Rumsfeld timing

I've heard throughout the day that some are questioning the timing of the Bush's announcement that Rumsfeld was resigning.

Two things to note. If the White House wasn't expecting to lose control of the House and Senate, then there would be no need for Rumsfeld to resign. Perhaps this was a conditional decision, one based on the outcome of the election. As Republicans went, so went Rumsfeld.

(*UPDATE* Bush today: "Win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee." That would make the above statement false. The self correcting blogosphere in action!)


More importantly, as the perceived architect of the Iraq war, had Rumsfeld been allowed to step down before the election, I think the wave would have hit Republican's even harder. Now candidates for the House and Senate would have to face questions about supporting the outgoing Sec. of Defense or supporting the President, a rock and a hard place that no one in their right mind would want to be. And Democrats would have proclaimed that the removal of Rummy was vindication of their claims that the war in Iraq was not working.

This was clearly a wise election time decision made by the White House.