By Illinois Public Radio/AP
Springfield, Ill. – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should go.
Durbin says America needs new leadership at the Pentagon because the situation in Iraq "has gone from bad to terrible."
Durbin is the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate. He says the Senate should take a "no confidence" vote on Rumsfeld when lawmakers return to Washington next week.
"As far as I'm concerned, Secretary Rumsfeld did not send in the necessary number of troops, did not wait for enough allies so that we could share this burden, didn't provide our troops with the equipment and supplies they needed to be safe in the field, and sadly has no plan to bring them home," Durbin said Tuesday.
Durbin's remarks come after six retired generals have criticized Rumsfeld's handling of the Iraq war. Durbin says their criticism should serve as a wake-up call for Congress. But the President has defended Rumsfeld, saying he should stay on.