Rumsfeld out as Secretary of Defense

Following the Democrats successes in last night's elections, President Bush has announced that Donald Rumsfeld is resigning, and that he is nominating former CIA Director and current Texas A&M President Robert Gates to replace him.

Quote:

Bush says Rumsfeld stepping down
President taps ex-CIA chief Gates to replace embattled defense secretary
BREAKING NEWS
NBC, MSNBC and news services
Updated: 12:16 p.m. MT Nov 8, 2006

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, is resigning after six stormy years at the Pentagon, President Bush said Wednesday.

Bush said Robert Gates, former head of the CIA under the first President Bush, would be tapped to replace Rumsfeld.

The development occurred one day after midterm elections that cost Republicans control of the House, and possibly the Senate, as well. Surveys of voters at polling places said opposition to the war was a significant contributor to the Democratic victory.

President Bush was expected to announce Rumsfeld's departure and Gates' nomination at an afternoon news conference. Administration officials notified congressional officials in advance.

Last week, as he campaigned to save the Republican majority, Bush declared that Rumsfeld would remain at the Pentagon through the end of his term.

Rumsfeld, 74, was in his second tour of duty as defense chief. He first held the job a generation ago, when he was appointed by President Ford.


Gates is the president of Texas A&M University and a close friend of the Bush family. He served as CIA director for Bush’s father from 1991 until 1993.

Gates first joined the CIA in 1966 and served in the intelligence community for more than a quarter century, under six presidents.

His nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.

Whatever confidence Bush retained in Rumsfeld, the Cabinet officer’s support in Congress had eroded significantly. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House speaker-in-waiting, said at her first post-election news conference that Bush should replace the top civilian leadership at the Pentagon.

And Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who had intervened in the past to shore up Rumsfeld, issued a statement saying, “Washington must now work together in a bipartisan way — Republicans and Democrats — to outline the path to success in Iraq.”

This breaking news story will be updated.
© 2006 MSNBC InteractiveThe Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15622266/

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Like I wondered in the locked thread, I'm curious about the timing of this decision. Is he worried about indictments or subpoenas from the Democratic Congress?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Things can only get better with him gone.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

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Are there any immediate prospects? If not, will Bush be looking for someone as... assertive on the war in Iraq?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Robert Gates. I think he's the head of the CIA and has ties to his fathers regime.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

He was the head of the CIA, he's currently the president of Texas A&M. The thought seems to be that he'll welcome others opinions and he'll be better at the political game. He apparently is also a very hard worker, he started at the bottom of the CIA and worked his way up to the top.

FELIPE NO

Texas A&M? That's a joke college!

I don't know how much good this'll do, knowing absolutely zero about anything regarding this topic. The guy has only two years, how much can he turn around? At best he might start working on a timetable to get the US out of Iraq.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

As a student of the University of Texas (yep, no bias there), I'm surprised that Gates will be appointed to take Rumsfeld's place. Even his service at A&M was not the shiniest of shines. So it must have been partly his service at the CIA and partly his connections with the Bush family that may have contributed to this.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Well, I hope better things come out of this for the US military. That's all I'm going to say for now, since I don't know much about the new guy (other than what posters before me said), and I don't want to have preconceived notions just yet.

Well, other than, I hope he's not Rumsfeld v. 2.0

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by a lurker

Texas A&M? That's a joke college!

;___;

His time as president at this university has had some bad marks in my opinion (as an old Ag). Let's see how he does at this position... Supposedly, he was done with Washington. Was going to work at A&M and such until retirement. Seems Bush changed his mind somehow. He turned down the Intelligence Czar position in '05, and that made me think he was gonna hang around. Guess he decided his work isn't done in politics.

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The only thing that i will miss is his splendid poetry like:

Quote:

May 16, 2001, interview with the New York Times
A Confession
Once in a while,
I'm standing here, doing something.
And I think,
"What in the world am I doing here?"
It's a big surprise.

or his classic:

Quote:

Feb. 12, 2002, Department of Defense news briefing
The Unknown
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Long time coming, although indeed, the timing is curious. I mean, its not surprising time, but there had to be a reason to pick the day after the election. As said above, I probably would bet on it being the risk of being hauled into hearings, although can happen as a civilian as well.

Maybe Bush just wanted him through the election to not look like a weak president.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Gecko3

I hope he's not Rumsfeld v. 2.0

Sums it up for me. looooooool at his "unknown" speech.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Seems that Bush found his scapegoat. I dunno, I always liked him, at least he was one of the more consequent and straightheaded politicians out there.

FELIPE NO

Took them long enough to finally get rid of him. How long were people complaining until that was going to happen?

I think there is a connection between the results of the election, and his resignation.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I bet the soldiers where cheering when they heard this news, they wanted him gone for a while.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Chibi Neko

I bet the soldiers where cheering when they heard this news, they wanted him gone for a while.

Actually, most did not. Most of the higher brass may have wanted him gone, but those who are doing the actual fighting are more concerned about the implications of a change in leadership:

from this Times (the London kind, not the New York City kind, thank goodness) article:

Quote:

Troops fear Rumsfeld's exit will end their Iraq mission

Half of America and the upper echelons of the US military may be cheering Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation from the post of Defence Secretary, but there was no rejoicing yesterday among those most directly affected by his decisions: the frontline soldiers in Iraq.

Troops expressed little pleasure at the departure of the man responsible for their protracted deployment to a hostile country where 2,839 of their comrades have died.

Indeed, some members of the 101st Airborne Division and other troops approached by The Times as they prepared to fly home from Baghdad airport yesterday expressed concern that Robert Gates, Mr Rumsfeld’s successor, and the Democrat-controlled Congress, might seek to wind down their mission before it was finished.

Mr Rumsfeld “made decisions, he stuck with them and he did what he thought was right, whether people agreed with it, liked it, or not”, Staff Sergeant Frank Notaro said. He insisted that Iraq was better off now than before the war.

Staff Sergeant Michael Howard said: “It’s a blow to the military. He was a good Secretary of Defence. He kept us focused. He kept the leaders focused. It’s going to be hard to fill his shoes.”

But one US army colonel, who did not want to be named, said that such positive views were uncommon in the higher ranks of the US military. “We are the ones closer to the problem. We are the ones who have the broader picture,” he said.

The colonel criticised Mr Rumsfeld for sending too few troops to Iraq, and for refusing to listen to the advice of his generals. He noted that General Eric Shinseki, the former US Army Chief of Staff, was dismissed for demanding more troops, while General John Abizaid, the commander of Central Command, was the sole general to have differed publicly with Mr Rumsfeld and survived.

Certainly the rank-and-file are trained not to question the decisions of their superiors. “We don’t question why we’re sent here. Our job is to do what we’re told and we do it with pride,” said Sergeant Jason Gomez, a military policeman. When pressed, some also admitted that to question Mr Rumsfeld’s execution of the war would raise doubts about the value of their mission and of their comrades’ deaths.

“I try to keep positive. That’s what keeps you going,” said Sergeant Daniel Allen, of the 101st, who has lost three friends during his two tours in Iraq. “When you lose someone close to you, it’s hard to say whether [their deaths] were worthwhile or not. I like to believe so, especially for their families’ sake.”

But these men are also some of the last believers — people who are still convinced that Iraq can survive its present violence to become a stable democracy. “We’re losing a lot of people over here, but they’re not dying in vain,” Sergeant Gomez insisted.

Sergeant Ron Carter, of the 101st, said: “It’s a bad situation. It's a tough situation. But I think [Rumsfeld] probably did the right thing for the right reasons. Maybe it could have been a bit better planned, but helping people who were suffering — that’s a good reason.”

Major Mike Jason, who has been advising an Iraqi battalion for the past year, said that it remained to be seen how Mr Rumsfeld would be judged. “I hope history will judge that we did something good and stuck with it and saw it through, because it’s already been pretty damn costly.”

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Dullenplain

Actually, most did not. Most of the higher brass may have wanted him gone.

Oh? I guess it may have been them that I was thinking of.... I just remember seeing clips of Americains in Iraq saying 'We want Rumsfeld out!' Oh well...

Either way, rumsfeld still had it comming, hope the new guy does a better job.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Chibi Neko

hope the new guy does a better job.

I don't know, U.S Politics really hasn't had it's great share of political figures lately. just take a look at the last 3 president approval ratings. I believe the highest rated was Bill Clinton

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Balcony Heckler

just take a look at the last 3 president approval ratings. I believe the highest rated was Bill Clinton

Yet he was kicked out for being human.... what is this world comming to?

I wonder how that peace activist Cindy Sheehan is taking the news of a new guy taking over?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Chibi Neko

I wonder how that peace activist Cindy Sheehan is taking the news of a new guy taking over?

Considering Sheehan demanded Bush pull federal troops out of "occupied New Orleans" in September of last year, I don't think she particularly cares who's in charge at the Pentagon.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Devoxy

A) Clinton wasn't kicked out, just what the hell are you talking about? (Look up what impeached really means.)
B) He committed adultery. (Which is a crime depending on the state's laws)

It is? Where?

FELIPE NO

Wikipedia specifically cites Pennsylvania as one such state (punishable by 2 years of imprisonment or 18 months of treatment for insanity).

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Adultery is a crime punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, actually.

I know one person who was reduced in rate, put on restriction and was fined. Subsequently, his wife left him and now he pays child support and alimony.

Jam it back in, in the dark.