I think Rumsfeld is on his way out, right on cue, as Bush's approval is crossing the 50% mark.
Rumsfeld's public harangue yesterday intrigued me. So I now have a theory. Rice arrived at the new arrangement in the proper way--meetings with the relevant actors--Powell, Rumsfeld, and Tenet. And Bush signed off on the new arrangement. But she knows Rumsfeld knows how to undermine these agreements. He leaks, through surrogates, a somewhat self serving version of the agreement, and Rice then finds herself on the defensive. So, she gets out ahead of it, does her own background. Which puts Rumsfeld on the defensive, he blows his cool while talking with some European reporters, and does damage to himself. Rice is the winner.
I think the move took place because the political operatives in the WH consider the Iraqi occupation a political nightmare, wished to move that nightmare, ever so gently over to the UN, were met by fierce opposition by Rumsfeld and Cheney, and are now doing an end run. If Rice is in charge, she will begin to work more deals with the UN.
Sending it to the UN is the only way they can overcome the political negatives. If Iraq is still a problem come the summer of 04, Bush campaigns that it's not his fault. The UN never gets things right.
Are the Bush inner core members this cynical? Absolutely. |
