Rummy vs. The Retired Generals

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is under attack from an increasing number of retired military officers. The latest, according to the Washington Post, is former head of the 1st Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. John Batiste (Ret.), who had this to say about his former boss:

"I think we need a fresh start" at the top of the Pentagon, retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2004-2005, said in an interview. "We need leadership up there that respects the military as they expect the military to respect them. And that leadership needs to understand teamwork." [...]

"It speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out from retirement about the leadership climate in the Department of Defense."

The article goes on to outline the comments of other retired officers who have called for Rummy to step aside. One of the things that's frustrating about Rumsfeld is that he knows he's doing a bad job--he's offered his resignation at least twice. The President, once again, refuses to accept reality and move past the Rumsfeld era at the Pentagon.

Don't expect the Generals to pipe down anytime soon. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rumsfeld go at some point in the relatively near future. Let's just hope that will make some sort of difference for our troops on the ground.