Bush Says Rumsfeld Is Stepping Down

WaPo ^ | 11/8/2006 | Staff

[Dark Skies]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush said Wednesday Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is stepping down and former CIA Director Robert Gates will take over at the Pentagon and in prosecuting the war in Iraq.

Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, intends to resign after six stormy years at the Pentagon, Republican officials said.

[moonman]

"One more should be dumped -- Cheney should step down."

I disagree. I wish Bush would turn the reins over to Chaney and become Vice-President for the next 2 years.

[dmz]

To all you losers who want to attack Bush and/or Rumsfield because you didn't get your way in yesterdays election,

GROW UP!
________

LOL. That's right folks, no one here is allowed to have an opinion except Steve.

[El Gato]

I agree with you on this. Bush should have fired Rummy a long time ago. It is the reason the Republicans lost so mightily!

I disagree. They lost so badly because the MSM portrayed the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld conduct of the war as a losing effort. Facts be damned.

Rumsfeld just either got thrown under the bus, or he decided he wasn't going to be able to continue to execute that strategy, and didn't want to be standing in front of the train wreck that is coming.

[George W. Bush]

BUT it is for that very reason why he should hang low today rather than putting his foot in his mouth at every breath.

Sorry but you're wrong. Today of all days, he can't hide in the White House. He has to face the music, eat the crow.

You think he's enjoying this? Hell, no. But when you're president, you have to make an appearance. Especially if your 12-year majority just got thrown out.

No avoiding the appearance. I would've been worried if he'd hid instead.

[Dick Holmes]

Bush says we are not leaving Iraq. He said all leaders in Washington want to protect the country. I want to know what he is drinking.

From the article:

Bush indicated that he had made the decision to replace Rumsfeld before the elections.

Just the other day:

WASHINGTON - President Bush said yesterday he wants Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney to remain with him until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee to two of the most-vilified members of his administration.

"Both those men are doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them," Bush said in an interview.

WTF?!???

[pollyannaish]

NOOOOOO!

[pollyannaish]

Not satisfied losing the House and Senate, eh? Got to do whatever you can to make it a threefer?

Please.

[Lijahsbubbe]

No more balls or spines left in the Republican Administration.

[MNJohnnie]

You know nothing about Counter Insurgency, Nothing about Iraq and nothing about Rummy yet you presume to stand arrogantly in judgment over the job he has done? Read the data. Iraq has been a very successful Counter Insurgency. IS it perfect? No but NO war, outside a Rambo movie ever is.

Simply find it amazing that supposedly rational Americans cannot seem to grasp that war is messy violent ugly and wasteful. It is especially so of a Counter Insurgency op. There are no simple answers. No Shining Knight on Horseback to ride in and save you from these messy emotional unpleasant things you feel thinking about Iraq.

The Russians followed YOUR Total War dogmas in Afganisang. We sent 500,000 troops to Vietnam. How that work out?

I'll tell you. They utterly failed. Stick you what you know. You clearly do not know enough about Iraq to render any serious opinion on the quality of the job Rummy did.

[pollyannaish]

I am sorry, but you HAVE to be a troll.

[George W. Bush]

But Rumsfeld leaving at this juncture is not going to do much for troop morale. It's not doing a whole lot for mine, either.

Carolyn, Rummy was great but it's just too much for him to continue with the way the media, the Dims and the Pentagon bureaucrats are after him.

And I don't think our new SecDef will be a slouch. These intel guys aren't picked by being the dumbest guy in the room. I know, slimy CIA types and all, but he'll be smart enough. Rummy was fine with a GOP congress but his kind of bluntness would never work with a Dim congress. I think Bush has chosen well. And it would have been a sad abuse to allow Rumsfeld to be at the mercy of the Dims, even if he was willing to suffer it.

[pangenesis]

No one, least of all him, ever pretended he had a silver tongue.

Just a forked one, apparantly.

"Both those men (Cheney and Rumsfeld) are doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them." --Bush, seven days ago

[COBOL2Java]

Guess I should have put the < /sarcasm > tag after my post...ah well.

[samtheman]

I just wish he'd done it back in 2000; perhaps today wouldn't have been so bleak!

Even a year ago would have helped. If Bush was determined not to stand up to the treasonous lies of the media, then he might as well have gone along with their lynching of Rumsfeld sooner. Might have saved a few seats in Congress.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Bush caved

No other word for it.

[RoseofTexas]

Forget FITZMAS!...Dang, they won it all! God Bless our Troops and may He have Mercy on America!

[MNJohnnie]

These new names on the boards today sound frightenly familiar. They seem to show up only in bad times. I say we make a list. :o)

Uh it was a joke? See the smiley See ya all later. That is good advice Clareece time to go recharge the batterys. Too many shocks in too short a time. Got to just walk away before I really lose my temper on someone.

[arkady_renko]

You've got it. What horrible timing. Rummy should have left months ago if there was even the slight chance he would step down.

I don't think Pelosi told George he must go, it was someone in the Republican party looking towards 2008.

You know, I hate to see this (Iraq, the troop's welfare,etc.) all distilled down to a political calculation, but there you go.

A_R

[CDHart]

I hope you're right.

Carolyn

[George W. Bush]

What's with this list stuff?

I'm making a list of those who dare to ask about The List.

You're on it.

; )