BREAKING: Mind-Blowing Rummy Memo UPDATED w/ poll

Welcome to this episode of "As the Rummy Reputation Turns".

The New York Times today prints a classified memo that is either a very revealing behind-the-scenes look at machinations within the WH, or is just a ham-hamded attempt from another disgruntled ex-WH employee to salvage his own reputation after he's been sacked.

It's not like there's a shortage of people who have come out swinging against the administration following their unceremonious firings.  Every time the administration gets in trouble on something, they find a scapegoat and toss him overboard, only to have come back and try to bite them in the arse with their own tell-all.  

It's a little bit surprising to see Rummy do it, considering his long-term loving relationship with Dick Cheney, but how else to explain this memo?

Here's an example:

The memo’s discussion of possible troop reduction options offers a counterpoint to Mr. Rumsfeld’s frequent public suggestions that discussions about force levels are driven by requests from American military commanders.

Instead, the memo puts on the table several ideas for troop redeployments or withdrawals that appear to conflict with recent public pronouncements from commanders in Iraq emphasizing the need to maintain troop levels.

The memorandum sometimes has a finger-wagging tone as Mr. Rumsfeld says that the Iraqis must "pull up their socks," and suggests reconstruction aid should be withheld in violent areas to avoid rewarding "bad behavior."

So here Rummy is presented as not only a paragon of reality-based thinking but, additionally, a true team player who is willing to lie his ass off publicly to protect the adminstration from any public embarrassment.  

Is it possible that Rummy was fired for even floating such ideas?  I say not only no, but Hell, no.  He was fired, in my opinion, so that the adminstration could change the subject on the news cycle from the Dems' big election night win.  

Bush admitted quite straighforwardly that he lied to us all regarding Rummy because of the upcoming election, so there's little doubt that he's willing to lie about numerous other subjects for similar reasons.  

Anyway - I'm not the biggest dKos political analyst, just another student of human nature like most of us.  I find this memo to be first note of what is likely to be a symphony of Rummy coming forward with self-promotional repuration-restoring bull-puckey.

Where in the hell are all these great thinkers and ideas while they're still actually in the administration?  Why do they only come clean once they leave?  What kind of poison do they drink to keep themselves in line while they're still working there?  I have to say, I respect people like Lindsay and Shinseki a hell of a lot more for speaking out and getting axed publicly than the others, the ones who sacrifice their integrity until it becomes convenient for BushCo to toss them overboard.  Only then do they rediscover their consciences.