1 This was a good piece. Also today, CNN did a BRUTAL attack on Conyers for having his staff babysit and illegally work on campaigns. Seems like the liberal media is getting off message. Someone call the leaders of the conspiracy in LA and New York...

2 >>>It was indeed a statement; a statement from both a constituent and a veteran that should have elicited something more than silence or a dismissive comment highlighting a supposed breach of protocol. Hey Liberals, if you really "support the troops", then why don't you give a flying frak what THEY think? Because you DON'T support the troops you frakking liars.

3 Yeah, and I love all the discussion on conservative websites of all the generals now calling for Rummy's head because he's an incompetent and the war in Iraq has been a disaster. Lots of military opinions aren't listened to, by those on the right and the left.

4 And I love how liberals like jd show their respect for the troops by throwing out as many of their absentee ballots as they can.

5 jd, you Libs find about 3 retired generals who are against the war-- out of THOUSANDS who are for it-- and that's supposed to be news? It isn't. Yet the Left will ignore the vast MAJORITY of troops and highlight a few malcontents because that's what furthers their anti-American agenda. Liberalism is a mental disorder.

6 Actually, I know some people in the Pentagon who know batiste. They are divided on how representative his opinion is of people at the top level. There is strong evidence that it is a minority view--ie, many of the commanding officers in Iraq are in their third or second rotations. They had the choices he had, and they chose to go. However,others I've talked to point out how unusual it is for ANY retired generals to criticize the Sec of Def, let alone ones as distinguished as these guys, and all together in timing. As for troop opinion, that's mostly anecdotal. I think it is a mixed bag, but that's an opinion based on little more than the MSM, so your mileage may vary. I know many people who have been to Iraq, some service, some not, and they say different things about troop morale (and surely that is a moving target, as well. It has to be trending down, though). My point was, if we are to express SHOCK that the WPost prints this, why is that the conservative blogs like this one are ignoring the drumbeat for Rummy's removal? These are not liberal wackos. These are career officers of great stature and direct knowledge of his competence. Did you hear calls like that from ANY generals during the tenure of ANY of Clinton's Sec of Defs? A little rumbling for Aspin, but nothing like this. This is new. This is different. It took a long time for generals, ANY generals, to criticize McNamara. We've got six and counting calling for Rummy to be fired for incompetence. This is news, unless you are a conservative blogger, burying his head in the sand like the idiots on South Park.

7 >>>My point was, if we are to express SHOCK that the WPost prints this, why is that the conservative blogs like this one are ignoring the drumbeat for Rummy's removal? I'll admit you do have a point there. Rummy is to this war what McNamara was to Viet Nam. I don't care what you Libs say about him, but when most generals hate him there's a real problem.

8 I think Rusty called for Rummy to go several weeks ago. So we've not been ignoring it we were just too far ahead. I have not posted on that true so OK that's true. Bush is stubborn, probably the more times you say it the less likely he is to do it. I did have one idea I may use. Rather than say resign how about retire. I doubt he will things may turn around here PDQ I get that feeling.

9 what does it say about a leader who, the more someone is criticized for incompetence, the less likely he is to remove him? "Doing a heckuva job, Rummy" I guess it will take a crisp, clear, specific fiasco like Katrina to get Rummy out of there. Actually, I think Rummy should be out in two months. No way will the Repubs want to go into the midterms with this albatross. They have to show some change on Iraq or they'll lose the Senate and the House. Easiest way to do that is to boot Rummy.

10 but jd, you're against the Iraq war, period. So HOW we go about fighting it shouldn't really be your concern, now should it? This is just gotcha politics to you.

11 True, Carolos, there is an element of "I saw this coming" in my attitude towards this. But regardless of how one feels about the Iraq war, any patriotic American would want it to be run competently. It's like people who oppose welfare on principle. I think most of them would still say--if we are going to have it, let's at least have a well-run program I disagree with. If the guy running it is incompetent, and top people in his org are starting to say fire the bastard, don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, would be their attitude, I think. Incidentally, unlike a lot of generals and pentagon folk, I was on Rummy's side on the military modernization. Rumsfeld was right to cancel or seek to cancel several weapons programs that were outdated and coldwar relics, and right to put money into new technologies. He was right, and many generals wrong, about the lean fighting force capabilities in taking afghanistan and iraq. He was wrong, and Shinseki right, about the force necessary to win the occupation, however. And it is his MANY failures as a leader in Iraq which demand his removal.

12 Man" is Keeping Rusty Down » April 14, 2006 Fearsome Mujahadeen Vonski has obtained and published a new Jihadi Video. LMAO- A must see!. Posted by Howie at April 14, 2006 03:23 PM | TrackBack Comments I wonder if his rifle sounds like pocketa pocketa pocketa when he fires? Wa-hoo! I'm back on! Thanks to the powers that be! And a little prodding and begging! I know it couldn't be for my keen insight! Ya'll have a Happy Easter! And corncider this: Rumsfeld: " There are I don't know 3, 4, 5, 6,000 generals .... " Shouldn't the Secretary of Defense have a better idea how many generals there are? Let's see, he's been on the job now what 2, 3, 4, 5 years? That's cause enough to step down! But then again he has the backing of President Bush ... however much that is worth!?

13 Whoops! Sorry I copied and pasted and thought I had eliminated all comments but my own! My apologies!

14 Yeah, that's kind of a big howler. Remember when people jumped on Dean during his campaign for not knowing how many troops we had in our military? This is a much bigger mistake. He'll be fired soon. Sorry, he'll resign, and get a presidential medal of freedom, which is the sure sign of incompetence these days. Tenant gets one, Bremer gets one, how bad do you gotta screw up before you aren't eligible for that one?