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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 12:06:29 pm

Title: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 12:06:29 pm
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/08/D8L91ID02.html
 :eek2:
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Inquisitor on November 08, 2006, 12:09:26 pm
Holy ****.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: aldo_14 on November 08, 2006, 12:17:09 pm
One down.....
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 12:18:21 pm
EX-CIA CHIEF ROBERT GATES TO BECOME NEW SECRETARY OF DEFENSE... DEVELOPING...
Source: Drudge Report
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 12:20:18 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gates
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Col. Fishguts on November 08, 2006, 12:24:13 pm
Ooh, unexpected. Wouldn't it have been smarter of him to resign before the elections (from a rep. POV) ?
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 08, 2006, 12:27:01 pm
He wasn't in it for the Republican Party, he was in it for himself. And that just caught up with him.

Somewhere, the Joint Chiefs are holding a party..
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 12:28:07 pm
People here in the office are celebrating quietly.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: aldo_14 on November 08, 2006, 12:29:23 pm
While Halliburton gently weeps......
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 12:32:56 pm
eh, haliburton will be less impacted by this. The take over in congress will be more important and they will be pulling them in their along with oil companies.

And actually, there is NOTHING illegal with giving contract noncompetitivly so much as long as it is urgent and compelling, ala war. According to the FAR. Other presidencies have done it before including Clinton. The problem is the appearence of a conflict of interest.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Unknown Target on November 08, 2006, 12:40:47 pm
While pleasantly surprising I'm not sure it's completely unexpected. Think about it; if the Republicans won, Rumsfield could probably stay (GOP backing it's own and all). But now that the GOP is out of power, the Dems would attack Rumsfield mercilessly if he stayed - hence, he leaves, to avoid embarrassment of the party and himself.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Kazan on November 08, 2006, 12:42:04 pm
Quote
Robert M. Gates was the Central Intelligence Agency's deputy director for intelligence (DDI) from 1982 to 1986. He was confirmed as the CIA's deputy director of central intelligence (DDCI) in April of 1986 and became acting director of central intelligence in December of that same year. Owing to his senior status in the CIA, Gates was close to many figures who played significant roles in the Iran/contra affair and was in a position to have known of their activities.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Unknown Target on November 08, 2006, 12:47:11 pm
On another note, it's also probably a conciliatory shot from GWB, trying to show some good faith to the Dems - to maybe lessen some potential fallout.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 12:47:58 pm
Nice!
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Hippo on November 08, 2006, 12:59:04 pm
\o/
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 01:42:01 pm
Next shoe to fall in Bush WH: John Bolton as US-UN ambassador?... Developing...
Source: Drudge Report
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Bobboau on November 08, 2006, 01:49:10 pm
The Senate must confirm this nomination for Gates to become Secretary.

muahahahahahahahhaha!!!!!! :lol:
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Hippo on November 08, 2006, 02:06:22 pm
do democrats control the senate too? I'm only loosley following the senate race (mainly the house)
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Shade on November 08, 2006, 02:08:18 pm
It's tied, with one state (virginia) still in limbo but with a small democratic lead.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Hippo on November 08, 2006, 02:09:37 pm
ah, thanks
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Turey on November 08, 2006, 02:14:17 pm
The Senate must confirm this nomination for Gates to become Secretary.

muahahahahahahahhaha!!!!!! :lol:

Too bad his name is Robert and not William.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: vyper on November 08, 2006, 02:22:42 pm
The Senate must confirm this nomination for Gates to become Secretary.

muahahahahahahahhaha!!!!!! :lol:

Too bad his name is Robert and not William.

"Secretary Gates today defended the current situation in Iraq stating that the US body count was, in fact, an undocumented 'feature' of the war on terror."
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redsniper on November 08, 2006, 02:52:50 pm
Gates is currently the president of my university.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: spartan_0214 on November 08, 2006, 03:12:20 pm
As Johnny Depp once put it:

Whoop, man down!
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: perihelion on November 08, 2006, 03:15:11 pm
Good grief!  You mean we actually get to be free from that hypocritical bastard?  I mean, a promotion wasn't exactly the mode of exit I had in mind, but he's been a thorn in the side of A&M since the moment he took office.  I had to sit through his commencement pontificating when my wife got her Ph.D, and I swear I was ready to start throwing things.  He practically stood there and masturbated in front of the whole graduating class listing his "triumphs."  I mean, seriously, on the day that is supposed to belong to the graduates and their families?

[passive-aggressive muttering...]

But Secretary of Defense... maybe this isn't such a good thing after all...

...crap
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: redmenace on November 08, 2006, 04:17:04 pm
People in the DoD are actually looking forward to the change, especially since he has been a long term civil servant.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Mr. Vega on November 08, 2006, 04:25:37 pm
So we're replacing Rummy with one of Oliver North's buddies. Great.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: perihelion on November 08, 2006, 04:31:28 pm
He may well be an improvement for the DoD, and I certainly welcome his hasty departure from College Station... but as bad as Rummy was, I'm not going to be the naive one to say, "Hey, Gates can't be any worse!"  I witnessed a less than savory change at A&M once Gates took over, so I'm sure not enthusiastic about him taking on a position this important.

'sides, his ego could be mistaken for a small moon.  [/sullen]
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Rictor on November 08, 2006, 04:41:47 pm
My crystal ball says that this won't affect the situation in Iraq much, nor US actions abroad for that matter. They're getting rid of Rumsfeld, but likely not Rumsfeld's way of doing things.

As a side note, who wants to play "guess the fall-guy" once the Democratic Congress starts investigating the various semi-criminal ****ups of the last few years. Maybe Rummy resigned the limit the damage once an unfriendly House starts looking at who exactly is to blame, so the GOP can all point and say "it was all him!".

I'm also surprised by yet another veteran of Iran-Contra being sworn into a high office. What is it, the third or fourth person now? It's practically a pre-requisite to getting a promotion, or so it seems. And how ironic that the same people who sold Iran missles are now blabbing about the imminent danger of...Iranian missles.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: IceFire on November 08, 2006, 05:30:32 pm
I'm also surprised by yet another veteran of Iran-Contra being sworn into a high office. What is it, the third or fourth person now? It's practically a pre-requisite to getting a promotion, or so it seems. And how ironic that the same people who sold Iran missles are now blabbing about the imminent danger of...Iranian missles.
Who better to know and recognize the danger...right....right....? :)

"Hey Jim, isn't that one of our missiles?"

"But they said they wouldn't use them on us!"
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: aldo_14 on November 09, 2006, 03:07:19 am
I'm also surprised by yet another veteran of Iran-Contra being sworn into a high office. What is it, the third or fourth person now?

Well, now that Ortegas' been elected in Nicaragua.....
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Mefustae on November 09, 2006, 03:14:04 am
Exactly how much power does the SecDef get?
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 09, 2006, 03:41:58 am
A fair bit if they choose to exercise it. The SecDef is the implementation man when the President gives the broad orders, and will handle the specifics. The smart ones just pass the broad-strokes back and forth: let the President know what the military thinks it can do and let military work out the specifics of what the President wants. The not-so-smart attempt to exercise tactical control. (This happened during several periods in Vietnam, and it's at least partly responsible for the Iraq ****ups.)
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: brozozo on November 09, 2006, 04:45:02 am
What I think is ironic is that I believe this Gates guy was on the cover of the most recent Texas Monthly with a headline to the effect of "Can this man save A&M?"
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: aldo_14 on November 09, 2006, 04:46:02 am
What I think is ironic is that I believe this Gates guy was on the cover of the most recent Texas Monthly with a headline to the effect of "Can this man save A&M?"

Was there a big "NO" in the inside cover?
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: perihelion on November 09, 2006, 09:18:29 am
Yeah, I saw that front page as well.

 :wtf:  I was unaware A&M needed saving, let alone from that fathead.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: aldo_14 on November 10, 2006, 03:31:32 am
Yay!

Bolton on his way out; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6134734.stm
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: IPAndrews on November 10, 2006, 03:35:06 am
I love the way Bush announced it. That between them they decided it was best if he accepted Rumsfeld's resignation. Yes I bet.  :)
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Kosh on November 10, 2006, 04:26:02 am
The administration appears to be in full retreat...for the moment.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 10, 2006, 05:20:11 am
The administration appears to be in full retreat...for the moment.

No, if they were in full retreat, Bush would have resigned.  Bush is just making concessions to avoid his staff being swarmed by the Democrats during the last two years.  If anything, the Democrats should be thanking him--he's lessening the temptation for the majority to start tearing every member of the administration to shreds and therefore making a showing as overconfident, greedy pricks in 2008.  The Democrats have to focus more on correcting the Republicans' wrongs now, not pointing the finger and blaming people. 
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: IPAndrews on November 10, 2006, 05:51:14 am
No amount of ritual sacrifices will save his sorry ass now.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Mefustae on November 10, 2006, 05:59:35 am
No amount of ritual sacrifices will save his sorry ass now.
Yep, he is doomed to life of comfy retirement on his ranch. Poor son-of-a-*****, nobody deserves a fate like that.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 10, 2006, 06:19:23 am
No amount of ritual sacrifices will save his sorry ass now.

Oh, no doubt about that, but at least he'll try to soften the blow by pushing these resignations.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: karajorma on November 10, 2006, 09:28:25 am
If anything, the Democrats should be thanking him--he's lessening the temptation for the majority to start tearing every member of the administration to shreds and therefore making a showing as overconfident, greedy pricks in 2008. 

Given that it didn't hurt the republicans in 2000 I don't see why that should be such an issue.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: Nuclear1 on November 10, 2006, 10:54:12 am
If anything, the Democrats should be thanking him--he's lessening the temptation for the majority to start tearing every member of the administration to shreds and therefore making a showing as overconfident, greedy pricks in 2008. 

Given that it didn't hurt the republicans in 2000 I don't see why that should be such an issue.

Not the same.  The Republicans had held the majority for six years by the time 2000 had rolled around, so I'd say the American public had been quite happy with them by that time.  The Democrats in 2006, on the other hand, were only elected because the public is telling the Republicans that they've gone too far and need to straighten up.  The American people aren't embracing liberalism or the Democrats; it's simply a case of the lesser of two evils, and if the Democrats do anything to tarnish their image in Congress and the Republicans center themselves, they're in for a huge problem in 2008.
Title: Re: Rumsfeld Resigning!!!!
Post by: WMCoolmon on November 10, 2006, 04:21:30 pm
http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/11/extremely-odd-behavior-from-washington.html