Wow!! The wingnut sister at CENTCOM: "There aren’t any tears around here, that’s for sure."
Posted by Seven of Six at November 8, 2006 10:18 AMRummy has quit. A fitting cap to the last 24 hours. The most arrogant and incompetent Secretary of Defense in our country’s history (working for the most arrogant and incompetent president in our nation’s history), and architect of our Losing Effort in Iraq has quit. If I were him, I’d find a good hiding place because come January 1, 2007, the new Dem Congress is gonna want to ask him some questions. And yes, I'm sure Cheney's health is starting to deteriorate at a rapid pace. Does this mean the preening creep Lieberman will finally get his shot at the vice-presidency? Or maybe the now unemployed Rick Santorum? or hey, why not Pastor Ted?
Posted by T2 at November 8, 2006 10:23 AMoh, and the Senate must approve Gates as Rummy's successor. Is that this Senate, or the new one Jan. 1.
Posted by T2 at November 8, 2006 10:27 AMNote to George:
You're the "Commander in Chief" of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines).
Not the country.
That's Govt 101.
Posted by Alex at November 8, 2006 10:32 AMPoppy has taken charge of the last two years of Bush's term.
This is precisely true: 100%, spot on.
Poppy is the power behind the Little Boots puppet and Cheney is out.
Expect to see even more shakeups at even higher levels in this administration as Little Boots becomes further unhinged.
Posted by Christopher at November 8, 2006 10:33 AMIt is time for America to move on from the disaster of the last 6 years of the Bush Administration. So I propose the following scenario:
1. Cheney resigns for what ever reason he wants.
2. Bush and the Republicans pick Cheney's replacement. There are only 2 choices John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. Both of these men are the only ones the American people can trust. Americans do not want another ideologue or neocon to be the next in line.
3. Once the new VP is confirmed and sworn in, Bush submits his resignation about 1 minute later.
4 After the new President is sworn in, the new President demands and accepts the resignations of all the Bush policymakers. It will be much better for the country that they all go.
After that the country will be able to move on like President Ford moved us on from Watergate.
Posted by BobCarp at November 8, 2006 10:38 AMWhat are the chances that this might be the last Bush the US will see in national politics?
Think the public has learned a lesson after two Bushes and two wrecked economies and trainwrecks?
Posted by Alex at November 8, 2006 10:38 AMRumsfeld has quit. It's like Christmas came a month early.
You can bet the GOP Congressional caucuses are NOT happy about this. Bush forces them to stand by his choice to keep him and now that they've lost Congress he cuts him loose? Methinks Bush is not going to get much love from the Congressional GOPers the next two years.
Posted by gf120581 at November 8, 2006 10:45 AMHave we experienced a third world coup or what? I heard that Rummy's resignation, or firing, that the stink has left the Pentagon!
Posted by Mal Feasance at November 8, 2006 10:57 AMDaddy to the rescue again!!
Rummy did not quit. Rummy was forced out. Cheney, supporting Rummy, got *bitch-slapped twice by Bush. Once on Rummy being forced out, and again on Cheney trying to choose the new DefSec. If you heard it, Bush also bitch-slapped Rove.
Bush realizes he is all alone because he simply can't trust the neo-cons. They are failures at everything they supported. His policy is a shambles. Nothing is working or ever has worked. So what does Bush do? What he has always done. He's going to let his dad pull his ass out of the fire.
The fear of the cells at the Hague are prompting all of this. W-07, Frog March to the Hague.
*Apologies for using bitch-slapping -no gender bias intended. It's just a thing some white males do when they assert control in relationships. Rummy, Cheney and Rove punked Bush. They just got bitch-slapped for it.
Posted by phidipides at November 8, 2006 10:57 AMI just finished watching the Bush presser, and he stumbled on the Rummy thing like a drunk in a blackout. He made mean little jokes about all the reporters, who asked him the hardest questions I've ever heard him asked - it was delightful. He flipflopped on several things and was caught, and his response to the question about the evangelicals abandoning him because he hadn't gotten anything done for them was precious - he acted like he hadn't even thought about them all that much. And he actually said he didn't talk about Rummy last week because he "didn't want to affect the elections!" He was firm that Cheney wouldn't leave.
Best line: He said that the Republicans lost because the American people just didn't understand the importance of the issues.
Most oft-repeated phrase: "Gonna git sumpin' done!"
Funniest question: "Pelosi has called you incompetent, a liar and out of touch, how will you work with someone who has no respect for you?"
Phrase that the media will glom onto: "We took a thumpin' (in the election)."
Posted by iamcoyote at November 8, 2006 10:58 AMI can't believe how Bush slipped up and admitted to talking to Bob Gates on Sunday. Which led to the press corps pressing him on the statement he made last week saying he was 100-percent behind Rummy. Then he openly admitted to talking about Rumsfeld's resignation last week with Cheney and Rumsfeld, and that he lied to the American people!
Unbelievable.
Also, his statement about looking at the election in terms of two seats, the write-in in Texas and Foley's seat.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Posted by Jeff at November 8, 2006 11:01 AMWhat's great is Team Nero is doing this "resignation" now because Rove has some weird "worries" about having to have hearings to confirm von Rumsfeld's successor and he wants to have the "friendly" lame duck GOP Congress do the honors.
They might not be quite as quick with the rubber stamp after this little "stay the course" election bloodbath, ha-ha! But we'll see---will they continue to eat Nero and Rove's shit as they're led into the gas chambers?
These Do Nothing Republican Congressional turds deserve every bit of shit Buhco throws them, the cowardly constitution-destroying pigs.
Posted by euzoius at November 8, 2006 11:03 AMSpot on Steve...it appears that you are in full battle regalia.....although I don't have a TV in the office I'm hearing the Chimp is a bit rattled at the press conference.....quite quiet on the troll front....unbelievably the National Post in Canada has a headline: "Democrats Make In Roads"....they should review the metrics of the New Hampshire Legislature......pass the popcorn, we gonna have an old fashioned GOP ass whoopin'!
Posted by Goyo at November 8, 2006 11:03 AMAnd no one should forget one thing. Robert Gates has close ties to the Iran-Contra scandal.
He was there, and has intimate ties to the Constitutional crisis.
Posted by Christopher at November 8, 2006 11:08 AMRummy was served up as the sacrafice to the fickle mid-term election gods who pretty much jammed a lightning bolt up Dubya's ass last night.
Rummy's head on a pike is also a nice gesture to Demcratic majority.
I am amused and disgusted. Amused because the dick is gone. Disgusted because just like everything else that Dubya does this is not, by any means, a sign of a change in his governing, it just more political expediency for the benefit of the thing that Dubya holds dearest - the GOP.
Posted by j swift at November 8, 2006 11:08 AMHe was firm that Cheney wouldn't leave.
Yep, he's toast. Particularly if this is the old guard cleaning out to save Jr. and salvage the GOP to survive to fight another day.
I wonder if they'll nominate Baker as the next VP? That seems to be the way they work, give the job to respectable Baker; and for the life of me, no one in 41's group is young enough to be credible as the 2008 nominee for the job. But they want someone strong enough to keep 43 under thumb for the next 2 years.
It won't be a senator unless the state governor is GOP.
Posted by idiosynchronic at November 8, 2006 11:14 AMRummy's taking the money and running. He knows what's coming and he's hoping to get some distance between himself and the inevitable investigations.
You can run but you can't hide, Rummy! But Christopher's right, the new guy is and Iran/Contra goon. Keep an eye on that one.
Posted by iamcoyote at November 8, 2006 11:15 AMThe thing that Dubya holds dearest is Dubya. He would sell his wife Pickles to retain power.
Posted by tempus at November 8, 2006 11:22 AMClearly, Rove thought that letting Rummy go before the election would be (duh) an admission of failure/error, and such an admission would destroy his tried-n-true "all your base are belong to us" strategy. So he thought that they might be able to squeak by without addressing the widespread concerns about the war outside of their lunatic base, and they had to try to brazen it out.
Well, he sure was fucking wrong about that. I'm surprised they didn't announce that Rove had been sacked at the same presser. The next couple of elections will tell us just how much damage Rove has done to the Republican party; it may be quite extensive, or it may be transitory, forgotten once the dust settles. But my guess is that the GOP will have to do more to repudiate all this Bush-era hubris than just sacking Rumsfeld before moderate voters let them behind the wheel again.
Posted by dj moonbat at November 8, 2006 11:24 AMJust heard Hastert not seeking Minority Leader.
Heh.
Heh.
Heh.
If you want a smile go read Red State.
Heh.
Posted by Anjha at November 8, 2006 11:25 AM"John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. Both of these men are the only ones the American people can trust."
Are you kidding? I don't trust these two warmongering assclown dipshits any further than I can throw them.
Posted by ran at November 8, 2006 11:28 AMIf you want a smile go read Red State.
What a hoot, anjha! It's fun seeing the ass-clowns unravel and blame each other. Democrats lose, we blame the message, etc. Republi-cons lose, and they are at each others throats. Sit back and enjoy them clubbing each other...
Posted by phidipides at November 8, 2006 11:35 AMYep, Hastert is no more. And I expect Boehner and Blunt to follow him on the scrap heap before too long, because the GOP is looking for scapegoats and a lot of ambitious members (Pence, Barton, Shadegg, Wamp, etc.) are making plans for power grabs. Let the GOP infighting commence!
Posted by gf120581 at November 8, 2006 11:38 AMIf you want a smile go read Red State.
Man, is that sweet! They're uniformly convinced that the problem is that the GOP wasn't conservative enough. God, I hope they're successful in convincing the GOP to lurch still further right; I could really get used to this "winning" thing.
Posted by dj moonbat at November 8, 2006 11:40 AMWhat's that sound I hear in every Republican office in Washington?
Ahh, paper shredders.
Well, let them shred. Another two or three Republicans in Congress are going down regardless of how much they wriggle and squirm.
In the meantime, this country has work to do. Nothing is more important than getting our democracy and our government functioning properly again. Some big problems are coming and it's going to take years to clean up Bush's mess.
Posted by Craig at November 8, 2006 11:56 AMOMG. I can't believe red state. It's almost like the same lying imp who climbs in my computer and falsifies the election scores to me has diversified into loony circular firing squad postings.
The next couple of elections will tell us just how much damage Rove has done to the Republican party; it may be quite extensive, or it may be transitory, forgotten once the dust settles.
And that's exactly what Poppy's goon squad is attempting to do in Dubya's wreck of an administration today. They're trying to mitigate the damage so the GOP is competitive again in 2008 (unlikely) or 2010/12, rather than say 2026.
Posted by idiosynchronic at November 8, 2006 12:02 PMOne down, and two to go...
Cheers.
"Paper shredders."
Yes, I think I hear the ones in John Doolittle's and Jerry Lewis's offices working overtime as we speak.
Posted by gf120581 at November 8, 2006 12:06 PMwhat surprised me about the press conference was the look in his eyes when he said he thought they were going to do pretty well (repugs) in the election...i think they are in total fucking shock ..they never dreamed it would be this bad..it's over for this admin..and they all know it..when the shit begins to fly..and it will..there is going to be a lot of blood in the water.....i say he won't make it to the end of his term....resignation at some point
Posted by dennis at November 8, 2006 12:17 PMI see the word about having Gates in the Pentagon is "Caution". Iran Contra connections, stilted intelligence tailored to please the political leadership----Sen Boxer deftly avoided commenting on Gates today on NPR's "Day-to-Day" program. Buzzflash has a link to Sen Tom Harkins 1991 reservations about Gates involvement in Iran-Contra.
I think this is an excellent opportunity to "just say no" to Mr. Bush---in a bi-partisan way of course.
Posted by gtash at November 8, 2006 12:38 PMBest line: He said that the Republicans lost because the American people just didn't understand the importance of the issues.
----------------------------------------------
Did he just call the American people STUPID?
Posted by itsmecissy at November 8, 2006 12:42 PMSince Webb looks to have a lock, how long will it be before Rove sits George down and explains things to him? With a spiritual hole in his life now that Pastor Ted is gone, how will George respond when he learns his GOP has just stepped on an EID called elections? That his party was crushed at the polls because of him. I guarantee that he really never did expect this to happen (I sure didn't). Wait until the State of the Union when he looks over his shoulder and sees Pelosi and Reed. And it ain't over yet....the Foleygate report is coming, the Baker report is coming, and who knows how many other Richard Perle's are feeling a little more like slinging presidential mud today than they were yesterday. Crawford will look like Shangri-La when he slinks back there for the holidays. I wish he'd just stay there, and he probably does too.
Posted by T2 at November 8, 2006 12:43 PMDid he just call the American people STUPID?
I believe he did. He needs to apologize for that pretty darn quick.
Posted by ann at November 8, 2006 12:45 PMya know as it sinks in..it's the first time i have felt good about this country in a long time..there is a lot of repairing to be done..but this is truly one great fucking day..one of hope..the people have spoken...loud and clear..ya think cheney would go on tv next week and say we're not running for anything..we are going to stay the course..i don't think so..herat trouble coming dick... i bet it is
Posted by dennis at November 8, 2006 12:46 PMYes, ann, apparently that's the post-rout talking point - "The 'pukes took a thumpin' 'cos 'Murkins are dumb." I demand an apology!
I just watched the Buh-bye Rummy presser and Rummy compared himself to Churchill, made a valiant effort to squeeze tears from his beady eyes, then shat on the carpet, gave America the finger, and doddered off to count his millions. 'Murkins don't understand him, either.
Bush recited a comprehensive list of Gates' accomplishments, but failed to mention Iran/Contra in the whole thing. Still, you could feel the "nudge, nudge, wink, wink, aren't we clever?" bit of theatre in the staged event. They seemed to think that they've outmaneuvered the dems by stealing the victory limelight. Great, now everyone is aware that the defeat is partly because of Rummy and Stay the Course. Very poorly done, I think. Bwahahaha!
Posted by iamcoyote at November 8, 2006 01:06 PMSoldier are americans, Bush call them stupid, APOLOGIZE!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by goose1 at November 8, 2006 01:10 PMyes, iamcoyote, the cable Media talking heads were frothing over Bush "stealing the spotlight" from the Dems today. What idiots. When the president goes on TV and fires his SecDefense, it's not something to be impressed with. Its an admission of a horrid blunder that has cost thousands of lives.
Posted by T2 at November 8, 2006 01:30 PMThe really funny thing about Rummy the Dummy's departure (and there's always something 'funny' to me when Repukes are involved) is, the first source who broke the story wasn't CNN, or MSNBC, or even FOXNews (GOP-TV), it was Comedy Central and they covered it last night shortly after midnight.
Posted by Christopher at November 8, 2006 01:56 PMI think this will be fun to watch.
George gets a lesson in Govt 101.
No more telling everyone "just do it and don't ask questions. i'm the boss around here."
Georgie ain't in CEO-land no more.
Posted by Alex at November 8, 2006 02:17 PMI've been posting this in right-wing forums and watching the shitstorm. I guess that makes me a troll, even though what I have to say means a lot to me. Tell me what you think:
Dear Republican National Committee,
BOO-YA!!
How's it feel? To be dethroned because of a complete foreign policy failure even though the economy is roaring? Tell me how it feels, because I'm really curious. That's pretty shameful - I really don't think there's ever been a great economy that didn't help the incumbents, and yet you [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Abramoff_Indian_lobbying_scandal]corrupt[/url] and devious [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Foley_scandal]paedophiles[/url] somehow managed to turn your back on the country. I'm not interested in being conciliatory - not this time. Another time, perhaps I would have extended an olive branch to you to make the country stronger. But the Democratic National Committee has suffered your abuse and outrageous allegations long enough. We won't be kind to you - the accusations of being soft on terror and crime and anything else that comes to mind has made us and the American people very angry with you, and we resent being called soft. Try saying that to the union dad at the steel mill, who has Democratic action to thank for bringing him the weekend. Call him soft and weak and let me know how that goes. Tell the single mom who is raising her kids in a healthy and loving environment soft because she has liberals to thank for the advancement of women in the past century. Tell the black man in Louisiana who voted for Democrats that he is soft because of liberal work to create equality. And when you drink your water or eat that steak, thank liberal Democrats for fighting for food regulations that keep you healthy.
We'll be proving wrong that accusation of softness when we take you out behind the woodshed in January. You've fought dirty for the past six years, and now it's our turn to dish it back out. We may not get much legislation through, but you will be watched like a hawk, and we will stem the hemorrhage of this country: the blood of our soldiers, the money of our treasury, the birthright of our nation. The medics of the Democratic Party will rush in to save the corpselike world power you have bequeathed us. I only hope we can heal the wounds that you so brutally inflicted upon this country.
Go ahead and blame everyone around you - it only makes me laugh harder at your bewildered ineffective sputtering. Blame the media for setting it up. Blame the American people for being stupid. Blame everyone but yourselves for screwing up the country in such a bad way for the long term so that even the most apathetic could not stand idly by to watch the pillage of our future. It'll be up to us to fix your problems, to make us even safer without violating civil liberties - no more using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. Since you failed to do it, it'll be up to us to try the 9/11 Commission's recommendations and make us safer. Since you failed to work it out, we'll try a new solution to Social Security. Since you failed to stabilize Iraq, it will be up to us to come up with a solution, all the while you blamed us for not doing your dirty work.
So how does it feel? You complete, miserable failures. I'm not talking to common Republican folks who vote their conscience or economic self-interest - I'm talking to the leaders who have betrayed their trust and the hard-right pundits who enable them. How does it feel? The rats jumping from a sinking ship are beginning to line up - Rumsfeld resigned today. What's it like?
Take heart: there are no final victories or final defeats in politics, and you will rise again one day, perhaps even in 2008. But for now, just know that we will shine without your stubborn opposition to progress. Weep for yourselves for the present, for your tears only strengthen my resolve. We'll be taking care of the nation from now on.
Love, DukeRevolution
Victory is so, so sweet, is it not?
Posted by DukeRevolution at November 8, 2006 02:43 PMOh, and one more thing. Remember Carpe Diem? I found a quote from several months back:
"Okay, I give up, you guys are gonna win big this year and take the stolen presidency back in 2008.
Yep, America is dying to have liberal leadership."
Posted by carpediem at January 2, 2006 08:32 AM
Payback is a bitch.
Posted by at November 8, 2006 03:42 PMMy qstn s hw cn th lttl tyrnt kp th dt Rc. Rc mst g, lng wth th pnk, Bltn.
n th thr hnd, Gts s drt bg, nd prbbly fr wrs thn Rm, nd n mny wys, nd fr fr lngr. Th prblm s tht ths pnks swtch ch thr t, nd nthng chngs s thy ll cm frm th sm bg f flth.
Th crp gys cn't ls, s thy hld ll th crds/plyrs, nd ll th plyrs hv th sm dpth lvl: shllw nd drty.
Th bv s tr f th dms. Pls mst cln DC, nd frst strt wth rmvng hrslf. Hr rsgntn fr bng n ccssry n th pllg wrs, nd prsnlly hldng mmrl stncs, wld tll th wrld tht sh hd bcm ldr, fnlly.
ll DC plyrs mst b hld ccntbl fr th dth nd dstrctn thy csd, nt t mntn th trmnds prfts gvn t th crps v txtn. W mst hv mpchmnt, trls, nd crmnl snctns. W mst pn th 9/11 cpr nd hld crmnlly lbl ll plyrs whrvr thy b fnd.
D y thnk th bv wll hppn? N, s, Pls, nd th ls cntn. Wht ls s nw?
[Editor: ignore=off]dj nails it, he didn't fire Rumdrunk because that would be an admission of fault, even though such admission might have saved them the Senate and a couple of House seats, but then bush would have to admit he made a mistake which we know he doesn't do, so he fires the bum after the horses have left the barn and he spins it as a new direction forced on him by changing circumstances.
See, it's all the Democrats fault!!
and 41 isn't bailing him out because he likes the snotty little drunk, but because he's threatening their gains. Not the GOP, I disagree there with the idiot and those other posters who think it's the GOP, it's not them they're just another tool, but its the corporate masters gains that are finally being threatened by Jr's incompetence and Rovers profound lack of humanity, as evidenced by the failure, finally, of the gop only governance.
Finding myself in even partial agreement with scout is like walking into an empty church at night, candles flickering, creepy and morbid and stupidly funny all at the same time.
Posted by Duckman GR at November 8, 2006 07:42 PMNo wonder George W. Bush and Joe Lieberman get along so well...two peas from the same ideological pod.
Bush could have done the sane and honorable thing and axed Rumsfeld the moment (years ago) that Rumsfeld's dangerous incompetence became apparent.
Joe could have honored the wishes of Connecticut Democrats and retired gracefully, living off his hefty, Senate retirement package.
But Bush didn't and Joe didn't, thus shattering any trust people may have had in them.
For instance, Joe will now side with the Republicans in the Senate, throwing votes into a 50-50 tie, giving crazy Cheney veto power over Democratic Party-generated reform legislation.
In other words, will Lieberman side with the Democrats in trying to expose all the corruption of the Bush administration, or at least try to rein in some of the more serious "imperial" Bush abuses, or will he sabotage Democratic Party efforts? I don't trust him. Therefore, I believe he'll do the latter. And probably more than once.
But maybe I'm wrong? Maybe Lieberman will surprise me? I doubt it. From the stunt pulled by Lieberman in Connecticut, not only should he have never been a Democratic Party U.S. senator, but he also should never have been Al Gore's running mate in 2000. Having Lieberman claim he is a Democrat is like having a stealth assassin in our midst. When will he pull out his Republican dagger and plunge it into every Democrat's back?
Posted by The Oracle at November 8, 2006 10:44 PM