Kerry asks Bush to replace Rumsfeld (Rumor, Lieberman could be tapped)

[sabra]

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Kerry_asks_Bush_to_replace_Rumsfeld_1205.html

Kerry asks Bush to replace Rumsfeld

WASHINGTON: Senator John Kerry (D - Mass.) made the following statement, issued to RAW STORY, following Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s speech this morning on Iraq. Rumors are circulating that Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) could be tapped to replace Rumsfeld.


#
“Secretary Rumsfeld today sent dangerous mixed signals about Iraq. Does the Defense Secretary really just throw up his hands and accept that on-going terrorist attacks are inevitable in Iraq for the foreseeable future? Is he now admitting that the Bush Administration's mistakes have made Iraq what it was not before the war, a haven for terrorists?

“The President owes it to our troops serving in Iraq to remove Secretary Rumsfeld and replace him at the Pentagon with a Defense Secretary who understands the situation on the ground in Iraq and who will advance, not undermine, American values around the world.

...

“We need a fresh start at the Pentagon for the good of American troops, so brave Americans stop paying the terrible price of this Defense Secretary's mistakes.”

edit: updated title to reflect rumor

[sniffa]

1. riding joementum to the secretary of defense office

in the bush administration - aLL joe ever wanted.

[IndianaGreen]

5. I don't want Holy Joe in the Pentagon

He is liable to start a way with Syria or Iran.

[ronnykmarshall]

7. Who's the Gov of CT?

If Joe left the Senate for the Dept of Defence .... who would pick the replacement Senator?

[MadisonProgressive]

18. A REPUKE!~~~~!!!!!!!! SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111

[ronnykmarshall]

36. Oh no ...... this could be HUGH!!!!!!!111111

[VegasWolf]

2. Trade Rummy for Israel Joe Liberman. Crap! Which is worse? nt

[LeftNYC]

3. So once Lieberman takes over and Iraq is still

shitty they can blame the Dems, if you can call Lieberman that.

[radio4progressives]

4. Does this mean that Kerry is pressing for Lieberman to replace Rummy?

I posted a thread about this yesterday, and now this article seems to support the theory that Kerry is behind a Lieberman for Secretary of Defense appointment, as if that would be the solution.

Incredible.

[emulatorloo]

8. nothing in Kerry's words "pressing for Lieberman" n/t

[sabra]

15. seems like they are two seperate things, the rumor and Kerry's

statemant.

I updated the headline.

[karynnj]

23. No, Scheiffer said it was a rumour and asked Kerry if he'd

support Lieberman. A "NO" would make no sense - he's said to fire Rumsfeld years ago. Kerry is not behind it, but responding to it.

[blm]

30. Try reading comprehension 101 - Kerry's statement is nothing new - he's

called for Rumsfeld's firing for incompetence three times now.

Too many Dems wouldn't join him then, maybe now they will.

Kerry was ASKED about the Lieberman rumor yesterday, and Kerry said ANYONE would be better than Rumsfeld.

Why pretend he's pushing Lieberman for the job?

[Gregorian]

6. It's a gamble. But better than none at all.

If Joe stays, he wins his seat. We at least get a voting gamble that we can replace him with someone who fits in our Democratic party.

Someone who knows his district's voting pattern would be better able to answer this.

edit- Oops. Voted on? Or replaced by pick?

[TheWraith]

40. A replacement would be appointed, but would be up for reelect in 2006. NT

[VegasWolf]

9. What is wrong with Kerry? Doesn't he have the guts to suggest a

real civilian leader for the Pentagon?

[emulatorloo]

14. What is wrong w you? He says nothing about Lieberman

raw story has one sentence explaining that there are rumors the wh wants lieberman to replace rummy

kerry says nothing about lieberman in his statement. and has been calling for rummy to get fired for as long as I can remember.

[VegasWolf]

21. Okay! Mea culpa. nt

[emulatorloo]

31. . . . .

:toast: :patriot:

[Mass]

17. Nothing is wrong. He did not propose that.

[wryter2000]

10. That's a good place for him

Then, we can throw him out with the rest of the trash in 2008.

[punpirate]

11. If he's trying to make an opening for...

... Lieberman, it wouldn't surprise me. It's been a long while, and people tend to forget, but it was Kerry who convinced Lieberman to run for the Senate in 1980.

How this changes anything of substance is beyond me, since Lieberman has been a staunch defender of both Bush and the war--even after it was apparent to most everyone that Bush was a bad idea, and so was his war.

[thefloyd]

12. Kerry pushing for Lieberman?

Kerry wants a Defense Secretary who knows whats happening on the ground.
Listen to Lieberman and Joe has no clue about the situation in Iraq.

[IndianaGreen]

19. Kerry is an idiot! Rumsfeld is not the problem, Bush is!

The entire war in Iraq is wrong and we must withdraw, not try to achieve "victory" by killing tens of thousands of innocent civilians.

[blm]

24. Kerry said NOTHING about Lieberman - the rumor in DC is that Lieberman

is being considered to replace Rumsfeld so rawstory is injecting it into Kerry's statement.

Kerry's personal choice for DoD would be someone like Gary Hart.

[thefloyd]

37. I should have been more clear

I was questioning the notion Kerry was pushing Lieberman.
My fault

[LittleClarkie]

45. Nah, he just answered a question on Face the Nation

saying it was a Washington insider rumor, that of course he would support a friend, but that such things are not the point. Kerry said that the real issue is that 80% of Iraqis don't want us in Iraq. It was a distraction move that some folk would seem to be falling for.

[Mass]

13. Talk about a misleading title - Kerry did not ask Bush to replace Rummy by

Lieberman.

I am getting more and more fedup by raw-story.

On edit : sorry, I did not realize that the OP was responsible for the title.

[emulatorloo]

20. not raw stories title -- usual DU conflation and misinterpretation EOM

[MadisonProgressive]

22. The OP just pointed out that there is a rumor that * might appoint joemo

[Mass]

25. I just realized that - but the title is really misleading.

[sabra]

27. I apologize for the misleading headline, I quickly made the update

after realizing the confusion...

peace.

[Mass]

28. Thanks -

[spindrifter]

16. Joe is not GI Joe

L*eberman cannot go to defense--he was never in the military. Might as well get a crew chief from McDonald's.

[katinmn]

26. What are Kerry/Lieberman up to?

This smells!

[sabra]

29. The report indicates that they are 2 separate things (statement & rumor)

at least that is how I am reading it.

[goforit]

34. I wouldn't trust either one of them as far as I could throw them.

they both are on their own initiative.

Kerry has to keep the Skull & Bone on top and Liebrman has to keep
Israel on top.

A marriage made in heaven???.....a brewing calamity!!!

WE NEED FRESH BLOOD NOT OLD,POMPAS,ARROGANT Bigots!!!!

[ginnyinWI]

43. oh, please!

Kerry's a bigot???? I guess anyone can say anything on the internet. :eyes:

[TayTay]

41. Nothing.

Kerry started calling for Rumsfeld to either resign or be fired in 2003 and has renewed this call several times since. There is a petition that you can sign at the johnkerry.com web site that has been up since last Dec.

The Leiberman thing is a rumor floating around DC. Kerry was asked, would you support Leiberman if Bush offered him up as the sacrifical SecDef next. Kerry said, yeah, sure, then went on to talk about getting out of Iraq.

[LittleClarkie]

46. Nothing. Why do you think they are up to something?

Kerry answers one question from the host of FTN, saying that sure he'd support Lieberman (didn't bring it up himself) but that was just a Washington insider rumor. The real issue is that 80% of Iraqis don't want us in Iraq.

The next day Kerry sends another request to ditch Rummy. He's been doing that for the better part of a year. He can't stand Rummy. He thinks Rummy is incompetent.

So I don't know why you think they are up to something unless you have facts that I don't have.

Here is the exchange in context:

"SCHIEFFER: ...let me just ask you one more question about Joe Lieberman...

Sen. KERRY: Sure.

SCHIEFFER: ...because there's a lot of talk. Last night--over this weekend, I had four different people tell me that the White House is thinking if the secretary of Defense goes over the next year--and a lot of people think that he will, that the president is thinking of nominating Joe Lieberman to be secretary of Defense. If he did that, would you support Lieberman?

Sen. KERRY: Of course, I'd support Joe Lieberman. He's a friend and he's a very capable guy. But that's all inside Washington stuff, Bob. You know, what people really care about is how we're going to protect our country and get your troops home in a way that is successful. Now...

SCHIEFFER: Do you think Lieberman would do a better job than Rumsfeld?

Sen. KERRY: Well, right--I think a lot of people would do a better job than Secretary Rumsfeld. But let me come to the more important issue...

LC note: you can see Kerry fighting to get the interview to go where he wants it to go, as Bob tries to steer toward the distraction

SCHIEFFER: Go back.

Sen. KERRY: ...80 percent of the Iraqi people have said they want us to leave. They want us out. The Iraqi leaders met in Cairo a week or so ago and asked to have us set a timetable for withdrawal. Forty-five percent of the people in Iraq believe that it's OK to kill Americans. Secretary Melvin Laird, the secretary of Defense under Richard Nixon, broke his silence of 30 years and said in an important article in Foreign Affairs that it is the large American presence of troops that feeds the insurgency. And he said you have to have a slow drawdown to establish confidence in the Iraqis themselves."

LC note: all of which sounds like Kerry is pushing for us to get out of Iraq and was trying to make that point. But all we can talk about is Schieffer's distraction. It is too weep.

[goforit]

32. Lieberman, un-re-electable in CT, means we appoint the Israeli Spy???

OMG!!!!

This is the last straw!!!!

[AlCzervik]

33. ok Joenertia would be terrible, as terrible as Rumsfeld but in a

different sort of way.

[sofa king]

35. This is another "dangle."

It's a red herring to keep the press distracted with an attractive bipartisan "what if" scenario, designed to divert attention from whomever the real nominee is--if in fact there is one.

John McCain traditionally serves the role of the "dangle" in every Presidential election. For example, McCain was "dangled" before the press by John Kerry's camp in order to keep attention from Edwards until the time was right. Prior to that, the Bush campaign ludicrously "dangled" McCain after thoroughly assassinating his character, while Dick Cheney was carefully mulling over the choice of himself as the Vice Presidential candidate.

Lieberman isn't going to get the job for one very simple and overriding reason: the corruption within the Bush White House is so deep that it is a practical impossibility to nominate anyone who is not already thoroughly familiar with the crimes already committed, and those in the process of being committed.

What criminals are available for the job? That's the only question you need to ask when we speculate on a replacement for Donald Rumsfeld. A short list would almost certainly comprise the following, in this order: Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, Abram Shulsky, Admiral Joe Lopez, and whomever is the current President and CEO of Halliburton.

[awoke_in_2003]

38. This could be good...

especially if we can get his senate seat replaced by a real democrat

[disndat]

39. Misleading Info

Yesterday, Bob Schieffer, CBS, interviewed Kerry, during which he asked Kerry that there is a rumor circulating that Rumsfeld may be replaced by Lieberman and if so,would Kerry support Lieberman in that job. A startled Kerry, said rather tentatively, "er, yes" Later, Kerry elaborated, that "any number of people would be qualified to replace Rumsfeld."

[radio4progressives]

42. Kerry said "Of Course I'd Support Lieberman/he's a friend and capable guy"

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_120405.pdf

page 5

(snip)

Schieffer: ....... "Last night-over this weekend, I had four different people tell me that the White House is thinking if the secretary of Defense goes over the next year-and a lot of people think that he will, that the president is thinking of nominating Joe Lieberman to be secretary of Defense. If he did that, would you support Lieberman? "

Sen. Kerry: "Of course, I'd support Joe Lieberman. He's a friend and he's a very capable guy. But that's all inside Washington stuff, Bob. "

(snip)

edited typos

[emulatorloo]

44. just a dumb bullshit rumor, ie "inside washington stuff, bob"

and kerry is obviously trying to change the subject back to what he wants to talk about, ie getting out of iraq.

[LittleClarkie]

49. What a fiend! Suggesting that 80% of Iraqis want us out

and that our soldiers shouldn't be scaring women and children in the dead of night.

Must be some kind of code, I tell ya.

What he was really trying to say was that he's jealous that Bush is getting all of Joe's kisses instead of him. Nyah, that's it.

(I'm going for coffee now. I'm obviously getting alittle cuckoo for cocoa puffs here)

[zann725]

47. 'JK suggests replacing Rummie with kiss-em-on-the-cheek Joe?

DLC Joe? NOT-really-Dem, Joe? THAT accomplishes WHAT?

Instead perhaps should read:
"KerryCo suggests replacing Shrubco WITH KerryCo." Besides,
"suggest" IS such a Dem verb...a weak verb. As opposed to strong "operative" ones which Repugs use. Which is not to say things can't change...in time to 'pardon' the real WH 'turkey.'

[LittleClarkie]

48. NO, he did NOT. Here's the quote in context.

SCHIEFFER: ...let me just ask you one more question about Joe Lieberman...

Sen. KERRY: Sure.

SCHIEFFER: ...because there's a lot of talk. Last night--over this weekend, I had four different people tell me that the White House is thinking if the secretary of Defense goes over the next year--and a lot of people think that he will, that the president is thinking of nominating Joe Lieberman to be secretary of Defense. If he did that, would you support Lieberman?

Sen. KERRY: Of course, I'd support Joe Lieberman. He's a friend and he's a very capable guy. But that's all inside Washington stuff, Bob. You know, what people really care about is how we're going to protect our country and get your troops home in a way that is successful. Now...

SCHIEFFER: Do you think Lieberman would do a better job than Rumsfeld?

Sen. KERRY: Well, right--I think a lot of people would do a better job than Secretary Rumsfeld. But let me come to the more important issue...

SCHIEFFER: Go back.

Sen. KERRY: ...80 percent of the Iraqi people have said they want us to leave. They want us out. The Iraqi leaders met in Cairo a week or so ago and asked to have us set a timetable for withdrawal. Forty-five percent of the people in Iraq believe that it's OK to kill Americans. Secretary Melvin Laird, the secretary of Defense under Richard Nixon, broke his silence of 30 years and said in an mportant article in Foreign Affairs that it is the large American presence of troops that feeds the insurgency. And he said you have to have a slow drawdown to establish confidence in the Iraqis themselves.

Kerry isn't suggesting anything more than that we need to get out of Iraq, and that Rummy is a moron. The rest came from Schieffer.

Kerry didn't suggest Lieberman. But neither would he slam a fellow Dem, regardless of what some may think of that Dem.

Do you see?

[snowbear]

50. Begala JUST made the suggestion of hiring Lieberman!

On CNN..

Said Bush should fire Rumsfeld and hire Lieberman :crazy:

[laugle]

51. Sounds like a rumor from the ENQUIRER!! LOL