Washington, DC— In May 2004, I called for the resignation of Secretary Rumsfeld as well as Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz when the Abu Ghraib prison scandal became public.  At the time I said that the prison abuse scandal demonstrated that the United States was reeling on the precipice of a major foreign policy debacle.  Our standing as a nation had been lowered to the point that the world no longer viewed the U.S. as the ambassador of peace but as a principal threat to world peace.

Two and one-half years later, the Administration continues to pursue a policy in Iraq without the benefit of any strategic or political compass.  Yesterday’s Congressional elections, and the ascendancy of the Democratic Party to the leadership of the House of Representatives, represents a clear repudiation of Secretary Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. 

It is past time to change course in Iraq.  It is my hope that today’s resignation of Secretary Rumsfeld is a signal that the Administration is not staying the course, but instead will chart a new path that enhances the security and safety of both Iraq and the U.S.