McCain: Rumsfeld was one of worst defense secretaries in history

[Doondoo]

Arizona Sen. John McCain said Monday the war in Iraq has been mismanaged for years and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will be remembered as "one of the worst" to ever hold the job.

"We are paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement - that's the kindest word I can give you - of Donald Rumsfeld of this war," McCain told an overflow crowd of more than 800 at a retirement community near Hilton Head Island. "The price is very, very heavy and I regret it enormously."

The Arizona Republican said Rumsfeld never put enough troops on the ground to succeed in Iraq.

"I think that that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history," McCain said to applause.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_MCCAIN_2008_AZOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-02-19-15-22-37

[Xipe Totec]

1. So why didn't we hear from McCain earlier?

What a hypoprick!

[olddad56]

7. because now the war has become so unpopular that even he has to disown it

[BestCenter]

15. To be fair,

McCain criticized Rumsfeld plenty back when he was in power.

[Xipe Totec]

17. Oh, really?

Linkie?

[BestCenter]

19. Take your pick:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6708495/
http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/042606/mccain.html
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050110-122435-5478r.htm

[PDJane]

2. OH, ********!!! IT WASN'T MISMANAGEMENT!

IT WAS AN ILLEGAL INVASION, AND YOU CAN'T MANAGE AN INVASION AND OCCUPATION OF A COUNTRY WELL!


Lord and Lady! I HATE that talking point. No one could have done it better, unless they freaking well stayed home in the first place!!

(end rant. Sorry.)

[youngdem]

3. What, is today Insanely Safe Position Announcement Day?

Hillary announcing her groundbreaking opposition to the Stars and Bars and now McCain calling Rummy a failure.

Wow.

I guess this is what REAL leadership looks like.

:sarcasm:

[pocoloco]

4. McNamera wasn't that great either!!

So far, he lost more troops than rummy.

[xultar]

5. Buhwawawawa! PIMPROTFFLMGDAO!!!

[LiberalinNC]

6. You're a little late there Johnny Boy!!!

[mazzarro]

8. Since Sen. McCain confirmed Rummy's status

When is *Co going to present Rummy with a medal?

[BeFrank]

9. It's almost like Sen. McCain is running for president. But a person

would never change a position because its not popular would they?

[colorado_ufo]

10. Hillary & McCain play both sides of the net so often

they could engage each other in circular tennis.

I think - no joke - that they will wind up on the same ticket.

[last_texas_dem]

11. But I'm sure McCain still thinks the

guy who appointed Rumsfeld and kept him on to screw things up for six years is a strong leader, quite huggable, and an all-around great guy!

[Contrary1]

12. One would hope that the members of the Republic party

would notice this "flip-flop".

Please let this clown be the nominee.

[Lasher]

13. Rummy's fault, not Junior's blah blah blah

Somebody else must have nominated him Secretary of Defense. Why, Junior was against this all along. So was I. And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids. Insert Publican slogan du jour. Blah blah blah.

[UpInArms]

14. related: White House defends Rumsfeld from McCain criticism

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2033108620070220

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House defended Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday from criticism from Republican Sen. John McCain that he was one of the worst U.S. defense secretaries ever for his handling of the Iraq war.

McCain, one of President George W. Bush's key allies in the U.S. Congress on Iraq, is running for his party's nomination to be president in 2008.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history," the Arizona senator and former Vietnam War veteran said on the campaign trail in South Carolina on Monday.

The White House backed Rumsfeld but was careful not to criticize McCain in doing so.

"We think Donald Rumsfeld was an enormously consequential and effective secretary of defense and somebody who led to the transformation of the Department of Defense. Senator McCain holds a different point of view," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

...more...

[GreenZoneLT]

24. Mmmmm, that's good spin.

You could say Hitler was an enormously consequential and effective leader of Germany who led the transformation of Europe, without really stretching the truth. Now, the consequences, effects and transformation may have been catastrophic, but there was no shortage of them. Same's true of Rummy.

I bet Tony Snow has to strap himself into bed to keep from spinning out on the floor every night.

[sweetheart]

16. aww come onnnn, he did a brilliant job engineering 9/11

... gotta give credit where credit's deserved.

traitorous felon...

[JoFerret]

18. Worst in history...along with his boss

Now - Johno - get to naming the worst CinC/ President ever.

[olddad56]

20. McCain.. one of the worst Senators in history...

He is a turncoat and a tool, all rolled into one.

[Canuckistanian]

21. OOOooo, what a big man, picking on an already fired govt. official

I'll be impressed when McCain says the same about Cheney, Condi, Gonzales or the Chimp himself.

[Skittles]

22. thanks for speaking out when it would have really counted, you f'n WHORE

:puke:

[SKKY]

23. Too little. Way too late John. You should have developed this...

...astoundingly firm grasp on the obvious a little bit sooner.

[tom_paine]

25. Shut the fuck up McCain, you disgusting toady, no one wants to hear your LIES

You are Bushler. Bushler is YOU.

I can think of no worse unmitigated disaster, save perhaps Emperor Jeb, than having this unprincipled, immoral, enabler of tyrant and tyranny to rule us.

What it will mean: NOTHING WILL CHANGE. Maybe some smiley faces will be drawn on the corpses of our soldiers and the tortured, but NOTHING will actually change.

More Bush lies = More McCain Lies

[T_i_B]

26. Struggling McCain attacks old target

Looks like the UK torygraph disapproves. Mind you, you'd think from the way people are blathering on in this thread that Rumsfled was beyond reproach! :eyes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/21/wuspols21.xml

Trailing in the polls and increasingly isolated by his pro-war stance, John McCain has sought to boost his presidential bid by attacking Donald Rumsfeld and the Bush administration for "mismanagement" in Iraq.

While strongly backing President George W Bush's decision to send an extra 21,500 troops, Mr McCain pulled no punches while addressing a crowd in South Carolina.

"We are paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement – that's the kindest word I can give you – of Donald Rumsfeld, of this war."

He was applauded as he labelled Mr Rumsfeld, who has gone from Republican hero to bogeyman since the Iraq invasion, as a "disaster". "I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down as one of the worst secretaries of defence in history," he added.

[gasperc]

27. McCain, shut up, you'll never be President

just shut up

[BigDDem]

28. Rumsfeld one of the worst secretaries of defense in history!

Oh, and this just in:

Bears shit in the woods.