[Momaw Nadon]

After all of the cr@p that Rummy has had to put up with over the past couple of days, I want him to know that he is doing a great job as Secretary of Defense and he is now and always will be one of my favorite people in the George W. Bush Administration.

There are good days and there are rough days, and I want to let Secretary Rumsfeld know that I support him each and every day.

I'm not the most eloquent FReeper out there, but these are my sentiments.

[Sunshine Sister]

Rummy, you have my support also. I wish this stuff didn't happen, but it did. Now lets get on with winning the war and please blow off the idiots in what they like to call the media. None of those blowhards can hold a candle stick to you! And you can tell them I said so with your best sarcasm!

[dead]

Rummy rocks. Him and Cheney.

[AFPhys]

Rummy Rocks !!!

Way to go, man!

You are so cool under fire !!!

[Sam's Army]

Stand tall, Rummy!

[joanie-f]

How about adding your valued opinions to this thread? :)

Been out in the sticks for the last couple of days, and pretty much away from news reports.  I can’t believe how many notches this prisoner abuse story has ratcheted up in just forty-eight hours time.  When one isolates herself for a couple of days, it results in a brand new perspective on just how frantically busy the media and left-leaning members of congress are trying to create a topple-Bush issue.

Haven’t the time to read all of the no doubt insightful posts on the topic that have been written in the interim, so please forgive any (very probable, knowing the way people around here think) repetition, but I would like to offer a few of my own (entirely random) thoughts before calling it a day …

There are 130,000 American troops in Iraq.  The perpetrators of this prison abuse may number possibly two dozen (?).  One doesn’t need a calculator to figure out that the out-of-control soldiers represent roughly .02% of American troops on Iraqi soil.  Statisticians would call that representation statistically insignificant.  But apparently the leftists in the media and in congress never took a course in statistics.

Most of my friends are very good parents who have put the welfare of their children before everything else in their lives – and who have sought, more than anything else, to instill in them a sense of responsibility, self discipline, independent thought, faith, honesty, work ethic, and respect for others.  And yet, in a few isolated cases, a child has turned out ‘bad’ – despite all of the positive, caring input that was involved in his nurturing.    To heap criticism on those parents, and hold them forever responsible for their bad child, would be ludicrous.  How much more ludicrous is it to hold our Secretary of Defense responsible for the indiscretions of .02% of the soldiers under his charge?

The war in Iraq involves many unique considerations.  President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld inherited a military/intelligence complex that had been severely weakened and restricted during the previous administration.  The repercussions of intelligence weaknesses have become evident on many fronts.  Military counterterrorism interrogation and detention procedures surely were not honed to perfection when Bush took office, and most probably had even been dealt a serious blow during those preceding eight years.  As a result, I think we have reason to suspect that the training of prison guards, the standards, command policies, and the general prison/detention climate is probably not optimum.  But in war you work with what you have.

Nowhere do I believe that the abusive prisoner treatment as recorded, photographed and videoed was ordered from above.  Perhaps too much discretion or confusion is allowed in procedure.  But I believe that 99.98% of our men/women in uniform would innately know that the abuse as inflicted on the prisoners in the photographs we have all seen was unacceptable.  Unfortunately .02% did not.

To assert that the man at the top should take the fall for a couple of dozen of those in the ranks whose baser instincts led them to reject civilized behavior is ludicrous. But apparently the leftists in the media and in congress never took a course in simple logic.

Arriving home tonight, I heard snippets of the Rumsfeld hearings on the news.  I heard leftists in congress painfully referring to the ‘anguish and discomfort’ they felt upon hearing the prison abuse reports and seeing the photographs and videos.

I don’t believe these hang-wringers.  Not for a moment.  I believe that the huge majority of leftists see these reports as a chance to get the President.  And they have six full months until November – plenty of time to build this prison abuse crusade into a Watergate II.  Their ‘anguish and discomfort’ was short lived, at best (completely non-existent, at worst) and was replaced by a rubbing of the hands together in a flash vision of the distinct possibility of enlisting the complicit media in an event that may eventually be dubbed Abu-Ghraib–gate (i.e., the partisan tarring and feathering of a President for an occurrence which, if perpetrated by one of their own kind, would have resulted in merely a yawn and an ‘I’ve got more important things with which to concern myself.  Stop bothering me with insignificance.’)

Apparently many of these same leftists in the media and in congress were asleep during Waco, Ruby Ridge, Bosnia, the sale of sensitive missile and satellite technology to China, criminal perjury, obstruction of justice, Vince Foster’s murder, offenses against Kathleen Wiley and Juanita Broaddrick, Haiti, Monica-gate, Whitewater … I’ll stop here -- my typing fingers are wearing out.

When a democrat inhabits the White House, past Republican presidents, and Republican members of congress generally consider it un-statesmanlike -- not to mention unpatriotic, and a threat to our national unity and resolve -- to criticize the Commander in Chief during times of international crisis.  When the shoe is on the other foot, past democrat presidents, and democrat members of congress are extremely vocal, and often place political and international considerations before those of American unity, resolve and success.  Republicans would never have clamored for an Armed Services committee hearing the likes of which we heard today as a war on terrorism was being prosecuted.  Republicans would have assumed that the investigations that are being carried out would be thorough, and that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.  They would have remained unified behind the President, and would have voiced any major concerns only after the war wound down.

As they did (successfully) forty years ago, the growing population of leftists in our government is attempting to extract us from a war of which they disapprove by degrading and undermining those who are in leadership positions, both in the field and in Washington – and by using the complicit mainstream media to hammer their propaganda home.

Perhaps too much of the publicity and criticism is being heaped on Lynndie England.  But, despite her age, she enjoys free will.  I don’t know many twenty-one years olds who would not have innately known that her behavior was wrong – even if it only involved ‘posing’ for a camera.  I can tell you that, at twenty-one, I myself would have risked dishonorable discharge or court martial before complying with any of what went on – even if some of it were posed.  She (and all of the others involved – whether as pawns or decision-makers) needs to be severely disciplined.  Even taking into account the limitations under which the troops are working, the crucial lack of personal character that resulted in this scandal will have severe ramifications on the war effort (the leftists among us will see to that), and on the morale of the rest of our troops.  That is what troubles me far more than the mistreatment of the Iraqi prisoners.

Listening to taped portions of the Rumsfeld hearing tonight, my mind somehow conjured up a vision of a lion being interrogated by a swarm of self-righteous gnats.  In some ways it’s unfortunate that we here in America don’t live by the law of the jungle.  Here in America many of our ‘progressive’ definitions and legalisms require that the lion’s hands be tied, and the gnats be provided with microphones.  And only those who can see through that surreal arrangement realize where the real courage and integrity lie.

~ joanie

[toomanygrasshoppers]

History will look favorably on Sec. Rumsfield and the Bush administration. Thank you Secretary Rumsfield. We appreciate the tremendous sacrifice that you are making. I've been watching the Senate/House proceedings today. You are a man with class and bravery. Ditto for Gen. Myers.

[Salem]

I have shared it with people before, but again, the very first time SOD Rumsfeld "got my complete attention" was at one of the initial press briefings as the war against the Taliban thugocracy in Afghanistan was getting underway and the press was starting their standard "undermine the American nation at every opportunity" campaign once again.

He was fielding a question from one of the press jackals about Osama Bin Laden and American policy and he shot back, "It has been the policy of the United States government to find Osama Bin Laden dead or alive. Preferably dead!"

Or words pretty close to that. I fell off my chair. After eight years of Clinton press BS and double-talk, Rumsfeld was like getting a bucket of ice water dumped on you.

I would strongly urge the Bush Administration to continue defend Rumsfeld vigorously.

Vigorously!

Secretary Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld:
America's answer to Osama Bin Laden, et.al.
GO RUMMY!!

"We take the world like you find it; and Israel is a small state with a small population. It’s a democracy and it exists in a neighborhood that in many -- over a period of time has opined from time to time that they’d prefer it not be there and they’d like it to be put in the sea. And Israel has opined that it would prefer not to get put in the sea, and as a result, over a period of decades, it has arranged itself so it hasn’t been put in the sea."

"There are many people in that part of the world who'd love to shove Israel into the sea, and not have it be there, and until people are willing to accept the presence of Israel, Israel obviously is not going to be able to make a deal."






If you'd like to be on or off this
Christian Supporters of Israel ping list,
please FR mail me. ~
    
There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had
spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. (Joshua 21:45)
Letter To The President In Support Of Israel ~
'Final Solution,' Phase 2 ~
Warnings ~

[NeoCaveman]

Good job today Mr. Secretary!!!!!!!!!

Way to make both the Democrats and perfidious RINO's look lame.

[adam_az]

Rumsfeld is one of the most capable SecDef we have ever had.

We are all lucky that he is willing to serve. I don't think there's a more capable man for the job alive.

[LisaMalia]

To Secretary Rumsfeld: In the words of the immortal John "Duke" Wayne...."Don't let the ba$stards get you down!"

[Vision]

God Bless you Secretary Rumsfeld

[Gypssy]

I have more respect for that man enduring what he did today. He is a better person than I.

[Graymatter]

>>I want to let Secretary Rumsfeld know that I support him each and every day. I'm not the most eloquent FReeper out there, but these are my sentiments.

I'm in the same boat. I can't even fax. But Rumsfeld's the best.

Just wish he and the rest would quit treating the Dems like loyal opposition, worthy of respect. They're not. The Bush administration is getting gnawed to death by rats.

[Conservative4Ever]

Rummy can hold his own against any cr@ap the dems care to dish out. This guy won't back down. Thank God for someone who won't crumble when the heat is on. The dems must be really desperate for the vicious attacks to the Bush Admin of late. Sorry the Iraqi pics aren't that big a deal. Stupid, but not that big a deal. This is war people!What I would like to know is where they came from and have they been doctored. Go Rummy.....Go Bush.

Red

[America's Resolve]

I think Secretary Rummy is doing a helluva job!

God Bless him, God Bless our troops and God Bless America!!!

[Wait4Truth]

You are a blessing to this country, Mr. Secretary. We are with you all the way.

[Momaw Nadon]

Did you see Duke Cunningham? (vanity)

[Libertina]

I love this smart, brave, take-no-nonsense man. Rummy/Condi for President someday. It looks as if the rats just want to destroy anyone they believe might have a chance of running in the future. For ANY Republican positions.

[tiki]

Rummy is the best. Colin can't hold a candle to him.

The one thing I really appreciate about him is that he is a real person not a political butt boy.

[pieces of time]

I love Rummy for attempting to re-organize the bureacracy of the Pentagon. I'm sure that's why someone leaked the classified information to the media - knife in the back.

Love him for the outstanding prosecution of two wars.

Most of all, love him for making Kennedy, Levin and Clinton look like the imbiciles they are.