I love this line by Don

"Reports that say something hasn't happened are interesting to me, because as we know, there are known unknowns; there things we know we know, we also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

My favorite Rumsfeld quote was in 2001 when some reporters tried to badger him on the use of cluster bombs.  They said something like "There are reports that American forces are using cluster bombs, I'd like to hear your comments on that."

And Rumsfeld soaid something like "We're using cluster bombs because we're trying to kill them."


A few months later, he gave a perfectly objective and succinct assesment of the Israeli/Palestinian situation that sent the Europeans into a tizzy.  His words:

[b]My feelings about the so-called occupied territories are that there was a war. Israel urged neighboring countries not to get involved in it once it started. They all jumped in and they lost a lot of real estate to Israel because Israel prevailed in the conflict."[/b]

I love that guy.

I got the talking Rumsfled action figure.
[url]http://www.talkingpresidents.com/products-af-rummy.shtml[/url]

"I'm working my over to figuring out how I won't answer that."

"You just don't like one-word answers."

"[Cluster bombs] are being used on front-line al-Qaida and Taliban troops to try to kill them."

I received this e-mail tonight. I don't think it is a actual letter but pretty funny anyway.[:D]


     Dear Concerned Citizen:

    Thank you for your recent letter roundly criticizing our treatment of the Taliban and Al Qaeda detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  My administration takes these matters seriously, and your opinion was heard loud and clear here in Washington.
   You'll be pleased to learn that, thanks to the concerns of citizens like you, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist Retraining Program, to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers" program, or LARK for short. In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to place one terrorist under your personal care.

    Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday.

    Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of admonishment. It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so
strongly recommended in your letter.

    Ahmed's meal requirements are simple, but we strongly suggest serving meals that do not require utensils, particularly knives and forks. Also, these should be "one-handed" foods; Ahmed will not eat with his left hand since he uses it to wipe himself after purging his bowels (which he will do in your yard) - but look on the bright side .. no increase in the toilet paper bill.

    He generally bathes quarterly with the change of seasons, assuming that it rains, and he washes his clothes simultaneously. This should help with your water bill. Also, your new friend has a really bad case of body lice that hasn't been completely remedied.
    Please heed the large orange notice attached to your detainee's cage: "Does not play well with others."

    Although Ahmed is sociopathic and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem" will help him overcome these character flaws.

    Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. He will bite you, given the chance, but his rabies test came back negative, so not to worry. We understand that you plan to offer counseling and home schooling. Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We do not suggest that you ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group. He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him.

    Ahmed will not wish to interact with your wife or daughters (except sexually) since he views females as a subhuman form of property.
  However, he will be eager to assist with the education of your sons; have available for their use several copies of the Q'uran. Oh - and rest assured he absolutely loves animals, especially cats and dogs. He prefers them roasted, but raw is fine, too, if they aren't more than 2 or 3 days dead.

    Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks like you, who know so much, keep us informed of the proper way to do our job.  We think this watching over each other's shoulder is such a good way for people to interact that we will be sending a team of federal officials with expertise in your line of work to your place of business soon, just to help you do your job better. Don't be concerned that they have the power to close your business, seize your property, and arrest you for any violation of the 4,850,206 laws, codes, regulations and rules that apply to your profession. They're really there just to make sure you're doing everything the proper way. That is what you wanted, right?

    Well, thank you for this opportunity to interact with such a valued member of the citizenry. You take good care of Ahmed - and remember ... we'll be watching.

Cordially, Your Buddy, Don Rumsfeld