Have you ever met or been around Rumsfeld? How do you know I or anyone else would hate him from the get-go?
The troops hate his guts? Really? Do you have personal experience with all the troops, or a small circle of them?
I'm not being a wise guy, I really want to know. I have experience working for a hard charging Army Colonel who made bitter, bitter enemies, but accomplished a huge amount, more than anyone else could have in that position.
It has been my experience that people who come in and turn things upside down and don't rule by democratic consensus, generally incite a great deal of animosity.
On the other hand, people who come into a situation and go with the flow, don't rock the boat, and who may be incompetent, lazy or whatever, do not usually engender the type of hatred the go-getters do. But they don't get anything done either.
"It has been my experience that people who come in and turn things upside down and don't rule by democratic consensus, generally incite a great deal of animosity."
YOU ARE CORRECT, SIR!
Rummy doesnt suffer fools lightly, that is why he is (a) A good CEO-type and (b) not well-like by clueless press corps and ego-driven generals who got their feathers ruffled by his style.