Rumsfeld on Detainees: "I Stand for 8-10 Hours a Day. Why is Standing Limited to 4 Hours?"

It was a historic moment. On Dec. 2, 2002, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld signed a memorandum authorizing interrogation techniques against detainees at Guantanamo that the current President of the United States, Barack Obama, has described as "torture."

In a handwritten notation he scrawled at the bottom of the memo, Rumsfeld wrote, "I stand for 8-10 hours a day. Why is standing limited to 4 hours?"

If Rumsfeld had any other thoughts at that historic moment, thus far, that single one is the only known to have been recorded for posterity.

Also of interest:

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Stephanie Woodrow, "Rove Aide Asked Miers to Help Clear Repubican's Name," Main Justice, August 12, 2009.

Murray Waas, "Bush Administration Leaks Bolstered Rep. Renzi's Reelection Bid," the Hill, June 24, 2009.

Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory, "Think Again: Blogosphere to Mainstream Press: Get Off the Bus," Center for American Progress, May 21, 2009.

Murray Waas, "Torture Memo Author Advocated Presidential Pardons, Jury Nullificatoin," Huffington Post, May 6 2009.

Murray Waas, "A U.S. Attorney's Story," the Atlantic, April 20, 2009.

Murray Waas, "The Big Stone Wall: Nine Bush-Era Officials Cooperate with DOJ Probes," Talking Points Memo, Feb. 18, 2009.

Damozel, "Rove to Cooperate?... or Not." Buck Naked Politics, Feb. 9, 2009.

Murray Waas, "Attorney: Rove Will Cooperate with DOJ Probe," TPM Muckraker, Feb. 8, 2009.

Murray Waas, "Feds Probe Domenici for Obstruction of Justice in Iglesias Fight," TPM Muckraker, Feb. 4, 2009.

Murray Waas, "Cheney's Admissions to the CIA Leak Prosecutor," personal blog, Dec. 28, 2008.

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Glenn Greenwald, "Salon Radio: Murray Waas," Salon.com, Sept. 26, 2008.

Murray Waas, "Bush Appointees Attempted to Thwart U.S. Attorney Probe," personal blog, Sept. 28, 2008.

Murray Waas, "What Did Bush Tell Gonzales?," the Atlantic, Sept. 26, 2008.

Murray Waas, "The Case of the Gonzales Notes," the Atlantic, Sept. 26, 2008.

Anna Schecter and Murray Waas, "DOJ Official Fired in Wake of ABC News Investigation," ABCNews.com, June 25, 2008.

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Frank Rich, "When Will Fredo Be Whacked?," New York Times, March 25, 2007.

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Jim Boyd, "Why Courage is Hard to Find," Nieman Reports, Summer, 2006.

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Paul Krugman, "Yes He Would," New York Times, April 10, 2006,

Jay Rosen, "Murray Waas is Our Woodward Now," PressThink, April 9, 2006.

Dan Froomkin, "A Compelling Question," Washington Post, March 31, 2006.

Murray Waas, "Insulating Bush," National Journal, March 30, 2006.

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Brooke Gladstone, "Cheney in the Crosshairs," On the Media, National Public Radio, Feb. 17, 2006.

Amy Goodman, "How Cheney Authorized Libby to Leak Classified Information," Democracy Today!, Feb. 10, 2006.

Murray Waas, "Cheney `Authorized' Libby to Leak Classified Information," National Journal, Feb. 9, 2006.

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Murray Waas, "Rove Before Grand Jury in the Morning," Whatever Already!, Oct. 6, 2005.

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Murray Waas, "The Meeting," the American Prospect, Aug. 6, 2005.

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Murray Waas, "Exclusive: Novak Cooperated With Prosecutors," Whatever Already!, July 12, 2005.

Murray Waas, "Plame Game Redux," the American Prospect, May 22, 2005,

Murray Waas, "The Baron's Exit," the Washington Examiner, May 18, 2005.

Murray Waas, "What Now, Karl?," the Village Voice, April 9, 2005.

Murray Waas, "Pressure on Ashcroft to Recuse Himself Grows," Alternet, Oct. 31, 2003.

Douglas Frantz and Murray Waas, "Iraq Used American-Built Plant to Develop A-Arms," Los Angeles Times, August 9, 1992.

Murray Waas and Douglas Frantz, "Saudi Arms Link to Iraq Allowed: Under Reagan and Bush, U.S. Weapons were Secretly Provided to Mideast," Los Angeles Times, April 18, 1992.

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Comments

[Rescisco]

And he's crazy 24-7

[Andrew Cockburn]

Rumsfeld forgot to mention that although he spent a lot of the day standing up, he did so wearing specially made shoes. They were built up, to make him looker taller (he's 5'8") and specially padded to make standing easier. They were thus oversized and caused him to waddle when he walked. His staff called them "the duck shoes."

[Victorinox]

I had to go to court for a speeding ticket. Why is Rumsfeld's punishment limited to none?

[JohnFromCensornati]

Rummy: I spew nonsense every chance I get. Why are the evildoers gagged?

[RealityBaseCamp]

Hmmm . . .

I tend to think he stands for very little. Used to like him, when the press was asking stupid questions about where the troops were. It was like the SNL sketch from the previous Gulf war.

[SamEllison]

I just googled this;
janis karpinski memo from Rumsfeld