August 16, 2007
Could Rumsfeld's Resignation Have Made Difference In '06?
That's debatable. And here's why.
The revelation that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld actually resigned before the midterm elections, not after, has the chattering classes mulling over what might have been. But there's little to indicate that the outcome of the vote would have been much different.
Clarification on the timing issue does answer one lingering question: Did it really take something as earth-shifting as the GOP's loss of Congress for Bush to know Rumsfeld's time was over?
Turns out the answer is yes and no. Bush accepted Rumsfeld's resignation this time, unlike the previous two times (that we know of) the SecDef offered to step down. Readers might recall that a number of retired generals came out in the spring of 2006 to call for Rumsfeld's ouster. More unexpectedly, the Military Times newspapers also came out against Rumsfeld before the vote. But Bush defended his SecDef and expressed confidence in his administration of the war right up until Election Day. Bush knew which way the wind was blowing when he finally accepted Rumsfeld's resignation, but it took him an awfully long time to get there.
As a result, the Bush administration's credibility on the war may have been damaged beyond repair. Bush introduced Rumsfeld's replacement, Robert Gates, as a defense secretary who'd offer a "fresh perspective" on the war. The new counterinsurgency strategy in place appears to be making strides, but confidence in the war hasn't surged.
It's not clear if the passage of time will temper some of conservatives' outrage over Bush's decision to wait on the Rumsfeld announcement. The president's apparent tone deafness on personnel matters is now seen in the scrum around Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. If they aren't already, expect Republicans to complain that the president's refusal to so much as criticize Gonzales' hairdo will hurt them in 2008.
Lest they jump on the Blame Bush bandwagon too quickly, however, it would be wise to remember that in many ways, the GOP-led Congress got itself voted out of office. Exit polls showed (subscription) voters were also motivated by the "culture of corruption" on Capitol Hill. Remember Mark Foley? Jack Abramoff? Anger at Bush and the war may have been what drove voters to the polls, but there were plenty of other reasons Americans had cause to give the other party a try at running Congress.
Posted at 1:19 PM
Posted to:
Bush Administration, Campaigns, Congress, Donald Rumsfeld, Iraq, Middle East, Military, President Bush, Robert Gates
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