MORE GENERALS CALL FOR RUMSFELD'S HIDE-- BUT ONLY THE PATRIOTIC ONES WHO LOVE AMERICA

Although I'm not a huge fan of his politically, I found Wes Clark a genuinely pleasant fellow to talk with-- smart, well-informed, polite, opinionated but easy-going, all that. I don't drink-- never tasted a beer in my life-- but if I did, I'd certainly rather share a couple with General Clark than with the Texas schmuck-face in the White House. When I did talk with Clark a few months back, one thing he said will always stick with me. Retired military officers have to be exceptionally brave, even courageous, to speak out against the Regime. Bush hasn't had any of the ones who do killed but Clark told me that retired generals who speak out have a lot to lose, socially and economically. There's even a danger pariah-hood inside the exclusive little fraternity of ex-generals.

So it's amazing to me to see another general almost every day coming out so strongly about Rumsfeld resigning being fired. Of course when I woke up this morning, CNN had managed to dig up some general to act as a Rumsfeld apologist. But the real news is that nearly every day another retired general steps forward and tells the public what anyone paying attention should have guessed long ago: Rumsfeld's the wrong man for the job and he should retire-- fast.

The former head of the 82nd Airborne, Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack says Rumsfeld "micromanaged the generals who are leading our forces there" and that he "carries way too much baggage with him... We need a new Secretary of Defense." Not counting Army General Eric Shinseki, whose career Rumsfeld destroyed because of his dissension, Swannack joins Generals Newbold, Eaton, Zinni, Batiste and Riggs in calling for the much-hated Rumsfeld to step aside.

Congressmen who are close with the actual military-- as opposed to the Bush Regime shills installed at the Pentagon-- have been telling us for some time that the armed services are uncomfortable with Rumsfeld's bizarre... leadership. Speaking about the general consensus General Riggs said “everyone pretty much thinks Rumsfeld and the bunch around him should be cleared out.” Last week Lt. General Newbold penned a startling essay in TIME Magazine called "Why Iraq Was A Mistake-- A Military Insider Sounds Off Against The War and The Zealots Who Pushed It." Last month General Paul Eaton did a similar story for the NY TIMES called "For His failures, Rumsfeld Must Go," a chilling story of coercion and ineptness.

Former CENTCOM Commander General Anthony Zinni has been on TV a lot, talking about what a catastrophe the Bush Regime has been for the military and the whole nation and putting the lie to the right-wing talking points. Does Bush have the will-- or the balls-- to get rid of Rumsfeld? Not a chance. He may be a piece of shit Secretary of Defense but he's Bush's piece of shit Secretary of Defense-- and he's exactly the right man for the worst president in the history of our nation.


FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: AOL & THE NY TIMES NOTICE TOO

When I woke up and logged on to AOL the front page had a clickable story from the NEW YORK TIMES talking about how all these retired generals are calling for Rumsfeld's resignation. There's nothing new in it however what fascinated me was the accompanying poll. The poll asks 2 questions. First: "Should Donald Rumsfeld stay on as defense secretary?" And after that "Do you think Rumsfeld will keep his job until the end of President Bush's second term?" Predictably 77% of respondents thought Rumsfeld should retire or be fired, showing he is even less popular than Bush (though somewhat more popular than Dick Cheney or Paris Hilton). But what was more interesting is that 63% of respondents think that Bush will hold onto the incompetent and venal, deceitful Rumsfeld 'til the bitter end. That's our Bush: the worst man ever installed in the White House! And the only Senator who has the balls to call him on it is Russ Feingold (with some support from Boxer and Harkin).


WEDNESDAY UPDATE: MORE PEOPLE THINK RUMSFELD SHOULD BE FIRED

Chuck Hagel was never a general. He was a grunt, one that was severely wounded in Vietnam fighting on the frontlines. Now he's a conservative Republican senator from one of the only 4 states in America where Bush has a positive approval rating, Nebraska. Monday, according to the Lincoln Journal Star, he said that "he shares the lack of confidence in Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld separately voiced by six retired generals. 'The concern I’ve had is, at a very dangerous time, (the) secretary of defense does not command the respect and confidence of our men and women in uniform,' Hagel said. 'There is a real question about his capacity to lead at this critical time'."

But not everyone agrees with that assessment. One of the Bush Regime's little Goebbels, Faux News loon Tony Snow (a possible replacement for Gannon/Guckert's White House client) told Bill O'Liely-- publicly and on TV in front of whoever watches that Republican propaganda outlet-- that people complaining about Donald Rumsfeld were partially to blame for high gas prices. Is he campaigning for the press secretary job? I bet Ann Coulter could do even better than Tony if he sets his mind to it.


SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: KERRY WON'T LET THE GENERALS BE SWIFT-BOATED

In a stirring speech given yesterday at Boston's hsitorical Fanueil Hall, John Kerry, let loose on the treacherous, weak Bush crew. "In recent weeks," said Kerry, "a number of retired high-ranking military leaders, several of whom played key combat or planning roles in Afghanistan and Iraq, have come forward publicly to call for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And across the administration, from the president on down, we've heard these calls dismissed or even attacked as acts of disloyalty, or as threats to civilian control of the armed forces. We have even heard accusations that this dissent gives aid and comfort to the enemy. That is cheap and it is shameful. And once again we have seen personal attacks on the character of those who speak out. How dare those who never wore the uniform in battle attack those who wore it all their lives - and who, retired or not, did not resign their citizenship in order to serve their country."