Could Someone Please Ensure Mr. Rumsfeld's Taking His Meds?


Santafeld was in high form today:

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Tuesday the world faces ''a new type of fascism'' and likened critics of the U.S. war strategy to those who tried to appease the Nazis.

In unusually explicit terms, Rumsfeld portrayed the Bush administration's critics as suffering from ''moral or intellectual confusion'' about what threatens the nation's security. His remarks amounted to one of his most pointed defenses of President Bush' war policies and was among his toughest attacks on the president's critics.

Speaking to several thousand veterans at the American Legion's national convention, Rumsfeld recited what he called the lessons of history, including the failure to confront Hitler in the 1930s. He quoted Winston Churchill as observing that trying to accommodate Hitler was ''a bit like feeding a crocodile, hoping it would eat you last.''

''I recount this history because once again we face similar challenges in efforts to confront the rising threat of a new type of fascism,'' he said.

''Can we truly afford to believe that somehow, some way, vicious extremists can be appeased?'' he asked.

''Can we truly afford to return to the destructive view that America -- not the enemy -- is the real source of the world's troubles?''

Rumsfeld spoke to the American Legion as part of a coordinated White House strategy, in advance of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, to take the offensive against administration critics at a time of doubt about the future of Iraq and growing calls to withdraw U.S. troops.

You know, I'll sort of agree on one "point" made by the Times: indeed, Rumsfeld was highly offensive.

Aside from the sheer ugliness of both politicizing national security AND lying about supposed intentions of "administration critics," the fact is that Rumsfeld is genuinely loony and as a rule simply shouldn't be trusted. He's wrong, flat out wrong, and his being in charge of the Pentagon is like having a pyromaniac put in charge of the fireworks warehouse...with greasy rags and a couple of lighters for "security purposes."