This was much worse than the armor problem, IMO.
Rumsfeld Digs A Little Deeper
By Captain Ed on National Politics
In a development that hardly helps out the beleaguered Defense Secretary, Reuters reports that Donald Rumsfeld did not personally sign the sympathy notes sent to the families of American servicemen and women who died in Iraq. Lawmakers objected, with Senator Chuck Hagel mimicking John McCain's earlier statement of no confidence:
Rumsfeld acknowledged that he had not signed the letters to family members of more than 1,000 U.S. troops killed in action and in a statement said he would now sign them in his own hand. "This issue of the secretary of Defense not personally signing the letters is just astounding to me and it does reflect how out of touch they are and how dismissive they are," Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
"I have no confidence in Rumsfeld," Hagel added.
More than in the kerfuffle relating to the uparmoring of Humvees, this issue gets closer to the true nature of the rupture between Rumsfeld and some GOP players. Rumsfeld has an abrasive and insensitive nature, which plays well among some supporters but comes across as arrogant and superior to his detractors. Unlike the armor, this issue has little nuance: if his office sent out sympathy cards under his name, he should have signed the notes himself. Apparently, George Bush took the time to sign his, and as Hagel noted, Rumsfeld has little excuse to put out less effort than the Commander in Chief.
Under normal circumstances, this story would amount to a nne-day wonder. However, with Rumsfeld already drawing fire from both sides of the aisle, this tone-deafness may well embarrass the White House into taking some action. The Bush administration issued a supportive statement, but this revelation of thoughtlessness can't help in putting down this minor GOP revolt. |
