In the past few days, House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) has vigorously defended Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying that he is the “best thing that’s happened to the Pentagon in 25 years” and is doing a “marvelous job.”
Yesterday on CNN, Boehner stated that under the Bush administration, the military has undergone a “remarkable” transformation and “there’s only person in America who could have brought about that transformation and that’s Donald Rumsfeld.” Watch it:
[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2006/11/boehnerrum.320.240.flv]
In reality, Rumsfeld’s mismanagement has pushed the all-volunteer force perilously close to its breaking point. Some highlights of Rumsfeld’s “remarkable” leadership:
— The military’s equipment is outdated, below standards: Forty-two percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans said their equipment was below the military standard of being 90 percent operational. Thirty-five percent said their Humvees and trucks were not up-armored when they arrived in-country.
— The military faces severe manpower shortages: Currently, the Army has “close to zero combat-ready brigades in reserve” and the National Guard is “in an even more dire situation than the active Army.” Sixty-three percent of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans believe the Army and Marine Corps are overextended.
Full transcript below:
There are a lot of people who want to blame what’s happening in Iraq on Donald Rumsfeld. But when you look at the transformation that our military has been through, it’s nothing short of remarkable. And I think there’s only person in America who could have brought about that transformation and that’s Donald Rumsfeld.