Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, a key target of Iraq war critics, is stepping down, Republican officials said on Wednesday.
Former CIA Director Robert Gates will replace him, Republican officials said.
Earlier today, a spokesman for Rumsfeld said he’d given no indication that he would step down in the wake of Democratic election gains. The spokesman said Rumsfeld would work with Congress on Iraq but added that the focus on stabilizing the country will remain the same.
Just a short lesson in political history. Bush I backed away from invading and occupying Baghdad because he feared exactly what happened when Bush II did so. His foreign policy advisor was Brent Scowcroft. Neocons hated him and Bush I for that decision. They held sway with Bush the Lesser.
Bob Gates was Scowcroft’s deputy.
Maybe that means everyone in the family is talking, again. Maybe little Bush is listening. I figure the best we can hope for — is the Aggies coming in last in the Big 12!
Walk away from Iraq. Let them have their uncivil war.
The best we can wish for is for them to kill each other, and for Iran and Syria to show their true colors.
What was this all about anyway? Surely not just Sadam.
Does anybody out there really know?
Not sure why people hate Rumsfeld so much. It wasn’t his decision to invade Iraq. He just fought two wars while transforming the military.
Scowcroft. has been the voice for Bush 41 in the “W”hitehouse. So maybe with Gates replacing Rumsfeld there will be more flexibility in trying to resolve the situation in Iraq. In any case, he certainly will face a monumental task. The decision to take the job is either very noble or this guy really, really misses being in the game.
Another thought, does anyone have an accurate body count of how many of Dumb’ya’s appointees have bailed on him since he was re-elected ? I also wonder how that record stacks up with previous administrations…Dems or ‘Pub’s ?
Looks like a fishy photo. Why has it been Photoshopped?
#32, I don’t know if you’re unaware or just purposely ignoring it, but Rumsfeld and some other very influential neocons were urging the active overthrow of Saddam’s regime as early as January 1998. If you look at the roster of Bush advisors when he came to power in 2001, you would know there was a predisposition for a military strike long before there was an excuse to invade. You know better than to try to diminish Rumsfeld’s role to something akin to servant.
Does anyone else see the resemblance to Mr.Dvorak? He makes that same face on Cranky Geeks.
#27 Explain to us why Condoleeza Rice should offer her resignation.
38. How about lying to the American People for starters.
Rumsfield and Bush supposedly decided he would go last week. But held off announcing until today. Maybe true, maybe not. If the Rep’s had held losses to a minimum, he would have stayed.
Gates is not only an old fashioned Conservative from Scowcrofts mold, but is also on the Baker group that will giving it’s Iraq ideas next week. Now THAT is interesting. Can anyone say….** 1 Iraq = 3 little Iraq’s**?
Also Montana has been called for Tester now. So the very best R’s can hope for is a tie in Senate. However all indications that even that meager hope will be crushed in the coming days.
And if the Dems do get control, then what. They acutaly have to do something now. Can’t blame, can’t complain, they have to perform. Lets see if they are up to the job of governing, instead of placing blame.
Mark, Condi was quite uneasy about the Iraq war when it was being discussed after 9/11, and during her time with the NSC she played a minor role in the decision making process. As Secretary of State she has accomplished several objectives such as being a mediator in the Palestinian peace process, rebuilding diplomatic relations with Europe, and fostering greater international support for the infant democracy in Iraq. She has been an invaluable asset towards providing a much more realistic ideology amoung a large group of neo-conservatives, and for this you should be thankful. Finally, Secretary Rice is an amazing individual who has accomplished goals in her life, far to many to list here, that few would have imagined possible when she was a child.
Dude, she ain’t bad on the cello. Aside from that, she’s accomplished squat in the Middle East and Europe. Which everyone in the Middle East and Europe is well aware of.
Ah, True Believers.
#38
Because she’s one of the Three Evil Musketeers™… Now that Rummy is gone, it’s only Bush and Rice left…
At this point all I see is an enabler of a President who has done nothing but lie to the people, make a mockery of the Constitution they BOTH SWORE to protect and defend, (that is an oath by the way), spit on the Bill of Rights and foster fear in anyone who opposes his lordship. For that, I will never forgive. They have broken their oath, Cheney, Rummy, W, Condi, all complicit, the Gang of Four.
this is definitely good news. Gates is more in the Elder Bush mode, so we may see some of that dreaded “realism” creeping into defense policy.
-Actually Moss she plays the piano, way to know the facts. Secondly, she has brought the major EU powers together to find a common goal in both the Iran nuclear issue and the Palestinian state (or lack thereof) issue. After the Iraq war, critics were saying that Europe/U.S. relations were destroyed, but yet this individual has brought all the major countries together with hopes of finding an optimum solution. Was Madeline Albright more effective, and if so why?
-Jager, would you care to elaborate more on that point?
-Mark, the people of this country are the enablers of President Bush’s policy as they voted him into office. More specifically, point out a few, concrete, examples of how Ms. Rice has broken the bill of rights or the constitution.
Got me, dude. The only pieces I ever heard were piano and cello — didn’t realize it was Yo-Yo Ma on cello.
No wonder it was so good. 🙂
But, really, calling together a meeting that accomplished nothing may be up to Bush’s standards; but, few Sec o’ State in the past — of either flavor — would consider these to be real accomplishments. She’s a messenger-girl. She’s the FedEx delivery guy for neocon bullies.
You may now return to that soft Philistine whine, endorsing any assault on the Bill of Rights by worrying at who actually carries the recording device?
mxpwr03 : I will get back to you on that, suffice it to say that if you have taken an oath to protect and defend the constitution, and do nothing while you superior systematically takes it apart, then you have broken your oath.
of course, now the only remaining question is – when is Rummy going to get the Medal of Freedom for his heck of a job in Iraq?
Yes Rumsfeld was pushing for war in Iraq years ago, but that had nothing to do with his job as Sec Def. which he handled very well. Last I checked, there were lots of people who pushed for war like the President, and Congress authorized it. I have more respect for guys like Jim Webb going after a Senator who voted for war, then people who go after a guy who has done a great job. By the way, the neocons were calling for Rumsfeld’s resignation in July 2001.
Why should Condoleeza Rice resign? How about because there are 1160 people, whose last names start with the letters “LeFluerber” at the State Department, more qualified for the job. If that’s not a good enough reason, she’s fourth in line for Presidential Succession. Is that bad because of her sex or race? No, it’s because anyone called upon to replace the President shouldn’t be a political flunky who’s chief qualification is, uh, er, uh, well being a political flunky.
#42, How about Rice resign because she stated in defense of the Iraq policy that while the strategy was right, we made too many tactical errors. In other words, the Administration planned correctly, but the troops and marines couldn’t do their jobs right.
The Mid-East? Not only does the Administration NOT have a policy, she waited until hundreds of civilians had been killed by Israel before deciding the war was a bad thing. The credit for stopping the war belongs more with Kofi Annan and the EU then does anything any American did.
European friendship? Where? Bush overspent any friendship he may have had and Rice hasn’t done anything to regain it.
If she is so good at her job, then we would expect some policy and allies. Because there is neither, she can’t be very good. Or maybe she is just good at not doing what she should be doing.
Goodbye Mr Rumsfeld. Judging from your picture, it looks like you got your little weenie in your fly. Don’t you just hate it when that happens.
Or worse, like when liberals mess with the truth as in that photo.
RBG
I am such a kneejerk liberal that I actually felt sorry for Rumsfeld when I heard the news.
This guy should be in his slippers, yelling at the neighborhood kids to keep off his lawn. It was insane to let him run two wars.
Now Rumsfeld can go to “the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat” and find those weapons of mass destruction. Or, he could go and erase those tapes of him shaking hands with Saddam (circa 19830
57. You’ll find those tapes next to the ones that show Joe Kennedy and a number of major U.S., and western diplomats, and business mogols shaking hands with Hitler.
Bush has already sent OJ to look for the WMD.
RBG
Correct, #58 RBG — there is plenty of inconvenient truth to go around on this issue. The Reagan administration’s rationale was that “the enemy of our enemy is our friend,” whereas the embrace of fascist ideas by certain American business moguls in the 1930’s was seen as a means to control labor and keep wealth in the correct hands.
Sometimes history almost seems like a broken record, playing the same old themes again and again.
59. While you may be absolutely right in your analysis, my point was far more prosaic in that I was attempting to merely point out that none of us necessarily really know who we are shaking hands with or what will become of that person later; not to mention that sometimes, for circumstantial, social, polite business or diplomatic reasons, we must shake hands. Does anybody know who are or what is behind all the people we give our money to when we buy products?
RBG