Rumsfeld resigned before election, letter shows

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Donald Rumsfeld, architect of the unpopular Iraq war, resigned as defense secretary before last year's November election but his decision was not announced until after the voting, according to his resignation letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

The letter was dated Nov. 6, the day before voters, angered by Iraq, went to the polls and swept Republicans from power in Congress. According to a stamp on the letter, President George W. Bush saw it on election day.

Bush, however, did not announce that Rumsfeld would leave until the day after the election.

That infuriated some Republicans, who said their party might have kept more seats in Congress and perhaps kept control of the Senate if Rumsfeld had left before the election.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15245057.htm

[napi21]

1. OH BOY! The Pubs were mad at Shrub BEFORE they found out

about this letter. They're REALLY going to be pi**ed now!

[rodeodance]

2. huh, now it is official-------the WH screwed the Repugs. te he

[rodeodance]

3. and yet, they do his bidding in the Congress. slime.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. when the only tool in your tool kit is a hammer

every problem resembles a nail.
today's GOP knows no other way. hat is how Newtonian and Rovian policies have destroyed their core.

[aquart]

6. But WHY?

Explain it me, somebody, as to a child of five with trusting eyes.

[frogcycle]

7. because everything shrub does

is motivated by selfishness, greed, and pride.

He didn't want to announce it because there was a hue and cry for it and he had taken a "you can't make me; I don't wanna" position. He did not want to look like he was acceding to them. Even if it hurt them and him in the process, his childish level of emotional development would not allow it.

We might as well have a four-year-old running the administration. And a bratty one at that.

[Tansy_Gold]

8. Drop the age requirement to two years and I'll nominate

my grandson. He may not have any other qualifications, but he speaks better than boooooooosh. No sarcasm thingie on that, because he really does.



Tansy Gold

[grytpype]

4. BWaahahahahah!

[0007]

9. I wish Jon Steward was a little faster on recognizing the fact that

Bill Kristol made reference last night to the new surge plan, that included replacing Rumsfeld.

[rocktivity]

10. Funny this should come up as Rove announces his departure

Is Bush trying to sell the idea that he's in charge again? And whether Rummy had tendered his resignation beforehand or not doesn't change the fact that the announcement was timed to be media diversion from the Dem election victory.

By the way, the voters were angered by BUSH, not Iraq...

:headbang:
rocknation

[krkaufman]

15. Yes, everyone seems to forget all the other factors contributing to last Fall's election results...

... including epidemic Republican corruption.

[Ediacara]

11. Meh... would announcing this on election day have made any difference?

I doubt it personally as it would seem more like a ploy than anything else.

Had Rummy resigned several months earlier, then yes, maybe the GOP would have held on to the Senate by one vote, but they're fooling themselves if they think that Rummy is entirely to blame for the election loss.

[tuvor]

12. Rummy didn't resign. He was fired.

According to Bill Kristol on The Daily Show two evenings ago.

[Olney Blue]

13. Yes, that did slip out the other night, didn't it?

(I figured you might have posted the young woman in garters above, but I see you haven't donated- not as smart as I thought I was!)

[krkaufman]

16. Personally, I don't use Bill Kristol as a fact check reference.

(He's been off on a couple points, here and there, over the last few decades.)

[tuvor]

19. It would be surprising if Kristol were "off" on this point, imo.

Unless the PNAC co-founder has been left in the dark about the high-profile PNAC signatory.

[cliss]

14. His ass was out the door -

when the Dem's got a majority. I've read that the Dems #1 Wish List was to have Rumsfailed LEAVE right away.
They were going to wait and see how the election went. As if the old fool had a chance of hanging on.....

The rest is history.

[Up2Late]

17. Oh boy, I feel another wave of "I don't recalls" coming on...

...Who's gonna be first to say it? Any guesses?

[Harper_is_Bush]

18. WHY THE HELL DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT THIS?

To me it seems like a distraction.