Kerry's statement on Rumsfeld, "lost even GREATER touch with reality"

[blm]

“Today a Secretary of Defense, who should have been fired a long time ago, lost even greater touch with reality.

Secretary Rumsfeld blames the “mischievous” media for trying to find “a little daylight” between Prime Minister Maliki and the Administration. There’s nothing mischievous about acknowledging that the Iraqis defiantly rejected the Administration’s toothless benchmarks. The problem is not the meaning of the word “it.” The problem is the state of denial in which this incompetent Secretary of Defense continues to operate.

This month, American casualties in Iraq have already reached the highest level in a year as our brave troops continue to pay the price for the Administration’s arrogance and incompetence. Playing rhetorical word games and tweaking the tactics of a fundamentally flawed strategy will not get the job done.

Secretary Rumsfeld once promised our troops would not be forced to fight an Iraqi civil war, but refused to repeat that promise today because he knows our heroes are already bogged down in a civil war. He touts the 310,000 Iraqi security forces that are “bearing the brunt of the battle”, even though this makes a mockery of the Administration’s rhetoric of standing down American troops as Iraqis stand up. He says again this conflict won’t be solved militarily, but refuses to impose the hard deadlines necessary to force Iraqis to reach a real political settlement.

It’s clearer than ever that we need new leadership if we are ever going to change the Administration’s failed course in Iraq.”

[Vinca]

1. Rumsfeld is doing an absolutely terrible job and the fact he's

still there reflects on the whole incompetence and cronyism of Bushco. "State of Denial" is more about Rumsfeld than Bush and the situation is far worse than any of us thought. How different our world would have been with President Kerry.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

8. You should read Woodwards State of Denial

You'll have to hold your nose, cause he's still kissing republican ass, but his portrayal of Donald Rumsfeld is not flattering.

The run-up to Iraq was bad, the invasion and the defeat of Saddam took longer than expected. Then the real cluster-bleep started, because Rumsfeld originall thought that we would be able to withdraw all but about 30,000 troops immediately.

The Pentagon put all their money on the Iraqi National Congress stooges, who started looting as soon as they returned to Iraq. Read the book.

I'm a couple of hundred pages into it. Donald Rumsfeld and the other neo-con fools in the Pentagon were even more arrogant and incompetent than I thought. It's mind boggling how poorly they planned for post-war Iraq.

[blm]

9. It was thorough post war Iraq planning that EVERY Democrat stressed as a

condition for IWR support.

BushInc lied every step of the way about that, and it's another ground for impeachment the way I see it.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

10. I knew about the lying, but not the incompetent cronies,

A guy named Garner was asked to do the planning for reconstruction by Rummy.

When he selected his people, Rummy removed the democrats Garner worked with under Clinton and almost all the people from the state department.

Everybody had to be a repug loyalist and had to be from the Dept of Defense to be OK with Rummy. Garner is portrayed as a guy trying to do his job and being cut off at the knees.

[blm]

11. The Bush brand of Crony Capitalism will be the deathknell for this country

if there isn't a drastic change of course SOON.

[madokie]

2. as long as there is an American presence in Iraq there will be no peace

at the moment they are fighting us and killing fellow Iraqi's who they see as helping us. Once we vacate the premises then they will fight it out to see who rules and that fact is going to be there no matter what. we get out then the sooner the inevitable will be but the Iraqi are going to control their future not us or any foreigner. imo

[wisteria]

3. Good statement from Kerry.

Rummie seems to have a problem dealing with the facts.

[gratuitous]

4. Excellent statement from Kerry

And a theme that needs to be reiterated. Not every Democrat in every speech needs to talk up Rumsfeld's delusional prating, but we really need to keep bumping this idea, because the administration's poor judgment and refusal to face reality is just getting more and more people killed.

Strangely, the media seem content to let the administration keep stringing everyone along about their super secret, oh-boy-wait-till-you-see-it plan for victory in Iraq that they will unveil soon. While Tony Snow's "number" approaches 100 for October, and more Iraqis get killed, the administration is content to spin out platitudes about how it's all gonna be better soon. If it can be better on November 8 (but only if Republicans are returned to office), why can't things be better on October 26?

[blm]

5. That's why Kerry stressed the word IMMORAL in his Iraq speech and

in his televised appearance. They already know their plan isn't working, and every day that goes by where they DON'T REVERSE their strategy, is a deliberate IMMORAL decision by the WH.

[bdamomma]

6. rummy is totally out of touch with reality and has small man syndrome

[blm]

7. Ancient Indian saying: Big man....little dick. Little man....ALL dick.

.

[VeggieTart]

12. Was Rumsfeld ever in touch with reality?

I mean, how can you lose something you never really had?

[Radical Activist]

13. He was blaming the media during Vietnam too.

Its still bullshit.