Verbosities

Rumsfeld Foundation to Encourage Public Service - washingtonpost.com

n a rare foray into public debate since stepping down as defense secretary late last year, Donald H. Rumsfeld blasted the recent advertisement by MoveOn.org against Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and decried the current state of political discourse in Washington for its "tendency to try to criminalize public service."

"It seems that the default position for opponents of anyone is to call them liars and betrayers," he said in an interview last week, referring to MoveOn.org's portrayal of Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, as "General Betray Us." Rumsfeld expressed concern that such attacks will discourage public service, especially among young people.

He also blamed "the press and the Congress," two groups with which he often tangled while running the Pentagon, for "creating an environment that is not particularly hospitable to public service." During Rumsfeld's years at the Pentagon, critics often assailed his famously combative style for contributing to Washington's tough political atmosphere. But even then Rumsfeld could be heard expressing dismay at the negative tone of public discussion and the possibility that it would undermine interest in government jobs.

Now that he is out of office, he has devised a foundation with this concern in mind. The foundation's general goal, he said, is to "encourage reasoned and civil debate" about a range of global challenges. A major feature will be student fellowships to promote study after college in fields related to public policy, with the hope of encouraging young people to go into government.

So Rummy thinks the antidote to the current attitude "the press and the congress" have towards "criminalizing" public service is to set up another wingnut thinktank to encourage "reasoned and civil debate."

FELLOWSHIPS FOR ALL MY IDEOLOGICAL BRETHREN! BRING ME THE COLLECTED WORKS OF IRVING KRISTOL AND SEAN HANNITY'S PHONE NUMBER IMMEDIATELY! WE SHALL BRING HAWKS FROM THE LEFT TO MEET WITH PROFITEERS FROM THE RIGHT AND CALL IT "CONSENSUS!" WE SHALL BE GLORIOUS AND VICTORIOUS IN OUR TRIUMPH OF BLUNT FORCE CIVILITY AS WE USE "REASON" TO ROLL OVER AND SILENCE THE LIBERALS ONCE AND FOR ALL!

Just so we're clear Rummy, I don't think anyone is trying to "criminalize" public service, but criminalizing criminal public service (see Doan, Lurita; Goodling, Monica; et al) seems to have rubbed you the wrong way for some reason. Why is that?

Christ almighty what an asshole.

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