Posted on 08/03/2006 4:15:37 PM PDT by areafiftyone
WASHINGTON Aug 3, 2006 (AP)— Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton called Thursday for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, hours after excoriating him at a public hearing over what she said was a "failed policy" in Iraq.
"I just don't understand why we can't get new leadership that would give us a fighting chance to turn the situation around before it's too late," the New York Democrat told the Associated Press. "I think the president should choose to accept Secretary Rumsfeld's resignation."
Clinton confronted Rumsfeld directly on Iraq and Afghanistan earlier in the day, and said his answers left her convinced he should go.
"The secretary has lost credibility with the Congress and with the people. It's time for him to step down and be replaced by someone who can develop an effective strategy and communicate it effectively to the American people and to the world."
For months, Clinton has resisted joining the chorus of other Democrats demanding Rumsfeld's ouster. Her remarks Thursday were the harshest assessment yet from the woman considered her party's early front-runner for the 2008 presidential nomination.
The former first lady has come under attack from some in her own party for her 2002 vote for the war and her current opposition to a deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal.
"I am frankly tired of hearing the same stories from the administration's national security team," Clinton told the AP. "The president changed his economic team, he changed his White House team I think it's time for him to change his security and defense team."
Clinton said her own view of the war has not changed.
"What's been clear is that despite my being a constant and persistent critic of how the president has conducted the war, it has not achieved the goals that he has set," she said.
Earlier in the day, the senator wasted no time going after Rumsfeld when he testified in a morning hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Under your leadership there have been numerous errors in judgment that have led us to where we are," the New York Democrat said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. "We have a full-fledged insurgency and full-blown sectarian conflict in Iraq."
The defense secretary seemed briefly stunned by the intensity of her attack, exclaiming, "My goodness," before launching into a point-by-point defense.
He rejected some of her specific criticisms as simply wrong and said the war against terror will be a drawn-out process.
"Are there setbacks? Yes," said Rumsfeld. "Is this problem going to get solved in the near term? I think it's going to take some time."
The testy exchange between Clinton and Rumsfeld came after a top general told the panel violence in Iraq is probably as bad as he's ever seen it and the country may be descending into civil war.
"We hear a lot of happy talk and rosy scenarios, but because of the administration's strategic blunders and frankly the record of incompetence in executing you are presiding over a failed policy," she said. "Given your track record, Secretary Rumsfeld, why should we believe your assurances now?"
Rumsfeld vehemently denied he'd ever glossed over the difficulties of the fighting in Iraq or elsewhere.
"There's a track record here," countered Clinton. "This is not 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, when you appeared before this committee and made many comments and presented many assurances that have frankly proven to be unfulfilled."
"Senator, I don't think that's true," Rumsfeld fired back. "I have never painted a rosy picture. I've been very measured in my words and you'd have a dickens of a time trying to find instances where I've been excessively optimistic. I understand this is tough stuff."
At that point, the Republican chairman of the committee, Sen. John Warner of Virginia, came to Rumsfeld's defense, saying his past comments had been balanced.
Clinton still shied away from a demand made by a growing number of Democrats: a deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
The disagreement between the two extended to Afghanistan. The senator specifically faulted Rumsfeld for saying in 2002 that the Taliban was gone, noting that the extremist faction has grown stronger in recent months.
He conceded violence has escalated in Afghanistan, but added, "Does that represent failed policy? I don't know. I would say not."
The defense secretary said he expected the violence there to follow a seasonal pattern and decline as winter approaches.
and millions of Americans say:
"Hillary Clinton should resign"
But I don't see her listening....
Hillary knows that she voted for the war and the leftists are pissed off at her. She's trying to get back in their good graces. Heh Heh - It'll never work!
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Yes, the carpetbagging liar is at it again -- she is just pissed off that Rummy did not take any of her typical ThugoRat harassment in the hearing today. Yes, Hitlery, it would not look good if Rummy committed suicide, now, would it??? Evil liberal crime personified.
I agree. I watched this and it made me mad. I would have like him to say something like, "Well madame co-president, we are a lot better off now than we were with your policy when you left the White House. You left us with the Taliban in charge and active training camps training terrorists that flew into the WTC. I have improved on that!"
Hillery looks terrible. I guess evil has to show its marks eventually. Like Helen Thomas.
Yup, I'm always amazed when anyone from the Clintonista era dares to rant about "failures" in Iraq, Afghanistan, the WOT, etc. Considering that the Clintonistas failed miserably to do anything at all to address these momentous problems for EIGHT YEARS they have a lot of nerve trashing the people who have been trying to clean up their mess.
the MSM is giddy about Abizaid's negative testimony today - I wonder if someone got to him.
Only if Her Thighness will resign first.
The first words out of Rummy's mouth were a slap in her face.....he referred to "your prepared statement".
That is to imply you lack the ability to deliver an extemporaneous rant without getting in trouble and you can't even read the statement, probably prepared by someone else, well.
yes, but the problem is - Bush should have been making that point since 9/11 - he could have laid it all on the feet of the Clintons, how their stewardship of the nation's military and intelligence apparatus for 8 years, led to 9-11 just 7 months after they left office.
but the "new tone" prevented that.
If Hillary does win the Presidency in 2008, this decision not to go after them after 9/11, will be one of the biggest mistakes in US history.
Dear Hillary:
I heard your verbal attack on Secretary Rumsfeld questioning his honesty, ability, strategy etc.
My only question for you is simply: WHAT IS YOUR FREAKIN' PLAN!!!!!!!!!!
(enter crickets)
Okay, call me naive. I try to think the best of everyone and had an open mind watching the Senate hearings today. Mr. McCain struck me as a cranky commanding officer on an inspection, just looking for nits to pick (important nits since we're talking life and death, but at this level of discussion, still a nit). Mrs. Clinton went off with a politically calculated statement that simply offered a personal attack without an attempt at evidence or argument. I was stunned at the obvious and transparent nature of her comments. Even by Hillary standards it was an amazing Emperor-has-no-clothes performance. Oddly enough Mr. Kennedy came off as informed, but politely disagreeing. Mr. Reed got stoned with an amateur performance that must have had the committee room laughing. Mr. Inhofe came off extremely well in my opinion. Mr. Thune looked like the president of the country club trying to be . . . presidential, but ended up just being trying.
All in all a good day for Mr. Bush and the home team despite any and all media spin.
Bush is not small minded....and he is President for all Americans. He doesn't want to fight yesterday's wars.
The hag looked particularly haggard as she was blasting Rummy today. She looked much older that he!
I don't worry about Rumsfeld having to do political battle with this vicious beast. He can handle himself.
She should resign for sitting on her hands (ouch!) for 8 years while Bubba let this whole thing get out of control. She should have been criticizing Bubba publicly for his inaction. (Stifled chuckle.) I should say political and military action.
the US is a deeply divided country. we no long have "presidents for all americans". accept it.
I know what you mean by mentioning Dean. It would be great to have a good point man. And you know what, it should be positively easy to find someone who could debate the democrats into the dirt these days. They're so far out there, all you have to do is come off reasoned and they wilt like the Wicked Witch of the West, when she got wet.
Dean is simply a loose canon.
What a witch; pandering to the lefties as she sees what is happening to Lieberman now. Can she be more transparent? What a joke she is; she is the one who should resign. I hope this backfires, but given the liberal lefty press, I'm sure they will just play her words and not his. President Bush will most likely come out with a strong statement of support for Rummy, and he should (but won't) tell the senators that they should stop playing politics with the war on terror. Maybe Tony Snow will say something tomorrow. I called Hillary's office today and told them the senator really embarrased herself in the hearings today.
Hitlery is the most pretentious, utterly disgusting bitch I have ever withnessed. The bitch was mugging for the camera as she styled and swaying to each syllable of her inane questions, shaking her shoulders back and forth with her contemptous body posturing and rhetorical posturing. What a supreme bitch of a bitch. Shameless. God, Almighty, pleas deliver us from her as a leader.
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