Why did George W. Bush finally fire Donald Rumsfeld, after he said over and over again that he would not?
957527
Bush is just a flip flopper
852610
Seems likely in view of the fact that two or three weeks ago Bush lied that Rumsfeld would be staying on for the next two years.  Apparently a lie since he "accepted" Rumsfeld's resignation the morning after the election.  Speaking of....if there is to be a trial against Rumsfeld, would it consider Bush and Cheney as accomplishes?
791119
I don't think we ever got off of Iraq.  With 105 Americans killed in Iraq last month, how could anyone get off that topic.  Bush assured us we will be talking about Iraq for the next two years, when he announced that Rumsfeld we be there as long as he is president, and he still relies on Cheney for his advice on Iraq.  Sounds like "stay the course" to me.
967097
I would say it's too late.  He's said so many times that he's happy with Rummy's performance, even after Abu Ghraib and every other f*** up.  It would seem hypocritical for him to suddenly change his mind now.  It would seem like he's trying to toss deck chairs off the Titanic.  It won't make a difference.  That ship's going DOWN.
916927
When Bush was elected so too was Cheney & Rumsfeld.  I would be willing to bet that Bush has never made a decision contrary to their advice.  I don't think he has the brains.\n\nI love your statement!  You were inspired.
832331
I do not believe he served at all in George HW Bush's administration.  He was Gerald Ford's Secretary of Defense back in 70's.
939981
It is just another move in a long line of them that highlights Bush's penchant for self-righteousness.  To him, it matters not that the majority of the American people don't approve of him, his tactics, or his job performance.  Right after the mid-terms he was all welcoming and talking about working together with the Democrats.  I hoped for once he was being forthright and truthful, but lately I've realized that a leopard really doesn't change its spots.  The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior and there you have it.  For the next two years it's going to be a battle in Washington D.C.  I was stunned by his declaration that civil war is not happening in Iraq.  That man has the worst case of tunnel vision I have ever seen in a President.  It's a sure sign of egomania when someone is unable to ever admit they are wrong about anything.  Honestly, this man is the worst President I have ever witnessed in office, and I've been alive long enough to remember Nixon like it was yesterday.
888024
I hope so....\nBut the reality is, Bush actually believes what he preaches, sad really. If he fires Rumsfeld, than he is publically admitting his mistake.\nOur only hope at this point, is that the voice of country is actually heard tonight.
755522
Liar liar liar..... AGAIN. Now he can "change policy" and blame all the failed stuff on Rummy.
326030
I believe Rumsfield is thinking more about himself lately than anything. He has several High ranking officers who control the U.S. military that are against him, they may and could interpet his orders in their own way. It is also possible he could pull a big blunder which will oust him. With president Bush supporting him and 70+% of the nation not in favor of Bush I would say that is a big problem.
437547
Yes, it is crazy.\n\nSix generals (five retired two-stars and one retired four-star) out of 4,000+ are bitching because they disagree with Rumsfeld's management style.  Okay, he is a hard guy to work for, no argument.  But their main gripe is that Rumsfeld is turning the military into something it needs -something these guys disagree with.  Rumsfeld has also tried to resign twice, and it's true that Bush won't let him, because he (as well as most of the military & civilian leadership at the Pentagon) know full well that what Rumsfeld is doing IS important.\n\nSecond, the government is asking for those search records to track down who's been surfing child-porn sites, and to see who's been trying to build bombs (but mainly it's done to take down the perverts).\n\nTexas cops raiding bars and arresting drunk people...not sure where this story came from or if this is just an isolated incident.  But public intoxication *is* a crime.  It also may be the people arrested were harrassing and/or threatening someone else, also a crime.\n\nA report coming out that marijuana doesn't have any medicinal uses?  Well, reports on what is good & what isn't keep going back and forth.  Give it about another 18-24 months and you'll see the opposite.  Again.\n\nThe war (I assume this refers to Iraq) being a joke and a lie.  I'm not sure I should dignify this with a response, but the truth is that, contrary to what gets reported on the news, Iraq has in fact been much improved over the past three years.  It should be noted that the entire number of American casualties (though I agree that even one death or maiming is a tragedy) is so low as to be unprecedented.  Iraq is stabilizing, and the way things are going, a significant number of troops should be home by the end of the year.\n\nOil prices are, like every other commodity in the world, subject to that force known as 'economics'.  In this case, there's so much demand (and not so much to go around) that the price keeps rising.  Meanwhile, because we're talking about billions of people buying their product(s), oil companies have become extremely wealthy.  It may not be 'fair', but that's economics for you.  Nobody ever said economics -hell, the world in general- is 'fair'.\n\nImmigration reform.  Well, if you understood how many people in the country are truly pissed off about these people a) breaking the law to get here, b) undercutting wages for legal workers, and c) getting preferential treatment in some cases over legal immigrants, you might understand why so many people are up in arms.  And it *is* a serious threat to security.  If ordinary illegals can cross, then so can those wackos from MS-13, so can drug smugglers (and these guys do), and so can terrorists (Although in a lot of ways, MS-13 guys ARE terrorists).\n\nThe guy in South Carolina?  Well, everyone has different things they're offended by, and he's just exercising his rights to be a concerned citizen.\n\nAs to this 'plan'...like I said, yes, it's a crazy idea.  Remember, the people who would enforce things are as human as everyone else, and I doubt you could find enough people -civilian or military- to go along with this.  Bush doesn't want to be a dictator; he's just extremely stubborn in doing things.  Mind you, he's annoyed me a lot of times, either for doing what I see as something dumb, or for doing something I agree with, but not communicating *why* it's a good idea.\n\nBy the way, it's spelled "martial law".  "Marshall" is someone's last name.\n\nAnd despite what a couple of people seem to be concerned about here, no, the FBI, CIA, NSA, Secret Service, etc., do NOT monitor these sites.  They (especially the law enforcement guys) are extremely sensitive to such things, since they're tasked with upholding the law.  They only check into such things when they get a tip (e.g. some idiot on
833338
Bush lie? Why, whatever do you mean? WHEN has he ever done THAT?\n\n;-)\n\nBy coincidence, I was on a blog and clicked a link, and here's a quote:\n\n"VIDEO: Bush Admits He Lied About Rumsfeld For Political Purposes\n\nLast week, President Bush unequivocally told a group of reporters that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Vice President Cheney would “remain with him until the end of his presidency, extending a job guarantee to two of the most-vilified members of his administration.” Bush said, “Both those men are doing fantastic jobs and I strongly support them.”\n\nToday, he announced Rumsfeld is resigning and being replaced by former CIA Director Robert Gates. At the press conference, Bush said that “the only way to answer that question, and get it on to another question, was to give you [the reporters] that answer.” Bush admitted that he had talked to Rumsfeld about resigning and was actively searching for his replacement at the time."
881997
I would tell him to put on a more pleasant face, he always looks like he is ready to do battle with anyone. Why did he not listen to his cabinet members about having Rumsfeld step down from his office?.Do you think you would have the same view of the war in Iraq, if you had a member of your family in the front line of fire?
431290
False: And I can't think of any good Secretaries of Defense either. \nGrant also had an unimiginative way of throwing thousands of men up against  well defended positions like Fredericksburg at the unnecessary cost of thousands of lives.  Grant may have been one of the reasons why the butcher's bill was so costly from 1863 on. \n\nAll the same he had courage.  Rumsfeld doesn't even come  up to the level of McClellan.  He is more of a blunder-er like Burnside. \nFrankly he ought to be recalled.
102807
General Powell was acting on information given to him by the Bush administration. It was not HIS facts that he read to the UN. \n\nWhy do you think he resigned? This is a man of unquestionable character and dedication to his country. \n\nI served the General indirectly, in Desert Storm and would do so again in a hearbeat.
155667
This latest issue with Bush approving the turning over of control of our major ports to an Arab country is more proof that this president is clueless on how to keep America strong and safe.  While I very much approved of his appointments to the Supreme Court, over all I can think of no other president that has single handedly done more to destroy this country.  You want me to list a few topics? The economy, 8 trillion dept & counting, the enviornment & global warming, human rights-torture, our border crisis, the non-response to the Katrina disaster due to appointing one of his cronies as Fema director, creating a war that looks to have no end  while abandoning the legitamate one in Afghanistan, sending our troops, the best & bravest in the world, into battle without enough numbers or equipment and no clear objective... I could go on and on... anybody else?
957396
Let's get one thing straight.  He did not "resign".  Bush asked him to leave.  In all of the previous calls for his resignation, he had said that he serves at the pleasure of the President.  That said, it's not a cut-and-run.  It gives the American people and the American government a fresh start-someone who can lead the war effort without having to worry about what the American people will think.  Rummy will always be blamed for anything that goes wrong with the war, so now it's time for someone who can honestly say, "I wasn't the one who was running it from the beginning, I just want to get the job done, and as quickly as possible.  I don't want to dwell on any possible mistakes; the past is the past, and this is what we have to get through."