McCain and Rumsfeld
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 10:58 AM
I admire Donald Rumsfeld. The former two-time Secretary of Defense, White House Chief of Staff and Congressman is also a former naval aviator and a very successful private sector executive. Rumsfeld’s life has been defined by public service of the highest sort. His leadership in the war, from the moment he went towards the crash site on 9/11, was defined by a relentless focus on the enemy, a focus so extraordinary that it made him a political liability and a target for every grouser inside the Pentagon and every critic of the war–for whatever reason– outside of the building. His conflicts with State are still only dimly understood, and the mistakes in Iraq though always assigned to him will be found in time to have had many fathers.Only small-minded people think Rumsfeld is other than a great American and patriot, though of course a contrroversial one. He continues to deserve the respect and thanks of the American people.
I thus wonder whenever Senator McCain snarls out “Rumsfeld”as he does in debate after debate if others beside me find it unsettling and off-putting that there is so much venom there? Rumsfeld was an opponent of McCain’s and as a result the contempt the Arizona maverick has for the former SecDef is complete, but it is also unseemly and not in the best traditions of American politics, especially when Rumsfeld has left the field.
I have written before that part of Reagan’s greatness was Reagan’s graciousness, displayed always to both friends and foes provided they were fellow Americans or allies of Americans. If Senator McCain’s campaign continues beyond Super Tuesday, I hope he can adopt this part of the Reagan legacy towards other great Americans who, like himself, have always had the best interests of the country at heart even as they took positions that made them unpopular and sometimes wrong.
Charlie Rose - Donald Rumsfeld
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January 26th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
OUTSTANDING Mike! OUTSTANDING!
It is a little long, but what about that write-up by HH? John McCain is just a negative, past mongering, pessimist. As much as McCain was a patriot because of his imprisonment in Vietnam, he is not the only patriot in America; not by any stretch.
January 26th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I agree with Mike. McCain is using his captivity in Veitnam to gain sympathy and votes. I admire McCain’s service while serving his country, but it doesn’t give him the right to be President nor the right to question the loyalty of other Americans who in their own way try their best to serve our country- such as Rumsfeld. As I remember, Rumsfeld was listening to the commanders on the ground in Iraq who said that no reinforcements were needed. McCain I am sorry to say has a mean side to him that you will see surface from time to time. That alone leads me to believe that he would not be qualified to lead this nation. His anger takes over when someone disagrees with him.
January 26th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Rumsfeld siempre se portó bien con España