On That Long List Of Bush-Era Memoirs, Donald Rumsfeld's Holds True To Seeing Things That Weren't There...A Dubious Effort...Ho-Hum...

By PATRICK ALCATRAZ
Editor

AUSTIN, Texas - Donald Rumsfeld was Secretary of Defense when the U.S. invaded Iraq. Now, he's written a book and, well, what we have learned about the lead-in into the war and the resulting mess is that these Bush guys never did get it. Rumsfeld has floated his "Known and Unknown" memoir to not only tremendous literary yawns, but also to an avalanache of criticism.

Like his boss George W. Bush, Rumsfeld glosses over major questions surrounding his role in the ill-advised attack. He lays wide blame on a  number of federal intelligence agencies, on his colleagues in the cabinet and on the news media. At no time does Rumsfeld acknowledge a scintilla of personal blame. Critics initially laughed at the dubious memoir and now they have blasted it as a useless 800-plus-page effort not worthy of the price or history. Why we should've expected more from the lifelong bureaucrat may be the biggest mystery here. Rumsfeld, shown at right in photo above with Dick "The Creep" Cheney and Bush, Jr., always looked the part of the polished and witty Bush aide. What he wasn't, it seems, was a man who could see his errant ways and, at least, acknowledge a mistake or two. He doesn't.

He especially blames Colin Powell, the much-decorated Army general who served young Bush as Secretary of State during the same lost era. It was Powell who addressed the United Nations Security Council in the days ahead of the invasion with seemingly convincing evidence and charts that pointed to Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, an address that was so full of falsehoods that it stained Powell's glowing career.

Rumsfeld's recollection of the war goes against everything that has come out in the ensuing years. Some critics have labeled the book "a fast a loose game of dodge ball." Others see it as a "self-serving" memoir out to free Rumsfeld of guilt or responsibility.

The title of the book comes from the war-time gobbledygook Rumsfeld would throw out during press conferences, bureaucratspeak that said and didn't say anything. It was this one, specifically: "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me because, as we know, there are some known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know."

You read that quote and you know what to expect from this idiot.

Rumsfeld's service to the country may have been lengthy; it just didn't mean as much as he thinks it did.

Once more, the Bush Administration comes across as a gang of selfish public servants who cared not one whit about their words or actions. Donald Rumsfeld is not the first to write this sort of memoir, nor will he be the last to wrap-up his career in laudatory fireworks and rainbows .

Something, however, tells us that Colin Powell's memoir will set things straight. Rumsfeld is not kind to Powell in his effort. The general is said to have the personality to not suffer fools. He has a big one in Donald Rumsfeld...

- 30 -