Rumsfeld For Boss Of The Year

Everyone needs a boss like Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld.

Seems Army Gen. Tommy Franks, the man responsible for amassing forces to attack Iraq, is under investigation for allowing his wife to attend classified briefings (nothing brings a family together like top secret operational meetings), assigning an unwarranted bodyguard to his wife, and failing to reimburse the government for some of his wife's travel expenses.

The investigation is only three-quarters complete, but Rumsfeld has said that Franks has his "complete confidence and the complete confidence" of the president. Rummy added: "There isn't a chance in the world that [the results of the investigation] will have any possible interference with his role as the combatant commander in the Central Command. Tom Franks is doing a superb job for this country, and we are lucky to have him there. He is a man of great talent and skill."

Rummy also will serve as judge and jury after the results are in. How nice. Let's just say Franks probably won't have to plan an early retirement.

True, this country operates on the principle of innocent until proven guilty -- a concept with spotty application by this administration. And Franks may be cleared even before Rummy has to make a decision.

But coming out this early with such a sweeping endorsement undermines the notion of accountability and an objective investigation. Should the investigation even continue now that Rummy has preemptively said the results will not matter? And if the investigation continues and finds fault, would it matter? Rummy has spoken.

Even an attorney who normally represents military clients is quoted as saying that Rummy's premature comments were "inappropriate."

Part of Dubya's campaign in 2000 was his promise to follow a higher ethical and moral ground. The days of the Clinton Administration's playing fast and loose with ethics were over. The country deserved an administration that would take the high road and demand behavior that was above reproach.

Dubya's black-and-white world of "moral clarity" erases shades of gray. You're good or bad. Period.

WE now get to see if the administration will truly live by that code.

Any bets?

© Copyright 2003 Keith Jameson. Last update: 2/5/2003; 9:08:12 AM.