So, Rumsfeld is finally out. Anyone else suspicious that this was planned and waiting in the wings? That the White House wants to a) steal the Democrats’ thunder on their day of victory and b) wants to rewrite history to say that their strategy for the war was never “stay the course,” but that they are willing to make changes?
Obviously, this was already decided some time ago, and put into action the moment that it appeared that Congress was about to swing to the Dems. My suspicions were twigged yesterday when the White House announced a press conference for 1pm today, something they had obviously planned in advance. And now we know what the announcement will be.
Just as an historical footnote, check out this article which appeared in this morning’s Washington Post:
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the face of U.S. war policy and a lightning rod for critics worldwide, will not be forced out just because he faces a tougher time from resurgent Democrats.
But voters’ repudiation of the Iraq war might cause President George W. Bush to decide life would be easier without Rumsfeld around. Some insiders and analysts believe that could happen, despite Bush’s declaration last week that he planned to keep Rumsfeld in the job.
The Democrats’ victory in the House of Representatives almost certainly ensures investigations into the Pentagon’s management of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some Democratic strategists and congressional staff predict Rumsfeld will be not around for the grilling.
Political insiders on both sides of the party divide also expect Democrats to put even more pressure on Bush now to replace Rumsfeld if he does not voluntarily quit. They demanded he be fired when they had no power in Washington.
Senior and former officials close to Rumsfeld say he will not be driven out by Democrats throwing their weight around in Congress. He has repeatedly said he would not quit, and defense officials say criticism makes Rumsfeld dig in his heels.
“He’s not resigning,” said one of those officials. “He’s best when he’s criticized.”
… Another defense official acknowledged the 74-year-old Rumsfeld was “tired” but called him a “patriot” who would not leave unless asked.
“If the president says, ‘Well Don…,’ he’ll leave in a second,” the official said.
That’s what some administration officials say to expect.
Rather than squashing speculation about Rumsfeld’s future, some said Bush’s strong statement of support set the stage for the defense secretary to depart without appearing to have been pushed.
“Appearances in Washington are often the precise opposite of what is actually transpiring,” said Loren Thompson, a Lexington Institute defense analyst with close ties to the military. “In this case, a vote of confidence from the president may make it easier for Rumsfeld to depart.”
If there was really justice in this world Rumsfeld would be whisked away in the middle of the night and sent to a secret prison in an undisclosed location, held with out being charged, denied legal representation and water boarded till he spilled his guts on all the illegal crap this administration has been doing for the last six years. When his family asks where he is, the government should answer “That information is a matter of “National Security” on a need to know basis and, you don’t need to know.