Rumsfeld's Toads

Billmon read the following and gags:

The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God.

"He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country," said Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Rumsfeld is "a man whose patriotism focus, energy, drive, is exceeded by no one else I know . . . quite simply, he works harder than anybody else in our building," Pace said at a ceremony at the Southern Command (Southcom) in Miami . . .

Navy Admiral James Stavridis took over Southcom's command from General Bantz Craddock.

"He [Rumsfeld] comes to work everyday with a single-minded focus to make this country safe," said Stavridis who was a senior aide to Rumsfeld before taking on the Southcom job.

"We're lucky as a nation that he continues to serve with such passion and such integrity and such determination and such brilliance," said Stavridis, 51.

[...]

There are really only three plausible explanations for Pace's and Stavridis's outrageous displays of toadyism:

• They felt they had to kiss Rumsfeld's ass in public to keep their jobs.

• Rumsfeld ordered them to kiss his ass in public.

• They sincerely believed their own lickspittle praise.

I don't know which one is worse.