Posted on 11/12/2006 4:32:20 PM PST by Omega Man II
The White House is trying to soothe Republicans who say the party might have fared better on Election Day if President Bush had not waited until after the vote to oust Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
"You could argue that either way, of what political effect an earlier decision on Secretary Rumsfeld would have had. But it doesn't matter," White House chief of staff Josh Bolten said Sunday.
"The president correctly decided that this decision does not belong in the political realm. And a decision as important as your secretary of defense should not be made based on some partisan political advantage. It would send a terrible signal to our troops, to our allies, even to our enemies," Bolten said.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested that if Bush replaced Rumsfeld two weeks before the election, voters would not have been as angry about the unpopular Iraq war. Republicans would have gained the boost they needed, according to Gingrich, to retain their majority in the Senate and hold onto 10 to 15 more House seats.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the outgoing chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, agreed with that assessment.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
And the media would headline, "BUSH RUNNING SCARED - DUMPS RUMSFELD." It doesn't matter what Bush does. For 8 years straight (before he was even elected) there has been a non-stop drum beat from the media and the dems. And now his own party is piling on, not wanting to take the blame for their own losses.
Sarcasm tags ruin all the fun! Spices up a thread when a poster doesn't get it, and gets all bent out of shape.
Of course, we have Dane on this thread, so we shan't be lacking for liveliness.
Hey Dane, my Congressman is one of those detestable GOP OBL'ers, but I voted for him anyway. Tell us and tell us true, if you resided in the Arizona 5th District, would you have voted for J.D. Hayworth or Harry Mitchell?
Politics at a time of war ... Bah, Humbug! If only we had politicians with the capacity to accept they lack the military genius to create a winning war strategy and should rely heavily upon our military commanders to forge such strategy, then give them every resource requested to achieve victory. Playing politics in a time of war is to place ones own fame over the needs of the nation.
With all due respect to Newt; he himself bashed Bush and Rummy on numerous occasions just to get face time on MSM. The constant bashing of Bush and Rummy by the MSM, democrats, and selected republicans helped defeat the republicans on 11/07. Newt should remember that, he violated Reagan's 11th commandment. If he wants republicans to win again, he better remember to reinstate that commandment.
BIG TIME DITTO.....well said!
He should have not fired him.
It's not like firing him is going to endear him to the Democrats.
J.D Hayworth
Yep. It was a nut-cutting move.
The flipside is why leave Rummy twisitng in the wind for the next month while the drum beats for his head grew louder, when the decision to replace had already been made? It basically stole a Democrat talking point.
Punch here and you won't be surprised at all.
I agree with what Bush did. The result would not have changed, and the liberals would have screamed politics with MSM's help.
Sad to see Rummy go, period!
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has suggested that if Bush replaced Rumsfeld two weeks before the election, voters would not have been as angry about the unpopular Iraq war. Republicans would have gained the boost they needed, according to Gingrich, to retain their majority in the Senate and hold onto 10 to 15 more House seats.
I agree with Newt. As someone around a lot of military (AF and Navy), I can say they have been less than happy with Rumsfeld for sometime especially after General Myers retired and they put a Marine Corps general as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. General Myers reached across all services and now the AF and Navy almost have to beg to get anything. Rumsfeld's mouth got him in trouble way too when you are deaing with the lives of young men. It was way past time for him to go.
As I posted on other threads, the job the DoD BRAC did under Rumsfeld was flawed and they used that flawed data to achieve their goal but fortunately the BRAC Commission took off three bases because of that flawed methodology. That it for me!
I think you deserved to lose since you eat your own.
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The ones that deserve to be eaten ARE BEING EATEN. As it should be. Accountability to conservatism is a huge problem today in the party, ain't it ??
Nothing could have been done about losing the house.
Clay-Shaw would have lost anyway if rummy had gone.
Losing the senate was self inflicted.
If George allen doesn't say macaca and burns retires and lets rehberg run those two races would have been held and it would be 51-49.
George allen would have been helped by rummy being fired a lot of vets in virginia didn't like rummy. It might have switched 5,000 votes.
There is no excuse for losing the senate. After the Abramoff scandal I couldn't believe there wasn't more pressure to get burns to retire.
Burns was polling terribly against tester and morrison at the time while rehberg was crushing them.
Bush won montana by 20 percent. Montana already had one dem senator rehberg would have won at least 52 percent of the vote.
Look at his vote in the house race he got 60 percent he is a big vote getter.
Burns didn't even seem like he wanted the race that much he was quickly saying no big deal I will go hunting. Why did he have to put himself before the party?
Burns not retiring and Allen making that dumb remark cost the gop control over judges.
"If only we had politicians with the capacity to accept they lack the military genius to create a winning war strategy and should rely heavily upon our military commanders to forge such strategy, then give them every resource requested to achieve victory. Playing politics in a time of war is to place one's own fame over the needs of the nation."
Just a couple of thoughts, here..........
I like what you are saying, but I also believe that the terrorists in Iraq are playing this out, too. Also, we ARE fighting them there, and not yet here, as I am certain you know. This is good business.
Since the Turks denied the pincer move at first, we have to draw the enemy to us, which we are doing. As we become more familiar with the landscape and people, we are making better moves with the people and against the terrorists.
Seeing as Lincoln replaced people, FDR used Patton as a feint, and McArthur and Westmoreland were both replaced, the change of SecDef on the heels of the election, which had to be in the works for whatever reason, took control of the debate. NOW, the Dhimmis have to play their best card on Iraq. If they don't, and if they back the Murtha strain, everyone will know they want to leave the blood of our men and women in the dust, along with the Iraqis'. Hell, why not release Hussein?
Then again, since the Jewish vote apparently went to the Dhimmis, let's talk with Iran, not protest proliferation of nukes and bio WMD over there, and not even ask for a kiss first.
My 2 cents is to get out of debt, stock up on food, and make peace with our Maker.
For the Pubbies: obstruct. defame. Attack the Dhimmis. Attack the Clinton like our lives depended on it, because they do. Hold news conferences. Bring up the charges about the Loral deal and nuclear jewels. At least go down swinging. We are 1/2 the country after all.
Well, that's comforting.
I am trying to figure out the malcontent business. You are stating the electoral debacle is the result of conservatives not being sufficiently Bushbotian? Isn't it GWB's job to rally his supporters, not demoralize them?
Burns lost Montana because of the trust issue. Abramoff scandal crushed him there. 60 percent of montana voters said ethics was a big part.
Rehberg was consistently polling 15 percent better than Burns in matchups. For Burns to have not stepped aside is selfish. Burns after the abromoff scandal saw his numbers plummet and was losing to tester in the spring a terrible sign for an incumbent.
Just think about the macaca affects. Just think about the federate group that wouldn't vote for him because allen had to diss them after that. There is a few thousand votes there.
Think of all the asians in northern virginia that came out.
After the macaca incident he went from up 10-20 points to up 3.
Jim Webb had no funding at that time. Dems were complaining how bad a campaigner he was.
If Allen had just played it close to the vest he wins. He was a popular governor he had to make a mistake to open the door.
When you have a big lead like casey did in pennsylvania don't say anything to give webb an opening. Webb had to make the race about allen's misteps to win.
What hurt the most were the Republican turncoats such as Hagel, Voinovich, Graham, Snowe, Chaffee, McCain, Warner and the rest of the gang on all the Sunday talk shows constantly criticizing and bashing the President and Defense Secretary. These guys and gals caused people to see a Republican party not united and in disarray. The Republicans looked like losers and Americans don't like losers. This constant trashing of Rumsfeld makes me sick. Just what did he do that was so bad? I'm not a military expert but I feel Rumsfeld is being thrown under a train by Democrats that hate him and turn coat Rino's that will never be half the man Rumsfeld is.
What hurt the most were the Republican turncoats such as Hagel, Voinovich, Graham, Snowe, Chaffee, McCain, Warner and the rest of the gang on all the Sunday talk shows constantly criticizing and bashing the President and Defense Secretary. These guys and gals caused people to see a Republican party not united and in disarray. The Republicans looked like losers and Americans don't like losers. This constant trashing of Rumsfeld makes me sick. Just what did he do that was so bad? I'm not a military expert but I feel Rumsfeld is being thrown under a train by Democrats that hate him and turn coat Rino's that will never be half the man Rumsfeld is.
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