for so long that to accept his

resignation now would be admitting to making a mistake. This would be totally out of character for Bush and I don't expect it will happen, unless something comes up that makes it necessary for Rumsfeld to step down due to a life threatening illness, or something similar. If it does happen, it can't look as though it was because Bush was pressured into taking action.

[billybob537]

5. Keep tuned in

you'll know it's over when Bush says "your doing a heck of a job Rummy".
Oh wait he already said that, SEE YA RUMMY.

[warrior1]

6. insider?

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1845896

[ginnyinWI]

7. now that was interesting!

Makes you go "hmmm..."

What I find most credible is the prez being on massive anti-depressants. And probably Laura as well...

[tiptoe]

8. kick & rec! (meanwhile..."West Point grads" + retired generals...)

West Point Grads against the war! It's happening! April 13, 2006

Rumsfeld Faces Growing Revolt by Retired Generals By DAVID S. CLOUD, ERIC SCHMITT and THOM SHANKER, NYTimes, April 13, 2006

...
Today, Maj. Gen. Charles H. Swannack Jr., who led troops on the ground in Iraq as recently as 2004 as the commander of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, became the fifth retired senior general in recent days to issue a public call for Mr. Rumsfeld's ouster.

"We need to continue to fight the global war on terror and keep it off our shores," General Swannack said in an interview. "But I do not believe Secretary Rumsfeld is the right person to fight that war based on his absolute failures in managing the war against Saddam in Iraq."

A second former Army commander in Iraq, Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who led the 1st Infantry Division, publicly broke ranks with Mr. Rumsfeld on Wednesday. In recent weeks, Gen. Anthony C. Zinni and Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold, who both retired from the Marines, and Maj. Gen. Paul D. Eaton, who retired from the Army, have also spoken against Mr. Rumsfeld.

Several former generals involved said that while they were unaware of any an organized effort to bring down Mr. Rumsfeld, other officers critical of Mr. Rumsfeld were exchanging e-mail messages and telephone calls with one another, weighing the pros and cons of going public.
...

More Retired Generals (6) Call for Rumsfeld's Resignation (April 14, 2006)


Disgruntled "Generals Criticize Handling of Iraq War" April 13, 2006

...
JIM LEHRER: So where do you fit Don Rumsfeld into that then? He's one person. Everybody wants him to -- you guys want him to go. So what are you saying to me?

MAJ. GEN. JOHN BATISTE: I think an honorable man would take account, be responsible for what he did, and step down.

JIM LEHRER: What would you say to a skeptic who would say, "Wait a minute, General. One secretary of defense is solely responsible for everything that's gone wrong in Iraq, and there is nothing that any of you military leaders could do about it on the ground?"

MAJ. GEN. JOHN BATISTE: I didn't say that. What I'm saying is that the strategic underpinnings of this war can be traced back in policy to the secretary of defense. He built it the way he wanted it.

JIM LEHRER: Do you expect Secretary Rumsfeld to do what you want him to do?

MAJ. GEN. JOHN BATISTE: I have no idea.

JIM LEHRER: I mean, do you...

MAJ. GEN. JOHN BATISTE: He's his own man.

JIM LEHRER: Is that a bottom line for you? Have you talked to these other generals about this? Is this an organized effort?

MAJ. GEN. JOHN BATISTE: You know, surprisingly, it's not, not at all. We haven't talked; this is all spontaneous.

JIM LEHRER: Did you talk about it at the time when you were on active duty in private?

MAJ. GEN. JOHN BATISTE: Sure. We were all disgruntled.

[pacalo]

9. Here are the six generals...

From left:

(1)Major General Paul D. Eaton

(2)General Anthony C. Zinni

(3)Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold

(4)Major General John Batiste

(5)Major General John Riggs

(6)Major General Charles H. Swannack Jr.

And possibly more to come...

But there were also signs that the spate of retired generals calling for Mr. Rumsfeld's departure was not finished. Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper, who is retired from the Marine Corps, said in an interview Thursday he had received a telephone call from another retired general who was weighing whether to publicly join the calls for Mr. Rumsfeld's dismissal.

"He was conflicted, and when I hung up I didn't know which way he was going to go," General Van Riper said.

I have to include this paragraph from page 1...

"Are the floodgates opening?" asked one retired Army general, who drew a connection between the complaints and the fact that President Bush's second term ends in less than three years. "The tide is changing, and folks are seeing the end of this administration."

NYTimes article