Rumsfeld passionately defends himself

[quaoar]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/10478265.htm

By JOHN J. LUMPKIN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, stung by criticism that he's insensitive to the needs of the troops and their families, offered his most impassioned defense Wednesday.

The normally stoic Rumsfeld said when he meets wounded soldiers or relatives of those killed in battle, "their grief is something I feel to my core."

"I am truly saddened by the thought that anyone could have the impression that I, or others here, are doing anything other than working urgently to see that the lives of the fighting men and women are protected and are cared for in every way humanly possible," he said.

"And I hope and pray that every family member of those who have died so bravely knows how deeply I feel their loss."

[iconoclastic cat]

1. Yeah, right. Feel this, Rums.

[MisterP]

2. sort of like being angry about the photos and not the torture

think he'll shed his skin over winter break?

[MSgt213]

3. Rummy real easy to prove you care. RESIGN. Kelirk has more integrity

then you and that's not saying a whole hell of a lot for integrity.

[cornermouse]

6. Somehow I suspect Keriks' resignation was not

voluntary. But I could be wrong.

[MSgt213]

9. It doesn't matter whether or not it was voluntary or not. He took the

honorable road. Saved face for himself and didn't force his boss to suffer having to fire him which if he were Rummy would be doing instead.

[Mandate My Ass]

4. "Stung?" Try being maimed or killed in an unarmored vehicle

you arrogant pile of maggot droppings. Then come crying to the media.

Boo effin' hoo.

[maxrandb]

63. That was the most telling part of that circus media briefing

yesterday.

I wanted to throw-up when Rummy was asked if the recent criticism made it difficult for him to serve? He said, If the soldiers can get up every day and do their job, he could do his.

So in essence, he is saying soldiers getting their ass blown up, or having ball bearings embedded six inches into their necks, is equal to some Congresscritter criticizing the SECDEF. I'm sure it is just so hard for Rummy. I mean all these people saying bad things about you has got to be as bad as looking down and seeing a pile of goo where you legs used to be.

Poor, Poor Pitiful Me!

HE IS A SICK F*$K!

[devinsgram]

5. Yeah right, thats believable!

Turn on the sob story, while you are laughing under your breath.

[goodboy]

7. ...how deeply he feels their loss? Deep enough to sign the letters?

spare me you fuckin' fascist.

[0007]

8. Horse shit!

Rummy didn't listen to his generals when they wanted more troops to invade with. He ignored the protection of the troops that are now dead. He lied and said he knew where the Weapons of Destructionwere in Iraq. He stood before the troops with a grin of a jackass and smartly said, "you go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want"

Mr. Rumsfelf you should share a cell with Charles Manson!

[knowbody0]

10. also defends torture

the critical time for him was way back when turkey denied the usa use of their air strip and boarders b4 the invasion.he has been unable to admit to mistakes and pushes forward no matter what. he will go down as the biggest failure next to george. amen

[cliss]

42. That's right.

Rigidity = success. I've been watching these guys closely these past tortuous years, and I can tell from reading that they really value rigidity.

Of course they'll call it something else, like "stick with the plan", "don't stray from the plan". They probably have endless discussions about how the world will try to divert them from their unholy plans of running the world. Of course, they will make it into an asset, like "determination", "goal-oriented", or even "stubbornness".

"The world doesn't understand us". They're right! We don't understand them.

It's blind rigidity like this that leads to catastrophe. Because they are closed to any input. They can't hear or see anything beyond their grandiose plans to dominate the world. Fools.

[Catfight]

11. Words are cheap, action is what matters, they talk the talk but they

don't walk the walk. They've known about the shortage of armor for months and did nothing. Now they suddenly want to talk...bullshit, this is about getting the troops what they need and request what they need! Not about how Dumbsfield "feels sadden" I don't give a rats ass how bush or dumbsfield or anyone feels, get the soldiers what they need and stop making fucking excuses about everything!

[goforit]

28. And his "talk".........is quite a little late!!!

[gratuitous]

12. It doesn't matter how much or how little he cares

That's not the issue. The issue is stunning, blinding, bone-simple incompetence. And Rumsfeld's picture is right next to the dictionary entry for that one. All the compassion and heartfelt sorrow in the world doesn't allow you to unbury your mistakes.

But he keeps his job because he's doing exactly what his boss wants him to do. Never doubt that for an instant.

[Dulcinea]

30. We have a winner! *ding*ding*

Rummy screwed up, but he takes the heat off Boy George, the ultimate f*ckup.

[kohodog]

37. Did he really justify soldiers deaths by saying that they had volunteered?

I'd love to see the exact quote.

We need to take this thing called democracy back. We've moved outside any sense of decency as a Nation.

[dummy-du1]

62. He despises all soldiers in general

He also said, that Vietnam draftees "added no value, no advantage, really, to the United States armed services over any sustained period of time, because the churning that took place, it took enormous amount of effort in terms of training, and then they were gone." Obviously, it doesn't matter for him, if you volunteer or if you are drafted, he will despise you regardless of what has been the case.

[truthisfreedom]

13. he's on the defensive and obviously lying. what a hack.

blah blah blah.

[mtnester]

14. Methinks he doth protest too much n/t

[Malva Zebrina]

15. Come on

the guy is set for life. He couldn't give a shit about what will be written about his lack of competance in the days to come.

He is playing a role and if he goes down, why should he care?

He has nothing to fear for the rest of his life as far as his comfort goes, whether or not his reputation goes down.

[cliss]

43. That's true.

I read recently that RumpSmell is now worth $156 million dollars.

He's a big investor in the armaments industry. = Weapons manufacturers, war suppliers, etc. In other words, he's got a financial interest in the war going on. $$$

He truly doesn't need to work any longer. Also, he's 72 years old. And he's planning to work another 4 years? He'll be fuckin 76 years old.

Oh yeah we really need that.

[cal04]

16. Subdued Rumsfeld 'Truly Saddened' by Criticism

(yeah right Rumsfeld, you didn't listen to anyone but your buddy wolfowitz)
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, responding to mounting criticism even from fellow Republicans, said on Wednesday he was ``truly saddened'' anyone could think he was not laboring to protect U.S. combat troops.

An uncharacteristically subdued Rumsfeld addressed his critics with an unprompted statement at the start of a Pentagon briefing, and said he stayed awake a night worrying about America's fighting men and women.



http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-iraq-usa-rumsfeld.html?oref=login


White was forced to resign in April after repeated clashes with Rumsfeld, including disputes over Rumsfeld's decision to cancel one of the Army's pet projects, the $11 billion Crusader artillery system, and efforts to modernize the service. The Pentagon had originally projected that the occupation force would have been cut in half by this point.

Instead, U.S. commanders say it is hard to impose order in Iraq with just 150,000 troops, and the return home of the 3rd Infantry Division -- one of the units that led the assault on Baghdad -- has been delayed indefinitely. White said Rumsfeld was wrong and that his rebuke of Shinseki was unfair. "The facts bear out that was pretty accurate in estimate," he said. Rumsfeld and his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, were leading advocates of the U.S. attack on Iraq. In congressional testimony last month, Wolfowitz said Shinseki's estimate was still overstated. White said Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld can't come to grips with the idea that more troops are needed.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/06/03/sprj.irq.white.iraq.troops/index.html

[jimshoes]

17. Bull

Shit! Your privatized army sucks. Its just another way to funnel taxpayer billion$ into your pals bank accounts. The most evil man on Earth.

[daleo]

18. The Passion of the Rummy

Maybe there's a movie in there somewhere.

[The Night Owl]

71. Not if we have to see Rummy in a loincloth! EOM

[Pithy Cherub]

19. This unfeeling guy is pleading, absolutely pleading the 5th...

to no avail. The evidence of his malfeasance and non-caring is overwhelming.

[Dem2theMax]

20. I'm sure he was crossing his fingers while talking.

Like any of us are going to believe him? :puke:

[Hand]

21. Here's a little something for you to FEEL, asshole...

Have a seat and rotate at great speed--you'll like it, I swear you will.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

22. Chickenhawk...bawk, bawk, bawk...Hey, CHICKENHAWK...

[Been Fishing]

23. Suck It Up!

When asked about the lack of armor protection for vehicles by a soldier in Kuwait heading for Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s response was to “Suck it up�E

When asked by another soldier about “stop loss�Eextension of Reserve and National Guard enlistments, Rumsfeld’s response was to “Suck it up�E

The military hasn’t changed in 35 years since Vietnam. The military still sucks.

:nopity:

[Disturbed]

26. Saving face.

Rumsfailed should have been fired a long time ago and then charged with War Crimes. The reasons that this has not happened can be speculated upon. My view is that he has the original doc that GW signed allowing torture of all detainees.

Rumsfailed admitted in public on TV that when CIA Director Tenet requested that an Iraqi prisoner be sent to a secret Afghan/US Prison that Rumsfailed did so. After four months a DOD Attorney stated that this was an illegal act. Rumsfailed then ordered that this prisoner be sent back to Abu Graihib but the prisoner was purposefully not listed at that location, also an illegal act. Rumsfeld also admitted to signing orders for tougher interogation methods which violated the Geneva Conventions.

Rumfailed has commited at least three violations of the Geneva Convention thereby also violations of The Constitution of the USA. Recently it has been found out that even more detainees were "ghost detainees". The fact that Rumsfailed and Tenet have not been charged speaks volumes. If Congress wishes to garner any respect they should move forward with Rep. Rangle's Impeachment Declaration of Rumsfailed and also proscecute Ex. CIA Tenet.

=========================
Q: Senator Jack Reed (Dem, RI): "If you were shown
a video of a United States Marine or an American
citizen in control of a foreign power, in a cell block,
naked with a bag over their head, squatting with their
arms uplifted for 45 minutes, would you describe that
as a good interrogation technique or a violation of
the Geneva Convention?"

A: Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the vice chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff: "I would describe it as a violation."

A: Paul D. Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense: "What
you've described to me sounds to me like a violation of the
Geneva Convention."

Thursday, May 13, 2004, Senate Armed Services Committee hearings

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25737-20...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25737-2004May13.htm

Friday 17 December 2004

“Scott Horton, a New York lawyer and president of the International League for Human Rights, has spent months investigating the role Bush administration officials played in the torture scandal. He says there is mounting evidence - including the May 10 FBI e-mail - that strongly suggests that Rumsfeld and his top intelligence aides were directly responsible for the wholesale abandonment of legal and ethical norms as well as international treaty obligations. Now that Republican senators and neoconservative ideologues are publicly turning their backs on the defense secretary, perhaps even he may someday be held accountable for this disgraceful stain on the honor of the U.S. armed forces.”

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/121804X.shtml




Does the US, Govt., Congress, and the Justice Dept no longer abide by the Geneva Convention or the Constitution of the USA?

[Rose Siding]

24. I saw a few minutes of this presser

He really did appear rattled. It's a case of self image colliding with reality, imo. If he genuinely gets any deeper into it, he'll resign. But I won't hold my breath.

[quaoar]

38. Nah.

They're gonna have to drag his ass out of there.

[Occulus]

69. That's why I vote to leave him there as long as he wants to stay

Let the incompetance boil over. Maybe we can get rid of the whole damn cabal.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

25. Sorry, motherfucker. How many of your family has died in service

to this country in a political war?

This man and his ilk nauseates me.

[goforit]

27. Damn it!!!....Then pay tribute to those coffins that come home!!!

They are far more a patriot while you, Rummy, are far more
Benedict Arnold!!!

[VegasWolf]

29. Words, just words from the bush administration. n/t

[complain jane]

31. what a crock of shit

[damntexdem]

32. Well, I guess it's good that ...

he's passionate about something -- himself. After all, he has to be: who else would?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

33. Aw da po' widdow baby

Who knew deep down Rumsfeld is really a sensitive guy

[DemoTex]

34. Fuck him.

This nightmare with Rumsfeld and his crew make Robert Strange McNamara look like choir-boys. We are fucked, boys! Get used to it.

[BikeWriter]

51. ...and feed him fish heads! n/t

[InvisibleBallots]

35. why is this disgusting freak not in prison?

I just don't understand it god damn it!

[yorkiemommie1]

36. rummy....burn in hell you lying hypocritical jackal! n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

39. "I am truly saddened by the thought that

people can see right through my lies."

[fshrink]

40. These people have not an ounce of dignity in their mind.

Repugnant.

[SKKY]

41. I'm sorry folks, I hate to put it like this because the visual is awful...

...but if "Data" from Star Trek and Charlton Heston fucked and had a kid, it would look and act a lot like Rumsfeld. He was right- he is an old man, and I think it's time for him to retire.

[not fooled]

44. surprised to find that the bloodless, pasty-faced ghoul...

...has enough emotion in him to show any feeling. what a sociopath.

Old man = closer to his date w/Satan.

[Thor_MN]

45. Donald!! Stop that!! You'll go blind!!!

And grow hairy palms

[caligirl]

46. Rumsfeld is costing too many lives, and * thinks loyalty is

the important thing. When will Rummy attend a single funeral or face a court for what he has done.

We aren't far from mass marches and protesting I hope.

[antonialee839]

47. I've always wondered what truly saddened

looked like, thanks Rumsferatu!

[Tinoire]

48. Has he "wept" on TV yet?

Truly, I am getting angrier and angrier. Always wishing for the bowels of hell to get even deeper before these people show up there.

[arikara]

49. He's just a very passionate and fun loving kind of a guy...

[SodoffBush]

50. Keep him on, and the US military will sink further into the depths

of what Kerry would have inherited.

May as well let Rummy suffer his own incompetence. Unfortunately, so will the soldiers, but even the guy who asked the "tough" question voted for Bush and doesn't want Rummy to get "in trouble," so let's give them all another four years and see where (or if) we still stand.

We know their policy (foreign and domestic) is faulty, which becomes more apparent with each passing day.

The US could use a large dose of self-humiliation. It was getting too smart-assed for its own good with leaders like Rummy.

[BikeWriter]

52. Arrogant incompetent bastid! n/t

[msgadget]

53. If he hadn't started off whining and bitching about how people perceived

him, MAYBE I could've believed he was taking the issue more seriously than the criticism.

[Joe Chi Minh]

54. Even though

they are fungible, like any other commodity.

[They_LIHOP]

55. The NeoCons want rid of Rummy...

Mark my words.

The fact that Rummy is still there is due to a power struggle between Bush/Rove and the neocons, such as Cheney/Feith/Wolfie.

Rummy is NOT formally 'one of them', he is an outsider who's mostly co-opted their worldview so is often 'seen' as a neocon, but he really isn't one.

What the neocons want is the crazed Wolfowitz of Arabia to be the SOD.

The reason Rummy is suddenly 'under fire' and the media is actually COVERING it is because the neocons (with the blessing of some of the military brass, I'm certain) are promoting the anti-Rummy stories 'behind the scenes', using their considerable media influence (uh, like, we know what most of the neo-cons are, ethnicity-wise, don't we?) to push the stories to the forefront of the news, make it look like he's 'embattled'.

This is really a form of mutiny, which WOULD please me if it weren't for the fact that Wolfie is a TRULY crazy f**k, he doesn't just play one on TV...

Bush/Rove most likely want Rummy to stay there for their own selfish reasons, not the least of which being they don't want there to EVER be somebody 'removed' from the bush admin by 'outside forces', because it makes * look less powerful than they want him to look in the eyes of the public. In other words, it would stain *'s public reputation if one of his cabinet members were to be 'forced out'. It reflects badly on his judgement and damages the veneer of invincibility that Rove and Co wish to project.

You heard it here first. Or, maybe not. But nobody's mentioned this angle on this thread yet, so I thought I would be the first ;)

[bunkerbuster1]

61. don't you think Bush is just keeping Rummy on board to jettison him

when (ok, if... I'm not a totally cynical pessimist) the Iraq elections turn into a horrific bloodbath and somebody needs to be blamed?

That sounds more plausible to me.

[Massachusetts]

56. "He doth protest to much"

:bounce:

[Tesla]

58. Rummy needs a Pink Slip.

[robbedvoter]

57. GOP style apology: "sorry if you have the impression I said that"

Aleays like that. Lott's was the latest I remember : "I'm sorry if certain people misunderstood...." One has to be a Republican to blame while apologizing....

[Tesla]

I love the new term "mis-spoke"

They don't lie, they "Mis-speak"
I wonder if Websters will put that in under slang?

[Disturbed]

60. He wants to keep working..

even though he has over $150 Million. Guess he likes the power of life and death. Now I am thinking it's good that he stays. A replacement might even be worse and he does make a good symbol of depravity of the Fascists. The rethugs are now using him as a scapegoat should things go real shitty in Iraq after the Iraqi election, a CYA thing.

[hollowdweller]

59. Picture the firestorm if all this stuff was happening under Clinton.

[Redstone]

64. It gets worse

I just looked up the transcript of that press conference, and here's an astonishing statement from Myers:

"This attack, of course, is the responsibility of insurgents, the same insurgents who attacked on 9/11, the same type of insurgents who attacked in Beirut, the same insurgents who -- type of insurgents who attacked the Cole, Khobar Towers, and the list goes on."

You read it right; he said "the same insurgents who attacked on 9/11"

So, are we seeing the dawn of a new Big Lie? It would make sense. After all, these clowns managed to get an awful lot of (dumb) people in America to believe that Saddam was behind the 9/11 attacks. So how hard would it be for them to convince these same idiots that "no, it really wasn't Saddam, it was actually the people who are fighting us now who did it. So now we need to bomb the cities more."

I am so sick of this crap. I was at a bar last night while the news of the Mosul attack was on the television, and the loudmouth ignoramus of a bartender loudly opined that "We should cut the Marines loose. Forget about rules of engagement and all that nicey-nicey stuff. Just let them rock and roll."

I said to him: "Never been wounded in combat, have you."

He said no.

I said to him: "Never even been shot AT, have you?"

He said no.

I advised him that until he'd satisfied both of the above conditions, he was welcome to shut the fuck up and spare us his wisdom regarding military matters.

Several people at the bar actually applauded. There's hope yet.

Redstone

[quaoar]

66. Welcome to DU, Redstone

Is that Redstone as in the Arsenal?

[Redstone]

67. Nope, Redstone as in the name...

not as in the arsenal. Thanks for the welcome note.

Redstone

[caligirl]

75. Good advice Redstone, best response I've heard yet.n/t

[Vidar]

65. And a rotten core it is.

[warrens]

68. If we could set up a $1 gob-smacking booth

We could wipe out the deficit pronto. Put me down for a couple hundred smacks.

[lakelly]

70. Unbelievable!

In and effort to shed his heartless image Rummy comes and extends his deepest sympathy to, well, Rummy. Who else? Jesus he doesn't even know how show any form of humility much less empathy. All he really cares about is that he is misunderstood. IMHO Rummy you are not only heartless, but soulless as well. So do the nation a favor, stop singing "Poor, poor pitiful me and reserve you're concern for our men and women who are in harms way.Oh and one last thought. You better pray that "your God" is in charge in Heaven otherwise your in deep shit.
Edited for typo

[ProfessorGAC]

72. We Have That Impression, Donnieboy. . .

. . .because THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING!!! Soldiers going to battle without armored vehicles and body armor is exactly what happened. What other "impression" would we have?

Dumbass!
The Professor

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

73. gag.

[Redstone]

74. If you want to read the full transcript

it's here http://www.dod.gov/transcripts/2004/tr20041222-secdef1861.html in all its revolting glory.

Strong stomach advised.

Redstone

[Tinoire]

76. I prefer the NYT title to this story: "Rumsfeld 'saddened' by criticism

By Eric Schmitt The New York Times Friday, December 24, 2004

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, hurt :violin: by criticism that he was insensitive to soldiers' pleas for more armored equipment in Iraq and to the families of troops killed there, has offered an impassioned defense.

(snip)

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/12/23/news/rumsfeld.html

:violin: :violin: :violin: :violin: :violin: :violin: :violin: :violin:

:nopity:

Ok question, how do these reporters write these stories? The two versions are almost carbon copies of each other!