Richard Perle, spokesman for the troops

[Cocoa]

Sorry if this one has been discussed, but did anyone catch Richard Perle on "This Week" yesterday, claiming without evidence, and without anyone on the panel asking for evidence, that U.S. troops would overwhelmingly support Donald Rumsfeld if they were polled?

Who's with me, that Richard Perle should only speak for himself and his narrow neoconservative constituency, and that if we wanted to hear what "the troops" thought of Rumsfeld or anything else, we'd wait to hear it from the troops.

[Jo March]

1. Perle is the worst sort

He can't speak for the troops but will be taken as the voice of the troops. I am getting angrier by the minute.

[JHB]

2. He might be right...

of course, if you gave the troops a SECRET BALLOT, that might provide different results...

[Cocoa]

3. maybe what he said was "poled"

like if Abu Ghraib-like tactics were used on the troops they would give the preferred answer...

[Solly Mack]

4. I've yet to meet a soldier that thinks well of Rumpface

I do believe if asked in an audience where they would be punished later, the soldiers would lie and say Rumpface is good...but given the chance to speak without being punished, they'd tell the truth.

The military punishes those who don't "get with the program"

I've see it too many times to ever deny it happens.