Rumsfeld rejects Kennedy resignation call

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Edward Kennedy called on U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign Thursday, accusing him of mismanaging the Iraq war.

"In baseball its three strikes you're out. How many is it for a defense secretary?" Kennedy said. "Isn't it time for you to resign?"

Rumsfeld responded with a spirited defense of his record and the progress in Iraq, and said he has in fact offered to resign -- twice.

"I've offered my resignation to the president twice, and he has decided that he would prefer that he not accept it, and that's his call," Rumsfeld said.

Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. Central Command, came to Rumsfeld's defense.

"I've been fighting this next to the secretary for a long time, and there is no doubt that I certainly have made my mistakes. But when it comes to toughness and stick-to-itiveness and fighting the enemy the way they need to be fought, I'm standing by the secretary," Abizaid said.