Papers Sold to Military: ‘Rumsfeld Must Go’
by Pamela Leavey
Just a few days ago Bush publicly affirmed that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s job was secure through the end of his term. Not so fast, says a “family of publications catering to the military” who will publish an editorial the day before election day, “calling for the defense secretary’s removal.”
The editorial, released to NBC News on Friday ahead of its Monday publication date, stated, “It is one thing for the majority of Americans to think Rumsfeld has failed. But when the nation’s current military leaders start to break publicly with their defense secretary, then it is clear that he is losing control of the institution he ostensibly leads.”
The editorial will appear just one day before the midterm election, in which GOP candidates have been losing ground, according to recent polls.
“This is not about the midterm elections,” continued the editorial, which will appear in the Army Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times, and Marine Corps Times on Monday. “Regardless of which party wins Nov. 7, the time has come, Mr. President, to face the hard bruising truth: Donald Rumsfeld must go.”
The newspapers are part of the Military Times Media Group, a subsidiary of the Gannett Co., Inc. The publications are sold to service members and their families.
Rummy Must Go! But that’s not all…
The military publications’ editorial also painted a grim view of the situation in Iraq, saying, “despite the best efforts of American trainers, the problem of molding a viciously sectarian population into anything resembling a force for national unity has become a losing proposition. For two years, American sergeants, captains and majors training the Iraqis have told their bosses that Iraqi troops have no sense of national identity, are only in it for the money, don’t show up for duty and cannot sustain themselves. … And all along, Rumsfeld has assured us that things are well in hand.”
BushCo war supporters are also reported to reconsider their push to go to war…
Also Friday, several conservatives who pushed for the invasion of Iraq said they would not have supported a war if they knew how poorly the Bush administration would handle it, according to Vanity Fair magazine.
“I think now I probably would have said, ‘No, let’s consider other strategies for dealing with the thing that concerns us most, which is Saddam (Hussein) supplying weapons of mass destruction to terrorists,”‘ said Richard Perle, who sat on the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Advisory Committee until 2004.
Kenneth Adelman, who served on the Defense Policy Board with Perle, said Bush, Defense Rumsfeld and others in the administration “turned out to be among the most incompetent teams in the postwar era. Not only did each of them, individually, have enormous flaws, but together they were deadly, dysfunctional.”
Does this mean the military doesn’t support BushCo? I am so confused. Doesn’t Dead Eye Dick read the news either? While the military media group is calling for Rummy’s ouster, Dead Eye is hollering “‘Full Speed Ahead’ on Iraq.” Denial – Denial every where. Stay tuned…
“We’ve got the basic strategy right,” Cheney told George Stephanopoulos in an interview to be broadcast Sunday on “This Week.”
Cheney said that even with pollsters predicting that Democrats would likely make gains in both houses of Congress Tuesday, voter sentiment would not influence Bush’s Iraq policy.
“It may not be popular with the public — it doesn’t matter in the sense that we have to continue the mission and do what we think is right. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Cheney said. “We’re not running for office. We’re doing what we think is right.”
Dick… Dick… This isn’t a friggin Monarchy here you know. Get a clue. With Democrats in control of Congress you and Dubya will be sitting ducks — lame ducks.
RELATED POST: More Rumsfeld Must Go – Military Times Media Group: Time for Rumsfeld To Go
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Why hell yes, Rummy must go!! But we will have to see if that editorial actually goes up. They know about it in advance? I will have to see it to believe it.
Donnie
NBC says that the paper released a copy to them. It’s about time and good timing. I updated the post — Dead Eye goes on the defensive for the “stay the course” routine.
OMG
The closer it gets, the more they fall to pieces. Just finished watching V for Vendetta . I had been sitting on it for over a month because too many other things were important. After being in a mental funk all day, I finally decided to pull it out because everything seemed like such a mess.
Hmm, coincidence? One of the final scenes, when V sets off the huge V of dominoes, was like a revelation.
As much as it looks constructed, the fall is really more due to all of their conniving, backstabbing and finally, everyone being too close to the other ‘fall guys’ to keep from being knocked over.
We don’t really need a masked man to come to our rescue.
Just fedup voters going to the polls. At this point I am beginning to doubt any voting machine tricks are going to work.
“Artists tell lies to expose the truth. Politicians tell lies to cover the truth” (V)
Could be interesting if they let Stephanopoulos run that interview, I wonder how many active and former military will choke.
Just to repeat something I found last week. Congress also has the power to impeach any federal judges and cabinet members.
Should we send Rummy packing boxes next week?
OP/ED coming up…
More Rumsfeld Must Go – Military Times Media Group: Time for Rumsfeld To Go
As I reported here a short time ago, military newspapers will publish an editorial on Monday calling for Donald ‘Rumsfeld to go’. The editorial not only calls for the ouster of Rumsfeld, it affirms the disastrous, dismal situation in Ir…
It seems to me the Military Times is a little late to be calling for Rumsfeld’s head.
It is not like this is the first time an editor or politican has voiced such a demand.
Using a follow-the-money train of thought, I wonder if the Gannett Corporation, owner of the Military Times Media Group, is playing the odds that they will gain more by creating a ‘media event’ with such a hard-hitting and timely editorial while risking the loss of a large percentage of their Military Times paid circulation, which in 2004 was around 272,000.
They could take quite a hit by offending a large segment of subscribers, given that the military tends to be mostly conservative.
If they miscalculate, heads will surely roll.
Perhaps they have already sold the Times Group and have nothing to lose to release their ‘timely’ editorial.
I doubt the Gannett Corporation is any different than most other media publishers in their political leanings and it is never wise for a business to drop such a bomb on customers who have a contrasting philosophy.
Each time there have been demands for Rumsfeld to resign, Bush has stated that Rumsfeld can stay on as long as Bush is in office, and being a lame duck, he has no political reason to change his mind now.
Wishy-washy he ain’t.
The Military Times announcement smells to high heaven and it will be interesting to see the outcome.
I also believe Democrats should not count their chickens until they are hatched.
It is not yet time to celebrate.
Pamela,
‘While the military is calling for Rummy’s ouster’
Instead of ‘military’ you should have said ‘Military Times’ because the military is prohibited from publicly disagreeing with a superior.
That is why only retired military can speak out. Active duty military must remain anonymous or face a court-martial.
Donnie,
Every media outlet received an advance copy of the editorial and the editor has been answering inquiries since it was released.
It will be published. The die has been cast.
Ginny Cotts Says,
“Artists tell lies to expose the truth. Politicians tell lies to cover the truth” (V)
but Ginny, editors have opinions which can very well differ from the truth.
For instance, Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-evident#Moral_propositions
Also, I am curious as to how an artist, or anyone for that matter, would or could ‘tell lies to expose the truth’. I could very well be off-base, but isn’t that an oxymoron?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxymoron
or a contradiction in terms?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contradictio_in_terminis
Additionally, why would Stephanopoulos not ‘run the interview’? It will run, it is a done deal.
Cheney is not worried–remember, if worse comes to worse, you could end up with Cheney as President for the remainder of Bush’s term, and (choke) perhaps for two more terms.
Don’t tell Pelosi though, she may have a heart attack by just considering it.
Concerning the military, retired or active, I really doubt if there will be ‘A whole lot of choking going on’, to paraphrase Jerry Lee Lewis.
Finally fer shore, you neglected to mention that Congress can and has impeached Presidents.
Three more days…
USA Today has always had it’s own agenda. It will get rid of what it doesn’t if that agenda.
Most military people are payed too much and we should lower the benefits and pay. More troops, less spending, more on equipment like vests and things.
These publications, all 4 are commercial ventures owned by the Gannett Corporation. They aren’t published by the military such as Stars and Stripes. Not to mention it is one board published in the 4 cited editorials not 4 different opinions. Nothing here folks.
OleDawg
Thanks for catching that – I do know that military can speak out while on active duty. I changed that line to military media group – that’s what happens when you write a post late at night, you don’t think straight.
Only time will tell what Tuesday will bring. Nice to see you’re stil around to dissent among us – it keeps us on our toes.
Kiu,
I know what you mean, but when the draft was eliminated, they began to pay the troops a decent wage and cutting back on health care benefits for veterans except for service-connected injuries and families of those who were killed in action.
Before Vietnam, officers were paid OK but we grunts had to have part-time jobs and live in tenements because the pay was so low.
The military was full of ‘lifers’ as we called ‘em and I had to give it up after six years because I could not raise a family on less than four hundred a month and promotions were almost non-existent.
To do what you suggest would cause reinstatement of the draft and no one wants that.
Pamela,
I knew you knew, but could not let it pass without comment.
It was a long night, and although I did not intend to make such a long post, I got caught up in it and the night just flew by.
Sorry for being so long-winded.
OleDawg
From where I sit it’s been a long week.
oledawg,
Editors are artists aren’t they? I found out when I was six that newspapers lie. I don’t think that voters pay that much attention to editorials – most of the time. The quote was quite interesting to me, it was from the movie – actually both the lead characters, not just V.
Haven’t you ever read or seen something that essentially projects a lie in such a way that illuminates a lie/truth? A lot of political cartoons are based on it. Satire certainly does.
If Cheney decided that the interview would not play well due to other events, I am sure the show would find some ‘reason’ to delay it and have someone else on.
I realize you are military. I married into a military family and have developed friendships with active and retired – especially veterans. I think there are some who will choke (VFW?) no idea how many.
I am a cardiac nurse. Cheney’s health is fragile at best. I would not be the least surprised if he dies before the end of his term – or gets too debilitated to maintain his schedule. I think he has already had at least one close call and the upcoming battle stress is not going to help.
Two presidential campaigns and presidencies?? A guy whose approval ratings are lower than Paris Hilton’s? Ok, I know he was asked about this recently and the interviewer said that some people are hoping he would. Some people are hoping Ralph Nader will run again. Some people thought the insurgency was in it’s ‘last throes’ in the summer of ‘05.:roll:
Pelosi have a heart attack over the Dick? She strikes me as damn tough. Most women who grow up with five brothers are.
“Congress can and has impeached Presidents.”
Did you miss the also?
Some folks aren’t aware the judges can be impeached, let alone cabinet members. I am thinking that if Bush doesn’t wake up should we retake the House, the Dems will be delivering some wake up calls. And I think there are GOP Senators who would go along with whatever it takes to get Rummy out of there. They might even convince Rummy to resign rather than face the hearings.
I’m glad you know what Kiu means.
“Most military people are payed too much and we should lower the benefits and pay.”
Sounds like a GOP myth based talking point to me. If we stopped funding the projects the military does not want (Star Wars) but that give money to the big campaign contributors, not to mention useless invasions of other countries, we could afford good pay, benefits and equipment. Why should the military – which does require intelligent people to work that technology – get poverty line wages??