The heat is on Rumsfeld — but it’s not too hot

More radicals are spewing their venom at Donald Rumsfeld’s armor gaffe — you know, radicals like William Kristol, Norman Schwarzkopf, Joe Scarborough, and John McCain. In all likelihood, this media kerfuffle will die down. Bush has no incentive to get rid of his Defense Secretary now, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to waste any ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

More radicals are spewing their venom at Donald Rumsfeld's armor gaffe -- you know, radicals like William Kristol, Norman Schwarzkopf, Joe Scarborough, and John McCain. In all likelihood, this media kerfuffle will die down. Bush has no incentive to get rid of his Defense Secretary now, and I'm sure he doesn't want to waste any of that political capital on a confirmation hearing for the next SecDef -- which, incidentally, is why there is probably going to be very little DoD turnover, period. I'm sure President Bush wishes there was some way he could make things better for Rumsfeld. Too bad he's already received the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- cause the value of any award shoots WAY up after it's awarded it to Paul Bremer. (In fairness, here's David Frum's explanation for that decision -- though it's actually not fair, because I do believe most people recognize the difference between not "seeking a scapegoat" and awarding a Presidential Medal of Freedom).

More radicals are spewing their venom at Donald Rumsfeld’s armor gaffe — you know, radicals like William Kristol, Norman Schwarzkopf, Joe Scarborough, and John McCain. In all likelihood, this media kerfuffle will die down. Bush has no incentive to get rid of his Defense Secretary now, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to waste any of that political capital on a confirmation hearing for the next SecDef — which, incidentally, is why there is probably going to be very little DoD turnover, period. I’m sure President Bush wishes there was some way he could make things better for Rumsfeld. Too bad he’s already received the Presidential Medal of Freedom — cause the value of any award shoots WAY up after it’s awarded it to Paul Bremer. (In fairness, here’s David Frum’s explanation for that decision — though it’s actually not fair, because I do believe most people recognize the difference between not “seeking a scapegoat” and awarding a Presidential Medal of Freedom).

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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