Television Children Fed

What the media can't seem to even contemplating canvassing is that Bush probably cannot fire Rumsfeld even if he wants to.

"Mr. President, this is my quiet counsel," Card said. "Put a diplomat in the Defense Department."

The president seemed genuinely intrigued.

"You don't have to rush to make a decision," Card advised.

Card spoke with Rumsfeld, who talked as if he presumed there would be no change. One of Rumsfeld's minions told Card, "Nothing will happen until the war is over."

...

Knowing how important loyalty was to Bush, [Card] said, "Mr. President, it's not disloyal to have someone in for four years, four and a half years, in a job like this, and then for a variety of reasons, many of them not of his own doing, okay, to say that it would be advantageous to have a change."

Interesting idea, Bush said.

Card kept pushing, at one point raising the possibility of change at the Pentagon with Vice President Cheney.

No, Cheney said, he was predisposed to recommend that the president keep Rumsfeld right where he was.

That URL leads to a lengthy Bob Woodward piece on Rumsfeld in WaPo, BTW.