Bush, Senators defend Rumsfeld [About time!]

AP ^ | Dec 18, 2004 | By David Espo

[johnny7]

WASHINGTON - President Bush and the Senate's top two Republicans voiced support for Donald Rumsfeld on Friday as allies of the defense secretary sought to outflank increasingly vocal GOP critics in and out of Congress. "Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a great job leading our efforts at the Department of Defense to win the war on terrorism and to help bring about a free and peaceful Iraq," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Friday. "And he's instrumental in our efforts during this time of war we are in."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., issued a statement saying that he, too, is "confident that Secretary Rumsfeld is fully capable of leading the Department of Defense and our military forces to victory in Iraq and the war on terror." And Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the GOP whip, said Rumsfeld "is an excellent secretary of defense, and we are fortunate to have a man of his courage and vision serving the president at this critical time." Rumsfeld's supporters spoke out after several days of GOP criticism aimed at the man who has steered the Pentagon during the Iraq war and its messy aftermath. More than 1,300 American troops have died since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began in 2003. None of Rumsfeld's congressional GOP critics has called for his ouster.

Still, they have grown increasingly outspoken in recent days, less than two weeks after the White House disclosed that the president wanted the defense secretary to remain in his post into a second term. The increased criticism from Republicans also comes after Rumsfeld's encounter with troops in Kuwait who complained about long deployments and a lack of armored vehicles and other equipment. "I'm not a fan of Secretary Rumsfeld," said Sen. Trent Lott in remarks to the Biloxi, Miss., Chamber of Commerce this week. "I don't think he listens enough to his uniformed officers."

The Mississippi Republican said Bush should make a change at the Pentagon in the next year or so. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, released a letter to Rumsfeld asking why the Army had not moved more aggressively to produce fully armored Humvees for the troops in Iraq -- an issue she said she had raised at a hearing nine months ago. "I don't like the way he has done some things. I think they have been irresponsible," said Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. The Vietnam veteran's list of criticisms was long: "We didn't go into Iraq with enough troops. He's dismissed his general officers. He's dismissed all outside influence. He's dismissed outside counsel and advice."

[ml1954]

Here's an account from a soldier just back from Iraq.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1304111/posts

Some pertinent snippets

I am always concerned with how the Army can be more effective at saving the lives of my fellow soldiers. Armor is not always the answer. In fact, armor can prevent us from being able to do our job. Every pound of armor makes us less effective fighters.

I patrolled the streets of Baghdad in a Humvee that had no doors, let alone armor. This was a decision that I made so that I was a more effective soldier. With better fields of vision, I could respond more effectively to the hazards of a combat zone.

I am an explosive ordnance disposal technician tasked with the removal of the roadside bombs, or IEDs, and unexploded ordnance in Iraq. The IEDs in Iraq often have enough explosives in them that the armor on most trucks proves to be ineffective at close range. Armor is a great asset and improves morale in some cases, but it is not the answer to our problems in Iraq.

There has never been an IED campaign in the history of the world like the one we are living through in Iraq. There is no way the leadership that sent us to war could possibly have known to expect these extreme attacks on its fighting force and the effects on the morale that the Army has suffered during these attacks. What the Army needs is to hunt out and destroy these insurgents, and that, of course, is not an easy task.

[FreeReign]

I've got time for the full context;

Rummy:As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They’re not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time. Since the Iraq conflict began, the Army has been pressing ahead to produce the armor necessary at a rate that they believe – it’s a greatly expanded rate from what existed previously, but a rate that they believe is the rate that is all that can be accomplished at this moment.

[No Surrender No Retreat]

What, as the song bird? McCain is a pimple on a camel ass when compared to a great man and leader like Jerimiah Denton. McCain needs to retire or switch parties. The, "Peter Principle" at work for McCain as a senator.

[Matchett-PI]

"McCain and his mindless raiders need their lunch fed to them. I have heard the wee wittle Kristol campaigning for McCain to become DOD Secretary and the insane push to have the lying Lieberman become something in the Bush administration far tooooo long."

You got it. Kristol, et.al., backed McCain against G.W. Bush in the 2000 election. If they think we don't know what their REAL agenda is, they're in for a ruuuuude awakening.

Remember when O'Reilly ran that little poll on his web site (after Abu Graib -sp?) asking his viewers if Rumsfeld should go? The shocked look on his face when he saw the overwhelming support Rummy got was delicious to see.

His shock was a result of realizing that in spite of his weeks of Rumsfeld bashing, the viewers didn't agree with him.

They're not going to give up, though. I have Fox on right now, and Tony Snow is getting ready to do a segment on that subject in a couple of minutes - as soon as he comes back from the break.

[johnny7]

Pick one.

[arasina]

I scanned down to the meat of your post without realizing it was from Rush Limbaugh and I thought, "Wow! This FReeper is GOOD! Right on target!" (At least I know I'm consistent in my appreciation for Rush's wisdom.)

What the news media did with Secretary Rumsfeld's reply is simply a Michael Moore School of Propaganda Production technique, which Moore himself apparently learned from the old Soviet Union's Politboro.
See how the media use their power to essentially run the country? They set the table, cook the meal, serve it and people just eat it up. All we get from our elected representatives are after-dinner belches and farts instead of complaints that the food sucks because the media chefs left out major ingredients.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

"...what he's done to them and their programs..."

There we have one of the primary causes of Rummy Phobia. Did you spend a lot of time at the Pentagon towards the end of your 31 years in service?

Michael Frazier

[FreeReign]

I questioned months ago who made the decisions, in Fallujah, for example, when our troops were pulled into retreat 2-3 times and finally withdrawn last spring---only to return after our election. How high up were those decisions made?

We did Fallujah correctly. Only half of the civilians of Falluja evacuated back in April. That was a big problem.

Since then, Allawi became president, we trained 2,000 Iraqi forces to help us, we spread the false word that Fallujah was a place for terrorists to migrate to while at the same time we were precision bombing terrorist meeting places 3 times a week for months.

Over the course of months the citizens became tired of the foreign occupying terrorists and switched allegiances to our side. So this time when an evacuation was recommend, almost all of the civilians in a town of 300,000 chose to evacuate instead of fighting along side the foreign terrorists.

The result was that almost all 4,000 of the remaining weakened and isolated foreign fighters were killed or captured with very little civilian casualties. And we did this with an Iraqi president and 2,000 Iraqi trained troops.

With all due respect, you are wrong.

Fallujah was a success.

[yoe]

I am quoting you here "Rumsfeld is an arrogant, high-handed know-it-all that hasn't spent five minutes in a ground-gaining arm of the service."

The man is makeing me a little angry also..

Don Rumsfeld - Navy aviator, 1954-57 (between Korean and Vietnam wars)

[FreeReign]

Great post, #100.

[iconoclast]

Rummy's remarks were far more 'sensitive' than anything that ever came out of Patton's mouth.

When Rummy starts doing supply runs he can shoot his mouth. Rummy's no Patton.

BTW, Patton got slapped down, as I recall.

[Grampa Dave]

Both Hagle and McCainal are obviously running for president in 2008 in their own mines re these attacks on Rummy.

[johnny7]

the pain and agony of war

Part of that pain and agony is miscalculation. War is full of all three.

When you are in the midsts of one... you adapt... you do not fix a supply problem by firing the head of the corporation.

I'd suggest you look to our Solon's in Washington to fix your anger upon.

[Flux Capacitor]

----Lott is getting his payback time for Bush and I for one do not blame him. When he was in hot water with the the senate and media, Bush cast him to the wolves.----

Lott deserved everything he got. Bush was wise to distance himself from a completely ineffectual Majority "Leader" who'd stuck his foot in his stupid mouth once too often.

And it certainly is not all right with me for this worthless idiot to be playing "gotcha back" against Bush by calling for the resignation of the Defense Secretary in the middle of a war. Lott's behavior is yet another demonstration of why he should be nowhere near any real position of power.

-Dan

[No Surrender No Retreat]

Lott needs to be dumped for letting klintoon slide and not doing the job he is entrusted to perform as a US Senator. Lott is nothing, but a show-boat all talk no action. I personally think he should resign and return to cheer leading at Berkley this time. Lott failed to think before he spoke about Strom Thurmond. Proper wording and afore-thought can save face many a time in public speaking. I would love to see Haley Barbour take Sir Lottanot's place. It's a pity Lottanothing failed to speak out about klintoon's escapades and now attacks President Bush.In closing Lottanotta should know the liberal demo-commies were just waiting for him to F-up so they could start some controversy. I would feel the same if it were one of my Senators'from Alabama.

[Edgerunner]

Why don't you post your record so we can all appreciate your service to our country?

[bushfamfan]

I'm curious as to if we disbanded the Nazi Army after WW2? Your argument that that was a mistake is open to question. I don't see how you can blame Rumsfeld for Abu Ghraib. I guess it's his fault you get a slut to go around getting knocked up by fellow soldiers in front of the prisoners and I guess it's his fault they went out on some perverted fantasy with the prisoners? And, with all of that, considering what terrorist scum we are up against and their tactics of murder and torture what happened at Abu Ghraib doesn't even come close. As for thinking that increasing the numbers of troops would solve the problem-is there proof that Rumsfeld denied the commanding officers requests for more troops? And what would more troops do as they have a target on them as they wear uniform and are supposed to abide by the Geneva Convention while these killers hide as civilians with no regard for life and use every tactic imaginable, but you don't want any Abu Ghraib's right? They deserve more than what happened at Abu Ghraib. They are war criminals and should be executed. But you fail to grasp that something goes wrong in every war and tactics change. What our troops are facing today is completely different from other wars and your attacking of Rumsfeld because it isn't an easy problem to solve or get right all the time is just wrong.

[FreeReign]

You haven't any idea at all who I am or what my current duties but I can guarantee that we don't "LOVE" Rumsfeld. I can also guarantee...

(My Bold)

"I", "I, and "I".

Who are you? First hand testimonials from unnamed sources on the Internet are useless.

Is that where you get your information from? If not, then why would you expect me to?

What's your name and rank?

[Flux Capacitor]

----Rumsfeld is apparently too arrogant and/or too dumb to see what's happening in Iraq and we need somebody else.

A REAL SecDef would've answered that soldier's question with: "I'm surprised that you don't have the proper armor for your vehicles. Our experience with the war so far tells us that we can't send you into combat without it. I'll get with your commander and his chain of command and find out why you don't have it yet. Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention."----

I'm sorry to hear that Bush passed over your application for the job.

-Dan

[Tempest]

I remember the good old days when all the Democrats came out on the whitehouse lawn to express solidarity with the Clinton administration.

Well if you gotta eat something, it might as well be your own. . .