Rumsfeld Resigns!

[Zeb_Carter]

Rummy resigned!

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Oh, wow, it's true. ARTICLE

 

[Selena_Kitt]

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.

Uh-huh.
Why am I not surprised?

 

[S-Des]

Uh-huh.
Why am I not surprised?

It does pay to be his friend.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Uh-huh.
Why am I not surprised?

I'm sure that he'll do a heck of a job.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Sorry I didn't post an article as I heard it on the radio.

 

[3113]

Nice of Rummy to take one for the team

 

[Trinique_Fire]

whoopdeefriggindoo.

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

I read this thread with keen interest, mainly due to Scarlett's avatar

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Saw this new article a while ago. So why did he quit? Could it be because he knows he'll be tied up in Senate and House Investigating
hearings until the next decade?

 

[Guest]

Saw this new article a while ago. So why did he quit? Could it be because he knows he'll be tied up in Senate and House Investigating
hearings until the next decade?

If he'd left a month ago, would the Republicans have kept one or two seats they otherwise lost?

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

If he'd left a month ago, would the Republicans have kept one or two seats they otherwise lost?

That's an interesting question. I would say if Rummy had left and Bush had softened his hard line on Iraq they would have kept some of the seats the lost. The war was the biggest issue in the election among voters. Second came morality. Those seats in Florida, Ohio and Texas they would have lost anyway.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

He left now so GW could name a new Sec of Def while the house and senate are still in control of the Republicans.

It's the only explination.

 

[Liar]

He left now so GW could name a new Sec of Def while the house and senate are still in control of the Republicans.

It's the only explination.

Do they have say over how he appoints his staff? Didn't know that.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Do they have say over how he appoints his staff? Didn't know that.

Liar,

Cabinet members are appointed by the President but subject to "confirmation" by the Senate. That's the same process we have for Supreme Court Justices.

Generally, at the beginning of the President's first term, the confirmation hearings are simply a "rubber stamp". Beginning the second term, often cabinet members are replaced and confirmation becomes more difficult. In this case, because of the change in congress, everything is working against confirmation unless the candidate is well known for his work and has nothing in his background that would disqualify him.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Liar,

Cabinet members are appointed by the President but subject to "confirmation" by the Senate. That's the same process we have for Supreme Court Justices.

Generally, at the beginning of the President's first term, the confirmation hearings are simply a "rubber stamp". Beginning the second term, often cabinet members are replaced and confirmation becomes more difficult. In this case, because of the change in congress, everything is working against confirmation unless the candidate is well known for his work and has nothing in his background that would disqualify him.

But because Rummy resigned prior to the new Congress the old Republican Congress will be able to rubber stamp the new guys appointment.

 

[Liar]

Funky. Thanks, peeps.

 

[angela146]

But because Rummy resigned prior to the new Congress the old Republican Congress will be able to rubber stamp the new guys appointment.

Bush probably would not ask for confirmation until the new senate is in session. If he did, it would blow any chance that Bush has of getting immigration reform passed through the new congress.

Immigration reform is one of a very few things that the Dems and Bush agree about.

OTOH, Bush has the right, under Article II Section 2, to make a "Recess Appointment". Because congress is not in session, he can appoint someone without Senate confirmation. That appointment expires at the end of the current session of congress (January 3, 2007).

Doing this would give Gates the ability to get started in the new job while he waits for Congress to reconvien.

 

[angela146]

But because Rummy resigned prior to the new Congress the old Republican Congress will be able to rubber stamp the new guys appointment.

Actually, it's just the Senate.

If Bush actually did this, the Dems cold filibuster until the new session in January. Breaking a filibuster requires a 60% majority, which the Repubs do not have.

However, Gates is a well known quantity and will probably be confirmed by the Senate without much controversy... at least not much controversy about Gates himself. You can certainly expect lots of controversy about the war and what Gates intends to do about it.

 

[Huckleman2000]

Gates is a Bush41 throwback, and now we'll find out what the much-anticipated findings are from Jim Baker, Bush Family Consiglieri from forever.

Maybe W has decided to listen to his 'lower' father for awhile.

 

[dirtylover]

Patrick Stewart for President!

Long live the liberals!

Can't believe they got rid of rheumy, he's just had such an unlucky run.

I'll be back, I love sequels! WTF? Is the U S of A actually a real place?

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Rummy resigned!

http://bestsmileys.com/big/1.gif​

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Does anyone else find it very strange that Rummy is sacked less than 20 hours after then polls closed?? Further, that they already have his replacement standing in the Oval Office for the new conference?

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Does anyone else find it very strange that Rummy is sacked less than 20 hours after then polls closed?? Further, that they already have his replacement standing in the Oval Office for the new conference?

Jenny,

I have a hunch folks will be speculating about that for some time. Had the announcement of his departure been made prior to the election, some disaffected voters might have swung from the Dems to the GOP. On the other hand, some of the GOP true-believers might have been discouraged and not voted.

Don't know if that was the Rowe thinking, of course, but to me it's obvious the timing was no accident.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Pure]

original post deleted.

Bush says the Rummy departure was planned a couple weeks back (around the time he was saying R would stay till end of term), but it wasn't announced because Bush did not want it to seem like a politically based decision.