Rumsfeld to Step Down
Secretary of Defense Key Player in Increasingly Unpopular War in Iraq

Robert Hodierne
Senior Managing Editor, Army Times Publications
Thursday, November 9, 2006 1:00 PM

Robert Hodierne , senior managing editor for Army Times Publications , was online Thursday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and reaction within the military.

Read the Army Times editorial, Time for Rumsfeld to go , ( Army Times, Nov. 4, 2006 )

The transcript follows.

Hodierne helps oversee the production of Army Times , Navy Times , Marine Corps Times , Air Force Times , Defense News and Federal Times and other military publications. A long-time journalist, he planned coverage of the invasion of Iraq and oversaw journalists embedded in Iraq from the Army Times Publications' bureau in Qatar.

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Monterey, Calif.: What was the process and time period of the four military publications coming to the conclusion and getting together to write the editorial demanding Rumsfeld's resignation?

We don't have military coups in this country, but your joint statement was about the closest thing I've ever seen to that. Would you agree?

Isn't it an unprecedented public statement of no confidence in a civilian military leader?

Thank you.

Robert Hodierne: Our four papers -- Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times and Air Force Times -- are published in the same office and share stories and reporting resources. They are not four unrelated papers. We come out weekly and each paper typically has two editorials each week. Most weeks, at least one of those editorials appears in all four papers. So there was no coup here. And no, it was not an unprecedented public no confidence statement. We did much the same thing shortly after Abu Ghraib became public.

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Helena, Mont.: Will the military get more support from the administration now that Rumsfeld is out and how will the military action in Iraq proceed?

Robert Hodierne: We hope that certain areas where the military has been shorted (e.g. VA benefits) will be increased, though Robert Gates won't have any direct authority over that. We are all waiting to see what course the new secretary thinks should be set.

Robert Hodierne: New course in Iraq.

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Washington, D.C.: Thanks for your work and all you do for the military and the military families. While I'm glad Rumsfeld is gone, his parting shots were vile. He tried to associate himself with Churchill and to the last moment he petulantly insulted the intelligence and judgment of the America people. "Back off" to the press and "you're too stupid to get it" to America. My question is: is he still under indictment for war crimes in Germany? And does the fact that he is no longer a government official affect his level of official protection? Could German intelligence kidnap him here in the US and take him back to Germany for trial, like our CIA can do to other people in other countries?

Robert Hodierne: I don't know if he's under indictment in Germany. I doubt that German intelligence will kidnap him.

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Long Beach, Calif.: How do you feel about your publication's lack of comprehension of the war in Iraq, if we are to believe Rumsfeld's last insult as he was leaving?

Robert Hodierne: We think that we, and large numbers of Americans, comprehend the war just fine.

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San Francisco, Calif.: I was happy to read your editorial about Rumsfeld and I was happy to see him resign. What are your thoughts about the size of the Army?

Robert Hodierne: We think the Army should be larger. Perhaps by a division or two. But even expanding that much is going to be difficult and expensive at a time when recruiters strain to keep the current Army fully staffed.

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West Orange, N.J.: What can Gates do that Rumsfeld could not? Exactly what do realistically foresee in Iraq? Is "stay the course" leading to "victory"? Would a draft or massive U.S. escalation do a whit of good to make Iraqi factions cooperate? Are any of the "readiness" assessments of Iraqi troops or police credible? If withdrawal presents hazards, are they any uglier than the ones that seem to worsen by staying?

Robert Hodierne: We hope that among the things Robert Gates will do is listen with an open mind to the military professionals who are expected to fight the war. As for a draft or massive escalation -- there won't be a draft. The military doesn't want one, the American people don't want one. We could increase the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for a short time but probably could not sustain for more than a year or so a substantial troop presence. One idea being talked about is to do just that to give the fledgling Iraqi government a chance to get better established and for the Iraqi army and police to become more capable. Are the readiness assessments of Iraqi troops and police credible? The experience I have had and other reporters here have had observing Iraqi troops and police lead us to believe the publicly released assessments are not credible.

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Arlington, Mass.: I found this old (May 2003) clipping from the Chicago Sun-Times on the Web. I'd be interested in your comments:

Rumsfeld is a leader without parallel

May 2, 2003 BY STEVE NEAL SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

He is the architect of victory. As Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld rode through the streets of Baghdad, it marked the triumphant moment in a public career that spans 40 years. Rumsfeld, 70, drafted the blueprint for the war that toppled Saddam Hussein and liberated the Iraqi people from a generation of tyranny. "Let me be clear," he declared in a radio and television message, which he delivered from Saddam's former palace. "Iraq belongs to you. The coalition has no intention of owning or running Iraq." Rumsfeld, who is the first defense secretary to serve two terms at the Pentagon, has challenged and redefined U.S. military policy and transformed the nature of modern warfare with lighter and more mobile forces supported by air power and precision-guided weapons. He ran and won the high-tech war in Afghanistan that brought down the Taliban and weakened the world's largest terrorist network. He won an even quicker victory in Iraq. Like another plain-spoken Midwesterner, Harry Truman, Rumsfeld has upheld the principle of civilian control of the military. He fired Secretary of the Army Thomas White for his public insubordination. Rumsfeld is also forcing out the Army's chief of staff, Gen. Eric Shinseki, who fought Rumsfeld's decision to cancel the $11 billion Army Crusader artillery gun. "In managing large organizations," Rumsfeld once told me, "to a certain extent you have to manage by example. If you have a standard or a line, and people are just inside of it, you need to defend them. If people are outside of the line, there has to be a penalty for that." Rumsfeld says the turning point of the Iraqi war was the selection of Gen. Tommy Franks as commander. "He's demonstrated the kind of leadership that, it's solid, it's thoughtful, it was enormously innovative and highly successful," Rumsfeld said. For Rumsfeld and Franks, this is a time of vindication. In the opening days of the war, there was grumbling from armchair generals that the U.S. offensive was "bogging down" in a quagmire like Vietnam. There were also dire predictions that American forces would meet their doom in a modern version of the battle for Stalingrad. "According to a dozen or so military men I spoke to," Seymour Hersh reported in the April 7 edition of the New Yorker, "Rumsfeld simply failed to anticipate the consequences of protracted warfare." During a meeting with U.S. forces this week in Qatar, a serviceman asked Rumsfeld about early criticism of his strategy in Iraq. "There were a lot of handwringers around, weren't there?" he asked the soldiers, chuckling. "During World War II, Winston Churchill was talking about the Battle of Britain when he said, 'Never have so many, owed so much, to so few.' "A humorist in Washington the other day sent me a note paraphrasing that saying: 'Never have so many, been so wrong about so much.' " Rumsfeld has the support of the American people. According to the most recent Gallup poll, 71 percent approve and only 21 percent disapprove of his job performance. Rumsfeld's war plan was rated favorably by 75 percent of the public, compared with only 6 percent who said the plan was poor. Two-thirds of the poll's respondents said Rumsfeld's involvement in military planning had done more to help U.S. efforts, while 21 percent said his involvement had been a liability. He has clashed with the military brass and with politicians. But the public likes him because he's a stand-up guy.

Robert Hodierne: In May 2003 the secretary's policies looked wiser than they do in November 2006.

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Springfield, Va.: Concerning the credibility of the Army Times , it seems that your relationship as independent from the military you cover would lead your readership to trust you as an uncensored source of news, while the larger, non-military, citizenry might perceive that distance from the military as a sign that you aren't qualified to speak for the military. Damned if you do, damned if you don't, really. So, how do you rectify the differences in these views when your editorial on Mr. Rumsfeld is read and questioned by the larger public?

Robert Hodierne: We like to think our credibility with our military audience grows in part from our independence. I think more often the larger, civilian audience thinks of us as being too close to the military and frequently mistake us as some sort of official voice. We are not. We don't try to rectify any different. We explain who we are and let our work speak for itself.

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Washington, D.C.: I had no problem with a Times editorial calling for Secretary Rumsfeld to step down or be replaced. As long as there's an editorial page, to me the Times has the right to express an editorial view or opinion that may or may not reflect all its readers. If I depend on the Times to provide me current and accurate news and information, it has the right to make me think.

Whether I agreed with the call for a new Secretary of Defense or not is irrelevant; I appreciate the stand and insightfulness the Times offered me.

Robert Hodierne: Thanks for that. Now please rush out and subscribe.

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New York, N.Y.: How much of the internal pressure to oust Rumsfeld came from pure selfishness on the part of some generals pet projects being cut?

Robert Hodierne: I think in the early days of his term, the discomfort some generals felt with Rumsfeld had to do with protecting turf. But today the dissatisfaction that we were noting dealt with war policy.

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Arlington, Va.: When I was in Barnes & Noble the other day, I happened to pass by McNamara's book "In Retrospect" (which I read during college, I might add). And it made me wonder when we'll see Rumsfeld's retrospective about the Iraq war and the war on terror, and about how maybe he wasn't so right after all.

Robert Hodierne: It was 20 years after the Vietnam war ended before Robert McNamara wrote his mea culpa. Donald Rumsfeld is 74. If he waits 20 years ...

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Alexandria, Va.: Your publication, The Army Times, along with The Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Times, are taking credit for Rumsfeld's resignation after running concurrent editorials seeking his ouster. But is it unfair of the media to portray this as an editorial from four separate military publications when it was really one editorial, penned by you, which ran in four sister publications? And should you have tried harder to correctly position your papers as independent, for-profit, Gannet-owned publications when other media outlets reported as if you were an official military publication?

Robert Hodierne: We are not taking credit for Rumsfeld's resignation and I don't know where you got that idea. I don't know of any serious media that portrayed us as an official military publication.

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Falls Church, Va.: Where to now for Rumsfeld?

Robert Hodierne: Probably retirement.

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Omaha, Neb.: I'm a veteran of two wars, and have been appalled recently.

This may not be PC to say, but I'm appalled at our troops and their publicly-lockstep pro-Republican/Bush comments. I say 'publicly', because privately, I hear plenty of my friends still in tell me how they detest Rumsfeld & think Bush is an idiot & terrible president. But then Kerry makes one bonehead statement, and they basically reinforce the stereotype by lashing out at Democrats instead of the people who drove this bus into a ditch.

Anyway, here's my question-- do you hear the same things I do privately -- from soldiers & marines? I can't believe that my friends (who are primarily officers) are the only ones. Why is it that more soldiers aren't speaking out against this administration? And what is the reaction to the dollar-short, day-late dismissal of Rumsfeld?

Robert Hodierne: There is a 200 year tradition in this country of military subordination to civil authority. Active duty people cannot by tradition and law criticize their civilian leaders. And that is how it should be. Privately, many of them have been very critical. Which is what helped inform our editorial. There has been some private celebrating of this removal but I doubt you'll hear much in public.

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Bellingham, Wash.: Donald Rumsfeld keeps repeating "That people do not understand this war"- What is there to understand?? What does he mean? What is there to understand about Occupation? If he understood it better, why was it executed so poorly ??

Robert Hodierne: Or, to answer your question with a question, if Americans didn't understand this war, who's fault was that?

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Rockville, Md.: So what is bad when the Sec. of Def stands up to the Generals. He is the civilian, after all. I did think he was really wrong to kill the artillery projects. There are conditions when air power does not work and the Infantry always needs some support of that sort. At least we did when I was with the First Infantry in Vietnam.

But I was happy when the Generals were not.

Robert Hodierne: The generals are not always right. Rumsfeld was right about many things. But the generals are not always wrong, either. And in our opinion one of the things Rumsfeld was wrong about was how many troops were needed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And as an old Vietnam vets myself, I agree about artillery. Never leave home without a sell place 155 mm howitzer. That's my motto.

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Newfoundland, Canada: As a former, 1960s AFTimes delivery boy on Lincoln AFB--now long closed--I am obviously a long time reader. The Rumsfeld editorial really departs from the AFTimes tradition of serving the military community as an information source.

Can you provide any insight as to precisely what happened, what snapped?

Thanks for taking my question...

Robert Hodierne: We don't believe we departed from our tradition of proving news, information and opinion to the troops. What prompted this editorial was President Bush's statement last week that he intended to keep Rumsfeld around for the remainder of term.

You have been reading us for more than 40 years? Wow!

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Alexandria, Va.: Reports from Army Times headquarters yesterday indicated that the newsroom was celebrating the Rumsfeld resignation in nothing short of a partisan manner. Was it the intent of the editorials to improve the administration of the war effort or to help Democrats in the elections?

Robert Hodierne: We had no intention of helping one party or the other. If we had waiting until after the election I suppose the Democrats would have accused us of pulling our punches to favor the Republicans.

There was no newsroom celebration. Mostly there was amazement at the timing.

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Washington, D.C.: What percentage, roughly, of the military supported Rumsfeld? Is this a political move or is it really because he lost the confidence of the armed forces?

Robert Hodierne: It would be hard to estimate what percentage of the overall military supported Rumsfeld. We had a clear sense, however, that support for him at the very upper levels of the military had faded to the point where we believed the country and the military would be better served with a new secretary.

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Scranton, Pa.: OK...So Rumsfeld's gone, Gates is in...Beyond warm fuzzies and war policy, what changes? Say, in procurement?

Robert Hodierne: Our belief at this point is that Gates will focus the bulk of his attention on war policy. Procurement policy will be left to others. Even as we speak, reporters here are trying to get the answer to that very question.

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Washington, D.C.: How did the date of the election factor into your decision to run the editorial? Any concerns about seeming overly partisan or biased?

Robert Hodierne: The election date played no role in our decision. We were obviously aware of the election. But as I said, our timing was set by the president's endorsement last week of Rumsfeld.

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New York, N.Y.: Since you understand the war: is there any way short of massive troop escalation in which the U.S. could "win"? Given that the U.S. people do not support the war, isn't the most likely scenario defeat and withdrawal?

Robert Hodierne: There are several possible scenarios that might result in an Iraq than can manage its own affairs. A short term increase in troops levels to give the Iraqi government some breathing room is being discussed. Removing U.S. troops from active combat missions and focusing on training and support is another.

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New York, N.Y.: There is a perception that military brass offer criticism of the war only after they retire. Why do the generals lack the courage to place the country's interests ahead of their own career interests by presenting their true views while they might have some influence?

Robert Hodierne: See my earlier answer about the law and tradition of military/civilian relations.

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Munich, Germany: As far as the "Boots on the Ground" situation in Iraq is concerned, do you think that there will be any impact on the daily situation in Iraq after Rumsfeld's departure?

I've read many times that President Bush has been demonized by the insurgents and terrorists. Was Rumsfeld considered to be a figure of ire as well? Is there any hope that Iraqis will perceive that the situation will improve for them now?

Also, do you think that the departure of most of the top Pentagon civilians responsible for planning the invasion and early occupation of Iraq will cause difficulties in the continuity of a strategic plan for Iraq?

Robert Hodierne: The average Iraqi isn't going to give a darn that Rumsfeld is gone. Until he can walk to the corner store safely, until his kids can go to safely, until there is safe drinking water and electricity, until then they won't care who our secretary of defense is.

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New York: Military men and women do the job they are asked to do, and have been doing the best with the cards they were dealt. Unfortunately, we went to war with the leadership we had, not the one we would have wanted. It may be too early to ask a question about the new leadership in the Pentagon, but what have you been hearing from the field about the possible changes in Congressional leadership regarding both strategy and tactics in the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism? The persons who will take leadership positions if the Democrats won have been known for some time.

Robert Hodierne: We have only early feedback from the troops and I'd rather not venture a conclusion just yet.

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San Francisco, Calif.: Yesterday a friend asked me why is Rummie taking the brunt of blame for the Iraq mess?

I listed a few reasons..lack of preparation, organization, number of troops, equipment et.al.

But who else needs to be held accountable for the on-going maiming, and killing of thousands of Iraq and American people in this contrived war?

Robert Hodierne: One of the things I need to take care about in a setting like this is offering my personal opinion. I'm here as one editor from this paper. We have not taken a formal position on where else the blame should rest and I think for now that's where I need to leave it.

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Chicago, Ill.: Do you think the U.S. policies in the early days of the occupation only exacerbated the Shia/Sunni rift? By this, do you think the Iraqi society was more heterogeneous before the war?

Robert Hodierne: I think the Shia were waiting for an opportunity to settle scores. By failing to provide adequate numbers of troops to keep the two factions apart we contributed to the growing chaos in Iraq.

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Bridgewater, Mass.: Do the Army (etc.) Times generally release their editorials days in advance of publication? I read it (with astonishment and gratitude) in at least three different places online before it was published on Monday. Was it leaked, or placed, over the weekend?

Robert Hodierne: We frequently release stories and editorials that we believe will be of interest beyond our core military readership in advance of publication. And we often do that on Friday afternoon, which is when our papers are completed though they are not delivered until Monday. We released this editorial ourselves.

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Florida: When I first learned of your editorial, I was shocked. Then I learned that you were a Gannett (Typical Headline: Bush Evil!) product, and it made perfect sense.

It smells a bit seditious for you to speak to our soldiers about how their commander-in-chief and secretary have to go.

Robert Hodierne: We did not call for the president to be replaced. Please send me at once a Gannett newspaper with the headline "Bush Evil" and I will send you by return mail an Army Times T-shirt.

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Shinseki?: Any chance that the wise Gen. Shinseki might make a comeback?

Robert Hodierne: Gen. Shinseki has kept his thoughts to himself even though we regularly ask him for interviews.

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Baltimore, Md.: In your editorial you wrote: "Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear its brunt."

While I respect the influence of the Secretary of Defense on United States military policy, he is NOT the Commander-in-Chief. Responsibility lies with the President.

Robert Hodierne: You have a clear understanding of the chain of command.

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Middlesex, N.J.: Congratulations for sticking up for our troops against an Administration and Party, who treated them like cannon fodder and tried to abandon them when returned by attempting to cut their VA benefits; while lining there own pockets with war profits.

Robert Hodierne: Thank you.

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Thank You...:

I see that all four of your papers are owned by Gannet Publications--one of the most conservative publishing outfits in the country. Despite that, each paper still called for Rumsfeld's resignation. I, and I am sure, many others, appreciate your commitment to putting the good of the country over the good of the party. Thank you...

Robert Hodierne: You're welcome.

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Fairfax, Va.: I'm getting the impression that the majority of military readers did not realize that your publications are owned by Gannett. Do you anticipate a large backlash and/or drop in subscriptions by the military community who were/are otherwise unaware that they are reading a INDEPENDENT military weekly?

Robert Hodierne: I think most of our readers realize we are privately owned and independent. We have run all sorts of articles that the military would prefer never saw the light of day. And sometimes we do make our military readers angry. But on the other hand, they count on us to keep them informed in ways that officials channels can't. We've had a few cancellations as a result of this editorial but mostly it seems from retired military.

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Washington, D.C.: Is this the first time a Sec. of Defense has stepped down during a time of war?

Robert Hodierne: Nope. Robert McNamara resigned on Nov. 29, 1967, during the Vietnam War. (Thanks to Monica Parkzes our librarian for the fast work on that answer.)

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Sioux Falls, S.D.: You know what's ironic? Military members who have sworn to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution, i.e., the First Amendment, are the loudest to decry any sort of opinion or statement contrary to their point of views. What do you think of this?

Robert Hodierne: I am grateful every day that nearly 3 million men and women in the active and reserve forces are ready to die for my right to stand up in public and say any darned thing I want. And if they want to get mad at me for what I say, I am prepared to stand for a beer with them and we'll work out our difference.

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Lake Forest, Calif.: Good morning.....I am a Navy mom. Is it possible for a non-military person to subscribe to the Navy Times? Or can it be found at newsstands around the country?

Thank you for your time.

Robert Hodierne: Absolutely. Go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/ and sign up. Thanks. But no, it can't be found at many newsstands except those in or very near military bases.

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Alexandria, Va.: If you had to speculate, would you say Bush forced Rumsfeld to do this? Rumsfeld doesn't seem like the kind of person who could be bullied by anyone, Bush included. Whose idea was this?

Robert Hodierne: I'm waiting for Bob Woodward's next book to get the answer to that question.

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Tampa, Fla.: How will Rummy's resignation affect weapon systems procurement? I agree with you on Rumsfeld's conduct of the war in Iraq, but I recall he did oppose some of the many superfluous and unnecessary weapons systems.

Robert Hodierne: As I mentioned to an earlier question, we are hard at work piecing together an answer to that. Check our paper Defense News on Monday.

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Washington, D.C.: How do you think troops in the Middle East are reacting to the news? Happy? Indifferent?

Robert Hodierne: Too early to tell. Probably all over the place. But mostly I suspect they will get up today and did what they did yesterday -- strap on body armor and weapons and go risk their lives for us.

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New York, N.Y.: please tell us more about your publication -- circulation, demographics, etc.

Robert Hodierne: Our four military weeklies have a combined circulation of about 250,000. Much of that readership is active duty military with a large sprinkling of families and retired military.

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Arlington, Va.: If you were Donald Rumsfeld, what would you do next? Do you think he'll ever own up to his mistakes like McNamara did in "Fog of War"?

Robert Hodierne: I eagerly await his book.

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College Park, Md.: What is the headline on VA benefits that we who don't read your papers should know?

Robert Hodierne: That the VA is underfunded, especially in the treatment of those returning vets suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

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Not all Floridians are ignorant: You have served our country honorably like millions before you. Dissent in a time of repression when others equate it with lack of patriotism (and worse) is courageous.

Thank you for putting the well-being of those who bear the brunt of this atrocity first instead of caving to the war profiteers and those who never served a day in their lives (i.e. the current administration) and are so quick to use war as some sort of personal ego gratification.

We owe the Iraqis -- solving all the problems WE created too.

Robert Hodierne: We don't believe our editorial was courageous. Courageous is getting up in Iraq and Afghanistan and doing a job that becomes more dangerous by the day and then signing up to do it for another enlistment. Now that's brave.

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Alexandria, Va.: Just last week, Bush said that Rumsfeld would stay until the end of his term. One week later, he's gone. Sounds like Bush pulled a "heckuva job, Rummy" on him.

Obviously, when Bush sings someone's praises, it really means their days are numbered. Any thoughts about who's next?

Robert Hodierne: I'll start worrying when he says, "Robert, you're doing a heckuva job."

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Tallahassee, Fla.: How much of the downsizing of our military has resulted in privatization-- diverting military funding into the pockets of war profiteers can a figure be calculated? Billions. Tens of billions?there can be no justification for what these 'corporatocrats' getting rich on the demise of our army.

Robert Hodierne: We're of the opinion around here that some jobs uniformed military had been doing were wisely outsourced to private contractors (everyone's favorite example is lawn mowing -- which have a trained soldier do that?). But many questions remain about the contracts awarded during this war and we think you can expect the new congress to ask many of those questions.

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Fairfax, Va.: Do you expect any reshuffling within the military chains of command as a result of the change in civilian leadership at DoD?

Robert Hodierne: I think that's likely but I'm not ready to make any predictions. It's only been 25 hours since Gates was named.

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Austin, Tex.: My impression is that the post-Vietnam military has tended strongly Republican at all levels. While in some ways I understand the reasons for this, it sort of troubles me that the institution doesn't reflect better the range of views in society.

Do you think this is changing?

Robert Hodierne: Our polling indicates that about 60 percent of the career military people are Republicans, which is about twice the national average. It is an all volunteer force. If Democrats want more of their voices heard in the military, then enlist. The military has lots of good jobs available and enlistment bonuses have never been better.

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Re: Now that's brave: Re: "We don't believe our editorial was courageous. Courageous is getting up in Iraq and Afghanistan and doing a job that becomes more dangerous by the day and then signing up to do it for another enlistment. Now that's brave."

POINT WELL-TAKEN. You are correct sir, and yours was a different kind of courage, let's agree on that too.

Robert Hodierne: Modesty forbids.

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San Antonio, Tex.: To your point that what military personnel say in private vs. public, there were cartwheels in my house last night. You wouldn't know it when the uniform left for work this morning.

Your Times publications are always a great resource for military families and I would encourage them to continue or to start reading the various Times. You always have the pay information well before the 'official sources'.

Robert Hodierne: We try. Thanks for noticing (and pointing it out to this audience).

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Alexandria, Va.: I understand the reason that Rummy stayed as long as he did was because Cheney wanted him to. How does Cheney feel about Gates? Is Cheney upset with Bush, now that Bush seems to have shown some actual backbone against Cheney?

Robert Hodierne: I don't know what the vice president is thinking about all this.

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RE: "Bush Evil": Obviously, it wasn't a quote, just a summation of their editorial positions. Our local paper is a Gannett product that leans way left, and I find the same outlook when I occasionally pick up a used USA Today in a hotel lobby.

Be proud: it isn't every day that an editorial shows immediate results, even if those results are detrimental to the host country (journalists, of course, are "citizens of the world").

Robert Hodierne: Thanks.

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Collegeville, Pa.: It is an easy way out for Bush to make Rumsfeld step down. Bush should carry responsibilities for Iraq. Actually he should go on trial to uncover the real reasons for the Iraq invasion

Robert Hodierne: I think trials are unlikely. But I'm betting there will be some interesting congressional hearings next year.

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Arlington, Mass.: Do you think that Iraq is currently in a civil war? Do you think it will get worse?

Robert Hodierne: If it's not a civil war, I don't know what is. And I fear it will get worse.

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Robert Hodierne: Thanks to everyone who dropped by today. Cheers. And as we used to say in the newspaper business: -30-

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