..or, if I don't recieve a bazillion flames for this, I'll be lucky.
Decided to go back to punditing versus trying the futile attempt at 'can't we all just get along?' I will open by saying that most of you have the right to say what you can about whatever you like, even if I find it inflammatory. I have the right to delete anything I deem over the top or just an attempt to piss me off. So, now we've covered the whole 'you have the right to say anything, and I have the right to react,' onto the meat and bones of this article.
I find it vagely disturbing that Bush cabinet members are leaving at an even clip. Powell, Ridge, and Ashcroft all tendered their resignations within the last month, and I know that's not even the complete list. If someone could find the complete list and reply, that'd be great. Of course, the cabinet often changes after elections, so in and of itself, isn't worrisome. It's just so many high profile people, the ones who deal with the press on a regular basis are leaving...with one or two exceptions.
It seems that Rice is next to be Secretary of State and Rumsfield isn't going anywhere, which is disturbing considering both of them fell asleep at the switch, Rice possibly during 9/11 (yes, I have seen her testify before the commission, thank you and read the enclosed transcript, plus the Time article where she wasn't keen about going under oath before the commission), and Rumsfeld during the Abu Gharib scandal. (Which there's an international complaint being filed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4057531.stm ) While you could argue that Rumsfeld isn't directly accountable for the shameful actions of our military, it is, at least his job to be informed, and it looks like he was....four months before the story broke,
and maybe more.
sources: (Rumsfeld)
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=YDJIQHR4ZHHT0CRBAELCFFA?type=topNews&storyID=6970806
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=295553
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040524fa_fact
(Rice)
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/08/rice.transcript/
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,565974,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/08/911.commission/
(The simple search on Google, in case you're wondering of Rumsfeld +abuse +Abu Gharib, is about 4,130, in case you're curious. Rice +9/11 commission testimony on Google yields 92,800.)
The question remains: why the shake up? Why didn't Bush demand Rumsfeld's resignation as soon as the story broke? Why does it seem that the National Security advisor is getting a promotion after her recent shakedown?
I think Bush is trying to load his cabinet with people who'll support him and more importantly, shut up about the war. Colin Powell wasn't willing to invade Iraq, and he's been dumped after the Bush election. On the other hand, Rice has practically been vehement in her defense of this administration and the president. Ashcroft, while taking on the airs of a old term revivalist for the adminstrationl, only produced one part of testimony that I'm sure will be renewed, the questionable PATRIOT act, but his replacement seems to be more of the classfication of information and a continuation of bending of Geneva Convention rules. (source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-11-10-gonzales-inside-usat_x.htm ). That disturbs me, to be honest, it makes you think of what the adminstration has to hide that has to be so classfied, and rejecting of simple rules on how to treat your enemies civilly during war seems to be an issue in this adminstration. Granted, I'm not crying tears at Ashcroft's leaving, and I don't think any liberal is. I applaud the political savvy of GW of nominating a Hispanic, and a African American woman, however. Democrats will have issues blocking that one without seeming like a bunch of racist Jim Crows.
You may have thought I've forgotten Ridge (the man's eminently forgettable), but I haven't. My problem with Ridge, if you can call it a problem, is that the man seemed not to do much during his new cabinet post during his term in it. He seems to have stopped with coordinating a color based system for terrorist attacks (orange=bad), and the man seems uncapable of being ruthless enough to make Congress pass 9/11 legislation behind the scenes. I think Bush will be looking for a pit bull for the post, not a poodle. I feel an undercurrent of omniousness going on, however with some of these choices. It makes me wonder if Bush has an exit plan for war anytime soon...
Feeling the doom coming on, the wolf dragon/AWM worried,
Sol