Mr. Donald Rumsfield and the Condolence Letters.

[massgopguy]

I'd like to find out from the Pentagon how many families of KIA's Rumsfeld has personally called and how many wounded has he visited at Walter Reed.

[Americanwolf]

The liberals are using this as a rallying point to try to get rumsfield removed... The don't care one iota about the troops at least in regards to this... They think this is a political scandal that they can use to try to oust Rummy.. It is a bad move on their part.

[ken5050]

With respect..you're missing the point..the "flap" aboutthese letters is part of an attempt to take Rummy down..rather, to force Bush to replace him..it could have been anything. Rummy is NOT at fault here..rather his staffer who OK the use of the auto-pen. Rummy probably never even realizzed that he wasn't persoanlly signing all the codolence letters..the man has a lot on his plate..and a brutal schedule...Nevertheless, what makes the guy, IMHO, a GREAT SecDef..is that instead of blaming the oversight on a staffer, he stepped up and took responsibility..said it was his faulty. That's what leaders do..

[Dogrobber]

Liberals only care about the military when it suits their purposes. Here in my City the only thing that seems to concern our liberal protesters is the body count - how many have died.

Alive, military servicemen and women are to be derided and scorned as "baby killers" and "butchers." Dead they are millstones to hang around the neck of the President.

Don't try to figure it out, just accept it and reject them as they reject our brave men and women.

[cvq3842]

My sincere condolences to your extended family regarding your relative's death.

My understanding is that most correspondence from senators, congressmen and cabinet officials is "machine signed." The one question no one is answering is how common the practice is. If it should be changed, change it.

I mean no disrespect to the families of those soldiers who gave their lives defending our country. but if this is all that the opponents of the President's iraq policy can come up with, it actually is proof to me that bush is doing an even better job than I thought.

Many, if not most, of the Democrats will say and do ANYTHING to damage the administration, including slanderous critiques, undermining the troops, and emboldening our enemies. Scoring points domestically is worth it. Still others just do not like the United States as currently constituted and will do anything for the purpose of weakening it and seeing it fail.

[susiek]

Yep. It sounds bad if said in the right way--it sounds bad to say "Rumsfeld doesn't sign the letters, he lets a machine do it." That makes it sound like he's fake and uncaring. But of course the press doesn't dig deeper or talk about phone calls, visits, or if there's some explanation other than not caring for his not signing each one by hand, because the surface-level story accomplishes what they want (sounding bad.)

[HiJinx]

Chris, you said this: WHY hasn't the press discussed this? or rather, why has the press try to present this like the Military and this Administration in gerneral would handle something this delicate like they themselves would??--with no respect.

I believe you know the answer to your question. The Press have no love for the current administration, and anything they can do to discredit members of the administration - they will do. Truth, honor, integrity, courage...none of that means anything to them in their quest to ruin good people who disagree with them.

Now, on to other parts of your letter. Casualty Assistance Officers are a standard part of the military system. We care deeply for every single one of our brothers and sisters who give the ultimate sacrifice, as did David. It hurts us deeply, and we do all within our power to ease the burden on the survivors. Your sister will have all the help she needs to make it through this trying time, as long as she remembers that help is only a phone call or e-mail away.

God Bless you and yours during the Christmas season, Chris.

HJ
SFC, USA (Ret)

[stockpirate]

And if they can take Rumsfield down it would weaken the Bush admin. for the next 4 years.

[Elvis van Foster]

Bush whiffed a great opportunity today. His answer to the Rumsfeld's question should have been:

"Secy Rumsfeld is a caring person. The American people were left with the wrong impression last week. He gave a long and detailed answer about the armor question. Yet, you in the the media assembled here distorted it and made it seem the opposite. In this Christmas season, you should be doing a heavy amount of soul searching, in addition to refreshing yourselves with the meaning of 'journalistic ethics' "

You don't get too many chances like that. Bush stumbled.

[cvq3842]

Well put.

Thi will backfire on the Dems, as all the other trash has. It just increases the already irrational hatred of the Bush bashers, without winning new converts. In fact it continues to alienate the general public.

Note that Hillary Clinton has steered away from much, if not all, of this. She is a lot of bad things, but she's not stupid. You know it's a bad tactic if even she stays away from using it.

[Darksheare]

And that would mean what exactly to you?

[Cobra64]

The Secretary of War during WWII would have writer's cramp. My Dad was a Commander in the the Navy in 1943. He wrote the letters for those lost under his command.

[Americanwolf]

This won't take Rummy down.. it was just a cheap story release to try to change public feelings about Rummy and the War... The anti war left is going to try anything over the next 4 years to make the admin look bad and try to get the US out...they are going to have to work harder.

[Americanwolf]

exactly... the Left is good a smear it is what they do.. I swear it is all they know at this point.

[cfhBAMA]

The Democrats and the MSN have a target on the Sec. of Def.
back. And they are "OBSESSED" with his removal at all cost.

[twigs]

Yes, letters are "machine-signed". When I worked on Capitol Hill 25 years ago, I had to work one of those infernal machines. It sounds insensitive, I know, and that's the reason the press has latched onto this, but the Sec. of Defense is really, really busy--doing things to save lives--and often away. I think he probably did what has always been done in Washington, but now that it has hit the press, he has said he would personally sign the letters. He is responding to the public. He is a wonderful man. Someone said this morning on the radio that Sec. of Defense are never popular in wartime. It goes with the territory and, fortunately, Rumsfled knows that. We are blessed that he consents to serve at an age where he could be enjoying life on the ranch with his wife. God bless him!

[zook]

If I lost a loved one in the service, perhaps the LAST thing I would worry about was whether or not the SoD personally signed the condolence letter.

[yoe]

In the not too recent past, a telegram was the method used; the visits from the military came later if at all. Military friends were always on hand along with letters from superiors and the White House. People seem to think the 'brass' or the Secretary of Defense or President have little else to do other than console the recently departed.

I don't mean to make light of the tragedies of war nor demean those who loose family daily in Iraq or anywhere for that matter, but this business of a mechanical signature being used is blown so completely out of proportion to the point it is just plain absurd, a story so inane and fatuitous as to make those who are criticizing Don Rumsfeld look like idiots!

[onedoug]

But for Rumsfeld's knuckling under to one of the ACLU's letters threatening legal action if the Boy Scouts aren't kicked off bases, I agree with W.