Blair and McCain: A Double Blow to Bush

In the afterglow of the successful invasion of Iraq in July, 2003 — just when hints of an insurgency were beginning to simmer — John McCain praised outgoing Army General Tommy Franks for his stewardship of the war at a Senate hearing. Franks basked in the kind words, as did his superior, Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, sitting alongside him. "I'll reserve any praise for Secretary Rumsfeld until he retires," the Arizona Republican said, triggering a laugh from Rumsfeld.

Well, Rumsfeld has retired. McCain isn't praising him, and Rumsfeld isn't laughing. ''I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history,'' McCain told 800 South Carolinians at a retirement community on Monday. McCain long complained during the war that the Bush administration had not sent sufficient troops to Iraq, but his Monday comments ratcheted up the criticism several notches. "We are paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement — that's the kindest word I can give you — of Donald Rumsfeld, of this war,'' he said. "The price is very, very heavy and I regret it enormously.''

McCain's blunt talk, coming atop the announced withdrawals of British and Danish troops from Iraq even as Washington dispatches more GIs, highlights the continuing erosion of the President's position. McCain is not only a war hero and a former POW; he is the ranking Republican on the Armed Services committee. The European pullouts have rendered the original coalition of the willing into an all-but-all-American show.

The White House, even as it is asking the country to send more of its sons and daughters to Iraq, hailed the partial British pullout as evidence of success. There was no suggestion from Washington that those European forces be redeployed to Baghdad to ease some of the strain on the U.S. military — because the Bush administration knows the answer would be no.

So while Blair's decision and McCain's words might sting, it's what they represent that really should be giving the White House the heebie-jeebies. After all, McCain's charge that Rumsfeld may be the nation's worst defense secretary won applause even from an elderly South Carolina audience. And Rumsfeld, as the former defense secretary never tired of saying while in office, served at the pleasure of the President.