Well, at last. Donald Rumsfeld resigns — and Bush accepts the resignation. It’s a good sign that Bush didn’t waste any time after the GOP loss of majority in the House of Representatives. Virginia is now all that stands between the Democrats and a slim majority in the Senate.
Rumsfeld should retire and go away quietly. Or maybe he can hang out at the Heritage Foundation or the Cato Institute. I certainly hope that Rumsfeld doesn’t secure any sort of academic position at a well-known university.
Yes, I agree! I think Bush’s “loyalty to a fault” hurt him, because if he’d abandoned Rumsfeld before the election that just might have been enough to keep certain of the uncertain voters! Although I’m amazed that anybody could have been undecided. The political battle lines have been so clearly drawn for so long now.
That gets into another thought I’ve had, which is all of the millions of dollars spent trying to get a small percentage of the country to make up its mind. The very people who the Republicans loathe as being weak and indecisive — the unaffiliated — are the ones they had to spend all of their money on to sway. But they didn’t sway enough of ’em, did they? You can’t fool all of the people all of the time!
Yeah, you’re probably right; I’m being naive. Bush probably made the decision earlier. But, don’t you think if Bush had announced the decision prior to the election, it might actually have helped the Republicans? What I mean is, could it have lessened the fears of people who traditionally vote Repubilcan, but who have become increasingly alarmed about Iraq slidiing into civil war?
As for your wish list, I agree. Now I’ll stick my neck out on your wish #3, and possibly get some heat from people for my saying this: I always thought these were contributing (but not the only) factors: First, it was becoming more and more of an embarrassment that the U.S. wasn’t catching Osama bin Laden. So focus was switched onto another bad guy to divert attention from our failure to capture Osama; – a political “red herring,” if you will. Yes, I know…That’s a very cynical thought of mine. But I just can’t help thinking it.
Secondly, I suspect that Bush Jr. had an “agenda” about Saddam Hussein from the very beginning of taking office, because of Bush Sr.’s term of office with the Gulf War, and the plot to assassinate him we were told of. I suspect Bush Jr. saw Saddam as “unfinished business” of his father’s, that he wanted to take care of. Naturally, he viewed Saddam as a dangerous man.
Again, I think these are only 2 factors among other motivations. Standing alone, these 2 reasons are much too simplistic. But I still feel they played a role in why we got into Iraq, as compared to what might or might not have happened, if a different person had been President who was not from the Bush family, and less inclined to aggressively pursue a policy of pre-emptive striking. You know, like the saying goes, “Shoot first and ask questions later.”
Great commentary, Liz. I think it’s totally bizarre that Bush has said he was looking for Rumsfeld’s replacement last week. Doesn’t he remember saying last week that Rumseld would stay??
Also, I don’t believe Bush for a moment that the decision was made yesterday for Rumsfeld to step down. That’s ridiculous, and not even worth his breath to say it.
They didn’t announce the acceptance of Rumsfeld’s (alleged) third resignation before today because they didn’t have to. This is my wish list, and item 1 is already crossed off!
Get rid of Rumsfeld.My brother recently made the remark to me that Bush is loyal to a fault…unless you cross him. I would say that this is the closest we’ll ever come to George W. Bush admitting any kind of a really significant mistake in his Presidency. There’s enough blame to go all the way around, but Rumsfeld takes the fall here because of things bogged down in Iraq…A naive reconstruction policy discounting the breadth of sabotage, as well as the significant power struggle between Shiites and Sunnis that would inevitably occur after Saddam Hussein was removed from power.
It’s very hard to institute democracy in a country where religious laws (fundamental vs. moderate) are intertwined with civil law. So of course a struggle begins to ensue between WHICH branch of Islam will govern, with its set of laws according to their particular interpretation of the Holy Book of the Koran. Haven’t we seen this all happen before, in Iran with its Ayatollahs and in Afghanistan with the Taliban? Why did we expect Iraq would think any differently?
At any rate, I strongly suspect the Republicans want Rumsfeld OUT, because they’re afraid that if he stays another 2 years, their chances of winning a Republican President in 2008 will be too slim. I suspect most likely Bush thought, “Let’s wait and see” the results of the mid-term elections, regarding how well Republicans fare. Now that we know the answer, Bush hasn’t let any grass grow under his feet in arranging for Rumsfeld to step down.