It sounds like a wrestling match.

"In this corner" we have "Rummy the Dummy" at 160 lbs or so, a senile but combative Bush loyalist. In the other corner we have retired generals "Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni, Major General Charles Swannack, Major General John Riggs, Maj. Gen. John Batiste, Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold, Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton."



As the match continues the commentary keeps coming in.

"A lot of them are hugely frustrated," in part because Rumsfeld gave the impression that "military advice was neither required nor desired" in the planning for the Iraq war, said retired Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson.

Even Condi slipped up last week and let her frustration show when she said, "The United States had made thousands of "tactical errors " in handling the war in Iraq." Rummy had a little talk with her afterwards and Condi sheepishly said she meant it figuratively. Yea, right..

Officers aren't stupid, they know war means soldiers will die, but they have a little problem when they believe soldiers are dying because an old fart refuses to listen.

Military leaders have always known soldiers obey more willingly when they have confidence in their leaders. The converse is just as true; dissent and moral breaks down when there are ample indications leadership has been inexperienced, and sometimes plain incompetent.

Rummy had problems with his generals from day one because they saw how incompetent he was. Rummy replaced competent officers with politically-savvy but not-so competent and pliable officers.

Many career officers are leaving because of Rummy's belligerent and belittling attitude with dissenting generals. Where will tomorrow's leaders come from? Who cares you'll be on some golf course by then.

Even young officers straight out of West Point have been leaving immediately after their commitment. You had to spend a considerable amount of money to curb the exodus of the young officers.

It was only a matter of time before your generals got fed up with Rummy. This will surely raise the moral of the troops on the ground to hear their commanders taking a stand against the person who sent so many brother soldiers to their graves so needlessly.

From: comments@whitehouse.gov
Date: April 14, 2006 4:39:12 PM CDT
To: guzmatom@mac.com

On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence.
We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions.
Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House is
unable to respond to every message, and therefore this response
is an autoreply.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.