Donald Rumsfeld

I've never been as adamantly against Donald Rumsfeld as some; as someone who doesn't believe in violence, the Secretary of Defense has always been one role that I don't examine terribly closely.  I didn't agree with him, but then, I never expected to.  On anything.

What does interest me though is his immediate removal just now.  Talk about scrambling to react.  I've long said that this Administration's biggest problem is that it is highly reactive - that is, that it's not especially proactive or ahead of events.  President Bush is claiming in his press conference that he and Rumsfeld have had "a number of conversations" around replacing him; when pressed, though he admits that he didn't talk to Robert Gates until Sunday, and didn't have the "final" conversation with Rumsfeld until yesterday (what fun that evening must have been).  Moreover he says that when he said he would be keeping Rumsfeld to reporters last week, he meant it, because he hadn't made his decision.  All of which looks, yet again, as if the President doesn't move except when seriously poked with a stick, and only in ways that are about image, not substance.

Let's be clear - Rumsfeld should have been gone months, if not years, ago (at least from general consensus), if better policy and accountability were the main objectives.  But of course, those are not Bush's objectives, or those of people.  His story is about loyalty (which Rumsfeld was), appearances (Rummy looked commanding), and spin (he was certainly blessed with a silver tongue).  Now, when his image is tarnished and appearances would be better served by his departure, off he goes.

Since we can't even say right away that Gates will be easily confirmed (more than anything, he looks like another Bush loyalist), on several levels this introduces an uncertainty that can't be good for the President to get on better footing with the public.  As well, it's almost exactly what Democrats wanted all along, and suggests that Bush will be rolled in this new atmosphere, in a way that will never help him recover the Republican momentum.  And finally, one has to wonder - if he'd said Rumsfeld was expendable or that he was going prior to the election, would the Republicans have experienced such a loss?  I'd say it's at least a toss-up, and I suspect some Republicans will be mighty steamed that this didn't happen sooner.

But then, thinking about others has never been Bush's long suit, now has it?

UPDATE: Here's an interesting article in this month's Texas Monthly about Gates' work at Texas A&M.

Comments

[Jennifer]

I'm still not sure why you're surprised that Rumsfled is going. I'm actually surprised that Bush bowed to public opnion.