DONALD RUMSFELD SAYS GOODBYE:

In a question-and-answer session, he was asked about his best day and his worst day as defense secretary.

“Clearly, the worst day was Abu Ghraib, seeing what went on there and feeling so deeply sorry that that happened,” he said without hesitation, referring to the scandal in the spring of 2004 that triggered worldwide condemnation and prompted him to twice offer his resignation to President Bush at that time. Bush rejected those offers.

“I guess my best day, I don’t know, may be a week from Monday,” he said with a big grin, referring to the fact that his successor, Robert Gates, is scheduled to take over at the Pentagon on December 18.

In prepared remarks to his audience, Rumsfeld predicted that the period since he took office in January 2001 would eventually be seen as one of “enormous challenge and historic consequence.”

Asked how he wants history to remember him, he said simply, “Better than the local press.”

I think that’s likely. More information, and video, here.