confirmationaphobia

i still think rumsfeld is still secretary of defense primarily because of the bush administration's inherent stubbornness. but josh marshall has an important alternative theory:

With Rumsfeld, or any other cabinet secretary, there's a related problem -- the importance of which has, I think, not been fully appreciated or aired. If Rumsfeld goes, you need to nominate someone else and get them through a senate confirmation. That means an open airing of the disaster of this administration's national security policy. Every particular; all about Iraq. Think how much they don't want that ...

(via atrios, though i would have found it on my own eventually)