Rummy's robotic John Hancock

[Ace42]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4110091.stm

From rummy with love.

[ASsman]

He is old, and tired. Too hard he works. Meyaahhh.

[Rosie Cotton]

Shit. Ace beat me to it.

[yeahwho]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4110091.stm

From rummy with love.

You know, a fellow can get more personal attention in Disneyland than Rumsfeld hands out. The illusion of Fantasy Land has more reality than Rumsfeld. The Animatronic's make for a much warmer, convincing human experience than this man.....I'm so sorry for these families having to look at the rubber stamp, such a shame.

[Ace42]

Shit. Ace beat me to it.

You're the first girl who's ever said that to me.

I feel emasculated.

[Whois]

You know, a fellow can get more personal attention in Disneyland than Rumsfeld hands out. The illusion of Fantasy Land has more reality than Rumsfeld. The Animatronic's make for a much warmer, convincing human experience than this man.....I'm so sorry for these families having to look at the rubber stamp, such a shame.

"And kind old King George
Sent Mother a note
When he heard the Father was gone
It was, I recall, in the form of a scroll
With gold leaf and all
And I found it one play
In a drawer of old photographs
Hidden away
And my eyes still grow damp
To remember His Majesty
Signed with own rubber stamp."

- When The Tigers Broke Free, Roger Waters

[Rosie Cotton]

You're the first girl who's ever said that to me.

I feel emasculated.

Haha, loser.

[Ali]

At least Hitler was an Orator. This guy can hardly string a sentence together, y'know?

Washington -- President Bush gave full-throated support on Monday to Donald Rumsfeld, his embattled defense secretary, saying that beneath Rumsfeld's "rough and gruff" demeanor is a compassionate man who anguishes over the nation's losses in combat.

"He's done a fine job, and I look forward to continuing to work with him, " Bush said at a news conference.

Asked if he found it offensive that Rumsfeld had not personally signed condolence letters to families of military personnel killed in Iraq, Bush said he had ample evidence of the secretary's concern for those in uniform.

"He and his wife go out to Walter Reed and Bethesda all the time to provide comfort and solace," Bush said, referring to the Washington-area military hospitals that treat the most seriously wounded. "I have seen the anguish in his -- or heard the anguish in his voice and seen his eyes when we talk about, you know, the danger in Iraq and the fact that youngsters are over there in harm's way."

Though criticism of Rumsfeld from Capitol Hill increased again last week, Bush indicated no softening of his own support.

"You know, sometimes perhaps his demeanor is rough and gruff, but beneath that rough and gruff, no-nonsense demeanor is a good human being who cares deeply about the military and deeply about the grief that war causes," Bush said.

Rumsfeld has drawn renewed, sharp attacks from lawmakers of both parties in recent weeks for what his critics said was callousness to soldiers' pleas for more armored vehicles in Iraq as well as for his use of a signature machine.

A White House spokesman said Monday that Bush had personally signed all of his letters to those families in mourning.

In a statement first issued to Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper, Rumsfeld said he would begin signing the letters himself. Defense Department officials said Monday that Rumsfeld's initial use of an automated signature machine, a tool commonly used by public officials for mass mailings, was only to assure that the families received their letters quickly.

But to Rumsfeld's critics, the recent events were interpreted as indifference, or at least indicative of a tin ear to how his comments and actions resonate among the military and the public.

In an open meeting with troops in Kuwait on Dec. 8, Rumsfeld was asked by a soldier about the lack of armor for military vehicles bound for Iraq, where half of all injuries and deaths have been caused by improvised explosives. In his reply, Rumsfeld said: "You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time."

The answer was criticized as sounding insensitive, and lacking the usual words of support and encouragement that most public officials include when addressing troops.

Now that Bush has again publicly praised Rumsfeld, who survived the far more significant crisis over abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, he seems secure in his position -- certainly through the Iraqi elections, scheduled for late January; the budget process that begins in earnest in the new year; and the start of a sweeping review of U.S. military power undertaken by the Pentagon every four years.

On the weekend television talk shows, three Republican senators addressed the issue of Rumsfeld. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said he had "no confidence in Rumsfeld's leadership," and Richard Lugar of Indiana, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said, "He should be held accountable, and he should stay in office."

Perhaps the most telling formulation, though, was delivered by John Warner of Virginia, who is chairman of the Armed Services Committee. "The president makes the choice, and we're going to back the president and support his choice and make it work," Warner said.

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URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/12/21/MNGQCAF5EC1.DTL

Although, with so many letters to sign, you can hardly blame the poor old cnut.

[mickill]

These (http://www.signaturemachine.com/products/demo_page.htm) things really do work great. I had no idea.

[Ace42]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4119727.stm

More Rumsfeld blunders. Maybe America WILL gets its Xmas present after all. NO FUCKING RUMMY.

in 3 years time, they might be able to shake off Bush, Cheney and Condy too.

[Rosie Cotton]

The defence secretary said he was truly saddened by claims that he was failing in his duty to protect the troops.

He couldn't even make a feeble attempt at faking compassion? Nevermind. This is Rummy we're talking about.