Rumsfeld: Stays or goes before November?

[Stinky The Clown]

Lots of Dems have been calling for him to go. Now we get Republicans and a certain 3rd party not-really-Republican Senate candidate are calling for him to go.

Consider that RW BushBashing has become something of a major sport these days. In my view, it is all theater to boost people who really think they're gunna be getting their asses kicked in the midterms. Consider that if some shaky candidates (like this in Connecticut, cited above) can crow about getting him booted, the WH will have helped them out.

What's your guess?

[Richardo]

1. He'll stay - be a major admission of failure by the stay-the-course crowd

...if he goes.

[Imagevision]

2. Rumsfeld? damned if they do-damned if they don't - but election

seats for GOP look dismal, they should cut Rummy lose , like tomorrow for it to be of any sigificance...

[mike_c]

3. I voted for staying, but I really think it could go either way, AND...

...that whether he stays or goes isn't really the relevant question. Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney are the joint architects of the neocon administration. Rumsfeld is not going to be dismissed, ever, except by sham. I've said before that I doubt Bush even thinks in terms of having the authority to dismiss Rumsfeld. If the political consequences of his staying become too dire he might go willingly-- and even tolerate the appearance of dismissal-- but be assured that if that happens his parachute will be golden beyond the comprehension of mortals.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. " ....I doubt Bush even thinks in terms of having the authority to ..... "

Hahahahahaha

Quite a believable posit!

[SteppingRazor]

4. He'll stay. It's politically damaging for him to go n/t

[liberal N proud]

5. He is part of the PNAC

He isn't going anywhere

[Imagevision]

7. Repugs will pull classic stupid stunt and wait to dump Rummy

when it really won't matter anymore,

[Imagevision]

8. Iraq is so screwed up, does it make any difference if Rummy quits?

I don't think it makes any difference, however, he can stay and continue to score big for Cheney and Halliburton though...

[AndyA]

9. Nothing will happen before the elections in November. If he dies,

they will prop his dead body up in a chair so he can be present for meetings, and they will use invisible wires to blink his eyes. After they steal another election in November, then they will announce that he's been killed by terrorists from Iran, and you know the rest...

[IndianaGreen]

10. Lieberman will replace Rumsfeld in January

the GOP governor will replace Lieberman, assuming he wins in November (a big if), with a Republican.

[Sherman A1]

11. Agreed

I think it depends a bit on the outcome of that election, but Lieberman will replace him. So even if not elected Joe will have a job, sorta like Ashcroft after he lost.

[Independent_Liberal]

12. Here's what will happen....

1. All the Abramoff and Cunningham/Wilkes/MZM/Hookergate doo doo hits the fan in September and 70 Republicans are indicted (including Burns, Hastert, Ney, Cornyn, Harris, Goode, Hunter and Blunt). The GOP is effectively crippled.

2. November, Dems win back the House and Senate with big margins. Lamont beats Lieberman.

3. January, the new Congress is sworn in. The Libby trial begins.

4. Libby implicates Cheney and Cheney is indicted and forced to resign.

5. Congress forces Bush to appoint a VP who both sides of the aisle can agree on. Bush is forced to take McCain.

6. Larry Franklin implicates Rumsfeld in the AIPAC case and Rumsfeld is indicted and resigns.

7. Congress forces Bush to appoint a bipartisan Secretary of Defense. Bush picks Lieberman. Enough Democrats and Republicans decide that Lieberman is acceptable.

8. The GOP forces Bush to resign because he's going to be impeached and convicted.

9. Bush resigns. McCain is sworn in as President. He appoints George Pataki as his VP. McCain, Pataki and Lieberman are the caretakers until January 2009.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. If only!

I could live VERY happily with that.

[bigwillq]

14. I think he stays (nt)

[saltpoint]

15. Jim Baker will make it quite clear to Dubya that Rummy must go.

Dubya will balk, but the internal GOP polls tell him that his party is going to be whipped like a rented mule in November unless something is done.

Baker will lay it out: either you dump Rumsfeld or the GOP Big Players will turn on you and the last 2 years of your so-called presidency are going to be a gauntlet of legal challenges and legacy-sinking mutinees.

Baker can make that happen. Senator Warner of Virginia backs Baker and threatens to block funding of the war unless Dubya dumps Rumsfeld.

Bush isn't in a position to play the recalcitrant cowboy at this point. His "political capital" appears to be non-existent. The Big Players turned on his hapless daddy and they can turn on him, too.

In mid-October, Rumsfeld calls a presser & resigns. Will he be forced out? Yes. Baker calls the play.

With his own polls showing Lamont steadily gaining Democratic support in CT, Lieberman drops out of the Senate race to preserve what's left of his stature. Bush dangles the DOD job and Joe grabs it.

Kindasleazy is made the Ambassador to Russia. Her services are no longer required in the Middle East.

Dick Lugar is appointed Secretary of State in Condi's place. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels appoints former Senator Dan Coats to fill out Lugar's term.

Baker stays on as chief advisor to the President. Iraq does not improve but Bush/the GOP are seen as attempting to make changes. Lamont becomes CT's next U.S. Senator. Webb whips Allen in Virginia. Ford squeaks by in Tennessee. Santorum loses by 12% in Pennsylvania. Tester buries Burns. Claire clobbers Talent. Brown takes DeWine's seat. Whitehouse crushes Laffey. The Nevada recount in the Carter-Ensign race runs several days after the 7th; Carter goes on to win in the narrowest margin in NV history.

Democrats pick up 18-26 House seats. Three of these are in red Indiana.

The phones light up in John Conyers' office after Democrats sweep both chambers in November.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. Can I kiss you?

You can wear my rose glasses if ya do!

[saltpoint]

19. Hey there, Husb2Sparkly. What a great dog in your post there.

I love dogs and Democrats.

And you keep posting thoughtful, provocative stuff on these boards. It is much appreciated.

I'm fearful that Dubya is in such a selfish snit that he can't be reached, but Baker's been operating in the shadows since springtime, so something's up. What a great time for a leak to the press.

If Dubya had a lick of sense (such a huge 'if' there...) he would serve the remainder of the year in a makeshift White House in New Orleans. He should publicly declare governance from a city he abandoned last summer. He's lost Iraq big time. He could at least try to save the Gulf Coast.

That's something that RFK or Mario Cuomo or Bella Abzug would have the vision and gumption to undertake, but I'm fearful that Dubya is nowhere near their league. Dubya's a horrible president, even for a Republican, and that's saying something.

His troubles are of his own making, and I'd like to celebrate his downward spiral, except that it hurts all of us when the top guy is a clueless asshole. A President Gore or a President Kerry would not have allowed things to erode like this. And we owe our allies a humble apology.

[Jacobin]

21. Damn. I had to have a cigarette after reading that

:hi:

[saltpoint]

22. Jacobin. Howdy. I hope things are well your way. Nice to bump

into you today on DU.

We got Ernesto gathering steam in the Caribbean and a blue tidal wave gathering for Nov. 7th.

Wild times ahead. :hi:

[sknabt]

16. He'll stay...

... Bush needs a 'goat'.

[PurityOfEssence]

18. We're dealing with primitive males here

They can no more dismiss him than they can admit a mistake or stop to ask for directions when lost.

Beyond that, it's important to realize that he's not just a hireling; he's part of the core power structure. Arguably, he and Cheney are the true presidents.

Even if there was someone who could fire him, to do so would be such an admission of failure that the whole thing would cave in on their heads. Even if he contracts a truly fatal and wasting disease, he can't walk away. He'll be there 'til the end unless he dies.

[buddhamama]

20. he'll stay. his leaving would be an indication of ...

poor choices, bad decisions on the part of this Administration and that is not going to happen.