Rummy and His Pals

It was a fairly uneventful Easter, but (obviously) I didn't rush to my blog to write for most of the day. There's not really a lot of new stuff out there, so I'll go back and mention something I've been paying attention to but not commenting on.

It's been an interesting tug of war to watch the pushing and pulling between Donald Rumsfeld and the various retired generals who have been criticizing the job he's been doing. Earlier this week, The New York Times ran a row of pictures identifying the generals who had come forward: Major General Paul D. Eaton, General Anthony C. Zinni, Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold, Major General John Batiste, Major General John Riggs, and Major General Charles H. Swannack, Jr. Naturally, though, after the criticism starting getting so strong, the Pentagon and the White House had to fire back. The Prez said, "Secretary Rumsfeld's energetic and steady leadership is exactly what is needed at this period. He has my full support and deepest appreciation." However, as Time magazine pointed out:

In Washington such high praise from the President is sometimes the prelude to an execution. And behind the scenes, there are indications that the moment for a shuffle could be approaching, says a former White House official who has worked with Rumsfeld.

My favorite statement in Rummy's favor came from Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell on FOX News Sunday: "I think he's been a spectacular secretary of defense, one of the best in American history." Well, there you have it. I'd hate to think what kind of quagmire we'd be seeing in Iraq if we had a substandard secretary of defense.