Rumsfeld Offered Twice to Resign

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said he offered twice to resign in the wake of the prison scandals, but President Bush refused.

Bush is smart. He knows that firing Rumsfeld would have pleased mostly the people who weren't going to vote for him anyway.

But by sticking with him, he was demonstrating a characteristic -- LOYALTY -- that plays big with the ones who would likely vote for him. It bolstered his base, many of whom look to gut-feeling intangibles to justify their vote. Policy matters little to people who base their approval of others on things like: Does he pray? Does he stick with his friends? Does he visit his mother? Does he look French?