Will Rummy exit?

[Pure]

Will Rumsfeld exit from Sec'y of Defense post in the next few months, say, by the end of Aug? (Resign or be relieved)?

All you prognosticators, conspiracy theorists, celestine prophets, UFOlogists, please vote.

If you predict 'yes' and also post a date, here, that turns out to be correct, you're entered in the contest:

Prize to be a barrel of the finest Iraqi crude. Compliments of DOD.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

He will resign on 15.Aug.2004, for personal reasons.

 

[Couture]

Rummy will not only resign, but he will come out with a book stating that not only is George Bush the biggest dumbass that's ever inhabited the oval office, he pads his shoulders and crotch. He also wears panties and loves to sing old Donna Summers songs.

October 8, 2004

 

[Lauren Hynde]

That's pretty specific, but can we have a date?

 

[CharleyH]

He will resign on 15.Aug.2004, for personal reasons.

doubt it he will be fired soon enough - there' an election going on, and if George Dubya wins, which this severence may secure - we know - KNOW he is the antichrist

You want a date?

 

[shereads]

Rummy will not only resign, but he will come out with a book stating that not only is George Bush the biggest dumbass that's ever inhabited the oval office, he pads his shoulders and crotch. He also wears panties and loves to sing old Donna Summers songs.

October 8, 2004

Does he really? Because I have to admit there were some sexy songs on her MacArthur Park LP, and if the president is any good I might forgive him for this Armageddon business.

~ ~ ~

Yes. But not until after the last and most shocking of the photos/videos have been released. That will be the ideal political moment to dump some ballast.

Unfortunately, people who scan headlines and don't absorb the news too deeply will think, "The guy who screwed up the Iraq war is gone. That's good; we can go back to Staying the Course now." Plus, GWB will score loyalty points, because Rummy will appear to have resigned.**

An even more shrewd political move would be having Rummy killed by the Civilian Interrogators, who leave a note with the body that says, "Allah Akbar, American cowards." (If Cheney and Karl Rove are really attached to him, they could fake his death.) The tragedy will unite the country.

I know this doesn't entitle me to a contest entry, because I'm not predicting a date. Just a circumstance: Unless there is a dramatic new development that takes the world's mind off of the prison scandal, Rummy gets the heave-ho when the worst of the prison evidence has been leaked, and Rove can be reasonably sure of a period of public calm after the "resignation."

**Disclaimer: All of this is based on the assumption that the photos of Richard Clark and Paul O'Neill's Iraqi Prison Orgy will look fake. If Halliburton Photo Enhancement Technologies earns their pay, Rummy's job is safe.

It will be sad to see Bush, Cheney and Rummy break up. The Three Stooges of the Apolalypse. At least there will be a reunion tour to look forward to.

 

[Edward Teach]

Rummy will not exit.

President Bush has said that Rummy will remain a member of his cabinet. With the election approaching, Bush needs to appear both decisive and in control of his cabinet.

There will be a Lt. Colonel who concocted and ran this whole scheme, all by himself, keeping it secret from everyone in the administration. Or maybe it will be a Brigadier General this time. We have lots of those.

Ed

 

[Pure]

I just got an urgent email from a conservative group, where I'm on the list.

It's a vast, organized, "Save Rummy" electronic petition. Supposedly in reaction to a "Dump Rummy" petition that Kerry is circulating.

Thus I'm leaning toward 'yes', but with the usual 'golden handshake' routines, like maybe a lifetime "Freedom Award," memorial next to Lincoln's when the time comes.

Perhaps the exit from Iraq will go the same way. Who was it that said, "Declare victory, then leave" as a formula for extrication?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Rove has a few options. From what I've seen so far, it looks like Bush is just going to stonewall it and hope it goes away. He's already publicly thanked Rumsfeld for a great job, which just infuriated the seven or eight remaining Arabs who weren't already furious with him.

They could also play the "This is war" card, meaning that anything goes and imagine what the Iraqi's would have done had they had kidnapped a few of our boys. This is a sentiment which has already been expressed by a few people on this board. It seems to be human nature to blame the victims after a while.

I predict that Bush will stonewall throughout and that it will eventually blow over. I say he stays. I think Rumsfeld has been one of the real architects of the whole Iraq thing, and they have to keep him in the government. He's the main advocate of the super-lean, high-tech army, which enables them to use the military as they wish without the civilians squawking as we would if there were a draft, and that's why they've been turning down the requests for more manpower. From what I understand, the lack of manpower is the big problem over there now, and a major contributor to the Abu Ghraib affair. This is his baby.

---dr.M.

 

[Pure]

dr mab,

I have in mind one precedent; mcnamara's departure during the vietnam war, which did not reflect a change in the prosecution of the war. do you think the parallel useful in any way?

McNamara was Secy of Defense, 1961-68.

Here's a bit of history of the end of his term, begun four years earlier:

http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/secdef_histories/bios/mcnamara.htm

[Histories of the Secretaries of Defense]
[start]
In 1965, in response to stepped up military activity by the Communist Viet Cong in South Vietnam and their North Vietnamese allies, the United States began bombing North Vietnam, deployed large military forces, and entered into combat in South Vietnam. Requests from top U.S. military commanders in Vietnam led to the commitment of 485,000 troops by the end of 1967 and almost 535,000 by 30 June 1968. The casualty lists mounted as the number of troops and the intensity of fighting escalated. Although he loyally supported administration policy, McNamara gradually became skeptical about whether the war could be won by deploying more troops to South Vietnam and intensifying the bombing of North Vietnam.

He traveled to Vietnam many times to study the situation firsthand. He became increasingly reluctant to approve the large force increments requested by the military commanders. The Tet offensive of early 1968, although a military defeat for the enemy, clearly indicated that the road ahead for both the United States and the South Vietnamese government was still long and hard. By this time McNamara had already submitted his resignation, chiefly because of his disillusionment with the war.

As McNamara grew more and more controversial after 1966 and his differences with the president and the JCS over Vietnam policy became the subject of public speculation, frequent rumors surfaced that he would leave office. Yet there was great surprise when President Johnson announced on 29 November 1967 that McNamara would resign to become president of the World Bank.

The increasing intensity of the antiwar movement in the United States and the approaching presidential campaign, in which Johnson was expected to seek reelection, figured heavily in explanations of McNamara's departure. So also did McNamara's alleged differences with the JCS over the bombing of North Vietnam, the number of U.S. troops to be assigned to the ground war, and construction along the 17th parallel separating South and North Vietnam of an antiinfiltration ground barrier, which McNamara favored and the JCS opposed. McNamara's resistance to deployment of a major ABM system also upset the military chiefs.

The president's announcement of McNamara's move to the World Bank stressed his stated interest in the job and that he deserved a change after seven years as secretary of defense, much longer than any of his predecessors. McNamara left office on 29 February 1968; for his dedicated efforts, the president awarded him both the Medal of Freedom and the Distinguished Service Medal.

He served as head of the World Bank from 1968 to 1981. Shortly after he departed the Pentagon, he published The Essence of Security, discussing various aspects of his tenure and his position on basic national security issues. He did not speak out again on defense issues until after he left the World Bank. [end excerpts]

 

[Pure]

I guess couture is having us on, and tends to believe rummy will stay??

---
Rummy will not only resign, but he will come out with a book stating that not only is George Bush the biggest dumbass that's ever inhabited the oval office, he pads his shoulders and crotch. He also wears panties and loves to sing old Donna Summers songs.

October 8, 2004

 

[shereads]

President Bush has said that Rummy will remain a member of his cabinet. With the election approaching, Bush needs to appear both decisive and in control of his cabinet.

True, but if Rummy is a team player, he'll resign over the president's "strong objections," which is what often happens in the corporate world - it makes the boss look like someone who is loyal above all, and it saves face for the dumpee.

There will be a Lt. Colonel who concocted and ran this whole scheme, all by himself, keeping it secret from everyone in the administration.

Will he become one of the highest paid people on the lecture circuit, and will he get his own radio talk show? Will he be able to make his eyebrows do that "I'm-so-earnest-it-hurts-my-forehead" thing?

 

[shereads]

This is his baby.

Yes, but its an ugly baby. It's as ugly as the baby in the "Ugly Baby" episode of Seinfeld.

 

[shereads]

"Declare victory, then leave" as a formula for extrication?

I don't remember that one. "Peace with honor" is the first unintentionally ironic political slogan I can remember.

No, I take that back. The first one I remember was, "In Your Heart You Know He's Right." I just didn't know it was ironic at the time.

Damn. I wish I still had the Barry Goldwater doll that my dad bought me. I used to love to play with the cowboy hat.

 

[rgraham666]

I can't see Rummy leaving. That would be tantamount to admitting he made a mistake.

Which he, in his mind, can't do being one of God's chosen.

However, 'health reasons' might give him an out.

'Health reasons' meaning that he's crazier than a snake's armpit.

 

[Pure]

I see our 'prophets' are about evenly divided, though none of those with metaphysical connections have stated an opinion!

The damage of the revelations seems to continue, with the beheading video. Also it's stated there are *thousands* of pictures. Apparently amny CD's were 'burned' with the scenes, and circulated; kind of a souvenir, or titillating reminder of Iraq glory days, to take home to the wife/husband and kids.

ITs quite tricky, to 'stay the course' but make great changes in direction. to avoid 'cut and run' while making tracks outta there.

Possibly appoint rummy to the UN ambassadorship!.

By the way, I did think of a job for him, if he moves on, given his demonstrated effectiveness: director of PR and recruitment for al qaeda.

---
PS, does this help Rummy stay? a finger in the eye of Iraqi's?

White House - AP Cabinet & State

Rumsfeld Backs Iraq Interrogation Methods

14 minutes ago [around 1:15 pm, 5-12]


By KEN GUGGENHEIM, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld defended military interrogation techniques in Iraq (news - web sites) on Wednesday, rejecting complaints that they violate international rules and may endanger Americans taken prisoner.


Rumsfeld told a Senate committee that Pentagon (news - web sites) lawyers had approved methods such as sleep deprivation and dietary changes as well as rules permitting prisoners to be made to assume stress positions.