For a White House known for its discipline and coordination, it seems as though administration officials frequently have trouble keeping their stories straight.
In announcing the administration’s new Iraq Stabilization Group last week, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld not only supported the group’s creation, but helped devise its existence along with Dick Cheney and Colin Powell.
The New York Times reported that Rumsfeld “embraced” the new group and quoted Rumsfeld’s spokesman as saying the Defense Secretary was “aware of the new approach.”
On Monday, White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters that the change “did not come as a surprise” to Rumsfeld and that the Defense Secretary was “very involved in this process” of shifting responsibilities.
Yesterday, Rumsfeld offered an entirely different perspective. While Rice said Rumsfeld helped create the Iraq Stabilization Group, Rumsfeld said yesterday he hadn’t even heard of it until he got Rice’s memo on Friday. And though the Times quoted White House officials saying Rumsfeld likes the new idea, the Defense Secretary doesn’t seem particularly happy about it.
The Washington Post reported today that Rumsfeld said “he was not told in advance about a reorganization of the Iraq reconstruction” and said “he still does not know the reason for the shake-up.”
Asked why the Iraq Stabilization Group is now necessary, Rumsfeld first said, “I think you have to ask [Rice] that question.” When pressed for an explanation as to why the reconstruction efforts that he had been leading are now shifting to Rice, Rumsfeld said, “I said I don’t know. Isn’t that clear? You don’t understand English? I was not there for the backgrounding.”
I get the feeling that the White House is in a bit of disarray, don’t you?