A simple, telling point. Rumsfeld still has his job.

[pinto]

There's probably no more telling marker for the intention of this Administration than their persistence in supporting Donald Rumsfeld in his position.

Karen's just a patronage joke, Condi's a crony hire, an embarrassment, Bolton's a red herring, right wing throw away, but Rummy - Rummy's the real thing in the Administration world view.

That he is still in his position says a lot about what's what, and who's who. He's Cheney's man on the scene, of course. And further he's the only public face of the Administration that doesn't really toe the "transformational" agenda. He tries, at times, to mouth the words, but he fumbles it. He's about making the American military bureaucracy available to a political agenda. He's about usurping his own uniformed department in the name of the Administration agenda. This is telling, and unlike the foibles of the other cabinet members, he runs the largest military machine on the planet.

[liberal N proud]

1. Bu$h would quit before Rummy! We all should know and understand that

bu$h is a front man, he is the stooge.
Rumsfeld is a core part of the regime, he is integral to the PNAC plan. He is a founding member of the PNAC and will never step aside voluntarily, nor will bu$h ever ask him to.
Why we keep thinking that because so many congress critters are asking for his resignation that it will happen shows how much we forget about the nature of the bu$h regime and the PNAC.

[Solo_in_MD]

2. A cabinet member serves at the pleasure of the President

He supports him, thats all that matters. Its been that way for a considerable period of time.

[pinto]

3. That's my point.

[JHB]

4. Rummy's ingnored every principle on the conduct of war from Sun Tzu to...

...James Dunnigan (or insert your preferred analyst, if need be), and has been proven wrong at every turn.

The fact that he's still in his job is the greatest proof the Bushites real goals aren't the ones they proclaim from their podiums.

[Lars39]

5. Rumsfeld's PNAC.

They'd get rid of bush before they'd ever get rid of Rumsfeld.

[The Deacon]

6. The President Decides Who Serves In The Cabinet

And Cheney is perfectly satisfied with Rumsfeld's performance.
Oh, I see - you think Bush is The Decider. Yeah, right. A former MLB Owner just happened to have all these Nixon Era resumes in his back pocket. Bush doesn't go to the bathroom without Dick's permission (or Condi's when Dick isn't around.)