# How in the World is Rumsfeld Still Sec'y of Defense? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 7, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444 "2006-11-07T16:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/21 "2006-11-07T22:32:21Z")
Although I strongly detest the man’s hubris and arrogance, especially at press conferences, one can at least say he has vestiges of a conscience. Why? Because Rumsfield has offered [to resign twice](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4235045.stm) but has been asked to stay on by Bush. At least he thought about taking some responsbility! And retired generals and officers have been calling for his head for years. This really isn’t anything new…at least since the fall of 2003, when things started to get really ugly. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/22 "2006-11-07T22:34:25Z")
Rumsfeld, that is. I always want to put an ‘i’ in there. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/23 "2006-11-07T22:54:33Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Or, perhaps, that running a government is not really like running a business after all. [/QUOTE] Running the government is easier - you can take it as far into the red as you want! -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/24 "2006-11-07T23:06:15Z")
Because Rummy’s loyal, and probably because everyone else says he shouldn’t be the SoD. That’s the best way, it seems, to get Bush to do the wrong thing: Tell him what would be the wrong thing to do. He’ll flaunt even the best advice if it disagrees with his gut, perhaps more brazenly so out of his characteristic pig-headed defiance. Damn the real consequences, in his mind it all works out because God’s on his side. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/25 "2006-11-07T23:31:46Z")
…And not the President yet? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/26 "2006-11-07T23:36:26Z")
You lot so need an elected cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/27 "2006-11-08T13:14:34Z")
There’s always the interpretation that his mistakes aren’t important. I don’t have cites, but it’s pretty much been stated by various neocon armchair strategists that the important thing is to demonstrate that the US can and will wield its power in the absence of a counterbalancing Soviet Union, and that we do so by “shaking things up” in the Middle East. Once we’ve disrupted that status quo, everything will more or less fall our way anyway, because freedom and democracy are so attractive, we have the power, and God is on our side – and the details are unimportant. Reminds me of Hitler’s famous assertion to his generals that invading the Soviet Union would work because “You have only to kick in the door, and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.” Between that neocon line of thinking and the eschatological evangelists (nutballs who want to bring about the end of the world in a Middle Eastern war), Bush’s two main sources of moral guidance, one could argue Rummy has done just fine. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/28 "2006-11-08T14:02:18Z")
Read _ **The One Percent Doctrine** _ by Ron Susskind. Excellent background information on the planning and execution of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. After reading that and \*\*_State of Denial_ \*\*by Bob Woodward, you begin to understand how Bush operates. My guess is that in 10 years or so the entire US will be wondering WTF happened to our leadership at a critical moment in time. How did we elect such yahoos. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/29 "2006-11-08T14:59:52Z")
Surely Rumsfeld needs to stay on so he can officially say goodbye (with a handshake) to his friend and ally Saddam Hussein before the execution… ‘Twenty years ago, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met with Saddam Hussein, traveling to Iraq as a special envoy. The photograph of their handshake has taken on a life of its own in light of ensuing events. Hear NPR’s Mike Pesca and Robert Pelletrau, who was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State when Rumsfeld made the 1983 trip.’ > **[The Picture of Rumsfeld and Saddam](https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1554451)** > > Twenty years ago, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met with Saddam Hussein, traveling to Iraq as a special envoy. The photograph of their handshake has taken on a life of its own in light of ensuing events. Hear NPR's Mike Pesca and Robert... ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/30 "2006-11-08T15:22:17Z")
[QUOTE=Fir na tine] Read _ **The One Percent Doctrine** _ by Ron Susskind. Excellent background information on the planning and execution of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. After reading that and \*\*_State of Denial_ \*\*by Bob Woodward, you begin to understand how Bush operates. [/QUOTE] I agree with the above and I’d also heartily recommend **Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq** by Thomas E. Ricks. It presents the current, well, fiasco as an unusual coming together of just the right personalities and beliefs to make everything FUBAR’d. It also has a lot of detail about the many failures of the actual occupation and how they pretty much did everything wrong that you can do wrong in regards to a counter insurgency. It was like watching a slow motion train wreck, only in text form… ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/31 "2006-11-08T17:49:00Z")
[QUOTE=mstay] I agree with the above and I’d also heartily recommend **Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq** by Thomas E. Ricks. It presents the current, well, fiasco as an unusual coming together of just the right personalities and beliefs to make everything FUBAR’d. It also has a lot of detail about the many failures of the actual occupation and how they pretty much did everything wrong that you can do wrong in regards to a counter insurgency. It was like watching a slow motion train wreck, only in text form… [/QUOTE] Yeah, I am actually reading that book at the moment. I’m about 70% through it. It’s reading that that prompted this OP. The more I read and the more obvious what a disaster it has become I just can’t help think that so much of this is due to Rummy’s belief that he is smarter than everyone else. I mean he is not the only bad guy, to be sure, but geez louise his direction in this affair was incredibly incompetnet and cotly that it just is baffiling. Anybody else in any endevour that had this kind of failure of policy would be out on his or her kiester so fast. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/32 "2006-11-08T17:52:51Z")
[QUOTE=Fir na tine] My guess is that in 10 years or so the entire US will be wondering WTF happened to our leadership at a critical moment in time. How did we elect such yahoos. [/QUOTE] At which point you’ll have finally caught up with the rest of the world… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/33 "2006-11-08T17:53:03Z")
MSNBC is reporting that Rumsfeld will resign. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/34 "2006-11-08T17:53:37Z")
CNN reports (conformed) that he is stepping down. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/35 "2006-11-08T17:53:48Z")
Breaking News: CNN reports AP breaking news: SD Rumsfeld resigns. RIP Motherfucker. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/36 "2006-11-08T17:54:39Z")
Slowpokes. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/37 "2006-11-08T17:57:44Z")
Can’t say I didn’t see it coming. Rummy, you know what not to let the door do. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/38 "2006-11-08T17:57:52Z")
So, whose idea was it, so you think? My guess is Bush finally accepted one of Rummy’s own requests for resignation, after an army of his handlers got on their knees and begged him to listen just this once. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/39 "2006-11-08T17:58:09Z")
[QUOTE=treis] Slowpokes. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but you didn’t write an Op-ed as I did. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-world-is-rumsfeld-still-secy-of-defense/379444/40 "2006-11-08T17:58:12Z")
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