Rumsfeld comments on Newt's criticism of DOS (interview with Abu Dhabi Television)

Department of Defense ^ | April 27, 2003 | Department of Defense

[ejdrapes]

Q: My last question. Newt Gingrich. A few days ago, he said America cannot lead the world with a broken instrument of diplomacy. This is an argument that transformation has worked in defense, transformation is under way in homeland security, and it is now time to bring the same model to the implementing of diplomacy, communication, and helping other countries economically. Is he expressing himself, or is he expressing the Defense Policy Board view with regard to this?

Rumsfeld: My goodness, no. He's a person who has lots of ideas, and he expresses them all the time. The Defense Policy Board has a lot of members. Henry Kissinger is a member. James Schlessinger is a member. Newt Gingrich is a member. Tom Foley, the former Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, is a member. Hale Brown, a former Democrat Secretary of Defense, is a member. They all have different views, and they all go out and write articles and make speeches and say what they think. That's certainly not the view of the Department of Defense. That's not the view of the Defense Policy Board. It's the view of the person who said the words. And that's true whether it's Newt Gingrich, or Dr. Schlessinger, or Dr. Brown, or Dr. Kissinger, or any one of the members, Speaker Foley, whoever.

Q: And what about the Secretary of Defense?

Rumsfeld: It's really not my view. I work closely with Colin Powell. We're friends, and we have a very good cooperative relationship. People who write that nonsense are just wrong.

[Joe Boucher]

I'm sure Mr. Rumsfield said this with his mischevious smile and a wink.
Deep down I think he thinks the state dept is full of anti American socialist sympathizers like many of the rest of us do. Also that Mr. Powell is a one worlder butt boy.

[TommyDale]

Rumsfeld comments on Newt's criticism of DOS

Is he a proponent of Windows or Linux?

[ex-snook]

"They all have different views, and they all go out and write articles and make speeches and say what they think. "

"Newtie the lip" was the out-of-town hit man hired by opponents of Bush's road map to peace. The message to Bush was that no one in his political family is safe. Expect more of the same if Bush does not 'get the message'.

[sarasota]

I have always appreciated the diplomatic answer for the media masses. Well spoken, Mr. Rumsfeld.

[Sonny M]

I hate the way this ib being blown out of proportion. If anyone goes to the AEI website, they have Newt's speech, and he critizes the state department but not Powell, and even complements Powell.

[ejdrapes]

How can anyone here claim to know what Rummy really thinks? We can assume he feels a certain way, but if he says Newt's comments do not reflect his view or the DOD's view, are we to assume that he's just feeding the press a line of bull? It's not remotely possible that Newt's comments did not reflect the views of Rumsfeld or the DOD?

[konaice]

"Rumsfeld comments on Newt's criticism of DOS
Is he a proponent of Windows or Linux?"
----

I think he favors the fire-control Software OS on
the Abrams?

Some good wallpaper for you:
http://www.stack.nl/~fidget/pguin/TuXperience~1.jpg

[Common Tator]

Deep down I think

Up front and on top I know that the top people in the state department who are calling the shots are doing exactly what Dubya wants done. The day Colin Powell or any of the people in state who serve at the pleasure of the president fail to do what President Bush wants done is the day they will be fired.

The State Department under Colin Powell as it is under all presidents is tasked with presenting the case for diplomatic solutions to international problems. That always makes them sound like leftist wimps. The Secretary of Defense and people in the Department of Defense are charged with making the case for a military solution to problems. In every presidency since the founding of the Department of Defense every president has tried his best to find a diplomatic solution to all international problems. It is the Secretary of State's and his departments job to find diplomatic ploys to try. That is the State Department's job. The truth is many of these attempts fail. If they succeed the public rarely hears of their success.

Only when it looks like all diplomatic attempts will fail is the Department of defense brought in to find a military solution. If the president had most of the top DOD people swap jobs with the top State people, what they individually and collectively proposed would flip 180 degrees.

The world is full of people whose imagination "things" and whose brain knows nothing.

[meenie]

This good cop, bad cop routine pleases both sides of the issue.

[dwswager]

Newtie the lip" was the out-of-town hit man hired by opponents of Bush's road map to peace. The message to Bush was that no one in his political family is safe. Expect more of the same if Bush does not 'get the message'.

Newt has always shot from the hip. You should like you should be on DU. I believe he figured that this was the only way to get this issue the attention it needs. It is not powell, or doves in general, it is the long term beauracracy that is resistent to change. Everyone's jobs in State become much more difficult if they have to take a stand against "friendly" regimes Like the Saudis. While his tone was too harsh, I applaud Newt for using what media atention he can get to highlight an issue of importance to him. He could just sit back and lobby and schmooze and rake in the bucks.

[Arkady]

Newt for Sec. of State, and we'd all be better off!
The state dept runs a close second to the U.N. in terms of being a liberal ivory-tower. If Rummy can see good in Powell, it's to his credit, and not Powell's.