"I accuse you of being arrogant, Mr. Secretary. I don't think we have ever had a Secretary of Defense lecture us in such a manner, ever. You sure think a lot of yourself, don't you?"
Posted on 07/01/2005 3:56:57 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON — At the darkest moment of his Pentagon tenure, when the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal was gathering steam and many in Washington were betting on his swift exit, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld boarded a C-17 cargo plane last year and made an emergency trip to Baghdad.
There, Rumsfeld told a throng of U.S. troops that he had no intention of going down without a fight.
"It's a fact," Rumsfeld said. "I'm a survivor."
Back home, Rumsfeld's trip became fodder for late-night television.
"Yeah, a survivor about to be voted off the island," Jay Leno cracked on "The Tonight Show."
Yet in Washington's own brand of reality television, where Machiavellian intrigue is not a ratings game, Rumsfeld has done far more than survive. Five months into President Bush's second term, Rumsfeld's influence within the administration shows no sign of waning.
Even as the war in Iraq casts a long shadow over the reform agenda that Rumsfeld is pushing at the Pentagon, the Defense chief who remains a magnet for controversy is staying on the offensive.
With public support for the Iraq war declining and the number of critics on Capitol Hill growing, Rumsfeld in the last week emerged again as the Bush Cabinet's most prominent spokesman for the war effort. Three days before appearing on talk shows last Sunday, the 72-year-old Defense secretary withstood eight hours of congressional questioning — peppered with lawmakers' harsh criticism about the war's progress.
Afterward, aides said Rumsfeld spent little time worrying about critics such as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who characterized Iraq as a "quagmire" and called for the Defense secretary's resignation.
"He doesn't dwell and is always looking ahead to the next thing. This is not a guy who looks back and agonizes," said Pentagon spokesman Lawrence DiRita, ........
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
"With public support for the Iraq war declining and the number of critics on Capitol Hill growing, Rumsfeld in the last week emerged again as the Bush Cabinet's most prominent spokesman for the war effort. Three days before appearing on talk shows last Sunday, the 72-year-old Defense secretary withstood eight hours of congressional questioning — peppered with lawmakers' harsh criticism about the war's progress. "
Funny, polls taken after Bush's speech said support of Bush for the war in Iraq was up. Seems the only critics of the war are Liberal Democrats and their puppet masters.
"I accuse you of being arrogant, Mr. Secretary. I don't think we have ever had a Secretary of Defense lecture us in such a manner, ever. You sure think a lot of yourself, don't you?"
I hadn't seen that. Terrific pic! Thanks for posting it!
At 72 he is quite a powerhouse Love that Rummy!
Bump!
You are forgetting that the Letterman piece was comedy, using edited tape, and cut out Stephie's questions to make the point.
You are forgetting that the Letterman piece was comedy, using edited tape, and cut out Stephie's questions to make the point.
Rush played the tapes of Byrd accusing Rummy of being arrogant. It was unbelievable.
Before the Coca Cola sponsorship it used to be known as the World 600
Yes.
He prepared his whole career to do "transformation", and was brought in by W to realize his concepts.
He did not, and does not, recognize that a military which is transformed along Rumsfeldian lines is not suited for heavy occupation.
Because we don't have forces which can do heavy occupation, he has become convinced that it is not necessary.
Leaders, as opposed to managers, should not invert means and ends.
I believe DR went to war with the Army he wanted, not the Army that was needed, and put the mission at risk.
I really, really respect Rumsfeld. He would make a good president.
Huh? Talk about backwards. Even if Rummy were convinced it were necessary, he went to war a year into his job with Army he had, not a fantasy Army with surplus divisions available for heavy occupation. And I lay that one at the sticky feet of one Billy Jeff Bentpecker, not Donald Rumsfeld.
Are you in fact sure?
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