THE SHAMEFUL CRITICISM OF RUMSFELD

To The Point ^ | Thursday, December 16, 2004 | Jack Kelly

[Rennes Templar]

It's the nature of our times that good, courageous men will be villified. Media pronouncements to the contrary, good is winning.

[Slyfox]

Out of all the people in Washington, Donald Rumsfeld is probably the only one who is not working at his job for a his next job advancement. He certainly doesn't need the crap he's getting. He is doing the job because it needs to be done. I'd say he is a true stateman.

[Adrastus]

Once again the media and politicians put themselves in the spotlight as self-appointed experts. The last time I looked none of the worthies have spent any time whatever exposed to enemy fire and put to test the equipment our military have been issued. McCain is the only one who has been in harms way and that lo these many years ago. If memory serves, we just laid to rest one "expert" who hoped to ride into the White House on his real and imagined military history.

Ask the troops. The letter speaks volumns. Disregard the blather of ambitious politicians and media "experts."

[CyberAnt]

And .. none of us should be surprised Kristol has joined the McCain train - after all - wasn't Kristol involved with McCain's first campaign ..?? I think we will be seeing more and more of the return of the snotty comments from Kristol - at least until McCain is beaten to a pulp again (not physically - of course) but in the primaries for 2008.

[Cobra64]

Well, I have read Rummy's resume. It will blow yours, or anyone else's mind. It is, well, mind boggling. The man has so much experience, depth, experience and gravitas. He's not in this "game" for the money. He LOVES his country. He's 72 years old, and still smart as a tack. BTW, I wanted Rummy as Prez in 2000. W has a terrific cabinet; certainlty beats the Clinton bunch of bozos. Think back, y'all.

Cheers, and Merry CHRISTmas! Get those red bows and ribbons on your doors and windows. We have a lighted nativity on our front lawn.

[MisterRepublican]

I don't give a damn what the liberals and the RINOs think of Rumsfeld. I think he's doing an outstanding job.

[Cobra64]

I'd say he is a true stateman. Better than that, a true American.

[PhilDragoo]

PROFESSIONAL JERK
SENATOR JOHN McDAIN

WARNING: PROFESSIONAL JERK
DO NOT ATTEMPT

[dk/coro]

As an aside, I had the honor and privilege of a very close association with Adm. "BlackJack" McCain, Senator McCain's father, both when the Admiral was our UN Military Rep -- and later, when he was CincPac (1971-73).

The Admiral would be turning in his grave were he to observe his son displaying such craven hypocrisy and self-serving debasement of Secretary Rumsfeld -- and a fellow Naval Aviator, to boot.

I am so ashamed of John McCain's performance; and hold him in total contempt...along with Warner, Hagel, Snow, and Lott. What a despicable gaggle of second-rate pols!

[Proud Conservative2]

Thank you for posting this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Royal Wulff]

Here's all you (and Savage, and Lott, and all you other fair-weather Repubs) need to know about armorgate (from Powerline):

This press conference by Major General Stephen Speakes and several other officers, which took place on Wednesday, is worth reading in its entirety. The purpose of the press conference was to address the issue of "un-armored" vehicles that was raised by a National Guardsman in a question directed to Donald Rumsfeld a week or so ago. The overall impression I get is that the Army is responding appropriately to the risks posed by improvised explosive devices, and there is basically no story here.

The facts regarding the Guardsman's own unit also appear to be quite different from what has been reported:

The first point is that you'll recollect that one of the questions was the status of the 278 ACR; in other words, the date that we had the visit by the secretary of Defense, we had a question about their up-armoring status. When the question was asked, 20 vehicles remained to be up-armored at that point. We completed those 20 vehicles in the next day. And so over 800 vehicles from the 278 ACR were up-armored, and they are a part now of their total force that is operating up in Iraq.

Q On the 278th, can you repeat this? At the time the question was asked, the planted question, the unit had 784 of its 804 vehicles armored?

GEN. SPEAKES: Here is the overall solution that you see. And what we've had to do is -- the theater had to take care of 830 total vehicles. So this shows you the calculus that was used. Up north in Iraq, they drew 119 up-armored humvees from what we call stay-behind equipment. That is equipment from a force that was already up there. We went ahead and applied 38 add-on armor kits to piece of equipment they deployed over on a ship. They also had down in Kuwait 214 stay- behind equipment pieces that were add-on armor kits. And then over here they had 459 pieces of equipment that were given level-three protection. And so when you put all this together, that comes up with 830.

Q At the time of the question -- summarize this, now -- that unit that the kid was complaining about was mostly armored?

GEN. SPEAKES: Yes. In other words, we completed all the armoring within 24 hours of the time the question was asked.

Q If he hadn't asked that question, would the up-armoring have been accomplished within 24 hours?

GEN. SPEAKES: Yes. This was already an existing program.

It is remarkable that many Democrats are demanding that Rumsfeld resign over this teapot tempest.

[Mo1]

Does Kristol think there are no generals in the Army competent enough to whom to delegate responsibility for putting armor on Army vehicles? Is Rumsfeld derelict because he himself isn't welding rivets at the Hess-O'Gara plant outside Cincinnati?

That still wouldn't make them happy

[26lemoncharlie]

John IS aHero and its' TIME for him to retire quietly! As a Hero!

[Once-Ler]

Lately they have been joined by right-wingers who want someone to blame because we haven't won yet.

Really? Who are these right wingers?

The temerity of Clueless Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard, professional jerk Senator John McCain, and Senator Trent “Vacant” Lott,

These are right wingers? No. They are Republicans but they are not right wingers. I like all 3 men to some degree but they are wrong about Rummy.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. if he's your hero, that's fine .. but he's not my idea of a hero.

[fire_eye]

I'm trying to decide over what I should be more incredulous: the fact that anyone would attack Rumsfeld over this "Humvee Armor" issue, or the fact that some Republicans are actually taking it seriously. It's such an obvious leftist attack tactic (the "leftists" unfortunately including, as usual, the deranged, egomaniacal Senator McPain) that one would expect it to just be ignored - and it *will* blow over soon, as is the case with all of the impotent, pathetic forays by the leftist media of late.

Please, liberals. Abu Ghraib is dead, and there's no substitute on the horizon. Get over it. You're boring. Go perform a Wiccan sacrifice to get yourselves a new issue. Or something...

[malia]

John McCain missed that bus.

[nightdriver]

"....Senator Trent “Vacant” Lott....."

Completely lacking in huevos as well! LOL!!

[lainde]

Wonderful article...Thanks for posting!