[hchutch]

See above.

[sarasota]

Rumsfeld was acting, in a time of crisis, as a concerned human being for his colleagues. Please ask them to explain what it irresponsible about that? (Do they, like Kerry, also think Rummy should resign because of AbuGrahib?_

[hchutch]

Ping - need some advice.

[Shryke]

Simply ask if they feel all good samaritans are "irresponsible". If yes, then you don't need to speak further. If no, why does Rumsfeld ahve to act differently?

[ken5050]

Courage can occasionally lead men to do brave, heroic, yet unwise things...

[pubmom]

Are they French?

Seriously, if they had been there serving in Rumsfeld's capacity and people were dying and injured, what would they have done?

And after they tell you they would have run away, remember that if you're ever together in a crisis. :)

[Libertarianize the GOP]

If I remember right he was in a meeting on the opposite side of the Pentagon when it was hit.

[mattdono]

I have heard this response from some lefties. It is curiously amusing.

The rendition I have heard was that Rumsfeld was being irresponsible because he should have been on the phone with the President, the VP, NSA Rice, Jt. Chmn Myers, etc. Instead, he was assessing the situation and helping, as much as he could help given the circumstances.

They get this argument from F' 9/11 and Moore's false insinuations that the President (and people in his administration, presumably Don Rumsfeld) could have and should have done sometime to stop the planes from crashing into the WTC, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania.

Now, I know what you are saying: "How could Rumsfeld's presence on the scene at the Pentagon have prevented the WTC attacks or the Pentagon attacks?! They had already happened."

Which is precisely the question I ask. To wit (or lack thereof), I get, first a blank look and then a response like, "well, he was leaving the Pentagon and the country vunerable to other attacks like on the field in Pennsylvania".

I point out that by the time Rumsfeld exited the Pentagon (a few minutes after the impact at 9:37 AM) to see what was happening, the order had already been given for a "full stop" on all flights (9/11 report, p. 29).

This is the angle I have heard.

It is curiously amusing because here is a left trying to tell me about "responsibility" to the nation. These people don't have a friggin' clue about what responsibility really is.

• Bill Clinton didn't understand, nor heed the responsbilitites of his office when he let a girl a few years older than his own daughte get all "up on his jock"
• algore was completely irresponsbile when he systematically attempted to have military votes thrown out
• John Kerry should have understood his responsibility and his contractual obligations to keep his pie-hole shut upon his return. And, if he wanted to speak out against the war, fine; but to do it at the expense of every soldier in Vietnam was utterly irresponsible

It is really quite funny.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Atleast he didn't sit paralyzed with nuanced angst for 40 minutes.

[dirtboy]

How do I respond to the claim that I have heard in a couple of conversations with an acquaintance that Rumsfeld was IRRESPONSIBLE when he went to the scene of the Pentagon attack to help survivors?

Tell them that Bush is criticized for not immediately leaping into action and Rumsfeld is criticized for leaping into action. They want it both ways.