Rum Deal

Hey, I wouldn't have signed on for another term if I thought I was going to be held accountable.

Donald Rumsfeld didn't exactly say that, but it might have crossed his mind as his feel-good "town meeting" with soldiers in Iraq turned into actual questions about their equipment, their pay and the stop-loss policy that's keeping some of them there beyond their tour or even enlistment.

It's not Rummie's fault, of course. Those damn nuisance insurgents, and Iraqi citizens who love freedom but would like to have the electricity and water they used to get. Besides, even though the Colonel there supported his soldiers and said that 95% of their vehicles don't have the proper armor, Rummie's generals protested they knew nothing about it.

Maybe they should limit the town meetings to Republican soldiers who sign a loyalty oath to George Bush, Dick Cheney and Rummie. You know, like during the free election campaign over here.

Here's the New YorkTimes/Washington Post story linked from the SF Chronicle:

Troops confront Rumsfeld, ask for better battle gear / Challenges from National Guardsmen bound for combat unnerve Pentagon chief

Other stories are even grimmer. Like veterans of Iraq already showing up at homeless shelters. More complaints about inadequate medical care for the injured when they return. And some soldiers ordered to Iraqnam with what John Kerry called the backdoor draft are suing the government. Army recruitment is at about half its targeted level, and nobody is real eager to join the National Guard anymore. There's some suggestion that medical personnel are already in short supply.

So who can Rummie go to? The reality-based problems are coming home to roost, and the faith-and-PR-based Bushies have got nothing. Except faith in their immoral war---immoral for the destruction of Iraq, the killing, maiming and stunting of Iraqi men, women and children; immoral for sending young people into crazy violence without the proper equipment and apparently with inadequate training and leadership (it's hard to read the new revelations about the horrific fate of Pat Tillman any other way), and with heartless treatment for them and their families when they're back.