Rumsfeld & Powell fall out of favor with Bush

[CShine 0]

President Bush's overhaul of his top Iraq strategists reflects deep unhappiness with his national security team - particularly Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld but also Secretary of State Powell, Bush sources told the Daily News yesterday. Bush's displeasure means that neither Powell nor Rumsfeld will keep his job in a second Bush term, the sources said. Powell already has signaled his intent to leave after the 2004 election but Rumsfeld had indicated he wanted to stay on.

"All this does is validate [bush's belief that] it's time for new blood in a new administration if we're reelected," one official said. "There will be a changeover at Defense and a changeover at State."

Despite official White House denials, Bush's creation of an interagency Iraq Stabilization Group headed by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice is designed in part to halt the intramural turf battles between the Pentagon and State - infighting Bush believes has contributed to flagging public support for the war and its aftermath.

The Link

[Jenny AU-92 0]

Ahh, that old conservative standard, the NY Daily News. Definitely a source to be believed when it comes to conservative politics...

[Ranger12 46]

I always like it when "sources" are quoted. I usually only payattention to those things when either a sources name is mentioned or it comes from the "horse's mouth" themself.

[aucorner 0]

Powell has already said that he will not be back.................a year ago maybe.

[CShine 0]

I fail to see how the Daily News is relevant to this. The fact is that Bush has taken control of Iraq away from Rumsfeld and Powell and given it to Rice. That is certainly not in dispute, and it certainly is a vote of no confidence from Bush about how Iraq has been managed in the postwar period.

[CCTAU 3,287]

I fail to see how the Daily News is relevant to this. The fact is that Bush has taken control of Iraq away from Rumsfeld and Powell and given it to Rice. That is certainly not in dispute, and it certainly is a vote of no confidence from Bush about how Iraq has been managed in the postwar period.

I think we are just moving to a different phase. You don't let navy seals help keep the peace in a civil situation. So my point is, Rumsfeld's part is over and another phase begins. Maybe he's just freeing up ole Rummy for the next war!

[Tiger Al 0]

President George W. Bush has lost control of Iraq policy because of infighting among administration officials, the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Sunday. “The president has to be the president, over the vice president and over these secretaries,” the chairman, Republican Sen. Dick Lugar, said during a broadcast interview.

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