http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...6-2003Oct7.html

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said yesterday that he was not told in advance about a reorganization of the Iraq reconstruction, which he heads. He said he still does not know the reason for the shake-up.

Rumsfeld said in an interview with the Financial Times and three European news organizations that he did not learn of the new Iraq Stabilization Group until he received a classified memo about it from national security adviser Condoleezza Rice on Thursday.

Rumsfeld was asked several times why the changes were necessary. "I think you have to ask Condi that question," he said, according to a transcript posted on the Web site of the Financial Times.

Pressed, he said: "I said I don't know. Isn't that clear? You don't understand English? I was not there for the backgrounding."
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Maybe Fox can do a prime-time boxing match between these two.

Backgrounding...is that a word??? Maybe it's in the same dictionary as "potatoe".

He probably heard his idiot boss mumble it, the same idiot who brought us the word "crawfished."

But William and others said that things were really going well in Iraq, that it was the media who were distorting the true picture. So what if there are no jobs there, so what if the electricity is faulty or non-existent, so what if they're infrastructure is rubble? It's all good! So why on earth would Dr. Rice have engineered this takeover with W of Rummie's favorite project?

Yes, suicide bombers once again hit a soft target and blew up a police station last night, killing 8 and wounding more than 40; yes, the 92nd soldier died SINCE W declared combat was over back in May; yes, a Spanish diplomat was shot dead outside his office; and yes, an Iraqi policeman who tried to press through the crowd outside yesterday's bombing was stabbed by someone in the crowd, which was screaming, "No, no to America"...and yes, it's patently clear that the warmongers had NO concept of what they'd face in Iraq (or Afghanistan, a necessary war) and that they also grossly underestimated the financial and human costs, and are bungling this terribly, but in general, the Iraqis are still passing out garlands and kisses, aren't they? They are still excited about their "liberation," aren't they?

Isn't Rummy's fumbling all just a smashing success?

[ October 09, 2003, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

Whatever is happening or has happened in Iraq, it is simply inappropriate for a cabinet member to pitch this hissy fit in public. Clearly the change, and Rumsfeld's clueless-ness about it, points to a significant drop in confidence in his ability to handle the situation. That can't feel good to poor Donny, but should he really be airing that dirty laundry in public? How long til he resigns to "spend more time with my family"?

Maybe her "marketing" plan was better.

This just in:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...oleoniraqpolicy

An interesting snippet:

Several officials noted that Ms. Rice and Mr. Rumsfeld, who had a sharp conversation Monday morning about news reports about the group, are of different generations. While they seem to work together smoothly, their very different personalties and approaches to problems have finally bubbled into public view.

At a Wednesday news conference, Mr. Rumsfeld did all he could to submerge public expression of his differences with Ms. Rice.

When asked whether he was miffed with her he replied, "No." Asked then whether he felt the new effort had been undertaken behind his back and had diminished his authority, he replied, "Not at all."

Ms. Rice's memorandum was only one page long and was written in deliberately bland language. Its arrival at the Pentagon, at what Mr. Rumsfeld called "a lower level," did not evoke much response last week.

But after its existence was revealed on Monday, many in the bureaucracy including at the White House interpreted it to mean that the Pentagon would become one player among many in coordinating the rebuilding of Iraq.

[ October 09, 2003, 08:30 AM: Message edited by: The B Man ]

Ah, yes, "marketing"...isn't Iraq supposed to be the next tourist magnet? I can here the advertising campaigns..."Come here and never leave because the views are to die for...no, really, they are!"

This crackpot's act wore thin a long time ago. He's the Secretary of Defense, and this is how he speaks to journalists? Strangelove, thy time has come to step down. Hop on your rocket, and aim for the stars. Please. Make haste.

I wouldn't "misunderestimate" any of these folks.

Ouch.
Even Joe Biden from tiny ol' Delaware is calling Rummy out...
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor.../iraq_bush_dc_2

AND, and interesting analysis of how difficult Rice's role in this is:
http://truthout.org/docs_03/101303F.shtml

Note: there are TWO articles here, one from the Washington Post and the other from Glasgow.