Gates: Pace out as Chairman of Joint Chiefs

Donald Rumsfeld with General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. In an October press conference, Pace said of the then Secretary of Defense, "He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country."

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday he has decided to replace the chairman and vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff rather than have them go through contentious hearings before Congress.

Speaking to reporters, and referring to the debate over the war in Iraq, Gates said he envisioned "a confirmation process that would not be in the best interest of the country" were he to renominate Marine Gen. Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Adm. Ed Giambiastiani as vice chairman...

Pace has been at the Joint Chiefs of Staff for six years, a period that covers the Iraq war. Gates said that until recently, he had intended to renominate the Marine general for another two years.

But he said that after consulting with senators in both parties, he had concluded that "the focus of his confirmation process would have been on the past and not on the future."

Read the rest at MSNBC

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