If you want me to sign on to a "Fire Rumsfeld" petition...

[One bad word below, but it's warranted.]

This would convince me.

Yes, there's the puke-inducing horror at Abu Ghraib, which may reach to the top. One reason to take the linked expose seriously is that it was written by Seymour Hersh. That is also the same reason to be very skeptical about it. He runs about 50/50, which means I run hot and cold about it, too--yesterday convinced, today less so.

Ask me again tomorrow.

But the problem with armoring is infuriating, and I can verify it with familial witness testimony. Doug was saying the same thing about their Humvees in February--his unit was very upset with the fact that their vehicles are about as well-armored as the family Venture. Sure, you can improvise--the Guard unit was trying everything from bolting on spare metal plates to sandbags to draping spare body armor over the vulnerable spots.

Let me quote my dad: This is horseshit.

Heaven and earth should be moved to get these guys the protection they need. How many more roadside bombs have to kill people before someone at the Pentagon gets the concept that you must protect troops travelling by road?

And if it's not corrected within a month, someone with job security needs to be fired.