Black Sheep

Did Rumsfeld Ruin Bush?

Bushies dish on former defense secretary.

Might Donald Rumsfeld be left off the guest list for Bush administration reunions? In a piece for GQ, Robert Draper interviews former officials and discovers “intense feelings of ill will toward Donald Rumsfeld.” In interviewing these officials, Draper writes, it “becomes evident that Rumsfeld impaired administration performance on a host of matters extending well beyond Iraq to impact America’s relations with other nations, the safety of our troops, and the response to Hurricane Katrina.” Rumsfeld sought to please Bush by playing to his religiosity—Draper's most shocking find is Defense Department intelligence-briefing covers featuring biblical quotes. One person said, if leaked, the covers “would be as bad as Abu Ghraib.” Rumsfeld also apparently convinced Bush to not award Ted Kennedy a Presidential Medal of Freedom.