Rumsfeld’s second tour as secretary of Defense started out predictably enough. He sought to fight Pentagon waste and inefficiency, and promote a strategic vision termed "Defense Transformation," making the military more networked, adaptable, expeditionary, and lethal.
But it seemed like the old ways of doing things would outlast Rumsfeld. His private sector experience as a corporate downsizer was less relevant in the public sector with employees he could not fire, assets he could not sell, and a dysfunctional board of directors (Congress). By the end of summer 2001, some had already declared his effort a failure, and there was a rumored betting pool at the Pentagon on the date he would resign.
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