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Rumsfeld resigns, fomer CIA director Robert Gates picked to replace him.
The boy king is a bit petulant this morning in his press conference. Like all little boys in the GOP, it is killing him to have to say the words SPEAKER PELOSI.
Update: Pach says "Bush just admitted he lied to the press last week when he said Rumsfeld was safe. Basically said he knew what he was going to do in making the change, but waited until after the election. I'm sure the troops who died in the last week are comforted."
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Thank God he didn’t appoint Liebermann.
ewww - a bush that tries to ingratiate himself with the press corp is even more repulsive than the old bush
When the President asks in a news conference, “Do you think I’m nuts?”, it’s a very special day in Washington.
Anyone heard from Darth Cheney today?
Chimpy repeating himself…enough already.
Jane! Paintin’ our nation blue… sure beats vandalizing Angelyne billboards.
So long, Rummy. You won’t be missed.
Rumsfeld quits: democracy in action.
No change on Iraq. “If the goal is success, we can work together.” Shorter: Do what I say.
He’s busy shredding evidence.
Just an amazing amazing day.
I just hope C&L has tape of the presser up later… NPR is not broadcasting this. At 1:00 they were, however, playing the Albinoni Adagio, music to slit your wrists to…
Pinch me cause I must be dreaming… :-)
thank god they didn’t tap Lieberman…
no surprise they chose an old bush family crony, though.
I think what we have here is a failure of the imagination.
DEEP TRANSFORMATION…MORE TO COME
scory @
4
shooting himself in the face???
Now a former head of
tortureCIA will be Sec Def. Nothing new here, move along.All this talk by the chimp about working together….I smell a Rat named Rover planning something. Rover is back up against a wall. I am sure a drunk chimp reamed his fat arze last night.
And the House and Senate come back to DC tomorrow to finish up all the unfinished work of this Congressional session, like all the appropriations bills.
Now the Senate gets to add confirmation hearings on top if it all. Armed Services Committee, get those questions ready!
He’s unhinged today. I can’t believe that he asked the press corpse if they thought he was nuts.
I wish someone, anyone had answered in the affirmative.
What was it that Colbert said about the Hindenburg? Oh, the humanity!
Oh, now dems are going to suport the troops!
Does the phrase “Cut and Run” ring any bells. Please, please, please will someone make that a talking point….
:-)
Good background on Gates’ role in Iran-Contra:
FAS background on Gates
OT. But I just saw Dean’s photo as I was walking upstairs. Let’s give a Shoutout for Vermont: Leahy, Dean, and now Bernie Sanders! Plus they are a responsible state without alot of local resources.
hey All,
Don’t know if you noticed, but the Wyoming Rep. race still has not been called, and in my life of living in WY, I’ve never seen results take this long.
Just speculation, but if anybody is wondering about magician Karl Rove and his whereabouts…
A VA win for Webb puts Levin? in charge of old Phase II investigation Roberts had stalled for months…remember when Reid shut down the Senate?
Curiouser and curiouser…is the figurative head of Rumsfield a hopeful peace offering to stave off the hardcore investigations pending?
scory @ 4
I liked how the reporters laughed in response. We know what many of them are thinking.
He’s taking Ken Mehlman to go hunting.
So, Unitary Decider Man appointed the former CIA head to be SecDef. Makes sense that Bush needs to do this now, during the lame duck session - otherwise, he may not be able to get his pick confirmed.
What a glorious day of victory in the US. At least we’re heading in the right direction.
He’s going to the Nam next week. Unreal!
Regarding Speaker Pelosi, I just made a congratulatory bumper sticker. Apologies for the shameless plug, but the “putting food on my family” need is still there. And although it was clearly the right thing to do, my husband turning down the chance to do freelance computer animation for an anti-minimum wage increase ad didn’t help us in that regard.
Marion in Savannah @ 11 go to the NPR homepage. They have a link at the top to stream it.
“I’m trying to get the Indian deal done, and the Vietnam deal done…” what the hell is he talking about?
And now someone compares Iraq to Nam explicitly in a question.
The wheels are coming off. Why aren’t Rove’s guys ending this fiasco? He’s losing his touch. The emperor is naked on national TV and now everyone sees it.
Lieberman is worth more to them as a stealth ally, and he’d be a fool to leave a 6 year post. To preside over the official loss of Iraq? Get real.
Watching the Bush press conf. - defensive, petulant, angry - same ‘ol Bushie.
WTF is Carl Rove doing in the audience? Is that SOP?
raven @ 26
About thirty-five years late.
“In this volunteer Army the tropps understand”. . unlike us dopes in Vietnam!
Bush sounds completely out of sync with reality.
Best Lines so far: “I don’t know how it seeped into the American public’s conscience that we were about stay the course.” - Bush
“I knew you were going to try to start to get me to negotiate with myself.”
Oh, and now Bush is trying to spin out differences between Iraq and Vietnam. Ha ha. What a poor showing for Yale and its history department for graduating this loser.
Oh, and Iraq’s not in a civil war. That whole Pentagon slide scale towards “chaos”? Uh, that was under Rumsfeld and he’s not there anymore.
More babbling. More grunting. Bush agitated and unhappy. Is Iraq Vietnam? Bush: no. Iraq, constitution, elections. We have a volunteer army. Reenlistment rates are up, Huh? Not a civil war. (Do you really expect a coherent strategy if he can’t admit this?)
Wyo Nate @
24
Hi there Wyo Nate. Good name!
Pelosi to the Ringwrath Rumsfield. I AM NO MAN!!
Did he just throw Rove under the bus? Man, what a tiny little petulant whiny bitch.
How many signing statements are there?
Bush paraphrase: I put off making executive decisions about Iraq because of the elections. I play politics with important decisions like national security and the safety and lives of Americans. Getting votes is more important than doing my job.
Best friend just called me by cell phone to tell me about Rumsfeld.
The neighbors must think I’m completely whacked out because I was jumping up and down and screaming inside my car in my own driveway.
WAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOO!!!
One more neo-con bastard down!!!
Where’s my pitchfork and torch???!!!
Re Rove: I was working harder on the campaign than he was. Rove, Rove’s back, Bush’s knife. Get together and discuss.
Chimpy just said Rover wasn’t working as hard as he was on the election….hehehe said the idiot press corp….they still think Rover is important…LOSERS
man, he is toast
Bill @ 22
Bush must really be out to gut the constitution, if he’s bringing in Iran-Contra figures to bolster his
monarchyadministration.The questions from that confirmation hearing are going to be quite something . . .
OT: Today’s Salon article on Faux’s through-the-looking-glass coverage of the elections contained the following bit of snark aimed at a person much beloved at FDL:
Presented for your enjoyment on this day of days.
source: http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/fe....._election/
Harkin on Gates in 1991, when Gates was up for Director of CIA.
CYA kind of guy? Using threat of Loserman as back-up, will he get in?
The Sun’s reporter just plastered his lips smack on Bush’s ass. Ugh.
“I obviously worked harder on the campaign than he did.” Was he talking about Rove?
I would give anything to have been a fly on the wall in the WH last night.
Like all bullies who turn around and see that their posse has deserted him, he has nowhere to run and has to face the people he wronged alone.
“Work with Democrat leaders…”
I want to slap him.
HeirofPatriots @ 28
Thanks for the tip, but I’m at work and can’t do that. My radio they can’t take away from me! (They strongly discourage streaming video, eats up too much network juice or steals bandwidth from kittens or something…) I’ll just have to fidget and hope that C&L has it up when I get home.
He just slammed Rove “I’ve been working on the election harder than he has…”
And now he seems happier. Guess he can’t torture frogs for stress relief during a news conference.
It was a good night. Now it’s a great day!!!!! Tester has been declared the official winner over soon to be indicted Burns!! The only way this day gets any better is finding out Cheney’s body was found in a open field somewhere w/ one shell expended.
Um, the Shrub really does appear to have lost his mind with the nomination of Gates. From Wikipedia:
They better plan the confirmation hearing really d*mn fast, because Gates has dirt on which there is no statute of limitations.
I gotcher pitchfork and torch right here, Rayne!
No more torture, no more war!
Wyo Nate @
24
Oops… Clicked submit too fast. Wanted to say, “good points” as well. I’ve been wondering about some of the behind the scenes backstory going on and why Rummy is running away SO fast.
Can we say, “Flight from prosecution?”
Hayduke @ 36
Priceless, Hayduke. A comment for the ages!
Rove just went under the Bush.
Ya know, I’ll believe that Bush believes in working with the Democratic Party when he starts calling them by their right f*cking name. Until then, he just another partisan, Republican slimeball (but I’m being redundant).
complainin’ and ’splainin about Foley’s seat.
chimpy said he had to go to sugarland…..he said Iraq had nothing to do with it….
he threw DeLAy under the bus…bWAAHAHAHAHHA
“I’m not sure that Iraq had anything to do with the results of the election.”
He’s really, really losing touch with reality. Now he’s trying to analyse the election, but all he knows for sure is that he’s really, really angry.
This is the first Bush press conference I have been able to watch, because he is just so irritated and unhappy today. And it’s making me so very happy.
Gotta go back to the TV now. Tee hee hee!
Tester takes Montana. One more to go for control of the Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin.....enate.html
Can anyone imagine being a troop in Iraq watching the president of your country today? I feel so sad and sorry for them. I think there may be a village in Vietnam just waiting for him. Before that bus goes off the cliff. lets hope there aren’t any empty seats.
Bill @ 22
I’m glad you brought that up. Some of us still remember, even though the senile Commander in Chief at the time was able (quite convincingly) to claim that he did not. This is no lily to grow on the shitpile Rummy leaves behind. Clark is in deep with the military industrial complex from way back. Hiding out in academia might fool everyone, though. Are ya’ll fooled?
Grunt, avoid gridlock. No child left behind, tax cuts, and this was the bipartisan stuff. Right.
Jonathan Alter on the Al Franken show just now. Alter said he asked Conyers about impeachment. Conyers said that they need some probing investigations and he will see where that takes us.
Jane, Christy and roots!
Testor wins MT, and we’re gonna win VA!
Ladies, take a bow and enjoy this momement - you done good!
And given the reverse-Oedipal thing Bush has going on and his need for Stepford Women,,,
say Speaker Pelosi, bitch!
Funny how this time Bush didn’t turn down the offer. I wonder what made him change his mind….
Oh yeah. THAT. :^)
That Pelosi bumper sticker needs to go on ebay!@!
Hello Nate,
Watching Murtha basically tell Keith and Matthews basically, “Damn straight there will be investigations” has got to have the Empire on the verge of soiling their lacy underwear!
Im from the Pennsylvania T and I’m pretty insulted that he doesn’t think that iraq was *THE ISSUE* for the voters in my hometown
Listen clear: you try to recruit people from my hometown more vigerously than most city ghettos: stop.killing.my.friends.
Yes, we fucking cared about our friends dying, did altmire win due to a GOTV effort? YES, did casey? hell no. fucking prick.
I’m at work….is there a tube link of the bush clearing anywhere….
Ending dependency on foreign oil, Bush, Cheney.
Which of these does not belong in this group?
chimpy said we need bipartisan coop on energy…OH REALLY
How come Darth Cheney’s meetings were closed and then covered-up
JohnSwifty @ 63
Gates I mean. Lord, I wish it were Wes Clark!
Maybe he’ll fly into Tan Son Nhut in a fighter and catch a SAM.
ccmask @ 62
ccmask go to msnbc!
Richmond @
23
Why thank you! Happy to help.
they want to get Gates through the senate while it’s still in GOP hands.
OK, OK… settle down. Rumsfeld is out, so Poppy’s boys can take charge: Robert Gates takes over at defense so he can implement the James Baker group’s recommendation for a new, “winnning” strategery in Iraq. Bush uses this to show he’s flexible, but nothing changes. Plus, he’s got the DINOS — Lieberman et al. on his side. Not to mention a bunch of other Democrats that don’t want to look non-bipartisan after their big win in the elections.
Reporter’s question: how are you going to work with the Democrats in a bipartisan manner? Many times, people claim they will, but then they just create gridlock. What will you do differently?
Bush’s answer: I’m going to make the Democrats do whatever I want, and of course they will do it.
He’s really in denial that he’s a lame duck, eh? Has no clue that he’s no longer in charge of all branches of government.
Ohhhh SNAP!
Who is that guy?
that’s a thumpin’ without a G.
Hilarious.
How could you not know?
Priceless.
Donald Rumsfeld cut and run!
Will Mean Jean Schmidt speak out against Rumsfeld on the floor of the HOuse? Will you, will you, Jean?
I was convinced that Bush was going to announce RGJoe as Rummy’s replacement to add a Senator to the R column.
Guess George just isn’t that into you, Joe.
I just don’t believe that Bush was going to let Rumsfeld “quit” before the election..
I believe that this decision was made by Bush handlers when it was clear that they were going to loose the House.
These are people who are horribly in denial and really, really believed that there was not a chance that they could loose.
Bush sounded like he had just sucked on a lemon.
This presser is amazing. The man is spitting rageful and faking a smile through jokes that don’t work.
Of COURSE he lied about Rummy. But the real lie was that he was considering dumping Rummy last week. had the repukes prevailed yesterday, Rummy would not be resigning.
Anybody who doesn’t believe that is stupid.
Masters of War
Bob Dylan
Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks
You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain
You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
You’ve thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain’t worth the blood
That runs in your veins
How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I’m young
You might say I’m unlearned
But there’s one thing I know
Though I’m younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead
Marion in Savannah @ 11
I listened to the presser streamed on Minnesota Public Radio–KNOW 91.1.
does nancy pelosi look like bob bullock to you?
I LOVE THAT GUY!!!
angie @ 81
Angie… Who was that reporter?
A&M academia. . .I guess.
JohnSwifty @ 74
Didn’t anyone watch the presser? Did he have sunglasses on?
Yes, that’s thumpin’.
Guess he was just fact checkin’…
Ending dependency on foreign oil, Bush, Cheney.
Which of these does not belong in this group?
On?
Bush says he wasn’t out of touch but he didn’t think he would lose yesterday.
Do y’all hear that? Shreaders working overtime in the DOD.
everybody, you can WATCH it if you go to www.msnbc.com !!!
angie @ 81
Actually I’d say yesterday was a thumpin’ without a T. But my mind is in the gutter.
Thanks Bonzarelli!
Did he just say the people DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANTANCE OF SECURITY?
bye bye G. calling it.
ccmask @ 71
MSNBC live feeds from their site
Guitar_Playing_Bastard @ 87
Yes, but he pretty much admitted he was lying. That’s not a good thing for someone who’s trying to project the image of a straight shooter.
Guitar_Playing_Bastard @ 99
LOL!!!!
Damnit! That made me spit coffee on my monitor.
hot british reporter RULES!
Alterman on Gates
Don’t be sendin’ me a cleaning bill, m’kay?
bonzarella @ 105
WOLF w/ bet be on with KEITH tonight!
bonzarella @ 105
Will SOMEONE please tell me that reporters name?
The guy just stood up, brushed off Bushie’s stupid frat-boy jokes and asked him point blank, are you out of touch with America?
Bush is seeing a lot of common ground with Dems. Wonder why he couldn’t see any of this for 6 years?
Presser ends.
Guns and drugs and terrorist, oh my!
Nate @ 109
name and phone number, please :)
Nate @ 91
I don’t know, Nate. I am sure we will see this on youtube, though.
Hilarious.
Gates is also an incompetant shit….. when at CIA he completely missed impending implosion of the old Soviet Union. Hes just another in a long line of tea bagging toadies for the Bush family.
Nate @ 108
richard wolf — newsweek i think!
And Tweety weighs in with his first observation about Bush’s presser.
“Bush was very clear!”
This idiot just cannot drop his GOP Shill skin can he?
On NBC, Gates is a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq study group.
H/T to Cozumel for calling Gates first. :)
i heart jane @ 115
I think you are right. Frequent guest on KO!
IMHO spewer:
Bush: “..trying to win on a write off ..er.. trying to win on a write-in..”
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! truer words…
When you stand up in front of a bunch of reporters and tell them to their faces you lied to them, you may encounter some hostility. - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
bonzarella @ 105
Richard [last name?] from Newsweek. He’s on Countdown a lot.
angie @ 52
It’s going to be a long road back angie, the big chit was habeas corpus and I don’t see that monumental gaff being rectified soon. Perhaps if Cheney is declared an enemy combatant and waterboarded for all his dirty little secrets; maybe then the fools will understand that door swings both ways. But, honestly, we wouldn’t want that, would we. That’s like the old Sagan line about nuclear armament, “Two people in a room up to their waists in gasoline and hoarding matches.” Individual freedoms are NOT political trading cards.
JohnSwifty @ 74
The only people willing to take this job right now are those who are already sufficiently damaged that this looks like an opportunuty to rehab their careers.
Wes Clark is not in this category. Few are.
Goodbye, Rummy, you arrogant moron. Go screw something up that doesn’t affect our country’s security for a while.
Guitar Playing Bastard,
LOL, you keep your mind in the gutter, it’s obviously right where it belongs.
Did Tweety just say that Bush went against Cheney and canned Rummy?