Rumsfeld Quits, Pelosi May Let Cheney, Laura Stay Contributed by Bill Faith
WASHINGTON — Donald H. Rumsfeld is stepping down as defense secretary and former CIA Director Robert Gates will be nominated to take his place.
Rumsfeld, President Bush's sole defense secretary in six years of leadership, is the first administration casualty after a midterm congressional election that sent at least 28 House Republicans packing and left the future of the Senate in limbo.
President Bush called Rumsfeld a trusted friend and patriot who had served his country well.
"Now after a series of thoughtful conversations, Secretary Rumsfeld and I agreed that the time had come for new leadership at the Pentagon," Bush said in an East Room press conference scheduled Tuesday night after election returns showed an incoming Democratic House majority.
"Don Rumsfeld has been a superb leader during a time of change. Yet he also appreciates the value of bringing in a fresh perspective during a critical period in this war," he said.
I understand the President has also just announced that he's renaming the Department of Defense, which will heretofore be known as the Department of Appeasement, and is replacing the Joint Chiefs with borrowed French officers.
I'll be tracking the situation .
You know what I just realized? The elections are over. There's no longer any reason to hold back on calling George Bush a dumb ass when he acts like one. The Dhimms will kerry things up bad enough in the next two years to make sure the Republicans retake Congress and keep the White House anyway, so what's to lose?
Contributed by Bill Faith on November 8, 2006 at 12:59 PM in , |