About those 'thousands' of mistakes ...

Donald Rumsfeld pleaded ignorance regarding the thousands of tactical errors that Condi Rice was talking about.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said he did not know what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was talking about when she said last week that the United States had made thousands of "tactical errors" in handling the war in Iraq, a statement she later said was meant figuratively.

Speaking during a radio interview on WDAY in Fargo, N.D., on Tuesday, Rumsfeld said calling changes in military tactics during the war "errors" reflects a lack of understanding of warfare. Rumsfeld defended his war plan for Iraq but added that such plans inevitably do not survive first contact with the enemy.

"Why? Because the enemy's got a brain; the enemy watches what you do and then adjusts to that, so you have to constantly adjust and change your tactics, your techniques and your procedures," Rumsfeld told interviewer Scott Hennen, according to a Defense Department transcript. "If someone says, well, that's a tactical mistake, then I guess it's a lack of understanding, at least my understanding, of what warfare is about."

Speaking of a lack of understanding of warfare, I wonder if Donnie understands that this is a fight he's unlikely to win. Rice is one of the few members of the Bush administration who has any semblance of credibility in circles outside the 33 percenters who still think junior is doing a good job -- she may have only a little bit, but he has none whatsoever. And with Josh Bolten replacing Andy Card as chief of staff, rumors about Rumsfeld's future with the administration are once again starting to swirl.

The coming midterm elections have many in the GOP worried, and jettisoning Rumsfeld, architect of the tragic mess in Iraq, which Bush already has said he plans to leave for someone else to clean up, can only help poll numbers that currently are in free fall.

I don't think canning Rumsfeld will have as much of an impact as these swine hope, but I'm all for firing neocons repsonisble for starting a war anytime the opportunity presents itself.