WASHINGTON – The Senate’s top two Republicans voiced support for Donald Rumsfeld on Friday as allies of the defense secretary sought to outflank increasingly vocal GOP critics in and outside of Congress.
“I am confident that Secretary Rumsfeld is fully capable of leading the Department of Defense and our military forces to victory in Iraq and the war on terror,” Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said in a written statement. “Most importantly he has the confidence of his commanders in the field and our commander in chief.”
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the GOP whip, said Rumsfeld “is an excellent secretary of defense, and we are fortunate to have a man of his courage and vision serving the president at this critical time.”
Frist and McConnell came to Rumsfeld’s defense after several days of GOP criticism aimed at the man who has steered the Pentagon during the Iraq war and its messy aftermath. More than 1,300 American troops have died since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began in 2003.
None of Rumsfeld’s congressional GOP critics has yet called for his ouster. Still, they have grown increasingly outspoken in recent days, less than two weeks after White House disclosed that the president wanted the defense secretary to remain in his post into a second term.
The increased criticism from Republicans also coincides with the aftermath of Rumsfeld’s encounter with troops in Kuwait who complained about long deployments and a lack of armored vehicles and other equipment.
“I’m not a fan of Secretary Rumsfeld,” said Sen. Trent Lott in remarks to the Biloxi, Miss., Chamber of Commerce this week. “I don’t think he listens enough to his uniformed officers.” The Mississippi Republican said Bush should make a change at the Pentagon in the next year or so.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, released a letter to Rumsfeld asking why the Army had not moved more aggressively to produce fully armored Humvees for the troops in Iraq – an issue she said she had raised at a hearing nine months ago.
“I don’t like the way he has done some things. I think they have been irresponsible,” said Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. The Vietnam veteran’s list of alleged military offenses was a long one: “We didn’t go into Iraq with enough troops. He’s dismissed his general officers. He’s dismissed all outside influence. He’s dismissed outside counsel and advice. And he’s dismissed a lot of inside counsel and advice from men and women who have been in military uniform for 25 and 30 years.”
Sen. John McCain of Arizona said he had “no confidence” in the defense secretary, although he added that Bush “can have the team that he wants around him.”
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