'A caring fellow' indeed

President Bush called Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "a caring fellow" during a White House press conference today. "I have heard the anguish in his voice and seen his eyes when we talk about the danger in Iraq and the fact that youngsters are over there in harm's way," Bush said. He also said that under Rumsfeld's "rough and gruff, no-nonsense demeanor is a good human being who cares deeply about our military and deeply about the grief that war causes."

Really? Because it seems odd that a man who cares so much about protecting American soldiers from harm wouldn't have ensured that the Defense Department met its self-imposed deadline almost five months ago to put armor on all vehicles used in war zones. And it's more than a little strange that a man who is so sensitive to the suffering of military families wouldn't even take a few seconds out of his day to sign the condolence letters sent to the families of troops killed in battle.

But Rumsfeld, who didn't anticipate the post-war Iraqi insurgency and who sent our soldiers to war without the proper safety equipment, isn't going anywhere soon. Bush made that clear today by giving the defense secretary a resounding endorsement. "I know Secretary Rumsfeld's heart," he said.

Well, I feel better now. Let's just ignore the facts and go with that.