Free Republic

All those calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation should take a deep breath and consider their quarry's record. It's a formidable one. President Bush knows this, and he knows the nation would be much worse off without Mr. Rumsfeld. That's why the president is sticking with him. Mr. Rumsfeld is arguably the best defense secretary since the position was created in 1947.     A brief review of Mr. Rumsfeld's record is in order to remind his critics why. He has rebuilt the U.S. military, which has freed 50 million people from tyranny, decimated al Qaeda, won two wars and...

The recent calls for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to step down provide a good opportunity to step back and review his record from the last four years. ADVERTISEMENT Shortly after Rumsfeld began what would be his second tour of duty as secretary of defense, he made it clear that he would do what it takes to begin transforming the military and its supporting bureaucracies into a force capable of meeting the threats of the 21st century. In his 2001 Senate confirmation hearing, Rumsfeld testified, "The old deterrence of the Cold War era is imperfect for dissuading the threats of...