Clueless

The more I see of Don Rumsfeld, the more the similarities to Robert McNamara become clear. Here is a man who is completely out of touch with the tragic consequences of his policies, unable to feel the slightest compassion for anyone (a recent PBS special had Rummy unclear why forcing prisoners to stand for hours at a time would be considered torture, since he doesn't use a chair in his office. "What's the problem? I stand all day," he cried to a commander), and particularly unconcerned about the difficulties of the men under his command. It is inconceivable that the Secretary of Defense would engage in a discussion with troops on the ground in Iraq, and be this unprepared for the inevitable questions that came his way:

"Why do we soldiers have to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles?" asked Spc. Thomas Wilson of Ringgold, Ga. His question was met with shouts of approval and applause from the estimated 2,300 soldiers who had gathered to see Rumsfeld.

This is not a question that comes out of left field. The use of "hillbilly armor" in Iraq, and the related lack of proper body armor and supplies, was well-documented by most major media, and was even a part of the Presidential campaign. Just like Bush never answered the question in the debates, Rumsfeld decided to ignore the substance of the question, and give the same callous "Nothing's perfect" answer we've come to expect from him:

"It isn't a matter of money, it isn't a matter on part of the Army of desire," Rumsfeld responded. "It's a matter of production and capability of doing it. As you know, you go to war with the Army you have."

Once again, we have a top government official that seemingly is powerless to do anything about government. But the insensitivity of this remark in front of 2,300 soldiers, all of whom are risking their lives (regardless of what you think about the policy), is shocking, even to the great masses of Kool-Aid drinkers. That's why the White House is in full spin mode:

The president says the complaints from a soldier who confronted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday "are being addressed."

During a White House photo-op, he told reporters that if he were a soldier overseas, wanting to defend his country, he'd want to ask "the same question." Bush says U-S troops deserve the best possible equipment.

As we all know, Bush is not, nor has he ever been, a soldier defending his country, so he's never felt any need to ask the question. US troops may deserve the best equipment, but they're not getting it, and as long as elections can be held and the press doesn't cover all the deaths, the soldiers don't HAVE to get the best equipment.

This wasn't the only tough question Rumsfeld faced in the meeting, by the way, but of course the media can't be expected to focus on more than one thing at a time. Another lady asked about the disastrous stop-loss program, which basically has forced thousands of troops to stay in Iraq beyond their agreed stay. Rummy answered, "You don't look like you're at retirement age." Isn't that hilarious? Who's Rumsefeld's joke writer, the Marquis de Sade?

The Daily Show summed it up the other night. When discussing the fact that Rumsfeld will remain in the Cabinet while 9 others left, Stephen Colbert noted, "See, if you just screw up a little bit, you have to go. If you screw up colosally, you get to keep your job." And it's true. Firing Rumsfeld would be akin to admitting a mistake, which in this Administration is verboten.