Bush dumping Rumsfeld means you can't rely on a single thing

he says about anything. I mean that literally. If he believed Rumsfeld was doing a great job, as he stated, then he should have kept him. He said he didn't want to dump him in a way that would seem "political" (as in before the election)and yet he dumped him in the way that is the MOST political (after the election when the results say he is a liability)

If HE didn't think Rummie was doing a good job, he would have dumped him long ago. Therefore, I believe that Bush felt that Rummie was doing a good job but dumped him all the same -probably on the advice of James Baker. Rummie's resignation goes right up there with all the most !@#$ed things he's done. Just badly, badly done. I think he betrayed Rummie, his conscience, and the electorate he lied to as he assured them Rummie would be there as long as he was.

Now, I think the key is, he himself just did not personally have an understanding of how badly Rummie had !@#$ed up until someone took him aside and very gently laid out all the screw-ups for him, but told him he had missed the moment when it might have made a difference and had to wait for the moment when it would just be lost in the shuffle of all the bad news at once.

his own ass mode.

turn him loose right after the election - Shrub said he had to say that he was staying so it wouldn't effect the election - he told the press he lied to them so it wouldn't hurt him politically.

...Bush was so quick to fire people who gave his administration credibility (like Colin Powell) but kept a universally-despised figure like Rumsfeld around until it cost his the party the election.

As one of the few presidents who came from a business background (instead of law), Bush destroyed his white house by running it like a corporation. Loyalty trumped effectiveness.

Dared to question his boss, and balked when it was time to get with the program. I'm thinking this parting probably mutual.

This should have been our first red flag.....

as to how his supporters imagine he's mister "macho standing tall and not flinching" guy. How many times has he changed the reason that we invaded Iraq?

Rove and Cheney. Maybe Bolten helps them a little, but Rove still runs the show in the White House. Its all about "looking like they are doing the right thing"