Sources: Rumsfeld will quit in 2006

[Judi Lynn]

Dec. 8, 2005, 12:14AM
Sources: Rumsfeld will quit in 2006
Rumors swirl about Lieberman as his replacement


By THOMAS M. DEFRANK and KENNETH R. BAZINET
New York Daily News

WASHINGTON - White House officials are telling associates they expect Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld to quit early next year, once a new government is formed in Iraq, sources said Wednesday.

Rumsfeld's deputy, Gordon England, is the inside contender to replace him, but there's also speculation that Sen. Joe Lieberman — a Democrat who ran against Bush-Cheney in the 2000 election — might become top official at the Pentagon.

The White House considered Lieberman for the U.N. ambassador's job last year before it gave the post to John Bolton, a Bush adviser said.

"He thought about it for a week or so and finally said no," the adviser recalled.

A source close to the White House said Rumsfeld wanted out a year ago, after Bush's re-election, but neither he nor President Bush wanted his departure to appear to have been forced.
(snip/...)

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/3510801.html
(Free registration required)

[tiptoe]

1. "But, Rummy, you're doing such a great job! Why quit so soon?"

:sarcasm:

Donald Rumsfeld (a limerick by alcibiades_mystery)

There once was a Sec of Defence
Whose statements were dauntingly dense
He knew what he knew
Plus the unknown: it's true
But the unknown unknowns made no sense

In other news...

Judge allows lawsuit challenging adequacy of Ohio election system
Warning Bell in Ohio

Tova Andrea Wang
The Century Foundation

12/6/2005

A federal court in Ohio has just issued a decision that has potentially enormous significance for elections all over the country. In The League of Women Voters et al. v. Blackwell, a federal judge denied a motion to dismiss by the Governor and Secretary of State. Instead, he ruled that if the League and other voting rights organizations can demonstrate there were “systemic breakdowns” in the election system that led to widely disparate levels of voting access throughout the state in 2004 (and for over three decades before that), the state likely violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

Judge James G. Carr writes,

"Put simply, LWV contends that defendants’ election system provides different voting rights to different citizens based solely on where those citizens happen to reside and vote. Some citizens get short lines, properly functioning voting machines, well trained and informed poll workers, accurate registration information, and the opportunity to cast unencumbered absentee or proper provisional ballots.

Other citizens, due to the vagaries of residence and registration, encounter long lines, defective voting machines, ill-trained and uninformed poll workers, inaccurate registration information, and absentee or provisional ballots that are ultimately deemed invalid.

If LWV’s allegations are well founded, defendants may be depriving citizens of the franchise depending on where they live in violation of the equal protection clause."

snip

What makes this case all the more interesting is that the judge found that the Governor and Secretary of State were the proper defendants in the action. In other words, those at the top will be held responsible for ensuring that our democracy is equally accessible to all voters—regardless of race, ethnicity, and yes, where they happen to live.

It also shows that no matter how many laws the federal or state government passes, if elections officials implement them in a wrongful or incompetent manner, true election reform can never have real meaning.

snip/wow!

[Straight Shooter]

20. My limerick contribution, first thing in the a.m.

Rumsfeld the Defense Secretary
Is a twit of a wit quite contrary
His war plan had no exit
And now we're in deep shit
As the quagmire gets more and more hairy

Enter on stage Joe-Momentum
Rewarded for beating the war drum
Lieberman is a DINO
A sell-out, a zero
The crust of political pond scum

[ribrepin]

2. I've heard this one before

Right before the 2004 election. It's the same old bait and switch--poll numbers are low, so Rummy's leaving.

[radfringe]

3. if ole squinty goes

you can bet he'd be replaced by another croney

[UpInArms]

18. and the naming of Lieberman indicates just that

ole' Holy Joe has definitely won the approval of the BFEE.

[54anickel]

19. Well, Lieberman has been "workin' hard" for that croney crown lately. eom

[0rganism]

4. He was doin' a heckuva job, but decided to spend more time with his family

Amazing how that works.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Why wait?

It's not like anyone will miss him.

[sandnsea]

6. Only one reason to choose Lieberman

They've accepted the war is lost and they're going to blame it on the Democrats. Otherwise, no way they're putting a Democrat at the DoD. It's just noise.

[funflower]

7. Either that or they've got somebody lined up for his Senate seat.

[shrub chipper]

24. We lose a seat in the Senate then

Since the CT Governor is a Repuke, they will appoint a (R).

Idealogically, it won't be worse then Joe Moe, but it will count against us in the Majority/Minority numbers

[Mr. Brown of MD]

27. His seat is up for re-election in 2006

No need to rely on a primary challenge to have a chance at taking him out.

It's not like there's a good chance of toppling the Republican control of the Senate before the elections. If given the chance, and provided the appointment doesn't sabotage the campaign (e.g. Joe gets appointed after he's won the Dem primary) then we could get a D back in the seat in time for it to (hopefully) matter.

Might not be as disastrous as you could first think.

[funflower]

29. A real (R) would be worse than Joe, and the leadership makes the

real difference. DINOs and RINOs both tend to get real loyal when their own party controls their house.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. Does anyone still believe Lieberman is a Democrat?

[bearfan454]

16. Fuck no !

He votes with the pukes every time. He's a DINO ! I hate his ass.

[BeyondThePale]

8. Only FIVE YEARS too late...

But, we know where the WMDs are...

[remfan]

10. The mighty hand of Mommy at work?

The Steve Clemons nugget posted last week suggested she was pissed, and my guess would be she's got Rummy in her sights.

[ChrisK]

11. Why the wait?..it's not like he is doing anything right now

Maybe he and Mr Brown can open there own company now....Rum & Dumb "It's all your fault till you hire us"

[Dulcinea]

12. Rummy offered to resign at least twice already.

But Boy George refused to accept his resignation.

Maybe the third time will be a charm.

[Orsino]

13. Rumsfeld's apparently voluntary departure won't help...

...sagging poll numbers. The important move will be the choice of his replacement.

[no_hypocrisy]

14. Hey, maybe four to six weeks from now . . .

[DavidDvorkin]

15. And will go directly to jail

Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

Unfortunately, that's only in my dreams.

[Maggie_May]

17. Thats why Lieberman

been kissing Bush's ass. He looking to move up in this joke of a administration.

[Triana]

21. New York Daily News Reports: "Rummy exit rumored; Lieberman eyed for job"

How reliable is NY Daily News? Anyone have any ideas?

BY THOMAS M. DEFRANK and KENNETH R. BAZINET
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - White House officials are telling associates they expect Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to quit early next year, once a new government is formed in Iraq, sources said yesterday.

Rumsfeld's deputy, Gordon England, is the inside contender to replace him, but there's also speculation that Sen. Joe Lieberman - a Democrat who ran against Bush-Cheney in the 2000 election - might become top guy at the Pentagon.

That's not as farfetched as it might first appear.

The Daily News has learned that the White House considered Lieberman for the UN ambassador's job last year before giving the post to John Bolton, a Bush adviser said.



http://nydailynews.com/front/story/372921p-316984c.html

[Maggie_May]

22. Is why Liebermans nose is been brown?

[MrModerate]

23. Their second choice for the job they crammed Bolton into . . .

in the dead of night was JOE LIEBERMAN?

Sorry, my head is spinning.

While I'd be glad to see Rumsfeld go, it's going to be rather unsatisfying if it isn't accompanied by public flogging and a nice, long visit to the Hague.

[pinniped]

25. In the crime cabal, only the strong survive.

Rummy the Dummy is showing weakness, the so-called Enemies of the Illegitimate Iraqi Government will have won.

No one is tougher on this planet than Dummy.

[cliss]

26. Well, after all Don RumsFailed is an old man.

He's going on 75 years old. He's been in the government a l-o-n-g time.
Maybe it's time he threw in the towel.

Plus, he's a very wealthy man. His years at Searle brought him a lot of $$$money$$$. He's done a ton of crony contracts with the Pentagon. When he started as the Sec. of Defense in 2000, he was worth $134 million big ones.

I have no doubt he's worth more than that now.

So Old Rum will want to go to Hawaii, kick back a few drinks, maybe go surfing. Maybe do the Hula with some cute Hawaiian girl. Time to go, Don.

[wordpix]

28. also crazed--thanks for all your "gov't service" making you and yours

very rich while bankrupting the rest of us