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Bush's top aide wanted Rumsfeld sacked
The Daily Telegraph ^ | October 2, 2006 | Damien McElroy

Posted on 10/01/2006 11:36:31 PM PDT by MadIvan

The political fallout over claims that the Bush administration was riven by infighting over the Iraq war deepened yesterday when the president's former chief of staff confirmed that he twice sought to sack Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary.

Andrew Card said George W Bush rebuffed his and others' demands to sideline Mr Rumsfeld, who had been accused of mishandling post-war security. The confirmation yesterday triggered talk in Washington that alternative candidates were being sounded out to lead the Pentagon.

The latest bout of speculation began with claims in a new book, State of Denial, by the Watergate journalist Bob Woodward.

Mr Card, who retired in March as chief of staff, backed up key parts of Woodward's book as the White House sought to limit the fallout from its publication before Americans go to polls next month in mid-term elections.

In a television interview, Mr Card revealed that he had kept a notebook while working as Mr Bush's top aide and noted on two separate occasions that he felt that the time was right to dismiss the sometimes abrasive Mr Rumsfeld.

"At least two times I did recommend a change in the position of the secretary of defence, after an election or around a January 1 date," he said. Mr Card recommended that the veteran Republican James Baker take over to improve the prospects of extricating American troops from Iraq.

Mr Card was forced to deny, however, that Laura Bush, the First Lady, had joined him in a campaign against Mr Rumsfeld.

The White House offered strong support yesterday for Mr Rumsfeld who, in December, will become America's longest serving defence secretary. White House counsellor Dan Bartlett said: "We recognise that he has his critics. What President Bush looks to in Secretary Rumsfeld is to bring him the type of information he needs to make the right decisions in this war."

Mr Bartlett led efforts to deride Woodward's claims that Mr Bush had consistently misled Americans with optimistic reports about Iraq. Mr Bartlett said Woodward had reached conclusions that were not supported by his evidence. "The central thesis of this book, that the president was in a state of denial, is not backed up with the facts," said Mr Bartlett.

He rejected an allegation that two months before the September 11 attacks, the then-national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, was told by top spies that they had a "sixth sense" that a massive al-Qa'eda onslaught was imminent.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the American ambassador to Baghdad, rebuffed the renewed chorus of calls for American troops to withdraw from Iraq because the battle had become a recruiting ground for Islamic terrorists.

"If we leave Iraq before the job is done we will be faced with a problem of global terrorism that will be worse than before," he said.

Separately, a new biography of Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, says that Mr Bush sacked the former general and bluntly rejected his analysis that the war in Iraq had become a failed project.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: administration; andrewcard; bush; card; rumsfeld; stateofdenial; susanlindauer; susanlindhauer; symbolsusan; woodward
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To: MadIvan
Mr Card recommended that the veteran Republican James Baker take over to improve the prospects of extricating American troops from Iraq.

So, Andy wanted to "Cut and Run" too.

21 posted on 10/02/2006 3:12:31 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Liberalism in a parasite that ALWAYS kills its host.)
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To: MadIvan
Card and Powell really should have kept their mouths shut.

I love it when we squeel with delight when a lib starts telling the truth about happenings inside a lib administration, but are peeved when our side offers an insight. Transparency is something to be for,not against. And not just when it hurts those who you oppose.

22 posted on 10/02/2006 3:20:14 AM PDT by joesbucks
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To: cva66snipe
You have authority to speak - you were there! Any stark difference between the two? What was it - management style or about specific programs or vision, etc?
23 posted on 10/02/2006 3:20:26 AM PDT by endthematrix (“Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence.”)
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To: endthematrix
BTW not much information is available about him but Secretary of the Navy Edward Hidalgo Oct 79-Jan 81 seemed to have some idea of why he was actually there. Under him a lot of reform took place in the Navy. Everything from return to tradition such as traditional uniforms, Bosuns whistles, addressing morale, addressing discipline, and addressing retention. I was a MM3 in October 1980. The standing retention offer was $15,000 and E-5 plus 2 years shore duty. He also brought in on a volunteer basis Fleet Reservist {Retired Lifers} to restore some order and tradition. About 6 months before I got out my Chief was one of those who came back in.
24 posted on 10/02/2006 3:26:43 AM PDT by cva66snipe (If it was wrong for Clinton why do some support it for Bush? Party over nation destroys the nation.)
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To: endthematrix
You have authority to speak - you were there! Any stark difference between the two? What was it - management style or about specific programs or vision, etc?

I didn't serve active under Caspar. I went in under Rummy. I got to my ship mid February 77. Things were pretty much a mess as far as morale and discipline went. I knew quite a few who took the 30 day instant civilian way out. Some I went to high school with and some I saw leave while on the ship. I also saw daily ship U.A. and desertion numbers as for a few months I worked in the Engineering Log Room. It was pretty bad in general up till about late 1979. Some things had came under control like addressing AWOL and desertion. I don't know who it was but someone began tacking bad time plus making them stay their obligation :>}. When Sec of Navy changed in late 1979 more positive changes came mentioned in a previous post. I do remember the only reason we ever did not get underway was some brief stand downs for the fuel crisis.

We had our share of problems don't get me wrong but we stayed mission ready. We never failed not one readiness inspection. One of the Inspectors I remember well because he was the Main Propulsion Assistant on the ship when I first got there and left to become an Inspector. He was perhaps one of the most brilliant Engineering Officers I had seen. You didn't get nothing past the man. Anyone who can off the top of his head quote valve numbers and locations of those valves of a carrier propulsion and auxiliary equipment as well is someone to look up to. It was ones like him who kept things going.

I remember one other thing. We went into overhaul October 79 for a year and I think this was a first possibly because of the Iranian Crisis. The Navy was using us to do a lot of the shipyard work. But at least we were in the yards. Duty sections at one point was 3 section meaning every third night spent onboard vs a more traditional 5-6 section. Things were better when I left than they were when I got there I do remember that much.

One other thing I did get out at the end of my enlistment. Two years later I tried to go back in. There was no room in the inn so to speak and I had worked in a critical rating. I enlisted in the Army NG's in 1984 so technically I served under three POTUS and their Sec of Def.

I reckon one of the biggest things that burnt me about Cheney was losses that came under his watch like the F-14 project and a newer conventional carrier ran unnecessarily to an early end by him and Clinton combined but that's another story.

25 posted on 10/02/2006 3:46:15 AM PDT by cva66snipe (If it was wrong for Clinton why do some support it for Bush? Party over nation destroys the nation.)
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To: MadIvan

When Bob Woodward decides who shall be our Secretary of Defense will be the time I stop voting.


26 posted on 10/02/2006 3:52:50 AM PDT by OldFriend (Should we wait for them to come and kill us again? President Karzai 9/26/06)
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To: Peach; Mo1

ping post 7, 10, 12 and thread

First I've read of the beotch.


27 posted on 10/02/2006 4:29:03 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (Oh Lord, please grant your healing mercies to our FRiend, Common Tator, Amen.)
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To: Shermy

Ping to post #12; maybe you could ping the anthrax crowd.


28 posted on 10/02/2006 4:39:33 AM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they captured or killed.)
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To: prairiebreeze; piasa; JaneAustin

First I've heard of the information in Posts 7, 10 and 12.

First rate research, piasa and Jane. I wish you were both writing for a newspaper.


29 posted on 10/02/2006 4:41:23 AM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they captured or killed.)
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To: OldFriend

Great post! And so true. LOL


30 posted on 10/02/2006 4:41:46 AM PDT by Peach (The Clintons pardoned more terrorists than they captured or killed.)
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To: MadIvan
I'm a veteran observer of Massachusetts politics and believe me when I tell you that Card had risen way beyond his capabilities.
31 posted on 10/02/2006 4:45:31 AM PDT by metesky (My investment program is holding steady @ .05¢ a can.)
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To: piasa

Outstanding posts as usual piasa. Thanks.


32 posted on 10/02/2006 4:50:30 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: endthematrix
Yes, I see that Tony Snow's sardonic observation that all Washington expose's could easily be subtitled, "If they had only listened to me." is alive and well on this thread.
33 posted on 10/02/2006 4:59:10 AM PDT by finnigan2
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To: MadIvan

Correct me if I'm wrong: isn't Card the one who got sacked?


34 posted on 10/02/2006 5:31:39 AM PDT by true_blue_texican
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To: cva66snipe
"Under Rummy whom I served under during his first miserable tenure"

So you were his military aide?

35 posted on 10/02/2006 5:35:40 AM PDT by verity (Mohammed is a Dirt Bag)
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To: MadIvan
Card and Powell are gone. Rummy remains.

I suspect this fact is rather instructive.

36 posted on 10/02/2006 5:37:42 AM PDT by verity (Mohammed is a Dirt Bag)
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To: verity
Card and Powell are gone. Rummy remains.

I suspect this fact is rather instructive.

"I don't want to jeopardize my legacy" would probably be a good ballpark answer. Rumsfeld needed to be replaced with Card and Powell. The only reason not to do so, considering how poorly our efforts Iraq and Afghanistan are doing, is because of the fears that it would be seen as evidence that Iraq and Afghanistan aren't doing well. When your PR angle is 'The sun will come up tomorrow', it's downright dangerous to the message to make moves to the contrary.

37 posted on 10/02/2006 5:48:22 AM PDT by Steel Wolf (As Ibn Warraq said, "There are moderate Muslims but there is no moderate Islam.")
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To: MadIvan
Mr Card, who retired in March as chief of staff

Retired? What a crock, he was fired (and it was long overdue).

38 posted on 10/02/2006 5:50:23 AM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: Cowboy Bob

Andrew Card, part of the run and hide brigade.


39 posted on 10/02/2006 5:57:08 AM PDT by OldFriend (Should we wait for them to come and kill us again? President Karzai 9/26/06)
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To: MadIvan

Why? Is it wrong for Card to advise the President to remove Rumsfeld?

This shoots the whole "state of denial" claim. Bush wasn't being spoon-fed happy news, he got differing opinions from different people, and made real decisions.

Nobody on the left respected Card as an advisor to the president, and now they are going to say he was god-like and should have been listened to?


40 posted on 10/02/2006 6:05:27 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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