W.House Gives Rumsfeld New Vote of Confidence

Yahoo!News ^ | December 17, 2004 | Steve Holland

[jeffie77]

I'm glad the president is a real man who defends his people and doesn't decide matters on the latest Washington poll! Also, the writer needs to review Sec. Rumsfeld's answer and not just the sound clip.

[sinkspur]

I didn't call the President gutless; I said his handling of the Trent Lott dustup was not his finest hour, and I stand by that. He gave Republicans cover to drive Lott out of leadership.

Frist has proven just as feckless as Lott.

[xzins]

"As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time," Rumsfeld had told the soldier in Kuwait.

When the Germans attacked the Poles in 1939, Poland responded with its cavalry. Surely you mean, armored cav...right? Wrong.

Poland went to war "with the army it had, not with the army they might have wanted or wished to have..."

The assault by a Polish mounted brigade against a column of infantry and motors - only a fragment of the fight against the German invasion in 1939 - was executed in the glorious tradition of the horse cavalry's saber-wielding charge.

It wasn't long before the horse cavalry and the nation of Poland were probably asking themselves why their PREDECESSORS had retained a national defense force that used horses. Sometimes weak decisions aren't displayed until the bullets fly. This was one of those times.

What was Poland to do? Fight the war, of course, was the first step. To have outfitted the army overnight with armor would have been nice.

[Dolphy]

I agree with you on this and actually defended Lott initially. Unfortunately Lott lacked the skill, belief, confidence or whatever to address the controversy. I still remember him talking about his willingness to tour civil rights sites or some such thing. When convictions and a record should have served him he looked for a resolution in process.

[You Dirty Rats]

Clinton was 5 years ago, WW2 was fought and won in 3 years.

Actually Clinton was less than four years ago, and the military buildup of the United States began during 1940, five years before the war ended.

Comparing the current situation in Iraq to WWII is ridiculous anyway. There aren't dozens of divisions to defeat in Iraq; it's a totally different type of conflict. The main reason we are having so much difficulty is that we are unwilling to use classic methods of suppressing armed resistance within a conquered country by irregular forces. See how the British subdued the Boers, for example, or Sheridan and Sherman operated in 1864. That is a political decision which Rummy cannot overrule. Masses of troops will NOT stop guerrilla attacks on supply lines; ask Moltke in 1871, Hitler in 1942 or Kitchener in 1902.

[AndyJackson]

and doesn't decide matters on the latest Washington poll

Actually, the latest Washington poll shows Rummy with 79% approval or something - a fact that Lott and McCain might have considered before they opened their fat yaps and proved to us how genuinely stupid they really are.

[You Dirty Rats]

I think my point was lost...I like Repubs and your President,..I can't tolerate the socialist/marxists who are challenging legitimate election results so vigourously and scandalously that Joe Public will be so confused and po'd that he will never know who to believe about who won the elections or care for that matter

You must believe the propaganda about the stupidity of the American Voter. Fact is that the challenge to the Ohio results is of no interest to anyone except political junkies. The vast majority realizes that the election is over, Bush won, and the kooks challenging have no chance of winning.

[CFC__VRWC]

I agree with you on this and actually defended Lott initially. Unfortunately Lott lacked the skill, belief, confidence or whatever to address the controversy.

Once Lott went on BET and grovelled before the race whores, he killed whatever shred of leadership effectiveness he had left. He basically promised he would be a tool for Je$$e Jacka$$ and Co. if onl;y they would allow him to keep his cushy little job. That was the point where I gave up on Lott. Up until then, I had agreed with Sink's point - if you want to get rid of Lott, fine and dandy. But do it properly, not by crawling into bed with the race whores.

[sinkspur]

Yep. I, like you, was embarrassed for Lott as he ran the Tavis Smiley gauntlet.

Instead of standing firm, he submitted to humiliation.

[Tarl]

True, saying Frist has been a disappointment seems like an understatement, I can only hope much more is happening behind the scenes. The Democrats have basically dared the Republicans to undo Senate traditions and the Republicans favor time honored traditions so this has made political navigation tricky at best.

The stakes are too high to allow this no win situation to continue. The President could use the bully pulpit to create a favorable environment but I don't know how much he has on his plate already with Iraq elections coming up and unstable distractions such as Korea and Iran.

Frist must make the call to enlist the Presidents help or to take the bull by the horns and make his own call.
When all things are considered, Senator Frist has no "easy" choices and must exhibit the leadership the President is counting on him to have or risk failing the electorate who mobilized to give them their date with destiny.

[BlackbirdSST]

We're a little short of active divisions since Clinton cut us back so far.

With the help of the Republican controlled Congress since 1994! Blackbird.

[MeekOneGOP]

I am really tired of the criticism of Rumsfeld by all these knuckleheads. I always expected he would STAY ON with the Bush team. I would have been very disappointed had he not stayed.

Why would you get rid of someone doing a great job??

Click HERE or on the pic
to hear the Rolling Thunder !

I am proud of Bush for standing on principle. And I look forward to the next 4 years!

[jeffie77]

Thank you for the correction. I am glad that the people are supporting him.

[bc boy]

I agree with you about the state of Ohio but what about the election of the governor in Washington state where the Rats are magically producing new votes for the "recounts" which practise may or maynot be stopped by that state's Supreme Court...I SAY,RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY, THAT THIS PROCESS OF RECOUNTING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN YET THE MEDIA SAYS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EXCEPT THE DEMOS MAY WIN AND IF NOT IT WAS BECAUSE OF VOTER FRAUD BY THE REPUBS

[PhilDragoo]

THORAZINE IS HERE--
will YOU be ready?

GrrrrRUMSFELD! It's HIS fault!
They shoulda made ME president!
Or, or they shoulda made KERRY president--
and HE woulda made ME Secretary of Defense!

[harpo11]

I second that emotion!!!

In my view, when I listen to Rumsfeld, I hear a man of intense resolve and dedication to his service to our country.

When I hear Tom Daschle, Barbara Boxer, Susan Collins, Trent Lott and John McCain, I hear nothing.

[MeekOneGOP]

LOLOL! Yeah, really. hahahaa!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!