soldiers deserve a better defense secretary :William Kristol

[jbfam4]

The Defense Secretary We Have
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A132-2004Dec14.html
By William Kristol
Wednesday, December 15, 2004; Page A33


Actually, we have a pretty terrific Army. It's performed a lot better in this war than the secretary of defense has. President Bush has nonetheless decided to stick for now with the defense secretary we have, perhaps because he doesn't want to make a change until after the Jan. 30 Iraqi elections. But surely Don Rumsfeld is not the defense secretary Bush should want to have for the remainder of his second term.

Contrast the magnificent performance of our soldiers with the arrogant buck-passing of Rumsfeld. Begin with the rest of his answer to Spec. Thomas Wilson of the Tennessee Army National Guard:

"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. I can assure you that General Schoomaker and the leadership in the Army and certainly General Whitcomb are sensitive to the fact that not every vehicle has the degree of armor that would be desirable for it to have, but that they're working at it at a good clip."

Leave aside the fact that the issue is not "the number of troops we had for the invasion" but rather the number of troops we have had for postwar stabilization. Leave aside the fact that Gen. Tommy Franks had projected that he would need a quarter-million troops on the ground for that task -- and that his civilian superiors had mistakenly promised him that tens of thousands of international troops would be available. Leave aside the fact that Rumsfeld has only grudgingly and belatedly been willing to adjust even a little bit to realities on the ground since April 2003. And leave aside the fact that if our generals have been under pressure not to request more troops in Iraq for fear of stretching the military too thin, this is a consequence of Rumsfeld's refusal to increase the size of the military after Sept. 11.

These soldiers deserve a better defense secretary than the one we have.

[cliss]

1. Dear William Kristol:

Why do I not believe a word you say? Just because you and your dear "former best friend" have had a falling out?

The war in Iraq was YOUR baby, just as much as it was Bush's, Cheney's, Wolfowitz', and many others. Because the war is going badly, however, you are looking very hard for a scapegoat. I admit, Rumsfeld is a pretty easy target. He's everyone's idea of a complete bone-head. He's silly, ridiculous, and to boot he believes he's a "Renaissance Man"; he can write eloquent poetry while killing people, all at the same time.

He's a convenient target. However, this has nothing to do with your plans.

I'm certainly glad you got stuck with such a fool. Too bad about the rest of us.

Sincerely, Cliss

[hatrack]

2. Lil' Billy Kristol!

You mischevious scamp! You lil' imp!

Gosh, who beat the war drums and flogged the plan for global empire? Who used his towering intellect to pimp this war and this president and this Defense Secretary and his rat-bitten scabby "doctrine"?

Not Me, that's who.

[Demeter]

3. I'm Having A Hard TIme Trying To Guess

just who would be a better Sec. of Defense, in Bill Kristol's (and the NeoCon's) eyes.

And frankly, this fish rotted from the head down, so unless and until the Commander in Chief is replaced, don't expect any improvements in the Cabinet.

[yellowcanine]

4. Little Willie is having the willies over the war, it seems. Who appointed

Rumsfield, Willie? Well?

[Cocoa]

5. Rummy is providing a valuable service

all the discredited hawks can scramble to appear reasonable by using him as a convenient target.

Kristol, McCain, Schwarzkopf and all the other faux Rummy critics are just as much part of the problem as Rummy is.

[gumby]

6. Awwww, poor little Billy.

Rummy woke him from his psychopathic wet dream of World Domination and now he's pouting.

Kristol and the rest of the neo-cons are war criminals who are trying to cover-up their sick, sick, sick New World Order by using Rummy as the fall guy.

P U K E

[slor]

7. The soldiers (and us) need a better...

president too!