Why Rummy was fired

[LuckyTheDog]

Well, now we know why he was fired. There were two reasons:

1) First, Nancy Pelosi demanded it. And Bush -- who was soiling his Depends undergarments every hour on the hour for a day or two after the Nov. 7 election -- felt he had to give in.

2) Even if Bush had thought about standing up to Pelosi, Rumsfeld sealed his fate by suggesting that the U.S. scale back in Iraq. Such "reality-based" ideas cannot be tolerated in the faith-based atmosphere of the Bush White House. Their mantra is "we must NOT have a plan! We must stay the course and wait for God to deliver victory!"

[GreenZoneLT]

1. George has read too many Lincoln bios

Well, "read" may be too strong a term. Let's say he's watched too much Ken Burns documentaries.

He thought Rummy was Grant to his Lincoln (the conventional wisdom in the summer of 1864 was for a negotiated peace). Then Rummy finally comes out with what he really thinks, and W recoils. "McClellan!" he thinks. G'bye, Rummy.

[seemslikeadream]

5. I would like an answer

maybe I've missunderstood you?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2638965

[theoldman]

2. There always has to be a scapegoat for a failed policy.

Bush could not fire Cheney who came up with the failed policy. He could not blame it on Rice who supported the failed policy. The generals who did not support the failed policy have already been fired. Rumsfeld was the only one left to take the hit.

[stillcool]

3. like everything else this administration does..

I'm sure this was a well thought out, choreographed event, designed for whatever mass-perception they wish to achieve.

[Peace Patriot]

6. I dig your point re choreography--but I suspect that it wasn't the

election OR failed war policy. I think Rumsfeld is in big legal trouble over something (--could be a number of things, but what springs to mind are the Plame leak or 9/11, or possibly the real reasons for torture and secret flight/Guantanamo detentions--maybe offing witnesses to other Bushite crimes?). I think Rumsfeld is the mastermind of their worst deeds, and something has caught up with him.

What does he care about elections? Nothing! What does he care about a failed war? You could make a good case that he planned it that way, and that its whole point was to enrich war profiteers beyond their wildest dreams and maybe create a private, global corporate war capability from the "gold mine" profits on Iraq (a la "C.H.A.O.S." --in "Get Smart" (1965 spy show)). Remember Rumsfeld's remark about the looting in Baghdad? 'Freedom = the freedom to loot.' Or some such. I think he really meant it.

I think maybe he jumped out (on his way to Paraguay?) just ahead of the whistleblowers. Remember the odd timing? Republicans were squawking all over the landscape--why didn't Bush fire him BEFORE the midterms?! I mean, it was possibly orchestrated--by Baker and Cartel. How to save Jr.? Make it look like he's doing something--like he's "the decider." Get Diebold/ES&S to permit some Dem wins (which voters took advantage of to give Dems a big win--not big enough, but still bigger than planned). Then push Rumsfeld out as scapegoat (like Bush had the power to do that). Reassign Rumsfeld to the new compound in Paraguay, to hook up with the well- (U.S.) funded Colombian paramilitaries, to topple some of these pesky leftist democracies that have too much oil, gas, minerals and other resources for the peoples' own good. The whole thing intended to, a) keep the golden goose of Iraq alive for a while more (billions and billions and billions pouring out of our treasury into war profiteer pockets), and b) slow down the Dem Congress' reaction by Bush appearing to "consider" his options.

You could certainly write a plausible scenario for a choreographed exit, with political purpose (and for why it occurred AFTER the elections)--but these people (Rumsfeld most especially) are so-o-o-o dirty, dirt doesn't even begin to describe it. Somethin's gotta give. They can't keep the lid on the biggest crime mob in the history of the world. And, as I said, I think Rumsfeld was the nexus for the worst of it. I think his resignation (or whatever it was) was an escape--and actually a not very well choreographed one--maybe with ill feeling (Cheney/Bush pointing the finger at Rumsfeld?). Cheney's got a load to deal with, re the Libby trial. And I think that is a real Pandora's box (--the outing of Plame and her entire WMD counter-proliferation network, and what the real reasons for it were). Then there's the truly curious NORAD standdown on 9/11. I've been hoping for years now, since it happened, that some 2nd Lieutenant or other was hiding out, in some obscure post, biding his/her time, on what they saw/heard that day, regarding why the AF jets were not scrambled. (Rumsfeld pulled all NORAD decisions into his own hands six months before--then was AWOL during the critical hour, and later said he was in a meeting.)

Like that. Dark deeds, catching up with him. The shit about to hit the fan. He has a few months of serious shredding to do--then he's outa here. They'll never catch him. (My suggestion for the Democrats: Invade the Cayman Islands, and get some of our money back. That's a "little war" I might support.) (Or maybe just an investigation. Cayman is a pretty peaceful place--British territory--and they do not like money laundering and supposedly have taken measures against it. However, bear in mind that British war profiteers made out pretty well in Iraq, too; that the Brits lied, too, and gave the Bushites cover for the war, and are still covering for them. I don't know how we will ever get our money back. Where's the "Mission Impossible" team when you really need them?)

[stillcool]

10. who ya gonna call?

ghost-busters! I'm reading this book...the rich and the super-rich, or some such title. It was written in 1968, and I just started it, but it's either going to be very depressing...as in...everything old is new again...or very enlightening...as in..what's going on now is unprecedented even within the realm of the super-elite, and therefore sanity may still exist somewhere? I don't know, but that was a great post.

[NMDemDist2]

4. "Pelosi demanded it"

I missed that, got a link?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

7. I don't know that she demanded it...

...but she was certainly in favour of it:

Many political figures activists and organizations--including Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and MoveOn.org--are calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060417/apter

Historically, I don't think the Speaker of the House really gets to "demand" that much of the President. My question to the author of the OP would be "demanded it in exchange for what?"

[Disturbed]

8. I don't think Busholini fired Rumsfailed.

I think that pressure was placed to finally accept his resignation. Rumsfailed did what he was told to do but wasn't pleased with the plan, the actual actions. He had expressed this several times. In fact, he did say that an Isurgency, such as was gaining strength in Iraq would take at least 10 years to defeat. Since the Shiites backed by Iran have so far refused to share the wealth with the Sunnis, the fight will continue.

[Poiuyt]

9. He was fired

An aide to Rummy said that when he wrote the Iraq memo the day before the election he did not know that he would be leaving office.