Rummy's goals in the hearings today as I see 'em:

- stop the buck
- make it disappear in some chain of command/media circlebabble
- say "I am responsible, accountable and I sincerely apologise" as a direct rebuttal to JFK's great statement about the issue of accountability yesterday. CNN was immediately clipping & replaying this after the senate hearing and they are doing it again NOW as first after live.
:puke:
- prepare the public for more to come. Like trying to make a dam break sound less scary by telling people who live under it what just happened if you ask me, but trying to soften the blow anyway.

Admit you're a HUGE failure, say you're sorry and hope it goes away.

me thinks some people are in for a rude awakening as shit hits the mainstream fan.

What strategical goals did you hear him serve?

trying to take on as much blame as he and as few others as possible can hold. They want him to be the lightning rod for this thing when it *really* blows up with the videos.

Once he and his subordinates have taken most of the damage, he will resign. They will change the subject and cross their fingers and try to get on with stealing the election again.

in two words you perfectly illustrated what I feel.

Sucking up the blame till he bursts. Or not, 'cause this is one huge balloon.

all i saw was accusations against the amorphous chain-of-command. maybe i missed something?

but he did say the words "I am responsible" ("I am THE BOSS of DoD" is what he thinks when he says it).

And so now they can be clipped and replayed ad nauseam.