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The midterm election results in favor of the Democrats across the United States is beginning to have an effect. Largely seen as a referendum on the war in Iraq, the White House has admitted that it might be time for change. The first person to be directly affected was Donald Rumsfeld, the much maligned Secretary of Defense and the prima donna of the war in Iraq. Bush just announced that the “timing is right for new leadership in the Pentagon” But the real part that interested me was the following lines in the article:
Former CIA chief Robert Gates,who headed that agency from 1991 until 1993, will be nominated to take over as defense secretary, Bush said Wednesday.Gates is now president of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
As you know, I am currently at Texas A&M and the student body often hears from the President on a host of issues. Robert Gates [profiled by CNN] also is a close friend of the Bush family and the senior Bush, whose Presidential Library is also in College Station is quite involved with Texas A&M. Immediately after reading that article, we got an email from the President (of A&M) that he has decided to accept the offer of leading the Pentagon. Of course, this position would not be new to Gates as he headed up the CIA before coming down to College Station. His email among other things said:
I apologize for surprising you with this momentous decision and announcement, and for leaving as president before fulfilling my commitment to serve Texas A&M for at least five years. I hope you will understand the circumstances that made this necessary and that this appointment comes nearly as much a surprise to me as to you.I will have more to say to you before I leave (if I am confirmed by the Senate). But I must tell you that while I chose Texas A&M over returning to government almost two years ago, much has happened both here and around the world since then. I love Texas A&M deeply, but I love our country more and, like the many Aggies in uniform, I am obligated to do my duty. And so I must go. I hope you have some idea of how painful that is for me and how much I will miss you and this unique American institution.
Expect to hear more about Texas A&M and Gates association with the university in the near future (Senate confirmation hearings)
Technorati Tags: defense secretary, rumsfeld, Robert Gates, Texas A&M, College Station, Pentagon, Iraq war, elections
by Patrix | on Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 at 12:58 pm | 
Current Affairs, Governance, Politicking, United States . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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November 12th, 2006 at 4:33 am reply
in london - just read the most insightful article that touches amongst other things- on this new development.
try to find it on line- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/review
Sunday Times- News Review
the title- “That Way Son”
November 12th, 2006 at 6:52 pm reply
Thanks for that link, M. I agree that Bush Jr. is grappling with trying to get out of his dad’s shadow but finds himself back in after continued failures.
November 14th, 2006 at 9:16 am reply
Texas Monthly’s bad timing!
November 14th, 2006 at 4:21 pm reply
Anup, I had seen that cover before the news broke. Too bad Gates has to leave A&M. He was making some welcome changes to the university.