Thursday, November 09, 2006

Rumsfeld resigns - surprising many

Yesterday Bush did something he hadn't done in six years of Republican dominance in Washington: He gave the Democrats what they had been asking for and got rid of Donald Rumsfeld, who may yet become the longest-serving defense secretary ever.

Getting rid of Rumsfeld was not an expected maneuver by the president — just last week, pre-election Bush pledged that Rumsfeld would have a job as long as Bush did.

But less than 12 hours after the last polls closed in Hawaii, that promise was broken in the face of wide Democratic gains that gave them control of the House and potentially the Senate, depending on the outcome of the Virginia Senate race, where they hold a slim lead.

At first blush, Democrats did not seem to have a problem with Gates, who served as CIA director under the first President Bush and is currently president of Texas A&M. Gates has released a letter to Texas A&M.

More here.

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