Excerpts From the Senate Hearing on Iraq

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Washington Post:
Excerpts From the Senate Hearing on Iraq

I listened to some of this as background while I worked today. Here are my initial thoughts:

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld: "There have been a series of gross errors and mistakes. Those were on your watch. ... Isn't it time for you to resign?"

Rumsfeld: "Senator, I've offered my resignation to the president twice, and he's decided that he would prefer that he not accept it, and that's his call."

I was thinking the same question should be asked of Admiral Kennedy.

Then there is the spokeman for all public sentiment Robert Byrd. I guess he's been there a while but I always thought that Senators represent the 'States' and not the 'People' if you catch that little line of thinking at the beginning of his part in the article.

In this part we find what happens when we mix cultured intelligence with bigoted ignorance in the vile of political power:

Sen. Byrd:
"I don't mean to be discourteous. I've just heard enough of your smart answers to these people here who are elected. ... So get off your high horse when you come up here."

Rumsfeld didn't respond to those remarks.

My Dad used to say the following when teaching me about responding to taunts... said "Son if an ignorant dog barks at you there are two things you can do. One you can drop to your knees and bark back like a fool or you can act like a man and simply walk on." Rumsfeld simply walked on.

I would think that a man with a statue dedicated to himself comes up a little shallow when speaking of getting off one's high horse.