Asked what type of job they think Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is doing, Americans overwhelmingly say his performance is “only fair” to “poor,” according to a recent Harris Poll. The survey also showed that Rumsfeld’s positive rating was at 78 percent shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, while now only 35 percent of Americans cast his performance as “excellent” or “pretty good.” In fact, since April 2003, Rumsfeld’s positive rate has dropped fairly consistently from 71 percent to today’s 35 percent.
The Air Force is asking Congress for a major infusion of cash into a little-known fund that manages spare parts In its 2027 budget request, as the service focuses on improving aircraft readiness.