Nightline 5/7: Rumsfeld's big day

[Bozita]

 
Nightline Daily E-Mail
May 7, 2004


TONIGHT'S FOCUS: For a while he was referred to as a "rock star." His briefings, where he regularly put down his questioners and their questions, were must-see TV. And today he finds himself in a very different position. We'll look at Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld as he faces Congress today.

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It's called the "hot seat." I have no idea where that term originally came from, but as I am writing this, Donald Rumsfeld is about to take his place on that very warm chair. There are a lot of serious questions. Why hasn't he thoroughly read the report on the abuses at that prison in Iraq? Why didn't the investigation move quicker? Why didn't he inform the President, or Congress, before those now-famous pictures showed up on television? He is not a popular figure with the military leadership. But now Congress is angry - both Republicans and Democrats. And of course, this is an election year, so politics come into play immediately. The New York Times, and the magazine The Economist have both called for the Secretary of Defense to resign.

The session has just started. Correspondent John Donvan and a Nightline team are up on the Hill, watching the hearings and spending the day with a Senator and Congressman, both of whom will be questioning the Secretary today. Chris Bury will anchor tonight, and he'll also have a profile of Mr. Rumsfeld, who has been something of a controversial figure from the beginning. He has weathered a number of storms already, but can he survive this one? His performance today will go a long way towards answering that question. So we're going to watch the hearings, and we'll pull it all together tonight. I hope that you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Nightline Offices
ABCNEWS Washington D.C.

[madmax]

1. Otherwise know as

'Rummy's Big Adventure'.