by Paula Berrer

Straining to be taken seriously and feared again, after another unimpressive outing at the American Legion Annual Meeting yesterday in Utah, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has shaved his head, and is wearing two new tattoos on this forearm, one that says “Born to Lose,” and one that says “Interrogation Angels.” Though this represents a more aggressive stance for the often publicly placid, but recently much embattled, senior civilian military commander, it is fitting in terms of a toughening public stance against almost relentless criticism. He shunned reporters’ questions at the daily Pentagon press briefing, and refused to shake hands with aids to Chief of Staff Josh Bolten when accompanying President Bush on the White House tarmac late in the day yesterday.

Some with familiarity with Rumsfeld’s previous tenures in public office are comparing it to his “Flashdance” phase, when he wore t-shirts with torn-off sleeves, while serving former President Gerald Ford in the late 1970s.