Posted on 06/03/2004 10:40:27 AM PDT by NorCoGOP
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Because of the tortures and murders at the Abu Ghraib prison, Donald Rumsfeld must resign. He must leave his position as U.S. Secretary of Defense for the good of his boss, his war, his department and his country. And if he does not, Bush must fire him, which would be a rare demonstration for this administration of the rule that officials are responsible for their wrong actions. Mr. President: there comes a time when blind loyalty, however pigheaded, comes to a fault. That time is now.
Sticking by your dad's friends is high virtue, but when this individual (A) deserves the boot, and (B) damages the administration and nation's credibility while in office, walking papers are required. Like crazy Old Yeller, who was loyal and faithful but eventually dangerous, Donald Rumsfeld needs to be put down by his master.
But what for? Rumsfeld didn't order the war crimes at Abu Ghraib; he didn't condone them like Rush Limbaugh; rather, he publicly denounced them. And let us assume that it was sheer oversight on his part that Abu Ghraib -- a place of absolute evil and symbol for the Hussein regime in Iraq -- was not only not demolished but used to house Iraqi prisoners. Let us forget his dodging of the Geneva Convention, his shocking disregard for handling the unpleasant realities of the job. Perhaps Rumsfeld is a victim of the entire affair -- also tortured, but by the media. No matter. Rumsfeld must resign for two very simple reasons: It will show the world the right side of American character, and it is in line with our society's concept of personal responsibility. For the sake of not only preserving our values but also actively practicing them in front of the world, when we badly need proof that we're not self-righteous hypocrites: the secretary has to leave.
Iraqis and other Middle Easterners have grown up under brutal governments where the rulers did whatever evil they pleased and were not held responsible; they got away with more daily injustice than Donald Trump's toupee consultant. And now here come the Americans, saying things are different.
But boy, it sure doesn't look that way, does it? So much for winning over Iraqi hearts and minds. Rumsfeld, by staying right where he is, sends a message that our preaching of individual responsibility is a sham, that Bush's cronies are as above the law as Saddam was.
America celebrates the individual like no other nation. But the price of personal freedom is responsibility. We live in a country where editors of both The New York Times and USA Today resigned, not for any personal crime, but because lies had been told under their watch. That's all. I read those same papers and I see stories of CEOs and captains of industry who surrender administration, not because they had overlooked murder, rapes, and beatings, but because their underlings stole vast sums of money. If we apply this high standard to the rest of our country, why wouldn't we put it to the man right below the president? Rumsfeld is not directly responsible, but he helped to create the culture in which Abu Ghraib flourished. And he has told us there is worse to come. Given that he has known of it since he woke up at the wheel in January, I take him at his word. He knows this, yet shamelessly, he remains.
Rumsfeld has already damned himself, and now he's damning the rest of us and every American soldier who has to walk a street in Baghdad or Tikrit at night. Mr. Rumsfeld, it's time for you to go.
Maybe President Bush should tell everyone that the only way he will fire Rumsfeld is if Limbaugh gets to take his place.
And for my family's safety.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!
Abu Ghraib is under control.
I see no need for Rumsfeld to resign.
That said, I wish he'd beef up the size of the army to about 15 divisions.
Rumsfeld had nothing to do with the screwups at the prison, which were mostly the responsibility of a lady Brigadier General who has failed to keep proper discipline in her command. If anyone is to blame it's clinton, for his policy of promoting incompetents in order to meet the PC quotas and please his liberal base.
Why do I get the feeling that the writer doesn't truly have the best interests of the President at heart.
murders????
Am I missing something here? I've only heard about abuse...abuse...abuse...abuse...abuse...abuse.....
The entire article is such circular gibberish, you could just as well replace Rumsfeld with any other name. OK, so Rumsfeld didn't order the behavior, in fact he condemned it in the strongest popular terms, but America celebrates the individual like no other society .... yada yada yada. Pure BS
No you are you Putz. By making the story stay on the front pages for 3 weeks now, you and other media types are the ones that dishonor the 99.99999999% of the soldiers that are doing the right thing in Iraq.
Oh, and your childish digs such as your daddy's friends and Rush Limbaugh condoning the prision "abuse" is tranparent, leftist maggot! There now I too can get my tantrun over with.
What tortures at murders at Abu Ghraib? Sheesh!
Bull!
With the resignation of George Tenet, the Bush detractors will start another round of the standard Librat rhetoric calling for Rumsfeld, Rice and Ashcroft to resign.
Tenet should never have stepped down. Bad move.
Go, Rummie!
Hey, Jason! Your Women's Studies class starts in 10 minutes! Now, quick, run off to class or you'll be late! You know how Ms. Turkleson gets when youre late for class!
The libs/dem got their trophy head today with Tenet's resignation.
Now, they have the taste of blood. They will be harping on more resignations--from Rumsfeld, from Rice, from Ashcroft, from Cheney, from whomever else they can taint.
It is 5 months until the election. It ain't gonna get any easier. The libs/dems have tasted blood and they will dig all the dirt they can in the next 5 months.
It's going to stay rocky. Fasten your seatbelts and hang on.
If Bush dumps Rummy, Bush is toast.
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