thedrifter
04-22-06, 08:40 AM
Backed by Bush, Rumsfeld holds firm
By David S. Cloud
New York Times
WASHINGTON - It has become a daily ritual, the defense of the defense secretary, complete with praise from serving generals, tributes from the president and, from the man on the spot, doses of charm, combativeness and even some humility.
A session Tuesday was the third time in five days that Donald H. Rumsfeld has sought to make a public case to remain as defense secretary.
``There are no indispensable men,'' Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon.
But the Bush administration sought to drive home the message that Rumsfeld was not going anywhere, no matter what critics might desire.
Again, Gen. Peter Pace of the Marines, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was at Rumsfeld's side, a visual prop to counter the message from a half-dozen or so retired generals that Rumsfeld should step down.
President Bush, having defended Rumsfeld on Friday from Camp David, had appeared before the cameras hours earlier, to make the case in person.
``I'm the decider, and I decide what's best,'' Bush said in the Rose Garden. ``And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense.''
Such extended, repeated public displays of self-defense are not the norm in Washington, where beleaguered officeholders usually seek to maintain the pretense that criticism does not matter. Those who do respond most often use surrogates to extol their virtues.
But the extraordinary parade of generals who have stepped forward to defend Rumsfeld includes a bevy of retired officers, including Gen. Richard Myers of the Air Force, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Gen. Tommy Franks of the Army, who commanded U.S. soldiers in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Tuesday, Rumsfeld summoned another group of retired officers for a closed meeting, ostensibly to brief them on Iraq, but clearly also to enlist their support when they appear on television.
The appearances have been layered with the verbal flair, acerbic wit and defiant touches that Rumsfeld has made his trademark. But on Tuesday, there also was an uncharacteristic flash of humility -- a twig, if not an olive branch -- from a man better known for his combativeness.
Rumsfeld, who has said he offered to resign two times after the Abu Ghurayb prison scandal, said he was ``not inclined to be instantaneously judgmental'' about what his critics were now saying, a message that has included complaints that his headstrong style causes him to disregard much of what anyone in a uniform tells him.
``Because of the importance of these matters being discussed, I'd like to reflect on them a bit,'' Rumsfeld said.
Within minutes, though, he said the views of the six generals who have called for his resignation were hardly representative, noting that the nation's 6,000 or 7,000 retired generals and admirals were not ``unanimous on anything.''
At Rumsfeld's side, Pace added that soldiers in Iraq showed no discernible dissatisfaction with Rumsfeld. Pace said Gen. Michael Hagee, Marine Corps commandant, had just been there and reported that he ``got exactly zero questions about the leadership in the department.''
The calls for Rumsfeld's resignation have abated since last week, when Bush asserted his authority as commander in chief to declare that Rumsfeld has his ``full support and deepest appreciation.''
The group that has called for the resignation includes two retired major generals who commanded troops in Iraq and a retired three-star general who was director of operations on the Joint Chiefs. Their comments have been criticized by other retired generals, who have said the group risks politicizing the armed forces.
Tuesday, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein joined the chorus of Democrats calling for Rumsfeld's ouster, telling a Santa Barbara town-hall meeting that he should either resign or be fired.
Feinstein, who is seeking election to a third Senate term, also criticized Bush for what she called failed policies in carrying out the war in Iraq. She added that Rumsfeld, as architect of the war, must be held responsible.
``Rumsfeld should either resign or be asked to do so,'' she told several hundred people gathered at the Doubletree hotel. Her remarks were reported on the Web site of the Santa Barbara News-Press.
Feinstein was the latest Democrat to call for Rumsfeld to step down. Illinois' two Democratic senators, Dick Durbin and Barak Obama, suggested this week that the defense secretary should go.
On the GOP side, a Senate Republican aide said that despite expressions of support for Rumsfeld by some Republican senators, many other members expressed deep concern privately.
``The nervousness here is with a figure as controversial as Rumsfeld at the head of a war that's declining in popularity, that becomes a real political problem for members who are up for re-election this fall,'' said the aide, who insisted on anonymity because he had been told not to discuss senators' private conversations.
There are signs that the efforts to keep Republicans from defecting are working. Tuesday, Rep. Duncan Hunter, the Republican from El Cajon who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued a press release taking on Rumsfeld's critics point by point. The statement notes that the secretary had 273 meetings with senior commanders last year, illustrating ``that Secretary Rumsfeld respects and relies on the judgment of the Pentagon's uniformed leadership.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie
By David S. Cloud
New York Times
WASHINGTON - It has become a daily ritual, the defense of the defense secretary, complete with praise from serving generals, tributes from the president and, from the man on the spot, doses of charm, combativeness and even some humility.
A session Tuesday was the third time in five days that Donald H. Rumsfeld has sought to make a public case to remain as defense secretary.
``There are no indispensable men,'' Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon.
But the Bush administration sought to drive home the message that Rumsfeld was not going anywhere, no matter what critics might desire.
Again, Gen. Peter Pace of the Marines, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was at Rumsfeld's side, a visual prop to counter the message from a half-dozen or so retired generals that Rumsfeld should step down.
President Bush, having defended Rumsfeld on Friday from Camp David, had appeared before the cameras hours earlier, to make the case in person.
``I'm the decider, and I decide what's best,'' Bush said in the Rose Garden. ``And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense.''
Such extended, repeated public displays of self-defense are not the norm in Washington, where beleaguered officeholders usually seek to maintain the pretense that criticism does not matter. Those who do respond most often use surrogates to extol their virtues.
But the extraordinary parade of generals who have stepped forward to defend Rumsfeld includes a bevy of retired officers, including Gen. Richard Myers of the Air Force, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Gen. Tommy Franks of the Army, who commanded U.S. soldiers in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Tuesday, Rumsfeld summoned another group of retired officers for a closed meeting, ostensibly to brief them on Iraq, but clearly also to enlist their support when they appear on television.
The appearances have been layered with the verbal flair, acerbic wit and defiant touches that Rumsfeld has made his trademark. But on Tuesday, there also was an uncharacteristic flash of humility -- a twig, if not an olive branch -- from a man better known for his combativeness.
Rumsfeld, who has said he offered to resign two times after the Abu Ghurayb prison scandal, said he was ``not inclined to be instantaneously judgmental'' about what his critics were now saying, a message that has included complaints that his headstrong style causes him to disregard much of what anyone in a uniform tells him.
``Because of the importance of these matters being discussed, I'd like to reflect on them a bit,'' Rumsfeld said.
Within minutes, though, he said the views of the six generals who have called for his resignation were hardly representative, noting that the nation's 6,000 or 7,000 retired generals and admirals were not ``unanimous on anything.''
At Rumsfeld's side, Pace added that soldiers in Iraq showed no discernible dissatisfaction with Rumsfeld. Pace said Gen. Michael Hagee, Marine Corps commandant, had just been there and reported that he ``got exactly zero questions about the leadership in the department.''
The calls for Rumsfeld's resignation have abated since last week, when Bush asserted his authority as commander in chief to declare that Rumsfeld has his ``full support and deepest appreciation.''
The group that has called for the resignation includes two retired major generals who commanded troops in Iraq and a retired three-star general who was director of operations on the Joint Chiefs. Their comments have been criticized by other retired generals, who have said the group risks politicizing the armed forces.
Tuesday, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein joined the chorus of Democrats calling for Rumsfeld's ouster, telling a Santa Barbara town-hall meeting that he should either resign or be fired.
Feinstein, who is seeking election to a third Senate term, also criticized Bush for what she called failed policies in carrying out the war in Iraq. She added that Rumsfeld, as architect of the war, must be held responsible.
``Rumsfeld should either resign or be asked to do so,'' she told several hundred people gathered at the Doubletree hotel. Her remarks were reported on the Web site of the Santa Barbara News-Press.
Feinstein was the latest Democrat to call for Rumsfeld to step down. Illinois' two Democratic senators, Dick Durbin and Barak Obama, suggested this week that the defense secretary should go.
On the GOP side, a Senate Republican aide said that despite expressions of support for Rumsfeld by some Republican senators, many other members expressed deep concern privately.
``The nervousness here is with a figure as controversial as Rumsfeld at the head of a war that's declining in popularity, that becomes a real political problem for members who are up for re-election this fall,'' said the aide, who insisted on anonymity because he had been told not to discuss senators' private conversations.
There are signs that the efforts to keep Republicans from defecting are working. Tuesday, Rep. Duncan Hunter, the Republican from El Cajon who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued a press release taking on Rumsfeld's critics point by point. The statement notes that the secretary had 273 meetings with senior commanders last year, illustrating ``that Secretary Rumsfeld respects and relies on the judgment of the Pentagon's uniformed leadership.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie