Calls for Rumsfeld's Resignation and 2006 Elections Both Loom Over Washington

In a Tuesday Pentagon briefing, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated, "There are hundreds and hundreds of retired generals, and they have opinions, and that'’s fine."” Taking cue from their civilian commander, more retired generals called for Rumsfeld's resignation today, opining that Rumsfeld's Department of Defense had too many opinions on how to run the war and occupation of Iraq. The mainstream liberal wing of the Democrats has been calling on Rummy to call it quits since 2003 and Lt. Gen. Greg Newbold's editorial piece for this Friday's TIME displays even more clearly the splits emerging within ruling circles over Iraq. Is it a coincidence that Newbold concludes, "We need fresh ideas and fresh faces" when elections are looming and Democrats hope to capitalize on growing distrust of the Bush administration? Although you have to take it with a grain of salt, whack-job right-wingers occasionally make good points.