Crittenden: Rumsfeld and Cheney Must Go
you’re the weakest link… goodbye
Jules Crittenden joins the conservatives calling for Rumsfeld and Cheney to resign. Personally, I don’t see how these two, albeit especially Rumsfeld, can stay on even another week.
That being said, Jules seems to believe that the original goal for Iraq is still achievable:
For the Middle East to retain any semblance of stability, Iraq must survive intact, with a free and democratic government, without the sectarian bloodbath that would make what is happening there now look like a garden party.For that to happen, the United States must remain committed to Iraq. We must quietly apply pressure on Iraqi leaders to take control of their country, to look beyond personal, partisan, sectarian objectives. We must increase the number of U.S. advisors attached to Iraqi army and police units. We must put enough troops in Iraq to destroy the Shiite militias, and hand bellicose Iran’s proxy forces another defeat, on top of their defeat in Lebanon this year. We must destroy al-Qaeda and the Sunni insurgency. Ruthlessly.
The only problem is: that’s not going to happen. At least, not when Jules means ‘intact’ as in the degree of ‘unity’ or centralization right now. As I wrote before, my view on this has evolved, especially lately.
The best the world can hope for right now is some degree of damage control. Jules does not seem to understand this… yet.
6 Responses to “Crittenden: Rumsfeld and Cheney Must Go”
How about we add Bush to the mix of who has to go! If there were ever a situation in our 200 years as a nation, that a President should be impeached, it is with this President and VP. Rumsfeld is just following orders of the President.
I can’t wait for the election to be over so that the Baker report can come out. The report might be the way the President at least ask Rumsfeld to leave, Cheney would be a stretch. I don’t see it happening though, I have a feeling Bush would be lost without those two, Condi not withstanding. I would rather see someone like Colin Powell coming in as VP, the secretary of defense should be from the Army and not one of the people who could not stand up to Rumsfeld.
Jules lost me for good with this
I do not read Lebanon as a defeat for Iran or any of her proxy forces. More the oppisite in fact.
And like St John, Jules presumes our ability to conjour up troops that we don’t have. And even if we were willing to start a draft, it would not start producing more troops any time soon.
With so little knowledge of logistics and force projection, why is this person allowed to pontifacate in a public forum? A lot of the commentators here are more knowledgable and grounded in the possible then Jules.
I wont even go into his misconseptions about who runs things in this administration.
There was one blog or news piece where they raised the possibility of a last minute Cheney resignation as the October surprise. I don’t think much will happen until after the election on this score. I DO think that if the GOP does not retain both houses of Congress Rumsfeld is history. Cheney could hang on but again the scenario where sometime during the next two years he resigns for medical reasons and Rice becomes Veep seems like one that is not unthinkeable. And — here comes another “on the other hand” — that theory becomes doubtful if you think of all the news stories when this idea surfaced about Cheney leaving before: he is loved by the party’s base. But Rumsfeld is unlikely to be in his post the next two years. I’d almost say it’s impossible based on everything I’ve read. Some GOPers are holding most of their fire until after the elections.
Cheney doesn’t “need to go”, in my honest opinion. He’s the vice president. He’s got a pulpit to talk from and a tie-breaking vote in the Senate. Whether or not he ‘operates’ the White House from behind the scenes is inconsequential. He, on the official level, is about the least powerful person in DC – though I’ll cede that he’s been about the most ‘present’ VP in quite some time. Additionally, he was elected, not appointed. That holds a lot of weight (even if it IS 51? 52? percent weight.)
Rumsfeld was appointed, has a laundry list of errors under his watch, seems stubborn as a mule, and is accountable for a lot more than Cheney is. I totally agree that his departure should have been considered years ago.
The guys up there earnestly believe in the philosophy, though. See: Abrams, Bolton, Libby, Wolfowitz, Zoellick, etc. That “case for global leadership” they all drink into is the biggest problem of all, the way I see it.
One thing I ask : Where is the U.S. Space Forces military service they were promising me back in 1997? With all the appropriated defense funds, I want my damn space-soldiers. Laser guns! Pew pew!
(Sorry, I’m in a great mood.
But, but…Rummy’s been doing a heckuva job. He has the full confidence and backing of the President of the United States. How many times have we been told that? I don’t know that Bush would ever fire Rummy.