SecDef, that goes unreservedly to Louis Johnson with Charlie Wilson and Thomas Gates being close behind. MacNamara did more harm than Rumsfeld -- everyone in DoD is still suffering from some of his ideas.

The really good SecDefs, Melvin Laird and Schlesinger were exceptions to a string of mediocrity. Frank Carlucci, Cap Weinberger and Perry also did pretty well.

Rumsfeld is in the middle of the pack; he micro managed and interfered excessively initially in Afghanistan and Iraq but then settled down, backed off the micro management and did his DoD management job and did it pretty well. He traveled to the theater, he talked to troops unscripted. He was saddled with some sorry Deputies -- politically imposed by Cheney -- but finally managed to corral them.

As Eden said, he did not trust the senior officers, particularly of the Army and I reluctantly and regrettably say that lack of trust was deserved.