Will Rumsfeld Keep His Job? It Depends on Bush, Congress and, Most of All, Himself
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: May 8, 2004
nytimes.com
ASHINGTON, May 7 — In the aftermath of Donald H. Rumsfeld's appearances on Capitol Hill on Friday three critical forces will probably determine whether the defense secretary keeps his job: the White House, Republican lawmakers and Mr. Rumsfeld himself.
The White House is the most important, and some people close to its inner circle suggest that despite the outward display of support for the defense secretary, years of battles with the Pentagon over Iraq war planning and the occupation have taken a toll.
Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, repeated on Friday that President Bush remained in support of his defense secretary, as did some others. But a person close to Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, speculated that Ms. Rice, who has a history of tense dealings with Mr. Rumsfeld, might not be unhappy if he resigned.
"He appears to have become a liability for the president, and has complicated the mission in Iraq," the person close to Ms. Rice said, adding that Ms. Rice, like the president, is leaving options open: "They're waiting to see what the system will bear, and if the story dies down after today, Rumsfeld survives."
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Excerpt:
A former member of the current Bush administration put it this way on Friday: "Nobody is going to ask Rumsfeld to resign. He has to come to the conclusion himself."
MY COMMENT: Of course Bush will not fire Rumsfeld. The Bush motto is: No Leadership. No Accountability. |
