Informed Speculation

John McCain has never been a Donald Rumsfeld fan, but he reiterated his lack of confidence today, even as he respected the president’s right to his team:

Sen. John McCain joined the ranks of retired generals who have said they have no confidence in Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Or more precisely, the generals are falling in line with McCain’s long-standing assessment, McCain said Friday.

“I was asked a long time ago, I think a year and a half or two years ago, if I had confidence in S ecretary Rumsfeld. I was asked that directly. I said, ‘No,’ ” the Republican senator said during a news conference at his Phoenix office.

“But the president has the right and earned the right as the president of the United States to appoint his team — and he has confidence in Secretary Rumsfeld.

“I will continue to work with Secretary Rumsfeld as much as I can as long as he is secretary of Defense. We have to, because we need to win this war.”

McCain covers other topics in the story taken from a press conference in his offense, including Iran:

“It’s a significant threat to peace in the world, particularly since the Iranian government has announced on multiple occasions their dedication to the extinction of the state of Israel,” McCain said.

Keep this is mind about the Rumsfeld controversy: Karl Rove has been the subject of non-stop rumors about his imminent departure, and he’s apparently going nowhere. I expect Rumsfeld can expect the same degree of loyalty. If he goes, it will be of his own accord…