Sec. Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was so adept at bobbing and weaving to avoid responsibility on ABC’s This Week that Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria later said he made it sound as if his role in Iraq up to now is like that of a “potted plant.”
Indeed, listening to Rumsfeld, he had nothing to do with anything, ever. Unless it was good, and then it’s probably attributable to him and/or the Bush administration. If it was bad it’s because of Congress, impatient or disloyal Americans, and/or terrorists-insurgents. He’s only the secretary of defense, for crying out loud, what can he do?
Would he have still advocated invading had he known there were no weapons of mass distruction, Stephanopoulos asked. I didn’t advocate it, Rumsfeld answered, because the president never asked me. So was he not in favor of it? The president knew his feelings on the matter.
Did we have too few troops going in and do we still? That decision was always up to military leaders. So if they wanted more, as they have publicly stated, they could have them? A formal request from one of the three commanders of the Iraq war has never been formally turned down.
And on, and on. Rumsfeld played both sides of the net so exhaustively he was able to change the direction of the ball in midair, without it even touching the racket.
Rumsfeld just wants the questions to go away, even if it means making veiled threats, or as lapdog Jean Schmidt demonstrated, performing character assassination.
“We have to all have the willingness to have a free debate, but we also all have to have the willingness to understand what the effects of our words are,” he said.
He should know. The lies and distortions of the Bush administration have reaped horrific effects. Mere words can do that. And the unwillingness to debate first, then act with restraint and certainty later, is deadly.
If the republicans want their fortunes to improve before ’06, Rumsfeld has to be ‘firing No.1.’
The effects of words?
For example, imagine somebody was going around saying things like “mushroom cloud” for no reason at all.
What is it with this administration???? When it is good news,we are great and when bad it’s someone else messed up!!!DUH—————–
ZLD
Parsing words has become an art with this administration. How we jeered at the innocuous comment “It depnds on what the meaning of is is….” Now, anytime an administration official says anything, we’d do well to open our dictionaries to find the obscure, archaic definitions of common, every-day words.
We watched Rumsfeld on Sunday and just couldn’t believe it!! What a prevaricator!! When it benefitted him he claimed to be an archetect of our foreign policy…er … not in so many words. Now he’s trying to distance himself from himself. Looking at this administration is like looking at a giant, ugly amoeba that changes shape before your eyes.
Rumsfeld’s speaking style reminds me of a cross between an old woman with his, “oh my goodness, No!” and the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland…really! just think about it..he is so fond of doublespeak…it totally freaks me out…
Rummy is good at double talk, but he’s even better about covering up the truth.
Back in the 70’s he was the top dog who took over the company “Pearle” (I believe that was the name)
This is the company that lied and covered up scientific proof that “Nutra-Sweet” caused brain tumors.
Now he is a big shareholder for the drug company that makes “Tamuflu” which will save us all from the Avian Bird Flu.
Problem is this bird flu has been around for 46 years and out 0f the 55 or 500 who have died there where many thousands more who just had aches and pains but this isn’t being told…It’s all about the money, oil, and the down fall of America so that the N.W.O. can take over the world.