[pollyannaish]

It's possible. Resignations have to be done very carefully, IMO. There are mistakes that are normal human failings, and mistakes that are moral/policy failings.

For instance, even if Secretary Rumsfeld has made a few mistakes, it would be politically stupid to fire him, because it would be tacit admission that a policy was wrong...which it is clearly not.

Firing him would make it would appear that confidence in the policy was wavering and that would be dangerous. Therefore, Rumsfeld stays with full confidence of the President even when tiny things go wrong.

In the case of Brown, the President basically admitted that the initial policy appeared to be wrong and that they needed to do better. Rather than fight the perception, which would be so much noise at that point, Brown gets tossed out of the boat and Voila! a new, efficient, effective policy emerges. Even if it is the same policy, it has a new face and suddenly things look brighter.

So essentially, resignations are political moves to reframe the argument when necessary. It's sad to look at it so politically when lives are at stake, but the truth is...thus is the world in D.C.

[frannie]

Each time there is a save it is done by the 'MILITARY'!!!!

AALERT ALERT It is the military, their chain of command and the way the military is organized.

Down in the ranks very little PARTY poitics.