We’ve all suspected for some time that our outgoing Defense Secretary is a very, very odd man. And that Fox News blowhard Cal Thomas is completely freakin’ bonkers. There’s further proof, after the jump, in this straight-outta-Wonderland exchange between the two. Julie Andrews, beware.
SEC. RUMSFELD: It’s good to see you.
MR. THOMAS: When you get things, you know, straightened out, come down and see a movie with us. I promise it won’t be a war movie.
SEC. RUMSFELD: What kind of a movie?
MR. THOMAS: We got a movie theater we kind of like in our house.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Oh, do you really?
MR. THOMAS: Yeah, we decided we’re not leaving anything to the kids, so we’re spending it on ourselves since I earned it.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Yeah, damn right. That’s my answer. (Laughter.)
MR. THOMAS: (Laughs.) There you go. And so we have this nice movie theater with surround sound –
SEC. RUMSFELD: I’ve heard these home theaters — you have chairs that –
MR. THOMAS: Oh, they’re fun. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah do that. You can sleep, you can do anything. It’s very cool.
SEC. RUMSFELD: My wife –
MR. THOMAS: Juke box, all kinds of stuff.
SEC. RUMSFELD: My wife loves movies.
MR. THOMAS: Oh, good. Well –
SEC. RUMSFELD: She goes all the time with a group of women, and I have not been in six years to the movies.
MR. THOMAS: It’ll be fun. I got one for you that’d you’d really love. You got it this Christmas. Get for her and watch it together. It’s called “Akeelah and the Bee.” Starbucks is involved in it. It’s about a little African-American girl, 11-years-old, growing up in Crenshaw in LA… And they discover that she has this great gift of spelling. Laurence Fishburne is in it, Angela Basset. She goes out and redeems everybody… I’m sitting there I’m balling away. I’m cheering for the kid…
I guarantee you I’ll give you your money back if you don’t love this movie. You will absolutely love this. It’s got everything. There’s not a white guy — the only white guy in it is the principal of the school. Everybody else is minority, everybody else gets along.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Did you like the “Sound of Music?“
MR. THOMAS: Of course I liked the “Sound of Music.“
SEC. RUMSFELD: Well, so did I… People laugh at that.
MR. THOMAS: Well, I want to you something. I stalked Julie Andrews for 40 years before I finally got her.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Is that right.
MR. THOMAS: On our shelf, a picture of us having tea together in New York.
SEC. RUMSFELD: How long ago?
MR. THOMAS: Two years. But I –
SEC. RUMSFELD: She’s showing her years.
MR. THOMAS: Yeah, well — no, she looks great.
SEC. RUMSFELD: (Laughs.)
MR. THOMAS: I waited for her outside the Majestic Theater in 1962 in the rain. That’s when it started… And that’s how I opened the letter to her, you know. So anyway, you got more important things to do.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Good to see you.
MR. THOMAS: Good to you see you, and let’s stay in touch.
SEC. RUMSFELD: Terrific.
MR. THOMAS: And come and see a movie. You will love that one, I guarantee it. Merry Christmas.
(Big ups: Dan Dupont)
I’m wondering if the fact he hasn’t seen a movie in six years might explain anything…
What is wrong with this interview? SO he hasn’t seen a movie. So what. He’s been the freakin Secretary of Defense there were probably more important things to do then see The Breakup or Saw. I know I had more important things to do. You people need to get over yourselves.
I concur.
Where’s the beef? How does this prove he’s an “odd” man? I went 6 years without watching a movie in a theater once, and I see maybe 1–2 in a year that there’s something really worth watching. What the heck are you folks snorting?
And the “stalking” joke–I bet some of you writers have more pictures of yourselves with famous or important people on your wall than I do.
I wonder if Rumsfeld is aware that whenever he is telling a big fat lie that he uses the phrase “goodness gracious”.
Cranky
Personally, I believe, in his eyes, he is making the wisest choice. The Global War on Terror and Iraq are not his problem. These are issues on the “table” waiting for Dr. Robert Gates. Rumsfeld has a few last details he wants to finish up and then just go home.
What will you do Noah do when — you won’t have Rumsfeld to kick around anymore.
There are unknown knowns and known unknowns and I wish this whole Julie Andrews thing just stayed unknown.
What’s strange about this is that Fox filmed it AND AOL is reporting it.
So what if he hasn’t been to a theater in 6 years.….. he has been kind of busy, and who in the hell wants to sit in a dark theater with Secret Service agents all around you.… Rumsfield wouldn’t have been able to see over his security to view the screen. Makes sense to me.
Sounds like 2 people having a discussion about nothing, and should have been nothing, but dunderheaded media was short a gossip piece. Whatever it is, it’s certainly NOT news.
Well, regardless of whether one thinks this article or exchange is weird or not, Rummy IS weird, very weird indeed. Everything he says creeps me out. I also think the fact that he points out the Julie Andrews is “looking her years” says else something about him. She looks great (not that it’s even relevant) and she’s had a heck of a lot more positive influence on our country than Rumsfeld ever did. See ya, Rum-Rum. Oh, and in your retirment, enjoy all the money you’ve earned since you don’t plan to share it with your family.
Don’t like Rumsfeld’s handling of the war, but always liked his candor. I think he responded as rationally as he could and that Cal Thomas is, in my opinion, a MORON !
PS: Akeela and the Bee sucked !
well, maybe this is not news, but it’s very telling of these two. I’m so happy for Mr. Thomas that he saw a movie with only one white man in it. No, really I think it’s disgusting that he has to make such a point of that. It screams, “see, I’m really not a racist, honestly!” And as for Rumsfeld, he’s a mass murderer who, not suprisingly, is anti-social and very stingey with his money. I hope they enjoy watching movies together at Mr. Thomas’ house this Christmas. That’s more conversation I don’t want to hear. Ew…
Rummy is wierd and not very much of a team person. When asked a number of years ago if he could help usher at church because we were one short that Sunday (he was a long time member) he refused saying that he didn’t have the time. Hello, you are already there and you can’t help with the offering? Guess Rummy puts himself in a class above everyone else. Didn’t like him then and not a fan now.
A very telling exchange between an old man with little heart, compassion,or competence and a racist moron. Just think how much this one little seemingly meaningless exchange says about the Bush administration and the right wing press. Sad but really not all that surprising, at least to me.
Yeah, You are right, could, or can you do a better job?. No but you can wite about it but if you had to stand up for what you bleieve in would you do it?.
P. S. Vote for Hillary (rumor has it she is bi.
H
but he was dead on on one thing, Akelah and the Bee made me ball my eyes out, one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
Whomever wrote this piece not only chose the most meaningless part of the interview, he or she also failed to address the rest of the interview in which Rumsfeld reveals a sharp understanding of the situation in the world today. Very few if any of us here in this discussion forum can go eye to eye in debate with Rummy on any subject and expect to have a better grasp of understanding of the subject matter.
Most people that experienced world war 2 have died of old age and suddenly we seem to be awash in a sea of moral relativism in which the US is not morally superior to its adversaries. To my parents and grandparents generation however (I write this from the Netherlands and both generations were liberated by the Americans and their allies) the moral superiority of the US was self evident, when the Germans were beaten nobody for one second was afraid the allies would occupy us instead. Has anything changed fundamentally in the US since then? Does anyone doubt that an overwhelmingly vast majority of Americans want the Iraqis to be free and at peace?
The US is morally superior to its adversaries by any set of moral values you can possibly come up with, people that think differently ought to come visit the gravesites of world war two and really pause to think about history and how so many people died to preserve a liberty that so many so take for granted today.
Can nobody here — either the transcriber or the responders — correctly spell the word “bawl”? If Mr. Thomas were indeed “balling” during the movie instead of “bawling,” that would be something else entirely!
Before you little liberal perfectionists go gaga over some percieved wierdness in Donald Rumsfeld, I sugggest you look in your own mirror, I bet there’s plenty of wierdness staring you in your own face, so to speak..
THIS JUST IN; AND NOW, BACK TO REALITY.
CHEVY CHASE MUST BE TURNING GREEN WITH ENVY.
LORD!
Fark’s headline: “The hills are alive with the sounds of douchebags.“
C’mon, Rummy-istas. You gotta admit that’s funny.
It is inevitable, the fate/s…the destinies of this thing called “man”. Blinders formed of “purpose and task” or from full scale committment in a direction that one has been sold on by other’s (plus by lifelong committments) can make a man a consecrated fool, or a concentrating tool towards and in future directives (understood by all piers)which surely will effect us all. No insulation exists for man caught in the path of grand scale decision. No movie could depict truly the life of this “Rumsfield” gentleman. Complex beyond a doubt, very closed mouthed; a man with decency in his heart and a love for his country that knows fully well we are headed into a great future. “Out of chaos comes birth, creation as it were” I say, and the men caught up in the immense action of natinal decision today have engineered our tomorrows. Thank you, “Rumsfield” for your sincere efforts. Merry Christmas to you, and yours.
Hey…don’t like either one, but that didn’t sound all that wierd to me. Whats the matter with likeing a movie and telling a friend about it? I do it all the time..bet you do to…
well, I am having a hard time seeing the Nuttiness here. I think a lot of what he said is right, so I’m not sure what the problem is really.
I do see some other wonderfully expressive posts that are showing hatred for Bush and Rummy, but no real other coherant thoughts or ideas why.
Maybe some of those people who only can hate, and have lost the ability to think rationally should start taking the time to stop and think before they open their mouth and hate on America. Lib-Dems,I’m talking to you, Emotionaly driven hate filled rhetoric obviously shows a lack of intelligence on your part. I would love to see a rational debat based on logic and facts, but Liberals seem incapable of this, so I guess i will just keep hoping to find a Patriotic Lib.
Maybe someday.
Not that strange. Maybe it’s strange that people think the exchange was strange. Anyway, I’m not a big Rumsfeld fan, but he should be thanked for doing his best. He sounds like he’s glad to be out. Now maybe he can go and enjoy a movie, who knows. I’m glad someone else is in there as Sec. of Defense. I hope they do a better job than Rums did. Nice that he can resign and go home, I bet some of the guys in Iraq wish they could.
I think somebody is reaching awfully hard to call this conversation “weird.” There’s nothing weird about a couple of guys talking about movies or women who are in them. If anything, it sounds 229to me like old Cal was trying to cozy up to Rummie so he could get a picture of the two of them together for his living room shelf.
I felt safe knowing Rummy was not watching movies for six years. He was a Great Sec. of Defense
Well, you see, guys this “interview” wasn’t really newsworthy! That is why it is called “weird.” Given the state of the Nation and Rumsfeld’s recent “job move,” you would think they might have something weightier to say. OK, now it occurs to me! If you are a Fox News regular I guess you really don’t get it because you are weird.
I find the comments of the dwindling number of Bush supporters rather offensive. Labelling the majority of Americans opposed to the Bush failures as “unpatriotic” is inappropriate. Calling them “lib” as a perjorative is absurd, as a large majority of those disapproving of the Bush presidency are not liberal, as is the notion that this is driven by emotion. Bush’s ill-advised invasion of Iraq is probably the worst American foreign policy blunder in history. Changing Clinton’s record surpluses into record deficits has been another huge blunder on the domestic side. The level of dishonesty and corruption that permeates this supposedly Christian Administration is disheartening.
Well, JVD has it right, but the overwhelming majority have their heads up their asses. News flash: The war on terror started in 1979, dumbasses. Bush is finally doing what several of his predecessors wouldn’t– put troops in position to kick the shit out of the Islamic fundamentalist Revolutionary government of Iran. Read your Sun Tzu. We have them on three sides, and Europe is with us. Iran keeps shooting their mouths off to show Europe that they’re on the right side, too.
Six years ago, we had to ask permission to launch attacks from Saudi soil. Today, we have to ask no-one. Not Afghanistan. Not Iraq.
Big picture, folks.
And “Joe Gibbs” (I’m guessing it’s not the coach) well thought out point, shithead.
wHAT’S THE POINT? iS THIS TO SHOW THE HUMAN SIDE OF RUMSFELD? hITLER LIKED rICHARD wAGNER’S MUSIC AND WAS AN ARTIST. sO WHAT?
will the libs ever give up on the clinton surplus lie the national debt went up every year he was president. having a few bucks in your pocket because you didn’t pay all you bills isn’t a surplus!
There are very few BushBots left who haven’t been de-programmed to some degree, (which surprisingly renders them almost human-like) — But the ones that remain fully and slavishly loyal to their “One True Overlord”, Monstrous Master Bush, are among the most vicious people who have ever walked America.
This is news? C’mon people.
jingoe joe,
your comments remind me of what David Sirota recently wrote about Thomas Friedman and his apologetic articles on the “global economy”:
“He doesn’t want us wondering why the global economy has been integrated with complex intellectual, patent and copyright protections, but no similar protections for wages, human rights, or environmental concerns. Because, you see, if we asked those questions, his entire premise would collapse like a house of cards.“
Your comments remind me alot of that and Sirota’s comment in response has a logic that is important in addressing it. Without putting my finger squarely on it can you see it; can you understand it? If not, then youre helpless. If you can then you are on the road to recovery.
as posted by jvd
“The US defeated Germany and Europe and allowed those two countries to become the 2nd and 3rd largest economy on the planet “
For your information, europe is not a country, please try and remember
just a heads up guys jvd70 actually lives in Europe so he just didn’t write it down correctly but feel free to disregard his posts on account of them.
Truth addict, I think you will find popular support for NATO in most if not all NATO members in Eastern Europe. You presuppose there is an ideal kind of planet in which peace reigns but you can’t explain how to get there from here. What I mean to say is that capitalist liberal democracy isn’t ideal and certainly there’s enough that goes wrong but I’ll sign up to any alternative that would work better. There don’t appear to be any and the far left really does not have any alternatives in store for the political economy of the world in which we live. Study the party programs of the far left parties in Europe and they don’t even seem to have a grasp on what it takes to create employment.