Kerry Calls for Rumsfeld's Resignation
John Kerry Calls for Donald Rumsfeld to Resign Over Iraq Prison Abuse Scandal, Seeks Probe
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA Aug. 25, 2004 ? Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry called Wednesday for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign and urged President Bush to appoint an independent investigation to provide reforms after a report faulted all levels of the military for abuse at Abu Ghraib prison.

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"What is missing from all these reports is accountability from the senior civilian leaders in the Pentagon and in the White House," Kerry said. "From the bottom of the chain of command all the way to the top, there needs to be accountability. The Schlesinger report makes clear that Secretary Rumsfeld was responsible for setting a climate where these types of abuses could occur."

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We are in the middle of a war on Terror; there is a high terrorist threat level preceding the elections, and John Kerry wants the Secretary of Defense to step down!?! Kerry is claiming Rumsfield is responsible for "setting a climate where these types of abuses could occur"... Well how about this: If Kerry hadn't voted to send our troops to war, then Rumsfield couldn't have created this climate. Kerry voted to create the climate in which these abuses took place, so why doesn't Kerry step down too? Kerry's vote created a climate in which these sort of abuses could occur... if the senate didn't authorize the President to invade, then our troops would never have had this opportunity to abuse inmates at Abu Ghraib...

I would love, I would just love if a single reporter would ask Kerry, "You blame Rumsfield for 'setting a climate where these types of abuses could occur,' but it was the vote of the Senate that gave the President the power to send troops over to Iraq; in effect, the Senate is as responsible for our troops being in Iraq as the President, and you, Senator Kerry, voted to send our troops there; will you now apologize for creating this situation in which our troops could abuse Iraqis? Will you now, finally, take responsibility for your actions which brought about this climate where such abuses could take place? The buck should not stop with the executive branch, will you now take responsibility for your actions?"

If a reporter would go after Kerry like they go after Bush, we would hear questions like this... questions which would force Kerry to put up or shut-up. Rumsfield is no more responsible for the actions of a few soldiers who acted in pure violation of US military policy than is Kerry, but Kerry thinks Rumsfield and Bush should take all the blame. If Kerry, in answer, were to use the logic that as a Senator, he could not foresee nor be culpable for the criminal actions of a soldier, then he would demonstrate the flawed logic of his attack against Rumsfield. This would allow the reporter to cry foul and scream hypocrite... but a reporter will never take Kerry to the task in this way because the American press is in Kerry's back pocket.


--Sigh--