Posted on 12/20/2004 12:47:54 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Accused of being insensitive to U.S. soldiers in Iraq (news - web sites) and their families, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld received a fresh endorsement Monday from President Bush (news - web sites), who called him "a caring fellow."
"I have heard the anguish in his voice and seen his eyes when we talk about the danger in Iraq and the fact that youngsters are over there in harm's way," Bush said at a White House news conference.
Congressional criticism of Rumsfeld has increased in recent weeks, with lawmakers of both parties accusing him of appearing indifferent to soldiers' pleas for more armored vehicles. Some have complained about his use of a mechanical device to sign condolence letters to military families whose loved ones have died in battle, rather than signing them himself.
"My goodness, that's the least that we could expect of the secretary of defense, is having some personal attention paid by him," Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record), R-Neb. said Sunday. Rumsfeld said last week he will personally sign letters in the future.
Bush, who personally signs condolence letters, was asked why he was willing to overlook Rumsfeld's failure to do the same.
"I know Secretary Rumsfeld's heart," Bush said. "I know how much he cares for the troops," adding that Rumsfeld and his wife visit hospitalized soldiers "all the time to provide comfort and solace."
He said beneath Rumsfeld's "rough and gruff, no-nonsense demeanor is a good human being who cares deeply about the military and deeply about the grief that war causes."
Rumsfeld's tough demeanor made him hugely popular after the Sept. 11 attacks and during the military campaigns to topple the Taliban government in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime in Iraq.
But the substance of Rumsfeld's performance also has come in for severe criticism.
Many say false prewar assumptions about Iraq and a lack of planning for postwar operations led to the problems seen in Iraq today. As casualties mounted in Iraq, some lawmakers viewed Rumsfeld as arrogantly dismissive of their concerns that the Pentagon (news - web sites) wasn't providing enough troops to stop the growing insurgency. Some Democrats called for his resignation after revelations of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners created an international furor.
In recent weeks, several Senate Republicans have questioned whether Rumsfeld should resign. But powerful senators, including Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., say Rumsfeld should stay.
The committee's top Democrat, Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, has declined to call for Rumsfeld's resignation, blaming Bush's war policies for problems in Iraq.
"If I thought those policies would change by changing the secretary of defense, I'd be all for it," Levin said on CNN. "But I don't see that that is the ticket to policy changes."
Asked what Rumsfeld needs to do to rebuild lawmakers' trust, Bush said the secretary will "continue to reach out to members of the Hill, explaining the decisions he's made."
"And I believe that in the new term, members of the Senate and the House will recognize what a good job he's doing," Bush said. ___
On the Net:
Defense Department: http://www.dod.gov
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov
The Senate: http://www.senate.gov
President George W. Bush (news - web sites) defended growing criticism of his embattled Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, during a years-end press conference at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex, in Washington, Monday, Dec. 20, 2004. Bush declared of Rumsfeld, I know Secretary Rumsfelds heartHes a good, decent man. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) (L) with US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch. Bush admitted that Iraqi forces were not ready to replace US-led troops and warned that Iraqi elections set for January 30 would not spell the end of deadly violence there.(AFP/File/Luke Frazza)
And that's a good thing.
Embattled by who? The MSM? Give me a break!
In this photo provided by Meet The Press, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (news - web sites) Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., left, listens as Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., talks about Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during a taping of 'Meet the Press' at the NBC Studios Sunday, Dec. 19, 2004 in Washington. (AP Photo/Meet The Press, Alex Wong)
In this photo provided by CBS News, Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record), R-Neb., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, appears on CBS' Face the Nation where he expressed his lack of confidence in Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2004. Hagel is a Vietnam veteran and joins other leading Republicans who think Rumsfeld has not done a good job managing the war in Iraq (news - web sites), but says the decision on whether to replace him is up to President Bush (news - web sites). (AP Photo/CBS News, Karin Cooper)
http://www.neoperspectives.com/rumsfeld.htm
Rumsfeld quotes for Rumsfeld fans.
Agreed. No one since Patton has been as successful at killing bad guys. I'm very glad to see the President come out for Rumsfeld. So what if the prisses thought Rumsfeld was not "sensitive" enough. I don't want him to be sensitive, I want him to be lethal.
Please have more respect for Patton. That is not a reflection on Rumsfeld but Patton is in a different league than Rumsfeld. Patton's legacy is hard to match, I doubt if we ever have a commander that will equal his.
Answer: Three winners: 1. Terrorists 2. Democrats 3. John McCain
Three good reasons to keep Rumsfeld.
If the rats, the rinos Chuck Hagel and John McCain are against him, it means that Rummy is good for the country.
That's all I meant.
Did Rummy serve in combat?
Of course that depends on the replacement. Tommy Franks anyone?
Wasn't he a navy flier in the late 1950's?
Exactly! The libs are trying anything to get traction out of that non-story and it's been going on for too long as it is. I guess since they don't have any new "The sky is falling, the sky is falling..." stories they're glomming onto this.
Oh well, desperate minds, desparate actions. I think Zarqawi can put our libs to work over there in Iraq if they don't have anything better to do right now.
I think the crux of the matter is that Rummy is taking the fall, he is being used as the scapegoat for the Iraq war not going well,than the Marines saying that they dont have armor,Hagel and a lot of the Senators are blaming him for all of that plus not having an exit strategy.
It actually all started with the prisoners being abused and than it went on to not signing the letters and now Hagel comes out with, he blames Rumsfeld for Iraq's failures.
Handwriting on the wall for him or does he have staying power?
Did Mickey Mouse?
When I hear this stuff the last few days about Rumsfeld, I think of him rescuing people from the burning Pentagon before his body guards finally made him quit.
Hagel and others are grandstanding. The war in Iraq has gone far better than anyone expected, but these folks see an opening to hype themselves at the expense of Rummy and Bush and they are going for it. They ought to be expelled from the Republican party. I wonder how quiet McCain would get if he was quickly banished from his leadership positions and cut off from RNC funding.
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