Time to Stop Knocking Rummy

Now it's time for 'My Word'...

OK, we've knocked Donald Rumsfeld (search) around for a few days, but now it's time to knock it off.

The defense secretary wrote an op-ed piece in Tuesday's USA Today after being invited to respond to recent criticism lodged against him.

He could have said, "Who are these quavering Republicans who are lashing against me? What do they know about running the world's largest military bureaucracy, the Pentagon?"

He could have said, "Look. This is politics. Even Republicans have to face the voters. You are seeing people who don't want to face up to the fact that they favored the war, but don't like the deadly messes that come along with it."

He could have said that, but he didn't.

Instead he talked about the important work of modernizing our military to meet the threats that come from ratty little terrorists with a bomb in the backpack... as opposed to the mighty Red Army.

He talked about getting that question from that soldier a week or so ago, and said it was a fair question and that he's glad to answer it.
He gave the facts and figures about how much body armor and Humvee armor the military supply system is now churning out.

He talked about realigning the Guard and Reserve to be better fit for the job they're being asked to perform.

He didn't talk about the war in Iraq taking a toll on Guard and Reserve recruiting, and that evidently is gong to be a problem.

He didn't talk about what appears to be a need for a bigger U.S. ground force.

He didn't talk about the political winds whipping around his head, or the fact that his boss says he wants to stick with him.

He didn't wring his hands and say, "I'm so sorry about the things I did which probably were mistakes."

He said, "We're moving forward and trying to make the best decisions every day."

One day Rumsfeld may want to quit. When that day comes, he should.

In the meantime, I have no interest in seeing him forced out with every bonehead on the planet who thought we should have never gone into Iraq crowing about how right they were.

And that's My Word.

Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story" and send your comments to: myword@foxnews.com