Posted on 02/20/2007 1:02:32 PM PST by EagleUSA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House defended Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday from criticism from Republican Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) that he was one of the worst U.S. defense secretaries ever for his handling of the Iraq war.
McCain, one of President George W. Bush's key allies in the U.S. Congress on Iraq, is running for his party's nomination to be president in 2008.
"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history," the Arizona senator and former Vietnam War veteran said on the campaign trail in South Carolina on Monday.
The White House backed Rumsfeld but was careful not to criticize McCain in doing so.
"We think Donald Rumsfeld was an enormously consequential and effective secretary of defense and somebody who led to the transformation of the Department of Defense. Senator McCain holds a different point of view," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.
Rumsfeld, the second-longest serving defense secretary, was widely blamed for the U.S. failure to bring stability to Iraq amid growing public discontent over the war.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Even if he disagreed with Rummy on the war effort, he should have kept his political mouth shut. He is no Republican or a conservative. Hard to tell what he really stands for or believes in.
I just don't understand why the White House is so reluctant to criticize Democrats?
McCain/Kerry F the POWS/MIAS
McCain/Feingold F free speech
McCain/Kennedy F American Sovereignty
McCain/Gang of 14
McCain/Keating 5
More?
There were mistakes made in the early days of the Iraq War, no doubt about that, however as long as McNamara was a SecDef, Rummy is safe from that charge....
I have believed for quite some time that McCain is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which is no big problem in a senator but could be dangerous in a president.
I just don't understand why the White House is so reluctant to criticize Democrats?
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Spineless. Has been a big problem for those of us that worked hard to get a "conservative" President and a majority Congress TWO TERMS to do something for America -- and they won't even attack America's own worst internal enemy.
McPain can be counted on for one thing. Stabbing in the back. Screw this guy.
OTOH, I'm not sure why the White House feels compelled to interject itself into this. Rumsfeld is gone. Let history judge, and focus on winning this war.
| "and former Vietnam War veteran" |
| And so it begins... |
"Who led to the transformation of the Department of Defense."
By Rumsfeld's own admission, transformation didn't reach 50%. One wonders if it was even the right tranformation since the force size was not increased sufficiently.
I am really glad the White House did this...I just wish they would have slam dunked McCain in doing it.
McCain has never been Bush's "friend".
MCCAIN IS TO BE pitied....aLL HE WANTS IS ATTENTION. Rumsfeld was the BEST.
This sort of thing will sink McCain's campaign. Besides, he should know that, push-come-to shove, the final decisions were not made by Rumsfeld. I suspect a "consensus" in the NSC was the problem. It is not suited to be a war cabinet, because it contains the Secretary of State, who represents a department that can do nothing except talk.
That should be on his tombstone when he dies.
I think he's plenty dangerous as a senator. I would feel much better if he was back in Arizona being a night manager at a Safeway or a Fry's or maybe a Circle K.
By Rumsfeld's own admission, transformation didn't reach 50%. One wonders if it was even the right tranformation since the force size was not increased sufficiently.
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Regardless, and I am not defending Rummy, McCain should not have come out against a key player in the whole war on terror, in his own party, and bad mouth him just for political gain. If McCain had any class, he would have just let history ride, and kept his forked-tongue in his mouth. McCain has done alot of damage, analogous to the methods of the socialists --- power and politics at any cost to America.
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