Don Rumsfeld, it's time to go.

When the President was running for office in 2000 he described this management style in response to criticisms of his lack of experience. He claimed to search out the most qualified people able to solve the problem, then he would step back and let them do their jobs. This is a very wise policy for anyone who doesn’t know very much. It also explains the Presidents legendry loyalty to his staff. A staff member that isn’t doing the job is a direct reflection of the Presidents judgment and contribution to the problem solving process. This dynamic is most obvious in the case of Donald Rumsfeld. After 9/11 the President trusted Rumsfeld to take the war to the terrorist in the most effective way possible. By almost every measure Rumsfeld has failed in this roll. Even as debate raged between Colin Powell and Rumsfeld over the wisdom of an Iraq invasion the President gave the Defense Secretary full support to fight this war his way. The confidence the President had in Rumsfeld is somewhat understandable. After all he had been Defense Secretary before under President Ford. In 1983 Rumsfeld was made special envoy to the Middle East by President Reagan and meet and shook the hand of Saddam himself. Rumsfeld was also the CEO of a pharmaceutical company GD Searle from 1977 to 1981. This experience with chemical manipulation could have helped with the understanding of Iraq’s alleged chemical weapons program. During the 1980’s American companies sold Iraq millions of dollars worth of trucks, helicopters and chemical agents. Rumsfeld’s experience in hiding the negative health effects of the sweetener Aspartame from the FDA might give him insight as to where Saddam would hide his dangerous chemicals.
History has shown that Rumsfeld has not been the wise leader of experience. Instead he has shown a complete lack of interest not only in concrete facts but also in the very rule of law he swore to protect. Not everything that has happened in the past few years has been Rumsfeld’s fault. Much of it however has been his responsibility. From the Iraq invasion and occupation planning to the torture that as accrued under his authority he has been the man in charge. Now we look to the President and wonder when the administration might try something new rather than hold the Rumsfeld course. I believe that if Rumsfeld were to be fired by the President tomorrow a new sense of hope would fill the national consciousness. The President could gain as many as 20 percentage points of approval just through this one act of leadership and responsibility for the direction of the country. By removing the Defense Secretary the President could remove the specter of paralysis that has haunted the White House these past many months since the 2004 election. The President made a mistake with the appointment of Donald Rumsfeld. It was a mistake to loyally support his mismanaged policy ideas and philosophies. I hope the President can see the difference between loyalty and a stubborn refusal to acknowledge a mistake.