Rumsfeld: ‘I Have Never Painted A Rosy Picture’ About Iraq
Rumsfeld: ‘I Have Never Painted A Rosy Picture’ About Iraq
Testifying before the Senate today, Donald Rumsfeld told Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) that he has “never painted a rosy picture” about Iraq. Rumsfeld insisted that he has been “very measured” and told Clinton “you would have a dickens of a time trying to find instances where I have been overly optimistic.” Watch it:
Here’s just a few of the “overly optimistic” comments made by Rumsfeld (and no, we did not have a “dickens of a time” finding them):
Dec. 18, 2002: KING: What’s the current situation in Afghanistan? RUMSFELD: It is encouraging. They have elected a government through the Loya Jirga process. The Taliban are gone. The al Qaeda are gone.
Feb. 7, 2003: “It is unknowable how long that conflict [the war in Iraq] will last. It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.”
Feb. 20 2003: “‘Do you expect the invasion, if it comes, to be welcomed by the majority of the civilian population of Iraq?’ Jim Lehrer asked the defense secretary on PBS’ The News Hour. ‘There is no question but that they would be welcomed,’ Rumsfeld replied, referring to American forces.”
Mar. 30, 2003: “It happens not to be the area where weapons of mass destruction were dispersed. We know where they are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat.”
Transcript:
CLINTON: Well, Mr. Secretary, I know you would and I know you feel strongly about it, but there’s a track record here. This is not 2002, 2003, 2004-5, when you appeared before this committee and made many comments and presented, you know, many assurances that have frankly proven to be unfulfilled, and –
RUMSFELD: Senator, I don’t think that’s true. I have never painted a rosy picture. I have been very measured in my words, and you’d have a dickens of a time trying to find instances where I have been excessively optimistic. I understand this is tough stuff.
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Rumsfeld is so very deluded and extremely despicable !
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:31 pmExcept for all the times he did.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:32 pmWell, what should we expect? The guy is a pathological liar.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:33 pmWhen I first read the above, I couldn’t help but laugh. Apparently, old men have poor memories.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:36 pmum… what about being “welcomed” as “liberators” and people throwing flowers at our feet?
this is pure orwellian… rewriting history.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:37 pmer - isn’t there some law against lying under oath? i mean - they tried to impeach clinton for that.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:38 pmI’m waiting for our BushBot trolls to try to split some semantic hairs to defend the psychotic/psychopathic Rumsfeld here.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:40 pmthe first quote is about afghanistan, and should not be counted. Also I sincerely doubt, that they would be able to put Rumsfeld under oath. I am sure whatever republican who is running the show would squash that.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:40 pmNot to nitpick, but you should probably strike the first one. It’s about Afghanistan, not Iraq. It’s a nice, rosy picture, though.
And now we’re in Iraq to protect Spain and the Philippines. The man has gall…
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:43 pmThis idiot is the one acting like a macho genius when he was explaining how succesful was his moronic Blitzkrieg Run to Baghdad. Too bad he forgot to capture all the Saddam’s Army and secure the ammunition storages…
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:44 pmLet me guess. Clinton did not bother anticipating that Rumsfeld would dodge her questions so she came to this meeting unable to corner him on his lies?
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:44 pm“..east, west, south and north somewhat”
uhhh…. is there any direction on the compass he left out?
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:45 pmGawd those must be some really great shrooms he’s eating. Glad I don’t live in the same universe as he…oh crap.
Goper’s Lament
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:47 pmI hate it when Alzheimer’s starts showing signs in people…it is really an ugly thing to witness…
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:47 pmI have watched so many of these. The democrats time and again ask a question that DEMANDS a follow up that is well prepared to counter a lie that will inevidably come and then instead of asking that follow up question they simply say, “Thank you for your time Mr/Mrs so and so..”
Why even bother asking any questions at all?
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:47 pmVictory is just a Friedman away! Or maybe half a Biden …
Rumsfeld is mentioned in today’s Wingnut Roundup at Agitprop.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:47 pmI have little doubt that Rumsfeld’s parents are wringing their hands in heaven(I am sure they are there having done there best to raise this idiot) and asking each other
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:47 pm“where did we go wrong?” What an embarassment as a human being this clown is. But then he is just as much a liar as his boss and his vice-president have proven to be. It must be something in the water that so many of these Repugnants drink that contributes to their constant lying with such ease.
Nice work on this one, TP. It’s always reassuring to know that ‘our’ leaders are so honest and truthful with us!
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:48 pmRummy has the same illness that Liibby, Bush, Cheney and Rove have it’s memory loss and an expert can prove that these guys can’t remember and lie at will. Americans should notice that when this happepns these guys are under oath. So much for regilious right or morals. I hope our kids aren’t following these leaders as exaamples.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:49 pmHe’s never actually painted anything in his life, so technically, he’s not lying.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:51 pm#9 Hmmm… Your country didn’t a very good work protecting us… in fact, your country has put us in the Al Qaeda’s short list… and fanning the fire in the Middle East and appeasing Israel doens’t help our standing as a western country…
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:51 pmThe one thing Rumsfeld, Pace and Abizad made crystal clear today: The Department of Defense (sic) and its minions work for the GOP, not for America and certainly not for the American people. Watching Pace and Abizad make biased and supremely idiotic political statements was right up there among some of my most painful experiences. It was like watching Sean Hannity clones in uniform.
I think we are in some serious trouble, folks. Please tell me I am overreacting.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:53 pmFareed Zakaria has it right about Rummy:
He seems literally in a parallel universe and slightly deranged. If you listen to what he said last week about Iraq, he’s living in a different world, not a different country.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:55 pm#12 yes, the hollow earth. A race of terrorist gnomes lives inside of the earth. They hide WMD’s and have extensive tunnels between Syria, Iran, Iraq and N Korea and are part of the axis of evil.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:57 pmWhat about the part following Rumsfeld’s retort when Sen. Clinton immediately went to the Chairman and asked to Rumsfeld’s previous statements put on the record.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:03 pmSo much for never having painted a rosy picture.
What drugs is Rummy on?
Damn! Remind me to never put my grandparents on the same meds. They make you goofy and think weird thoughts.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:06 pmBut…but… AlQaeda *were* gone… they came back, so Rumsfeld didn’t lie… and.. and… there are still Nazis in Germany…
Plus… er… uh… the initial phase *did* last less than six months which is what Rusmfeld was talking… not *after* it… so the death toll *after* does not count…
And the WMDs *were* found, Santorum said so…
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:08 pm#24…minor oversight, but you didn’t mention the tunnels to Afghanistan and Cuba
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:09 pmI forgot to mention that these Rumsfeld quotes were taken out of context and that it’s all Clinton’s fault.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:11 pmRummy to Hillary:
I know you are, but what am I?
(Karl Rove: That’s it, that’s pure genius… Hey Georgie…)
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:14 pm….and if I did paint a rosy picture it was only to boost prices in my stock portfolio Wink Wink
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:15 pmDon’t you just hate it when the clowns run the circus?
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:16 pmAnd the set up for the all out war in the Middle East. al Queda is in Lebanon. The “We can’t leave now” excuse is planted in the minds of the public.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:22 pm
. .
link for #33
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:24 pmRumsfeld wasn’t under oath, so he is free to say just about anything, and later claim he just misspoke with no reprocussions.
The whole session is worthless
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:27 pmRumsfeld knows what he is: An outdated punchline…
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:29 pmThat first item is regarding Afghanistan. Should be removed for accuracy.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:32 pmThe man has lied so much the last 5 years that he can’t open his mouth without getting snared in lies of his own making. This guy is totally incompetent.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:39 pmHere’s a blast from the past (1970? or thereabouts; my sister loved this song)
Rose Garden
Lynn Anderson
I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine
There’s gotta be a little rain some time
When you take you gotta give so live and let live
Or let go oh-whoa-whoa-whoa
I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden
I could promise you things like big diamond rings
But you don’t find roses growin’ on stalks of clover
So you better think it over
Well if sweet-talkin’ you could make it come true
I would give you the world right now on a silver platter
But what would it matter
So smile for a while and let’s be jolly
Love shouldn’t be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine
There’s gotta be a little rain some time
I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden
I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon
But if that’s what it takes to hold you
I’d just as soon let you go
But there’s one thing I want you to know
You better look before you leap, still waters run deep
And there won’t always be someone there to pull you out
And you know what I’m talkin’ about
So smile for a while and let’s be jolly
Love shouldn’t be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can
I beg your pardon
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:40 pmI never promised you a rose garden
FADE
Along with the sunshine
There’s gotta be a little rain some time
All right, you jackasses, if you don’t want to be a bunch of Rumsfeld clones, start doing what he should have done years ago.
Namely, quit making snarky comments to make yourself look clever and start doing your job.
In this case, your job is finding more and better examples of Rumsfeld painting rosy pictures and being excessively optimistic.
Now get to work.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:42 pmThese people have no shame, they have created a war to fit their own political and economic ambitious, not those of the average American. If they REALLY care about national security and domestic economic growth, they should invest in alternative energy sources, and quit once and for all the addition we currently have on OIL. Make no mistake; the Saudis and the rest of the Arab world are not “friends of oursâ€.
They, from the president down should be arraigned in the international courts and trial as war criminals.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:42 pmYou have just heard a portion of Donald Rumsfeld’s testimony[no questioning of statements or calling him out][crickets]….. NOW,[ominous music] back to the manufactured CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST[music amplified].
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:42 pmCut to Reporter[camera on]; look behind and slightly duck……….3.2.1…now report…audio.
Who doesn’t he lie to?
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:42 pmWell it’s official Rumsfeld did inhale. This guy is either really stoned, drunk or has been hitting the glass pipe again.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:43 pm“…and that’s why I pessimistically thought we could bring Democracy to Iraq without all those extra troops that the head of the Army, whom I pushed aside, wanted.”
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:45 pmdo you sing that song while contemplating the deaths of 10’s of 1000’s of other human beings ? Torture US massacres ,dead and very wounded servicemen ,rainy days and mondays ever get U down ?
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:45 pmYou liberals have no policy agenda. You’re just playing word games here. You have no idea what to do on the war on terror, and you think by running this smear site it will help you politically. It is just a bunch of left wingers slapping each other on the back thinking you have something. You have squat. Voters do not trust liberals with protecting America.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:46 pmYou conservatives have no policy agenda. You’re just playing word games here. You have no idea what to do on the war on terror, and you think by running this smear site it will help you politically. It is just a bunch of right wingers slapping each other on the back thinking you have something. You have squat. Voters do not trust conservatives with protecting America.
Comment by He Wishes He Was Mr. Big — August 3, 2006 @ 1:52 pm
With a little selective editing, funny how that speech can work for us, too.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:51 pm>> You liberals
Do you have to be a liberal to hate what’s going on? And why do all you “non-liberals” have such a tendency to believe outright lies and ignore hypocrisy?
You think Rumsfeld is “protecting America”? He and his crew are endangering our nation like no adminstration in history. This country will be fifteen trillion dollars in debt and have the whole other 88% of the world hating America by the time he retires. Some protection that is.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:52 pm[…] Via Think Progress: […]
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:53 pmThis is National News?…
What kind of alternative universe do we live in? Our media is so brain dead that it is now reporting on a blog post by a Lamont fan–not campaign staff, not even a Lamont volunteer, just a fan and supporter–as if it is news of national import. Never m…
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:53 pmYou liberals have no policy agenda. You’re just playing word games here.
Really? Word games? At least 50,000 people are dead, and the situation is worse now than when Saddam Hussein was killing people.
Your GWB is responsible for this primarily, but people the world over hold Americans generally responsible for this carnage, and you are.
Under Saddam, Iraqis were kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered. Since we removed him, people are still being kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered. Plus now they have no electricity, sewage treatment, or jobs. I’d call that a net loss.
Oh, and a civil war to look foward to.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:55 pmHere we are playing reallife Alzheimers word games with the lying Secretary of Defense, as hundreds of thousands of lives hang in the balance, and a troll sees word games in the TP comments.hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa forever spinning
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:59 pmComment by Mr. Big — August 3, 2006 @ 1:46 pm
Seriously, Mr. Big…it’s Rummy who’s playing word games here. Making comments and denying he ever made them, even though they are available for all the world to see on video tape and in transcripts.
Just like “we know where the WMD’s are” yet 3 years later, “I didn’t say that.”
Just like the dishonorable Sen. Frist on video stating “She certainly appears to respond to visual stimuli” yet days later saying “I never said she responded to visual stimuli.”
Just like Pres. Bush laughing on national TV when told that a majority of Americans polled did not support the war, and then saying “I’m not laughing” when the reporter raising the issue observes him and says, “You’re laughing…”
Obviously you don’t give a damn. It’s as simple as that. The leaders of our country can just f*ck everybody here and rewrite history and block any and every attempt at oversight (and these issues are just the beginning) and you have no problem with it.
We have no use for you.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:02 pmA dickens of a time? WTF? A dickens?
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:07 pmDude, this is better than The Pentagon Hillbillys!
Under Saddam, Iraqis were kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered. Since we removed him, people are still being kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered. Plus now they have no electricity, sewage treatment, or jobs. I’d call that a net loss.
Oh, and a civil war to look foward to.
Comment by Brian Coughlan — August 3, 2006 @ 1:55 pm
And speaking of sewage, let’s add to the list a company called Halliburton who was responsible for providing safe water for our troops to use, and f*cked that up, too.
I personally know the parents of a soldier who drank water from the Euphrates and nearly died. He was assured by his superiors that the water was safe to drink. The man is lucky to be alive, yet struggles EVERY DAY to live, takes lots of medication, and his body is STILL producing and releasing toxins.
Adding insult to injury, let’s not forget our wonderful Congress who recently decided that we didn’t need any oversight of the various contractors working in Iraq, including Halliburton.
So, Mr. Big, if you are still here, what do you think of that?
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:10 pmIf anyone from the Bush administration told me that the sky was blue, I would have to double-check. They are pathological liars. They lie about big things, little things, and everything in between. Maybe they’ll discover the cause of this syndrome one day.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:11 pmFareed Zakaria is right, he’s in a Parallel Universe and Slightly Deranged…
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:12 pmUnder Saddam, Iraqis were kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered. Since we removed him, people are still being kidnapped, raped, tortured, and murdered. Plus now they have no electricity, sewage treatment, or jobs. I’d call that a net loss.
Oh, and a civil war to look foward to.
Comment by Brian Coughlan — August 3, 2006 @ 1:55 pm
Yes, but now WE get to do the torturing. We even use the same prisons Saddam used. Bush wasn’t outraged by Saddam’s killing, raping, and torturing. He was envious.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:14 pmActually Mr Big(self proclaimed), actual conservative Republicans, people like minded to Barry Goldwater who believed in strong national defense and fiscal restraint wan’t Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Bush gone as much as Democrats.
The definition of national defense does not include pre-emptive wars with no clear objective(WMD,then false ties to 9/11, then bringing freedom and democracy, and whatever this week’s reason for bankrupting this country is) The war has created a focus for the whole world to see us as an occupying force for Iraq’s oil.
Give any specific examples you have on how Democrats are weak on the defense of this nation.
You are not a real Conservative. Just a neo-conservative who get’s his talking points from Fox News. You follow Bush blindly because the television tells you to do so. You question nothing you are told, and then spout your mis-informed opinions and hatred because you are too lazy to do anything else. You and your vile ilk are a large reason why Americans becoming the most despised people on the planet.
Get off your fat ass and read something, and if capable form your own opinions.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:17 pmThe picture was never rosy for Iraq. Or, more appropriately, it was only rosy in Rumsfeld’s mind and he tried to sell that to the American public.
Now reality is creeping up on the American consciousness, due to reports such as this one:
Military prosecutors and investigators probing the killing of three Iraqi detainees by U.S. troops in May believe the unit’s commanders created an atmosphere of excessive violence by encouraging “kill counts” and possibly issuing an illegal order to shoot Iraqi men.[…]
Soldiers referred to ordinary Iraqis derogatorily as “hajis,” a reference to Muslims who have made the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and considered the 10 or so Iraqi army soldiers and interpreters working for their unit as mostly “terrorists,” Mason said. Under questioning, Mason acknowledged saying that even before he arrived in Iraq, he asserted that “every man, woman and child in Iraq deserves to die.”
Officers Allegedly Pushed ‘Kill Counts’
“Every Iraqi deserves to die”. What a mentality of an army who is supposedly there to “liberate”.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:18 pmHe dares to invoke Dickens as he continues to boldface lie to the American public. But then, again, he does live in a world(view) in which “…it was the best of times…” while in our reality-based world, “…it was the worst of times”! Donny Rumsfeld is clearly out of his element.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:19 pmJust one question Sec. Rumsfeld, “Where do you think Osama bin Laden might be?”
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:19 pmSpeaking of east, west, south and north somewhat.â€
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:21 pm, Rumsfield was asked about the number of attacks by the Taliban increasing. He said something like “Well, they always increase in the Spring, Summer, and Fall.” I was waiting for “and Winter, somewhat,” …..
Have any of the Bush people ever testified under oath? If they do not testify under oath, they cannot be held accountable for their testimony. Check the record.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:29 pmScenes We’d Like to See
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:34 pmhttp://billmon.org/archives/001864.html
Here’s another “I didn’t say that” moment.
Emphasis added.
Source.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:35 pmNo, the republican chaired committes never put any of them under oath. The only supeona I know of was issued by the Senator from Maine(not Snowe, the other woman R) who was chairing a committe about base closures.
The Pentagon would not offer up the info on how they reached a decision to close which bases until they were seved with that supeona. It’s the only one I’m aware of since Bush has been President. The supeona can only be issued from the Chair of the committe which are R.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:40 pm[…] Transcript: Afghanistan - um, I don’t know who said what about if the Taliban are gone [Ed. note: You did.] but, in fact, the Taliban that were running Afghanistan and ruling Afghanistan were replaced. And they were replaced by an election that took place in that country, and in terms of a government or a governing entity, they were gone, and that’s a fact. […]
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:43 pmRumsfeld is not accountable to anyone… just like the president…
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:44 pmI wonder how the slanted and unbalanced network, fox, will handle this Rumsfeld statement.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:45 pmThey won’t, but there must be a missing bolnde white chick that can fill the void of them actually delivering news.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:53 pmI hate Rumsfeld as much as anyone, but you have to admit that the examples he cited above are not exactly damning him with regard to “painting a rosy picture”. They might be wrong and stupid, but that isn’t the question. Has he said anything since the occupation (as opposed to before the invasion even started) that spins the security there in a much more favorable light? I’m sure he has, but the quotes used above don’t disprove his “rosy picture” comments.
August 3rd, 2006 at 2:59 pmWill, I would say that being welcomed with open arms and a conflict that only lasts six months is painting a rosy picture….
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:04 pmCan someone remind Mr. Big who was president on September 11, 2001 - the date of the largest security failure in US history. Also, what political party controlled Congress on that day, you know, the day of the largest security failure in US history? Further, who was president on August 29, 2005 during one of the largest natural disasters in US history, but was AGAIN on vacation and could not anticipate certain levees being breached, even though being assured that they would? Further, who was president on May 11, 2005 when a small Cessna invaded, inexplicably, Washington DC airspace near the White House and a decision needed to be whether to shoot it down, but the president that Wednesday was riding his bike (did mommy take the training wheels off) at 3 pm in the afternoon when MOST people actually are expected to be working?
Talk is cheap Mr. Big but actions speak louder than GOP public relations slogans and soundbites.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:04 pmI hate to point this out, but all but one of the original examples are prewar, and one isn’t about Iraq at all. Clinton says (correctly, I think) that he was overly optimistic through 2005, and none of your quotes are even as recent as ‘04. Couldn’t you find anything more recent than that? Dig deeper, guys.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:09 pmHey Everyone… Bush is on vacation!!! It’s great to be able to get away from alll the shit going on in the world.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:09 pmMaybe you’re right. I just reread what Clinton and Rumsfeld said and it wasn’t merely limited to what is presently going on in Iraq. My thinking was that the other statements were incorrect predictions. Upon looking at his quote again, those predictions would certainly be excessively optimistic.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:11 pmAll cmments carefully selected by TP are taken out of context. For example:
“‘Do you expect the invasion, if it comes, to be welcomed by the majority of the civilian population of Iraq?’ Jim Lehrer asked the defense secretary on PBS’ The News Hour. ‘There is no question but that they would be welcomed,’ Rumsfeld replied, referring to American forces.â€
In context:
“There’s obviously the Shia population in Iraq
and the Kurdish population in Iraq have been treated
very badly by Saddam Hussein’s regime, they represent a
large fraction of the total. There is no question but
that they would be welcomed”
TP conveniently forgets the celebrations by Iraqis when we removed Saddam from power.
WorldPublicOpinion poll validates Rumsfeld statement 3 years after the invasion. The Kurds and Shia by an overwhelming majority approve of our presence in Iraq, that Iraq is heading in the right direction and think that removing Saddam was worth it.
Thinking about any hardships you might have suffered since the US- Britain invasion, do you personally think that ousting Saddam Hussein was worth it or not?
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:18 pmWorth it
Overall…77%
Kurd…91%
Shia…98%
Sunni…13%
Other…64%
#78. The planning for post invasion known as phase IV was porrly thought out and controlled by Mr. Rumsfeld. Was it Freedom is messy that he said when we flat out did not have enough troops in place to quell the chaos. Sure we were greeted as liberators in the begining but no coherent plan was put in place. This is the fault of this current administration. They took the worst case scenarios to get us into Iraq and used the best case scenarios to achieve the peace. They were wrong on both accounts.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:28 pmNow why don’t you post the answer to question, do you want US troops to stay in Iraq?
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:28 pmRumsfeld on Iraq: “I have Never Painted a Rosy Picture”…
Rewriting history’s easy when you assume the populace have the attention span of goldfish….
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:29 pm“Is Iraq going to be a long war?” Mr. Rumsfeld answered, “No, I don’t believe it is.”
http://washingtontimes.com/ national/ 20060201-113848-8227r.htm
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:29 pmThink Progress, if you want to be honest about what Rumsfeld has actually said, let’s see if you post this as an “update”:
“The United States…is in for a ‘long, hard slog’ in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a memo that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent to top-ranking Defense officials last week.” USA Today, 10/22/03
That’s a “rosy picture”? Are you kidding me?
Again, you liberals have no policy agenda, and have to play pathetic word games because you are so weak on national security. Keep slapping each other on the back and posting snarky comments. You guys have no clue how to keep this country safe. And the American people know it. If you think that voters will ever put somebody like Howard Dean in charge of this country’s defense, you’re kidding yourselves.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:30 pmPentagon’s pre-war prediction on troop withdrawals
by kos
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/3/153352/1943
February 12, 2003.
To stress, the realistic plan (in their minds) from these neocon jokers was a 5-6 month occupation.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:32 pmIt’s hard to say what the biggest security failure of the United States has ever been but so far I’m thinking the Vietnam War ranks up there with the worst…then there was the insurgency in the Phillipines…and, of course, Pearl Harbor. Iraq, however, promises to keep on giving for some time to come so, maybe that’ll be it eventually. Certainly it’s bankrupting the country, both morally and fiscally…
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:33 pm#84 You are one of the more insignificant farts in the wind. The blinders you decide to keep on have been lifted from the majority of Americans and will continue to do so. This administration is not the answer to the war on terror, they are the reasons it has grown. Borders, ports, Airports are all in need of attention to secure our safety yet the grouip in power has done nothing of significance.
Keep throwing your crap and the fan pointed back at you is getting bigger and bigger. No longer do we live in fear.
Time to take the blinders off big guy.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:35 pmMarch, 2004-
Iraqis “ought to be concerned,” Rumsfeld says. “It’s a dangerous place and it’s a violent place, and it has been for some time. Many major cities are violent. A lot of cities in the United States and Europe have one homicide a day on the average. That’s a lot.” But, he adds, “The situation [in Iraq] is getting better every week without question,” in terms of basic services, such as schools, medical care, utilities and oil production.
http://www.npr.org/ templates/ story/ story.php?storyId=1772449
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:36 pmwhen does he become a convivant of grave dirt & who will drive the first spade into the earth of his final resting place? someone please
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:38 pm#84 — yes, how’s the security policy of preemptive strike working out for ya, Mr. Big. And exactly where is Osama bin Laden — making rock videos last I saw — how’s that for a national security policy. And please give us the answers to my questions in #75 — we really want you to give attribution for this incredibly brilliant national security policy team in place on September 11, 2001, May 11, 2005 and August 29, 2005 — please, we want it right from your own keyboard, please tell us Mr. Big since you are so concerned about the adequacy of national security.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:42 pmMr. Big,
It’s easy for Rumsfeld to make a comment like that now, after we’ve been in what’s turned into a shithole… you need to go to Baghdad with Rep. Steve King…
I know diehard conservatives that are jumping off of the George Bush ship and calling for his impeachment…
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:42 pm84) I usually spend a lot of time trying to understand the minds of the people I debate, in order to properly counter their logic using their own point of view as a weapon. But in your case, the level of denial is so strong, that trying to understand your perspective would probably make me want to hide under the desk and cry.
You gave one quote of Rumsfeld saying Iraq is going to be a slog of some sort.
Liberals and progressives know that quote like the back of our hands. We were the ones laughing about the long slog comment, because just a few months prior, Rumsfeld was saying the stuff that ThinkProgress quoted in response to him saying he never painted a rosy picture. The cognitive dissonance you endure must be unbearable.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:43 pmWhat do you expect the Defense Secretary of the United States to say, “well we really screwed up and its a mess now, sorry, would someone else please help us”. People in positions of authority feel they must never show weakness at all costs. I can see the logic in that except for the “all costs” part.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:56 pmDave M. said “[I want to] hide under the desk and cry.”
And the American people are going to want to put somebody like you in charge of national security? Get real. We need more strength than that. Islamic terrorists want to come over here and kill us. Electing people who want to hide under the desk and cry is not the right way to go, in my opinion.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:58 pmMr. Big,
Rummy tells the TV camera it wont take 6 mos, then sends an internal memo stating it will be a long slog. I would do that too to cover my ass.
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:59 pm[…] ThinkProgress found ample evidence to the contrary (no word from TP about whether their efforts represented a "dickenss of a time"). AmericaBlog has more. […]
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:00 pmFor Truth, how long did it take to remove Saddam from power? Under six months? Rummy was right.
He’s also right that it will be a long, hard slog in Iraq. That’s not rosy. I notice that Think Progress did not update its site to reflect what Rumsfeld actually said. It’s really easy to mislead the liberals, and they swallow it whole.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:01 pm#93 — I suppose it would not come to that (that is, the SOD having to admit he screwed the pooch) if he had actually been held accountable and summarily fired for his incompetence. Then no statements to that effect would have been necessary for him as (i) he could go to his corner on the Eastern Shore and drool in his sippy cup and (ii) the act of dismissal would speak for itself. Then perhaps, a successor (hopefully more competent but, of course with this administration, that is a HUGE leap) could change the course without having to admit to anything other than representing a new start.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:02 pmThanks Mr. Big,
You cleared that up for me, I just needed to hear that worn out talking point just one more time, that did it, all is well now.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:04 pmOh and Mr. Big,
Seems you know a lot about swalling things whole. *burp*
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:05 pmbut it is not misleading. Rummy pre-war painted a very rosy picture of US involvement in Iraq. Predictions of a short conflict with all US troops home soon after. When it became apparent, that the war was going to drag on, he changed his statements, and tried to obscure the original statements, or ad qualifiers that were not there. And guess whatt bubba you bought it, hook, line and sinker.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:06 pmFor Truth, why don’t you give the military credit for the swift removal from power of dictator Saddam Hussein? It was rapid, and Saddam was found hiding in a hole in the ground.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:06 pm#90 said, “how’s the security policy of preemptive strike working out for ya, Mr. Big.”
Great. No attacks on our soil since 9/11. Al Qaeda had further attacks planned, but couldn’t carry them out.
What’s the Democrat plan, besides doing nothing?
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:10 pmMr. Big,
That’s great that Saddam is captured. It is questionable as to who really knew of Saddam’s whereabouts, and who told our military where he was.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:12 pmMr. Big,
How much was Saddam a threat really, I mean Kim Jong Il is much more of a threat, and he should have been removed instead of Saddam.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:14 pmBesides the explicit “everything’s going wonderfully” statements, it is just as important that Rumsfeld has continually played down bad news. We had the bunch of deadenders, the looting as a repeated image, the “stuff happens,” etc. This tact is painting a rosy picture even if he rarely explicitly said things are rosy.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:15 pmActully several of the democratic senators, have been pushing to secure our borders and ports, something the republicans don’t seem to care so much about. As for no terrorist attacks in the US true, but it hasn’t worked out so well for the rest of the world. Spain, Britian, India, Iraq, Malaysia, Jordan, Isreal, Singapore, did I miss any?
funny how 8 years of peace and prosperity is bad, but 5 years of war is good.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:15 pmKrazney said: “Rummy pre-war painted a very rosy picture of US involvement in Iraq.”
Nope. He did not. But Hillary did. She said Saddam had ties to al qaeda, that he had wmd. Was she right?
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:15 pmGood job Mr. Big,
Focus your attention elswhere now. Good boy.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:17 pm103 — yes, I expected that inane reponse — right from the talking points from Fox News — now talk about selective reasoning, the doctrine of preemptive strike took us to our current national security crisis in Iraq unless of course the deaths of 3,000 American soldiers mean nothing to you. In fact, why aren’t you over there serving since you are such a big fan. Iraq alone is a huge national security fiasco and that does not even take into account the policy’s unwitting elevation of Iran in the region or the current Israeli/Hezbollah issue.
And, who was president on 9/11? You still have not answered that. And where is OBL? Oh, that’s right in a sanctuary in Afghanistan/Pakistan because we are in Iraq.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:18 pmLOL please re-read the quotes. I realize that reading comprehension is not your strong suit, but you should really try.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:18 pmMr. Big,
You have not downloaded the newest talking points that have been out for months. You are using the “no attacks in 5 years” point, and the “well we got Saddam” point. Now back to the current situation in Iraq, and yes the American public was given the impression that this would be relatively short, gas would get cheaper, we would be welcomed and loved. Now when selling the war to the public, wouldn’t you tell them these things too, I would.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:20 pmFor Truth said: “How much was Saddam a threat really, I mean Kim Jong Il is much more of a threat, and he should have been removed instead of Saddam.”
Saddam was a threat to the region, instability. Saddam was also an imminent threat to the Iraqi people. 500 WMDs were recently found in Iraq, and he was desiring them. Sanctions were breaking down. Kay said that terrorists were attracted to Iraq’s wmd capability like ants to honey. Saddam and his sons were dangerious men. That problem would never have just gone away by doing nothing.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:21 pmKrazney said: “funny how 8 years of peace and prosperity is bad”
The economy was prosperious under Clinton. He deserves some credit for that. Soe does the Republican congress. However, Al Qaeda also grew in strenth and ferocity on his watch. The 9/11 plot was being planned during his administration. I just think if he was more focused on cutting the head off al qaeda instead of what intern he was going to bed, we would have been far better off security wise.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:24 pmUsing your logic, Mr. Big,
Anyone with weapons and an agenda is a threat to the Middle East, which is about the entire region. Sorry I don’t buy your WMD argument. Saddam became a threat after the US empowered him, and depleted his usefulness to us.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:25 pmLOL time to get out there big man, the WMD’s were found to be old and useless, and the UN knew about there existence. The Terrorists were working in the northern part of Iraq, where saddam had no control. As for a danger to stability, well what can I say.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:26 pmThe unanswerable question is: Is Iraq more of a problem now, or would it have been more of a problem leaving Saddam in power? I really don’t think there is anyway to give a an honest answer to that.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:27 pmNomoreBush said: “In fact, why aren’t you over there serving since you are such a big fan.”
For the same reason that you refused to serve when Clinton went to war with Kosovo. I chose a career in business, not the military.
Still it was the right thing to do to remove Saddam from power, and I support our military 100%.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:28 pmI just think if he was more focused on cutting the head off al qaeda instead of what intern he was going to bed, we would have been far better off security wise.
So I suppose your happy with what Bush has done with the head of al qaeda! Just imagine where Bin Laden would be if all those resources that went (and are going) to Iraq would have been spent on getting the bastard responsible for 911. Unless Bin Laden wasn’t responsible for 911! hmmmm
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:28 pmMr. Big(head) equating anyone not serving during Kosovo, to people not serving now is well silly. There was never an issue of recruitment goals during the war in Kosovo. Cowards like yourself who talk a good game. should shut up or sign up.
I chose a career in business, what a laughable peice of bullshit.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:31 pmFor Truth asked: “Is Iraq more of a problem now, or would it have been more of a problem leaving Saddam in power?”
Short or long term?
There have been three national elections in Iraq. They wrote a constitution and their economy is getting better.
There has always been violence in Iraq. Just now there is a goverment in place that is trying to do something about it. We should stand with the Iraqi people and try to help them out.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:31 pmMr. Big,
I support the military 100% also, I am impressed at the balls these men and women have to go do that, I want to thank them for their service. I mean that.
I do not support the policy makers at the top, like Rumpsfelt.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:31 pmMr. Big,
You asked “short or long term”, I suggest you stop spending time here and notify your fellow Republicans that there is such a thing as “long term” and you honestly didn’t make that up.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:33 pmYikes said, “So I suppose your happy with what Bush has done with the head of al qaeda!”
Bin Laden is hiding in a hole somewhere, just like Saddam was. Bin Laden is not leading any parades. 3/4 of the leadership of al qaeda has been captured or killed. Bush’s policy is right, and the Democrats have no policy.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:35 pmFor Truth bellowed, “Mr. Big(head) equating anyone not serving during Kosovo, to people not serving now is well silly.”
Only in your mind. Liberals were gung ho about removing Melosavich from power. They said he was the next Hitler. How many of you guys signed up for the military for that military action?
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:37 pmMR.Big,
I agree that the Dems need a unifying policy, yes the Dems are coasting and it sucks. However, the current admins policies aren’t that great either. I would have more tolerance for the likes of Rumpsfelt and the others if they weren’t so damn arrogant and rigid about everything.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:39 pmFor Truth bellowed, “Mr. Big(head) equating anyone not serving during Kosovo, to people not serving now is well silly.â€
Comment by Mr. Big — August 3, 2006 @ 4:37 pm
That’s not my post Big Man, better get your stuff straight.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:40 pmFor Truth said, “I support the military 100% also, I am impressed at the balls these men and women have to go do that, I want to thank them for their service. I mean that.”
Good man.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:40 pmFor Truth said, “However, the current admins policies aren’t that great either.”
They aren’t perfect. But at least they have policies. The Democrats don’t. They think they can just coast and win back their power, and it’s not going to work. You can’t beat something with nothing. This ‘06 election willl not be a referendum on Bush. Elections are a choice. And the Republicans are offering policy. It may not be perfect, but it is something.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:43 pmGood point Mr. Bigglesworth,
The DEMS NEED A POLICY. ok happy now?
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:47 pmI suppose Bush’s whole dead or alive speach, contrasted with I don’t think about bin Laden much. talk about logical inconsistencies. The dems have offered multiple ideas on how to fix our current problems. the republicans are trying to coast on a stay the course, god, guns, and gays strategy. I think it will not be such a happy idea come fall.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:47 pmhate to say it, because rumsfeld has done a horrible job and iraq is an absolute mess, but those examples of rumsfeld quotes don’t really paint a rosy picture. not the best job at contradicting the guy, which is surprising. plus, i think we need a quote more recent than march 2003……
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:52 pmthe thing is the rightards put backing the military and backing the president in the same basket. I don’t have anything against our military. they do what they are ordered to do. That is part of the system, and part of the reason that a civilian, the president is in charge of the military. However if the president sends the military into a bad situation, I will damn sure say so.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:54 pmI don’t get it. The senators know that Rumsfeld will be
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:55 pmtestifying in front of them. Do none of them do the
research required to pull up these choice quotes to
refute him with? What did Clinton answer Rumsfeld with?
I would have made him eat his ‘rosy’ words along with
his hat.
Rummy began the Iraq war by predicting it would last less than six weeks. That was the “swallow” to get the majority of Americans, and troops, on board to go to war in the first place.
However, a representative of the CATO Institute told CNN International in November 2003 that the Bush Administration was, in reality, preparing for a “generational commitment” to democratize the entire Middle East to the tune of not tens of billions, as Bush was then asking Congress and the American people for, but hundreds of billions of dollars.
Nearly 3 years later, those comments have become fact, not Rummy’s rosy prognosis.
In his testimony before the Senate today, Rummy pulled a “bait and switch,” saying the war would be long and drawn out, which was actually the desired outcome. Today Rummy, once again, prepared Americans for “The Long War,” aka his “global struggle against violent extremism†aka the “enemies of the legitimate Iraqi government.” His desire for war is why he is Sec. of Defense and not Colin Powell.
The outcome of Rumsfeld’s tenure may seem like “incompetence” to Sen. Clinton et al, but to the Bush administration, prolonged war was always their plan.
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:57 pmIs there a difference between “trusting” the troops and “support” of the troops, you changed my words, thanks a lot.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:02 pmMr. Tiny,
Why are Republicans calling for Bush’s impeachment?
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:03 pmI trust the military to keep us safe and give us the freedoms we enjoy. Without the military, we would not have such freedoms. - Mr. Big
I Disagree. When I was in the Navy we PROTECTED America and it’s Constitution, the documents from which our freedoms are derived. The Military has never GIVEN any kind of freedom to anyone anywhere. I trust the military to follow orders but if those orders come from a corrupt government I do not trust it to be anything other than the boot the government places on our necks. Without the military we MAY not have the freedoms we enjoy today but it is a leap to say we definately would not.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:15 pmWatching Rummy makes me sick at the pit of my soul! To think that this man is in charge of our military is too much to bear. He should be living in an assisted living care home. Oh, I guess the Bush administration is an assisted living care home. It is useless hoping that Bush will replace Rummy because Cheney and Rummy are running the White House. History is going to put these men in the “How did the Bush Administration Ruin America” chapter.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:20 pmFor Truth, how long did it take to remove Saddam from power? Under six months? Rummy was right.
He’s also right that it will be a long, hard slog in Iraq. That’s not rosy. I notice that Think Progress did not update its site to reflect what Rumsfeld actually said. It’s really easy to mislead the liberals, and they swallow it whole.
Comment by Mr. Big — August 3, 2006 @ 4:01 pm
Rummy didn’t say he doubted it would take months to remove Saddam from power.
He said he doubted the conflict would last 6 months.
Funny…I thought there was still a conflict going on.
So it appears Rummy was expecting one of two things:
1) Our forces would defeat any resistance from the Iraqi army and other Saddam loyalists within 6 months and, had he not been found within this timeframe, we’d be free to roam the country looking for Saddam while at worst meeting sporadic resistance.
2) Our forces would defeat the Iraqi army and other resistance fighters, AND capture Saddam, all within 6 months.
Sounds kinda rosy to me.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:26 pmOoops. Meant to say “Rummy didn’t say he doubted it would take 6 months to remove Saddam from power.”
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:27 pmHey y’all. Leave Mr. Big alone. One thing I can guarantee is that he is equally disgusted with the current administration, equally appalled at the lack of intellectual discourse amongst our policy-makers, and just as stunned at the arrogance of the ruling Republicans as any “liberal” might be.
But he’s got a problem.
He’s been sucked in by the ideology of the modern day conservative/neocon establishment. It’s simply impossible for these folks to question or criticise anyone who springs from the same political well. They know they want to, they wish they could, they’re scared about the war, hurting from gas prices, stunned at no-foreign-policy towards the Lebanon/Israel conflict, and more than a bit uncomfortable that the evangelical hardliners have come to hold more sway than serious scholars on all manner of issues.
No, guys like him are tortured too. They just can’t bring themselves to admit it. So instead they lash out at an imagined “left”, they hunker down with dog-eared copies of old Colulter, look for solace in her spew and then log on to try some “red-baiting”.
Feel sorry for the sucker - don’t make fun of him online. He’ll deny it - but secretly he’ll vote for change in upcoming elections and we’ll all be the better for his repressed and tardy realization of the truth.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:42 pmMr. Big, if your’e so Big on the military then why aren’t you more outraged at how horrible they’ve been stretched and treated in the last 5 years.
We have lowered the enlistment standards and extended the age limit just to meet the needs of keeping soldiers in.
The Stop loss order is still in effect so many soldiers after completing their obligation aren’t allowed to leave.
We are a step away from a draft but that won’t happen until after the elections.
The reserve units are depleted of equipment.
The forces currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are police units now (wasn’t the Repubs against being the world’s police)?
There are still grave concerns about proper armament on equipment and body armor for our soldiers.
The medical benifits are being cut
The list goes on and on but you blindly follow the one’s who don’t have a plan.
By the way go to the DNC’s website, there are detailed plans it’s just that the current do nothing congress is run by Repubs.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:46 pmPants on fire, meet liar.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:51 pmJustanobserver said, “We are a step away from a draft but that won’t happen until after the elections.”
Actually it was Democrats like Charlie Rangle who have called for a draft. You must mean if the Dems retake control of congress besides trying to impeach Bush they will call for the draft?
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:59 pmSo, Mr. Big you stand by your point about Howard Dean. And that was relevant exactly how so??????? No, what has divided our country and made things worse is the utter disregard of leadership of the current administration and Congress, each of which confuses governing with running a political campaign. Those are two entirely separate functions. Every goddamn policy is intended as a wedge issue to divide — Terry Schiavo, the current minimum wage hike legislation, amendments to the Consitution prohibiting flag burining or gay marriage to name a few. Howard Dean’s rhetoric is hardly the stuff that is dividing our country. Hardly, surprising that you cannot realize that through your myopic, neocon-tinted glasses.
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:11 pmnomorebush said, “what has divided our country and made things worse is the utter disregard of leadership of the current administration and Congress”
You’re ignoring the role Democrats have played in this. The Democrats are against everything. Now they will vote against the minimum wage package. They can’t comprimise one bit. They try to block everything. They are the party of no. Liberals call Bush hitler. They call Republicans all sorts of nasty names. You have to look at your leadership and place the blame. Howard Dean is your party leader. He doesn’t get a free pass.
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:15 pmMr. Big — why do you ASSUME Howard Dean is my party leader? Genius — I vote Independent. I am an independent. For instance, I voted for John Warner (R) for Senator of Virginia and will vote for him again. Also, genius, last I saw, the R’s have the majority in the House and the Senate, so they can pass whatever the hell they want presumably, correct? So it matters little what the Dems support.
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:39 pm“Senator, I was for optimism before I was against it.”
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:48 pmNomoreBush said, “So it matters little what the Dems support.”
They don’t support anything. Democrats could move legislation in the senate by just getting 6 moderate Republicans like John Warner, who you claim to have voted for, to work with them. The Dems are not interested in that, though. They are interested in blocking Bush’s agenda. A Democrat like Lieberman is pretty much kicked out of the party for trying to work with Republicans. Democrats are eating themselves alive. It is not fashionable to the liberal kook base to work with Republicans and get something done. It is dividing the country. Howard Dean’s nasty rhetoric against Republicans is dividing the country.
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:52 pmTP, you missed Rumsfeld’s patronizing “henny penny, the sky is falling” remark from April 11, 2003:
RUMSFELD: “I picked up a newspaper today, and I couldn’t believe it. I read eight headlines that talked about chaos, violence, unrest — and it was just, ‘Henny Penny the sky is falling.’ I’ve never seen anything like it.
RUMSFELD: “And, you say, ‘Well, what was it in the plan?’ The plan is a complex set of conclusions or ideas that then have a whole series of alternative excursions that one can do, depending on what happens. And, they have been doing that as they’ve been going along. And, they’ve been doing a darn good job.”
Actually, read the whole damned transcript. He seems to me he was trying to “paint a rosy picture”:
August 3rd, 2006 at 6:57 pmhttp://www.defenselink.mil/ transcripts/ 2003/ tr20030411-secdef0090.html
Starwheel, is it trying to paint a rosy picture when you explain the schools that are opening in the Iraq. The hospitals that are reopening. The economy that is getting better. The three national elections where millions of Iraqis turned out to vote for their own government. Or is that just providing the proper context to why we are there? There is more going on in Iraq than just roadside bombs. It seems the media doesn’t want to talk about it much, though. That wouldn’t help their agenda.
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:07 pm[…] The AP is reporting that Senator Hillary Clinton is calling for Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation. I’m not exactly a fan of the Senator, but I’m heartened to see that ‘moderate’ Democrats are pushing back. I think Clinton did an excellent job the last time Rumsfeld came to lie to the Senate, and her call today is appropriate, given Rumsfeld’s repeated lies and strategic failures. […]
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:42 pmSure sounds like Rummy has some type of dementia, like his mentor Ronnie Reagon.
Can’t trust Republicans to tell the truth Theres the bumper sticker.
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:47 pmKrazy, no doubt that Bush will back up Rumsfield with a ” you’re doing a heck of a job Rummy”- heh, heh.
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:47 pm[…] Think Progress lost no time in debunking that statement. […]
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:04 pm#164 - I hope Bush says that to Rummy - it’s like the “kiss of death” that he gave to Lieberman.
Can’t trust Republicans to tell the truth, after all, Jesus was a Liberal persecuted by Conservatives.
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:15 pmKeep dreaming, Mr Big, just like your inept party leaders.
November is going to bitch-slap you all SO hard, I can’t wait!!!
Keep up the stale rhetoric (DEMS HAVE NO PLAN, STAY THE COURSE, BLAH BLAH), it’s going to really help push the Dems over the top in Congressional power.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:24 pm“It seems the media doesn’t want to talk about it much, though. That wouldn’t help their agenda.” Mr. Big
Mr. Big, the media’s “agenda” was promoting the damned war a few short years ago.
But three years since Rumsfeld’s patronizing remarks about “henny penny the sky is falling”, the conditions in Iraq have deteriorated. And, to date, no one in this administration has been held accountable for this fiasco.
But, I, for one, am sick of excuses. And for Rumsfeld to sit up there in front of the Senate and deny his part in intentionally misleading the public about the situation in Iraq to protect his ass makes me want to puke.
If you want to keep putting lipstick on a pig, be my guest.
I’m not that damned naive.
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:29 pm