Video: The Late Late Show salutes Rumsfeld
posted at 7:56 pm on November 9, 2006 by Allahpundit
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Question: besides Iraqis and monologue writers, who benefits most from Rummy’s departure?
Answer: a woman who’s been about as successful in her job as he was in his. AFP:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice emerged strengthened within the US administration from this week’s Republican election defeat, with the ouster of longtime adversary Donald Rumsfeld expected to boost the hand of diplomats over hawks in driving US foreign policy…
The resignation of Rumsfeld — who once famously declared “I don’t do diplomacy” — was widely seen as opening the door for a shift in US policy on Iraq, which could have broader implications for US actions across the Middle East…
Tim Dickinson, a political commentator for National Affairs Daily, a news website linked to Rolling Stone magazine, called the replacement of Rumsfeld by Gates a “throwback” to the pragmatic foreign policy of the elder Bush’s presidency.
“His selection appears to be a major coup for the secretary of state and a real blow to Dick ‘Full Speed Ahead’ Cheney and the neo-conservatives,” Dickinson wrote.
More at Time. Think she’ll miss him?
Three and a half years ago, as the U.S. prepared for war with Iraq, Condoleezza Rice went to President Bush with a complaint: Donald Rumsfeld wouldn’t return her calls…
Though both maintained the appearance of collegiality, Rice and Rumsfeld loathed each other. Throughout Woodward’s book they are depicted squabbling over everything from how to handle detainees at Guantanamo Bay to whether the U.S. should guard oil pipelines in Iraq. As the war dragged on, their roles were reversed: By the end of the book it is Rumsfeld who is left to doodle in his notebook while Rice briefs reporters during a joint appearance in Baghdad…
In her early months as Secretary of State, Rice would sidestep questions about Iraq by stating that the presence of 150,000 troops on the ground meant it was mostly the Pentagon’s problem. But that argument has become less persuasive as the violence has continued and all military options — short of a massive increase in U.S. troops — have proven ineffective in dealing with the insurgency. By now, even Bush’s dog Barney knows that extricating ourselves from Iraq will require cutting some ugly political deals with an assortment of rogues, who might be willing to help stabilize Iraq in return for a piece of the country’s future: Sunni Baathist rebels and Shi’ite Islamists, Iranian spooks and Arab strongmen.
Thus dies the Bush doctrine.
Three pieces of gallows humor for you, then: Slate’s poetic homage to the outgoing SecDef plus two videos, one from last night’s Late Late Show and one from Rumsfeld’s speech this afternoon at Kansas State University. I detect a note of bitterness in that last, sotto voce comment in the KSU clip, but judge for yourself.
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Another good man thrown under the bus.
spmat on November 9, 2006 at 8:06 PM
This is one reason I would be uneasy about Miss Rice for president.
SouthernGent on November 9, 2006 at 8:21 PM
Late Late Show clip brought tears to my eyes I was laughin so hard. Godspeed Rummy we love ya!
infidel on November 9, 2006 at 8:22 PM
Tribute to Secretary Rumsfeld, a fine and honorable man, a relentless warrior and perhaps the best Secretary of Defense America has ever had. God Bless you Sir, thank you for your dedication, invaluable service and tireless pursuit of those who would do America harm.
Maxx on November 9, 2006 at 9:04 PM
Good man or not, he wasn’t exactly doing a stellar job…
Darth Executor on November 9, 2006 at 9:07 PM
I love Rummy and am going to miss him terribly…I felt safe with him running the war.
Apparently the troops did too:Troops fear Rumsfeld’s exit…(In the Times of London, no less!)
The Lefty ‘Rats had been asking for Rummy’s head for the last 3 years and they finally got it. B*stards. They aren’t worthy to lick his shoes clean.
Hopefully, his legacy will be a stronger, better military that will survive long past his tenure as SecDef.
Bush had better give us a good explanation for why he did this sometime soon although the idea of the Dems having Rummy in nonstop “investigations and hearings” while the war is still raging and our troops are in harm’s way isn’t good at all.
Jen the Neocon on November 9, 2006 at 9:15 PM
Rumsfeld had a lot of experience dealing with the people in Washington. He kicked a bunch of bureaucrats in the right place and finally got ignominiously fired.
I, too, will miss him. Hope he’s still around for the coming conservative renaissance in ‘08.
tormod on November 9, 2006 at 9:28 PM
The prick Osama Ahmed, civil worker (right) he’s pissing me off.
The AP (alibi press) writer, SAMEER N. YACOUB , should be SMEER U TOO Binladen.
Yahoo in general printing this one sided crap, blaming Rummy for 30-40 years of their own chickenshit nightmares and one of the worst terrorist dictators the world has known?
Maybe we should dump and run…not really, but some of those people just suck.
shooter on November 9, 2006 at 10:14 PM
Rummy, you did a good job the first time around. Did an even better one the second time.
In trying to plan tomorrow’s military, in sucessfully invading both Iraq and Afghanistan, Donald Rumsfeld was always in favor of the light, quick and hard-hitting force. He understood that the lean force finds it comparatively easy to add muscle (Pershing in WWI) while the overequipped force finds it virtually impssible to shed the useless (Westmoreland in Vietnam).
His shortcoming? While doing invasion well, he was somewhat lacking when it came to the occupation. On the other hand 99.44% of his critics were not his peer in invading and remain clueless about occupation.
At any rate, his replacement is a good man and no pushover in the bureaucratic wars. Hail and Farewell!
Oilpatcher on November 9, 2006 at 10:26 PM
I also love and will miss Rummy, and at the same time must give props to the Late, Late Show for a very funny bit.
cms on November 9, 2006 at 10:32 PM
And one other thing, remember that Rummy was a fighter pilot.
“You can tell a bombardier by his bombsight and his gear.
You can tell a bomber pilot by the spreading of his rear.
You can tell a navigator by his maps and compass and such.
And you can tell a fighter pilot,
BUT YOU CAN’T TELL HIM MUCH!”
As the offspring of a fighter pilot who bought the farm one month before I was born, I have studied that breed of man.
That devil-may-care exterior masks a heart of gold, along with genuine humility. Invaluable, they are.
Oilpatcher on November 9, 2006 at 10:33 PM
The thing to remember is that the Military Members thought Secretary Rumsfield was doing a great job. When the grunts on the line appreciate you, you can take a good deal of joy from your job.
I personally think that the President showed a lot of weakness in “firing” Secretary Rumsfield right after the elections. The Dhims will think that they’ve won one of their fights, and this will only embolden them.
We will miss you, Secretary Rumsfield.
rmgraha, MSgt, USAF (Ret)
rmgraha on November 9, 2006 at 11:39 PM
Rummy did a great job.
I’m sorry W thought it was more important to appease those who hate our troops than keep a good man on.
annoyinglittletwerp on November 10, 2006 at 8:43 AM
A/P: does all this support the (my) notion that Bush has not been the real “decider” in his own administration re Iraq? First it was Rummy/Cheney, now it’s Gates/Scowcroft/Baker/Rice.
Or is my animus showing? Does it not bother you that not one of these people was not vetted by Poppy?
honora on November 10, 2006 at 10:50 AM
The best of the best, he will be missed much. Rummy in 08.
Alden Pyle on November 10, 2006 at 10:53 AM
Rumsfeld may have been a good man and he may have have been brilliant at executing a traditional war, but it’s clear occupation and counter-insurgency were not his strong points. No matter how much you like or respect the man, it’s not hard to see him mangement style and school of thought just weren’t the right fit for the aftermath of Iraq.
JaHerer22 on November 10, 2006 at 11:21 AM
Surprise! It’s your animus! And your bra strap’s showing, too!
I loathe people who call President Bush 41 “Poppy.” That is a soubriquet that only his family uses, but Libbies think they’re so cute,clever and “in the know” when they do (and only surpassed in snarkiness by Molly Ivins calling him “Shrub…” Sh*t.)
President Bush 43 is his own man and his President–he doesn’t need his father to vet people. You would hardly know that the 2 men are father and son, you rarely see them together.
You Lefties can’t stand it that they are the successors to John and John Quincy Adams, both able Presidents of our country in their own right.
Jen the Neocon on November 10, 2006 at 1:15 PM
Why stop there? Why not the big Father and Son as an apt comparision? Like it or not, Dubya surrounds himself with Poppy’s old team. Why? Anybody’s guess, but let’s just say it doesn’t bespeak powerful leadership.
Daaaaaaddddddd!!!!!
honora on November 10, 2006 at 1:36 PM
Regarding that stupid Time article:
An assertion refuted outright by Mario Loyola, recently a career Pentagon man, and whom I’m calling the breakout new superstar at NRO’s Corner Blog.
From his review of Bob Woodward’s crap book, State of Denial:
I want to bear Mario’s children.
Kadnine on November 10, 2006 at 2:36 PM
re:
Kadnine on November 10, 2006 at 2:37 PM
Damn! Comment got eaten again. Lemme try again…
Kadnine on November 10, 2006 at 2:37 PM
Regarding that Time article —
An assertion refuted outright by Mario Loyola, recently a career Pentagon man, and whom I’m calling the new, breakout superstar at NRO’s Corner Blog.
From his review of Bob Woodward’s crap book, State of Denial:
I want to bear Mario’s children after reading that smackdown.
Kadnine on November 10, 2006 at 2:49 PM
That second Rumsfeld clip has to about the funniest thing I’ve seen in weeks. Thanks for that one.
THeDRiFTeR on November 10, 2006 at 3:28 PM
honora, better to have Bush 41’s vetted and seasoned team than Clinton’s band of grifters, criminals, influence peddlers, snake oil salesmen, low-level functionaries and sycophants that he U-hauled to Washington from Arkansas by dragging a $20 bill through a Hot Springs cocktail lounge.
Jen the Neocon on November 10, 2006 at 3:34 PM
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