Bush could have said something similar to Rumsfeld's comments when asked about this. Though still a softer defense than what I would have wanted, he at least defended Gen. Boykin's right to freedom of speech and religion.
Rumsfeld said:
"We do know that he is an officer that has an outstanding record in the United States armed forces."
"There are a lot of things that are said by people that are their views, and that's the way we live. We are free people and that's the wonderful thing about our country, and I think for anyone to run around and think that can be managed or controlled is probably wrong."
Gen. Myers said:
"there is a very wide gray area on what the rules permit" but that "at first blush, it doesn't look like any rules were broken."
Bush does not have the guts to fire the general. Instead, he is trying to squeeze him out and put pressure on him to voluntarily resign. Is this the action of a man who is acting on principles or someone who is nothing but a two bit politician?