Did the White House throw the elections?

Weeks before the mid-term election, it was becoming obvious that Republicans were in danger of losing control of both houses of Congress, and that the war in Iraq was the leading cause of voter disaffection. President Bush repeatedly stated that he intended to "stay the course" and that he intended to keep Iraq War architect Donald Rumsfeld on as Defense Secretary, even though top generals and many in his own party had called for Rumsfeld to go. The Bush White House convinced the GOP leadership to make support for the war, the president, and Rumsfeld a key loyalty test with House and Senate members. Many Republicans stuck by the president in support of this theme.

Now, many of those who did are angry, feeling betrayed by a president who cost them their election races by convincing them to campaign on a "stay the course" theme, while he was getting ready to dump Rumsfeld and change course. The day after the election, the president announced Rumsfeld's resignation.

On November 10, The Hill, a Washington, D.C., newspaper that focuses on Congress, ran a story with a headline that read: "GOP furious about timing of Rumsfeld resignation." The article quoted an unnamed "House GOP leadership aide" who charged: "The White House said keeping the majority was a priority, but they failed to do the one thing that could have made a difference. For them to toss Rumsfeld one day after the election was a slap in the face to everyone who worked hard to protect the majority."

Although many Republicans have still not openly criticized the president for the underhanded way he left them exposed, some have gone on record about the end result. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich told reporters that if Bush had sacked Rumsfeld even two weeks before the election it might have allowed Republicans to retain control of the Senate and keep 10 to 15 house seats.

In a November 12 Associated Press report, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the outgoing chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that Bush should have removed Rumsfeld "as soon as he had made up his mind" to do so, noting that "it's highly doubtful that he made up his mind between the time the election returns came in on Tuesday and Wednesday" when Rumsfeld was out. "And if Rumsfeld had been out, you bet it would have made a difference," Specter said. "I'd still be chairman of the Judiciary Committee."