He of Zero Accountability

Secretary On the Offensive (washingtonpost.com)

Nobody's quite sure what Donald Rumsfeld is good for any more. From his performance yesterday in front of the House Armed Services Committee it is quite clear that he has little regard for accountability, transparency or communication between the Pentagon and Congress.

From today's Washington Post:

"With the Bush administration asking Congress this month to write checks for half a trillion dollars for the Pentagon, you might think the secretary of defense would set an accommodating posture on Capitol Hill. But, to paraphrase Rumsfeld's remark in December about the Army, you go to budget hearings with the defense secretary you have, not the defense secretary you might want or wish to have at a later time. And Donald Rumsfeld doesn't do accommodating very well.

Asked about the number of insurgents in Iraq, Rumsfeld replied: 'I am not going to give you a number.'

Did he care to voice an opinion on efforts by U.S. pilots to seek damages from their imprisonment in Iraq? 'I don't.'

Could he comment on what basing agreements he might seek in Iraq? 'I can't.'

How about the widely publicized cuts to programs for veterans? 'I'm not familiar with the cuts you're referring to.'

How long will the war last? 'There's never been a war that was predictable as to length, casualty or cost in the history of mankind.'"

What the hell are you good for, Rummy?

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