That would be this person
Posted on 11/24/2014 7:02:03 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
President Obama will announce the resignation of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday in the first high-profile personnel move since Democrats suffered significant losses in this month's midterm elections.
"In October, Secretary Hagel began speaking with the President about departing the administration given the natural post-midterms transition time," a senior administration official said.
Obama will make the announcement with Hagel at 11:00 a.m. According to the White House, a successor will be named "in short order," but Hagel will remain in the post until that person is confirmed by the Senate.
A senior administration official praised Hagel as "a steady hand, guiding our military through this transition, and helping us respond to challenges from [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria] to Ebola."
But The New York Times, which first reported Hagel's departure, suggested the Defense secretary was being forced out over concerns over his ability to lead the campaign against ISIS.
An administration official told the Times that “the next couple of years will demand a different kind of focus" than he was able to provide. Hagel was originally expected to focus primarily on the winddown of the Afghanistan war and the reduction of the Pentagon budget under sequestration.
There have also been reports of high-profile clashes between Hagel and top White House officials, especially on ISIS policy.
Last month, CNN reported that Hagel wrote a memo to National Security Adviser Susan Rice sharply critical of the White House’s strategy toward Syria.
The unnamed source also indicated that Hagel was concerned that the U.S. could lose gains it made in the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) if it did not alter its strategy toward Assad.
And a story last month in the Times suggested that Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel were struggling to win favor with the White House. The story suggested that Hagel was often silent in national security meetings, and that the president preferred to solicit advice from Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said at the time the president was "proud of his national security team."
“The president and his senior team at the White House are proud of the work that the president’s Cabinet are performing to represent our interests around the globe,” Earnest sad.
And Hagel himself also brushed aside suggestion of tensions.
“Because we are a significant element of this issue, we owe the president and we owe the National Security Council our best thinking on this,” Hagel said. “And it has to be honest and it has to be direct.”
Top candidates to replace Hagel could include former Under Secretary of Defense Michele Flournoy and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).
Maybe as Hillary’s VP?
He's part of the Department Of Defense
Not the Department Of Offense
The next couple of years will demand a different kind of focus.
Sounds like a warning more gutting?.
And line up a nice lobbying gig.
Probably will be a Muzzie, to complete the coup.
The proper exit for Secretary Hagel would be to reveal the Bowe Bergdahl findings that have been sequestered for so long. That would be going out on a high note!
Bowbama Resigns!
Then he'd have to kill everyone in the world.
As if Hagel was the reason for these "significant midterm losses". They're removing the wrong cabinet member.
Ok. Maybe instead it is related to the sudden departure of major defense contractor United Technologies’ CEO...
Just watched Duck Soup. The parallels to this circus administration are striking and I am not joking. Chico as Chicolini, as Hagel, Secretary of War, Obama as Rufus T. Firefly and the main stream media played by Margaret Dumont, the quintessential straight man. Hail, hail Fredonia.....
Hagel probably didn't understand that the Military's primary role is to protect the Commander in Chief, with their secondary role being the CIC's transportation service for fundraisers, vacations, golf outings and similar activities.
“Republican” Hagel just wanted to get a little distance between himself and Obama so he could get a high level job with the next “Republican” (RINO) president that he thinks is coming.
Hagel was picked because of his ties to the Iranian American lobby groups, who helped fund his campaigns. He was fired because talks failed with Iran. Hagel was there because Israel didn’t like him.
I’m betting, based on UpChuck’s history, that he didn’t want the kenyan to send more troops back into Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was a POS senator, a RINO of the worst kind, and deserves to be cashiered and made the scapegoat.
Nobody should kid themselves, UpChuck has had his sights set on a higher office for a while now and he will do and say whatever it takes to get what he wants.
Question: I know that Obama nominates the SOD, doesn’t the Congress have to vote on who becomes SOD?
One of these two black guys.
Or what the hell, maybe the black chick. At this point, as long as they're black, what does it really matter? There's nothing at stake really, except the defense of the American people.
You’re not kidding at all.
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