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Bob Woodward, the longtime chronicler of Washington’s inner workings, has a scathing assessment of Donald Rumsfeld’s new memoir, writing Tuesday morning that by “ducking and weaving and dodging responsibility” in the book, the former defense secretary has exemplified “much of what is worst in Washington.”
Woodward closely covered the George W. Bush administration and, in particular, focused on the run-up to — and conduct of — the Iraq war in his reporting for four books and The Washington Post. Rumsfeld has gotten it all wrong, Woodward wrote in a fiery item published on Foreign Policy’s website.
In his memoir released last month, “Known and Unknown,” and in promotional interviews for the book, Rumsfeld has repeatedly offered a full-throated defense of his role at the Pentagon from early 2001 through his resignation in 2006. Rumsfeld has denied making any major mistakes in Iraq and instead has blamed then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and even President Bush for any mishandling.
“Rumsfeld’s memoir is one big clean-up job, a brazen effort to shift blame to others — including President Bush — distort history, ignore the record or simply avoid discussing matters that cannot be airbrushed away,” Woodward wrote. “It is a travesty, and I think the rewrite job won’t wash.”
Woodward cites his own reporting as evidence that Rumsfeld’s accounts of the Bush era are wrong. In January 2002, Rumsfeld conceded to Woodward and Post reporter Dan Balz that he had suggested going after not just Osama bin Laden but also Saddam Hussein on Sept. 12, 2001.
And Rumsfeld’s camp hit back late Tuesday afternoon, characterizing Woodward as an author who practices “access journalism,” Rumsfeld chief of staff Keith Urbahn said in a statement.
While a young reporter for The Washington Post in 1972, Woodward was teamed up with Carl Bernstein; the two did much of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon.
Gene Roberts, the former executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and former managing editor of The New York Times, has called the work of Woodward and Bernstein "maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time."
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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50427.html
Woodward closely covered the George W. Bush administration and, in particular, focused on the run-up to — and conduct of — the Iraq war in his reporting for four books and The Washington Post. Rumsfeld has gotten it all wrong, Woodward wrote in a fiery item published on Foreign Policy’s website.
In his memoir released last month, “Known and Unknown,” and in promotional interviews for the book, Rumsfeld has repeatedly offered a full-throated defense of his role at the Pentagon from early 2001 through his resignation in 2006. Rumsfeld has denied making any major mistakes in Iraq and instead has blamed then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and even President Bush for any mishandling.
“Rumsfeld’s memoir is one big clean-up job, a brazen effort to shift blame to others — including President Bush — distort history, ignore the record or simply avoid discussing matters that cannot be airbrushed away,” Woodward wrote. “It is a travesty, and I think the rewrite job won’t wash.”
Woodward cites his own reporting as evidence that Rumsfeld’s accounts of the Bush era are wrong. In January 2002, Rumsfeld conceded to Woodward and Post reporter Dan Balz that he had suggested going after not just Osama bin Laden but also Saddam Hussein on Sept. 12, 2001.
And Rumsfeld’s camp hit back late Tuesday afternoon, characterizing Woodward as an author who practices “access journalism,” Rumsfeld chief of staff Keith Urbahn said in a statement.
While a young reporter for The Washington Post in 1972, Woodward was teamed up with Carl Bernstein; the two did much of the original news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon.
Gene Roberts, the former executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and former managing editor of The New York Times, has called the work of Woodward and Bernstein "maybe the single greatest reporting effort of all time."
What Are Your Thoughts About This????
Add Stars!!!!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50427.html